《Love And》 CHAPTER 1 Chapter 1 Macloria Hospital, maternity ward, delivery room¡­ Everyone in the room smiled as the baby¡¯s cries echoed through the delivery room. ¡°Congrattions, Ms. Mitchell, it¡¯s twins. A boy and a girl!¡± the nurse said with a smile to the woman on the bed. Reba Mitchell gave a weak smile, trying hard to catch a glimpse of her babies surrounded by the doctors. Outside the delivery room, a nurse called out, holding the babies, ¡°Reba Mitchell¡¯s family? Anyone here for Reba Mitchell?¡± No one answered her. Reba had nopany at all? On the bed, Reba¡¯s face grew even paler as she heard this. ¡®So, Theodore¡­ He didn¡¯te?¡® Shey there, a profound sense of helplessness washing over hec The doctors and nurses quickly transferred her to a regr ward, along with her newborn twins. The ward was bustling. Three other beds were upied by new mothers, each surrounded by their families. Some attended to the new mothers, others peered into basss, and new fathers cradled their babies, their faces beaming with joy. Reba¡¯s arrival was noticeable. She was alone, without a single family member by her side. However, no one was particrly nosy. Most people just nced at her and went back to their own business. ¡°Hey, did you catch the news today? Apparently, J Mitchell¡¯s pregnant! Paparazzi caught a shot of her leaving a prenatal check¨Cup.¡± ¡°J? No way! She¡¯s a huge movie star! She just won an award, didn¡¯t she? And now she¡¯s pregnant?¡°. ¡°Could it be fake news?¡± ¡°No way! Her belly is huge. Looks like she¡¯s eight or nine months along, almost ready to give birth!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not even married, right? Pregnant out of wedlock¡­ Man, the entertainment industry is wild these days!¡± ¡°Come on, do you know who was with her at the check¨Cup? It was Theodore Edwards, the president of the Edwards Group! He¡¯s six feet tall, more handsome than any movie star, and only twenty¨Ceight. J¡¯s really hit the Jackpot, marrying into all that money!¡± The family members in the maternity ward gossiped, oblivious to Reba¡¯s face growing paler and paler as shey 68% in the corner. Atst, Reba let out a breath of relief when they shifted their topic away from J¡¯s pregnancy news. She took out her phone and quickly found Theodore¡¯s number in her contacts. After a long hesitation, she finally made the call. ¡°What?¡± Theodore¡¯s cold voice came from the other end. ¡°I¡­ The babies are here. A boy and a girl. Do you want to¡­e see them?¡± Reba¡¯s voice trembled as she asked. ¡°I¡¯m busy. No time,¡± Theodore replied irritably before abruptly hanging up. In the hospital room, Reba listened to the endless beeping on the other end of the phone, her face drained of color. Her hand tightened around the phone, trembling slightly. After a moment, Reba suddenly felt exhausted. She nced at the two babies sleeping soundly in the crib beside her. They were so peaceful, not crying or fussing, as if they knew their mother was sad. Exhaustion frombor finally overcame her. Reba set the phone down,y back on the bed, and closed her eyes. ¡°I need to rest,¡® she thought. She had no idea how long she had slept. When she groggily woke up, she heard the soft murmurs of the other family members in the room. It seemed like they were¡­talking about her? ¡°It¡¯s so sad that no one is here for her at a time like this.¡± ¡°Exactly, and she had twins! I¡¯d be thrilled!¡± ¡°Thrilled? Who knows? Maybe she had an affair and wants to keep it quiet.¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°Would you please look how beautiful she is? If it was not an affair, what man wouldn¡¯t be right here by her side? Even if her husband couldn¡¯te, her husband¡¯s parents should be here, right? But there¡¯s no one. I bet she slept with someone else¡¯s man, got knocked up, and now she¡¯s too ashamed to tell anyone. I really think we should stay away from such a woman.¡± Her husband¡­ Her parents¡­ Her husband¡­ Reba pondered these words. She had just woken up feeling somewhat at peace, but now her heart started to ache again. Was there anyone in the world who truly cared about her? Theodore¡¯s parents didn¡¯t like her. Her own parents doted on her sister, J, and even her husband only thought of J. Was it simply because she was adopted and J was their biological daughter? Twenty¨Cthree years ago, her adoptive parents, unable to have children after years of marriage, had brought her home from an orphanage. But just a few monthster, her mother unexpectedly became pregnant and gave birth to their biological daughter, J. From then on, Reba became the unwanted child, forever overshadowed by J in their parents¡® eye Three years ago, a car ident left Theodore in a vegetative state. No one wanted to marry him, but the Mitchells, driven by their own greed, pushed her into the marriage. A yearter, Theodore miraculously awoke. She thought her nightmare was finally over, but then J fell in love with Theodore at first sight. Reba had a falling out with the Mitchell family because she had fallen in love with Theodore. Throughout her life, she had given up too much for J, and she didn¡¯t want to give up her husband too. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t win Theodore¡¯s heart. Six months ago, Theodore came home out of the blue and handed her divorce agreement. Reba didn¡¯t want to agree, nor was she willing to. She even thought she could spend her whole life waiting, it to agree, nor was she willing to sho refusing to divorce, even if Theodore¡¯s heart already belonged to J. She would remain his wife, even if in name only, forever casting J as the other woman. But even though she was willing to ruin her life, she lost to Theodore¡¯s ruthlessness. When Theodore found out Reba was pregnant, he threatened her with the baby. If she didn¡¯t agree to the divorce, she would have to terminate the pregnancy! She couldn¡¯t abandon her child. The doctor warned her that her unique medical condition meant if she terminated the pregnancy, she might never be able to have children again. With no family left, the child was Reba¡¯s only hope. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t give up her right to be a mother. For the sake of the children, she eventually signed the divorce agreement. 68%Á¿Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. 15:31 Thu, 18 Jul Since Theodore was the child¡¯s biological father, she called him before going intobor. But in the end, he didn¡¯t show up. In the doctor¡¯s office, obstetrics chief Paul Carter stared at the paternity test results in disbelief. ¡®Matched? The woman in room 209 is really the daughter of my brother?¡± When Paul first saw Reba, he was shocked by how much she resembled his brother¡¯s wife, with faint traces of his brother¡¯s features as well. Unable to resist, he secretly took a blood sample from Reba and conducted a paternity test. He never expected that it matched. Love And CHAPTER 2 Chapter 2 Paul couldn¡¯t wait. He called his older brother, Patrick Carter, during office hours and immediately shared thetest news he had. His voice trembled as he spoke. ¡°Patrick, you won¡¯t believe what I just found out. Get to the hospital, now! You and your wife! It¡¯s urgent, dude!! found my niece! She¡¯s here, at our hospital! Hurry, hurry!¡± After saying this, Paul couldn¡¯t sit in his office any longer. He had to go to the ward to see Reba. With this in mind, he hung up the phone and rushed toward the hospital room. Paul hunt up abruptly, and it only made Patrick more anxious. He wondered if the ¡°niece¡± Paul was talking about the child they had lost.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Patrick¡¯s mind was full of questions, but before he could ask, he realized Paul had hung up the phone! Patrick wanted to swear, but it was his own brother on the other end. He knew Paul wouldn¡¯t lie, especially not about something as huge as this. Thinking about this, Patrick started to feel excited. He couldn¡¯t wait to rush out of his office, calling his wife on the way downstairs. Debra Phillips¡® mind went nk when she got the call from her husband. Then, a wave of excitement crashed over her. She bolted out of the beauty salon, face mask still on, and jumped into her car, ordering the driver to head to the airport. She was going to Macloria! Oh my goodness, could it really be their daughter? Their precious daughter, the sweet girl who had been lost for over twenty years. Had they finally found her? Sitting in the car on the way to the airport, Debra was overwhelmed with emotions, tears streaming down her face. That was her precious daughter, her sweet girl! Debra then suddenly remembered she hadn¡¯t cleaned off her mask. She quickly grabbed some wet wipes and a bottle of water, frantically wiping her face. She had to look decent when meeting her daughter for the first time. She couldn¡¯t afford to scare her! Not only that, Debra quickly thought of her three sons and immediately called each of them, urging them to go to Maeloria right away. They found their sister! The three Carter brothers, well¨Cknown as three of the four young elites of Hivalis, were thrilled to hear their sister had been found. They immediately dropped everything and rushed out as fast as they could, heading to Maeloria. 1/3 TET THU, TH lu Meanwhile, at the hospital, the first to burst into the room was Paul. Paul, wearing gold¨Crimmed sses and a white coat, suddenly charged in, startling everyone in the room. Instinctively, they all turned to look at Paul. But Paul didn¡¯t stop for a moment or nce at anyone else. He hurried into the room, quickly scanning the area before rushing over to Reba. Reba was startled and instantly got nervous, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn¡¯t help but worry if she had paid her fees. Thest thing she wanted was to owe money for giving birth. Other patients and their families in the ward couldn¡¯t help but look over, wondering what Paul was up to. Only after bursting into the room did Paul realize he might have overstepped. The paternity test had been done in secret, and his niece was still in the dark about that and about their connection. He took a deep breath and looked at the girl in the hospital bed. The longer he looked, the more he saw his brother and Debra, especially Debra. She was practically her spitting image, just younger. ¡°Becky¡­ No, Reba¡­¡± Paul almost used her nickname from the Carter family but quickly corrected himself since Reba didn¡¯t know it. He looked at Reba, his tone cautious as if afraid to scare her. ¡°You are Reba, right? Do you feel this ward is a bit crowded? It might not be veryfortable to stay here ¡°There are better rooms upstairs. If you want, we can move you to a morefortable room right away.¡± Reba¡¯s mind went nk as she stared at the obstetrics director in bewilderment. ¡®Crowded¡­?¡® She instinctively nced around. The room was indeed crowded, packed with several mothers and their families. Earlier, she¡¯d woken up to them gossiping about her. VIP rooms were hard to book and usually reserved for people with special status. Could Reba really have one? Paul noticed Reba¡¯s hesitation and immediately brightened up. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, we can get you settled in a new room right away.¡± As Paul spoke, he quickly went out and called two nurses over to help. The nurses carefully took the twins while Paul gently helped Reba off the bed. They left the noisy, crowded ward on the second floor and moved to a luxurious VIP room on the fourth floor. The fourth¨Cfloor hospital room was a world apart from the standard ones. It was a private suite, tastefully decorated and ridiculouslyfortable. 15.31 Thu, 18 JUI Jul Chapter 2 Best of all, it had a huge double bed. Reba could stretch out with both babies right beside her. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Carter,¡± Reba said as soon as they were settled. Paul couldn¡¯t take his eyes off his beloved niece, as if he couldn¡¯t get enough of her. Reba felt uneasy under his intense gaze, making her restless. ¡°Mr. Carter, is there something you need to say?¡± Reba asked cautiously. Paul quickly shook his head before hesitantly nodding. He looked up at her with a gentle, almost ttering smile. Soon, he finally realized that Reba seemed uneasy. He adjusted his posture, cleared his throat,posed himself, and then carefully took out a paternity test certificate from behind his back, handing it to Reba. Reba was confused as she carefully took the document. But as she read through it, her eyes widened in shock! She quickly looked up at Paul. Paul couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. He hastily introduced himself, stumbling over his words. ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m Paul Carter, your dad¡¯s younger brother, your uncle. I¡¯m your family!¡± Reba¡¯s eyes widened even more in disbelief. Paul was nervous. He excitedly continued, ¡°Uh¡­ Becky, don¡¯t freak out. Your mom, dad, and brothers are already on their way. They¡¯re in Hivalis, but it¡¯ll take them about three hours to get here. Just wait patiently. They¡¯ll be here soon, I swear.¡± Love And CHAPTER 3 Chapter 3 As Paul spoke, his eyes drifted to the babies nestled beside Reba. ¡°Becky¡­ I mean, Reba, can I take a picture of the babies?¡± Paul asked cautiously. Reba was stunned for a moment before she quickly nodded. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± She instinctively moved aside to make room. Paul hurried over, exchanging a nce with Reba before taking out his phone and carefully snapping a photo of both babies. After taking the picture, he looked at the adorable kids, smiling ears to ears. He was about to share it with the family group chat when he suddenly thought about something and quickly turned to Reba. ¡°Reba, do you mind if I post this in the family group chat? I¡¯d love for everyone to see your kids. ¡°We¡¯ve been searching for you for over twenty years. Everyone is eager to hear about you,¡± Paul said nervously. ¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine,¡± Reba said, noticing his nervousness, excitement, and joy. Her own heart was pounding hard, feelingplex and joyful. It turned out she had a family. She had a mom and dad, brothers, and uncle, who all missed her terribly. They¡¯d been searching for her for the past twenty years. She wasn¡¯t abandoned. With Reba¡¯s consent, Paul excitedly shared the photos in the family group chat. The moment he hit send, the chat blew up. [What¡¯s this?] [Where did these babiese from?] [Paul, did you have babies behind our back?] [Oh my, so cute! Whose babies are this? Tell me!] [It¡¯s Reba¡¯s babies, twins, a boy and a girl, just born. Aren¡¯t they adorable?] Paul sent the message after sharing the photos, proudly showing off! [Everyone, get your gifts ready! For the babies and for Reba. Don¡¯t miss a single one! I¡¯m telling you, the gifts must be something big and special. The more, the better!] Paul continued threatening everyone in the group chat. 1/4 18:52 TG, ISTQUE 68% ? Reba had been secretly watching Paul¡¯s expressions, seeing his cautious look turn to excitement, then arrogance, and finally a smug smile. She couldn¡¯t help but feel her mood lied and crack a smile. Thinking of this. Reba turned to look at her babies beside her. The kids were soft and tiny, looking incredibly adorable That evening, the Carter family rushed into the hospital, their anxiety mounting as they raced toward Reba¡¯s room in the inpatient ward nick Debra, and their three towering so stopped at the door, each looking nervous and even a bit scared. Fmaily, Decretook a deep breath and carefulty knocked on the door. In the hospital room. Paul was still looking at them, ncing at Reba and then at the two babies. The more he looked, the wider his smile grew. These were the Carter family¡¯s most precious babies. The knock at the door started him for a moment, but he quickly realized it must be Patrick and Debra. He turnedly stood up to coer the door. As the door opened, the whole family was there, and Debra was standing at the front. Sitting on the hospital bed, Reba looked toward the door. The moment she saw Debra, her heart seemed to skip a beat. This madam When Deore saw Paul she knew she had found the right ce. She became even more nervous, instinctively leaning forward and scanning the room. Their eyes suddenly met¨CReba and Debra. They stared at each other, feeling a mix of tension, excitement, and deep¨Cseated anticipation, followed by the bittersweet pain of a twenty¨Cyear separation Tears wellied up in Debra¡¯s eyes, but she quickly swiped them away and rushed into the room. Patrick and the three sons of the Carter family followed behind her. They¡¯d been eager to get inside, but now that they were finally in the room, a wave of nerves washed over everyone. All eyes were glued to Reba Reba had never been the center of attention Eke this, and she felt uneasy under their gaze. ¡°Alright, Patrick, Debra, and you three, calm down. Don¡¯t scare Reba,¡± Paul couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and quickly reminded them His words seemed to break the spell Áã68%•þ Debra broke into a smile with tears. Patrick turned his head away, quietly wiping his own tears. The three brothers also smiled. Paul stood up and introduced with a smug smile, ¡°Becky, this is your om, Debra. She¡¯s the one who¡¯s missed you most these past twenty years. She cried so much because she couldn¡¯t find you that it even messed with her eyes¡­¡± ¡°Paul!¡± Debra interrupted anxiously, her voice urgent. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Becky these things.¡± Becky was the nickname the Carter family had given Reba. They hoped she would always be happy, but fate had a joke with her, making her life the most difficult. Paul immediately stopped and turned to Reba, his eyes filled with tenderness. ¡°Anyway, your mom loves you very much.¡± Reba¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. She turned her head, looking for a tissue to wipe them away. A tissue appeared in front of her. Reba looked up to find a handsome young man offering it with a kind smile.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Th¨Cthank you,¡± she stammered, carefully taking the tissue. ¡°Becky, this is your big brother, Adrian Carter. He studiedw and now runs his ownw firm. Youe to him if you ever have any legal trouble. He¡¯ll help you out!¡± Paul said with a cheerful smile. ¡®Big brother? Awyer?¡± Opening his ownw firm at such a young age was pretty impressive. Reba looked at her big brother, unable to hide her admiration. Adrian¡¯s expression softened as he noticed his sister¡¯s admiring gaze. ¡°Hi Becky,¡± he said warmly, ¡°I¡¯m Adrian. Anything you need, I¡¯m here for you.¡± Hearing Adrian¡¯s words, a young man in hip¨Chop clothes standing nearby hurriedly chimed in, ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m your third brother, Charlie Carter. I work in the entertainment industry. So, you know, if you ever want to break into showbiz, just hit me up. I got your back¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Three voices chimed in at once, shutting Charlie down. Charlie turned to everyone, feeling wronged. ¡°Come on, guys! This is my first time meeting our sister. You all get to support her, but I can¡¯t?¡±
  1. In 18 HD
¡°We all know what kind of man you are!¡± Debra rolled her eyes, feeling speechless. ¡°Chuck, if you don¡¯t want to take over the family business and insist on messing around in the entertainment industry, that¡¯s your choice, but don¡¯t take Becky with you!¡± Patrick quickly scolded as well. Saying that, he turned to Reba, smiling, ¡°Becky, don¡¯t be like your brothers. They all refused to take over the family business and insisted on starting their own ventures. They¡¯re driving me crazy. Luckily, I still have you, my good girl. Now that you¡¯re back, all of the family¡¯s assets will be left to you. Those boys won¡¯t get a single cent, humph!¡± CHAPTER 4 Chapter 4 Reba listened to her father¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t help but nce at her brothers. She found it amusing to see Charlie¡¯s indignant expression. ¡°Becky, I¡¯m your father, Patrick. I¡¯m fifty¨Csix years old. From now on, if you need anything,e to the Carter family. We¡¯ve got your back. If anyone dares to cross with you, just tell me, and I will deal with them right back!¡± Patrick looked at Reba and dered, his voice booming with authority. ¡°Okay,¡± Reba replied, a warmth spreading through her chest. ¡°And don¡¯t forget me, Becky. I¡¯m your second brother, Bryce Carter. I work at the police station as a cop. If you ever into any bad guys, juste to me, and I¡¯ll make sure they get what¡¯sing to them!¡± Bryce, who had been silent until now, spoke up with a smile. run Everyone turned to look at Bryce, their eyes filled with deep emotions. Paul looked at Reba and exined, ¡°Becky, Bryce became a cop for your sake. In the years you were missing. we tried every possible method but couldn¡¯t locate you. Bryce hates human traffickers to the core, so he bes a cop, hoping to catch everyst one of them and put them in jail. And deep down, he hoped that he might find you again by doing that.¡± Reba was stunned. She never imagined that her second brother was a police officer and, even more surprising. that he chose this path because of her. Her heart was pounding. It had been cold for years and finally turned warm. She opened her arms to Bryce. Bryce walked over, opened his arms, and gently embraced her. The next moment, her mom joined in, hugging them gently, followed by her dad and her two other brothers. In just a few minutes, the whole family was hugging together, overflowing with joy and happiness. Paul stood nearby for a long time and couldn¡¯t help but wipe the tears that had welled up in his eyes. ey got t As they to know each other, her mom, dad, and brothers quickly got busy again. Reba just had two babies, so there were so many things to do. Baby clothes, tiny shoes, socks, hats, adorable little bottles, diapers¡­ All needed to be prepared. Rebaughed, pulling them aside and reassuring them, ¡°Guys, rx! I¡¯ve got everything covered. Don¡¯t worry.¡± As a single mom¨Cto¨Cbe, Reba was determined to raise her twins with love and care. She¡¯d been preparing for months, making sure they¡¯d have everything they needed. Hearing this, everyone went to see what she had prepared for the kids. After a while, they slowly calmed down when they found everything in order. ¡°Alright, everyone, quiet down. Becky just gave birth and needs to rest. Let¡¯s give her some peace and be quiet,¡± Paul suddenly reminded them. Everyone finally realized this and quickly fell silent, keeping the room quiet and peaceful. Meanwhile, at the Edwards Group¡­ Theodore frowned as he worked through a stack of documents, his annotations sharp and harsh. In just a few minutes, he tossed the files onto the desk with a cold expression. ¡°Meeting, now!¡± he snapped. Nearby, at the assistant¡¯s desk, his friend Wyatt Shatner sighed deeply and said, ¡°Theodore, shouldn¡¯t you check on Reba at the hospital?¡± ¡°No need,¡± Theodore refused coldly, mocking with a sneer, ¡°She had tried anything desperately to have my children. She¡¯lle crawling back.¡± Wyatt wanted to say something but ultimately stayed silent. He turned to notify all departments for a meeting. Everyone moved quickly, and soon, they were all in the top- floor conference room. Theodore strode into the room with documents and promptly started the meeting seriously. Itsted for forty minutes, neither too long nor too short. When Theodore left the office, he couldn¡¯t help but nce at his phone. No notifications popped up. Reba hadn¡¯t called. Since giving birth, she hadn¡¯t called him except for that call before. Back in his office, Theodore tossed his phone onto the desk but found his eyes drawn back to it. The phone remained silent, with no messages or calls from Reba. ¡°Wyatt,¡± Theodore said, his voice tinged with frustration. ¡°Do we have any appointments tonight?¡± he asked. Wyatt quickly replied, ¡°There was supposed to be a dinner tonight, but it was canceled due to an issue with the Shatner family, so¡­there¡¯s nothing scheduled. You can get some rest.¡± Theodore was agitated. After a moment of thought, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go get a drink.¡± 15:33 Thu, 18 Jule Wyatt pondered for a moment before agreeing, ¡°Alright.¡± 68% Everyone had been at the hospital watching over Reba for three days.. After that, they all had to return to Hivalis to take care of their work. That afternoon, after saying goodbye to Reba, Patrick and her brothers left. Only her mother, Debra, and her uncle, Paul, who worked at the hospital, stayed with her. Originally, everyone wanted her to go to Hivalis with them, but she had only signed a divorce license with Theodore and hadn¡¯t finalized it at the courthouse, so she couldn¡¯t leave yet. She had to stay behind to finalize the divorce license with Theodore, and then she¡¯d be free to head for Hivalis. Debra was livid when she learned what had happened to her. She cursed the Mitchell family and the Edwards. family over and over, ready to use the Carter family¡¯s influence to get justice for her daughter. But Reba held her back. On the fourth day, Reba was finally discharged from the hospital. Back at home, she looked around at the familiar ce. Every detail had been chosen by her with such care and love. She wanted Theodore to feelfortable, rxed, and happy when he came home from work. But all her efforts had been a joke. After Theodore woke up, he stayed at home for only two or three months before moving out. He had no feelings for her at all. Even the children she carried were an ident. She still remembered the first time she saw Theodore apanying J for a prenatal checkup at the hospital. J smugly announced that she was also pregnant, and the child was Theodore¡¯s. Reba was so furious and pped J hard across the face, nearly causing a miscarriage. Theodore had forced the divorce license on her soon after and never came home again. Thinking about the pain of giving birth alone and the gossip she heard in the hospital room, she suddenly understood. Some marriages simply weren¡¯t meant to be. 15:33 Thu, 18 Jul Two dayster, Reba finally called Theodore. 68%N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. n the conference room, Theodore was in the middle of a meeting when his phone suddenly rang from his pocket. Everyone was startled and instinctively looked in the direction of the sound. fter a brief pause, Theodore pulled out his phone under everyone¡¯s gaze. was Reba calling! heodore¡¯s eyes flickered over the name before he hung up in annoyance and resumed the meeting. CHAPTER 5 Chapter 5 At home, Reba stared at her phone, her heart sinking as the call cut out. Debra frowned, displeased. ¡°He hung up on you?¡± Reba went straight back to her contacts, dialing Theodore¡¯s number again. In the conference room, Theodore smirked when he saw Reba¡¯s name sh across his screen and promptly hung up again. This time, the call ended almost instantly. Reba wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew he was doing it on purpose. After a moment¡¯s thought, she typed out a message and sent it. [Theodore, let¡¯s get this divorce over with. We never went to the courthouse after signing those papersst time. If you have time in the next few days, let¡¯s make it official and get the license.] [Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t bother you anymore.] After sending the messages, Reba put her phone down. Debra looked at her daughter, feeling heartbroken. Back at the office, Theodore assumed Reba had finally calmed down this time. He was about to resume the meeting when his phone buzzed with a few messages, Annoyed, Theodore picked up his phone, curious about what Reba had sent him this time or what kind of trouble she was stirring up now. But as he saw her message, his mind went nk for a moment. It was only a fleeting moment, though. Theodore quickly recovered and scoffed. He walked out of the room with his phone, and dialed Reba¡¯s number. At home, Reba¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Seeing Theodore¡¯s name on the screen, she took a deep breath and picked it up. ¡°Reba, what are you up to now?¡± Theodore¡¯s voice dripped with icy sarcasm, echoing through the phone. before she could even open her mouth, Reba nced down at the babies sleeping beside her. They were so well¨Cbehaved, but it was a pity their parents were getting a divorce. 68% ¡°I¡¯m not up to anything, Theodore. We signed the divorce license over six months ago. I think we should finalize the divorce license soon. There¡¯s no point in dragging this out,¡± Reba said in a tired voice. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Theodore demanded. She gave a bitter smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m saying you need toe back here. We can set a court date, and in a month, we¡¯ll be divorced.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. then, she would have recovered and could be united with her family in Hivalis with the children. She didn¡¯t want to stay in Maeloria. It broke her heart. The phone hung up with no answer from Theodore, but after so many years together, she knew he woulde back for the divorce. That evening, Theodore indeed returned. He was dressed in a tailored suit, his shirt buttoned meticulously to the top as he stepped inside. His entire demeanor exuded coldness and a sense of authority. Debra had juste downstairs to fetch some water for her daughter when she saw Theodore walking in from outside. Theodore saw Debra, too. He paused, staring at her. Neither of them spoke. Eventually, Theodore went upstairs, brushing past Debra on his way to the room. Inside, Reba leaned against the headboard, cradling one of her babies. Hearing someone at the door, Reba assumed it was her mother. She instinctively looked up, but her smile froze the moment she saw Theodore. Even her arms tightened around the baby. ¡°We¡¯re going to the courthouse tomorrow,¡± Theodore said bluntly. Reba felt a stab of pain in her chest but remained calm. ¡°Okay,¡± she simply said. Theodore frowned at her response. His eyes bored into hers, trying to read her mind. He had thought Reba would cry and refuse to divorce like she used to. Theodore watched her for a while before ncing at the baby in her arms and the other newborn on the bed. The children were so tiny, just born¡­ Theodore took a step forward as if to get a closer look but then abruptly turned and walked away. That night, he didn¡¯t return to the master bedroom. Instead, he headed straight for his study, burying himself in work until he fell asleep on the couch. 68% Chapter 5 The following morning, Theodore didn¡¯t rush off. Instead, he waited until nine and then showed up at Reba¡¯s door, reminding her to schedule their divorce appointment at the courthouse. Debra was fuming, ready to give him a piece of her mind, but she held her tongue. Their divorce would beplete soon. She couldn¡¯t afford to act rashly. It wasn¡¯t the right time to reveal their family background yet. The Carter family was powerful and influential. If this man found out about Becky¡¯s ties to them, he might refuse to let her go and cling to her like a leech. That would mean Becky would be stuck with this jerk for the rest of her life! Debra could wait a few more days. Once her daughter had that divorce license in hand, she could deal with this jerk! Debra watched her daughter thoughtfully. As Reba started to get out of bed, Debra quickly grabbed a warm set of clothes for her. A new mother needed to be well taken care of and shouldn¡¯t catch a cold. There wasn¡¯t much to pack. A few quick preparations, a thick coat for Reba, and they were ready to go with Theodore. Debra, however, was worried about her daughter and insisted on going along. Theodore nced at Debra, puzzled. ¡°And you are¡­?¡± Hearing this, Reba also looked at her mother. Debra quickly said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m¡­a friend of Reba. She just had babies, and I¡¯m here to make sure she¡¯s okay.¡± Theodore was utterly baffled. Although Debra had maintained her appearance well, it was clear she wasn¡¯t young. It was puzzling how Reba, barely in her twenties, could befriend someone old enough to be her mother. He instinctively looked at Reba with confusion. ¡°We just kind of bumped into each other,¡± Reba exined, ¡°and hit it off.¡± Theodore nodded and didn¡¯t ask any further questions. They headed out together and got into the Rolls¨CRoyce parked at the entrance, driving away. The car was cozy, shielding Reba from the windchill, so there was nothing wrong. 3/4 669 In just a few minutes, they arrived at the courthouse. Debra was excited. Her daughter would soon be free and no longer be tied to that jerk! She quickly stood up and gently helped Reba get out of the car. Theodore nced between Reba and Debra. Reba¡¯s face was calm, but her friend practically vibrated with excitement. Was she¡­happy about the divorce? Reba was bundled up in a thick coat and a hat, looking like a baby cocoon. Even so, Debra pulled out a thick wind nket and wrapped Reba up tightly once more from the outside. If Reba wanted to recover soon, rule number one was to avoid cold and keep warm. ¡°Let¡¯s get inside, don¡¯t want you freezing,¡± Debra reminded Reba when they were about to get out of the car. Reba looked at her mother and nodded, feeling warm. ¡°Okay.¡± They got out of the car and quickly walked toward the courthouse. Theodore felt even more ufortable, but after a brief moment of silence, he stepped out of the car and followed them into the courthouse. CHAPTER 6 Chapter 6 Getting to the courthouse and checking in wasn¡¯t a big deal, but Reba¡¯s winter coat drew attention in the building. Many people nced at them discreetly and then looked at Theodore with a probing gaze. Debra fussed over Reba, making sure she wasfortable. Theodore had always been the center of admiration, but this was the first time he was under judgmental stares. It felt like everyone was sizing him up, looking at him like he was a jerk. Frustrated, he snapped at the staff, ¡°Can you hurry up?¡± The staff gave him a look but kept to their steady pace. Reba, meanwhile, diligently answered every question and signed the paperwork ced in front of her. Theodore was about to sign when his phone suddenly rang. He frowned, put down the pen, and took out his phone. When he saw the screen, he froze. He moved a few steps away to take the call. At the counter, Debra held Reba¡¯s hand, silentlyforting her daughter. Meanwhile, Theodore expression drastically changed after answering the phone call. He then hurried out the door, looking anxious, ignoring the divorcing paper. Debra panicked and quickly ran after him, but the man was practically sprinting! Angry, Debra increased her pace, but she couldn¡¯t keep up. ¡°Theodore!¡± she yelled in frustration. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with this man? Can¡¯t he stay put for a divorce? He¡¯s about to sign and now he¡¯s running way!¡± It wouldn¡¯t kill him to sign the papers before leaving. ¡°Becky, honey, stay put. Mommy¡¯s going after him,¡± Debra said to Reba, her voice tight with worry. ¡°I¡¯ll have that jerk back here in thirty minutes!¡± And with that, Debra took off after Th¨¦odore. But outside, Theodore had already gotten into the sleek ck Rolls¨CRoyce. The luxury car took off like a bat out of takim woman hwagern town) x cm, altering the mass bor kas incaut dirs to chase for the halls Tron qprover vele about to yol at hus for surging t¨¤n, tut they the first was ton sempting it dammed sets gear and took off tires squealing at waist p?ar the Busto: Hoyos weat But loreping up with & Phantom was to many foot. Aber tat two mututes, the fails. Royce was out of sight, ts downe loaded embarrassad ¡°So we didn¡¯t catch up. Do i still get the two thousand bucks?¡± he asked cautiously, ncing at Debra sitting in the passenger seat Debra was Tuning, but she wasn¡¯t unreasonable. She immediately took out her phone and transferred two thousand dors to the driver The driver was all smiles as he saw the money. Money talked, after all. That was indeed impressive, ¡°Take me back?¡± Detira demanded. Becky was still at the courthouse. Debra needed to get back to her. Her daughter had just given birth and needed help during recovery. She couldn¡¯t just leave her alone there. ¡°Absolutely, ma¡¯am, night away!¡± The driver happily agreed. It was two thousand dors! He¡¯d drive this richdy anywhere she wanted, even out of the state, if she asked. He quickly got Debra back to the courthouse Meanwhile, Reba was still waiting until her mother returned. Debra¡¯s anger melted into heartache when she saw Reba, mixed with a bit of guilt ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t catch up with him,¡± Debra said, holding Reba¡¯s hand andforting her softly. Tit¡¯s fine, Reba said softly. Debra looked at Reba with concern. ¡°Becky, how about we go home for now? We can get it settled another day She initially wanted to ask something, but seeing the sadness etched on her daughter¡¯s face, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it. Asking would only make Reba feel worse, so Debraforted her instead. ¡°Okay.¡± Reba nodded. Debra quickly called another car and took Reba home.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. At home, the nanny was taking care of the kids. Seeing Reba and Debra return, she walked over with the babies. ¡°How are the kids?¡± Reba asked. ¡°They¡¯ve been very good, no fussing. I was just thinking about whether to give them some form. I didn¡¯t expect you to be home this early,¡± the nanny said with a smile. As soon as the nanny finished speaking, the baby in her arms stared intently at Reba, stretching out tiny hands as if asking for a hug. Reba¡¯s heart melted. She hurried over and took the baby into her arms. The moment the baby was in her arms, it immediately snuggled into Reba¡¯s chest. Maybe she was¡­hungry? The nanny chuckled at the sight. ¡°Looks like the baby girl wants to nurse.¡± ¡°You better get in bed, sweetheart. It¡¯s warmer there,¡± Debra said, feeling more concerned for her daughter than the babies. Reba followed her mother¡¯s advice, covered herself with a thick quilt, and then took both babies to nurse. Watching this scene, Debra felt even more resentful toward the Edwards and Mitchell families. Her dear daughter was so wonderful. How could they treat her so poorly? ¡°Becky, don¡¯t worry. Once you recover, we¡¯ll go deal with that jerk. This marriage will definitely end.¡± Debralforted Reba after she finished nursing the babies. Reba looked at her mother and smiled, ¡°Okay.¡± Debra was relieved. She continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the divorce. If you ever want to get married again, the Carter family has connections. Plenty of good men out there for you to choose from. And trust me, any one of them would be way better than Theodore.¡± Reba was speechless for a moment. ¡°Mom¡­ I don¡¯t want to get married again,¡± she said helplessly. Just Theodore alone had left her deeply scarred. She didn¡¯t want to get involved with men again. Debra¡¯s heart ached for her daughter. Becky was barely in her twenties, in the prime of her life. She should be cherished, not to be hurt so deeply. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Honey. We¡¯ll take one step at a time. If you don¡¯t find someone you like, you can also enjoy your own life. But if you do find someone, the whole family will support you!¡± Debra encouraged with a smile. Chapters Her mom was so kind¡­ With this in mind, Reba couldn¡¯t resist to reach out and hug her mother. In the afternoon, Theodore called again, but this time, the reason was that his grandparents wereing. And they were going to stay with them. ¡°Reba, Grandma has a heart condition. She had an episode this morning when she found out about our divorce. Grandpa and Grandma wille to your ce tonight. Take care of them and try not to upset them,¡± Theodore reminded at the end of the call Love And CHAPTER 7 Chapter 7 Reba¡¯s head was buzzing as the call ended. Theodore¡¯s parents had found out about this? And his grandma had an episode this morning? She suddenly felt worried for them. Ever since she married Theodore, her grandparents, Sam Edwards and Melissa Edwards, had been the kindest to her, treating her like family! Every time they met, Sam and Melissa paid much attention to her. She never told them about the past because her grandmother¡¯s health was fragile, and she was afraid it would negatively impact her. But now, they knew everything. Reba just hoped they were alright. ¡°Becky, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Debra asked cautiously, sensing something was off with her daughter. Reba hesitated for a moment before exining to Debra that Theodore¡¯s grandparents wereing. Debra frowned as she heard the news, ¡°Theodore rushed out this morning. Do you think it was because his grandma suddenly fell ill?¡± But her expression quickly changed to displeasure. ¡°Anyway, Becky, we can¡¯t keep someone like Theodore. When his grandparentse tonight, don¡¯t let them sway you. We still need to go through with the divorce. You¡¯ve got at whole life ahead of you. Don¡¯t let this jerk hold you back!¡± Reba looked at her mother, feeling grateful and happy to have her. She was truly lucky to have found her mother. That evening, Sam and Melissa arrived with Theodore along with them. They quickly looked at Reba as soon as they entered the room. Seeing her still in her coat, sitting on the bed with the baby in her arms, they felt a mix of joy and heartache. ¡°Theodore, get over here and apologize to your wife!¡± Melissa walked over to the bedside and scolded his grandson harshly. Reba was surprised. Melissa was¡­making Theodore apologize to her? Theodore looked at Reba, and she also looked back. ?0 After a moment, he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Melissa suddenly swung her cane, cracking it against Theodore¡¯s shin. ¡°Keep your head down!¡± Apologizing shouldn¡¯t be done so arrogantly. He needed to show sincerity and mean it! Theodore was stunned by the sudden blow. He looked at Melissa, shocked.. Holding the cane, Melissa scolded, ¡°What are you looking at? Just because you¡¯re a grown man doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t teach you a lesson! ¡°Now, apologize to your wife!¡± Melissa urged again, her voice stern. ¡°And mean it this time! Though Theodore felt frustrated, he didn¡¯t dare to defy her. He turned to Reba, lowered his head, and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Reba.¡± After Theodore apologized, Melissa finally grunted, feeling a bit more satisfied. Sam, meanwhile, was already stealing nces at his great¨Cgrandchildren. He clearly loved the kids. Melissa walked over, her eyes sweeping over Reba and the kids. The longer she looked, the wider her smile grew. These were her great¨Cgrandchildren! ¡°Reba, don¡¯t be scared of him. This marriage isn¡¯t ending. As long as I¡¯m breathing, he won¡¯t even think about. divorce! ¡°You married him when he was in a vegetative state, took care of him every day, and brought him back from the brink of death. You saved his life. If he dares to let you down, I swear on my life, I¡¯ll beat him to death. My grandson better not be ungrateful, or I¡¯ll be turning in my grave.¡± Melissa sat down by the bed and earnestly tried tofort Reba. She was just as protective of Reba as always, but Debra, standing nearby, couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. How could they not get a divorce? Her sweet daughter had her whole life ahead of her. She couldn¡¯t be tied down to that good¨Cfor¨Cnothing Theodore. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I have to say I disagree. Reba and Theodore are young. If they¡¯re not happy together anymore, why force it? They¡¯ll both end up miserable. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Debra spoke up. Hearing this, Melissa paused and looked up at Debra. Reba quickly introduced, ¡°Grandma, Um¡­ Debra is my friend.¡± 1530 Thu, 18 Jul
  1. 18
¡°Debra, this is Theodore¡¯s grandmother, Melissa,¡± Reba said, introducing to her mom as well. 66% At that moment, they silently agreed to keep their true connection under wraps, not wanting the Edwards family to know who they really were. ¡°Friend?¡± Melissa stammered, confused. ¡°Reba, how can you two be friends with such a big age o ¡°Just because I¡¯m older doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t be friends with Rebal I could be eighty and still be besties with a six¨Cyear¨Cold!¡± Debra had never liked the Edwards, and Melissa¡¯s questioning of her rtionship with Reba just fueled her annoyance. She fired back without hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s called intergenerational friendship!¡± Theodore¡¯s grandfather suddenly chimed in from the side. ¡°Melissa, your grandson is a jerk. Beck¡­ Reba gave him her all, and look how he treated her.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Do you really think your good¨Cfor¨Cnothing grandson deserves our Reba? ¡°If they want a divorce, then go on! Reba has a whole wonderful life ahead of her. Why should such a good girl waste her life on a piece of trash like him?¡± Debra¡¯s voice dripped with sarcasm. The memory of being left in the courthouse was still fresh. They were this close to finalizing the divorce when Theodore took that damned phone call and vanished, abandoning her daughter and ruining the divorce appointment. She was livid! Melissa had never been insulted in her entire life, and things got tricky when everything she said was true. She couldn¡¯t even muster a response. Her heart raced, and her face turned pale. She struggled to breathe, but the world seemed to spin, and she was about to faint! Reba¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She instinctively jumped out of bed to help Melissa. Theodore and Sam reacted fast, catching Melissa just before she hit the ground. Sam, quick on his feet, fished a pill bottle from Melissa¡¯s pocket, popped it open, and helped her swallow a pill. Momentster, color returned to Melissa¡¯s cheeks, and she no longer looked as if she were in danger. Theodore¡¯s face was grim as he turned to Reba, shouting, ¡°Reba, have you had enough of this? ¡°If you want a divorce, let¡¯s get this over with, now!¡± he roared. But before anyone could react, Melissa raised her cane and hit Theodore hard with it. Then came a second blow, and a third, like a mother scolding a naughty child, chasing him around the room with blow after blow. Melissa wasn¡¯t in good health, so Theodore didn¡¯t dare to fight back. He could only run around the room, utterly humiliated. He was both embarrassed and furious, and it was all Reba¡¯s fault! 66% He started to doubt if Reba had deliberately told Melissa about the divorce, causing Melissa to have an episode right when they were signing papers at the courthouse¡­ The more Theodore thought about it, the angrier he became. He was convinced that Reba had orchestrated the whole thing. She must have been ying him, feigning she wanted to divorce while secretly rallying Melissa to her side! ¡®Heh, she is now even more annoying than before!¡® CHAPTER 8 Chapter 8 ¡°Shut your damn mouth, you little punk! This marriage won¡¯t be over till Reba says it is! You got no right talking. divorce to her!¡± Melissa was hitting and scolding Theodore fiercely. Even with her age, Melissa managed a few hits before she was out of breath. ¡°Theodore, you apologize to Reba right now. Don¡¯t upset your grandmother anymore!¡± Sam finally spoke up sternly. Even though Sam was old, his words still carried immense authority. Theodore froze again, looking at Sam.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Sam continued with a stern face, ¡°You¡¯re a grown¨Cup now. You should know what to do! Do you need me to spell it for you?¡± Suddenly, a cough echoed through the room. Everyone was startled, looking anxiously toward Melissa. Theodore rushed forward to support her. Melissa coughed a few times and then looked at Reba and the kids. Her voice was raspy as she said, ¡°Reba, honey, this is all Theodore¡¯s fault, but¡­Could you forgive Theodore for the children¡¯s sake?¡± ¡°If you two divorce, the children won¡¯t have a whole family. ¡°If that punk ever lets you down again, youe to me, and I¡¯ll teach him a lesson!¡± Melissa¡¯s voice was filled with weariness and a hint of pleading as she pleaded. Debra was furious. That old witch was ying the sympathy card! Melissa was sick and might not have many days left. If Becky didn¡¯t give in now and something happened to Melissa, people would say Becky was responsible for Melissa¡¯s death! This was just ruthless! ¡°Hey, what¡¯s all this about?¡± Debra interrupted. ¡°Reba just had a twins a few days ago. She¡¯s exhausted and needs her rest. Can¡¯t you give her a break while she recovers?¡± Then, she turned to Reba and said, ¡°Honey, you hardly sleptst night with the little ones waking up every hour. Now that babies are finally quiet, get some rest. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to get up again to feed the babies.¡± Reba blinked and looked at her mother. Debra helped Reba lie down and carefully covered her with a nket. 155, Thu 18 hi Chapte B 65% ¡°Alright, Reba needs to sleep now. Everyone, let¡¯s give her some space and go out,¡± Debra said, starting to usher everyone out. It had to be said that Debra¡¯s tactics were just as effective as Melissa¡¯s. One used age and illness to guilt Reba into forgiving Theodore, while the other used Reba¡¯s exhaustion as a counterattack. Debra not only shot down Melissa¡¯s request but also managed to politely get everyone out of the room. Since Reba had lied down to rest, everyone had no choice but to leave the room and give her some peace and quiet. But Debra couldn¡¯t just kick these people out of the house entirely. As much as she wanted to, Reba and Theodore weren¡¯t officially divorced yet. The house was still legally Theodore¡¯s, part of the Edwards¡® property. If they wanted to stay in their own home, she couldn¡¯t force them to leave. So, Sam and Melissa moved into the vi. Not only did they move in, but they also demanded that Theodore move back and live there permanently. They ordered Theodore to treat Reba well and to stop being a jerk! Deep down, Theodore didn¡¯t want to, but due to her frail health, he couldn¡¯t risk upsetting her and making her condition worse. So, he had no choice but to agree to move back. Meanwhile, at Mitchell Vi¡­ A loud crash echoed through the room as an expensive bottle of lotion shattered against the mirror, leaving shards. of ss scattered across the floor. ¡°Weren¡¯t they supposed to get a divorce? Who the hell told Sam and Melissa about this?!¡± J, pregnant, threw her makeup in a fit of rage, trembling with anger. ¡°J, please calm down. You need to think about the baby.¡± Her manager, Lisa Adams, anxiously tried to soothe her. J¡¯s face was dark with fury, her anger palpable. She ordered, ¡°Lisa, I want someone on this right now. Find proof that Reba deliberately leaked that info to Melissa. I¡¯m giving it straight to Theodore.¡± Lisa was surprised. ¡°J, are you saying¡­Reba was the one who told Melissa?¡± ¡°Who else could it be?¡± J sneered, her voice dripping with sarcasm. ¡°My baby is about to be born, and if it¡¯s a boy, Theodore¡¯s father Michael Edwards will definitely agree to our marriage. She¡¯s just getting desperate!¡± Lisa hesitated. ¡°But Reba had twins, a boy and a girl¡­ She already has a son.¡± J scoffed, ¡°So what? Reba¡¯s just some adopted kid my parents took in. If I don¡¯t like her, the Mitchell family lu 1537 Thu, l? l?t s¨¢t th¨¤nh doesn¡¯t give a damn about her, let alone give her a penny!¡± ¡°Michael wanted an heir, and he loves money. If both Reba and I give the Edwards family sons, he will definitely choose me as Theodore¡¯s wife, not an adopted nobody like Reba! ¡°Cut the crap, Lisa. Go get to it. If you find something, great. If not, make something up. We have to make everyone believe that Reba¡¯s the one behind all this.¡± J¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Got it,¡± Lisa quickly agreed. ¡°Oh, one more thing,¡± J added. ¡°Once I have the baby, I¡¯ll be ready to make aeback. Keep an eye out for any opportunities for me.¡± Lisa was stunned for a moment before nodding. ¡°Okay.¡± Reba woke up from a nap and realized it was alreadyte at night. She instinctively reached for the light and wanted to check on the children. Reba reached for the bedsidemp and clicked it on, waking Debra, who was sound asleep beside her. Debra blinked, still a bit groggy, but quickly became alert. She looked at Reba with concern. ¡°Becky, what¡¯s wrong? Are you thirsty? Do you want some water? Or do you need to use the bathroom? Mommy will go with you.¡± As Debra spoke, she started to get up. Reba quickly grabbed her mom¡¯s hand and exined, ¡°No, Mom, it¡¯s okay. I just wanted to check on the babies.¡± Debra paused and smiled, ¡°Alright, I will bring the babies over.¡± The babies had been sleeping for a while now. It was probably time for a diaper change anyway. A wet diaper wasn¡¯t good for the babies¡® health. Reba also got out of bed. She had been lying down for most of the day and felt a bit stiff, needing to stretch. Seeing this, Debra quickly fetched a thick coat for her and draped it over her shoulders to keep her warm. ¡°Make sure to wear more clothes when you get up. Don¡¯t catch a cold,¡± Debra reminded. ¡°Okay, thanks, Mom¡­¡± Reba said, but Debra quickly mped a hand over her mouth. Debra nced cautiously outside, took out her phone, andmunicated with her daughter via text. 65% As Reba read the message, she finally understood why Debra hadn¡¯t exposed their true rtionship earlier. It turned out that Debra was worried that if the Edwards family found out about her connection to the Carter family, they would refuse to go through with the divorce, throwing her future into jeopardy. Once the divorce was finalized, it would be the right time to reveal the truth. Reba thought about this and then picked up her phone, typing a message in the notepad: [Thank you, Mom.] Just three words, but they spoke volumes of their deep bond. After reading each other¡¯s messages, they quickly deleted them, leaving nothing to chance. CHAPTER 9 Reba nced at the babies and dozed off again, not waking until the next morning. The babies were wailing from hunger. Debra held the babies, feeling a bit anxious. She didn¡¯t want to disturb her daughter¡¯s sleep, but these little ones were relentless. Couldn¡¯t they wait a bit longer for their breakfast? Reba quickly awoke at the sound of the babies¡® cries and tentatively asked, ¡°Are they hungry?¡± Debra nodded, quickly handing the babies over to Reba. Reba snuggled them close and began to nurse. Outside, themotion had also woken Sam and Melissa. They got up, nerves on edge, and headed towards. Reba¡¯s room. Theodore had slept in the studyst night and also came out at this time. They exchanged a look before turning their attention to Reba¡¯s door. Melissa raised her hand to knock, but just as her fingers were about to touch the door, the crying inside suddenly stopped. It seemed that the babies had been soothed. Her hand paused. After a beat of hesitation, she called out, ¡°Reba? Honey, you up?¡± Inside the room, Reba heard the sound at the door and looked up toward it. Debra also nced toward the door, She couldn¡¯t deny it. She really disliked the entire Edwards family. ¡°I¡¯m awake, Grandma. I¡¯m feeding the babies,¡± Reba finally said after a moment of silence. She was a bit worried that if she didn¡¯t answer, Melissa mighte in. It could get awkward, especially if Sam was around. Outside, Sam and Melissa both let out a sigh of relief. Knowing the great¨Cgrandchildren were being taken care of put them at ease. Theodore subconsciously rxed as well. Then, he looked at Reba¡¯s door and his grandparents standing by it, feeling somewhat irritated. He pulled out his phone, checked the time, and said, ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, I¡¯m going to work.¡± Sam and Melissa looked at him. Theodore remained silent for a moment and then turned to leave. 1527 Thu Thi tu 655 While Reba was feeding the babies, the housemaid had already prepared breakfast. Reba¡¯s breakfast was a special soup for her body to recover, which was good for her health and could help with milk production since she had to nurse two babies now. After breakfast, Sam and Melissa started watching the children. It didn¡¯t matter how many times they saw their great¨Cgrandchildren. They were simply smitten. The babies, just born, still had a bit of jaundice and needed some sunlight. The nanny took the babies outside when the time was right, with Sam and Melissa following along. Inside the room, Debra waited until everyone had left before sitting down next to Reba. She smiled happily and said, ¡°Becky, your dad texted me this morning. He wants to open a branch of our jewelry store right here in Macloria. ¡°If you manage to divorce Theodore in a month, we¡¯ll head straight back to Hivalis. But if things get messy and there¡¯s a hold¨Cup, you can get some hands¨Con training at the new store. Once you¡¯ve got the hang of it, you¡¯ll be in charge of all our family¡¯s jewelry business,¡± Debra said with a smile. Reba was stunned. ¡°Mom¡­¡± She didn¡¯t get to finish her sentence as Debra quickly covered her mouth. Reba remembered that she shouldn¡¯t call her ¡°mom¡± at this ce, or it might reveal their rtionship. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit risky?¡± Reba asked nervously. Debraughed. ¡°Nothing risky about it, honey. Those boys couldn¡¯t care less about the family business. If you don¡¯t step up, everything we¡¯ve built will be taken by others.¡± ¡°No way,¡± Reba quickly replied. Debra nodded. ¡°Exactly. Your father and I used to feel bad about it, but luckily, we¡¯ve found you now. Becky, you wouldn¡¯t mind taking over the family business, would you? We own several mines overseas, and more than half of Hivalis¡® jewelry stores. It¡¯s a huge enterprise. One day, I¡¯ll take you to see the gemstone. Many people love them.¡± Reba couldn¡¯t find the words to express her gratitude. She finally understood what it felt like to have parents who loved her. Her mom and dad were so good to her. Unable to hold back, Reba reached out and gently hugged her mother, resting her head in her mother¡¯s embrace. It felt warm, just like a mother¡¯s hug should. Debra held her daughter gently. After so many years of separation, she had finally found her precious child. It took her a long time to feel a sense of reality. Her daughter¡­was truly back. However, their tender moment was interrupted by a knock at the door. 15:37 65% Reba and Debra both looked toward the door. The next moment, Debra stood up and walked to open it. It was a housekeeper standing there. The housekeeper nced at Debra and entered the room, saying, ¡°Ms. Mitchell, some people are here to see you. They say they are your family.¡± ¡°Family?¡± Both Reba and Debra felt a wave of nervousness, ncing at each other. ¡°Let them in,¡± Reba said. ¡°Okay,¡± the housekeeper agreed. She then quickly left. Reba wondered if it was her father and brothers or her uncleing to visit. But when she got downstairs and saw who it was, her heart sank. It was her adoptive parents and J!Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Sam and Melissa were in the living room, putting on a fake show for the Mitchells even though it was clear that they were displeased. Hearing the noise from upstairs, everyone looked toward the stairs and saw Debra and Reba. J also saw Reba, and a fleeting look of disdain flickered her eyes before it quickly turned into a smile. She stood up, her prominently swollen belly clearly visible. ¡°Reba, there you are! I heard your babies were born, so Mom, Dad, and I came to see you,¡± J smiled. Reba paused for a beat, then continued down the stairs without a word. Gary Mitchell and Karen Mitchell, her adoptive parents, also turned to look at Reba as she approached. Reba stopped short, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to check on the kids. Then, she turned to leave. She had nothing to say to this family, nor did she want to. ¡°Reba!¡± Karen yelled as she saw her leaving. ¡°We came all this way to see you, and this is how you treat us?¡± Reba smiled and turned to Karen. ¡°And what do you think about J showing up at my house, pregnant with my husband¡¯s child, while I¡¯m still recovering? How do you feel about that?¡± Hearing this, Debra also got angry. She stepped in front of Reba, her eyes boring into J¡¯s belly with such intensity that J squirmed, feeling as if Debra were cursing the child she carried. ¡°What¡­ What are you looking at?¡± J couldn¡¯t hold back and snapped at Debra. ¡°I¡¯m looking at your belly and at yourck of decency. You couldn¡¯t keep your hands off your own sister¡¯s husband? 65% You¡¯re a disgrace to this entire country! This kind of thing should stay buried forever. If it gets out, you¡¯ll ruin our reputation. You¡¯re the rotten apple spoiling the whole damn barrel!¡± ¡°How dare you call me a rotten apple?¡± J roared. Debra scoffed, ¡°Because you fit the shoes, aren¡¯t you? I used to think you were just nuts. But hey, at least you knew you¡¯re just a filthy piece of trash.¡± Gary and Karen frowned and looked at Debra, puzzled about who this woman was. Sam and Melissa sat together, keeping their expressions calm as they watched Debra insult J. On the first day they were there, Melissa noticed that this friend of Reba had a sharp tongue that few could match. They had no respect for J¡¯s adoptive parents and J. They were also embarrassed by the fact that J had somehow slept with Theodore and got pregnant. The thought of anyone finding out filled them with dread. Still, they were Reba¡¯s family. Sam and Melissa had to show some courtesy, so they were forced to host them early in the morning instead of kicking them out. J had never been so insulted before. Her finger jabbed towards Debra, fury zing in her eyes as she lunged forward, ready to p her. Seeing J¡¯s movement, Reba knew what she intended to do. But the person in front of her was her birth mother, so she rushed over without hesitation. Reba raised her hand faster than J! Smack! The sharp sound of the p cut through the air as, Reba¡¯s hand pped across J¡¯s cheek. first. That way, everyone can prepare giftster!¡± CHAPTER 10 Chapter 10 At the same time, J lost her bnce and was about to fall. In that instant, everyone except Reba and Debra panicked. Gary and Karen hurried to catch her. Sam and Melissa also stood up in a rush, ready to take care of J. After all, she was pregnant with Theodore¡¯s child! ¡°It hurts¡­¡± J cried out in pain, caught by Gary before she could hit the ground. But as shey in his arms, she let out a pained cry.N?velDrama.Org ? content. J clutched her stomach, her face pale. ¡°Dad, Mom,¡± she gasped, ¡°my stomach hurts so bad. Is the baby okay? Call the doctor, now¡­ Call an ambnce!¡± Karen finally snapped back to her senses, her hands trembling as she hurriedly dialed 911 for an ambnce. The call went out, and everyone had to wait at home for the ambnce to arrive. Suddenly, Karen turned her head and with a fierce expression, raised her hand, ready to strike Reba. Debra was faster. She yanked Reba behind her to protect her from the p, and then raised her own hand. Another loud p sounded, it was Debra giving Karen a hard p! This p made everyone turn their heads, looking at Debra and then at Reba in shock. How dare they? With J about to miscarry, how could they still dare to fight? Karen was also taken aback. She couldn¡¯t believe that her hand had missed its target. For over twenty years, she had pped that wretched girl countless times, and Reba had never dared to dodge. If Reba had ever tried to avoid it, Karen would have punished her even more severely. She would leave her without food for at least three days and lock her in the room to starve and tremble with fear. But now, Reba had actually dodged? On top of that, she let this stranger hit her instead? It took Karen a moment to realize what had happened. She lunged at Reba, determined to teach that wretched girl a lesson she¡¯d never forget. 15:38 Thu, 18 Jul Debra became even angrier as she watched Karen rush at her daughter. She lifted her leg and gave Karen a hard kick. Luckily, she had practiced somebat skills before, so handling this loser was no problem at all! But the thought of her daughter being abducted and trapped in that scumbag¡¯s house for years made her blood boil. She wanted to destroy everyst piece of garbage that had ever bullied her daughter! Karen was kicked so hard she flew across the room andnded face¨Cfirst on the floor. Let that bitch eat some dirt! The living room fell silent. Everyone watched in shock, too stunned to speak. Sam and Melissa were deeply shocked. They looked at Debra, then Reba, and back to Debra again. They wondered who was this friend Reba had brought along. This was no ordinary friend. She had to be a bodyguard, right? Maybe Reba feared she might be bullied after giving birth alone and hired a personal bodyguard? At that moment, Sam and Melissa felt they had figured it out. Debra wasn¡¯t just a friend¡­ She was a bodyguard Reba had hired! And not just any bodyguard. Debra was the whole package who would roast and fight for her. Anyone who tried to bully Reba would not only get an earful but also a good beating! They were fascinated as they looked at Debra. Times had changed so quickly, and they knew young people had all sorts of tricks up their sleeves, but they hadn¡¯t expected a service like this. It was¡­quite interesting. They wondered where Reba had found such a bodyguard. Maybe they could hire one too in the future? After all, it was kind of impressive to have a skillful talker and a badass fighter around! The ambnce arrived quickly and whisked J away. Debra was still worried that J woulde back and make trouble for Reba if anything happened. She immediately called Paul, asking him to keep an eye on J at the hospital. Sam and Melissa also left. They even called Theodore and told him to go to the hospital immediately. J was in trouble, and the baby¡­ Well, it might being! Everyone left, leaving only Reba, Debra, the nanny, and the other household staff in the vi. The twins had been out in the sun for a long time. Debra walked over and asked the nanny to bring the babies back inside. Inside the room, Debra looked at the kids and asked, ¡°Becky, do they have a name?¡± Reba looked at the babies and shook her head. Debra thought for a moment and suggested. ¡°How about we hold off on the children¡¯s official birth registration for now? You and Theodore are splitting up, so once the divorce is final, we can put them under the Carter name. Sound good?¡± Reba was caught off guard for a moment but then realized it was a good idea. ¡°Yeah, okay,¡± she agreed. Debra beamed, happy with the solution. Registering the children¡¯s official birth under the Carter family¡¯s name would mean adding two adorable little ones to the family. It dawned on Debra that no one had even given the babies presents yet! Then, she remembered Paul had told everyone at the hospital to prepare a gift and chuckled, ¡°Hey, maybe we should pick a nickname for the babies Love And CHAPTER 11 Chapter 11 ¡°Sure,¡± Reba agreed. Debraughed, her heart overflowing with joy. Naming the babies was a big deal, so the mother and daughter started brainstorming, scouring the inte for the perfect nickname. Debra felt like such a big decision should be a family affair, so she texted Patrick and Reba¡¯s brothers, asking everyone to help choose a nickname for the babies. But with more chefs in the kitchen, the task became even more daunting, and they couldn¡¯t decide on a name for quite a while. Around noon, Paul called to say that J had delivered a baby boy, and both mom and son were doing well. Speaking of this, Paul was furious, He still remembered Theodore hadn¡¯t shown up when Reba was giving birth, but now that some other woman was having a bastard, Theodore rushed over and practically glued to the kid. Ever since the child left the delivery room, he hadn¡¯t let go of the baby. ¡°Debra, Reba must divorce that piece of trash! It¡¯s absolutely unforgivable! It¡¯s outrageous!¡± Paul demanded angrily over the phone. Debra was equally fuming. How could such trash exist in this world? Then there were Sam and Melissa, two hypocrites who acted so righteously in front of Becky. They said that if Becky ever suffered, she coulde to them, and they would stand up for her. But now, what happened? The second that homewrecker popped out a kid, those two were practically sprinting to the hospital! Not only did they go themselves, but they also made sure Theodore went along. Now the whole damn family was having a grand old time at the hospital, fawning over the mistress and her baby. How dare this family ask for her precious daughter¡¯s forgiveness? ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine.¡± Reba gently squeezed her mother¡¯s hand, after seeing how upset she was. Debra looked at her daughter, her heart aching even more. Soon, her eyes filled with tears as she apologized, ¡°Becky, it¡¯s all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t been so careless back then, you wouldn¡¯t be taken away from me and wouldn¡¯t have had to go through all that.¡±Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. Reba quickly took out a tissue and wiped her mother¡¯s tears,forting her. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom. It¡¯s all over now. We¡¯ve found each other, and things will only get better.¡± 21528 Thu, T? Jul Hearing this, Debra quickly nodded, ¡°Yes, Becky. You are right. Things will get better and better. You have your whole life ahead of you. You¡¯ve been through so much, now it¡¯s time for you to be happy.¡± Over the next week, Sam and Melissa were very busy. They tried to keep peace at home, taking care of Reba and the twins while also sneaking off to the hospital to visit their other great¨Cgrandchild. An heir was all they¡¯d ever wanted. If J had given birth to a girl, maybe they wouldn¡¯t have cared so much, but a son¡­It changed everything. They might have despised the mistress and loathed J¡¯s family, but they didn¡¯t hate their great¨Cgrandson. They even worried that the boy would be influenced in a bad way if he stayed with J¡¯s family, so they were trying to let Theodore take the child away. Debra had Paul keep an eye on things at the hospital, and this was what Paul discovered. Sam and Melissa wanted Theodore to take J¡¯s child and have Reba raise him. They even argued that while the adults were at fault, the child was innocent. Plus, Reba was a good person. She would understand if they exined it to her properly. Debra couldn¡¯t help butugh angrily after hearing this. Sam and Melissa really had some nerve. Did they think her daughter was some kind of saint who would raise the child of a mistress? ¡°Becky, listen to me,¡± Debra advised her daughter earnestly. ¡°There isn¡¯t a single good soul in the Edwards family. Don¡¯t fall for their smooth talk and phony smiles. We gotta learn to see through their crap and get to the heart of the matter.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Reba nodded in agreement. ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t we just let the babies pick their own names?¡± Reba asked, holding the babies. Debra was momentarily stunned, and then her eyes lit up. She nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± Over the past week, the whole family had been brainstorming names for the babies. Even Paul had pitched in with several suggestions. With so many good options, they couldn¡¯t decide which ones to use. In the end, they decided it would be best to let the babies choose their own names by drawing lots. Once the decision was made, Debra and Reba got to work immediately. Debra bought the paper and a pen and wrote down all the options. The babies would rely on their own luck to draw their first names and nicknames. After Debra finished writing the names, she let the babies draw their own lots. In the end, the big sister was named Lillian Carter, with the nickname Lily, and the little brother was named Kevin 15:38 Thu, 18 Jul A Carter, with the nickname Kev. The birth licenses for the twins were still pending. This should have been done at the hospital, but Paul had already thought about it. He didn¡¯t want the babies to have the Edwards family name, so he had stalled it on purpose. Now, after talking it over with Reba, they¡¯d settled on names and surnames, and they could officially apply for the birth licenses. Debra sent the children¡¯s full names to Paul, and he quickly got the birth licenses processed for both babies. From now on, the twins would have the Carter family name and be their adorable little ones! With the birth certificates in hand, getting the babies registered was much easier. Bryce had worked at the police station. He just had to submit the birth licenses and the babies¡® information, and the birth registration issue was quickly resolved. By the time everything was wrapped up, more than two weeks had flown by. In just another week, those little bundles would be a month old.. Sam and Melissa also kept this in mind and wanted to throw a party for the babies. They specifically asked Reba about the babies¡® names. Reba and Debra exchanged a nce and finally told them that the babies didn¡¯t go with the name Edwards. Melissa was stunned, and Sam was equally shocked. Even Theodore looked at Reba in disbelief. ¡°Reba, are you out of your mind?¡± Theodore asked angrily. Reba¡¯s face remained calm. She looked down at the babies and lifted her head the divorce license, the children are mine and have nothing to do with you, right?¡± face Theodore. ¡°ording to Theodore had used the babies¡® lives as leverage to force her to sign the divorce license. Now that they were born, they naturally had nothing to do with Theodore. ¡°And since the children are with me, I get to choose theirst names, right?¡± Reba spoke again, but this time, her voice was firm and full of power. CHAPTER 12 Chapter 12 Sam and Melissa didn¡¯t look pleased. The fact that their great¨Cgrandchildren didn¡¯t take the Edwards name was embarrassing. ¡°Reba, are you still upset about your sister? I can promise you. Theodore will never get involved with J again. If they dare to keep on anything, I swear they¡¯ll face the consequences!¡± Melissa looked at Reba, her promise firm. ¡°Reba, you shouldn¡¯t change the kids¡® surname without discussing with us. People will think we are a joke if they find out,¡± Sam added, frowning. Debra listened to their sarcasticments and couldn¡¯t help butugh. She mocked, ¡°A joke? Who would dare tough at us? Let theme to me, and I¡¯ll shut their mouths!¡± ¡°Reba,¡± Theodore¡¯s voice was frosty, ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn what you decide before the birth, but once that kids are out, it¡¯s taking myst name. Period.¡± His tone left no room for argument. ¡°I¡¯ll find someone to change their birth licenses. And since they¡¯ll have my surname, I¡¯ll take care of all their expenses. You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± Theodore then firmly decided. Sam and Melissa breathed a sigh of relief. Their grandchildren should carry their surnames. If they bore someone else¡¯s name, it would be a stain on the family¡¯s honor. Since Theodore was willing to step in, Sam and Melissa were reassured. After all, the Edwards family had a vast business empire. As long as Theodore wanted to change, it would be easy to alter the children¡¯s surnames. ¡°Reba, don¡¯t worry. We will treat you well in the future.¡± Melissaforted Reba, believing the matter was settled. Reba had initially thought Sam and Melissa were kind to her, but over the past few days, she realized they were actually siding with Theodore. After all, an outsider would never be more important than their own grandson.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it! All of the paper work are done. It can¡¯t be changed!¡± Reba snapped, her voice cold. Debra looked at the group mockingly. The Edwards family was one of the top elite families in Maeloria. Without the Carters, Becky might not have stood a chance against this shameless bunch. But now, with the Carter family backing Becky, how could these people still think they could push her around? That was a pipe dream. ¡°What?¡± Melissa eximed in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯ve alreadypleted the children¡¯s official birth registration?¡± ¡°Alright, enough¡¯s enough.¡± Debra waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Reba needs some rest. She just gave birth, for crying out loud. Let¡¯s not bother her with this nonsense.¡± She started to usher them toward the door. 15 78 Th?, 18 Jul an Suddenly, the sound of a cane hitting the floor echoed through the room! Everyone was startled, and the room fell silent Instantly. They all turned toward the source of the sound ¨C Sam. and Sam, who had always been calm, now looked sternly at Reba. He said in a cold voice, ¡°Reba, you Theodore can fight over your personal issues all you want, but you have no say when ites to children. ¡°Tomorrow, you both go to change the children¡¯s surname on the license. End of discussion. Stop being unreasonable!¡± Sammanded firmly. With that, Sam turned and walked away, clearly done with the argument. Melissa¡¯s face was also grim. She watched her husband leave and then looked at Reba. Her health had never been good, and now she felt a pain in her chest. It wasn¡¯t good¡­ With trembling hands, she popped a pill and swallowed it. Melissa then gave Debra a cold nce and walked over to Reba. She reached out, gently holding Reba¡¯s hand, like a worried elder trying to console a younger one. ¡°Reba, can we talk for a moment, just you and me?¡± Melissa lowered her raspy voice, pleading. Theodore gave Reba a long, deep look before finally turning to leave. Reba, alone and vulnerable, was easy to manipte. Just like when he forced her to sign the divorce license, he had ways to make herply. This little act of defiance was just a scene. Melissa didn¡¯t leave. Instead, she nced meaningfully at Debra, clearly wanting her to leave so she could speak to Reba alone. Reba pressed her lips together and didn¡¯t say a word no matter what Melissa said. Over the past few days, she hade to realize that only her mother truly cared about her. None of the Edwards could be trusted. Melissa waited for a long time, but Reba didn¡¯t budge. The expectant¨Clook in her eyes gradually faded into disappointment, ending with a weary sigh. ¡°Reba, you¡¯re still so young. There are many things you don¡¯t understand yet. When you grow older and wiser, you¡¯ll understand what I¡¯m trying to tell you. ¡°What does it matter if he¡¯s with other women? Men like him, well, they don¡¯t usually settle down young. We¡¯ve all been there. In a few years, you¡¯ll see things differently. You¡¯ll realize love isn¡¯t everything. As long as you¡¯re the one by Theodore¡¯s side, in the end, when he gets older and settles down, everything will be yours. ¡°And don¡¯t forget,¡± Melissa added, ¡°the Edwards family fortune and properties will all be yours too. 2/3 * 15:38 Thu, 18 Jul ¡°You¡¯re on your own now. Your foster parents are partial to your sister, and you won¡¯t get a penny from the Mitchells. As women, we have to look out for ourselves. Don¡¯t throw away what you¡¯ve already got.¡± With that, Melissa turned to leave. But before she did, she gave Debra a long, hard look. She didn¡¯t like Debra. It felt like her obedient and sensible Reba had been influenced poorly by this woman. The Edwards had all left, leaving only Reba, Debra, and the babies in the room. Debra let out a snort. ¡°Who cares about the Edwards family¡¯s scraps?¡± she scoffed, unwrapping a piece of candy and popping it into Reba¡¯s mouth. Reba opened her mouth and carefully ate the candy her mother offered. ¡°Becky, don¡¯t listen to that old woman¡¯s nonsense. When ites to the background, the Carters family is just as good as the Edwards family. One day, all the Carter family¡¯s wealth will be yours. Let the Edwards keep their scraps and feed them to the dogs!¡± Debra said disdainfully. She continued, clearly angry, ¡°And about her saying that rich guys love to fool around. Heh! That¡¯s just a load of crap from someone who doesn¡¯t know how to raise a decent son. The Carters are nothing like that. She just lives at misera Love And CHAPTER 13 Chapter 13 Reba looked at her mother and smiled slightly, feeling very happy. Debra saw her daughter smiling and thought, ¡®That little smile, oh, it almost takes my breath away. She¡¯s so beautiful when she smiles. We definitely chose the right name for our baby. Her smile suits the nickname, Becky, perfectly.¡± As she thought of that, she reached out, pinched Reba¡¯s cheek, and said with a grin, ¡°Oh my baby, you look so beautiful when you smile, From now on, you should smile more often. How wonderful it would be to be happy and joyful for a lifetime!¡± Reba felt a bit helpless. After spending the past few days with her mother, she began to understand her better. Debra was the type to say whatever she wanted and do whatever she felt like, and she was very straightforward and happy¨Cgo¨Clucky. Reba thought about it and worriedly asked, ¡°Mom¡­ Theodore wants to change the kids¡®st name and their official birth registration. What should we do?¡± After spending more time with her mother, Reba had a clearer idea of how she would live her life. She felt that it as she believed would be best for her and her two children not to be involved with the Edwards family anymore, their family environment would be a bad influence on her children. sy to change However, she was worried that the Edwards family, with their influence in Macloria, would find it easy the children¡¯s official birth registration andst name. Reba was concerned that she wouldn¡¯t be able to change her children¡¯s fate. Debra looked at her with a hint of reproach and asked, ¡°Why? You don¡¯t have faith in the Carter family?¡± Reba was rendered speechless by her words and felt bewildered. Debra smiled and said, ¡°Alright, sweetheart, you don¡¯t need to worry about this. I¡¯ll call your older brothers. They have many connections. If we have someone crack down on this during this time, no matter how powerful the Edwards family is, they won¡¯t be able to change the children¡¯s official birth registration andst name without your consent. ¡°ording to thew, once the child¡¯s official birth registration ispleted, changing the name requires the consent of both parents. Otherwise, it¡¯s not possible!¡± With that, she pulled out her phone and began contacting Adrian and Bryce. After exining the situation to them, she urged her sons to handle the matter immediately and not waste any time.. Debra thought that with strict enforcement from above, subordinates wouldn¡¯t dare to take advantage of any 120 Thu, Th¨¢i Charter 11 64%ÊÀ loopholes. Consequently, Theodore wouldn¡¯t be able to change the children¡¯s official birth registration andst name without Reba¡¯s consent. After listening to their mother, Adrian and Bryce understood how serious the matter was. They then promptly agreed and immediately went to find someone to handle it. Meanwhile, Theodore made calls downstairs immediately after leaving Reba¡¯s room. He was adamant that these two children must have hisst name, and their official birth registration had to be recorded in their family records. The Edwards family indeed had extensive connections, and within just a few minutes, Theodore had made arrangements with the person on the other end. He only needed to hand in the documents, and the children¡¯s official birth registration andst name would be changed in no time. It was alreadyte when he made the call today, so it wouldn¡¯t be possible to change the children¡¯s official birth registration andst name immediately. With the next two days being the weekend, the earliest he could take care of it would be next Monday during the Civil Registry Office¡¯s business hours. Nheless, Theodore wasn¡¯t worried. He believed the matter was simple and could be easily handled in a few days. As for Reba¡­ As Theodore thought back to her actions over thest two days, he became very irritated. He pondered, ¡®Ever since Reba gave birth, she seems like a different person. She used to always look at me with those pathetic, pleading eyes, which were quite annoying! But now, she barely looks at me and even dares to talk back and demand a divorce. She really wants aplete, clear¨Ccut divorce. It seems like most of the time¡­she¡¯s focused on the children and that woman named Debra who suddenly appeared?¡± The more Theodore thought about it, the stranger it seemed and the more irritated he became. He didn¡¯t want to think about Reba anymore, so he finally stopped, took out his phone, and called a friend to go out for drinks. In the evening, Reba and Debra also received good news. Patrick had already sorted out his work on the Hivalis side, and he coulde to Maeloria next week. With his daughter in Maeloria, he didn¡¯t want to stay in Hivalis a moment longer. Unfortunately, they had left in such a hurry that day that there was still a lot of work left to arrange there. So, they had only spent a few days with Reba in the hospital before they had to return to work. But now, everything was sorted. Patrick had already taken care of everything at Hivalis. He could now bring a team to Maeloria, start organizing the opening of the branch store, and spend time with his beloved daughter and those two adorable little kids. Just imagining it made him feel wonderful. At the same time, the news that the Carter family was going to open a branch in Macloria spread quickly, and many of Maeloria residents heard about it. Which jewelry store was the best in Zentiscape, you asked? If the Carter family¡¯s jewelry store imed to be second best, no one would have dared to say they were first. Throughout the country and even among many international celebrities, when people wanted to purchase jewelry, the Carter family¡¯s store was their first choice. When the news spread that this prestigious jewelry store was opening a branch in Maeloria, the whole upper ss of Maeloria was thrilled. They no longer had to fly all the way to Hivalis to buy beautiful jewelry. Now, they could get the best jewelry in the country right in Maeloria. Even J, who had just had a baby, was part of the thrilled crowd. She had been in the entertainment industry for five years and loved using the Carter family¡¯s jewelry. The first reason was that the Carter family¡¯s jewelry had the best quality and design in the country, with authentic content, and their designs were internationally recognized. Another reason was that the Carter family¡¯s jewelry was one of the world¡¯s top 100 luxury brands. Merely having theirtest items would attract significant media attention and possibly go viral. J was thrilled when she heard that the Carter family was opening a branch in Ma?loria. She thought, ¡®When the new store opens, the Carter family will definitelyunch new products, right? I¡¯ll have the advantage of her proximity to the store to snag theirtest limited luxury items. That will make my post¨Cmaternity return all the more sensational!¡± With that in mind, J immediately called her agent, Lisa, over and instructed her to find out all the details about the Carter family¡¯s branch opening, including whether they wouldunch new products, when they would beunched, and what they would be.N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. Most importantly, she needed to secure an invitation to the Carter family¡¯s store opening ceremony as they would definitely hold a grand opening ceremony. That would give her something to show off when she made her Being able to attend the opening of a branch of the Carter family jewelry shop, one of the top 100 luxury brands globally, would prove J¡¯s status. She even thought she might have a chance to be their spokesperson one day. 15-40 Thu, 18 Jul c?a ? Chapter 13 04 ¡°J, is this for real? Is the Carter family really opening a jewelry store in Maeloria?¡± Lisa asked. She found it hard to believe after hearing J and even wondered if such a big brand would actuallye to Maeloria. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s real. Go and gather the information for me. Remember, you must get me that invitation no matter what!¡± J insisted. Lisa quickly agreed, ¡°Got it.¡± Then, J asked, ¡°Oh, and any new opportunities for me to stage aeback?¡± CHAPTER 14

Love CHAPTER 14

Chapter 14 When J mentioned it, Lisa immediately became alert and hurriedly replied, ¡°Ben wants to film a in a month and is currently recruiting. What do you think abo that, J?¡± ¡°What kind of reality show?¡± J asked. 64% @ reality sho ¡°It¡¯s a family¨Cthemed reality show called ¡®A Glimpse into Our Family. Each participating celebrity can bring a family member, like their dad, mom, brother, sister, or any other rtive,¡± Lisa exined. Then, she quickly added, ¡°J, since your parents adore you, you can bring them along. It would be perfect to build up your ¡°beloved heiress¡® persona, which is very popr right now. Also, since you just had a baby, it¡¯s not suitable to act in a romance show, but a family show would be perfect.¡± J considered it for a moment and then agreed, ¡°Alright, go ahead and sign me up!¡± Lisa nodded quickly. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°By the way¡­¡± She suddenly looked up and said, ¡°Thepany asked me to remind you of something, J.¡± ¡°About you and Mr. Edwards, thepany said that the best course of action is for him to divorce quickly and for you to marry him as soon as possible. Once you¡¯re officially married to Mr. Edwards, there won¡¯t be any issues if your rtionship is exposedter,¡± Lisa reminded her. J¡¯s smile stiffened at that, and she irritably said, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll handle my own affairs. Thepany doesn¡¯t need to worry. You just go do your job!¡± Lisa hurriedly nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Since Reba¡¯s dad wasing, they needed a ce to stay. So, in the following days, she and her mom were busy house hunting. Money wasn¡¯t an issue for the Carter family, so they didn¡¯t want to settle for less. The best houses in Maeloria were in their area, and most importantly, Debra and Patrick both felt that since they wereing for their daughter, it would be best to buy a house close to her. Eventually, they decided on the house right next to Reba¡¯s, which would make them neighbors. However, the question was, would the neighbors be willing to sell their house? If the offer weren¡¯t high enough, they wouldn¡¯t sell for sure! But if they offered enough money for the neighbors to move, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem for them to sell the house to TH +64%[7 Debra and Patrick. Once the decision was made, she went to knock on the neighbors¡® door that afternoon to discuss buying the house. Reba had initially been worried that the neighbors wouldn¡¯t sell, but to her surprise, her mother returned in just two hours. In the room, she asked nervously and expectantly, ¡°How did it go, Mom?¡± With a proud smile, Debra replied, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s all taken care of! There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t handle!¡± Reba pressed her lips together, barely able to suppress her excitement, and thought that her mother was truly remarkable. However, the neighbors needed a few days to pack up and move. Being reasonable people, they gave theThis content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . neighbors time to move out. Meanwhile, Reba¡¯s postpartum recovery was also nearing its end. With the babies¡® one¨Cmonth celebrationing up, both the Edwards family and the Carter family wanted to hold a party. These two were the Carter family¡¯s precious little ones, and during their official birth registration, Carter was registered as theirst name, so the Carters thought that the celebration definitely had to be hosted by them and at their ce. But how were they going to throw this party? Where would it be held? Who would be invited? All of these were questions they needed to figure out! Reba and Theodore hadn¡¯t gotten divorced, so a grand celebration was out of the question. Otherwise, Reba¡¯s connection to the Carter family would definitely be exposed, and the Edwards family would be even less willing to let Theodore and Reba divorce, as they would cling to their precious daughter. +way The Carter family figured they should scale the celebration down and keep it low¨Ckey. But what was the best way to do it? As they were stressing about the babies¡± one¨Cmonth celebration, the Edwards family was also getting anxious. Theodore had tried to pull a few strings and thought it would be a breeze to handle the kids¡® official birth registration andst name issue. However, just two dayster, his friend had informed him that the authorities had started a strict investigation, and now everything had to be done by the book without any shortcuts. If he wanted to change the children¡¯s official birth registration andst name, he would have to go to the Civil 664%•þ process to finalize these changes. In the room, Theodore ced a name change consent form in front of Reba andmanded, ¡°Sign it, Rebal¡± However, she just held the babies and didn¡¯t move. Theodore then lost his temper. He turned around and kicked a stool hard, sending it flying against the wall with a loud crash. Debra was startled and narrowed her eyes at him. The next moment, Theodore furiously shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t make me do this the hard way, Reba!¡± Reba countered, ¡°These two kids are mine. It¡¯s perfectly reasonable for them to have myst name. What right do you have to change it?¡± ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t our kids carry myst name?¡± Theodore couldn¡¯t take it anymore and shouted, ¡°And you gave them thest name Carter? Ha! Who the hell is Carter? When did you start seeing someone else behind my back?¡± He was so worked up that he began to stutter. He continued to shout furiously, ¡°Reba, let me tell you, these children are mine. They will only ever have myst name. Sooner orter, I¡¯ll change theirst name and official birth registration!¡± As soon as Theodore finished speaking, his eyes turned red. He then red at Reba before turning on his heel and storming out. Four dayster, the babies finally turned one month old. The Edwards family had to cancel the one¨Cmonth celebration for the babies at thest minute. They told others it was because the babies were sick and that the fortune teller advised against it. However, within the family, they knew it was really because the babies¡® didn¡¯t have Edwards as their registeredst name. After the babies turned one month old, Reba alsopleted her postpartum recovery period. Sam and Melissa also moved out of the vi as Theodore made them do so, worrying that staying there might worsen Melissa¡¯s condition if she got too worked up. As a result, Reba was the only one left in therge vi. But with them gone, it was now convenient for the Carter family to throw the one¨Cmonth birthday party for the babies. The Carter family¡¯s rtives suddenly all gathered at the neighboring vi, including Reba¡¯s father, mother, three older brothers, uncles, aunts, cousins, and other close family members. 3/4 15:41 Thu, 18 Jul 64% The closest rtives in the family all arrived, each bringing three gifts, which they insisted on giving to Reba and the children. Unable to refuse, she finally epted everyone¡¯s gifts with a flushed face. The party wasn¡¯t only for the babies. It was also for Reba. She had been separated from the family for more than twenty years and had just been found. Everyone missed her dearly and took this opportunity to see her during the babies¡® one¨Cmonth celebration. CHAPTER 15 Chapter 15 After her postpartum period ended, Reba could finally leave the house and move around. Charlie excitedly pulled her aside and asked if she would join him on a reality show. Their parents immediately rolled their eyes at the suggestion. Patrick warned his son, ¡°Charlie! Don¡¯t involve your sister in such nonsense!¡± Debra also disapproved. ¡°Exactly. Becky has only just finished her recovery and still needs to rest. Don¡¯t wear her out, or you¡¯ll answer to me!¡± Charlie immediately got defensive. ¡°How is it nonsense? The entertainment industry isn¡¯t all bad, okay? Some people keep their integrity while others lose it. You guys are just biased against the entertainment world!¡± After snapping at his father, he turned to his mother and hurriedly said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I only have one sister, and I¡¯ll definitely take care of her. The show is called ¡®A Glimpse into Our Family¡® and focuses on family bonds. As her brother, I¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s well taken care of and not overworked!¡± Charlie then added assertively, ¡°Besides, I heard J will be on the show too. That wretch has bullied Becky for so long. Don¡¯t you guys want Becky to get back at her? ¡°I don¡¯t care if you want to or not, I do. That wretch really ticks me off. How dare she call herself a leading actress looking like that? Ha, once Beckyes on, anyone who thinks J is good¨Clooking must be blind!¡± Debra frowned, ¡°J will be on the show too?¡± Charlie fell silent and was at a loss for words. The next moment, Reba spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Everyone then turned to look at her. Reba was silent for a moment before exining, ¡°Dad, Mom, I actually¡­also wanted to apply to film school eight years ago. I dreamed of joining the entertainment industry, bing famous, and being a star. ¡°Shortly after my adoptive parents had adopted me, they soon had their own biological child. Since J¡¯s birth, they have never treated me like their own daughter anymore. I felt like an outsider who shouldn¡¯t exist in that home. J always bullied me, and my adoptive parents always made me give in to her. If I didn¡¯t, they would punish me. That¡¯s why I always wanted to find my real parents since I was young. ¡°Back then, I really wanted to be a celebrity because they stand out, and everyone in the country can see them. I thought if my parents were still alive and I became a star, they might see me. If they saw me, they might recognize me ande to find me. 15.1 Thu 1 Jul Chapter 15 ¡°When I took the SAT at eighteen, I scored 1450 on the test. I wanted to go to Southwood Film Academy, but J found out and made sure I couldn¡¯t apply to a good university, and in the end¡­¡± As Reba spoke, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She then took a deep breath topose herself before. continuing calmly, ¡°I ended up attending a terrible university.¡± When they heard her, Debra started crying, and Patrick¡¯s eyes also became teary. Adrian, Bryce, and even Charlie were also infuriated. They hadn¡¯t had the slightest idea that their sister had been bullied so badly, and that the Mitchell family would have gone this far, especially J. ¡°Becky, if you still want to continue your education, I can arrange it for you. There are many adult education programs avable. If you study hard, you can still get into a good university!¡± Adrian quickly said, showing his support for his sister. ¡°Exactly. You can even pursue a master¡¯s or a Ph.D. As long as you want it, there¡¯s always a way!¡± Bryce chimed in, believing his sister¡¯s future was full of possibilities if she worked hard. As Charlie listened to his older brothers, he felt horrified since he hated studying. He thought, ¡®Becky finally got through those school years, and now they want her to go back? Adrian and Bryce must be out of their minds. That¡¯s terrifying!¡® Reba said, ¡°You guys, there¡¯s no need to worry about me. My studies haven¡¯t been affected. Even though I didn¡¯t attend the university I preferred, I still studied hard and got epted into a graduate program at Twin Ivy University after I graduated. ¡°Back then, the Mitchell family forced me to marry Theodore. After I married him, the Mitchell family couldn¡¯t control me as much, so I could continue my studies. Theodore¡¯s grandmother knew about this too.¡± She then seriously exined to everyone, ¡°His grandmother likes highly educated girls, sopared to J, his grandparents like me more.¡± Charlie was stunned after hearing her. His jaw dropped as he looked at his sister in disbelief. He eximed inwardly, ¡®What the heck?! Is this really my sister?¡® Charlie nced at Reba and shifted his gaze to Adrian, Bryce, and then,stly, his parents, feeling life was unfair. Charlie asked, ¡°Dad, Mom, were you ying favorites when you had me?¡± ¡°Howe Adrian, Bryce, and Becky are so clever and have excellent grades, while I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s a cker?¡± heined. 15:41 Thu, 18 Jul th 04% At that, everyone except Charlie burst intoughter. They were happy and relieved that despite the hardships Becky faced, she was smart and hardworking. Even though she had been adopted by such a terrible family, shet had managed to climb to the top through her own efforts. Debra looked at her youngest son and jokingly scolded him, ¡°How can you say that? Adrian and Bryce are one thing, but Becky had it rough and still didn¡¯t give up on her studies. Meanwhile, you, the cker, were always mischievous and never missed a chance to cause trouble. Now you¡¯re embarrassed in front of your sister? Serves you right!¡± ¡°Exactly! You deserve it!¡± Patrick chimed in. Charlie found that he couldn¡¯t argue with that. Everyone fell silent for a moment before Debra asked, ¡°Becky, the entertainment industry isn¡¯t like other fields. Do you know how scary public opinion can be? No matter what, J has been in the industry for many years. She¡¯s now a top actress with many fans. If you go on the show and go against her, her fans might attack you. You¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be scared of? Well, she might be a top actress, but your son is an award¨Cwinning actor, Mom! Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect Becky. If J¡¯s fans dare to attack Becky, my fans will surely retaliate against J!¡± Charlie immediately said loudly.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Debra rolled her eyes at him. ¡°It¡¯s not the same! You¡¯re a man with a thick skin and you are resilient. Becky is a girl, and girls are naturally more sensitive. What if those insultingments get to her?¡± Charlie thought Debra was being unfair. Debra thought about it for a moment and then looked at Reba, saying, ¡°And Becky¡¯s identity is also a problem. Becky hasn¡¯t gotten her divorce license yet. We can¡¯t reveal that she¡¯s our daughter for now. CHAPTER 16 Chapter 16 N?velDrama.Org ? content. Charlie said, ¡°That¡¯s easy. I¡¯ve already talked to the director. When the timees, I¡¯ll make an announcement saying that I¡¯ll pick a lucky fan from my followers to join me in the show. Fans who are interested and avable can sign up. ¡°We can say that family don¡¯t necessarily have to be blood rtives. It¡¯s okay to be a bit flexible sometimes, isn¡¯t Itz ¡°Fans count as family, too, right? ¡°As long as Becky joins me as a fan, there won¡¯t be any issues, right?¡± As Charlie gave his reasons, everyone was stunned. They then wondered, ¡®It¡­actually seems there¡¯s no problem with this. As long as the production team has no objections, there shouldn¡¯t be any issues, right?¡± The next moment, Charlie immediately whined. ¡°I don¡¯t care. Becky has already agreed, so none of you can her. Anyone who objects will have to face me!¡± Debra rubbed her forehead in exasperation while Patrick was left speechless. After a while, he conceded, ¡°If Becky wants to go, let her try it out. She can treat it as a few days of fun.¡± n stop Sons were different from daughters. If his sons misbehaved, Patrick could scold or even discipline them with a stick. But if his daughter misbehaved, what could he do but keep spoiling her? Debra hesitated for a long while but eventually nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright, but you must be careful and not tire yourself out. If you don¡¯t want to continue filming, just call me, and I¡¯lle to pick you up immediately.¡± Reba felt touched by her parents¡®promise and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Charlie almost felt jealous. He found it hard to believe and thought, ¡®Back when I wanted to join the entertainment industry, Mom and Dad wouldn¡¯t allow me and even locked me up for three months. I had to sneak out through the window to get away. But for Becky, it¡¯s this easy? That¡¯s unfair! So biased!¡® But he soon became excited again. His sister wasn¡¯t just cherished by their parents. She was the apple of the whole family and deserved to be pampered by them all. He then turned to Reba and excitedly assured her, ¡°Becky, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be there for you. If anything happens, just let me know. I¡¯ll take care of everything and won¡¯t let anyone bully you!¡± Thu. After hearing that, the others all looked at Charlie and then at Reba. With Charlie protecting Reba, they felt more reassured. Although they had agreed on the variety show, the production wouldn¡¯t start filming immediately. It would take a few days for the crew to begin production. While waiting for the crew to begin filming, Patrick brought Reba along to scout a location for the new branch. The Carter family nned to pass their business to their heiress. So whenever possible, Patrick wanted to take Reba out to learn and be familiar with every process of the work. This way, when she took over the business, no one could push her around. Since Reba was familiar with Maeloria, she was able to give Patrick some suggestions, like which areas had more traffic and which spots had more incidents. Within two days, they had walked through all the main streets of Maeloria, especially revisiting the busy shops several times. By the third day, Patrick had decided on the location for the new branch. He chose to buy a shop in the busiest area, and once it was renovated, it would be one of their family¡¯s stores. During these days, Patrick had shared many tips with Reba about site selection, and she had gained a lot of knowledge. Once they decided on the location, they had to find the shop owner and find a way to acquire the shop. The step could be challenging or straightforward. The challenging part was that jewelry shops were worth a lot, and the original owners wouldn¡¯t easily give them up. The easy part was that if the price were right, a smart owner would agree to sell. Of course, if they encountered a stubborn owner who refused to sell or raised the price excessively beyond the budget, they would have to find another way or look for another shop. However, their negotiation went smoothly this time. After all, the Carter family had money, and most importantly, the shop owner¡¯s wife was a huge fan of Carter¡¯s Jewel. Patrick promised her a premium VIP membership card and offered a significant transfer fee, making it easy to acquire the shop in the most luxurious area. Once they had acquired the shop, the next thing to do was renovate it. However, Reba didn¡¯t have time to participate in the renovation process because she had promised Charlie that she would join him in the show. Moreover, she figured that J was nearly done with her postpartum recovery and thought J might have timed her participation in the show ordingly. As for Reba¡¯s participation, like Charlie had mentioned before, he organized a sign¨Cup event on his official Twitter ount, allowing fans to register. Reba blended in with the fans and was ¡°luckily¡± selected as a fan. 64% On the day the selection event ended, Twitter crashed. The hashtag ¡°Charlie publicly selects a fan for a variety show¡± quickly topped the trending list. The number ofments fromizens was increasing by tens of thousands per minute. Due to that incident, ¡°A Glimpse into Our Family¡± became a hit on Twitter before it even aired, and many short video bloggers shared the news. In just a few minutes, keywords like Charlie, fans, and ¡°A Glimpse into Our Family¡± spread rapidly across major online tforms, bing a viral sensation. The director of the show was overjoyed as they hadn¡¯t even started marketing yet, but Charlie¡¯s stunt had maxed out the promotional effect. As long as the subsequent filming went well, the show was bound to be a hit! And that meant money! Most importantly, if the show seeded, the director could finally prove himself and shut up those who said he had lost his touch! It had been five years since the director¡¯sst famous work. Over these five years, he had made several projects, each worse than thest, damaging his own reputation. However, things were different now. If ¡°A Glimpse into Our Family¡± seeded, people would stop saying he only became a famous director by luck. Yet, as some celebrated, others were troubled. J had already won the top actress award before her pregnancy. But she had taken a few months off to have her baby, and during this period, she had no new work, causing many online viewers to gradually forget about her. Her first show after returning from childbirth was crucial. J had thought she would be the star of this show, with everyone revolving around her. This way, once the show was filmed, she could quickly regain her edge and win back the fans she had lost during her pregnancy and childbirth. CHAPTER 17 Chapter 17 J, being a top actress, naturally believed that the first show she took after returning from maternity leave should revolve around her, making her the focus of the entire show. But now, even before the show started filming, someone else had already stolen her spotlight. J could almost foresee that if she didn¡¯t intervene, the director might give most of the camera time to Charlie and the randomly chosen fan during the show¡¯s filming. She then wondered angrily, ¡°What does that make me then? Am I, the top actress, just going to be a supporting role in my first show after giving birth? Everyone will make fun of me!¡± As she thought of that, her expression turned grim, and she became extremely agitated. She called her agent, Lisa, and asked, ¡°Lisa, what¡¯s the deal with Ben? Didn¡¯t he say this show was supposed to be about family?¡± Lisa, on the other end of the call, got nervous after hearing J, and she carefully replied, ¡°J, I just spoke with Ben. He said Charlie and the fan thing was ast¨Cminute decision.¡± ¡°Ast¨Cminute decision? Did they ask for my opinion before changing their minds? How am I supposed to save face now?¡± J was livid, her voice rising in anger. Fuming, she took a deep breath and continued, ¡°Tell Ben that if they want me to be a supporting role and let Charlie overshadow me, then I¡¯m quitting the show!¡± With that, J immediately hung up the phone angrily. Meanwhile, Lisa, who was at thepany, looked troubled as she held her phone. Shortly after, she called the director, Ben Hofmann, again and began discussing. On the other side, Ben was equally nervous. The moment Charlie¡¯s fan selection idea went viral, he knew J would be upset. Ben thought, ¡®This is J¡¯seback show after maternity leave, so she must value it greatly. She probably use our show as a springboard for her career! ns toN?vel(D)rama.Org''s content. If J had insisted on being the main attraction and having everyone revolve around her early on, he might have given in, considering the traffic she would bring. After all, a top actress returning after childbirth was a big deal and would undoubtedly attract many viewers. Just the hype alone would give the show a significant boost. But now Charlie was also participating in the show. J might be a top actress, but Charlie was a top actor, too. More importantly, Charlie was called Silver¨Ctongued Charlie on the inte because good¨Clooking and a great and as the right had a sharp tongue! Most of the pretentious stars in the entertainment industry had been publicly criticized by Charlie. He never had his dain for these stam in front of the media Even J herself had been publicly insulted by him before, with the reason being she was too ugly. Because of this incident, her fans and Charlie¡¯s fans never saw eye to eye and frequently fought online. Many of J¡¯s fans would food Charlie¡¯s Twitter ount, madly insulting him for being rude. His fans would fight back by going to J¡¯s official Twitter ount and calling her ugly and annoying, and aiming she couldn¡¯t take criticism Ben understood that having Charlie and J in the same program would immediately draw arge audience once the news got out. As long as the filming went smoothly and it wasn¡¯t canceled midway, the show was guaranteed to be a hit. Ben realized that the most important thing now was to keep both of them on board. No matter what, both Charlie nd J had to be part of the show. If either of them left, the viewership could drop by more than half, and Ben couldn¡¯t bear to think of that loss After receiving the call from Lisa, Ben carefully used all his persuasive skills, promising many benefits, and agreed to give J more camera time than Charlie during filming. Finally, the matter was settled. On the other side, Lisa immediately turned to report to J what Ben had promised. J was pleased upon hearing the neas. Lisa said, ¡°J, don¡¯t be upset anymore. Charlie bringing a fan on the show might seem impressive at first, but the real highlight of this show is the interaction between celebrities and their family. With Charlie¡¯s personality, it¡¯s a wonder if he can get along with a fan at all!¡± She then chuckled and continued to say to J happily, ¡°If he ends up insulting or bullying the fan during the recording, can you imagine how the audience would react?¡± J was momentarily stunned, but then she smiled smugly. ¡°You¡¯re right. Charlie doing this is like digging his own grave. Lisa added, ¡°Not only that, J. Think about it, Charlie made such a high¨Cprofile start, and many fans are now mad about the fantasy of fan¨Ccelebrity interactions. If he behaves poorly and bullies his fan partner, won¡¯t that make you look even better byparison?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± J eximed and turned to look at Lisa happily. ¡°You do have a brain after all. Your sry will double this month!¡± ¡°A doubled sry? Lisa wondered, and her eyes lit up instantly. She then looked at J and quickly thanked her. 17 ¡°Thank you, J!¡± In the blink of an eye, three days passed, and it was the day the show started filming. Charlie packed his things early in the morning, as did Reba, along with Debra and the two babies. The babies were still very young and needed their mother for feeding, so they had toe along. With the babies going along, the nannies who looked after them had to go as well. Since there were two babies, they brought along two nannies. However, due to the show¡¯s filming requirements, Reba and Charlie had to start filming right after getting off the ne, so Debra and the babies had to keep their distance from Reba. After getting off the ne, Debra instructed the nannies to carry the babies and follow the other passengers, circling around to meet the show¡¯s staff. This way, they wouldn¡¯t appear in the show¡¯s footage. At the same time, the show crew had set up the live cameras as nned. The show featured five groups of guests. The first group consisted of sports star Jayden Campbell and his three¨Cyear¨Cold daughter. The second group was 17¨Cyear¨Cold singer Phoebe Hemsworth and her grandfather Tamron Hemsworth. The third group featured B¨Clist celebrity Lesley Bretherton and her sister Angie Bretherton. The fourth group was made up of the top actress, J, and her mother, Karen. Last but not least, the fifth group was award¨Cwinning actor Charlie and his fan. The live stream interface had been specially set up before the celebrities appeared, with five guest groups and five live stream rooms. For the first four live stream rooms, pre¨Cshot posters were used as covers before the guests appeared. Only the fifth room, which was Charlie and Reba¡¯s room, had a poster featuring Charlie and a mysterious silhouette. CHAPTER 18 Chapter 18 The live broadcast hadn¡¯t started yet, but many viewers were already watching. In live Rooms One through Three, there were a few scatteredments, but live Rooms Four and Five were flooded withments, covering the entire screen. The main reason was that the hosts of these two rooms were not ordinary people. One was a top actress who had just given birth, and the other was a sharp¨Ctongued top actor.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Between Room Four and Room Five, Room Five had morements, and the reasons behind it were ratherplicated. First, J had taken a break for over half a year due to pregnancy and childbirth, causing some fans to lose interest. Naturally, her poprity couldn¡¯tpare to Charlie, who had remained active in the entertainment industry. Second, Charlie had created a buzz before the show started by choosing a fan via an official Twitter selection to join him on the show. As a result, his live room was filled not only with his fans but also with curious onlookers who had seen the trending news. At that moment, whether they were his long¨Ctime fans or the curious onlookers, everyone was eager to know what kind of fan had won the raffle. Who was it? How could they be so lucky to join the top actor, Charlie, in a reality show? The mysterious silhouette in Room Five kept everyone on the edge of their seats, making them extremely curious and cager to find out. [I¡¯m rooting for Chuck! You can do it, Chuck!] [I¡¯m curious to see what the fan Chuck picked looks like.] [I heard it¡¯s a girl!] [Ugh, I¡¯m so frustrated! I even prayed before the raffle! Why didn¡¯t luck favor me?] (Chuck is so sweet to his fans, love him!] But while some were curious, others, particrly J¡¯s fans, were upset. The top actor and actress were supposed to be on equal footing, yet Charlie had stirred things up before the show by bringing a fan instead of a family member, which had surprisingly boosted his online buzz over J. J¡¯s fans felt it was unfair. They suspected that the show was deliberately favoring Charlie at J¡¯s expense.. 15:43 Thu, 18 Jul Therefore, quite a few of her fans were also in Room Five, making snarkyments and criticizing. 63% [Charlie is disgusting. If he doesn¡¯t have family, he shouldn¡¯t join this show. What¡¯s the deal with picking a fan? Are fans his family?] [Everyone else brought family members, but he had to be different. Another day of being grossed out by Charlie, ugh!] [I really don¡¯t get the director¡¯s logic now. There¡¯s no principle at all. The show¡¯s name clearly states family, but they allowed Charlie to bring a fan. It¡¯s sickening!] J¡¯s fans were being quite harsh, and when Charlie¡¯s fans saw it, they weren¡¯t happy and immediately argued back. [Who says fans aren¡¯t family? We and Chuck are like family!] [I bet those are J¡¯s fans. Maybe their idol doesn¡¯t consider them family, so they¡¯re here in Chuck¡¯s live room to bark?] [Ha! You¡¯re good with words. Keep iting. I love this!] [It¡¯s hrious. Some people¡¯s idols don¡¯t treat them like family, so theye to Chuck¡¯s stream to bark, woof wool!] Meanwhile, Charlie and Reba walked out from the airport and were immediately met with the show¡¯s crew, who were waiting at the entrance. The live broadcast cameras were also instantly pointed at them. Reba instantly felt nervous. Charlie ruffled Reba¡¯s hair and reassured her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no need to be scared.¡± Immediately after, he led Reba toward the livestream camera. When Charlie got in front of the camera, he skillfully smiled and greeted the viewers, ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m Charlie, and this is my fan Becky!¡± With that, he turned to Reba with a smile and said, ¡°Say hi to everyone, Becky. It¡¯s really easy. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll protect you.¡± At that moment, Room Five¡¯sment section was flooded, and all the viewers who had been waiting went wild. [Ahhhh, my Chuck is here! Chuck is here!] [Wow, the lucky fan is gorgeous. Are we sure she¡¯s just a fan and not an idol or celebrity?] 2/4 63% [I¡¯m screenshotting this. Isn¡¯t Chuck¡¯s fan way prettier than that over¨Cpraised actress from the other room?] [She really is beautiful. I was stunned. I thought Chuck finally started dating!] [Such a good¨Clooking pair. The fan is as attractive as Chuck. They look amazing together!] [Is it just me, or does anyone else also think Becky and Chuck look a bit alike? They could be siblings!] [This is what a true fan looks like!] [Did you all notice how much Chuck dotes on Becky? He calls her so affectionately, reassures her not to be scared, and promises to protect her!] [He¡¯s truly doting. I wish Chuck would call me that affectionately, too! I want Chuck to reassure me and say he¡¯ll protect me too!] [I¡¯m secretly recording this. I¡¯ll save Chuck¡¯s voice and listen to itter. That way, it will feel like Chuck is calling me affectionately,forting me, and telling me he¡¯ll protect me!] Reba moved closer to the livestream camera and identally saw thements on the side that the viewers had made about them, and for a moment, her heart started to beat faster. Thankfully, she only panicked for a moment before calming down. Reba smiled at the camera and greeted everyone in the best way she could, ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m Becky, Chuck¡¯s fan. I¡¯m so happy to be chosen to join this show with Chuck.¡± Once Reba finished introducing herself, she breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like she had narrowly escaped a disaster. She had been so tense before. Yet, it onlysted for a moment because the next second, Charlie gently patted her head. ¡°Great job, keep it up. No need to be nervous.¡± He encouraged Reba. Reba turned to look at Charlie and couldn¡¯t help but smile warmly. The number of viewers in live Room Five was rapidly increasing. In just a few minutes, it had jumped from about twenty thousands to nearly eighty thousand. Thements were also flooding in more than before, with many excited messages. [I was just a few secondste. What did I miss? Why is Chuck looking at this beauty so tenderly? Is Chuck dating? Is she his girlfriend?] [Ahhhh! Chuck is so sweet to Becky. I¡¯m so jealous! How I wish I were the chosen fan!] 15:43 Thu, 18 Ju [Becky is so shy and adorable. I¡¯ve started to like her already in just a few minutes! What should I do?] 63% [I¡¯m a fan of good looks. I think this show is worth watching. Charlie and Becky are so good¨Clooking. I love it!] Meanwhile, J was still at the airport, deliberately dawdling as she watched the livestream on her p phone. Rooms One to Three were quite ordinary and uninteresting. The most interesting one was Room Five, which she was currently watching. The moment Reba and Charlie appeared together, J¡¯s hand that was holding the phone froze, and her mind went nk. She stared at her phone, more precisely at Reba and Charlie in the livestream, feeling like was all an illusion. CHAPTER 19 Chapter 19 J couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. She rubbed them and looked again, realizing that the people in Room Five were indeed Reba and Charlie. This was real, not a dream or some weird hallucination.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡®But what the heck is Reba doing in Charlie¡¯s livestream?¡± J felt absurd as she kept watching and heard Charlie introduce Reba as his fan. ¡®How could Reba be Charlie¡¯s fan? No way! And how could she be the lucky winner everyone¡¯s been buzzing about? ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Did Reba know I was going to be on this show? Did she somehow rig this, pretend to be a fan so she could join me on the reality show?¡± J stared at the livestream with a burning gaze, her face growing increasingly grim. ¡°Janie?¡± Karen looked at her daughter, puzzled. She nced at her watch and anxiously reminded, ¡°Janie, we¡¯re runningte. We should get going, right? Let¡¯s not keep everyone waiting.¡± In the entertainment industry, the worst thing was to act like a diva. They¡¯d timed their arrival to the minute, nning to head straight from the airport to the event. But Janie had been ying on her phone for so long that Karen was starting to get worried. J¡¯s face was cold as she red at Reba through the phone screen. She put away her phone, calmed herself down, and walked out with a sweet smile. Karen finally sighed in relief, but just as J put her phone away, Karen caught a glimpse of a familiar face on the screen. ¡®Is that Reba? Isn¡¯t Janie supposed to go to a reality show? Why¡¯s she looking at a picture of Reba now?¡± Karen was puzzled, but J had already walked away, so she hurriedly followed. Once outside, Karen soon understood. Reba was also part of the show, and she was standing next to Charlie! Over at Edwards Manor, Sam and Melissa were also watching the show. Young people¡¯s reality shows weren¡¯t really their thing, but J had given birth to their great¨Cgrandchild. The baby was just a month old, and she had taken him with her for work. They wanted to see their great¨Cgrandson! J had joined the film crew. Sam and Melissa, who were too old for long¨Cdistance travel, were desperate to catch a glimpse of their great¨Cgrandson. When they had some free time, they couldn¡¯t resist watching J¡¯s show. They had the maid put the live feed of the film crew up on the TV screen, ready to see the reality show J was filming. Melissa and Sam were only interested in J, so the maid pulled up her individual stream. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But then J stepped outside the airport, and as the camera followed her, it briefly caught Reba in the background. Both Sam and Melissa were stunned! Melissa was terrified. She stood up nervously and moved closer to the screen for a better look. ¡°Is that Reba? that her?!¡± Sam nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Reba!¡± of They were both a bit confused. After a moment, they realized what was going on and became panic. Melissa said anxiously, ¡°Why is Reba there? Isn¡¯t this where J is recording her show?¡± Sam also realized something was off. His already furrowed brows tightened even more. ¡°Melissa, call Theodore and ask him what¡¯s going on,¡± Sam calmly instructed Melissa at the next second. ¡°Yes, sure!¡± Melissa hurriedly nodded. She was so anxious that her hands were trembling. She took out her phone, slowly scrolled through her conta list, found Theodore¡¯s number, and called him. Theodore was in his office, buried in paperwork when his phone buzzed. He nced at the screen, and was surprised to see it was his grandmother. He was puzzled but still quickly answered the call. ¡°Grandma?¡± Theodore asked, confused. As soon as Melissa heard Theodore¡¯s voice, she franticly said, ¡°Theodore, you need to check on something. Y grandpa and I were watching J¡¯s show, and we saw Reba on the livestream! ¡°Why is Reba on the same show with J? Hurry and find out what¡¯s going on!¡± Melissa urged. Theodore¡¯s face darkened upon hearing the news. He had a bad feeling about this. He immediately turned on hisputer to check the recent shows J had been filming and found out th Glimpse into Our Family¡± had just started live streaming today. It was already blowing up online. He found the show and opened the live broadcast. On the main page, there were the thumbnails for five live rooms. At that moment, Room Five¡¯s mystery guest was revealed. The main page banner had been updated. While the other guests¡® posters remained unchanged, Room Five¡¯s now featured Charlie and Reba together. Theodore spotted Reba instantly! ¡®Reba? What is she doing here?¡± Seeing her with Charlie, Theodore¡¯s mind immediately jumped to the children¡¯s surname¡­ Reba didn¡¯t let the children have the surname Edwards or Mitchell. Yet, strangely, they¡¯d been given thest name Carter, ¡®What¡¯s up with this Carter?¡® Without hesitation, Theodore switched directly to Room Five. The livestream showed Reba and Charlie already in the production car, headed to the filming location. Theodore took out his phone and dialed Reba¡¯s number. Debra had hailed a cab and followed the production crew behind, bringing along the two kids and two nannies. They were all sitting in the car, following the crew¡¯s vehicle. Actors were not allowed to bring their phones during filming, so Reba¡¯s phone was with Debra. Suddenly, Reba¡¯s phone started ringing. Debra was a bit surprised and looked down at the phone. It was Theodore calling. Debra stared at the screen, stunned. Then, she looked away, pretending not to notice, ¡®Just a scumbag. Why is he bothering Becky? And he¡¯s not even divorcing!¡± If Theodore agreed to divorce Becky immediately, she¡¯d drag Becky to the courthouse herself and get it over as fast as possible! Theodore waited for a long time, but no one answered his call. In the livestream, Reba was quiet. There were livestream, Reba was quiet. There were no sounds from her phone or any other noise around her. She and Charlie sat in a car together, barely talking. But something was off about Charlie. He kept staring at Reba, his eyes filled with a deep affection that made Theodore¡¯s blood boil! CHAPTER 20 Chapter 20 Reba and Charlie had no idea Theodore was watching the livestream. Even if they did, they wouldn¡¯t give a damn. At this moment in the car, Charlie was worried that Reba might feel sick on the ride. He took out some snacks, ripped open each one, and offered them to his sister. ¡°Here, Becky, try these. They¡¯re seriously delicious.¡± Reba looked at the snacks and then at Charlie. A warmth spread through her chest. ¡°Thanks¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t be too affectionate, not yet, and they both knew. Charlie smirked, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. It¡¯s just some snacks. I¡¯ll take care of you!¡± He was determined not to be any less protective than Adrian or Bryce. He could protect his sister, too! He seemed very fixated on the idea of protecting her, and Reba couldn¡¯t help but smile. Having a real familyThis content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . member was wonderful. Thinking of this, Reba picked up a bag of chips, and handed it to Charlie. ¡°You should eat some too, Chuck,¡± Reba said. They couldn¡¯t act too close, but calling him Chuck should be fine, right? Many of Charlie¡¯s fans online often called him that.. Charlie froze, his eyes widening in surprise as he stared at his sister. But shock quickly gave way to pure joy. Charlie wanted to hug his sister right then and there. ¡°Oh man! She called me Chuck, she called me Chuck in front of hundreds of thousands of live stream viewers! She¡¯s so adorable!¡® Charlie was ecstatic inside, but he remembered they were on a livestream. He took a deep breath, looked at Reba, and managed to nod calmly. ¡°Hmm.¡± Reba had no idea about the rollercoaster her ¡°Chuck¡± had sent Charlie on ¨C shock, nerves, excitement, and finally, a kind of pride. Meanwhile, that one moment sent the viewership for Room Five through the roof. [Whoa, did Becky just call him Chuck?? I¡¯m dying! I wish I was Becky right now!] [I¡¯m literally crying! I¡¯m so jealous. Becky is living the dream!] [Did you guys see Chuck¡¯s face when she said it?! He was shocked, nervous, happy, everything all at once! So cute!] The live chat was filled with excited screams, with fans unable to contain their excitement. TIEdd Thu Tha However, some fans remained rational and noticed something unusual. [Does anyone else think Charlie¡¯s acting a little weird today?] [Me too! I think Chuck¡¯s been reced by a body doublel He is so weird today. [Not to be a hater, but Charlie¡¯s behavior today was really strange. He never had the ¡®warm guy¡® persona before. Since when did he be so considerate of girls?] [I¡¯ve been a Chuck fan for ten years, and honestly, he¡¯s acting totally out of character today. The Chuck I know would never be this attentive to a girl!] [Right? The old Chuck was so sarcastic. He roasted every pretentious female celebrity in the industry.] [I know, right? I didn¡¯t want to say anything earlier for fear of getting attacked, but I agree. Chuck¡¯s never been this nice to an actress before. But now he¡¯s being so considerate to this girl. It¡¯s so weird!] [Chuck, are you being forced to do this? Is the agency making you? If you are, blink twice!] Some of the more emotional fans couldn¡¯t handle the thought of their idol fawning over someone else. [Is Chuck trying to rebrand? What¡¯s wrong with being the sharp¨Ctonguedmentator we love? We became fans because you weren¡¯t afraid to call out those pretentious actresses. Don¡¯t change, or we won¡¯t know what to do!] [Ugh, I can¡¯t stand this Becky. Why doesn¡¯t Chuck just bring his own family on the show instead of some random fan? Is she trying to use him for fame or something?] [Right? Like, back off! He doesn¡¯t need anyone else to shine.] Amidst the sea of Charlie¡¯s fans, a few of J¡¯s supporters inevitably showed up to stir the pot. [It¡¯s hrious. Even Charlie¡¯s own fans don¡¯t buy his act anymore. So fake!] [Just waiting for someone to break character, lol.] [Charlie¡¯s gross. I hope he leaves showbiz soon and stops showing up on the same shows as my girl. He¡¯s such a turn¨Coff!] After having some snacks with his sister, Charlie nced at thements. It was quite something. He chuckled and looked at the live stream camera, exining, ¡°Break character? Are you kidding? Don¡¯t the people I roast know what they¡¯re like?¡± His eyes softened as he turned to Reba beside him. ¡°Do I need to fake it when I¡¯m being good to Becky?¡± Chaplin 20 Those few words were enough to silence most of the doubters in the live stream. His loyal fans rallied to his defense [Exactly! How has Chuck broken character? He always makes fun of those drama queens, but Becky isn¡¯t like that.) [Been a fan for eight years, and Chuck has never been anything but respectful to decent girls!] [I¡¯ve got a video of Chuck being a total gentleman, letting thedies go first!] [Becky¡¯s adorable, and she¡¯s a fan too. If Chuck doesn¡¯t spoil her, who should he spoil? You haters?] [LOL, exactly! Chuck is treating Becky well because she¡¯s his fan. If one of my fans came all this way to hang with me on a show, I¡¯d do the same thing. That¡¯s not breaking character!] [Team Chuck and Becky all the way! We¡¯re rooting for you both on the show. Focus on your careers, make that money, and don¡¯t let the haters get under your skin. Keep shining!] Reba was also watching thements and got a bit worried seeing everyone roasting Charlie. Charlie suddenly noticed someone leaning in. He turned and saw his sister. The defiant look he had on his face for the live stream instantly melted into a warm smile typical of a caring big brother. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t let thosements get to you, they¡¯re just noise. It¡¯s always like this. Let¡¯s just keep our heads down, focus on the show, and have some fun with it.¡± Charlie gave her aforting smile. As soon as Charlie said this, thement section erupted. But Charlie, as always, couldn¡¯t care less. He lived on his own terms. Other people¡¯s opinions didn¡¯t matter to him. Meanwhile, J and her mother, Karen, were watching thements in a different crew car. J had always marketed herself as having a gentle and innocent persona in front of fans. She diligently responded to fans¡® questions, maintaining her online persona. Regarding thements questioning her child born out of wedlock and asking if the child was Theodore¡¯s and if she would marry Theodore to be a wealthydy, she pretended not to see them. She ignored thosements and selectively responded to the ones she wanted to answer. CHAPTER 21 J tried her best to control her emotions and maintain her gentle persona. However, as time passed, more and morements about her having a child out of wedlock and when she would get married flooded the chat. Everyone was pressing her, and it was taking everything she had not to snap. Beside her, Karen also saw thements. She was furious, ming Reba for everything. If Reba hadn¡¯t married Theodore, and it had been J instead, none of this would be happening! Seeing her daughter¡¯s mood worsen, Karen instinctively wanted to protect her. She said, ¡°Alright, J, take a break. Work is important, but your healthes first.¡± Karen pulled her daughter away from the camera, making thements disappear from view. ¡°Get some rest, honey,¡± Karen murmured, draping a nket over J. ¡°You¡¯ll be on set when you wake up.¡± In Room Four, there were plenty of loyal fans of J. Hearing Karen express concern for her daughter, they felt empathetic and quickly offeredfort. [Janie, take a break and don¡¯t worry about the chat. Take care of your health.] [That¡¯s right, Janie just recovered from giving birth. She needs to rest now. Give her a break, everyone. Stop questioning her.] [Another day of loving Janie! You¡¯ve got this!] Where there were loyal fans, there were also haters who didn¡¯t miss a chance to attack. [Are you just dodging the questions?] Are you [An unmarried mother, and still no news of a wedding. sure Theodore will marry you?] Someone burst outughing: [I¡¯ve heard the rich have all kinds of games. Maybe Mr. Edwards just used her for a kid and is gonna dump her now.] Karen calmed her daughter down and let her Sleep but couldn¡¯t resist checking the live chat again. However, the insults she saw this time made her face darken with anger. Karen opened her mouth, ready to argue with the haters, but before she could, J woke up and subtly pulled her back. Karen suddenly calmed down. She restrained herself from arguing with those haters. Rooms Four and Five had the most controversy, but the other three also managed to attract some viewers. Especially in Room One, where the guests were sports star Jayden and his three-year-old daughter, Daphne. Daphne was small and adorable with her bright eyes, captivating the audience as she constantly followed the cameraman around, peppering him with questions in her sweet, high voice. She was also very polite, often asking if his equipment was heavy. Many viewers were charmed by this adorable. and considerate little girl, choosing to stay and watch Room One just to see more of her. Meanwhile, in Room Two, Phoebe, the teen singer that was the nation¡¯s sweetheart, appeared with her beloved grandpa. Their heartwarming dynamic drew in even more of her loyal olddy fans. In Room Three, the guests were B-list celebrity Lesley and her little sister Angie. Lesley¡¯s performance in the entertainment industry had been mediocre. It was not her own talent that brought her to this show, but the fact that she was in the samepany as the superstar J. This was J¡¯s first gig since having her baby. Herpany was super worried about her, so they¡¯d brought Lesley in to be on the show with her and help her in case anything went wrong. The idea was to make sure J didn¡¯t screw anything up, so her bigeback would be perfect. Obviously, getting on this reality show was a huge deal for Lesley. If she could just nail it, it could be her chance to make a name for herself. Lesley cherished this opportunity greatly. However, while Lesley wanted to do her best, she had some personal a p to deal with, like those rumors about her stic surgery. In Room Three, everyonepared her face to that of her sister. Some even said that while her sister wasn¡¯t conventionally beautiful, she had a look that grew on them. In contrast, they criticized Lesley¡¯s ¡°frozen¡± face, saying she had ruined her looks. Lesley was furious, almost ready tosh out, but she had to hold it in. She tried hard to control her expression, smiling for the camera and chatting with her fans, doing her best to create a positive atmosphere and attract more followers. Five groups of guests, each with their own car, were escorted to the filming location. Behind them trailed a dozen more vehicles packed with crew members. This motorcade, stretching over a mile, headed towards the mountains. They drove for hours, crossing county lines, until they finally reached their destination ¨C Ember Ridge! Ember Ridge was deep in the mountains, at the foot of the dense forest. There stood several dpidated houses quietly, and smoke was gently rising from one of the kitchens. The cars stopped one by one, and everyone got out of their vehicles. 85% ¡°Daddy, it¡¯s so beautiful here!¡± the three-year-old Daphne eximed, getting out of the car. Her sweet voice rang out as she eagerly ran ahead. She really liked it here. Jayden hurriedly followed his daughter to prevent her from falling.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Phoebe and her grandpa, Tamron, stepped out of the car. The rustic charm of the mountain vige took their breath away. Phoebe¡¯s eyes sparkled with delight while Tamron¡¯s face softened with nostalgia. ¡°Grandpa, these houses are just like the one you used to live in! Made of mud bricks and everything!¡± Phoebe eximed in her clear voice. Tamron chuckled and nodded. ¡°Yes, indeed. We all lived in houses like these back in the day. It¡¯s been ages since Ist saw them. Never thought I¡¯de across them again.¡± Phoebe beamed. ¡°See, Grandpa? I told you this show wouldn¡¯t let you down. You get to relive your childhood memories!¡± The other three groups were all adults. Lesley and her sister Angie only noticed the vige¡¯s poverty and disrepair. Many of the houses had spider webs hanging from the eaves, and they were terrified of bugs. Lesley instinctively clutched her arms, her eyes wide with fear and disgust. ¡°We¡¯re filming here? It¡¯s so run-down. Won¡¯t there be bugs everywhere?¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± Angie chimed in, her voice even more panicked than her sister¡¯s. ¡°Who could possibly live in a ce like this? Did the crew get the location wrong?¡± CHAPTER 22 Chapter 22 It wasn¡¯t just Lesley and Angie. J and Karen also found it hard to ept the condition of the ce, especially Karen. Karen had always lived a privileged life. Back home, if she saw a spider or a cockroach, she¡¯d scream for ages and then explode in a fury, docking the housekeeper¡¯s pay and firing them on the spot! Now, even before they stepped inside the house, they could see right from the doorstep spider webs clinging to the eaves, some with spiders on them. Karen struggled to hold herself back from screaming on live camera, instinctively moving closer to her daughter. J, a seasoned actress who¡¯d seen it all, was much calmer than the rest. She didn¡¯t show any signs of distress. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be scared. Everything¡¯s fine,¡± she even turned to reassure Karen. In the live stream, J¡¯s fans saw her calm reaction and immediately felt proud, flooding the chat with praises for their idol. Atst, there were Reba and Charlie. Reba got out of the car and looked at the houses in front of her with a calm expression on her face. Before finding her birth parents, she had often wondered if they might be living in poverty. Perhaps her family was so poor and struggling so much that they couldn¡¯t afford to raise her and were forced to give her up. Her longing for her biological family made her let go of her fear of poverty and hardship. She hade to terms with the possibility of such houses and families in her heart, thinking that as long as her real parents wanted her, she could ept it no matter how poor her family was. Although it was a surprise to find that her biological parents and family were so outstanding, it hadn¡¯t diminished her empathy for those less fortunate. ¡°Director, are we staying here tonight?¡± Charlie quickly asked, looking at Ben behind the live¨Cstream camera, Ben chuckled, ¡°Yep, we sure are!¡± Karen¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡®Stay in this ce? How could we? This is not a ce for anyone to live!¡± She thought. But Karen was held back by J. Karen understood her daughter¡¯s intent and forced herself to stay calm and not shout in front of the cameras. 10:45 Fri, 19 Jul u u ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s head inside,¡± the director said brightly. ¡°The vigers should have dinner ready. You¡¯ve all had a long day, so let¡¯s eat first.¡± Everyone was led into the house. It was an old¨Cstyle house with a courtyard just inside the entrance. Three small tables were set up in the courtyard. ¡°Hello everyone, I am Terry. This is my wife, Beatrice. Come on in and have a seat,¡± an elderly man greeted them warmly, inviting them to take a seat inside. ¡°Thank you,¡± Reba said. Charlie followed Terry in, and Reba followed Charlie closely. Everyone else trailed behind them, entering the courtyard together. Terry invited everyone to sit at the table, and soon, his wife Beatrice came out from the kitchen with te after te of local delicacies. They filled three tables with the feast they prepared. Though the vige seemed poor, the dishes served contained meat, fish, and vegetables, and they smelled delicious. ¡°Help yourselves! We raised all these chickens, ducks, and fish ourselves. The livestock were fed only grass and no other feed, so they taste wonderful. Give them a try!¡± Beatrice said happily as she served thest dish on the table. While everyone was talking, Charlie quietly picked up a bowl and quickly filled it with pumpkin soup for Reba. His sister had given birth just a few months ago and still needed to nourish her body. ¡°Becky, try some of this. It¡¯s really good!¡± Charlie filled the bowl and eagerly handed it to Reba, lowering his voice to urge her. Then, Charlie looked up at Terry and his wife. He pulled out the seat next to him and called out, ¡°Sir, Ma¡¯am,e sit with us!¡± The elderly couple immediately said with a wave of their hands, ¡°No, no, you eat!¡± Without a word, Charlie grabbed two bowls from the table, filled them with pumpkin soup, and brought them over to Terry and Beatrice. ¡°Here you go. If you¡¯re notfortable on camera, you can eat over there. Don¡¯t worry about us, and whatever you eat, the director will pay for themter!¡± As soon as Charlie said this, the fans watching the livestream burst intoughter, especially his longtime followers! [That¡¯s our Chuck! Still the same. He hasn¡¯t changed a bit!] 10:48 Fri, 19 31. 1 US Chauth 22 [Wonder if Ben will have the guts to invite Chuck on his show again? LOLI [Ben thought, ¡°Dude, spend your own money.¡®] Not only were the livestream viewers amused, but all the guests in the courtyard were alsoughing. Everyone invited Terry and Beatrice to eat and told them not to worry about the cost. Jayden chimed in, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about running out of food! We¡¯ve got a whole table full of food here, and you¡¯re wee to join us anytime!¡± Terry and Beatrice chuckled. They couldn¡¯t refuse their kindness and eventually epted their warm invitation. Noticing they were short of two sets of utensils, Charlie went to the kitchen to get them. Phoebe noticed this and quickly followed Charlie to lend a hand. Once everyone had their utensils, they all sat down to eat together. The meal was very satisfying. Even Karen, who had initially turned her nose up at the ce, found the food delicious.N?velDrama.Org ? content. The chicken, duck, and fish were just as Terry had said home¨Craised, with no additives or hormones, making them exceptionally tasty! By the time everyone had eaten their fill, night had fallen. It was time to arrange for the rooms. There were many houses in the vige, and the production team had already arranged everything. Everyone drew lots to see where they would stay, relying on their luck to find a host family. Charlie was lucky enough to draw the lot for Terry and Beatrice¡¯s house so they didn¡¯t have to move and could stay right there. They showed them to their room. The room was very dark, even with the lights on, but it seemed fine to sleep in. Charlie was very attentive. He helped Reba make the bed again, ensuring it was clean and free of cockroaches or anything that might scare his sister. Only then did he feel at ease. However, Charlie¡¯s attentiveness made his fans in the livestream feel something was off. [When Chuck was joking about the director, he was the same old Chuck I knew. But when he¡¯s alone with Becky, he feels like a different person.] [Did someone swap out our Chuck for a body double or what?] [If I knew Chuck could be this nice to his fans, I would¡¯ve done anything to be the lucky one, ugh.] 10:46 Fri 19 Jul 85%% [Chuck definitely hasn¡¯t been swapped. Did you see him at dinner? He made sure Becky had her soup before the elders. He totally spoils her!] [I know! I¡¯m so jealous. He¡¯s such a sweetheart to her.] CHAPTER 23 Chapter 23 Meanwhile, on a highway, Theodore sat in his car, his face dark with anger as he barely contained his anger. ¡°What is the deal between Reba and Charlie? Has she been messing around with Charlie this whole time This morning, after receiving a call from Melissa, he started watching the live stream of the reality show. Th of Reba and Charlie together, the tant adoration in Charlie¡¯s eyes for her, twisted something unplea his gut. Try as he might, he couldn¡¯t keep the anger from rising in his chest! ¡®The two kids both have the surname Carter. Is Reba trying to make me a cuckold?¡± His call to Reba went straight to voicemail. ¡®That damn woman! How dare she ignore me?¡® He thoug Theodore was fuming, almost considering calling J, but his hand stopped midway to the phone. Just thinking about J made his brow furrow in disgust. He didn¡¯t call J in the end and quickly finished the documents he was working on. Then, he told Wyatt to push back his schedule, grabbed his coat, and decided to head out¡­ And now, here he was. Theodore was going to the film set. He needed to see Reba¡¯s lover for himself and confront her a hell she was thinking! ¡®Damn it!¡® Theodore cursed under his breath. ¡®Why the hell did they have to set up production in th nowhere? Not a single flight avable!¡® He had to take the highway to that deste countryside! It wasted a whole bloody day of his time!N?velDrama.Org ? content. With each passing mile, Theodore¡¯s frustration grew. During the day, he could watch the live stream from the show on his phone. Seeing Charlie take care of Reba so attentively, with constant tenderness and concern, ma with fury! CHAPTER 24 Chapter 24 Theodore was runningte, and it was already deep in the night while he was still on the highway, miles from his destination. It was well past one in the morning by the time he reached the county nearest to Ember Ridge. Heading into the mountains and viges in the dead of night wasn¡¯t an option, so he found a hotel in the county to hole up for the night. He¡¯d visit the show¡¯s crew in the morning. As the hours slipped by, the deep ck of night gradually faded, giving way to the first faint light on the horizon. In the farmhouse, Debra woke up and checked her phone. It was five¨Cthirty in the morning. It was still early, but with a long day of shooting ahead, she needed to get a move on. She started tidying up the room, trying to get it back to exactly how it was at the end ofst night¡¯s filming. The sounds of Debra bustling around woke Reba beside her.- Reba¡¯s long eyshes fluttered against her cheeks as she slowly opened her eyes. Hearing the noise, she instinctively nced over to see Debra getting dressed. Reba also started to remember that they were filming and needed to get up early to tidy things up. Otherwise, there would be problems when the live stream started. With that thought, she quickly got out of bed. ¡°Becky? Did I wake you?¡± Debra asked, concerned when she saw Reba getting up.¡± ¡°No, I woke up on my own,¡± Reba replied. ¡°You should get some more sleep. Let me tidy up,¡± Debra said hurriedly. The two babies weren¡¯t easy to manage. Lily and Kev had both woken up twice during the night, and both times, Reba had personally gotten up to feed them. She felt guilty for not being able to spend time with her kids during the day, so she tried to make up for it at night, personally feeding them their night meals. This broke Debra¡¯s heart. To her, both her grandchildren and her daughter were her babies, and both needed care. Becky had worked all day, and she had to get up twice at night, spending over half an hour each time to feed the little ones. With all the work, Becky didn¡¯t have much time left to sleep. But Reba still insisted on getting up. Debra was determined. She marched over, pushed Reba back into bed, and ordered, ¡°Sleep!¡± When Reba didn¡¯t listen, Debra looked her in the eye and firmly said, ¡°Listen to your mother!¡± Reba¡¯s eyes locked with her mom¡¯s. It suddenly dawned on her that when her mom became this assertive, she didn¡¯t know how to say no to her. Finally, Reba stayed put and soon drifted back to sleep. When she woke up, sunlight streamed through the window. She blinked sleepily and looked around the empty room. The babies were gone from her side, and her mother¡¯s makeshift bed on the floor had vanished without a trace. Reba¡¯s eyes widened as she checked the time ¨C 7 a.m. She scrambled out of bed and quickly got dressed. Leaving her room, she immediately saw the photographer filming and Charlie doing push¨Cups in the yard. As soon as she stepped outside, everyone noticed her. The live stream camera instantly turned toward her, and Charlie, in the middle of his push¨Cups, turned his head to look at her. Everyone¡¯s attention was on her. ¡°Becky!¡± Charlie eximed, jumping up from the ground and walking towards her. ¡°Good morning! How¡¯d you sleep? The mountain air does wonders, doesn¡¯t it?¡± He winked yfully. ¡°It¡¯s a world away from home,¡± Reba smiled, ¡°The peace and quiet here¡­ I haven¡¯t slept this soundly in ages.¡°¡± ¡°I know, right?¡± Charlie grinned, ¡°No ring horns or sirens, just the birds singing us awake. That¡¯s awesome!¡± Reba closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the mountain air, instantly feeling much more rxed. She nodded. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s amazing!¡± In the livestream, many viewers were up early to watch them. Some viewers were simply fans, waking up early to watch their favorite stars. Others were drawn in by yesterday¡¯s livestream and wanted to keep watching. There were also viewers who simply enjoyed the show¡¯s setting. The ancient vige deep in the mountains was something they couldn¡¯t see in the big city, and they wanted to experience vige life through the stream. Reba snuck a peek at the viewer count. While not astronomical, it was still impressive. Twenty to thirty thousand people were already watching live, and the number was climbing steadily. Chapter 24 At this moment, there were quite a fewments in the livestream chat, and some were even talking about her. Reba couldn¡¯t help but sneak a peek, but soon, she noticed that most of thements were about how pretty she was. ¡®Indeed, the entertainment industry is all about looks,¡¯ Reba thought, but she couldn¡¯t deny the warmth spreading through her chest at thepliments. No woman would turn down being called beautiful. ¡°You guys are too kind,¡± she said, giving the livestream camera a shy smile. From yesterday until now, she had been following Charlie¡¯s lead, struggling to adapt to the rhythm of shooting a reality show and feeling a bit out of sync with their activities. However, she didn¡¯t want to stay quiet forever. Since Charlie had brought her here, she needed to give this her bes shot. She couldn¡¯t embarrass Charlie, and besides¡­This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . She couldn¡¯t lose to J. With this in mind, Reba said again, ¡°I¡¯m going to work harder and not be a burden to Chuck.¡± This was the first time Reba had actively engaged with everyone on the live show. There was a natural tenderness and sweetness to her voice that drew people in, making them smile warmly. Most viewers in Room Five were Charlie¡¯s fans. Since Charlie treated Reba well, many of his fans grew to like Reba, too. As Reba interacted with everyone, the fans got excited, sending a flurry ofments. [Go, Becky! We got your back!] [Becky, you¡¯re gorgeous, you¡¯re gonna kill it!] Charlie walked over, his eyes flicking between Reba and thements before he addressed the crowd, ¡°Hey folks, Becky¡¯s my friend, so let¡¯s keep it respectful, yeah?¡± He added with a bright smile, ¡°Though, feel free toy on thepliments. She loves those.¡± ¥¢ The moment he finished speaking, his fans in the livestream went wild, flooding the chat withments. [Whoa, Chuck! Is this really you? What happened to the cold, sarcastic guy we all know and love?] [Chuck, be honest, do you like Becky? Are you trying to pursue her?] [Damn it, thosements got me thinking. Could Chuck actually have fallen for her? Does he want to be with Becky?]
  1. 13 JUL
So, are we saying Chuck¡¯s been acting like a guy acting like a peacock for his girl?] CHAPTER 25 Meanwhile, Charlie saw the increasingly absurd spections in the chat and was rendered utterly speechless. ¡°¡®m not in a rtionship, nor am I pursuing anyone. Becky is my friend, so don¡¯t overthink it,¡± he exined seriously. At that, thement section became even more lively, with many fans joining in the conversation. Charlie focused on thements and started chatting with his fans seriously. Because of his interaction, the livestream became more lively, and the number of viewers continued to rise. The other live streams were doing well, too. In live Room One, the fans watched with keen interest as the dad helped his adorable child get out of bed. as really In Room Two, Phoebe woke up early, sat in the yard, and yed a song on her guitar, which the fans enjoyed. In Room Three, Lesley and Angie had slept in the van overnight. Once they woke up in the morning, they immediately started their livestream right from the yard. Now, Lesley was also trying hard to chat and interact with the viewers to keep the momentum going. Meanwhile, J, who was in the live Room Four, proved to be a bit smarter than Lesley. Although J and Karen had spent the night in the van like the Bretherton sisters, J brought Karen back to the room arranged by the production crew at the viger¡¯s house early this morning and acted as if they had slept. there. They got up early and started tidying up. J carefully folded the nket and then took a broom to sweep the room. Her fans in the livestream enthusiastically praised her for being so virtuous and even said that whoever married her would be very lucky. The videos of everyone waking up in the morning were done separately, so the livestreams were also conducted separately. After about half an hour, when it was time for breakfast, the production crew called everyone to gather at the elders¡® house from yesterday to have breakfast together. Once they had breakfast, it was time for the next task. The production team didn¡¯t keep everyone waiting and quickly had the staff distribute the task cards. However, when everyone saw the tasks, they were all stunned. The task cards read: ¡°The vigers in the mountain keep many chickens, and these chickens are typically free- range in the mountains rather than being kept at home.¡± glenn, we make the live greeps of guests to catch chickens in the mountains in their respective groups preopt (The time heart now and ends at Elve is clock this afternoon.¡± ¨C you return, the production team will rank your performance based on the number of chickens each group catches¡± ¡°The top three groups will receive special prizes prepared by the production team!¡± ¡°What are the prizes, Mr. Hofmann?¡± Daphne, the three¨Cyear¨Cold, asked in a sweet, childish voice. As she spoke, her big eyes sparkled with curiosity. Ben, who was behind the camera, looked over at the little girl upon hearing her and smiled. Afterward, he deliberately replied, ¡°I¡¯m not revealing the prize for now, but I can assure you, it¡¯s something everyone in the world likes.¡± ¡°Is it money?¡± Charlie immediately asked. Ben was instantly rendered speechless by him. Thement section of live Room Five was instantly flooded withughingments, and his fans were nearly rolling on the floorughing.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . [Isn¡¯t money the one thing everyone loves? Chuck is so clever. He¡¯s spot on!] Judging by the director¡¯s speechless look, Chuck must have guessed it right!] [This is hrious. With Chuck in the show, Ben can hardly keep it together!] After a moment of silence, Ben irritably said, ¡°Alright, alright, the task has started. You should hurry up and get to it. Be back in the vige by five this afternoon!¡± Everyone then suddenlyughed out loud. The director¡¯s reaction made it clear that he was enraged and embarrassed because Charlie had uncovered his secret. However, with the task given, everyone now had a target to focus on. J didn¡¯t want to lose, so she immediately turned and headed into the mountains first. She knew they must catch the most chickens today to win against Charlie and Reba. When Lesley saw her leave, she hurriedly went after her. She and J worked for the samepany. Before Lesley joined the show, thepany had reminded her to find opportunities to help J more in the show, so Lesley naturally had to take action now. 85% Lesley knew that if she didn¡¯t, thepany would never let her have such a good opportunity again after this show ended. Meanwhile, Charlie, who was still in the yard, looked in the direction J and the others left, turned to Reba with a smile, and said, ¡°We should get going too.¡± With that, he began to walk toward the mountains empty¨Chanded. Reba then held Charlie back. ¡°Hold on.¡± Charlie was confused and turned to look at her in bewilderment. Afterward, Reba turned to look toward Phoebe and her grandfather, Tamron. When Phoebe noticed Reba looking at them, she blinked, couldn¡¯t resist running over, and asked, ¡°Why are you looking at us, Reba?¡± Reba chuckled at her words and looked over at her grandfather to ask, ¡°Did you grow up in the countryside, Mr. Hemsworth? Do you know the quickest way to catch chickens?¡± As soon as she asked this, tens of thousands of fans on the livestream were stunned. When they realized what was happening, the screen was flooded withments praising her. [Impressive! Whoa, Becky is brilliant. Mr. Hemsworth really did grow up in the countryside. He should be very familiar with catching chickens, right?!] [Mr. Hemsworth is definitely the most professional person to ask about catching chickens in this show!] [Becky is awesome and clever!] At that, the production crew panicked. Ben hurriedly grabbed a megaphone and announced a new rule, ¡°No team members can form alliances or exchange information during the game!¡± Just as Tamron was about to say something, he heard the production crew¡¯s announcement and turned to look at them. Ben, who was standing behind the cameraman, then shamelessly repeated the rule with the megaphone. Tamron then fell silent, and Phoebe was also at a loss for words. At the same time, thement section in the livestream blew up again, with viewers mocking Ben for being a bad sport. He, however, shamelessly didn¡¯t care about the viewers mocking him as he was only concerned about the show¡¯s ratings and entertainment value. He thought that as long as the variety show had a lot of viewers and people enjoyed watching, it was good enough. 40 FII, 19 JUI Once the new rule was announced, the production team¡¯s staff quickly went to find J and Lesley to warn them against teaming up, as it would break the game rules. On the other hand, Tamron, who was in the yard, realized he couldn¡¯t share information with the other guests. anymore and decided to stop speaking altogether. Phoebe smiled apologetically at everyone and said, ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s the show¡¯s rule. In that case, my grandpa and I¡­will get going then, okay?¡± With that, she hurriedly pulled Tamron aside and quietly asked if he had any tips. When Reba asked about the chicken earlier, Phoebe hadn¡¯t realized and didn¡¯t expect Tamron to be of any help. But now, Phoebe was delighted because out of the five teams, her grandpa knew the most about catching chickens. She and her grandpa might even win first ce. CHAPTER 26 Chapter 26 Jayden, on the side, also looked bewildered. He turned to the director and asked, ¡°Are there any tools, Ben?¡± He wondered, ¡®We can¡¯t possibly catch chickens with our bare hands, can we?¡± Ben held a small megaphone and continued to announce to the guests, ¡°You can find chicken¨Ccatching tools on your own or look for them in the forest. To make it easier, the production team hid mystery packages throughout the forest. Whether you can find these packages depends on your skills.¡± As soon as Charlie heard that, he immediately grabbed Reba and took off. Jayden also quickly caught on. He stopped thinking about any techniques, bent down, and scooped up the three- year¨Cold Daphne. Then, Jayden turned and sprinted away with his powerful, athletic legs. He thought, ¡°Shoot. If there are mystery packages with chicken¨Ccatching tools in the forest, why are we still wasting time at home?¡® Hew Meanwhile, Charlie¡¯s eyelids were twitching like crazy. He was convinced Ben that bastard must have tipped off J. Otherwise, that wretch wouldn¡¯t have taken off so quickly just now. Ben, with the megaphone in hand, smiled as he watched them. He pondered, ¡°Yes, I did give J the tip¨Coff. But what choice did I have? Charlie made such a big scene at the start. If I didn¡¯t give J some extra perks, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed to join the show. They¡¯re both a handful. I can¡¯t afford to offend them!¡± On the other hand, J, who was in the forest, had already found the first mystery package. She eagerly opened. it and found a tool simr to a fishing but with a bigger and thicker rope, making it sturdy and unlikely to tear in the forest. Karen looked at the big and excitedly said. use this to catch chickens!¡± ¡°Yep!¡± J replied. Thement section in the live Room Four was then filled with praises.- [Janie is indeed smart. She found the tool for catching chickens so quickly!] [Janie is awesome. I can already imagine her winning first ce soon!] [Go Janiel I believe in you. Go catch those chickens!] When J nced over at thements, she saw that everyone was praising her and couldn¡¯t help but smile happily, feeling very pleased. Elsewhere, Lesley and her sister Angie were wandering aimlessly in the mountains. Lesley initially wanted to folo partly bie che oras followingpany orders to help J and partly to ride on J¡¯s prity sher However, shortly when entering the forest, the production team announced that the rutes had changed. The five teants were not allowed to team up anymor au that moment, J¡¯s expression instantly turned dark, and she felt awful. However, she had no choice but to follow the new rules andplete the tasks separately. However, J pretended to be considerate andforted Lesley before splitting up. To the viewers, it seemed like J was warmlyforting Lesley because she couldn¡¯t look after her junior from the samepany. But in reality, J was subtly reminding Lesley that they were in this together. Lesley had to help J stand o and make a sessfuleback on the show. Lesley was then greatly frustrated that she couldn¡¯t use J¡¯s poprity to gain exposure for herself and still h to secretly help J with her tasks. Moreover, Lesley had no idea how to help with the task. The production team only told them to catch chickensi the forest, but the forest was so huge, full of trees and shrubs, and she hadn¡¯t seen any chickens even after wall for so long.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Lesley was deep in thought when her eyes suddenly widened as she spotted a chicken. Angie got excited, too. She stared at the chicken intently, turned to Lesley, and said excitedly, ¡°Lesley, there¡¯s chicken over there!¡± At the next instant, Lesley and Angie clumsily rushed toward the chicken. But the chicken wasn¡¯t dumb. Seein strange humans charging at it, the old hen turned and bolted, running at full speed. Undeniably, they were the first to find a chicken among the five live streams, and it became the biggest highl Many fans were drawn to their stream, watching the two sisters try to catch the chicken. Lesley and Angie grew up in the city and weren¡¯t used to the mountain paths, much less running on them. Th chase after the hen looked clumsy, but this genuine clumsiness entertained the livestream audience, makin viewers happy. Meanwhile, after Charlie and Reba entered the forest, they began to look for the show¡¯s chicken¨Ccatching package anxiously. But how were they going to find it? The forest was vast. Charlie had no idea where the package could be hidden. Reba was also searching for it. She was a bit anxious and suddenly noticed something that looked like a red package high up in a tree from the corner of her eye. She then looked up toward the treetop. Immediately after, she shouted excitedly, ¡°There it is! Up there!¡± Charlie heard his sister and immediately turned to look at her. He then looked up above her and his eyes lit up when he saw it, as it was a huge gift package. Yet, the gift pack was so far up in the tree. How could they get it down? Charlie then began to think, ¡°Should I find a long stick to poke the package down from the tree?¡± Meanwhile, Reba was already on the move. She walked to the tree, reached out to feel the trunk, and started climbing up. The number of viewers in the livestream had risen to 300,000. Everyone watched in astonishment as Becky climbed the tree with practiced ease, and soon, a flood ofments exploded in the chat. [Holy cow. Becky can climb trees?] [Isn¡¯t Becky a beautiful and gentle girl? How does she know how to climb trees?] It wasn¡¯t just the viewers who were shocked. Charlie was also stunned when he realized his sister was gone. He instinctively nced at thements and saw the keywords ¡°Becky climbing trees.¡± He gasped and immediately looked up at the tree. In just a minute, Reba had climbed the tree, grabbed the mysterious package, yanked it hard, and threw it down. Not far away, sports star Jayden was approaching with Daphne and happened to see this scene. He was stunned, too. He looked at Reba in the tree, at Charlie below, then back at Reba, and finally gave a thumbs up, praising, ¡°That¡¯s awesome!¡± As soon as Jayden said that, viewers in both the first and fifth livestreams burst intoughter. Thement sections then quickly filled with messages saying that she was awesome. Only Daphne, who was three years old, didn¡¯t understand what was happening. She looked at Reba on the tree and the package on the ground, her eyes shining like light bulbs, and excitedly shouted, ¡°Dad, Becky found the package!¡± CHAPTER 27 Chapter 27 After Reba took down the package, she needed toe down from the tree. Charlie¡¯s heart nearly stopped when he saw that. He then quickly ran under the tree, spread his arms wide, and said cautiously, ¡°Becky,e down slowly. I¡¯ll catch you.¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . He was genuinely scared and thought anxiously, ¡®This is my sister, my own sister, and she just had babies a month ago. If she gets hurt today, Mom and Dad will kill me, and Adrian and Bryce won¡¯t let me off either!¡± Meanwhile, Reba, who was still in the tree, looked at the nervous Charlie below and suddenly smiled. Her smile was perfectly captured by the live broadcast camera. For a moment, the hearts of hundreds of thousands of viewers seemed to skip a beat, and then thement section exploded with excitement. [Becky¡¯s smile is mesmerizing!] [How old is Becky? Why does her smile make me feel like I¡¯m falling in love for the first time? She¡¯s so beautiful!] [Exactly¡­ I used to be against Chuck dating, but now I think it¡¯s fine. If it¡¯s Becky, I¡¯m all in for Chuck dating her!] In the meantime, Theodore was sitting in the car, which was heading towards Ember Ridge. As the car navigated through the narrow mountain road, the driver was nervous and scared, but since Theodore insisted, he had no choice but to continue. Theodore didn¡¯t notice that the driver was nervous. He was sitting in the back seat and watching the live broadcast of the show on his phone. In live Room Five, when Reba stood in the tree and turned to smile at Charlie below, Theodore was struck by how beautiful she looked. She looked truly stunning. Theodore then realized he had never seen Reba this happy before. Thement section of the livestream went wild, with everyone praising her smile. Theodore couldn¡¯t help but agree. She did look beautiful. But soon, his expression darkened because he saw ament from one of Charlie¡¯s fans agreeing to Charlie and Reba dating. Theodore pondered angrily, ¡®Reba is my wife. How could she be messing around with Charlie or getting close to another man?¡± The good mood he had just had suddenly disappeared, giving way to a wave of strong anger. Theodore then suddenly lifted his foot and kicked the seat in front of him hard. 1M When the driver felt the powerful kick from his boss, he was startled and Immediately hit the brakes, stopping the car on the mountain road. Once Theodore realized he had scared the driver, he exined with a grim expression, ¡°This has nothing to do with you. Keep driving¡± The driver was left utterly speechless. Wyatt, who was in the front passenger seat, was also terrified. He thought, ¡®Theodore in the back doesn¡¯t notice the dangerous mountain road, but I can see it clearly from the a passenger seat! The road is narrow, and many sections here don¡¯t have any guardrails. If the driver make mistake, we could all go off the cliff! Theodore¡¯s sudden outburst could have killed us all.¡®¡± As Wyatt thought of that, he looked at the driver and reassured him, ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. Just focus on driving. The mountain road is dangerous, so don¡¯t get nervous.¡± The driver quickly nodded in agreement, started the car again, and continued driving forward. Wyatt turned to look at Theodore in the back seat. He hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Theodore, I mean¡­we¡¯re almost at Ember Ridge. Could you hold off on watching the stream? ¡°Even if you¡¯re hurrying to catch your wife in the act, you should think about your own safety first. If you scare the driver again like you did just now, we might not be going to catch her cheating. Instead, we might be delivering your inheritance to your wife. ¡°If we all die, she can inherit your fortune directly and then live happily with that pretty boy¡­ You know, the actor Charlie!¡± Theodore looked up and red over at Wyatt with an icy gaze. He then said irritably, ¡°Who said it¡¯s Reba that I¡¯m going to see?¡± Wyatt was utterly baffled and fell silent. ¡°I¡¯m going to see my kids,¡± Theodore added. His expression turned dark as he continued coldly, ¡°Reba took my children to this godforsaken ce. I¡¯m going to gather evidence to use her of neglecting the babies.¡± Wyatt was left speechless by what he said. Reba had no idea that Theodore was about to arrive at Ember Ridge or that he was to gather evidence that she was neglecting the babies. Back on the mountain, Reba quickly climbed down from the tree. Charlie carefully checked her over several 18991 Chapter 27 times, and after confirming she was unharmed and not in pain, he finally felt relieved. Afterward, they went to the big package together. Charlie started unpacking it right away, revealing the contents inside. Jayden and Daphne stayed as well. When they saw the contents of the package, the little girl eximed in a childish voice, ¡°It¡¯s a big basin!¡± After the big basin was taken out, a spoon inside was revealed. Daphne saw the spoon and excitedly said, ¡°And there¡¯s a big spoon too!¡± ¡°What is this for?¡± Jayden asked curiously. Charlie spected. ¡°Maybe for feeding the chickens?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t we supposed to catch chickens? Why did the show crew give us a basin and a spoon? Do we need to feed the chickens before we catch them?¡± Jayden wondered aloud seriously. Reba¡¯s eyes lit up, and she said happily, ¡°I got it!¡± ¡®What?¡® everyone wondered and looked up at Reba curiously. 7 She picked up the basin and spoon, smiling. ¡°Even though the chickens in the mountains are free¨Crange, they are still raised by the vigers, right? Since they are domestic chickens, they need to be fed. When the owner feeds them, the chickens wille back, won¡¯t they?¡± With that, Reba then picked up the two items and began to bang the spoon against the basin. As the stainless steel spoon banged against the basin, it produced a loud ng¨Cng¨Cng sound. In the next instant, the previously quiet forest was suddenly filled with chickens running from all directions. Everyone then quickly realized what was happening. Charlie smiled happily, feeling proud of how clever his sister was. Jayden pped his thigh in envy and almost cried. He thought, ¡®How did Reba and Charlie find such amazing tools? With this basin and spoon, they¡¯re definitely going to win. Trying to catch the chickens one by one would take forever, but with these feeding tools, the chickens wille running to them.¡± Daphne was still unaware that they were about to lose. As she saw the chickens running all over the hills, her eyes gleamed with excitement. ¡°There are so many chickens, Daddy!¡± ¡°Yes, so many chickens. Let¡¯s go find our own tools too, Daphne!¡± Jayden replied happily. He bent down, picked up, and headed in another direction in the forest to continue their search for their own chance. her CHAPTER 28 In live Room Two, after Phoebe had a secret discussion with her grandfather, they were left speechless. Her grandfather exined that raising chickens in the countryside didn¡¯t require much effort to catch them. Chickens and ducks were intelligent animals. They¡¯d leave home in the morning and return by themselves when it was time to eat. The same applied at night. As long as the newly bought chicks were kept in the coop for a few days before being released, they¡¯d know toe back home when let out to roam freely. To rify this, Phoebe even asked the director if it would work for them to wait for the vigers¡® chickens toe back by themselves at mealtime or at night. The answer was a clear no. With no shortcuts avable, she took her grandfather up the mountain and followed the show¡¯s rules to catch the vens themselves. Meanwhile, Reba and Charlie, who were still in the mountains, figured out how to use the ¡°magical tools¡± and were in a good mood. However, their happiness didn¡¯tst long because the unscrupulous crew quickly reminded them of another condition. The crew told them that simply summoning the chickens back didn¡¯t count. They also had to catch the chickens and confine them so they couldn¡¯t escape for it to count. Additionally, the chickens had to be caught in the mountains. Once the chickens entered the vige, catching or trapping them there wouldn¡¯t count. Due to these sudden requirements from the director, the hundreds of thousands of viewers in Room Five bombarded Ben withments again. The hashtag ¡°Ben is being a bad sport¡± shot up in poprity online, and as ¡°A Glimpse into Our Family¡± was being joked about by many, it also gained widespread recognition. As more people saw the buzz and tuned in to watch the livestreams, the show¡¯s poprity surged, showing signs of bing a big hit. In each guest¡¯s live room, the number of viewers grew, with Charlie and Reba¡¯s live Room Five seeing the most significant increase. In just one morning, the number of viewers in live Room Five almost reached 600,000. And what about J¡¯s live room? J checked the online viewer count in her live room and saw it was only 400,000, almost 200,000 fewer than Charlie and Reba¡¯s live Room Five. She wondered, ¡°How did this happen? I can¡¯t let this continue! I mustn¡¯t be outdone by Rebal While J¡¯s face remained calm, her mind was a mess. She felt annoyed and angry, Inwardly grumbling, ¡°Why did Reba have to join this show? Couldn¡¯t she just stay home and be a full¨Ctime housewife?¡± Out of the live camera¡¯s view, she was gripping the capture¡¯s pole so hard it was close to snapping. J thought firmly, ¡®No! It can¡¯t go on like this! I have to find a way to turn things around and regain my poprity! And as for Reba, I can¡¯t let her keep unting herself. She¡¯s just a fake heiress who stole someone else¡¯s family. Isn¡¯t it enough for her to stay amoner overshadowed by me, a true heiress, forever? But I can¡¯t personally cause trouble for now, or the media might catch on, and that would be troublesome!¡® With that in mind, she looked toward the forest in front of her and thought of Lesley. J pondered somewhat irritably, ¡®It¡¯s been half a day in the mountains. What are those two idiots doing? It¡¯s been so long, and they haven¡¯t made any progress. Useless!¡± At that moment, Lesley and Angie were feeling quite pleased. When they first rushed to catch chickens, they didn¡¯t think much about it and just wanted to catch them. In their efforts to catch the chickens, they worked up a sweat, their makeup was ruined, and their clothes got dirty The worst part was when the first chicken they caught pooped on their hands and clothes. Lesley couldn¡¯t handle it, screamed loudly, and threw the hen away instantly.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She then hurried to find water to wash her hands after throwing the chicken. But while Lesley was fussing, Angie discovered that their live room had over 200,000 viewers. Aside from J¡¯s live Room Four and Charlie¡¯s live Room Five, their live room had the highest number of viewe among the remaining rooms. Angie was thrilled and immediately called Lesley over. Lesley saw the results and became excited, too. Thus, the two sisters didn¡¯t even mind the chicken droppings on their hands, especially Lesley. They chatted wit the audience for a bit, and after confirming that the viewers were indeed there for them, they turned back with great excitement to continue catching chickerls. They were so caught up assigned her. the fun of catching chickens that Lesley momentarily forgot the task thepany ha Lesley didn¡¯t remember it until they came across J and her mother. The moment Lesley made eye contact with J¡¯s ¡°gentle¡± gaze, her wandering mind suddenly snapped back reality. 10:50 Fri, 19 Jul uu When she saw Lesley, J pretended to look surprised, turned to the live camera, said a few words, and then led everyone over to Lesley. J approached with a friendly smile and asked, ¡°Lesley, you¡¯re here! How many chickens have you caught?¡± Given Lesley¡¯s experience in the entertainment circle and acting skills, she swiftlyposed herself. She addressed J humbly and amiably as if facing a senior colleague, ¡°We¡¯ve caught three, J. How about you?¡± As Lesley spoke, she instinctively moved to shield Angie, who was holding the chickens, behind her. Having worked hard all morning to catch the chickens, Lesley now instinctively felt a bit anxious, fearing that J might ask her to give up the chickens. At that moment, Lesley was suddenly very grateful that the show had added the rule against teaming up, preventing J from openly taking the chickens she had worked hard to catch. ¡°We¡¯ve caught seven or eight, not too many,¡± J replied. Lesley breathed a sigh of relief after hearing her and thought, ¡®Since J caught so many herself, she probably won¡¯t want mine, right?¡± She then began to fulfill her duties, deliberately praising J in front of the program¡¯s camera to highlight J¡¯s excellence. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot, J! You¡¯re so impressive!¡± J was naturally delighted by the on¨Ccamera praise. She gave a heartfelt smile and politely said, ¡°You¡¯re not bad either.¡± ¡°It¡¯s getting gettingte. Have you seen the other groups?¡± J quickly asked, revealing her true intention. Actually, she mainly wanted to ask about Reba and Charlie and also to remind Lesley to cause trouble for them quickly. J didn¡¯t want them to perform well. In this show, no one should outshine her. CHAPTER 29 Rever Fort Hustling the attem ? Ayshoe x eyes watened as she asked incredulously, ¡°Becky, Chuck, where are your chickens?¡± Thx mg Dad and I saw thecky and Chuck with a magical tool. They only had to knock the banastash of chickens woulde. They were amazing and almost caught the whole mountain of chickens, wee.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°They be on the other side¡± Charlie said with a smile. They used the basin to attract many chickens, but the production crew quickly set a new rule, requiring them to catch the chickens by hand. So, they had no choice but toe up with another n. As it turned out, with some effort, solutions could indeed be found. Particrly when Reba and Charlie came across a heap of straw, inspiration struck, and they had a makeshift They used straw as a rope to tie up many chickens. Eventually, they got tired and decided toe out for some fresh air and check on the others. That was when they encountered Jayden and Daphne. ayden came over with a smile and asked, ¡°You guys must have caught a lot, right?¡± Charlie oked over at Reba and thought cheekily, ¡°With lucky Reba, we definitely caught a lot. There¡¯s no way we¡¯re losing.¡± He replied, ¡°It¡¯s plenty enough.¡± Even though Charlie felt proud, he still pretended to be humble. The viewers in the livestream who had watched Reba and Charlie¡¯s chicken¨Ccatching spree couldn¡¯t help but smile fondly. [Chuck and Becky are way too humble, aren¡¯t they?] [This show is so interesting. The more I watch, the more I like it!] Jayden quickly caught on and asked, ¡°So, what are you guys going to do now?¡± Reba replied with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re just wandering around and checking on how you guys are doing with the tasks.¡± Jayden smiled helplessly, ¡°Daphne is too young. It¡¯s hard to catch chickens with her around.¡± ¡°How about we watch her for you and you go catch some?¡± Reba suggested. Right then, Ben hurriedly lifted his megaphone and reminded them, ¡°The show prohibits teaming up to help each other!¡± At that, everyone immediately fell silent. What the heck?! The production team is being so unfairi How can Jayden catch chickens with a kid like Daphnie?) Poor Jayden and Daphne. This show is totally unfair!] Fans couldn¡¯t help but voice their support for the father and daughter in thement section. Despite their anger, the livestream¡¯s viewership did rise. Charlie suddenly said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Are you guys hungry?¡± Jayden, who was wearing a watch, raised his wrist to check the time. He then looked at Charlie and Reba and replied, ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. The production team mentioned that the chicken catching activity wouldst until six this afternoon. What are we doing for lunch?¡± Charlie and Reba were also confused about this, so they all turned to look at the production team. The director, Ben, checked the time and noticed it was almost noon. It was indeed time to go back and have lunch. Then, he raised his megaphone and cheerfully announced, ¡°The nearby vigers have ingredients and stoves. You guys can cook whatever you want and eat to your heart¡¯s content!¡± With that, Ben took out his phone and sent messages to the staff following the other groups of them to return to the vige for lunch. guests, informing Everyone was thrilled to hear the news and immediately started packing their things to head back to the vige. As they were heading down the mountain, Jayden, who was holding a chicken, couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Ben, taking the chickens back to the vige doesn¡¯t count as breaking the rules, right?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not!¡± Ben responded with a smile through the megaphone. a Everyone breathed of relief at his words. Even the livestream viewers couldn¡¯t help butment that Ben was finally being considerate. However, everyone was dumbfounded upon returning to the vige. The vigers¡® houses did not have any hot, ready¨Cto¨Ceat meals. Instead, the stoves were cold, and it looked like no preparations had been made for lunch. Charlie sensed that the production team was up to something and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s our lunch?¡± Ben raised the megaphone again and said, ¡°The flour is in the jar. You can make something like pasta with it. The vegetables are in the garden. As for the meat, didn¡¯t you catch chickens all morning? Feel free to ughter them if you want to eat!¡± Reba couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing and was left speechless. She thought that the production team indeed gave them a lot of surprises. 85% 10:50 Fri, 19 Jul Chapter 29 Just then, Charlie whispered to Reba, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can cook.¡± Reba was stunned and turned to look at him. Charlie chuckled and gently ruffled her hair. Their interaction once again made the livestream fans squeal with delight, each happily enjoying the sweet moment. [Ah, so sweet! Chuck is so sweet to Becky!] [Chuck is so gentle today. I don¡¯t want this show to end. Watching Chuck and Becky together always makes me smile. It is such sweet happiness.] I like Chuck, and I like Becky too!] CHAPTER 30 J and the rest returned, and the production crew soon informed them that lunch had to be made by themselves. As soon as this task was announced, her face turned a bit grim. Karen was even more anxious since neither she nor Janie could cook. Reba, on the other hand¡­ Karen then instinctively nced over at Reba. Whenever their housekeeper took leave or got fired for making mistakes, Reba would cook for everyone at home. Reba felt a burning gaze on her and turned to look. The moment her eyes met her foster mother¡¯s, she had a bad feeling. ¡°Reb¡­¡± Karen suddenly spoke, trying to call Reba¡¯s name. ¡°Mom, let¡¯s work out a way to make lunch,¡± J quickly interjected to stop her mother. She thought that since they were recording a show, under no circumstances could they involve Reba, or else it would be troublesome if fans discovered their rtionship. Karen then turned back to look at her daughter. When she saw J¡¯s serious expression, she slowly realized that her daughter didn¡¯t want her to reach out to Reba. At that moment, Charlie let out a light hum, quietly pulled his sister away, and headed to the kitchen to check the situation. He wasn¡¯t going to let his sister stay there and face those disgusting mother¨Cdaughter duo. Their reaction was rather obvious, and some sharp¨Ceyed fans in the livestream sensed something was up. [Is it just me, or does Chuck seem to dislike J and her mother?] [Umm¡­ Are you new here? Chuck has always disliked J. Any old fans know this!] [What¡¯s going on? Can someone exin?] [I know this. I¡¯ve heard that J intentionally dressed like Charlie several times or wore matching essories with him in front of the media. Then, she buys promotion ounts to spread rumors and forcibly creates a romantic link with Charlie to gain poprity. Later, a reporter asked Charlie if he was dating J, and Charlie tly said no. When asked why, Charlie said, ¡°She¡¯s too ugly!¡°] [I love Chuck¡¯s attitude. For those malicious people, just confront them directly. No need to be nice!] Vousuns de Sax se gentlemanly content dort understand Let se is in s Partesne became angry upon seeing these messages and immediately started arguing with them h¨´ and viewers in the live Room Five were hitam, so naturally, A for fans couldn¡¯t win the argument.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. But in the room four, most of the viewers were J¡¯s fans, and they were all cursing Charlie, calling him a jerkzsong¨Css, and telling him to get out of the entertainment industry. Their words were as harsh as they could be Daly a tow of Chuck¡¯s fans were there, arguing fiercely to defend Charlie, but it wasn¡¯t very effective against J¡¯s wmotional Tas Meanwhile, then quietly observed the situation in both live¨Cstreaming rooms from behind the camera. As he did that, fils eyes crinkled with a broad smile. He thought smugly, Good, let them fight. A fight will bring more buzz. With more buzz, burstow will be even more popr The tants were getting tied up, but the celebrities on set couldn¡¯t really fight. They needed to at least pretend to get Charlie and Reba entered the kitchen first. After thinking for a moment, J followed them in. They had barely been together since the show began, which meant she hadn¡¯t had the chance to mess with Reba. J pondered itably, I can¡¯t let Reba keep staying with Charlie. I must find a way to make Reba mess up and embarrass herself on camera in any case, I want the audience of this episode to hate Reba and stop her from standing out!¡± She pretended to be gracious and offered to make peace, asking, ¡°Do you know how to cook, Chuck? My mom and I can¡¯t cook Can we work together? I can wash the vegetables for you!¡± Once J finished speaking, she began to count down inwardly, ¡®Three, two, one¡­ If Charlie turned her down, he would bebeled as petty, narrow¨Cminded, nitpicking, and ungentlemanly, which would further damage his reputation in the entertainment industry. CHAPTER 31 Chapter 31 J had been sent away. In the kitchen, Reba tumed to look at the stove. Jayden t?me over and asked, ¡°Um¡­ Can I pitch in with you guys? I can do anything but cook. Just let me know what you need.¡± Daphne, standing nearby, burst outughing. ¡°My dad is such a klutz. His cooking is terrible.¡± Reba couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that. She turned to Daphne and asked with a smile, ¡°Really?¡± Daphne answered very seriously, ¡°Really! ¡°Last time, for Mom¡¯s birthday, Dad wanted to surprise her with breakfast. He got up early to cook but ended up setting our kitchen on fire. The food was burnt to a crisp, and we all nearly had a disaster on our hands!¡± Daphne. recounted in her childish voice, earnestly spilling the beans on her dad. Jayden had a face¨Cpalm, looking at his daughter helplessly. Meanwhile, in the livestream, countless fans were alreadyughing hysterically. ¡°What do you want to eat? I can cook for you,¡± Charlie quickly offered. His sister had just finished her postpartum period. She shouldn¡¯t overwork herself. She needed rest. Jayden was taken aback and then nced at Charlie. The two men stared at each other, eyes locking in a silent, intense showdown. Jayden quickly came to his senses, realizing that Reba had just had babies and was still recovering. Asking her to cook was definitely too much. But he really couldn¡¯t cook. ¡°Thank you?¡± Jayden looked at Charlie and cautiously ventured. Charlie nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Then could you just whip up something simple for us? As long as it fills us up, we¡¯re not picky,¡± Jayden said a bit sheepishly. ¡°Oh, do you know how to make chicken soup? I can help with killing the chicken,¡± Jayden quickly added. ¡°Chicken soup is delicious,¡± Daphne immediately chimed in with her cute voice. Charlie chuckled at this and responded casually, ¡°Alright, you go kill the chicken.¡± ¡°I can cook, too, Let me join you,¡± Phoebe shouted. She had just finished washing her hands and eagerly ran over. There are so many of us to feed. It would be exhausting for just Charlie and Becky to do all the cooking. Let¡¯s all pitch in and make it easier,¡± Phoebe said happily. ¡°Sounds good,¡± Reba agreed with a smile. ¡°We can help wash the vegetables,¡± Angie quickly chimed in, rushing over. Both she and her sister couldn¡¯t cook, and with all the guests already pitching in, they didn¡¯t want to feel out of ce. Charlie looked at Angie and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± Then he urged, ¡°Okay, everyone knows their task now. Let¡¯s get to work and do it quick.¡± The show¡¯s crew had finished discussing, and everyone began,their assigned tasks. Outside the vige, Theodore sat in the car, watching the crew film inside and outside the house with their cameras. His expression was grim. He stayed in the car, not making a move to get out. Wyatt hesitated for a moment, then cautiously said, ¡°Theodore?¡± There was no response from him. Wyatt looked at him, feeling conflicted. ¡°Once they finish lunch, there should be a break. I¡¯ll speak with the director and arrange for you to visit the set during that break,¡± Wyatt carefully exined. Theodore didn¡¯t say a word, but Wyatt knew he had silently agreed. Although J eagerly volunteered to gather ingredients inside the vige, she made a fool of herself in the field because she couldn¡¯t recognize the vegetables. Thanks to the fans¡® tips in thement section, she finally picked the right ones.N?velDrama.Org ? content. It was worth mentioning that the garden had bugs. While picking vegetables, Karen identally had a thumb- sized green caterpir crawl onto her hand, causing her to scream and run around wildly. She ended up trampling many of the vegetables, leaving many viewers in thement section stunned. Once they realized what had 2/4 happened, some scolded them for wasting food. Having suppressed her frustration since yesterday, Karen finally reached her breaking point. Ignoring J¡¯s reminder, she directly confronted the viewers, arguing with them right in front of the livestream camera. The viewers, now being yelled at, were even more upset. Thements in Room Four exploded, with many people criticizing Karen for destroying the vigers¡® hard¨Cearned vegetables. Despite themotion, filming continued. Annoyed, J hastily gathered some vegetables and returned. Everyone was busy with their tasks inside the house. When J and Karen came back with the vegetables, Phoebe warmly weed them. She took the vegetables and went straight to the faucet to wash them. Reba and Charlie were preparing lunch in the kitchen. Contrary to what was previously mentioned, Charlie firmly refused to let Reba do any work, especially anything involving cold water. He wouldn¡¯t let her touch it, instead pushing her to the stove to fuel the fire. Unable to refuse her brother¡¯s kindness, Reba sat by the warm stove, slowly adding wood to the fire while warming herself. Charlie began cooking as various ingredients were gradually prepared and brought to the kitchen. Reba, tending the fire, chatted with Charlie, asionally reminding him to add certain seasonings to the pot, especially garlic, which she insisted must not be left out. J was allergic to garlic. The chicken soup and fish definitely needed some. Garlic was such amon kitchen ingredient that even Phoebe, who had been helping in the kitchen the entire time, didn¡¯t notice anything unusual. J rarely cooked, so until lunch was served, she never suspected that Reba would add something to which she was allergic. It wasn¡¯t until she saw the garlic in the chicken soup and the fish on the table that she remembered her allergy. She couldn¡¯t eat any of it. As everyone else enjoyed the delicious meal, J could only eat her sd, holding her bowl resignedly. Reba observed J¡¯s reaction and felt a wave of satisfaction. Of all the people to provoke, why choose her brother? After everyone had eaten their fill, it was time for a break, and the production crew temporarily turned off the livestream. However, just as the livestream was cut, someone walked in. It was Theodore. $84% The moment Reba saw Theodore, her hands and feet froze. She was stunned and stared at him in disbelief. J also saw Theodore and was thrilled. She immediately ran over to him. ¡°Theodore, what are you doing here?¡± The other guests and crew members turned to look at them. Holding Theodore¡¯s arm with a blissful expression, J said, ¡°Theodore, did youe to see the baby? He¡¯s right over there with the nanny and doing great.¡± CHAPTER 32 Chapter 32 ¡°Ignore them. Let¡¯s go see the babies,¡± Charlie said, grabbing Reba¡¯s hand with a smile. Reba turned to look at Charlie. But Charlie was already pulling her away. Debra was sitting with the two babies in the Carter family¡¯s van. When Reba arrived, a big smile spread across Debra¡¯s face. Seeing her own babies, Reba began to calm down. She stepped inside. ¡°Mom, how are Lily and Kev? Were they fussy this morning?¡± Reba asked. ¡°They were quiet, eating and sleeping like little piglets, just as cute as you were at their age,¡± Debra replied with a chuckle. Reba smiled and leaned down to kiss the babies. She reached out to pick up one of the children to nurse them, but Debra quickly stopped her, speaking softly. ¡°They were just fed. It¡¯s their nap time now. You should take a break, too. You still have filming to do this afternoon.¡® Debra couldn¡¯t stand to see her daughter overworked. Looking at the children, Reba felt a twinge of concern. ¡°But the babies¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about them. The breast milk was pumped in advance. It¡¯s still fresh. Besides, drinking it now is perfectly fine,¡± Debra reassured her. Thinking it over, Reba nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°Go back to the house and get some sleep,¡± Debra urged.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Reba had no choice but to agree, ¡°Okay.¡± Having just finished her confinement, her body was still weak. The morning¡¯s hustle had left her exhausted. Most importantly, she needed to ensure she had enough energy to handle the afternoon¡¯s filming. But just as she stepped out of the van and turned around, she unexpectedly ran into Theodore. Reba lowered her head slightly, trying to pretend she hadn¡¯t seen him, and walked straight toward the house. However, Theodore suddenly walked toward her. 1/4 Chipon 17 At this moment, Charlie came down, conveniently stepping after Reba, blocking Theodore¡¯s path. Reba¡¯s heart instantly tightened with worry. She turned back to look at them, feeling anxious. Charlie and Theodore stared each other down, their gazes sharp as knives. ¡°Reba is my wife,¡± Theodore said coldly. Nearby, a staff who had yet to leave overheard this juicy tidbit and involuntarily stopped in his tracks, stunned. ¡®Mr. Edwards is married? Isn¡¯t he rumored to be J¡¯s boyfriend? *Rumor has it they even have a child together and are just waiting to get married. But now, Mr. Edwards is saying Reba is his wife? ¡°Who is Reba? Wasn¡¯t he trying to stop Becky to talk to her just now? Could Becky actually be Mr. Edwards¡® real wife, Reba?¡± The staff thought, quickly realizing he shouldn¡¯t be eavesdropping on this, and hurried away. He walked briskly, but as he reached the gate, he unexpectedly ran into J. J walked over and asked, ¡°What are they talking about over there?¡± The staff remained silent. J pulled out her purse. She took out four thousand dors and said, ¡°Tell me.¡± In this industry, everyone had some sense. The staff, Jared, quickly epted it. Jared was thrilled with this windfall and eagerly recounted what had happened in the courtyard. After finishing, he quickly assured her, ¡°J, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± J¡¯s face lost its usual on¨Ccamera gentleness, reced by a cold expression. ¡°If this gets out, you can forget about working in this industry.¡± Jared nodded hastily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, J. I won¡¯t tell a soul.¡± Thismotion soon drew the attention of the three people in the courtyard. Theodore, Charlie, and Reba all turned to look toward the gate. Jared quickly lowered his head and scurried away. J walked into the courtyard. Reba quickly turned her gaze away and headed toward the house. Theodore was anxious. He immediately stepped forward, reaching out to grab Reba. Charlie instantly blocked Theodore and, raising his hand, , Reba turned around and saw Theodore about to hit Charlie. Panicked, Reba ran back and shoved Theodore forcefully. ¡°Theodore! That¡¯s enough!¡± By now, J had entered and was standing quietly on the side. Using all her strength, Reba¡¯s shove sent Theodore stumbling back several steps. Theodore¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he stared at her. ¡°Reba, you pushed me for him?¡± ¡®Was Charlie already that important to her?¡± he thought. ¡°This is between us. It has nothing to do with him,¡± Reba said; panting, her voice icy. ¡°Theodore, we¡¯re getting a divorce, aren¡¯t we? So there¡¯s no need to drag this out any longer,¡± she added. As she said this, she felt the old exhaustion wash over her. Life with Theodore had always been suffocating. Hearing this, Theodore¡¯s eyes reddened. He quickly stepped forward, grabbing Reba by the cor and lifting her up, his eyes bloodshot with rage. ¡°Reba, you humiliated me so thoroughly, and now you want a divorce? Dream on!¡± He snarled through gritted teeth, his intense gaze making it seem like Reba hadmitted an unforgivable sin. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think between me and him!¡± Reba couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and shouted, her tears falling uncontrobly. The more she had once loved this man, the more she hated him now. Why couldn¡¯t Theodore ever listen to her in the past and now? He never listened to her exnations but readily believed everything J said. The entire courtyard fell silent after her outburst. After what felt like an eternity, Theodore spoke coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think you¡¯ll get a divorce.¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Charliended a hard punch on Theodore The next moment, Theodore lunged at Charlie, and the two began to brawl. Reba panicked. She looked around, searching for something to help. Suddenly, Reba spotted a stick in th corner. Hastily, she picked it up, intending to intervene when she saw Theodore about to attack Charlie. 10:52 Fri, 19 JUI M 14 U However, before Reba could swing the stick, J rushed up from the side and grabbed her, pushing her aside. Now infuriated, Reba turned and pped J hard. Themotion in the courtyard grew louder, and people outside finally noticed it, rushing towards the scene. Debra set the children down on the van. Puzzled, she got off it and hurried toward the courtyard, an inexplicable sense of unease washing over her. Love And CHAPTER 33 Chapter 33 Themotion in the courtyard momentarily ceased with the crowd¡¯s arrival, but the scene was far from pleasant. Reba and J looked disheveled, their faces and hair in disarray, while Charlie and Theodore sported injuries. Ben was utterly terrified. He rushed over but was at a loss for words, unsure which side to support. Both parties seemed formidable, and he couldn¡¯t afford to offend either. Wyatt quickly approached and said, ¡°Mr. Edwards, there¡¯s an urgent matter at thepany that needs your attention. Would you like to take a look?¡± Theodore shot Wyatt a nce before letting out a snort and walking away. Seeing this, J cast a frosty look at Reba and hurriedly followed him. Among the staff present, except Jared, who had initially overheard some gossip, no one else knew what had transpired. Everyone was bewildered, wondering why Charlie and Theodore had suddenly started fighting. Could it have been because Charlie had insulted J¡¯s appearance in front of the media earlier? Or maybe it was because he deliberately ignored her while cooking? Did Jin to Theodore? Did Theodore get angry because of J and thus brawl with Charlie? This fracas thoroughly disrupted the lunch break. By the time everyone calmed down, it was already time to resume the afternoon shoot. Ben rubbed his nose and hurriedly reminded everyone to tidy up and touch up their makeup for the shoot. At his words, the crowd dispersed for their respective tasks. In the van, Reba gazed worriedly at the injury on Charlie¡¯s forehead. ¡°Why did you suddenly get into a fight with him?¡± she asked, her voice full of concern. ¡°Good job!¡± Debra interjected from the side. She then looked at him with disdain. ¡°Chuck, I¡¯ve always told you to take up Taekwondo seriously, but you never listened. Look at you now. If you¡¯d mastered even half of what I know, not only would you not be hurt, but you could have beat that scumbag up!¡± Reba was stunned. She looked nkly at her mother and then at her brother, Charlie. Charlie, feeling wronged, muttered, ¡°had no idea it woulde to this.¡± If he¡¯d known, he would have taken those Taekwondo lessons seriously. That way, he could have beaten that jerk and stood up for his sister. 1057 61. 190 Chapter 33 ¡°I¡¯ll start training seriously as soon as we get back,¡± Charlie dered earnestly. Debra was surprised, then ted. She raised her hand and extended it towards Charlie. ¡°Words are just words. High five to seal the deal!¡± Charlie rolled his eyes butplied, giving his mother a high¨Cfive. ¡°I swear, if I¡¯m lying, may lightning strike me!¡± Debra was satisfied. She gave her son an once¨Cover before turning to Reba. After a moment of hesitation, she said, ¡°Becky, why don¡¯t you join your brother in a self¨Cdefense ss when we get back? It¡¯s good for your health and could reallye in handy.¡± Reba was stunned. A self¨Cdefense ss? Was it what she imagined? ¡°Mom, let me and Becky do it together. That way, I can be her sparring partner, and we¡¯ll make sure we both learn!¡± Charlie chimed in excitedly. Training alone was boring, but with his sister, it seemed like fun. He was genuinely happy about the idea. ¡°Can I really start learning now?¡± Reba asked nervously, feeling unsure. ¡°Of course you can. It¡¯s never toote to learn as long as you¡¯re willing to work hard persistently,¡± Debra replied with a smile. ¡°Okay,¡± Reba agreed. She wanted to be stronger and more capable, and her mother¡¯s suggestion was exactly what she needed. With some ointment applied to the bruise on Charlie¡¯s face, the makeup artist came in to work their magic. No one No one had expected a fight, least of all involving Charlie. The makeup artist had to put in extra effort to conceal the marks on his face.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Once their makeup was done, they headed out, and the live broadcast resumed. They were back to the mountain. The afternoon¡¯s filming continued. Reba, eager to attract the chickens as she did in the morning, started tapping on a food bowl. However, despite her efforts, the surrounding forest remained eerily quiet, with no chickens in sight. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Charlie frowned, sensing something was off. ¡°Where are the chickens?¡± Reba echoed, equally puzzled. Standing still wouldn¡¯t yield any answers. Exchanging nces, Charlie and Reba turned to look at the crew. The steff¡¯s calm demeanor suggested that the program team might be up to something. With the chickens they caught in the morning still nearby, Reba and Charlie walked deeper into the forest, tapping the food bowl with spoon as they went. Suddenly, they spotted a chicken. So there were chickens in the forest, after all. Charlie immediately darted forward to catch it. But catching a chicken with bare hands proved difficult. Charlie chased after it while the chicken pped its wings, sending feathers and dust flying into the air. The flurry of feathers and dirt hit both Charlie and Reba in the face. Reba quickly raised her hands to shield herself and Charlie, trying to avoid getting covered in feathers and dust. Now thoroughly frustrated by the chicken, Charlie rolled up his sleeves and gave chase with renewed determination. Once he let go of his idol image, his efforts paid off. He quickly caught the plump hen, which pped helplessly in his grasp. ¡°Becky, hurry and grab some straw,¡± he instructed. Snapping out of her daze, Reba rushed to fetch the straw. Working together, they managed to secure the chicken by tying its legs with the straw. As they walked back to where they had penned the chickens earlier, they couldn¡¯t help but wonder. In the morning, the sound of the food bowl had drawn a flock of chickens, but in the afternoon, their attempts yielded no response. Reba¡¯s gaze drifted to the chicken¡¯s swollen crop, a heavy, round bulge. A sudden realization struck her, and she reached out to touch it. It was indeed full and firm.. ¡°I get it now! These chickens have all eaten their fill!¡± she eximed. ¡°Eaten their fill?¡± Charlie was puzzled. He reached out and touched the same area Reba had checked. He could feel the individual grains, likely corn, still undigested in the chicken¡¯s crop. ¡°Someone must have secretly fed the chickens in the forest during lunch.¡± Charlie deduced calmly. Reba nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, since they¡¯re all full, they didn¡¯t react to us tapping the food bowl just now.¡± At that moment, Charlie and Reba realized that their ¡°magic tool¡± was now useless. 10.53 Fr, 19 Jul 2012 N No wonder the production team had been so chill all morning, letting them do their thing without interference. They¡¯d been plotting this from the get¨Cgo. Charlie nced at the live¨Cstream camera, exasperated, and said, ¡°I knew it. The production team isn¡¯t that easy to fool. Everywhere we turn, there¡¯s a trap waiting for us.¡± In Room Five, thement section exploded withughter. [This is hrious! I just love it when Chuck messes sses up.] [The magic tool is useless now. I¡¯m really curious how Chuck and Becky are going to catch chickens this afternoon.] [I heard over at the neighboring stream Lesley and Angie tried catching chickens barehanded. They got their heads stomped on by chicken feet countless times, their faces trampled thirty¨Ceight times, chased all over the mountain, pecked three times, and when they finally caught a chicken, they ended up covered in chicken manure!] [I watched that stream too. Lesley had a hen stomp on her head, and then it escaped, turned around, and started clucking at her nonstop. It was like it was mocking her, and we all nearly diedughing!] CHAPTER 34 Chapter 34 Reba nced at the barrage ofments and couldn¡¯t help butugh, caught up in the audience¡¯s excitement. However, when she thought about whaty ahead, she felt a bit resigned. Were they really going to scour the whole mountain to catch chickens? ¡°Will there be any new surprises?¡± Reba wondered, looking into the live stream camera. After she spoke, she turned to Charlie and said, ¡°Since the show stirred things up at noon, they must have other ns, right? Could there be something new this afternoon?¡±This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Charlie pondered momentarily and then nodded. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go find it out,¡± Reba said with a smile. Charlie smiled too and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± So, they set off together, heading in another direction. As they searched for chickens, they kept an eye on the forest, hoping to discover other ¡°surprises.¡± Meanwhile, Lesley was fuming. Before the afternoon¡¯s live broadcast, J had explicitly told her to cause trouble for Charlie and Reba. No matter what, she had to prevent those two from stealing the spotlight from J. Although Lesley was frustrated, she didn¡¯t dare resist. Everyone in their circle had signed contracts before joining thepany. If they disobeyed thepany¡¯s arrangements, they risk being sidelined and might have to pay exorbitant penalties for breach of contract. Lesley thought and then sneaked towards where Charlie and Reba had ced their chickens. Meanwhile, Charlie and Reba were still searching in the forest. Without tools, catching chickens proved to be quite tricky. After more than an hour, they had only managed to catch two chickens and found no sign of the big surprise they had anticipated from the production team. They were left puzzled, wondering what the afternoon surprise could be. At around three in the afternoon, the livestream viewers noticed that Lesley and her sister, who had been diligently catching chickens in the morning, were now sneaking around. They eventually reached the base camp where Charlie and Reba had tied up their chickens. Initially, no one sensed anything amiss. Everyone didn¡¯t think much about it. After all, it was just a variety show, not real life. The tens of thousands of viewers in the livestream were simply curious, unsure of what Lesley and Angie were up
  1. to.
Chapter 14 It wasn¡¯t until they suddenly rushed over and began frantically untying the ropes that bound Charlie and Reba¡¯s chickens that people started to catch on. They released one chicken, then another. One chicken after another, they kept going. Just as they freed three chickens, Ben, standing behind the cameraman, had a sudden sh of inspiration. He quickly grabbed a megaphone and announced a new game update. ¡°Congrattions to Group Three for sessfully stealing Group Five¡¯s base camp. Now, let¡¯s update the chicken count for each group. ¡°Group One has caught five chickens. Group Two has caught four chickens. ¡°Group Three has caught thirty¨Ceight chickens. Group Four has caught ten chickens. ¡°Group Five has caught two chickens.¡± As soon as the production team¡¯s megaphone red, everyone was stunned, including the game participants, the livestream audience, and even Lesley and Angie, who were in the middle of stealing the chickens. Stealing the base? Who stole the base? How did you steal a base? Was this even allowed? Soon, Charlie and Reba realized that it was their base being raided! Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, they sprinted back towards their camp as they cursed inside. The production team was so tricky. Why hadn¡¯t they mentioned this rule earlier? It was so sudden! In the livestream, the audience also caught on, and all five stream rooms exploded with franticments. Everyone was typing furiously, flooding the screens. Lesley and Angie were equally shocked at the theft scene. Could they steal a base? Were they really in the midst of stealing a base? Once they processed this, both sisters¡® hands began to shake. Their hands, which had been releasing chickens, quickly shifted to grabbing and attempting to run off with them. Why bother releasing more chickens? If they could steal them, they should take as many as they could! However, Reba and Charlie had caught dozens of chickens in the morning. All were tethered there, and even 10:59 PM. 1900) with both hands, the sisters couldn¡¯t carry so many chickens. Even when they grabbed the ropes to lift the chickens, they found.. They were too heavy! They simply couldn¡¯t lift them! ¡°Lesley, chop chop, they¡¯ll be back soon!¡± Both excited and scared, Angie stammered in a trembling voice, revealing her frantic state. Lesley was even more anxious than Angie, and her excitement surged. Initially, she only intended to cause some trouble, but with the unexpected turn of events from the production team¡¯s announcement, she realized they weren¡¯t doing anything wrong. They were executing a brilliantly sessful base theft! If they managed to pull this off, they would be the ultimate winners of the show. Victory clouded Lesley¡¯s judgment. She frantically scooped up a heap of chickens, covering herself from head to toe. There were still more chickens on the ground, but they couldn¡¯t carry any more! What to do? hide ¡°Hide them! Quick, hide what we¡¯ve got!¡± Lesley¡¯s rational side finally kicked in a bit, and she urged. Angie nodded frantically in agreement. ¡°Yeah, yeah. But where do we hide them?¡± The sisters fled with their load of chickens, running a distance away, but they had no idea where to stash the chickens they had acquired. On the other side, Charlie and Reba raced back at top speed. Their base was in disarray, but fortunately, many chickens remained. They hadn¡¯t lost them all. Almost simultaneously, Charlie and Reba nced at the staff filming them. At that moment, they both wanted to curse. This was outrageous! Meanwhile, Ben, watching the situation unfold through the livestream, couldn¡¯t help but smile. Holding the megaphone, he delivered the update with a touch of glee. ¡°Congrattions to Group Five for returning in time and safeguarding some of their chickens. Now, let¡¯s update the chicken count for each group. Group One has caught five chickens. ¡°Group Two has caught four chickens. Group Three has caught eighteen chickens. ¡°Group Four has caught ten chickens. Group Five has caught twenty¨Ctwo chickens.¡± 34 610:53 Fri, 19 Jul UU This announcement was dripping with emotion, its gleefulness nearly bursting off the screen. Charlie and Reba were speechless on the mountain, then were amused. This production team was beyond bellef. In the livestream, different rooms experienced a significant fluctuation in online viewership due to this unexpected turn of events. Everyone rushed to Room Five and Room Three to catch the excitement. In just a few minutes, the viewer count in Room One, Room Two, and Room Four almost plummeted to zero. The participants in Room One and Room Two were rtively unfazed. They had joined the show prepared for anything, with no grand expectations, so they weren¡¯t too disappointed by the unexpected turn of events. They were even taken aback by the production team¡¯s ¡°base theft¡± maneuver. If circumstances allowed, they would have joined the audience in checking out what was happening in Room Three and Room Five. CHAPTER 35 Chapter 35 Switching live streams wasn¡¯t an option, but they had the chance to witness the excitement firsthand. Especially Jayden and his daughter, Daphne, who knew the location of Reba and Charlie¡¯s base. As soon as the ¡°incident¡± happened, Jayden scooped Daphne up in his arms and dashed towards their base, eager to catch the action. On J¡¯s end, she was utterly bewildered when she heard the program crew¡¯s announcement. ¡®What on earth is that idiot Lesley up to this time?¡® As J pondered, she noticed the viewers in her livestream plummeting while the numbers in Lesley¡¯s, Charlie and Reba¡¯s streams skyrocketed. Not being slow¨Cwitted, J quickly realized that Lesley¡¯s foolish antics must have drawn everyone¡¯s attention away. Upon figuring this out, she almost spat blood in frustration. She had sent Lesley to cause trouble for Charlie and Reba, yet the fool had somehow managed to steal all her viewers. Despite being an award¨Cwinning actress, J struggled to maintain herposure. Her expression turned sour, but luckily, with few viewers left in her stream, not many noticed this. After calming down, J¡¯s curiosity was piqued by the crew¡¯s announcement about the ¡°home raid.¡± Thinking it over, she decided to grab her mother and head over to Charlie and Reba¡¯s base. Alternatively, finding Lesley and Angie would work too. She needed to get to the bottom of this. Meanwhile, Phoebe and her grandfather were diligently catching chickens. The sudden announcement from the program crew left them equally confused. After a moment¡¯s reflection, curiosity got the better of Phoebe. After discussing it with her grandfather, they decided to join the search and see what the fuss was about. Over there, Reba and Charlie managed to save half of their chickens. After standing still for a moment to gather their thoughts, they finally figured out what was going on. This game wasn¡¯t just about catching chickens. You could also steal others¡® chickens. Since live chickens were hard to carry around, they had initially left the caught ones here. But now, they couldn¡¯t afford to leave them unattended, or someone else mighte along and steal them all. Realizing this, they thought they could also steal chickens from others. Any chickens they managed to steal would be theirs. Wirin vhis new understanding. Duskie and dokume a birgan deuirting Fuste ho sapune their chickens. In continue wik teh tarks, they handed to hide the rig hem on which seat a problem. Charlie recalled a rave he had seven with hat dieter while they were catching chickens earlier if they moved the fed Chickens there and hid them properly, they might solve their problem. Acting on the idea, the siblings quickly gathered the chickens and headed towards the cave. guy. Charlie¡¯s strength came in handy, Working together, they managed to transfer the chickens swiftly However, unbeknownst to them, just after they left, Jayden arrived carrying his little daughter, Daphne. Seeing the empty spot with only some feathers left, he was bewildered. Where were the chickens? No, more importantly, where were the people? Both Charlie and Reba, as well as Lesley and Angie, had vanished without a trace. ¡°Daddy, they¡¯re all gone,¡± Daphne said innocently. Earlier, Jayden had found the surprise in the woods, which was a chicken coop. It was perfect for carrying the chickens. Now, with one hand holding the coop and the other carrying Daphne, even a sports star like him was starting to feel the strain. Bending down, he carefully set Daphne on the ground and massaged his hands, surveying the chaotic scene. ¡°They¡¯ve gone,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go check out another area.¡± With that, Jayden picked up his daughter and left. If they couldn¡¯t catch the excitement here, they might find something interesting elsewhere. Perhaps, as they wandered, they¡¯d bump into the people involved in themotion and get to see the action after all. Meanwhile, Phoebe and her grandfather were searching for others when they stumbled upon Lesley and Angie. Over a dozen of chickens, tied up with rope, were hard to carry. The sisters had found a wooden nk somewhere andid the chickens out on it, each carrying an end as they walked. When the two groups of participants faced each other, tension immediately filled the air.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Knowing that the sisters had just raided Charlie and Reba¡¯s base, Phoebe worried they might steal from her and her grandfather next. Simrly, Lesley and Angie, still jittery from their unexpected windfall, were anxious about someoneing to snatch their chickens. In this unexpected encounter, they eyed each other warily, each side on high alert and full of apprehension. CHARNASS After a moment, seeing that Phoebe and her grandfather weren¡¯t making any sudden moves, Lesley and her sister cautionsly began to cany their chickens away. ¡°Wait a second.¡± Phoebe called out anxiously. The Bretherton sisters jumped at her sudden words, spinning around protectively like hens guarding their chicks. Phoebe was startled by their reaction and hesitated before taking a cautious step back. ¡°I¡¯m not here to steal your chickens. No need to get nervous.¡± ¡°Is there something you want?¡± Lesley finally managed to regain someposure and asked. Phoebe¡¯s mind went nk for a brief moment but quickly recovered and hurriedly asked, ¡°I just wanted to know, how did you manage to steal their chickens?¡± Lesley and Angie were speechless. At that moment, the number of viewers in the third livestream had already reached 400,000. Everyone was eagerly watching, curious about how Lesley and Angie would respond. Thement section was buzzing with viewers who were thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, spamming the chat withments and lighthearted teasing. Lesley¡¯s poprity was soaring thanks to this variety show. She¡¯d see that her follower count was skyrocketing if she had her phone. She had be an unexpected hit, though more for her amusing antics than anything else. Her antics, simultaneously silly and amusing, brought joy to the viewers. Despite knowing she could be a bit scatterbrained, viewers couldn¡¯t resist seeking out her ount and hitting that follow button, eager to see what she¡¯d do next. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Lesley asked, still wary. Phoebe was so nervous that she stuttered. ¡°I¡­I just wanted to ask about the rules for stealing chickens. How does this work?¡± ¡°You can ask the production team,¡± Lesley replied. Phoebe was taken aback. ¡°What?¡± Lesley nced warily at their hard¨Cwon chickens, instantly on guard. She looked at Phoebe and said, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about stealing our chickens!¡± CHAPTER 36 Chapter 36 The viewers in the livestream were nearly doubled over withughter. [Lesley may not be the prettiest, but she¡¯s absolutely adorable!]This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . [Oh no, I think I might be falling for Lesley. How can someone be this endearingly silly?] In livestream Room Three, countlessizens watched withughter,menting that this variety show was just too entertaining. Meanwhile, Reba and Charlie waited a bit longer after hiding the chickens to ensure no one wasing. Only then did they feel relieved. Luckily, they managed to keep some of their chickens. Reba quietly calcted the number of chickens they had. She and Charlie now had twenty¨Ctwo, while Lesley and Angie had only eighteen. The other guests had even fewer. It seemed they were poised to win. However, everyone in the circle knew that J and Lesley were from the samepany. Given their status and rtionship, Lesley¡¯s participation in this show was likely to support J. If Lesley intentionally lost her chickens to J, then J would end up with twenty¨Ceight chickens, surpassing them. With just over an hour left before the game ended, going outside to catch more chickens seemed unlikely. Reba¡¯s mind raced, and after a moment, she nced at the camera and then turned to look at Charlie. Finally, she whispered a few words into his ear. Tens of thousands of fans were buzzing in the livestream, curious about what she whispered to Charlie. A momentter, Charlie stayed in the cave to continue guarding the chickens. Reba quietly slipped out of the cave and walked away alone. [???] [Where is Becky going?] [Isn¡¯t Chuck going with Becky?] Many fans filled thement section with questions. Since each group of guests had only one livestream room, the camera could only follow one of them after Reba 19:16 Sat, and Charlie split up, leaving the other¡¯s actions a mystery. ÃÜ26%È« Charlie deliberately ensured that the livestream camera followed him. He sat in the cave, smiling and chatting with the viewers. Meanwhile, Reba slipped away from the camera and ventured outside. After about ten minutes of trekking the hills, she finally found two people, Phoebe and her grandfather, Tamron. ¡°Becky!¡± Phoebe saw Reba and ran over to her, beaming with joy. She looked around for Charlie and, not seeing him, asked curiously, ¡°Where¡¯s Charlie?¡± ¡°He¡¯s busy with something,¡± Reba replied with a smile. ¡°Oh, Becky, how did your chickens get stolen earlier?¡± Phoebe asked, lowering her voice to a whisper. ¡°I ran into Lesley and her sister, but they wouldn¡¯t say anything when I asked them about it. They were so scared we¡¯d take their chickens.¡± The viewers in the livestream burst intoughter at Phoebe¡¯s candidness. Reba was surprised by this information. ¡°You ran into them? you see them?¡± she inquired. ¡°Where did you ¡°They were heading south,¡± Tamron answered with a chuckle. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hemsworth,¡± Reba said, smiling as she expressed her gratitude. After a few more words of farewell, she turned and left. As Phoebe watched Reba¡¯s retreating figure, it took her a moment to realize what was happening. ¡°Grandpa, is chickens?¡± Becky going to get revenge on the Bretherton sisters? Or, I mean, is she going to take back her Phoebe, known for her straightforwardness, almost blurted out the wrong words, Fortunately, she caught herself in time and quickly corrected her words. In Livestream Room Two, Phoebe¡¯s fans adored her candid nature. When they heard her genuine thoughts, they burst intoughter again. Meanwhile, Reba, having obtained the direction she needed, quietly headed south, paying no mind to the happenings in Livestream Room Two. Many viewers, now unable to follow Reba in Livestream Room Five due to her split with Charlie, flocked to Livestream Room Two. Once they finally saw Becky, they began flooding the chat withments, urging Phoebe to follow her so they could see what Reba was up to. 09:16 Sat, 20 Jul 26% Phoebe, who had struggled with interacting with viewers all day, was taken aback by their sudden excitement and insistence that she follow Becky. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit intrusive?¡± she asked nervously. [Not at all! You¡¯re filming a variety show, and the program didn¡¯t say you couldn¡¯t follow Becky, right?] [Please, Phoebe. We¡¯re dying to know what she¡¯s nning. Help us out!] Faced with the overwhelming pleas from the viewers, Phoebe hesitated momentarily. Eventually, her curiosity got the better of her. She bit her lip and agreed, ¡°Alright.¡± Tamron, being older, couldn¡¯t run all over the hills, so Phoebe decided to leave their chickens with him to guard. She then quietly followed the direction Becky had taken. The mountainous area, though not small, wasn¡¯t vast either. Reba followed Phoebe¡¯s direction and soon spotted some people. However, she found J and Karen instead of Lesley and Angie. Since they were filming a variety show, each person had a cameraman following them. Even from a distance, Reba could easily spot themotion. Noticing that J and Karen didn¡¯t have many chickens, she surmised that Lesley hadn¡¯t handed over her chickens yet, She quietly bypassed them and continued her search for Lesley. On the other side of the mountain, Lesley and her sister had carried their eighteen chickens quite a distance. Exhausted, they finally sat down to rest. ¡®This variety show is really tiring!¡® she thought. Despite her fatigue, Lesley was excited as she checked the livestream stats. There were over 400,000 viewers in her livestream, making her heart race excitedly. ¡®Am I about to be famous?¡® Looking at the viewer number, she wondered, her heart fluttering. However, her excitement was quickly tempered when she saw the numbers in J¡¯s livestream. After an earlier incident, the viewers in Room Four had dropped significantly but was now climbing back up, reaching over 500,000. The most impressive viewership, though, was in Livestream Room Five. The viewers there had swelled to over 900,000, which was truly an impressive feat. Lesley sat for a while, gradually cooling down. As she settled, she recalled why herpany sent her to participate in this variety show. 0 09:16 Sat, 20 26% Her participation was entirely due to thepany¡¯s n to use her to help J during the show¡¯s recording. The goal was to make J the show¡¯s centerpiece, ensuring a wlesseback for her. But as she considered it, Lesley realized she had done little to help J so far. She nced again at the viewership in J¡¯s livestream and then at Charlie¡¯s. There was a gap of 400,000 viewers. If this gap wasn¡¯t narrowed, J¡¯seback through this show would be considered a failure. CHAPTER 37 Chapter 37 +25%Á¿ J was almost beside herself with frustration. She had been searching for a long time, but Lesley seemed to be avoiding her, making it impossible to find her. coon.. With just over an hour left until the game ended, if Lesley didn¡¯t help was going to lose, and it would be an embarrassing defeat. This was her first reality show appearance after giving birth. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose. ¡°Where on earth is she?¡± J thought anxiously. She couldn¡¯t let her worry show on her face, though, for fear the cameras would capture it and the viewers would start specting. Beneath her calm facade, her mind was racing, and she was fuming inside. ¡®Doesn¡¯t Lesley have any sense of self- awareness? Did she think a brief stint on this show would attract her to fame?¡® J was both angry and anxious. Not only did she want to curse Lesley, but Reba, too, had to endure her mental tirades. The whole situation was driving her mad. Meanwhile, after much consideration, Lesley decided to get up and go find J. She had eighteen chickens with her. If she purposely lost them to J, J would win. If J had taken the first ce, Lesley would be considered to have done J a favor, and thepany wouldn¡¯t have med her, right? Just as she was about to leave with her sister and chickens in tow, she turned around and saw not one but two people, Becky and Phoebe. Lesley¡¯s steps faltered as a sudden wave of apprehension washed over her. She had a bad feeling about this. By now, Reba breathed a sigh of relief and couldn¡¯t help but smile, clearly delighted. She and her brother had twenty¨Ctwo chickens, while Lesley and Angie had eighteen. As long as she could stay here and prevent Lesley and Angie from handing over their eighteen chickens to J, victory would be theirs. Room Three¡¯s livestream viewership was still high, with tens of thousands of people following along. The moment Becky and Phoebe appeared, the audience, much like Lesley, immediately tensed up with worry. [Whoa, what¡¯s going on with Becky and Phoebe? Isn¡¯t teaming up against the rules for this show?] [Where¡¯s the director? Are they just going to ignore Phoebe and Becky teaming up?] In Lesley and Angie¡¯s livestream, fans mistook Becky and Phoebe for a team and quickly flooded the chat with anxiousments. 09:17 Sat, 20 Jul 25% Meanwhile, in Phoebe¡¯s livestream, fans were ecstatic to see them find Lesley and Angie, assuming they were there. for revenge or, more precisely, to snatch the chickens. The fans were excited, some even reveling in the chaos. They eagerly switched to Lesley¡¯s stream to see the action firsthand, only to find that Room Three¡¯s viewers had misunderstood. They quickly rified for Becky and Phoebe. [Phoebe and Becky aren¡¯t teaming up. Becky is here to confront Lesley, and our Room Three fans couldn¡¯t resist. the curiosity, so we urged Phoebe to follow Becky to watch the drama unfold.] Since Reba appeared in Phoebe¡¯s livestream, Phoebe¡¯s viewer count skyrocketed, with many viewers jumpingBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. over from Room Five. Everyone was eager to see what Becky was up to. Now, many of these viewers from Room Five couldn¡¯t help switching to Lesley¡¯s livestream to witness the reactions andments from Room Three¡¯s viewers from Lesley¡¯s perspective. This move entertained Room Five audience even more, as they burst intoughter and started spamming the chat with exnations. The viewers in Room Three, after seeing the barrage ofments, quickly grasped the truth. And then, they joined in the fun. [Is this for real? Is Becky really here for revenge? I can¡¯t wait!] [Is this a sneak attack or what? I want to see some drama!] [Fight, fight, I love watching this unfold!] [Pfft, you guys are so bad, but yeah, I also want to see some fireworks. This show is amazing!] While keeping a wary eye on Becky and Phoebe, Lesley discreetly monitored her livestream. She then saw thements and realized everyone believed Reba was here for revenge, calling this a sneak attack. Suddenly feeling a sense of foreboding, Lesley instinctively took a step back, nervously shielding her chickens. ¡°What¡­what do you want?¡± Lesley asked, her voice filled with caution as she eyed Becky. Phoebe nced at her livestream¡¯s chat. In just a few minutes, her viewership surged to 400,000, a level of poprity she had never experienced before, making her heart race excitedly. The chat was buzzing, urging Becky to confront Lesley, and snatch the chickens back. On¨Csite, Reba looked at Lesley and smiled as she walked over. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. I¡¯m just here for a chat,¡± she said. Hearing this, Lesley took another step back and was even more on guard. ¡°Stay back! Don¡¯te any closer!¡± 25%Òô [Chat my foot! Lesley looks scared out of her wits!] [Pfft, I can¡¯t take it. I was drinking water just now, almost ruining my keyboard fromughing.] [Go for it, Becky! Get those chickens! We¡¯ve got your back with tens of thousands of fans cheering you on.] At this moment, the chats in Phoebe¡¯s and Lesley¡¯s livestreams synced up, with hundreds of thousands of fans frantically spammingments. Viewers urged Becky to make her move, while others urged Lesley to run away and not let Reba catch her. Some viewers, reveling in the chaos, even suggested setting up bets, promising to share private photos of Charlie if Becky won. Many fans had turned into makeshift informants, using two phones to watch the streams. One phone stayed on Room Five¡¯s stream to support Charlie, while the other secretly hopped between Phoebe¡¯s and Lesley¡¯s streams. They gathered intel and ryed real¨Ctime updates through the chat, keeping Charlie in the loop about the unfolding drama. Meanwhile, Charlie was busy catching chickens near the cave and made sure not to stray too far, keeping a vignt eye to prevent anyone from raiding their base. asionally, he nced at the chat to stay updated on the outside situation. He chuckled when he sawments saying that Becky had found the Bretherton sisters. He had faith in his sister. He knew she could definitely take care of it. However, the main action was still with Reba and Lesley. Reba genuinely meant no harm. She carefully approached Lesley, step by step. ¡°Don¡¯te any closer!¡± Lesley shouted, nearly hysterical with anger. Startled, Reba halted her steps. ¡°I really mean no harm. I just want to chat,¡± she said, raising her hands in a gesture of peace. ¡°How about we all just sit here and stay put until the game ends?¡± she cautiously suggested. What was she up to? Lesley, Angie, and Phoebe all looked at Becky, puzzled. Chapter 37 Reba repeated. ¡°Let¡¯s just sit here together and wait until the game ends, okay?¡± CHAPTER 38 Chapter 38 Not only were the three women on¨Csite stunned, but even the hundreds of thousands of viewers in the livestream were baffled. Everyone wondered, ¡®What does Becky mean by this?¡± It didn¡¯t take long for Phoebe to figure it out. She shouted, ¡°Becky, are you trying to keep an eye on Lesley? No, I mean, are you trying to guard Lesley¡¯s chickens? As long as her chickens don¡¯t get stolen by the other teams, your team wille out on top, right?¡± As soon as she said this, everyone realized what was going on. Lesley was shocked. She looked at Becky,pletely taken aback by her tactic. The livestream audience was equally astonished, never imagining such a tactic. [I did the math, and it seems right. Chickens in the mountains are hard to catch. Right now, Lesley¡¯s and Charlie¡¯s teams have the most chickens. No matter how hard the other teams try, they can¡¯t catch up. So, the key now is to guard each other¡¯s chickens. As long as Lesley¡¯s chickens aren¡¯t stolen, Becky and Chuck¡¯s team will have the most chickens.] [Wow, Becky is so smart! Now I get why Chuck spoils her so much. If I had such an amazing partner, I¡¯d spoil her too.] [OMG, I think I¡¯m falling more and more for Becky.] [Does Becky have a Twitter ount? I really want to follow her.] In thement section, many people started bing fans of Becky. Although Becky couldn¡¯t see thements at the moment, the other guests could. Seeing the outpouring of support, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of envy. While they were talking, a few fans postedments sporadically about what was happening in the other livestreams in Livestream Room Four. At first, J didn¡¯t pay much attention to thements. But as she watched, a few keywords, like Lesley and Becky, caught her eye, making her stop in her tracks and read thements seriously. After a while, J grasped what was happening on Lesley¡¯s side, and her face suddenly turned sour. Reba actually set her sights on Lesley? If that were the case, Lesley wouldn¡¯t be able to help her at all. ¡°Janie, are you tired? How about we take a break?¡± Karen, who had spent the entire day chasing chickens, was about to copse. She regretted participating in this so¨Ccalled variety show with her daughter. 25%% It was just a silly entertainment show. Why did it have to be so exhausting? Karen was on the verge of losing her temper but held back, thinking of her daughter. Her daughter was a famous star, and she couldn¡¯t afford to embarrass her. She could only gently suggest that her daughter take a rest. J looked at her mother. After a day of chasing chickens in the mountain, her mother¡¯s makeup had mostly faded, and her face looked pale and clearly exhausted. Under normal circumstances, she would have stopped to rest. She needed to maintain her loving and caring image, showing fans how considerate, sensible, and dedicated she was. But now, she was anxious. With Reba targeting Lesley, it was impossible to get Lesley¡¯s chickens. To win, she had toe up with another n. ¡®Perhaps stealing from others¡­ J suddenly thought of Groups One and Two. Group One had Jayden, who was with his three¨Cyear¨Cold daughter. He probably didn¡¯t have much time to watch over the chickens. Group Two had Phoebe and her grandfather catching chickens together. How many had they caught? Could she steal some from them? As she considered this, J turned to her mother and said, ¡°Mom, you stay here and guard our chickens. Make sure to keep an eye on them at all times. Don¡¯t let them out of your sight. I need to take care of something.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Without waiting for a response, J turned and quickly walked away. ¡°Janie?¡± Karen was stunned and anxiously called out her daughter¡¯s nickname. J didn¡¯t respond. In fact, she couldn¡¯t have bothered with her mother right now. She just hurried off. Without her mother slowing her down, J moved swiftly through the mountain. After a while, she noticed that the livestream camera was still following her. She turned around and asked the cameraman, ¡°Could you please go back and follow my mom?¡± It was clear she didn¡¯t want the camera on her anymore. This wasn¡¯t unprecedented. When Reba and Charlie split up earlier, the camera couldn¡¯t have captured both, so the crew decided to follow Charlie since he was more popr. This left Reba to venture off on her own. At this point, J was in the same situation. Clearly, J was the one attracting the audience. So, the cameraman instinctively followed J but was surprised when she asked him to return to her mother. 25% The cameraman hesitated for a moment and nced at the other crew members. Soon, Ben sent a message instructing him to go back. Only then did the cameraman turn back and focus the live stream on Karen. With J off¨Ccamera, her fans grew anxious. They were all very curious about what their idol was up to. Fans from Livestream Room Four began to leave in droves, migrating to other streams in hopes of catching a glimpse of her. Was she up to something? Would she appear in someone else¡¯s livestream? There had been a precedent of Becky showing up in another stream and causing quite a stir. Now, J¡¯s fans were excited. She hadn¡¯t done anything noteworthy all day, and they were eager to see her make a dramatic move and steal the show at thest minute, ending with a spectacr finish. Because of this fan migration, other livestream guests quickly learned from thements that J had left Livestream Room Four¡¯s camera to stir things up elsewhere. Instantly, everyone became alert. Sitting beside Reba and Lesley, Phoebe was starting to feel uneasy. She sat still for a few seconds before she couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. Suddenly, she sprang to her feet and said, ¡°Lesley, Becky, I need to take care of something. I¡­I have to go.¡± With that, Phoebe turned and bolted. She had to find her grandfather to make sure he was guarding their chickens. If J stole them, she would be devastated. The viewers in Livestream Rooms Two and Three found this hrious. They couldn¡¯t stopughing, wondering if Tamron would manage to protect their chickens from being stolen by J. Curiosity got the best of some fans. Many from Livestream Room Three switched to Livestream Room Two to follow Phoebe¡¯s frantic dash. Lesley noticed the dwindling number of viewers on her livestream and felt a pang of disappointment. She wanted to do something to retain her audience but was at a loss when she turned and noticed Becky was constantly watching her. ¡°Um¡­ Are you really a fan of Charlie?¡± With nothing else to do, Lesley decided to chat with Reba, hoping to spark some fan curiosity and retain a few viewers. Reba¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the question, but she quickly caught on and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What do you like about Charlie?¡± Lesley asked, genuinely curious. 09:17 Sat, 20 Jul 25% ¡°Charlie is¡­ Well, he used to berate girls a lot. Many people thought he was rude, and most girls didn¡¯t like him,¡± Lesley continued. She looked at Reba and added, ¡°I thought his fans were mostly guys. I¡¯m really curious why you like him.¡± Lesley remembered the task herpany had given her, which was to create trouble for Charlie and ensure J overshadowed him. She deliberately brought up Charlie¡¯s negative aspects in the show, hoping to lead Reba into saying something critical about him, causing the fans to dislike Charlie, and making J look better byparison. By this, she should have fulfilled herpany¡¯s mission. Sat, CHAPTER 39 Chapter 39 ¡°Why did he berate those girls?¡± Reba retorted. After thinking for a moment, Reba replied, ¡°I think Chuck is a very polite person. He treated me well and was kind to everyone. ¡°Although Chuckshed out, I don¡¯t think he¡¯d do it without good reason. But if you believe he should just sit back and take it while someone bullies him and pushes him too far, without ever standing up for himself, then let¡¯s agree to disagree. Our views might be quite different.¡± Lesley¡¯s face darkened instantly upon hearing this. ¡°You¡­¡± In the livestream, Charlie¡¯s fans, who had been quietly observing, were already furious when Lesley deliberately steered the conversation. They flooded the chat with angryments questioning Lesley¡¯s intentions, but she ignored them. However, after everyone heard Becky¡¯s response, they burst intoughter. Charlie¡¯s fans were delighted and grew even more fond of Becky. [Exactly! Chuck is always polite to those who are courteous to him. But when someone is rude to him, he gives it right back. That¡¯s only fair, right?] [Becky is so bold. I really like her. She¡¯s definitely a true Chuck fan!] [Am I the only one who noticed that Becky is usually so gentle, but she bes fierce when defending Chuck?] [I noticed that, too! When Lesley was badmouthing Chuck, Becky wasn¡¯t smiling at all.] Lesley¡¯s smile faded. She hadn¡¯t expected Becky to defend Charlie so resolutely. Wasn¡¯t she worried that standing by him so firmly might ruin her own future if his reputation took a hit? Since the beginning of this variety show, Lesley had assumed that Becky aimed to enter the entertainment industry. In this field, a little sincerity and a lot of savvy were required. Who would jeopardize their own prospects. for someone else? Silently cursing Becky for being foolish, Lesley forced augh and tried to steer the conversation again. ¡°No one is bullying him. It¡¯s just those influencers outside causing trouble. Isn¡¯t our industry always like this?¡± Reba replied calmly, ¡°I don¡¯t really understand how this circle works, but I believe in Chuck.¡± [Exactly, we believe in Chuck too!] [Saying it¡¯s just influencers chasing clout makes meugh. Can they even sleep at night knowing they¡¯re spreading lies?] 09:17 Sat, 20 Jul [Supporting Becky, supporting Chuck!] [What does Lesley mean by this? Is she deliberately trying to stir things up and smear Chuck on the show?] [Yeah, I want to know what Lesley¡¯s goal is. Did Chuck offend her somehow?] As everyone chatted, time slipped by unnoticed. The program¡¯s loudspeaker suddenly announced that time was up and the game was over, snapping everyone back to reality. Finally, it was time for the game results. Everyone gathered back in the vige as Ben announced the oues. ¡°Group One caught eight chickens. Group Two caught five chickens. ¡°Group Three caught 18 chickens. Group Four caught 27 chickens. ¡°Group Five caught 27 chickens.¡± In the end, Groups Four and Five tied for first ce, and ording to the rules, the first¨Cce winners would receive a cash prize of forty thousand dors. Group Three came in second and won a WhirlWave washing machine. Group One came in third and received a box of SweetBurst fruit¨Cvored candies. When the game results were announced, everyone was bewildered. How did Group Four manage to catch 27 chickens? How did J pull it off? For now, the show provided no exnation for this mystery. The livestream ended with everyone having dinner together, followed by footage of the caravan leaving the vigete at night. However, Reba learned the truth in the car from Charlie. After all, J was a seasoned actress, and since this variety show had invited her, the producers needed to give her ample spotlight. They couldn¡¯t just have her y a supporting role. But J¡¯s performance throughout the filming was rather average, so her only chance to shine was at the end. The show involved some behind¨Cthe¨Cscenes maniption. Away from the live cameras, they staged a special segment just for J, allowing her to ¡°identally¡± discover a treasure, which was a hen with arge brood of chicks. The total number of hens and chicks matched the chickens their team had caught. This clever setup boosted J¡¯s status and gave her a standout moment without overshadowing them, thus preventing a bacsh from Charlie¡¯s fans. This was the show¡¯s way of bncing rtionships between the stars. 09:17 Sat, 20 Jul 25%1 Additionally, while this variety show was filmed live and gained immense poprity in its initial stages, the producers nned to edit and upload the professional footage to streaming tforms and possibly broadcast it on televisionter. J¡¯s final twist was left as a cliffhanger to ensure high anticipation for the edited version, creating suspense for the post¨Cproduction release.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Many viewers enjoyed the live broadcast but were left wondering how J turned the situation around. This curiosity would drive them to watch the final version when it aired on TV, guaranteeing high viewership ratings. However, Debra was displeased and said, ¡°Becky, if you want to do another shoot, let¡¯s just stick to ourpany¡¯s productions.¡± Joining someone else¡¯s set only to be manipted and overshadowed was just too frustrating. Charlie was exasperated. ¡°Mom, since when do we own apany?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just start one?¡± Debra replied assertively. ¡°We have plenty of money. It¡¯s not like we can only open jewelry stores. If Becky likes it, we can open ten or eight entertainmentpanies for her.¡± Charlie was stunned. He couldn¡¯t believe it. He rubbed his eyes and then reached out to touch Debra. Was this really his mother? Was he dreaming? The touch felt real, so it wasn¡¯t a hallucination. This wasn¡¯t a dream. It was reality! Charlie¡¯s ¡°Becky is the family¡¯s treasure, while I¡¯m just a weed, a small cabbage, neglected and forgotten¡­¡± Debra shot him sharply, and Charlie immediately shut his mouth. But only for a moment. Charlie quickly broke into a smile, feeling incredibly happy. ¡°Mom, Becky is still quite new to the entertainment industry. How about I start thepany? I promise that once ourpany is up and running, all resources will be directed toward her. I guarantee we¡¯ll make her the biggest star in the entire entertainment world.¡± CHAPTER 40 Chapter 40 Charlie was more familiar with the entertainment industry, so it was indeed better for him to run the entertainmentpany. However, Debra still wanted to consult her daughter. ¡°Becky, what do you think about letting Charlie run thepany?¡± she asked.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Charlie quickly looked at his sister, sping his hands together pleadingly. Reba chuckled and nodded. ¡°Charlie knows the industry well. Letting him run thepany is the best choice.¡± Debra smiled. Charlie was ecstatic. He jumped over and hugged his sister tightly, overflowing with joy. ¡°Ah, Becky, my dear sister, I love you more than anything!¡± Amid theughter, Reba began to feel tired. She was still recovering from childbirth and had been running around the mountains for the past couple of days for a reality show shoot, which was quite exhausting. ¡°Take a break if you¡¯re tired. Come to me, let me hold you,¡± Debra said as she reached out, gently pulling Reba towards her. She let Reba rest her head in herp and tenderly wrapped her arms around her daughter. ¡°Sleep now. We¡¯ll wake you up when we get home.¡± Debra soothed. There was nothing like a mother¡¯s embrace. Reba smiled faintly, murmured a reply, and then nestled into her mother¡¯s arms. She breathed in her mother¡¯s familiar scent and slowly closed her eyes. At Edwards Vi, Theodore¡¯s parents, Michael Edwards and Helen Dynevor, had just returned from abroad. The couple sat with stern faces across from Theodore in the living room. Michael broke the silence, his voice icy. ¡°Theodore, I heard you abandoned yourpany duties a few days ago just to visit Reba in the mountains? When did you be so irrational? Over a woman? Is she more important than yourpany?¡± he questioned, displeased. Theodore frowned, mirroring his father¡¯s expression of disapproval. ¡°I didn¡¯t go to see Reba. I went to see my kids.¡± ¡°Reba had the babies?¡± Helen immediately followed up, her frown showing her disapproval. Theodore nodded, his own frown deepening. ¡°Yes.¡± 25% ¡°And where are the babies now?¡± Helen asked. ¡°Since the babies are born, we¡¯ll keep them. As for Reba¡­ you just find a reason to divorce her as soon as possible. She is no match for you,¡± Helen dered. Theodore remained silent. ¡°And what about J?¡± Helen continued, her frown deepening. ¡°There are rumors that the child she had is yours?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Theodore denied without hesitation. Helen was puzzled. Michael also frowned, interrogating. ¡°What do you mean?¡± worry about my business. Theodore was getting impatient. He stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got this. No need for you to worry I have some matters to attend to. I¡¯m leaving now.¡± With that, Theodore turned and walked out. Michael stood up and shouted, ¡°Theodore,e back here and exin yourself!! But Theodore didn¡¯t look back as he walked away. Leaving home, Theodore headed straight to his friend¡¯s club. His three close friends, Nathan Castillejo, Wyatt Shatner, andn Johansson, were already in the private room. Wyatt was alone, but Nathan andn each had a beautifulpanion. When Theodore entered, the three men silently made space for him. Theodore walked in, took the seat they had cleared for him, grabbed a bottle of liquor, opened it, and started drinking straight from it. Nathan andn exchanged a nce, and then both looked at Wyatt, silently asking with their eyes, ¡®What¡¯s up with Theodore?¡± Wyatt nced at them, shook his head, and then picked up a ss of milk, downing it in one go. As Theodore finished one bottle and reached for a second,n, sitting to his right, quickly stood up. He grabbed the bottle from Theodore¡¯s hand and asked urgently, ¡°Theodore, what¡¯s going on? What happened?¡± Theodore nced atn without a word, his outstretched hand taking a detour to grab the liquor bottle beside him. 09:17 Sat, 20 Jul G Œ‘ 25% +6 That night, Theodore drank until he was thoroughly drunk, not uttering a single word to anyone else. In the end, his cheeks flushed red, he copsed onto the sofa and fell asleep instantly. ¡°Hey, is this about Reba again?¡±n cautiously asked Wyatt. Wyatt sighed and shook his head. ¡°I have no idea.¡± ¡°Bullshit, you¡¯re with him all the time, and you don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on?¡± Nathan retorted, frowning. Hearing this, Wyatt looked at Nathan. Nathan rolled his eyes. ¡°What are you staring at me for? Even if you do, my answer won¡¯t change. Don¡¯t take us for fools. Whatever, it¡¯s your business. If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, then don¡¯t. ¡°Damn, a perfectly good night got ruined like this. I¡¯m out of here. Next time, if this drunkard ising, don¡¯t invite me.¡± Nathan stood up, clearly annoyed. ¡°Ask him yourself when he wakes up. It¡¯s not my ce to say much,¡± Wyatt finally said, his tone calm and measured. Grumbling under his breath, Nathan grabbed his date and left in a huff. Onlyn and Wyatt remained in the private room. After a moment,n sent his date out, shutting the door behind her. He then turned to Wyatt. ¡°Did Theodore and Reba have a fight?¡± ¡°When don¡¯t they have issues?¡± Wyatt retorted, exasperated. Looking over at the drunken Theodore sprawled on the sofa,n hesitated before saying, ¡°A few days ago, I saw something strange. Reba and J were on a reality show together?¡± Wyatt remained silent. tan frowned, ¡°That¡¯s odd. Isn¡¯t she usually at home? How did she end up in the showbiz and on the same show as J? How did she even get in?¡± Wyatt stood up and said, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll take him home now. With that, he moved to lift the drunken Theodore. When drunk, Theodore was deadweight, and it was Wyatt¡¯s bad luck to be both his friend and subordinate. 09:17 Sat, 20 Jul Whenever Theodore got stered, it was always Wyatt¡¯s responsibility to get him home safely. 25% O Wyatt struggled to get Theodore back to his vi, painstakingly carrying him up the stairs andying him on the bed. But as soon as he was on the bed, Theodore turned and grabbed Wyatt¡¯s hand, gripping it tightly. Though barely conscious, he ordered through clenched teeth, ¡°Reba, don¡¯t leave!¡± Wyatt paused momentarily in silence, then resolutely pried Theodore¡¯s hand open. 0 CHAPTER 41 The next morning, the crew finally returned to Maeloria. Everyone went their separate ways, heading home. In the Carters¡® car, Reba slowly woke up after a night¡¯s sleep. She groggily opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was the babies in the nannies¡® arms across from her. Debra was holding her daughter and quickly noticed Reba waking up. She couldn¡¯t help but smile and softly say, ¡°Morning.¡± Reba looked up at Debra, suddenly realizing she had fallen asleep in her mother¡¯s armsst night. Her ears turned red in embarrassment. She was already a mother of two, yet here she was, acting like a child. ¡°Morning.¡± She nodded shyly. She didn¡¯t want to hide her feelings in front of her mom. Debra¡¯s heart melted even more at her daughter¡¯s response. ¡°Want to sleep a bit longer? We¡¯ve arrived in Maeloria. We¡¯ll be home soon,¡± Debra said. Reba shook her head, sitting up. Her gaze fell on the two babies beside her, and she couldn¡¯t resist reaching out. The nanny quickly and carefully handed her Lily. ¡°Both children have already been fed, so you don¡¯t need to worry,¡± Debra said. Reba looked at her mom, nodding with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± She turned back to the baby, marveling at its softness and cuteness, even asleep. A few minutester, Lily seemed to wake up. The little one¡¯s long eyshes fluttered slightly before she slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Hey there¡­¡± Reba chuckled, trying to amuse the baby. Lily seemed to hear her voice, paused for a moment, and then smiled. Lily stretched out her short, soft hand, trying to grab her mom¡¯s smiling face. Seeing this, Charlie quickly came over to look at Lily. Lily seemed¡­quite cute, too! He turned and looked at Kev held by the nanny. He reached out carefully and took Kev from the nanny¡¯s arms. Reba also leaned in to look at Key. 09:17 Sat, 20 Jul Kev opened his eyes and just stared at Reba, neither crying nor fussing. But the calm onlysted a moment. A minuteter, Kev finally realized. It was his mom! ¡°Mama¡­¡± Kev called out in his sweet baby¡¯s voice, reaching out his little hands and struggling to get to his mom. Reba handed Lily to the nanny and then took Kev into her arms. But Lily wasn¡¯t having it. Compared to the nanny, she definitely preferred her mom. Seeing she was getting away from her mom¡¯s arms, Lilian got upset, reaching out her little hands for a hug. However, the kid couldn¡¯tpete with the adults. Watching her mom ¡°abandon¡± her to hold another baby, Lilian was desperate. She pouted and quickly burst into tear Reba panicked, holding Kev while quickly checking on Lily. Lily wailed, missing her mommy. She felt utterly betrayed as her mom went to cuddle other babies! She reached out her small hands, insisting on being held by her mommy even as she cried. Reba hurriedly handed Kev to the nearby mother and reached out to hold Lily. Thankfully, Kev was well¨Cbehaved. Even though his mother ¡°abandoned¡± him, he only paused for a moment. before furrowing his small brows and reaching out to his mommy with anxious gurgles, not crying. Holding her grandson, Debra saw how much he wanted his mommy, so she brought Kev closer to Reba. As they got closer, Kev calmed down, his tiny hand gripping his mommy¡¯s sleeve, feeling safe. In Reba¡¯s arms, Lily finally got what she wanted, a smile recing her earlier tears. The next moment, Lily turned to look at Kev as she noticed the fuss beside her. Lily saw a little baby clinging to her mommy¡¯s sleeve. On a whim, she turned her head, stretched out her tiny hand, grabbed Kev¡¯s little hand, and yanked¡­before pushing! The adults in the car watched the two little ones, surprised by Lily¡¯s assertiveness. The next moment, Reba sighed and tried to pull the domineering little girl away. Charlie also reached out, carefully trying to pry Lily¡¯s hand off. As adorable as Lily was, bullying her brother wasn¡¯t okay. Lily stubbornly held on, clutching her brother¡¯s hand tightly. In the end, she couldn¡¯t fight against the grown¨Cup, and they were separated 25% Twenty minutester, they finally reached home! The car pulled up to the vi, but Reba hesitated. Should they go to Theodore¡¯s ce or the one her mom had bought next door? ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay with us? It¡¯s not thatfortable stay in their ce,¡± Debra said. Reba hesitated for a moment before agreeing, ¡°Sure.¡± The house Karen had bought was just next to Theodore¡¯s Vi. Deep down, Reba felt morefortable being with her own family, even though¡­they had only been reunited for over a month.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. In that short time, surrounded by her parents¡® love and her brothers¡® support, she felt happier and more content than she had in the past twenty years. Stepping into Theodore¡¯s house brought back many unpleasant memories. ¡°I¡¯m going to pack up my stuff,¡± Reba dered, ready to move on.. ¡°We¡¯re with you, sweetie!¡± Patrick, her father, chimed in enthusiastically. ¡°Your mom and you can handle the packing, while your brother and I do the heavy lifting. We¡¯ll have you out of here in no time!¡± Reba smiled at her dad and nodded. ¡°Sounds good.¡± Debra instructed the nanny to take the babies to their house and joined Reba on her way to Theodore¡¯s house. Initially, she thought there would be a lot to pack, but it only took over an hour to finish. Theodore¡¯s maid watched, puzzled, as Reba stuffed things into suitcases. Reba was also conflicted. Theodore hardly ever stayed at this ce. What would happen to the maid if she moved out? After deliberating for a while, Reba ultimately decided to pay the maid and let her go. The maid was shocked at first but took the money and left. She was just doing her job, after all, and was happy to be paid. Once everything was settled, Reba locked the door of Theodore¡¯s vi and headed to her parents¡® house. ¡°Becky, we fixed up the upstairs room for you a few days ago. Stay as long as you like!¡± Patrick couldn¡¯t stop beaming at his daughter. ¡°Okay,¡± Reba replied, excited. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look,¡± Debra said with a smile. Everything was already moved in, so all they needed to do now was check it out. Reba followed her parents upstairs, with Charlie trailing behind. Upstairs, they found a beautifully decorated, pink princess room. It turned out she was also their little princess, and she had her own princess room! CHAPTER 42 Chapter 42 ¡°We just did a simple setup of the room, without repainting or renovating. You just had the babies, and we didn¡¯t want to risk any fumes from renovations harming your health,¡± Patrick said, his voice filled with love. Reba¡¯s eyes welled up with tears. She quickly nodded, turned around, and hugged her father. ¡°Thank you, Dad.¡± Patrick was equally moved. He opened his arms and embraced his precious daughter. ¡°Your mom came up with the design. She drew the ns, and I bought everything ording to her specifications. and set it up,¡± Patrick exined. It turned out her parents had arranged everything together. Reba felt so happy and loved. She wiped away her tears and looked at her mom. ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡± Debra nodded repeatedly, her eyes still moist. Even though she was happy, she couldn¡¯t help but get emotional seeing her daughter¡¯s tears. They had arrived toote, making their daughter endure so much suffering. But fortunately, they would never let her suffer again. Charlie watched them hugging each other, feeling a bit envious but also happy for them. His stomach growled loudly, and he quickly said, ¡°Alright, everyone, stop crying. Let¡¯s go eat. We haven¡¯t had anything sincest night. I¡¯m starving!¡± Patrick snapped out of it and eagerly nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right! Let¡¯s go!¡± His face broke into a wide grin. Debra was also overjoyed. She took Becky¡¯s hand, and the whole family went downstairs together. After Reba finished her meal, her phone rang. It was her adoptive father, Gary. She stared at the phone for a while before finally answering. ¡°Reba? Are you listening?¡± Gary¡¯s authoritative voice came through the phone.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . At the table, Patrick, Debra, and Charlie¡® all remained silent, watching Reba and her phone. Reba took a deep breath before responding, ¡°It¡¯s me. What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Come home when you are free today. We have some things to discuss,¡± Gary simply said. 09:18 Sat, 20 Jul G Reba¡¯s heart sank. She¡¯d lost all faith in the Mitchells. ¡°Can¡¯t we just talk over the phone?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn, Reba. We raised you for twenty years. Just get your butt home. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Karen¡¯s angry, harsh voice suddenly came from the phone. Shemanded, ¡°You¡¯ve got one hour. Get here now!¡± Reba was taken aback for a moment, and she smiled. Before Karen could hang up, she ended the call herself. Patrick, Debra, and Charlie all breathed a sigh of relief when they saw her hang up on the Mitchells. Their faces break into wide grins. ¡°You did the right thing, Becky. Ignore those shameless people. If they want to act like a jerk, just let them bark. Our Carter girls are no pushovers!¡± Debra chuckled. Reba felt her mood lifting at her mother¡¯s words. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡°¡± Debra looked at her daughter¡¯s smile and marveled once again at how beautiful her precious girl was. Her precious girl deserved to be dressed to the nines, turning heads and making everyone jealous! ¡°Hey, how about we go shoppingter? Know any good malls around Maeloria? Let¡¯s find you some gorgeous outfits!¡± Debra said happily, her mind already wandering to their shopping trip. Patrick nced at his wife. He smiled and took out two golden cards, handing one to Debra and the other to Reba. ¡°What¡¯s this, honey?¡± Debra asked, taking the card from her husband. Reba¡¯s jaw dropped when she spotted the red logo on the gold card. ¡°Wait, is this a VIP card for mour Closet?¡± Patrick nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, I thought about it a couple of days ago. Figured you two would be hitting the shops after your show, so I told someone to get them for you guys.¡± He gestured to the cards. ¡°You can grab any of thetest gear from mour Closet, on the house!¡± Reba quickly frowned in confusion, ¡°But¡­the VIP cards for mour Closet are ck. Why are these gold?¡± Patrick chuckled smugly, ¡°Oh, this isn¡¯t just any VIP card. This is a super VIP card. There are only three in the world. One¡¯s with the owner of mour Closet, and the other two? Well, you¡¯re holding them. You can snag anything from mour Closet with this, even the newest stuff, all for free. If they even think about charging you, just tell them to call the owner!¡± Charlie grumbled beside him, ¡°Hey, why are there only two of these super VIP cards? What, I¡¯m not good enough?¡± 25% Patrick nced at his younger son and scoffed, ¡°You want one? Keep dreaming!¡± He had only these two cards, and it had taken a lot of effort to ¡°scheme¡± it from the owner of mour Closet. There were no more to spare. Charlie pouted, ¡°Come on, Dad!¡± Reba looked at Charlie, amused. ¡°You can have mine if you want it, Charlie.¡± While mour Closet¡¯s clothes were nice, she didn¡¯t particrly crave them. Charlie¡¯s face lit up at her words. He touched the gold card and then shoved it back into Reba¡¯s hand, giggling. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just messing with you. Besides, mour Closet only has women¡¯s clothes. No thanks!¡± Reba couldn¡¯t help but burst outughing. After finishing breakfast, they rested for a while before heading out for some shopping. Karen seemed to really enjoy shopping. Her eyes lit up at the thought of hitting the stores, and Reba loved seeing her so happy. Reba felt quite enjoyable on these shopping trips with her mom. Patrick didn¡¯t join them because he had some work to handle online. While they were out having fun, Karen was stunned after realizing she had been hung up on. She stared at her phone in disbelief, then exploded. That little brat Reba had the nerve to hang up on her! She was infuriated, thinking that Reba believed marrying into the Edwards family gave her the right to disregard them. J looked displeased and said in a stern voice, ¡°I told you, she wouldn¡¯t listen to us.¡± ¡°What should we do? Now everyone knows you¡¯re pregnant and had a child with Theodore. If¡­people find out Theodore isn¡¯t divorced yet, you¡¯re done!¡± Karen said anxiously. ¡°He will get a divorce,¡± J said firmly. Karen and Gary were both stunned, staring nkly at their daughter. CHAPTER 43 Chapter 43 Reba and Debra pulled into the parking garage beneath the Imperial Mall and headed inside. Two nannies pushed baby strollers behind them, with Lily and Kev lying inside, observing the beautiful mall with their mom and grandma. Reba and Debra browsed the mall from the outside in, checking out high¨Cquality stores. If they found something they liked, they¡¯d try it on, and they¡¯d buy it if it fit. At first, Reba thought it was excessive to buy so many clothes, but her mom¡¯s credit card was on fire, and there was no stopping her. They just packed everything up! The maid followed behind them, taking the purchased items from her mom and skillfully carrying all the bags as if she¡¯d been doing it her whole life. The grown¨Cup stuff was easy enough, but it was the baby gear that really mattered. In the baby store, Debra went wild, grabbing every adorable thing in sight, whether Lilian and Kev needed it or not. Reba couldn¡¯t help but shake her head. Still, it was heartwarming to see how much her dad spoiled her mom. It was clear he really loved Debra, and her mom must be living the dream. This whole thing must be the reason her mom could buy anything she wanted. Since the Carter family¡¯s fortune could handle it, Reba didn¡¯t say anything. As long as her mom was happy, that was all that mattered! After hours of shopping, they finally reached mour Closet. The sight of the sign made both Debra and Reba pause, and a grin spread across their face. Patrick had personally gotten them a gold card for mour Closet, so the clothes there must be good, right? ¡°Let¡¯s check it out,¡± Debra smiled. Reba nodded, excited. ¡°Okay!¡± But they didn¡¯t expect to see a familiar face as soon as they walked in ¨C Lesley! Lesley wasn¡¯t alone. Some other woman was with her, probably a friend.. She was also taken aback when she turned around and saw Reba. Reba and Lesley looked at each other, neither making a move to greet the other.. Although they couldn¡¯t show their discord during filming, Lesley¡¯s sly remarks at the end of the show had really 15:39 Sat. 20 3ul Ju made Reba ufortable. Reba quickly looked away and turned to the clothes in the mour Closet store. ¡°Bring out yourtest collection, please.¡± Debra suddenly spoke up. Like she was in other stores, she always shopped with an open wallet, always demanding the newest designs. Hearing this, Lesley panicked and quickly said, ¡°Hey! I saw those clothes first. You can¡¯t buy them!¡± Reba and Debra turned to stare at Lesley, along with the store staff. Debra rolled her eyes. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Excuse me,dies, which piece are you interested in?¡± the salesperson quickly approached, warmly asking Reba and Debra. Debra said calmly. ¡°We¡¯d like to see thetest collection.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t buy the better one!¡± Lesley was anxious, her face full of worry and nervousness. The reality show shoot had just ended, and as soon as they got back to the car, her agent had scolded her severely for not helping J at all and almost making her a fool. Her agent urged her to send a gift to J and apologize to her, or else she should be prepared to be frozen out by thepany. She had a ten¨Cyear contract, and getting benched wasn¡¯t an option, or her career would be over!Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The agent mentioned that mour Closet¡¯s contract was up for grabs, and thepany was pushing J for it. If she gifted J something from theirtest line, it could help her snag the endorsement and maybe even smooth things over after the variety show fiasco. This time, she bit the bullet, spending her living expenses for the next six months to buy a piece of thetest collection! Even so, she didn¡¯t buy the best one because it was too expensive, costing hundreds of thousands of dors, even close to a million. She couldn¡¯t afford it, nor was she willing to spend that much. Spending that much on someone else felt like a punch to the gut. She had bought a second¨Ctier dress. Though not the best, it was still expensive, costing over a hundred thousand dors! Originally, she just needed to deliver the dress to J, and everything would be fine. But who would have thought she¡¯d run into Becky there? Outsiders wouldn¡¯t know about Becky and J¡¯s rtionship, but everyone on the show knew. Becky was very likely Theodore¡¯s legitimate wife. But what about J? J was probably just a mistress trying to be thedy of the house! If she gave the second¨Ctier mour Closet dress to J and then J saw Becky wearing a top¨Ctier mour Closet dress from thetest collection, Lesley was sure she¡¯d be in big trouble! She was making things worse, not better, and all her money would be wasted! ¡°Becky¡­ About what happened on the show, it was my fault. Could you please¡­listen to me this time? ¡°I¡¯ve already bought the mour Closet dress. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want to wear the same dress as someone else, right? ¡°With your status¡­ You can afford something way better, am I right?¡± With that in mind, Lesley carefully tried to tter Reba. The salesperson was speechless. They quickly stepped forward to exin, ¡°Ms. Bretherton, our brand offers a wide range of styles, even within ourtest collection. Thesedies can easily find something different to avoid any ovep!¡± Several assistants came out, each holding a different design from the new collection. They turned to Reba and Debra, cautiously asking, ¡°Would you like to try these on,dies?¡± Another assistant added, ¡°We can also have our models show you the clothes if you¡¯d prefer.¡± When Debra and Reba walked in, the sales assistants recognized that thesedies were truly distinguished and were determined to provide impable service. The head salesperson even brought over two chairs, gesturing for them to sit. Not only did Debra and Reba getfortable on the seat, but the waiter also brought out desserts and drinks, treating them like the queens. The next moment, the salesperson took the clothes backstage. A few minutester, the store¡¯s lights dimmed, and the runway lights came on. Models wearing thetest mour Closet outfits walked onto the central runway, showcasing them to Reba and Debra. CHAPTER 44 Lesley watched from the side, her face growing increasingly sour. Yet, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to leave now, She had to stay and see what clothes Becky and Debra would buy. If the clothes they bought were better than hers, she couldn¡¯t use her purchase to apologize to J. Lesley just stayed there, and the salesperson hesitated to ask her to leave. After a long pause, they finally brought over two more chairs for Lesley and her friend to sit down. Thetest collection from mour Closet wasn¡¯t extensive, with only fourteen pieces in total ¨C three top¨Ctier pieces, four mid¨Crange, and seven third¨Ctier items. After the show, Debra pulled out a gold card and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take all three top¨Ctier pieces. One set each for me and Becky. Make sure they¡¯re in our sizes.¡± The staff were all stunned. The head salesperson¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of the gold card. ¡®Is that¡­a real gold card?¡± ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Debra frowned and urged as she saw the salesperson frozen in shock. The head salesperson snapped out of it and quickly nodded, respectfully saying, ¡°Ma¡¯am, this is quite a big deal. Would you mind if I consulted with our boss first?¡± Packaging two sets of all the top¨Ctier items easily exceeded one million dors. They didn¡¯t have the authority to make such a decision. Debra nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± The head salesperson quickly nodded in response. She took the gold card, leaving with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Her slightly trembling hands betrayed his astonishment. It was a gold card! She¡¯d only ever seen it in the manager¡¯s hand during training. It was so surreal to see a guest holding one. Lesley¡¯s mind wentpletely nk. She couldn¡¯t believe what she¡¯d just heard. They¡­wanted the top¨Ctier items? And they wanted three of each, in two sets? One for Becky and one for this woman? The top¨Ctier dresses started at tens of thousands of dors, with the priciest one topping two hundred grand. Becky and Debra were dropping that kind of money like it was pocket change.N?velDrama.Org ? content. TOMU SUL, C Lesley suddenly felt that the clothes worth over ten thousand dors she was holding were burning her hands. Where did she get the courage to try and stop them from buying better clothes? There was no way she was giving this dress to J now. It would be a major insult, and Lesley would be done for too! ¡°Um, excuse me¡­ Could I, like, return this?¡± Lesley stammered, her face pale as she looked at the salesperson. The clerk had been stunned when Debra pulled out a gold card. They snapped back to reality and looked at Lesley. Their face turned grim as they thought of how rude Lesley had been to Debra and Reba, their VIP customer. Especially since Lesley wanted to return an outfit she had already paid for, their displeasure only grew. ¡°Ms. Bretherton, this outfit has already been paid. We do not ept returns unless there is a quality issue,¡± the clerk responded coldly. Lesley fell silent. Reba stared at her, perplexed. She and her mother had bought some better clothes from mour Closet, so why was Lesley so upset? Was Lesley that arrogant? Just because she had bought from this brand before, no one else could buy better clothes from the same brand? She must be out of her mind. It took a while for the head salesperson to return. She was even more respectful than before when she came back. She carefully handed the clothes and the gold card back to Debra with both hands. Debra took the card and turned to let the maid take the clothes. Lesley was stunned, staring at Debra in disbelief. ¡°Who exactly is this woman? Why are the mour Closet staff treating her with such respect?¡® After Debra and Reba bought their dress, it was time to leave. Debra didn¡¯t spare Lesley a single nce, taking Reba¡¯s delicate hand and leading her out. Reba, naturally, followed her mother without a word. At Mitchell Vi, Lisa handed a USB drive to J and said, ¡°J, here¡¯s the information you asked me to find. ¡°When Reba and Mr. Edwards went to get a divorce, someone did tip off Melissa about it anonymously. After 15:40 Sat, 20 Jul receiving the call, Melissa was furious and pretended to be ill to get Mr. Edwards away.¡± J frowned as she took the USB drive, sneering, ¡°I knew it. Reba wouldn¡¯t agree to a divorce that easily. She¡¯s just ying hard to get.¡± She then asked, ¡°Is this proof that Reba had someone call Melissa anonymously to spill the beans?¡± B7%ÊÀ Lisa hesitated before shaking her head. ¡°No, I dug around for ages but couldn¡¯t track down the anonymous caller. There¡¯s no way to confirm that the call was linked to Reba. no ¡°But this USB drive contains fake evidence I cooked up. If you give this to Mr. Edwards, he¡¯ll probably buy the story that Reba intentionally had someone call Melissa.¡± J was speechless. ¡°Useless! You couldn¡¯t even dig up that info? J started scolding immediately, but only for a couple of sentences. She then nodded and said, ¡°Fine, if you can¡¯t find it, drop it. Just make sure the info we do have is solid. As long as we can convince Theodore, that¡¯s all that matters. ¡°What about the mour Closet endorsementpetition?¡± J continued. ¡°Did you get the outfits?¡± Lisa nodded. ¡°Everything¡¯s settled. Last time at the reality show, Lesley almost embarrassed you, but to make up for it, she¡¯s willing to spend a fortune to buy you thetest outfit from mour Closet. When you wear it to the audition, you¡¯ll definitely get the position!¡± J¡¯s expression soured at the mention of Lesley, but since Lesley was willing to make amends with the gift, she wasn¡¯t that angry anymore. Lisa hesitated for a moment and couldn¡¯t resist speaking up for Lesley. ¡°J, I don¡¯t think we can put all the me on Lesley for what happened. ¡°I watched the livestream. Lesley was just trying to secretly release Reba and Charlie¡¯s chickens, but Ben suddenly changed the strategy and took everyone by surprise. He said Lesley was sabotaging the team, which drew everyone¡¯s attention to her. ¡°Lesley was just trying to handle the situation as she could.¡± J was displeased as she heard this. If Lesley had nothing wrong, it meant she was the problem? It meant she didn¡¯t know what to do on the reality show, right? So, that was why she didn¡¯t stand out on the show? JOL, 20 JUI Still, she kept her thoughts to herself and changed the subject with a cold face. ¡°Where are the clothes?¡± ¡°She should be getting them,¡± Lisa replied quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll check on her.¡± ¡°Tell her to hurry up. I can¡¯t bete for this audition,¡± J said, tapping her foot impatiently. Lisa nodded repeatedly, ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯ll get her moving.¡± CHAPTER 45 Chapter 45 ¡°Becky, would you like to be the spokesperson for our Carter family jewelry store?¡± In the evening, after the family had finished dinner, Patrick suddenly looked up and asked Reba with an expectant gaze. Reba was caught off guard. ¡°Spokesperson?¡± Debra¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°Yes! Perfect! Becky and Chuck should be the faces of our store. What a brilliant idea!¡± Debra studied her daughter, and the more she looked, the more satisfied she felt. ¡°Becky looks so beautiful, she¡¯s more than qualified to be the spokesperson for our jewelry store!¡± ¡°But¡­can I really pull it off?¡± Reba fidgeted, worried that she might not do well. Charlie smiled brightly, ¡°Of course you can! Didn¡¯t you stone it on that reality show?¡± ¡°¡°Don¡¯t worry, Becky. I¡¯ve got your back. Nobody¡¯s gonna mess with you,¡± Charlie said confidently. Reba hesitated for a moment but finally agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± As soon as she agreed, the family exchanged relieved smiles. ¡°Oh, and Becky,¡± Debra added, her tone serious. ¡°We need to speed up your divorce from Theodore. Whether he likes it or not, we¡¯re pushing this through.¡± Reba nodded in agreement. ¡°Sure.¡± After dinner, Reba went to feed the babies again. The little ones were still so tiny and needed their mother¡¯s care. While Reba was taking care of the babies, Theodore, who hadn¡¯t been home for a long time, suddenly pulled up to the vi next door in a sleek ck Rolls¨CRoyce. He stepped out of the car, heading towards the vi. However, the front door was tightly shut, causing Theodore to frown. He took a step forward and pressed the doorbell, waiting outside the door. But the house was still quiet, with no response from inside. No one came to open the door. Feeling frustrated, Theodore couldn¡¯t help but kick the door hard. A momentter, he took out his phone and called Reba. $87% Charter Meanwhile, Reba was feeding the babies when the phone beside her suddenly buzzed, She carefully cradled the babies in her arms and reached for her phone. Seeing Theodore¡¯s name on the screen, she fell silent. But, still, she answered the call after a brief hesitation. Her mom was right. She needed to finalize the divorce with Theodore. Dragging it out was p pointless.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°I¡¯m home. Open the door!¡± Theodore ordered impatiently. ¡°Home? Open the door? He is back?¡± Reba was surprised for a moment and exined, ¡°I¡¯m not at home.¡± Outside Edwards Vi, Theodore froze and couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°You¡¯re not at home? Where did you go?¡± he demanded loudly, his tone so fierce it seemed to pierce through the phone. ¡°Are you still with that Charlie? Living with him? Reba, have you forgotten you¡¯re married? We just had babies, my babies! Do you have any shame?!¡± Theodore shouted in a fit of rage. Reba was fed up upon hearing this. She hung up the phone, struggling to catch her breath. They had been married for three years, and she had taken care of Theodore for two of those years, knowing all his likes and dislikes by heart. Yet, he never bothered to understand her, not even a little bit! Theodore had absolutely no trust in her. The next second, the phone rang again. It was still him. Reba answered and immediately said, ¡°Theodore, I¡¯ve told you. Charlie and I are not what you think.. ¡°And besides, you have a child with J. You have no right to judge me.¡± Taking a deep breath, she said, ¡°Theodore, if you¡¯re free tomorrow, let¡¯s meet at the courthouse. We¡¯re getting a divorce, so let¡¯s do it quickly and get this over with.¡± Theodore smashed a flowerpot at the door in anger andughed furiously. ¡°Divorce? Reba, stop ying hard to get. Keep this up, and you¡¯ll be divorced for real! ¡°You have one hour. Get back here now!¡± he demanded. With that, he hung up the phone. Reba stared at her phone, her head buzzing. ¡°ying hard to get?¡® When have I ever done that? Heh¡­¡± 15:41 Sat, 20 Jul Soon, Theodore called again. Reba picked it up. 87%1 ¡°One hour, Reba. That¡¯s all you get. One minutete, and I¡¯ll see you in the Courthouse tomorrow!¡± Theodore¡¯s voice dripped with venom. Reba checked the time. It was 7 PM. So, in an hour, it would be 8 PM! The houses were so close. Just one more hour, and after eight, she could file for divorce tomorrow. Awesome! Reba thought about it and set an rm on her phone for 8:01 PM. By then, the twins had almost finished their bottles. Reba carefully picked them up and ced them beside her. The two little ones gazed at their mother with bright, glistening eyes. A little whileter, there was a knock on the door. Debra came in with two nannies. The nannies quickly took the babies to soothe them. Debra sat down by the bed and softly said, ¡°Becky, I think Theodore is back.¡± Earlier, Debra had been in the master bedroom and happened to nce out the window at the entrance of Edwards Vi. There, she saw Theodore. He was standing at the gate, seemingly upset. Reba nodded. ¡°I know, he just called me,¡± she exined. ¡°What?¡® Debra was surprised. She became anxious and worried. ¡°What did he say? Did he say he dares to mess with you, I¡¯ll fight back. I¡¯ve trained inbat skills. I¡¯m something meant you? Becky, don¡¯t be afraid. If not scared of him!¡± Rebaughed and nodded. ¡°Okay¡­ By the way, he seems to have misunderstood my rtionship with Charlie. He thinks that Charlie and I are¡­¡± Reba trailed off, unsure how to exin. Debra frowned but quickly rxed and reassured her, ¡°Rx. You know that¡¯s not true, so there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of.¡± Reba pondered for a moment and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± She waited for an hour until the rm rang. Exceeding the agreed¨Cupon time, she quickly got ready and went out. 15:41 Sat, 20 Jul Next door, Theodore had already used his key to enter the vi. The usually cozy vi felt eerily clean and empty, devoid of any warmth. Theodore went upstairs to take a shower, then returned to the living room to wait. He was certain Reba would show up within an hour, smirking as he waited nonchntly. Soon, over an hour had passed without Reba showing up. Theodore¡¯s face finally darkened. He stood up, pulling out his phone, ready to call Reba. CHAPTER 46 Chapter 46 But just before Theodore pressed the dial button, he hesitated. ¡®What if Reba¡¯s just stuck in traffic?¡± He stared at his phone, pondering, and decided to give her a few more minutes. At that moment, the doorbell rang. Theodore turned and saw Reba standing at the door. A wave of relief washed over him, but itsted only a second before anger quickly took over again. He red at Reba with a cold, mocking expression. ¡°Looks like you came here in a rush. Are you afraid of beingte?¡± Theodore sneered. Reba paused before exining. ¡°I wasn¡¯t rushing. I¡¯ve been next door the whole time, in the vi next to yours. I set an rm and arrived right on time. It¡¯s been over an hour. ¡°So, as we agreed, you¡¯lle with me to the Courthouse tomorrow to file for divorce, right?¡± Reba rified. Theodore was taken aback. Reba thought for a few seconds and added, ¡°I live next door. When it¡¯s time to go tomorrow, you cane get me¡­ Or I cane get you.¡± After saying this, Reba felt she had nothing more to add. She stood there for a moment and turned to leave. It wasn¡¯t until she was gone that Theodore snapped out of it. His face turned extremely sullen in an instant! He rushed out and saw Reba just as she was about to enter the gate of the vi next door. Without a second thought, he chased after her, grabbed her arm, and started dragging her toward his house. Reba struggled angrily. ¡°Theodore, let go of me!¡± But Theodore just tightened his grip, determined to drag her away. ¡°Let her go!¡± Debra shouted, rushing from the house with a stick in hand.. Even though Theodore was the president of apany, he was still startled by the sight of Debra wielding the stick, Debra wasn¡¯t about to be polite. She raised the stick and swung it at Theodore! She had learned how to discipline her son and knew exactly where to hit to cause the most pain with minimal injury. Even if it led to legal trouble, ¨¤ little payout was nothing.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. 86% The Carter family had nothing but money, and if a few bucks could buy Debra some stress relief by beating Theodore, it would be a great deal. Reba watched in shock as her mother rained blows down on Theodore with the heavy stick, each hit precise and brutal. Theodore¡¯s face twisted in agony. Ten strikes were all he could take before he finally let go of Reba. Patrick quickly snatched his daughter away from the scumbag the second she was free. Theodore had never been beaten like this in his life. It wasn¡¯t just the pain. It was the humiliation. That was a high¨Csociety neighborhood, and he knew his beating would be the gossip of the elite circles in no time. He stared coldly at Reba, his eyes narrowing as he spoke. ¡°Reba, I¡¯ll count to three. Come here yourself! Three! Two¡­¡± Debra rolled her eyes and snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t forget the divorce license tomorrow, pal. See you in Courthouse, you loser!¡± Patrick, backing up his wife, spat at Theodore. ¡°Yeah, scumbag, that¡¯s for you!¡± Theodore was caught off guard as the spitnded square on his face. His face darkened instantly, a storm brewing beneath, Reba was equally shocked. Her mom was fierce, but it seemed like her dad was also incredible! That was downright humiliating! Reba couldn¡¯t help but pull her dad back, thinking it was enough and not to go too far. ¡°Reba, you really want to divorce me?¡± Theodore sneered coldly. ¡°Fine, see you at the Courthouse tomorrow!¡± With that, he just turned and left. Back at Edwards Vi, Theodore quickly headed upstairs to the bathroom and started to shower again. He had never been humiliated like this in his life! Reba had gone too far this time. If he ever begged her again, he¡¯d kill himself! Fuming, Theodore cranked the shower on full st, tore off his clothes, and scrubbed himself furiously, especially the spot where Patrick¡¯s spit hadnded. No matter how much he scrubbed, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling of being tainted! 15:42 Sat, 20 Ju ¡®That damned woman! It¡¯s all her fault!! Theodore spent a full two hours in the shower, scrubbing his skin until it was red. With a grim face, he took out his phone. ¡°Wyatt, find out everything you can about the woman with Reba,¡± Theodore ordered coldly. 86%1 In Macloria, it was the first time someone had dared to mess with him. He couldn¡¯t help but scoff. Wyatt had just finished dinner when he received Theodore¡¯s call. Hearing his furious tone, he was a bit puzzled. But sensing Theodore¡¯s intense anger, Wyatt knew better than to question him at this moment. ¡°Got it,¡± he agreed. ¡°You have three days, the sooner the better. Get all the details on that woman and her family. If there¡¯s any criminal activity or other legal vitions, even better,¡± Theodore added. Wyatt was bewildered. His heart skipped a beat, and he instantly became alert. ¡°Theodore, what happened?¡± he quickly asked. ¡°Calm down, don¡¯t do anything rash,¡± Wyatt hurriedly advised. But Theodore didn¡¯t want to listen anymore. He simply hung up the phone. As the call ended, Wyatt felt a wave of unease. He hoped Theodore wouldn¡¯t do something he¡¯d regret¡­ Still, Wyatt had to do his job and had no choice but to investigate. Meanwhile, Reba followed her parents into the house, feeling uneasy. She was worried Theodore might do something harmful to her parents. ¡°Dad, Mom, you really didn¡¯t have to stand up for me like that. I¡¯ll exin everything to him. We¡¯re about to get divorced anyway, and once that¡¯s done, it won¡¯t matter anymore,¡± Reba said. Debra and Patrick felt heartbroken seeing their daughter like this. ¡°We are not afraid of him.¡± Patrick growled. Debra agreed, ¡°Exactly! Becky, we aren¡¯t afraid. Our family is powerful. You can trust us!¡± Reba was at a loss for words. ¡°Dad, Mom, no matter what, please be careful. The Edwards family¡­ They have some influence in Maeloria,¡± 15:42 Sat, 20 Jul Reba couldn¡¯t help but warn. Debra and Patrick, however, thought this was funny. They exchanged a nce, and finally, Patrick looked at Reba and said, ¡°Becky, don¡¯t worry. Your dad¡¯s got this covered. We¡¯re not going to lose anything.¡± CHAPTER 47 86%1Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Over at Edwards Vi, Theodore calmed down and returned to his study to continue handling business affairs. However, after he turned on hisputer, he found an anonymous file in his email. He then frowned as he opened the file, and gradually, his frown deepened. Theodore reflected, ¡®It was Reba who purposely had someone inform Grandma about our divorce thest time we went to Courthouse? And then that lead Grandma to pretend to be sick and stop our divorce from happening?¡± He could have believed this file if it had arrived just a few hours earlier, but now¡­ Theodore raised his hand and touched his face. When he felt the spit from the couple next to Reba still on him, his expression darkened. He didn¡¯t need to think hard to know who was so concerned about his and Reba¡¯s marriage. Theodore sneerec and immediately replied to the email: [You need help! Quit prying into other people¡¯s business!] Meanwhile, over at Mitchell Vi, J was about to go to sleep after sending the email, but she was surprised by the special notification sound from her inbox. Her mind raced, and she excitedly jumped up. J had set a special notification only for Theodore, so she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was a reply from him. J excitedly clicked open her email, but when she saw his response, she was instantly taken aback. She wondered, ¡®Does Theodore not believe it? But someone really did anonymously call Mrs. Melissa Edwards th day. It must have been Reba. I can¡¯t think of anyone else!¡± As J thought about it, her anger red up again. She was frustrated that she couldn¡¯t find solid evidence. If had it, Theodore would surely believe her. With that thought in mind, she sent another message to Theodore¡¯s email: [Someone really called your grandm that day about your divorce. If you don¡¯t believe me, check it yourself. I swear I¡¯m not making this up.] Once J sent the message, she suddenly felt much better. Although she couldn¡¯t find out who made the anonymous call to Melissa, she wondered if Theodore could find J sneered as she thought about it. Reba¡¯s small tricks could only trick children. What a joke. Back at Edwards Vi, when Theodore received another email, he clicked open it, looked it over, and frowned deeply. Reba, who was next door, couldn¡¯t sleep and tossed and turned all night. As a result, she was up at dawn the next day. Everyone else was still asleep except for the maid, who was busy cooking in the kitchen. Reba entered the kitchen, and the maid was surprised and concerned to see her. ¡°Ms. Carter, why are you up so early? Is there something wrong?¡± Reba shook her head slightly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± She thought for a moment and asked the maid, ¡°What do my parents usually like to eat? I¡­ I want to make them breakfast myself.¡± Lucy was the maid who had always worked for Reba¡¯s parents. They had recently moved from Hivalis, and Lucy came along with them. Reba figured that Lucy would know her parents¡® preferences best. Lucy was confused again after hearing her. Once she snapped out of it, she quickly nodded. ¡°Uh¨Chuh¡­ Mr. Carter and Mrs. Carter will surely be thrilled to know that you¡¯re cooking for them yourself, Ms. Carter.¡± Afterward, Reba personally prepared breakfast for her parents, knowing that her father loved pancakes in the morning and her mother preferred a beauty¨Cboosting smoothie bowl. When Patrick and Debra came downstairs at seven in the morning and learned that their daughter had made breakfast, they were both surprised and delighted. It was a simple breakfast, but they both instinctively took out their phones and started taking pictures of it. Reba felt a bit awkward and wondered if her parents were overreacting. Once Debra and Patrick had taken the pictures, they eagerly posted them on Twitter to show off. They posted a picture of their breakfast with the caption: [This is our breakfast today, and it was made by my daughter!] It was just a simple sentence, but the bragging was quite obvious. After posting on Twitter, Debra and Patrick then set their phones down and quickly sat down, eager to eat their breakfast while it was still fresh. Reba¡¯s breakfast was also a smoothie bowl. She made an extra bowl for herself when she prepared one for her mom. Once she was full, she couldn¡¯t help but check the time and noted that there was still more than an hour before. the Courthouse opened. It was still early. 15:42 Sat, 20 Jul of a 85%•þ Debra reminded Reba, ¡°Becky, do you still have the divorce license? Make sure to remind Theodore to bring all the necessary documents, so we don¡¯t end up unprepared at the Courthouse. It¡¯d be a real hassle.¡± Reba nodded. ¡°Okay¡± ¡°How about you send him a message now to remind him? Let¡¯s make sure we head out as soon as the Courthouse opens to avoid wasting time,¡± Debra suggested again. Reba thought about it and nodded in agreement. ¡®Alright.¡± She then picked up her phone and sent Theodore a message: [We¡¯re finalizing our divorce today. Make sure to have the divorce license and other required documents ready. Don¡¯t forget this.] Meanwhile, Theodore, who was in the vi next door, woke up groggily and heard the message notification sound. He frowned, reached out his muscr hand, and picked up his phone. Afterward, he unlocked his phone and opened the messaging app. When he saw Reba¡¯s text, he instantly felt wide awake. The pleasant mood Theodore had upon waking up quickly disappeared and was reced by a fiery rage. Moments.ter, he irritably threw his phone aside. He thought while gritting his teeth, ¡®Divorce? No way Reba is getting a divorce before we figure out what happenedst time!¡® n the blink of an eye, it was already half past eight. Reba couldn¡¯t wait any longer and headed to Edwards Vi o knock on the door. heodore opened the door with a cold expression. Did you¡­get everything ready? Let¡¯s go,¡± Reba said. For some reason, she still felt sad when facing him. heodore nodded in response. Afterward, he didn¡¯t say a word and just got into the car. Reba then turned to leave.. However, Theodore grabbed her and pulled her into his car. We¡¯re going together!¡± he said in a firm tone. leba was stunned and was at a loss for words. lext door, Debra saw Theodore, that jerk, was manhandling her daughter again and was fed up. She immediately ranted to intervene. However, just as she was about to step forward, Theodore¡¯s car started instantly and sped off. 15:43 Sat, 20 Jul She eximed inwardly, ¡®Damn it! That bastard!¡® Debra almost couldn¡¯t hold back from cursing out loud. Theodore was shameless. She had never seen a r shameless in her life. Patrick ruffled his wife¡¯s hair andforted her. ¡°Calm down. They¡¯re getting divorced anyway.¡± Debra nodded at his words. Thinking about her daughter soon being rid of that scumbag made her feel a Immediately after, she anxiously urged, ¡°Quick, let¡¯s go after them and see what¡¯s going on. Theodore, ti always up to something. We can¡¯t let him hurt Becky.¡± CHAPTER 48 Chapter 48 Reba, who was now sitting in Theodore¡¯s car, felt both angry and anxious. She hadn¡¯t expected that Theodore would just pull her into his car. She wanted to get out, but when she turned and saw Theodore¡¯s stern side profile, she quickly remembered that they were on their way to finalizing their divorce. Reba then thought it would be easier to go along with it. It was fine to ride with him as long as the appointment was sessful. With that thought in mind, she gradually calmed down. n the car, Theodore discreetly observed Reba. As he watched her, he couldn¡¯t help but think of what was nentioned in the email from the previous night. le wondered, ¡°Did someone really call Grandma secretly when we went to the Courthouse to schedule the livorce? IL¡­by any chance¡­it¡¯s true, does that mean Reba hasn¡¯t changed and is still clinging to me like she ised to? Maybe all these recent actions are just her being clever and acting out a different strategy to fool me?¡± is Theodore thought about it, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. However, it was only for a brief moment before he quickly pressed his lips together angrily. Theodore grumbled inwardly, ¡®Is Reba out of her mind? Even if she¡¯s trying to get my attention, she shouldn¡¯t ness with our children¡¯sst name like this. How could she let our kids take another man¡¯sst name? What¡¯s wrong with her? When he thought about Charlie, the actor who had been close to Reba recently, and how their children¡¯sst name was Carter, his entire being instantly darkened, like a storm brewing. Reba, who was sitting beside Theodore, was trying hard not to look at Theodore as she thought that it would prevent her heart from aching But even if she didn¡¯t look at him, being in such a confined space with Theodore made her feel suffocated, as if she couldn¡¯t breathe, Reba kept her eyes on the scenery outside and nervously waited, hoping they would reach the Courthouse soon. Time passed slowly, and their car was just about to reach the Courthouse. Just then, Theodore suddenly spoke and instructed the driver, ¡°Take us to the Civil Registry Office.¡± At that, Reba¡¯s eyes widened, and she turned to look at him in shock. ¡°What do you mean? 15:43 Sat, 20 Jule 86% Theodore scoffed and sneered, ¡°If you want a divorce, fine. But first, we need to change the children¡¯sst name. They must take myst name!¡± Reba couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and snapped, ¡°Theodore, are you out of your mind?!¡± Her outburst made her heart ache. Reba then couldn¡¯t help but use, ¡°You didn¡¯t want them before, so why are you fighting me for them now that they¡¯re born?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want them before, but now that they¡¯re born, they¡¯re my children. I naturally have to take responsibility for them, and they should bear myst name!¡± Theodore stated straightforwardly. ¡°Ugh!¡± Reba couldn¡¯t help herself and, mimicking her parents, spat directly in his face. She hardly ever fought with anyone and wasn¡¯t good at it, but Theodore had gone too far. Reba couldn¡¯t hold back, and spitting seemed the only way to express her feelings at that moment. Theodore was so shocked that he was rendered utterly speechless. He then lifted his hand to touch the spit on his face. His eyes widened in disbelief as he red at Reba. ¡°Did you just spit on me?¡± Theodore¡¯s face turned grim, and he snapped, ¡°Reba, what have you been learning from that womantely? You weren¡¯t like this before!¡± Reba wondered in confusion, ¡®That woman? Is Theodore talking about my mom?¡® Thinking of her mother suddenly gave her courage, and she sneered, ¡°Yes, I wasn¡¯t like this before. That¡¯s why your all bully me every day, doing whatever you all wanted without ever considering how I felt!¡± Theodore was instantly rendered speechless and gritted his teeth angrily. With that, Reba grew anxious and wanted to get out of the car. Therefore, she shouted at the driver, ¡°Driver, pull over. I want to get out!¡± Reba felt that if Theodore wasn¡¯t willing to go to the Courthouse, then there was no point in following him. The child¡¯s surname couldn¡¯t be changed and would never be changed in this lifetime. When Theodore forced her to sign the divorce license by threatening her during her pregnancy, and when he refused to look at her and the child after she gave birth, that was the moment she and the child severed all ties with Theodore. He took out a tissue paper, wiped the spit off his face with a frown, and remained silent with a grim expression. The driver was the Edwards family¡¯s driver, so he obviously wouldn¡¯t take orders from Reba. 186%) Chapter Therefore, the car continued driving ahead, showing no signs of stopping. Reba caught on as well. She suddenlyughed in anger, turned to look at Theodore, and found this man Eventually, the car arrived at the Civil Registry Office and stopped at the entrance. Reba got out of the car and immediately turned to leave. Theodore quickly rushed over and grabbed her with a domineering look. He dragged Reba and snapped in annoyance, ¡°Reba, have you had enough?¡± Rebaughed angrily and turned to question him, ¡°Theodore, am I the one being unreasonable, or is it you? ¡°It was you who didn¡¯t want the child in the first ce. It was you! It was you!¡± she shouted thest words in utter despair. With that, Reba¡¯s eyes instantly welled up with tears. Reba didn¡¯t want to cry. So, she turned around and tilted her head high to hold back the tears. What was done was done. She didn¡¯t want to bring it up again. Now, Reba just wanted a clean divorce and to sever all ties with Theodore and the Edwards family.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. After her outburst, Reba turned and left quickly, almost running. She mused, ¡®I can live without a man. I don¡¯t want Theodore anymore. I¡¯ll never pitifully seek his love again, but I won¡¯t give up my children. During my hardest times, it was the babies in my belly that gave me the courage to persevere. Theodore has no right or standing to insist the children bears hisst name. He doesn¡¯t deserve it!¡® Reba frowned and continued to ponder, ¡®Moreover, given the Edwards family¡¯s way of doing things, if if they want the kids to take theirst name today, they¡¯ll definitely try to keep the kids at Edwards Vi tomorrow! For the sake of the babies, I can¡¯t let them stay with Theodore. Theodore already has a child with J. If we divorce and he ends up with J, what will be of my two children? They will surely be bullied at Edwards Vi! Someone. like J would never treat my children well.¡± Meanwhile, Theodore didn¡¯t chase after her. Instead, he stared at Reba¡¯s retreating figure, getting further and further away, and eventually, he irritably took out a cigarette and lit it. But smoking couldn¡¯t ease his inner turmoil. Theodore eventually went back to the car and angrily kicked it hard. The driver watched as Rolls¨CRoyce¡¯s door was dented by his boss¡® kick, his heart skipping a beat as he thought, ¡®Why would you do that? This is so expensive!¡® Yet, in the next instant, Theodore opened the car door and got in. 15:43 Sat, 20 Jul After getting in the car, he coldly said, ¡°Drive to thepany.¡± The driver quickly got into the car, started it, and hurried toward thepany. CHAPTER 49 At the same time, the Carter family¡¯s car arrived at the Courthouse entrance. Patrick and Debra then hurried inside to look for Reba and Theodore, but after searching for a long time, they couldn¡¯t find them. They then started to wonder where Reba and Theodore could be. Patrick was confused, while Debra felt a sense of dread. ¡°I¡¯ll call Becky,¡± she said. With that, Debra pulled out her phone, clicked open her contacts, located Reba¡¯s number, and dialed it. Meanwhile, Reba ran quite far before she stopped. She stood alone at a busy intersection, feeling a sudden wave of sadness as she watched the traffic rush by. Everything sped by her, just like how life seemed to rush past.. Just then, Reba¡¯s phone suddenly rang, and it snapped her out of her daze. She looked down at her purse and took out her phone. When Reba saw her mom¡¯s name on the caller ID, it felt as if her heart, which had been plummeting into a dark abyss, hadnded in a blooming spring garden. Reba thought, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if Theodore isn¡¯t in my life anymore. I still have my mom, dad, brothers, and my babies. I have plenty of family who love me.¡® She then smiled and answered the phone seriously, her voice carrying a tenderness and dependence that even Reba herself didn¡¯t notice, ¡°Mom.¡± Debra¡¯s worries eased when she heard her daughter¡¯s voice. She then quickly asked, ¡°Where are you now, Becky? We¡¯re already at the Courthouse, but we haven¡¯t seen you.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t go to the Courthouse, Mom. We¡¯re at the Civil Registry Office,¡± Reba replied. ¡°What?¡± Debra was bewildered and frowned, ¡°Why are you at the Civil Registry Office?¡± Reba didn¡¯t really want to talk about what had happened at the Civil Registry Office, but since it was her mom, she felt it was okay. With that in mind, she told her mom about Theodore wanting to change their children¡¯sst names. Debra was furious and started sweaDut when she found out her daughter hadn¡¯t agreed to his demand and had left that jerk, she felt relieved. ¡°It¡¯s okay. As long as you don¡¯t agree, he can¡¯t change anything,¡± Debra reassured her daughter. 15:43 Sat, 20 Jul Afterward, she quickly added, ¡°Becky, where are you now? We¡¯lle to pick you up right away.¡± Reba then told her mom her location. ¡°Okay. Stay right there and don¡¯t leave. We¡¯lle to get you right away. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Debraforted. ¡°Okay,¡± Reba agreed. Debra hung up the phone, immediately went to find her husband, and pulled him outside in a hurry. Once they were back in the car, she couldn¡¯t help but keep grumbling angrily. 80% Patrick saw how furious his wife was and felt a bit helpless. Heforted her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll handle this step by step. As long as we¡¯re here, Theodore can¡¯t bully our daughter anymore.¡± Debra thought about it and nodded, agreeing, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± She pondered firmly, ¡®The Carter family is not to be messed with. With us backing our precious daughter, the Edwards family won¡¯t stand a chance at bullying her!¡± Back at the intersection, Reba put down the phone and felt her heart gradually settle down. She then waited calmly for her parents toe pick her up. In just a short while, the Carter family¡¯s car arrived and stopped in front of Reba. She opened the car door and got in. Reba had just settled in the car when Debra asked worriedly, ¡°What happened? Did he hit you? Are you alright?¡± Reba shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Although Theodore had deeply disappointed her, she still felt he had one good trait, which was that no matter how badly they argued, he never hit her. At most, he would break things around the house. But since he always paid to rece those thingster, Reba didn¡¯t mind. Debra breathed a sigh of relief but still snorted, ¡°It¡¯s good he knows better. If he ever dared hit you, I¡¯d never let him off easily!¡± Reba suddenlyughed and turned to look at her mother to reassure her, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m really okay. The past is the past. Now, we just need to get the divorce.¡± Debra nodded. ¡°Right.¡± Afterward, they returned home together. Just as they walked in, they heard the children crying and immediately rushed inside. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Reba and Debra worriedly asked in unison. ¡°Ms. Lillian Carter and Mr. Kevin Carter just woke up and immediately started looking. They might have beent looking for their mom. Since you guys had just stepped out, they started crying,¡± the nanny exined. She quickly went over and scooped Key into her arms, Nearby, Lily, who was being looked after by the nanny, also saw her mom. She had been crying her heart out just moments ar but now she immediately stopped. The shimmering tears still clung to her eyes, but those bright and clear eyes were now fixed on her mom. Lily stared at her mom intently until she picked up Kev. At that moment, Lily got anxious and reached out her little. hands, asking to be held as well. Debra then tried to pick up Lily. But Lily didn¡¯t want her grandma. She wanted her mom, believing her mom¡¯s embrace was different. Reba felt a mix of joy and helplessness as she watched the kids. She walked over to the sofa, sat down, and had the nanny gently put both children in her arms. Though it was tiring to hold both babies, the sight of their love for her made her feel incredibly blessed. Over at Evergrande Entertainment, Lisa looked at Lesley in shock. ¡°Did you say Becky bought mour Closet clothes too? And thetest collection at that?¡± Lesley nodded. ¡°Yes. When I went shopping that day, I happened to run into them. Becky bought every piece from mour Closet¡¯s newest collection.¡± She then looked at Lisa and said pitifully, ¡°Lisa, I really can¡¯t afford thetest mour Closet collection¡­¡± With a furrowed brow, Lisa looked at Lesley, clearly upset. ¡®Did you ask Becky¡­if they¡¯re nning topete for the mour Closet endorsement?¡± Lisa asked again. Lesley was stunned for a moment after hearing her and then shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t and I have no idea.¡± Lisa took the clothes Lesley had bought and replied with a frown, ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll exin this to J. You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Lesley breathed a sigh of relief and quickly nodded. ¡°Mm¨Chmm, okay.¡± 15:44 Sat, 20 Jul After sending Lesley away, Lisa took the clothes and went straight to find J. When J heard what Lisa had to say, J¡¯s face darkened, and she asked, ¡°Why would Reba buy Gl Closet¡¯s clothes? ¡°Did you guys let it slip that I¡¯mpeting for the mour Closet endorsement, and she bought those clo purpose?¡± ¡°J, we¡­we didn¡¯t see thising.¡± Lisa said anxiously. With that, she looked down at the clothes in her hand and added, ¡°J, I really don¡¯t think it matters. ¡°Reba is merely a rookie. Even if shepetes for the mour Closet endorsement, with you in the ¡°You¡¯re an award¨Cwinning actress. mour Closet wouldn¡¯t pass over you for a rookie.¡± CHAPTER 50 J smiled and gave 1 ita an Apquiving tank ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right! ¤â Aherward, J smiled mockingly. If Betrecea dares to show up, she¡¯ll only be humiliating herself Liss breathed a sigh of retiet and finally felt less tense. Ammediately shey, J spoke seriously. ¡°But we have to get new clothes for the mour Closet endorsement. dance freba bought the top quality ones, I can¡¯t be seen wearing anything less¡± Liss was troubled after hearing her. ¡°But the best outfits from mour Closet cost over 360 thousand dors¡­¡± J frowned at this, but only for a moment. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°It¡¯s just over 360 thousand dors. If Reba can afford it, why can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the clothes. Just make sure my schedule is in order. I¡¯ll handle the rest,¡± she added. Lisa quickly nodded ¡°Okay¡± Once she left, J stood up in anger. Over 360 thousand dors wasn¡¯t much to her, but choosing to spend it on clothes she liked was one thing. Being forced to spend that much just because Reba had bought the best clothes was another, and it made J¡¯s face twisted with anger. J thought irritably, Reba is just a parasite who has been living off my family. Where did she get the money to buy those clothes without my permission? How much did she spend to buy all thetest designs from mour Closet? It must be Theodore¡¯s money! As soon as J thought about Reba spending Theodore¡¯s money so recklessly, she couldn¡¯t suppress her anger and became wildly jealous. J pondered, ¡®All of this should have been mine. If Reba hadn¡¯t married Theodore in my ce three years ago, I would be his wife now I am supposed to be Theodore¡¯s real wife With this thought, she looked at the child being cared for by the nanny nearby. J then thought, I must win Theodore¡¯s heart quickly. Once he loves me, getting him to divorce Reba and marry me will be easy! With this in mind, she then walked toward the nanny and the baby. The nanny became a bit nervous when she saw J approaching. J immediately ordered, ¡°Give nie the baby¡± 15:44 Sat, 20 The nanny quickly but carefully handed the baby to J upon hearing her. The baby, not even two months old, was tiny and adorable. As J looked at the child, her stern expression softened into a gentle smile. She reflected, ¡°This is my and Theodore¡¯s baby. We already have a child. This baby is my key to marryingN?velDrama.Org ? content. Theodorel Thinking this, J carried the baby back to the room. She ced the child on the bed and then pinched the baby¡¯s leg, causing the baby to cry out in pain. Afterward, she took out her phone, clicked open her contacts, found Theodore¡¯s number, and dialed it. Meanwhile, Theodore, who was in a meeting in the top¨Cfloor conference room of the Edwards Group, suddenly heard his phone ring. The sudden ring startled everyone, and they all looked at the CEO¡¯s phone. Theodore also looked at his phone. When he saw that the caller was J, he frowned and raised his hand to decline the call irritably. ¡°Carry on,¡± he said to everyone in the conference room. Everyone was momentarily stunned but quicklyposed themselves and continued with the meeting. J was bewildered and wondered why the call ended so quickly and if there was a problem with the line. She didn¡¯t give up and continued to dial Theodore¡¯s number. At that moment, the nanny, who had entered the room unnoticed, saw the child crying and became anxious before she hurried over to pick up the child. ¡°Get out!¡± J snapped coldly at the nanny. The nanny froze at her words and looked at her in shock. J stared at the nanny and sternlymanded, ¡°Get out! Don¡¯te into the room again without my permission!¡± The nanny then nced at the baby and hesitated for a moment. But eventually, she decided to mind her own business, nodded, and left. After the nanny left, J continued to call Theodore. However, aside from the first call, all subsequent attempts were met with a message from the tel service stating that the phone was turned off. She wondered ansiously, ¡®Did Theodore hang up on me and then turn off his phone?¡± J, unwilling to give up, took out her phone, recorded a video of the baby crying, and sent it to Theodore on WhatsApp with a deliberately worried and anxious message. The text apanying the video read: Theodore, what do I do? The baby has been crying non¨Cstoptely. Could he be sick? Is there something wrong with him?) After sending the message, J turned to the baby. Seeing the baby¡¯s face turning red from crying, she picked him up and gently soothed him. The two¨Cmonth¨Cold baby was easy to soothe. As soon as he was in his mother¡¯s arms, the smell of milk made him stop crying, and he shed his mother a happy, goofy smile. Back at the Edwards Group, Theodore finished his meeting, returned to his office, and finally turned his phone. back on. As soon as he did, he saw J¡¯s message. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if something was wrong with the baby. Theodore hesitated for a moment before standing up, grabbing his coat, and leaving. Over at Mitchell Vi, J saw Theodore arrive and immediately went out to greet him excitedly. ¡°Theodore, you¡¯re here?¡± He frowned and directly asked, ¡°How¡¯s the baby?¡± ¡°Theodore,e inside first,¡± J replied cheerfully. Theodore walked in and went straight to check on the baby. When the nanny saw the baby¡¯s ¡°father¡±ing, she acted more carefully. Theodore turned to J and asked, ¡°Have you taken him to the hospital?¡± J was still thrilled about his visit, so she still looked delighted. She then shook her head and replied, ¡°Not yet. Theodore frowned andmanded in a cold tone, ¡°Take the baby. We are going to the hospital.¡± J was instantly at a loss for words. ¡°Theodore, the baby has stopped crying. Maybe he was just hungry this afternoon. It shouldn¡¯t be anything serious,¡± she hurriedly said. Then, J added, ¡°Did you leave work to rush over here, Theodore? You¡¯re so good to our baby. He¡¯d be so happy if he knew.¡± 15:44 Sat, 20 Jul With that, she turned to the nanny and instructed, ¡°Mary, hasn¡¯t it been a while since the baby got some sunlight? His jaundice hasn¡¯t cleared up yet. Go and take him out for a walk.¡± Mary was then at a loss for words. She e wasn¡¯t stupid. She could tell that J was intentionally sending her and the baby away. Afterward, Mary silently took the baby and went out. Theodore wasn¡¯t fooled either. He looked at J and realized that everything that afternoon had been an act. estated, ¡°Since the baby is fine, I¡¯ll get going now.¡± With that, Theodore turned and left. eodore pulled away from her hand in disgust, turned back to look at her, and said coldly, ¡°J, even if I divorce. Da, I will never marry you. Stop your scheming.¡± CHAPTER 51 That night. Theodore returned home again. Seeing the empty vi with no one at home and realizing that Reba wasn¡¯t living there anymore, his anger boiled over Theodore couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and took out his phone to call her, In the neighboring vi, Reba¡¯s phone rang, but when she saw it was Theodore, she didn¡¯t answer. She stared at the phone until it automatically hung up. Over at Edwards Vi, Theodore saw she hadn¡¯t answered and frowned deeply before calling her again. Reba, feeling annoyed by the ringtone, hung up immediately. Theodore quickly understood that she was deliberately ignoring him and didn¡¯t want to answer his call. Immediately after, he threw his phone down with a loud thud. Theodore grumbled inwardly, ¡®This is absurd! I really don¡¯t understand Reba anymore. Does she honestly believe she can have a good life without me? She¡¯s overestimating herself! Half an hourter, Wyatt rushed over in a hurry. He asked worriedly, ¡°What happened, Theodore?¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Theodore took a deep breath and asked, ¡°How¡¯s the investigation I asked you to do?¡± After a brief silence, Wyatt responded, ¡°If you¡¯re asking about Debra and her husband, I¡¯ve almost got everything. I can send you the information now. ¡°If it¡¯s about the call someone made to Mrs. Melissa Edwards on the day you and Reba divorced. ¡°I had it looked into. Someone did call Mrs. Melissa Edwards that day, but the caller used an anonymous ount from abroad, making it hard to trace.¡± After saying that, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Theodore, do you really not like Reba at all?¡± Theodore felt irritated by the question. Wyatt shook his head. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s your business anyway. I¡¯ll stay out of it. But before you make any decisions, think it through. Once you go down this path, there¡¯s no turning back. Even if the wounds heal, the scars will remain.¡± Theodore gave him a dissatisfied look. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wyatt looked at Theodore and seriously said, ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to regret itter.¡± The next moment, Theodoremanded, ¡°Send me that woman¡¯s information now.¡± Wyatt nodded, took out his phone, and, after a few quick taps, sent the files. ¡°Oh, and check on that Charlie for me too,¡± Theodore added suddenly. Wyatt paused briefly before agreeing, ¡°Sure.¡± Theodore soon sat at his desk at his study and meticulously went through the information Wyatt had just sent, which was about the woman who was always around Reba. However, as soon as Theodore clicked open the file, his expression turned grim. He wondered irritably, ¡®What kind of rubbish information is this? Just ast name and a background? She¡¯s from Hivalis? That¡¯s it? Where¡¯s the rest?¡® Three minutester, Wyatt returned. He stood straight in front of Theodore like a well¨Cbehaved child while holding a document, which was his resignation letter. Theodore looked at the resignation letter Wyatt handed over, his face darkening. ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± Wyatt was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°Theodore, I¡¯ve been working with you since I graduated. You¡¯ve given me the highest sry in the industry, and I¡¯m very grateful for that. But after thinking it over for a long time, I feel we might not be suitable as superior and subordinate. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve saved some money over the years, and I want to venture out,¡± he added. Theodore¡¯s fierce demeanor seemed to soften a lot at this moment. He looked at his friend and subordinate with aplex expression. ¡°You want to start your ownpany?¡± Wyatt nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What do you n to do?¡± Theodore asked. Wyatt then went quiet for a moment. Theodore said in a firm voice, ¡°If you need any help, you can alwayse to me. I¡¯ll help with whatever I can.¡± Wyatt smiled and nodded. ¡°Sure!¡± He then looked at Theodore and reminded him onest time, ¡°Theodore, we¡¯ve been friends for many years. I just 15:45 Sat, 20 Jul want to ask. Do you really not have feelings for Reba? 84% ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for over a decade. Reba is the first and only person I¡¯ve seen who can affect your emotions.¡± With that, Wyatt hesitated for a moment before finally turning and leaving. Afterward, the spacious vi was left with only Theodore, all by himself The following day, Wyatt still went to the office. Although he had submitted his resignation, he nned to finish the month and leave at the end of it. Theodore also spent three days thinking. Three dayster, he called Wyatt over. Wyatt looked at Theodore. Theodore asked angrily, ¡°Do I have to tolerate her cheating on me just because I like her?¡± Wyatt was a bit taken aback. He hadn¡¯t expected that Theodore would genuinely reflect on the matter. Wyatt exined, ¡°This isn¡¯t about cheating. Liking someone means getting to know her, cherishing her, not dominating and bullying her. Liking someone should be a joyful thing, not painful.¡± Theodore sneered, ¡°How can I be happy when she cheats on me?¡± Wyatt was silent for a moment before replying, ¡°I can¡¯tment much on this matter, but one thing I believe is that Reba is someone worth trusting.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you and Reba had such a good rtionship that she¡¯s worth your trust!¡± Theodore mocked. Wyatt was rendered utterly speechless by him. At that instant, the office atmosphere became very quiet. After a brief pause, Wyatt spoke up. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll get going now. The workday is over.¡± Theodore called out, ¡°Hold on.¡± Wyatt then turned around. Feeling a bit awkward, Theodore took out a cigarette and handed it to him, saying, ¡°Anyway¡­ Thank you for telling me all this.¡± Wyatt smiled and said, ¡°A simple thank you isn¡¯t enough. Why don¡¯t you buy me a drink next time?¡± Theodore nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± 15:45 Sat, 20 Jul Charlie¡¯s entertainment business was now officially registered. The first thing he did after establishing thepany was to spend a lot of money to poach a top¨Ctier a then had the agent train Reba. Charlie figured that if she wanted to be a top actress, having resources alone was not enough. M importantly, she needed to be skilled. Reba was very grateful for this arrangement as she was eager to learn. She wanted to be better than J, not for any other reason, but just to prove herself. Back then, J had tampered with Reba¡¯s university application. When it came to light, Rebal parents said that even if she had applied to the film school, she wasn¡¯t cut out for acting. They said sh never be famous and that the major wasn¡¯t suitable for her. Eventually, the matter was dropped, Later, after J finished her SAT, she deliberately applied to film school just to provoke Reba. Reba¡¯s foster parents imed that J had more talent for this industry and scolded Reba no jealous of her sister. However, Reba never felt she was inferior to J. She believed that if given the opportunity to lea could do better than J. Now, Reba wanted to prove herself through her own efforts. She wanted everyone to see that she c CHAPTER 52 Chapter 52 84%% Reba understood that learning was tiring, but every time she took a break and remembered her supportive family, all her tiredness seemed insignificant. Time passed day by day, with Reba training every day. She would only take a break when the children cried or fussed, taking them from the nanny or Debra to feed and soothe them. Charlie stayed with Reba every day at first, butter, he took up a job and had to go out for filming. But before Charlie left, he specifically asked Reba¡¯s agent to take good care of her. His intention was for his sister to learn just enough to get by. However, Reba didn¡¯t want to be half¨Chearted. Having lived through tough times, she understood how precious days with her family¡¯s support were. Reba knew the resources her family provided were one¨Cof¨Ca¨Ckind and didn¡¯t want to waste them or let her family down. Shep proactively asked her agent to be strict with her. Reba wasn¡¯t afraid of hardship or exhaustion. She just wanted to do her best. Reba¡¯s agent, Lynn Fox, was in her forties and had previously managed an award¨Cwinning actress, a top actor, and two well¨Cknown young actresses. Lynn was a renowned top agent in the entertainment industry. Given Lynn¡¯s status, she typically wouldn¡¯t take on new talents, especially not someone like Reba with no acting background. The only reason she agreed to be Reba¡¯s agent at the L&K Group was because she owed Charlie a favor. Lynn was willing to manage Reba solely to repay that favor. Lynn initially nned to just look after Reba casually for a few years and call the task done. However, after spending a few days training with Reba, Lynn changed her mind. She could tell that Reba was genuinely gifted, as she could pick up most things after just a bit of guidance. Lynn had worked with many artists, but ones with such natural talent were rare. Most importantly, Reba¡¯s attitude impressed Lynn. Her proactive request for strict training and her willingness to endure hardships made Lynn more optimistic about her potential. A month passed quickly. The Carter family¡¯s jewelry store in Maeloria was renovated and ready to open. Reba¡¯s father couldn¡¯t wait for her to visit the store. He was concerned that Reba might not know how to arrange things when opening a store in the future, so he strongly insisted she pause her training and learn how to manage everything. 7,84% Reba couldn¡¯t refuse her father, so she politely asked Lynn for a day off. Lynn readily agreed without any objections, understanding that everyone had pressing issues now and then. Reba had been training continuously for a month without anyints, working diligently every day, which was more dedicated than most artists. With a day off, she went to learn with her father. Reba spent the entire day learning, and in the evening, she diligently wrote down her notes and locked them in a cab. With the grand opening of Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s branch approaching, Reba informed her agent, Lynn, about her new role as the brand¡¯s spokesperson. Lynn was shocked by the news, as it was nearly impossible for a neer like Reba to be chosen as the spokesperson for such a globally renowned brand. However, Lynn quickly thought of Charlie. She wondered, ¡®Perhaps Charlie was the one who got Reba this opportunity?¡± With that thought in mind, Lynn asked, ¡°Is there a contract? Can I see it?¡± After all, she was now Reba¡¯s, or rather, Becky¡¯s agent. Reba was her real name, but when signing the contract, Charlie had said that she would debut under the stage. name Becky instead of her real name. ¡°Yes,¡± Reba nodded. Afterward, she took out the contract and handed it to Lynn. Lynn immediately began to review the contract. Contracts between artists and brands were very important. Some brands assumed that artists didn¡¯t understand them, so they included all sorts of unfair terms. Less famous artists could easily fall for these traps and, in case of disputes, might face enormouspensation ims. But soon, Lynn became numb and thought, ¡®Isn¡¯t Becky¡­getting a little too much from this contract with Carter¡¯s Jewel? Even if Charlie himself came forward to endorse Carter¡¯s Jewel, it would be hard to get such a contract, right?¡® Reba noticed that Lynn kept staring at the contract and asked with a hint of confusion, ¡°Lynn? Is there something wrong with the contract?¡± Lynn immediately shook her head vigorously. ¡°No. No problem at all.¡± If anything, it was that the Carter family was too good to Becky, so much so that Lynn found it unreal. 15:46 Sat, 20 JulThis content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. The next moment, Lynn asked seriously, ¡°Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s branch is opening soon. Have you prepared a dress?¡± Reba shook her head and replied, ¡°Not yet.¡± She had been busy trainingtely, and whenever she took time off, she had to follow her father to learn how to run thepany. Reba really had no time to get a dress. Lynn took a deep breath and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll arrange it for you. Just rest for the next few days and get yourself ready. I¡¯ll let you know on the day of the opening.¡± ¡°Thank you, Lynn,¡± Reba said gratefully. They hadn¡¯t told Lynn that Reba was the heiress of the Carter family. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t trust Lynn, but until Reba got the divorce license, she and her mother didn¡¯t want toplicate things. Over at Evergrande Entertainment, Lisa excitedly entered J¡¯s dressing room with an invitation in hand. ¡°J, I got the invitation to Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s branch opening!¡± When J turned around and saw the red invitation in Lisa¡¯s hand, J¡¯s eyes instantly lit up. She excitedly said, ¡°Great! Now I can finally attend the opening ceremony.¡± She handed the invitation to J and then whispered, ¡°J, I just heard that Carter¡¯s Jewel might be looking for a spokesperson.¡± ¡°A spokesperson?¡± J asked excitedly. Lisa quickly nodded. ¡°Yes. I heard it from someone inside theirpany. Apparently, it¡¯sing from the higher- ups. Now, everyone at Carter¡¯s Jewel is talking about how they¡¯re going to have a spokesperson soon.¡± J asked cautiously, ¡°Have they decided who will be the spokesperson?¡± Lisa was taken aback by the question and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I haven¡¯t heard anything about that.¡± J thoughtfully asked, ¡°Has Carter¡¯s Jewel held any spokesperso interviews recently?¡± ¡°No,¡± Lisa replied confidently. She was sure about this because theirpany kept an eye on all the major brands¡® recruitment of spokespersons. If Carter¡¯s Jewel had announced they were looking for one, theirpany would have known. ¡°Could it be that they haven¡¯t chosen anyone yet?¡± J suggested, trying to contain her excitement. Lisa¡¯s eyes lit up, and she nodded. ¡°It could be.¡± 15:46 Sat, 20 Jul With that, she looked at the invitation in J¡¯s hand and said excitedly. ¡°J, you should dress up nicely for the opening ceremony and wear more of Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s jewelry. Maybe the Carter family will see how good you look in their products and make you their spokesperson. CHAPTER 53 J¡¯s eyes pleamed with a nearly crazy exelement. She nodded. ¡°Yes¡±Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Lisa, get me a day off I need to go to Hivalis, J said at the thought crossed her mind. Lisa, equally excited, asked, ¡°J, are you going to Hivalis to try jewelry from Carter¡¯s Jewel?¡± J touched her ear and nodded. ¡°Yes, I want to buy the best¨Clooking earrings for the opening ceremony of Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s new branch.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll inform thepany. Good luck, J!¡± Lisa said excitedly J smiled with a determined sparkle in her eyes. Meanwhile, Lynn gave Reba a few days off to rest and fully prepare for the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony at Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s new branch. With rare free time, Reba finally had the chance to stay at home with her parents and her two adorable babies. Lily and Key were now two months old. She could buy some infant toys to help them develop their focus, fine motor skills, and grasping ability. There were many small toys at home. Reba held the babies while Debra teased them with a cat toy, making the baby reach for the fluffy ball attached to it. With their bright eyes, the babies were fascinated by the fluffy ball. Every time they tried to grab it, Debra would mischievously pull it away, leaving the babies grasping at thin air. The babies were stunned. Seeing their surprised expressions, Debra smiled brightly to cheer them up. The babiesughed along with her, their giggles filling the room. Reba yed with the babies, too, but she held a cute pink balloon instead of a cat toy. The babies, drawn to the bright balloon, reached out with their tiny hands, trying to grab it. Reba tied the balloon¡¯s string to one of the baby¡¯s feet. As the baby moved, the balloon bobbed up a and the baby yed happily with the balloon. and down, It wasn¡¯t until the nanny reminded them to let the babies rest that they stopped, allowing the nanny to put the 15:46 Sat, 20 Jul 6 babies down for a nap. Paul had a rare break at the hospital and immediately came to see his niece and two little nephews. Reba looked at Paul with immense gratitude. If Paul hadn¡¯t recognized her at the hospital, she might never have found her family and reunited with her parents. ¡°Paul, thank you.¡± When everyone was quiet, Reba looked at Paul and sincerely thanked him. Some things were worth saying out loud. ¡°Thank you for finding me and reuniting me with my parents,¡± Reba exined again. Paulughed when he heard this. ¡°Silly girl, why are you thanking me? You were always our precious one. I¡¯m just happy to have found you.¡± Debra also looked at Paul and said, ¡°Paul, we really should thank you for what you did for Becky. How about we all go out for a family gathering? It¡¯s been so long since we had a family gathering.¡± ¡°Sure, Debra. You and my brother haven¡¯t tried the local food here in Maeloria yet, have you?¡± Paul responded with excitement. Paul then turned to Reba and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy with work that I haven¡¯t had time to go out and eat. But Becky, you grew up in Maeloria, so you should know some good ces, right? How about you pick a restaurant, and we all go out for a nice meal together?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Reba immediately agreed with a smile. Reba took the task seriously since it was her first time arranging a family gathering. She discussed it with her mom for a long time and finally chose a restaurant that everyone liked. There were many restaurants in Maeloria, but the Blue River Bistro was the best. Reba found the restaurant¡¯s page online and booked a private room in advance. That evening, the whole family went to the Blue River Bistro. They were apanied by the nanny and the babies. Although the babies were too young to eat barbecue, they could still be part of the outing. However, Reba was surprised to run into someone familiar at the restaurant. It was Theodore. Theodore was there with his parents, Michael and Helen, and a girl she didn¡¯t know. The four of them seemed to be having a good time together. To be precise, it was Theodore¡¯s parents and the girl who were chatting happily. On the other hand, Theodore looked unhappy and followed them. But when Theodore turned and saw Reba, his gaze fixed on her. From a distance, Theodore¡¯s intense gaze locked onto Reba. Reba¡¯s steps halted, her heart instinctively flustered, and she stood still, not daring to move forward. Debra and the others also saw Theodore and his parents, Michael and Helen. Unlike Reba, who was looking at Theodore, Debra quickly noticed the girl chatting with Helen. Debra sneered and then turned to Reba, whispering, ¡°The girl next to Helen is the one they brought back from abroad. They n to marry her to Theodore.¡± Reba was shocked and turned to look at her mom. Patrick reminded them, ¡°Let¡¯s go to our private room first.¡± Reba, though filled with questions, held back and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Even though she agreed to her parents¡® suggestion, Reba¡¯s mind was still in turmoil, mostly in shock.. An arranged marriage? She and Theodore hadn¡¯t officially divorced yet. Wasn¡¯t Theodore involved with J? They even had a child together, yet now Theodore was going to marry someone else. Was Theodore not going to marry J? ¡°Excuse me. Which private room did you book?¡± the restaurant¡¯s waiter came over and respectfully asked. Reba snapped out of her thoughts and quickly said, ¡°Room 403.¡± ¡°Alright, please follow me,¡± the waiter said respectfully and then led the away- Reba and the others followed the waiter into the elevator. The waiter pressed the floor button and led them to their private room before leaving. ¡°Becky, the Edwards family is nothing but trouble. There¡¯s nothing worth holding on to with Theodore. If you¡¯re not happy, you should finalize the divorce as soon as possible,¡± Debra advised as soon as the waiter left. ¡°Mom, you said Theodore is going to marry that girl?¡± Reba couldn¡¯t control her shock and asked. 15:46 Sat, 20 Jul 84% Debra nodded and exined, ¡°Becky, after we found out about your rtionship with Theodore, your dad and I had people investigate the Edwards family. ¡°The Edwards family has been doing well domestically and seems to be nning to expand abroad in theing years.¡± CHAPTER 54 Chapter 54 ¡°This girl is the adopted daughter of the Smith family from Menterra. Her Zentiscape name is Jenny Smith. Jenny has loved Zentiscape since childhood and has always wanted to marry a Zentiscapen. ¡°Michael and Helen must have taken advantage of Jenny¡¯s thoughts, trying various ways to get close to her. They even said they have a very outstanding son and wanted to introduce Jenny to Theodore. ¡°Jenny came back with Michael and Helen with the idea of getting married. Judging from the situation just now, it seems Michael and Helen couldn¡¯t wait any longer and arranged for Theodore and Jenny to meet.¡± Meanwhile, Theodore and the others were also led into room 406 by a waiter. As soon as they sat down, the waiter handed them the menu and asked them to order. Michael, with a kindly smile, encouraged Jenny to experience Zentiscape¨Cstyle dining. Helen was also very happy and gently exined the special dishes of Zentiscape to Jenny, describing the picture and taste of various dishes on the menu. Only Theodore sat opposite them. His face was stern, and he exuded a domineering and aggressive demeanor. He was handsome and noble. Theodore did not speak, but if Wyatt were there, he might have noticed Theodore¡¯s impatience. ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom,¡± Theodore suddenly said. He stood up and walked out. The other three in the room all looked at him, including Jenny, Michael, and Helen. Theodore, with a stern face, walked out. Theodore didn¡¯t head to the restroom but looked toward room 403. He had seen Reba and the others enter this room earlier, so he knew that Reba was in room 403 at that moment. Theodore was about to walk towards room 403, but then he heard footsteps behind him. Theodore stopped and turned around to see Michael. Michael no longer had the kind expression he had in the room with Jenny. His face was cold as he quietly rebuked, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Theodore looked at his father, his face grim. Michael¡¯s face was sullen, and he said unhappily, ¡°Today is your first meeting with Jenny. Show some respect, and¡­¡± Michael nced at room 403 and scolded, ¡°Don¡¯t think about people you shouldn¡¯t be thinking about. ¡°Especially not in front of Jenny! Don¡¯t make her feel unhappy,¡± Michael scolded. Theodore showed a mocking smile. ¡°Michael, you really make me sick.¡± After speaking, Theodore turned and went to the restroom. Michael didn¡¯t leave. He waited at the door until Theodore came out of the restroom, then stared at Theodore as they returned to room 406 together. When they entered room 406, Michael once again showed a kindly smile as if he were a very friendly elder. In room 403, Debra briefly exined the rtionship between Theodore and Jenny to Reba, just mentioning it so her daughter would know, and then she stopped talking about it. What the Edwards family did were too disgusting. Since they rarely got together for a meal, it is disgusting to constantly talk about the Edwards family. It was better to focus on enjoying the barbecue! After Reba understood the situation, she didn¡¯t mention them again. The waiter brought out the menu, and everyone looked at it, choosing their favorite dishes. While they were halfway through the barbecue, Charlie called. Knowing they were having a meal together, Charlie was annoyed andined loudly, asking why they didn¡¯t bring him along. Paul picked up the phone, eating barbecue while bantering with Charlie. It was clear that they had an excellent rtionship. Everyone finished eating, and two hours had passed. Paul insisted on paying the bill, and then they all headed home together. However, when they got home, they saw Theodore at the door. He seemed to have been standing there for a long time, waiting specifically for them. Debra reached out, holding her daughter¡¯s hand, and walked towards the vi without looking at Theodore. ¡°Reba!¡± Theodore grabbed Reba. 15:47 Sat, 84%1 ¡°You¡­you¡¯re my wife. Isn¡¯t it inappropriate to always stay at someone else¡¯s house?¡± Theodore looked at Reba, then at Debra. He had already had someone check it out. The current owner of the vi next door was named Debra, the woman. who had always been with Reba. But regardless of whose house it was, it was inappropriate for Reba to stay at someone else¡¯s house all the time. With a stem face, Theodore said, ¡°We have our own house. Come back with the children.¡± Debra rolled her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my house? If Becky likes it, I can give this vi to her, even transfer it to her.¡± ¡°You!¡± Theodore red at Debra, finding her unreasonable. Theodore then looked at Reba. Expressionless, Reba said, ¡°Theodore, there¡¯s no point in me returning. If you don¡¯t want to waste time, let¡¯s go to the courthouse and schedule our divorce.¡± Theodore was annoyed by her words. ¡°Divorce! Reba, can you not mention divorce every time?¡± Reba looked at Theodore. Theodore met Reba¡¯s gaze, and in that moment, he realized¡­Reba¡¯s look had changed. Her eyes showed fatigue and annoyance. She seemed truly exhausted. Did she no longer love him? This realization made Theodore feel uneasy. ¡°Carter¡¯s Jewel is having its opening banquet in a few days. Get ready to go with me,¡± Theodore suddenly said,This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. changing the topic. Reba was stunned and surprised as she looked at him. ¡°What did you say?¡± Theodore calmed down, returning to his usual proud and cold demeanor. He said, ¡°You are my wife. Apanying me to events is your duty. Since we haven¡¯t divorced yet, you should fulfill your responsibilities as my wife, Reba.¡± After saying that, he left and quickly entered Edwards Vi. It took Reba a while to process the fact that Theodore actually wanted her to attend the banquet with him. Was this really a wife¡¯s duty? 15:47 Sat, zu. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He¡¯s out of his mind!¡± Debra cursed bluntly. Debra pulled Reba back to her house. Once in the living room, Reba took out her phone and sent Theodore a message. [Theodore, we are done. Find someone else to attend the banquet with you.] In Edwards Vi, Theodore had just gone upstairs when his phone rang. It was a message notification. Theodore took out his phone and saw the message from Reba. His face darkened. CHAPTER 55 Chapter 55 Three days passed quickly, and soon it was time for the grand opening of Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s new branch. Early in the morning, Lynn called Reba, urging her to get ready. The branch opening was a big deal for her family, and it was Reba¡¯s first time appearing as the spokesperson, so she took it seriously. She got up before dawn. When she got Lynn¡¯s call, she almost immediately got into the car to go to thepany. The L&K Group¡¯s headquarters was temporarily established in Maeloria, in a house Charlie rented as a temporary office. When Reba arrived, Lynn handed her a dress to change into. It was a stepped out of the dressing room after putting it on. ght red gown, and Pol Seeing Reba in the dress, Lynn stood up from the sofa in shock. Although Lynn had always known that Reba was beautiful, she hadn¡¯t expected her to look this stunning in the dress! ¡°Lynn?¡± Reba was still a bit nervous. Lynn quickly rxed and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s okay. You look absolutely gorgeous in that dress. ¡°Come over here and sit down so the makeup artist can do your hair and makeup,¡± Lynn added with another smile. Beside Lynn stood a woman in her forties, dressed in a ck suit, with her hair in a low ponytail and minimal makeup. Her simple appearance carried an air of mature charm. ¡°Okay,¡± Reba agreed. Reba walked over and sat at the vanity table. The makeup artist, Courtney Green, quickly removed her tools and began applying makeup to Reba. Courtney seemed very serious, not saying a word from start to finish, but her movements were clean and swift as she worked on Reba¡¯s makeup. Reba tried her best not to move and cooperated with Courtney to create the look. After about half an hour, the makeup was finally done. ¡°Is this okay?¡± Courtney asked. 15:47 Sat, 20 Jul Reba stood up and looked at herself in the mirror, feeling¡­beautiful. She had never felt this beautiful before. Lynn came over, nced at Reba, and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s perfect. Now let¡¯s do her hair.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Courtney agreed. Courtney put away her tools and started working on Reba¡¯s hair. Creating a beautiful hairstyle took time and patience. Reba knew she had to wait patiently for the process to bepleted. However, she didn¡¯t expect Charlie toe back during her wait!. ¡°Becky!¡± Charlie called out as he walked into the dressing room, looking for Reba. Hearing Charlie¡¯s voice, Reba instinctively turned to look at him. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Courtney reminded her. Then, Reba quickly sat still. ¡°Lynn, Courtney, good morning!¡± Charlie greeted Lynn and Courtney with a big smile. ¡°You¡¯re back early this time?¡± Lynn teased. Charlie looked at Reba and nodded. ¡°Of course, today is her first time as a spokesperson. I had toe to support her!¡± Lynn smiled wryly, ncing at Charlie and then at Reba, feeling a bit conflicted. She had seen the news about Becky and Charlie participating in a variety show together and knew they had a fan- idol rtionship. But¡­was Charlie being too nice to Becky? Courtney, make sure she looks amazing. She has to be the most beautiful woman there tonight!¡± Charlie said, looking at Courtney expectantly. ¡°Isn¡¯t this look already beautiful enough?¡± Courtney nced at Charlie, teasing. Charlie immediatelyughed heartily. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s beautiful, but she is still the most beautiful.¡± Hearing this, Courtney alsoughed and continued styling Reba¡¯s hair. ¡°Reba, this is Courtney. Her full name is Courtney Green. She used to style me before, and she¡¯s really good. 15:47 Sat, 20 JUI 3.84% 1 You don¡¯t need to worry about anything when ites to styling,¡± Charlie quickly introduced Reba to her. Courtney smiled more gently after hearing Charlie¡¯s words. ¡°Thank you, Courtney.¡± Reba quickly thank her. ¡°No need to thank me. Whether you look good or not depends on your natural beauty. You¡¯re already pretty. Even if I styled you like a beggar, you¡¯d still look great,¡± Courtney said with a smile. Rebaughed too. This stylist, who initially had a stern face, seemed quite nice after all. The hair was soon done. It was a voluminous bun. Reba stood up and looked at herself in the mirror, feeling that she looked much younger and more vibrant. ¡°And this!¡± Charlie took out two small boxes. Reba was curious. ¡°What is this?¡± Charlie opened the boxes, revealing the earrings inside. ¡°Such beautiful earrings.¡± Reba got excited immediately, captivated by the earrings. ¡°I¡¯ll put them on for you,¡± Charlie said, carefully picking up the earrings and putting them on Reba. Reba stayed still, cooperating with Charlie. Once the earrings were on, she eagerly looked at herself in the mirror. She looked stunning. Charlie opened another box, revealing a beautiful bracelet. With the bracelet on, Reba walked to the mirror, almost doubting if the person in the mirror was really her. ¡°Looks great, right?¡± Charlie said happily. ¡°This was specially designed for you by the designer. It¡¯s the only one in the world. It even has your name engraved on it, one of a kind!¡± Charlie said proudly. These essories were specially designed for Becky. Lynn stood up in shock. ¡°Can I take a look?¡± Lynn asked. It was quite normal for celebrities to endorse brands. As brand ambassadors, it was also typical for the brand to give their products to celebrities. However, designing a product specially for the ambassador seemed quite extraordinary, didn¡¯t it? 3 More importantly, this was from Carter¡¯s Jewell Reba was curious too. She wanted to see it since Charlie mentioned her name was engraved on it. Reba took off the bracelet and looked inside. Her name, Becky, was engraved there. ¡°The earrings also have your name on them, so they won¡¯t get stolen,¡± Charlie said happily. Reba was speechless. She took off the earrings too and examined them closely, trying to find her name. After looking several times, she couldn¡¯t find it. Reba was puzzled. She looked at Charlie, confused. ¡°Where?¡± Lynn and Courtney also looked at the bracelet and saw Becky¡¯s name on it, but they were more curious about the name on the earrings. Could such small earrings really have a name engraved on them? Everyone leaned in together, curiously staring at the earrings, trying to find the engraved name.N?velDrama.Org ? content. CHAPTER 56 ¡°No¡°¡± Reba asked again, her brows furrowed in confusion. Lynn also looked perplexed as she replied, ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t see it either.¡± A mysterious smile yed on Charlie¡¯s lips as he suddenly produced a magnifying ss and handed it to Reba. ¡°Take a look at this,¡± he suggested. Reba was taken aback but epted the magnifying ss anyway. Could it really be so precise that she needed a magnifying ss to see it? ¡°Quick! Take a look,¡± Courtney urged, unable to contain her curiosity. Reba carefully scanned the earrings with the magnifying ss and finally spotted her name engraved at the very bottom. It was true! ¡°It is engraved with such precision,¡± Lynn marveled in amazement. What was even more impressive was that despite the precise engraving, there was no visible w on the outside. The engraved area seemed to meld with the earring¡¯s design seamlessly. ¡°Put it on for the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony we¡¯ll be going togetherter,¡± Charlie coaxed with a smile. Reba snapped back to reality andplied with Charlie¡¯s suggestion. Meanwhile, Lynn took the magnifying ss from Reba¡¯s hand and watched as Reba put on the earrings and bracelet again. ¡°What about you?¡± Courtney inquired, directing her gaze at Charlie. Charlie chuckled and settled onto a stool, stating, ¡°You¡¯re still as sharp as ever, Courtney.¡± Reba couldn¡¯t help but chuckle; Charlie was forever the life of the party. When it came to makeup, guys had it easy. Courtney only needed half an hour to work her magic on Charlie before she was done. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s all go to the store together,¡± Charlie dered cheerfully, pping his hands with excitement. ¡°Charlie,¡± Lynn interjected anxiously, ¡°You¡­are youing too?¡± Charlie raised an eyebrow, turning to look at Lynn before shing a smile at Reba. ¡°Of course! 15:48 Sat, 20 Jul ¡°It¡¯s Becky¡¯s first endorsement gig: I¡¯ve got to be there to watch her back!¡± Charlie asserted confidently. Watching Charlie, Reba couldn¡¯t help but feel theforting presence beneath his lively, boyish exterior. ¡°Do you have the invitation?¡± Lynn asked curiously.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Charlie chuckled, ¡°Of course I do! Getting it is a piece of cakel¡± With that, Charlie pulled out a red invitation card from his pocket. 04701 Lynn examined the invitation and confirmed its authenticity, her gaze flickering between Charlie and Reba. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯m not sure if I should ask.¡± Lynn tentatively began. ¡°Becky and I aren¡¯t dating. We don¡¯t have romantic feelings for each other, and we will never be together in our lives. Is that answer satisfactory for you?¡± Charlie exined. Lynn chuckled, exining, ¡°It¡¯s just a professional inquiry.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Charlie nodded. Lynn simply suspected that Charlie was treating Reba well because they were dating. Charlie looked at Reba, affectionately ruffling her hair, and said with a smile, ¡°Lynn, I think of Becky as my little sister, and I just want to protect her well for the rest of my life! Lynn froze because the phrase ¡°rest of my life¡± slipped from Charlie¡¯s mouth naturally. Though simple, it carried a profound weight that would span a lifetime. ¡°Okay,¡± Lynn nodded in agreement after some thought. Inside J¡¯s dressing room at Evergrande Entertainment. Today, it was the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony for Carter¡¯s Jewel branch opening, followed by the much¨Canticipated grand opening banquet. J slipped into her meticulously prepared ck gown and adorned her neck with thetest gold ne from Carter¡¯s Jewel, which she had bought at the Hivalis store a couple of days ago. While gazing at herself in the mirror for a while, she marveled at her beauty. The ne around her neck was particrly stunning, making J stare at her reflection, repeatedlyparing her makeup and the ne to see if they matched. 15.48 Sat, 20 Jul Chapter M J, that ne from the Carter family suits you perfectly, Lisa praised from the side. J chuckled and replied as she sat down, ¡°That¡¯s for sure. ¡°When does the banquet start?¡± J inquired again. ncing at the time, Lisa replied, ¡°It¡¯s still an hour away. We¡¯ll wait a bit longer before heading out.¡± J nodded slightly. ¡°Sure.¡± 84% J nced over at Mary and Arthur standing nearby. She had recently given birth and was allowed to bring her son to work by thepany, so usually, Mary would take care of Arthur while J was busy with work. Mary became a bit nervous when she saw J approaching. Sitting down beside them, J picked up one of Arthur¡¯s toys and yed with him. While absent¨Cmindedly watching Arthur¡¯s face, J¡¯s mind wandered off, hoping to find his features resembling either hers or Theodore¡¯s on the child¡¯s face. Knowing Arthur was hers and Theodore¡¯s son made her heart swell with anticipation for the future. But after she stared at him for a while, her brows furrowed gradually. Why did it feel like¡­ Arthur didn¡¯t have any features that resembled Theodore¡¯s? They said sons took after their mothers, while daughters took after their fathers. Could it be that because Arthur was a boy, so he resembled J more than Theodore? J pondered for a moment before she rxed. Perhaps it was normal for her son not to resemble Theodore so much? Carter¡¯s Jewel was adorned withrge banners from inside out, while arge group of staff dressed in suits celebrated the asion joyfully. At the entrance of the jewelry store, two rows of flowers lined the path, and a red carpet covered the ground. Many citizens gathered around, wearing smiles as they curiously observed the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony. When Reba and Charlie¡¯s car arrived, it was actually still early, but the ce was already bustling with an excited crowd. As Charlie stepped out of the car, many passersby recognized him and eximed, ¡°Is that Charlie?¡± 15:48 Sat, 20 Jul ¡°Oh my gosh, it¡¯s Charlie! I can¡¯t believe my idol¡¯s here!¡± 84% Passersby were initially shocked, but soon their expressions turned to excitement. This was especially true for Charlie¡¯s fans, who quickly realized the situation and hurried over. Thankfully, the Carter family had already arranged for security guards to intercept these emotionally charged fans, preventing any chaos. Charlie also noticed his fans and turned to greet them with a happy wave as they approached. Some fans who had seen Reba with Charlie on a variety show quickly recognized her and eximed in delight, ¡°That¡¯s Becky, right?¡± ¡°Is it Becky?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going crazy! Charlie and Becky are still together, and they¡¯re even attending events together!¡± The fans shouted excitedly, hastily taking out their phones to take pictures of them. Reba nced sideways at Charlie, then followed his lead, raising her hand and greeting everyone graciously, ¡°Hello, everyone, I¡¯m Becky.¡± Hearing Reba¡¯s greeting, the fans who were eagerly taking photos became even more excited, shouting, ¡°Becky is talking to us! Her voice sounds even nicer than during the livestreams!¡± CHAPTER 57 Chapter 57 ¡°Can we get your autograph?¡± A fan¡¯s voice rang out with fervor, cutting through the bustling atmosphere, Lynn followed, her senses heightened by the passionate cries of the crowd. Could it be that Becky had already garnered a group of fans after just one stint on a variety show? ncing at Becky, Lynn couldn¡¯t help but swell with pride at her friend¡¯s newfound fame. ¡°Count me in for an autograph! I want one from Chuck too!¡± Another voice mored from within the crowd. Patrick and Debra stood at the entrance of the jewelry store basking in the glow of their children¡¯s poprity. Their hearts brimmed with joy, mirrored by the radiant smiles gracing their faces. ¡°You can sign over there,¡± Patrick graciously directed. Charlie shot a sidelong nce at his father, a chuckle bubbling up within him at the unmistakable disy of favoritism. Yet, despite the internal amusement, the prospect of signing autographs had him brimming with excitement, especially when there was an area set up specially for them. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, Charlie whisked Reba away, eager to engage and converse with their adoring fans. Before long, candid snapshots of Charlie and Becky made their rounds online, igniting a whirlwind of attention. At Evergrande Entertainment, Lisa received the news and hastily sought out J. ¡°J, something¡¯s happened! There are rumors online saying that Charlie and Becky attended the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony at Carter¡¯s Jewel!¡± Lisa eximed anxiously. J, already dressed up and eagerly awaiting the end of the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony to attend Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s grand opening banquet, was taken aback by the news. ¡°What do you mean?¡± J¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion, her expression clouded with apprehension. Lisa promptly handed her phone over. ¡°Take a look, J. These are candid shots taken by the fans. Someone captured Charlie and Becky at the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony!¡± Taking the phone, J scrutinized the images, zooming in to examine every detail. Despite her repeated scrutiny, the faces in the photos remained unequivocally real, devoid of any trace of editing. It was Reba! Reba and Charlin¡® shockwaves through J¡¯s mind. As someone who grew up in Maeloria, she wouldn¡¯t be mistaken by the ¡°How is this possible?¡± Yet, J refused to ept the reality portrayed in the photos. ¡°Could Reba really have earned the right to attend the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony for Carter¡¯s Jewel? With her limited abilities, is she even worthy of that?¡± J¡¯s frustration bubbled over into anger. Lisa, equally perplexed by the situation, offered a tentative exnation, her brow furrowed in concern. ¡°Could it be that Charlie brought her along? With Charlie¡¯s status, it¡¯s not entirely impossible for him to secure the role of spokesperson for her.¡± The gossip circting among Carter¡¯s Jewel staff only added to the confusion. Rumors suggested that the Carter family had already selected a spokesperson for the year, yet no official announcement had been made. Seeing Charlie and Reba together at the event led many to specte that they were indeed the chosen representatives for Carter¡¯s Jewel. Lisa recoiled in shock, her instinctive reaction to protect herself kicking in. ¡°Why would Charlie go out of his way to help Reba?¡± J demanded. Concerned about the implications of Charlie¡¯s involvement, J wasted no time in issuing orders. ¡°Lisa, find some paparazzi and have them watch them twenty¨Cfour seven!¡± Lisa hesitated at J¡¯s suspicions beforeprehending them fully. ¡°J, are you suggesting that Charlie is financially supporting Reba? Like, as her sugar daddy?¡± otos J¡¯s response was a cold smirk. ¡°Why else would Charlie go to such lengths for Reba if there weren¡¯t ulterior motives?¡± Considering J¡¯s logic, Lisa nodded slowly. ¡°You¡¯re right, Charlie¡¯s exceptional treatment of Reba does seem peculiar.¡± J wasted no time in giving instructions. ¡°Arrange for people to watch over them and capture any intimate moments between them. If possible, obtain video evidence.¡± Lisa, though uneasy, agreed promptly. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°And initiate a few strategic leaks online, insinuating Charlie¡¯s ¡®financial support for Reba,¡± J continued. Lisa hesitated momentarily but eventuallyplied. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it.¡± In the entertainment industry, such maneuvers weremonce. With a bit of investment, they could sway 15:48 Sat, 20 Jul U public opinion, tarnishing their rivals¡® image and securing their own interests, be it for roles in shows or endorsements. ¡°J, should we still attend the grand opening banquetter?¡± Lisa inquired cautiously. 84% They had prepared meticulously for the event, securing invitations and nning outfits and essories. J had even taken a day off to purchase thetest jewelry from Hivalis for the asion. However, with their aspirations to represent Carter¡¯s Jewel now in doubt, the banquet held a different significance. ¡°Of course we are!¡± J¡¯s voice was stern andmanding. Then, she chuckled, a sarcastic edge to her tone. ¡°If nothing unexpected happens, Theodore will definitely attend today¡¯s grand opening banquet too. I¡¯d love to see the look on his face when he sees Reba and Charlie together at Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s opening ceremony. That would be quite amusing, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± Lisa¡¯s eyes widened at J¡¯s words as realization dawned upon her. ¡°Oh my goodness, why didn¡¯t I think of that earlier? If Reba managed to secure the spokesperson role at Carter¡¯s Jewel by sleeping her way around, how would Mr. Edwards react if he found out? Reba would be in big trouble.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Lisa¡¯s excitement grew as she continued, ¡°J, imagine if Mr. Edwards decides to divorce Reba on the spot! Once they¡¯re divorced, you could marry Mr. Edwards!¡± J was initially surprised by Lisa¡¯s suggestion, but soon, a triumphant smile spread across her face as she nodded in agreement. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± What had started as anger now transformed into a sense of gleeful anticipation for J? She couldn¡¯t wait to witness the scene where Reba would be caught red¨Chanded by Theodore. It was sure to be entertaining for her. At Carter¡¯s Jewel, Reba and Charlie found themselves surrounded by fans moring for their autographs. They were kept busy for a while, but thankfully, the frenzy didn¡¯tst long. Charlie, being a popr movie star in the country, attracted a crowd simply by standing at the entrance for a brief moment. More and more people arrived after hearing the news, eager to catch a glimpse of him. To avoid chaos, Charlie and Reba exchanged a few words offort with their fans before being ushered inside by the staff. Outside the jewelry store, the guests invited to the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony began to arrive one after another, warmly weed by the staff as they were ushered inside to take their seats. As the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony was about tomence, Theodore¡¯s Rolls Royce finally made its appearance. With an icy expression, Theodore stepped out of the car, his lips pressed together tightly. Following closely behind him was Jenny, adorned in a light blue dress and wearing a joyful smile. As they descended from the luxury of Theodore¡¯s car, Jenny instinctively intertwined her arm with his, a gesture of 84%ÌÇ 10.40 30i, 20 Jul intimacy and partnership that spoke volumes about their rtionship. Inside the opulent confines of the jewelry store, Debra¡¯s voice was barely a whisper, tinged with a hint of disapproval as she addressed her husband. ¡°Why did you invite him?¡± Casting a 3 nce toward the imposing figure of Theodore outside, Patrick exchanged a subtle yet reassuring look with his wife, silently affirming her that everything would be alright. They didn¡¯t hesitate to uproot themselves from Hivalis to Maeloria, setting up shop and purchasing a home there. Besides being closer to Reba, seeking retribution for her was also a top objective of theirs. While the legalities of Reba¡¯s divorce from Theodore might have been straightforward, the emotional toll of the Edwards family¡¯s mistreatment was something that would linger for a long time. Women may resolve conflicts through verbal sparring, content to im victory in the heat of the moment. But for men, the approach was often different. Since the Edwards family dared to mistreat Reba, they shouldn¡¯t be surprised if he decided to strike at the very core of their power. He intended to systematically dismantle the Edwards family¡¯s influence, leaving them to rue the day they betrayed his beloved daughter. CHAPTER 58 Chapter 58 Theodore entered with an air of striking handsomeness and aristocratic grace. The customers in the store couldn¡¯t help but stop their movements, closing their mouths and maintaining silence as they turned their heads toward the man. The Edwards family truly lived up to their reputation as Maeloria¡¯s top dogs. The tension and respect subconsciously exhibited by everyone in Theodore¡¯s presence represented not only the Edwards family but also Theodore¡¯s status in Maeloria. Patrick patted Debra¡¯s hand and quickly greeted him with a smile, ¡°Mr. Edwards.¡± His greeting and smile made it seem as if he hadn¡¯t spat in Theodore¡¯s face just a few days ago. When Theodore saw Patrick, his eyes widened slightly in disbelief. How could this man be here? What was his rtionship with the Carter family? Theodore pondered, his gaze crossing the man to scan the venue, and sure enough, he soon spotted Reba inside. Theodore¡¯s gaze was intense as he stared at Reba. Debra furrowed her brow, discreetly pulling Reba behind her. Patrick observed everything, smiling as he said, ¡°Mr. Edwards, the seating has been arranged. This way, please.¡± ¡°Are you a member of the Carter family?¡± Theodore stared at Patrick, questioning in a cold tone. Patrick smiled, ¡°Mr. Edwards, you think too highly of me. Though myst name is Carter too, I¡¯m just a worker for the Carter family.¡± He was a worker for his wife, working hard to buy her anything she wanted. ¡°But I manage most of the Carter family¡¯s business in the country.¡± Then, Patrick smiled, ¡°Mr. Edwards, this way.¡± Theodore nodded and walked inside. Jenny held Theodore¡¯s arm, curiously inspecting the decor of the store. She was filled with curiosity about everything in Zentiscape. With the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony was about tomence, the host of Carter¡¯s Jewel stood on stage, delivering formal speeches and lengthy ounts of Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s history and glory. 83% 15:49 Sat, 20 Jul Soon, the staff reminded them that the nned time for the ribbon¨Ccutting was approaching, prompting the host to halt the speech. ¡°We are delighted to have you all here to participate in the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony for the opening of Carter¡¯s Jewel branch here. Now, please join me in weing our spokesperson, Mr. Charlie Carter and Ms. Reba Mitchell, to lead everyone to the entrance for the official ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony!¡± As the host¡¯s words fell, Theodore¡¯s eyes widened once more in surprise. Reba was the spokesperson for Carter¡¯s Jewel? Why? On what grounds? Why would Carter¡¯s Jewel choose Reba as their spokesperson? At that moment, Theodore¡¯s gaze shifted to Charlie, who stood beside Reba. Hisst name was Carter, and the couple apanying Reba was from the Carter family. Could it be¡­ Was Charlie part of the Carter family? Did Charlie grant Reba the privilege of being Carter¡¯s Jewel spokesperson because they were in cahoots? And what about Patrick and Debra? They were clearly the Carter family¡¯sckeys, so their relentless defense of Reba during this time made perfect sense. After all, theckeys of the Carter family naturally had to obey their master¡¯smands. They were defending Reba on behalf of Charlie against the Edwards family. Theodore pondered, recalling how deliberately Patrick and Debra had bought the vi next to theirs. Did they really purchase that vi, or did it belong to Charlie? Charlie, being a celebrity, wouldn¡¯t risk exposing himself by buying a house under his own name, especially one meant for¡­a mistress. So, was Reba actually Charlie¡¯s underground lover? Did they intentionally buy the house next door to taunt him? Or were they simply too bold in their affair? Theodore simmered with anger, his gaze almost aze. He was tempted to strip Reba bare with his eyes to see if she had any semnce of decency left! 274 15:49 Sat, 20 Reba had been talking about divorcing himtely. She must be dreaming of marrying Charlie, mustn¡¯t she? Did she think that divorcing him would pave the way for her to marry Charlie?N?velDrama.Org ? content. What a shameless fool! Suddenly, Reba felt a piercing gaze upon her, and when she turned, she found Theodore staring at her with an almost predatory intensity, like he was about to eat her alive. At that moment, Reba felt as if her throat was being constricted, suffocating her. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Charlie¡¯s reassuring voice sounded from beside her. ¡°Let¡¯s step outside,¡± Debra murmured, gently guiding Reba away. Hearing Charlie¡¯sforting words and feeling Debra¡¯s reassuring touch, Reba¡¯s fear began to ebb away. So what if Theodore was there? She had her parents and brothers by her side; she didn¡¯t need to fear Theodore. ¡°Be confident. Today is a milestone for us as the spokeperson of Carter¡¯s Jewel,¡± Charlie encouraged her with a bright smile, shing his pearly whites. Reba looked at his infectious grin and felt the weight in her chest lift as she nodded resolutely. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± With her family, they made their way to the front. Amidst the guests¡® curious gazes and the shing cameras, they cut the red ribbon at the entrance of Carter¡¯s Jewel, heralding its grand opening. Cameras shed incessantly as they posed for photos. Reba stood with her family behind the ribbon, smiling confidently as she observed the guests and, notably, Theodore among them. Reba¡¯s confidence soared, and they shed a radiant smile. When the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony concluded, they were ushered inside for a break. As the ceremony ended, the crowd exited the jewelry store and made their way to the hotel for the opening banquet. Unlike the exclusive ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony with influential figures as their guests, the banquet weed a more ordinary range of guests. And J had secured an invitation in that category. 15:49 Sat, 20 Jul As the ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony concluded and the crowd began to transition to the hotel, J finally ar with a regr invitation in hand. With so many ordinary guests around, J smoothly passed through t checks and blended into the banquet. Reba, along with her parents and Charlie, were busy greeting guests inside the hall and hadn¡¯t noticed anomalies at the entrance. Therefore, they temporarily remained unaware of J¡¯s unexpected presend the gathering. It wasn¡¯t until Reba caught sight of J that she paused, momentarily perplexed. How had J ma slip in? Surely, the Carter family hadn¡¯t extended an invitation to the Mitchell family, and J couldn¡¯t possibly received an invitation either. J, however, didn¡¯t see her presence as problematic. On the contrary, as she looked at Reba, she co help but wonder if Theodore knew about Reba¡¯s rtionship with Charlie. Just the thought of Theodore possibly figuring out that something was amiss between Reba and Char brought her immense satisfaction. ¡°Hey, long time no see! Heard you¡¯re the face of Carter¡¯s Jewel now? That¡¯s impressive, congrattions,¡± approached with a ss of red wine in hand, wearing a smile that concealed her true intentions. Reba¡¯s smile slowly faded as she turned away, uninterested in engaging with J. CHAPTER 59 Chapter 59 ¡°Reba!¡± J finally dropped her facade, her smile reced by a displeased expression as she looked at Reba Rebapletely ignored her, continuing to walk away without acknowledging her presence. Not far away, Debra noticed the situation and frowned with displeasure. The next moment, she turned and went to find a security guard, giving him a few brief instructions. The guard, slightly puzzled, nodded in response. A momentter, the security guard made his way through the crowd, heading straight towards J, who stood with a ss of red wine in hand, eagerly scanning the crowd as she wondered, ¡®Would Theodore be here today?¡± Theodore was conspicuous in the crowd, and J quickly spotted him, surrounded by many people. Her face lit up with a smile as she began to walk towards him. But just as she took a few steps, a security guard suddenly approached her. J frowned, looking displeasedly at the security guard blocking her path. ¡°Ms. Mitchell, I¡¯m sorry, but the hosts have informed us that you were not invited to this event. Please leave the premises immediately,¡± the security guard said sternly. Nearby guests also noticed themotion and turned their attention towards them. J¡¯s hand, holding the wine ss, froze in ce. She retrieved her invitation card, saying, ¡°But I have an invitation!¡± The security guard remained firm. ¡°The hosts have made it clear that they did not invite you here.¡± Those words felt like a p in J¡¯s face. ¡°Ms. Mitchell, please leave immediately,¡± the security guard reiterated. More people turned to look in their direction, causing J¡¯s face to pale in embarrassment. This kind of event usually only required an invitation for anyone to join, and the hosts wouldn¡¯t make things difficult for the guests. Why did the security guarde to escort her out without any care for her dignity at all? At that moment, J suddenly thought of Reba. She had just finished talking to Reba when the security guard approached. Could it be Reba¡¯s doing? Some things shouldn¡¯t be dwelled upon. Once thought of, they spiralled out of control, bing increasingly irrational. She wasn¡¯t close to the Carter family, so the only person who could have orchestrated the security guard¡¯s intervention was Reba! Now that Reba was the spokesperson for Carter¡¯s Jewel, she could easily have informed the Carter family to have J escorted out. With these thoughts swirling in her mind, J turned her head to scan the crowd. She needed to find Reba. If possible, she would even kill Reba with just her gaze. Reba also noticed themotion around J. In fact, she hadn¡¯t expected the security guard to ask J to leave. This was Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s grand opening, and only someone from the Carter family could have summoned the security guard to do such a thing. Reba couldn¡¯t help but turn to Debra, who offered her a smile in response. In that instant, Reba understood that it was Debra¡¯s doing. Suddenly, she felt a wave of happiness wash over her. She had already expressed her gratitude countless times, and saying it again would seem too formal for family. So, Reba said nothing and simply returned the smile, swirling the wine ss in her hand. On the other side, J followed Reba¡¯s gaze and also noticed Debra. With just one nce, she recognized her as the woman she had encountered at Theodore¡¯s house that day! In that instant, J recalled the altercation at Theodore¡¯s house, realizing that this woman was responsible for the premature birth of her child due to their confrontation. J remained motionless as the security guard¡¯s expression turned cold and displeased. ¡°Ms. Mitchell, if you insist on staying, we will have to take action to make you leave.¡± The security¡¯s action would involve physically removing her from the premises and throwing her out. J¡¯s expression changed abruptly as she disdainfully threw away her invitation card. ¡°Who cares about being at a lousy banquet?¡± With a toss of her gown¡¯s hem, she walked away proudly. Despite her proud departure from the hotel, the facade of her feigned arrogance couldn¡¯t hide the heavy gloom 15:50 Sat, 20 Jul that shrouded her face underneath the meticulously applied makeup. ¡°J, why did youe out so soon?¡± Lisa was bewildered, her concern evident in her questioning tone. With a look of resentment, J yanked off the ne around her neck and threw it out of the window in frustration. Seeing her demeanor, Lisa knew something was amiss. ¡°Drive, let¡¯s go back!¡± J ordered coldly. Lisa nodded quickly, instructing the driver to head back to Mitchell Vi. Upon returning home, J erupted in a fit of anger. However, her mood lightened when Mary entered the room with Arthur. Reba getting involved with Carter¡¯s Jewel, well, was something. The better her rtionship with Carter¡¯s Jewel,N?velDrama.Org owns this text. the better her rtionship with Charlie, it seemed. ¡°Why is a grown man suddenly being so nice to a grown woman? What¡¯s his motive?¡± she wondered. J reached out and lifted Arthur from Mary¡¯s arms, her previously cloudy expression transforming into a radiant smile, leaving Lisa bewildered. ¡°Lisa, have you arranged for someone to keep an eye on Reba and Charlie? Is everything set?¡± J inquired. ¡°Not yet,¡± Lisa cautiously replied. J had only instructed her to do so recently, and she hadn¡¯t had the chance to organize it yet. As she spoke, Lisa carefully observed J¡¯s expression. It seemed too strange, so she had to ask, ¡°J, did Reba cause you trouble today?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about my affairs. Just hurry up and get the investigation underway. We must catch Reba and Lisa nodded in understanding. ¡°Alright.¡± cred¨Chanded, preferably on video!¡± J¡¯s tone was Ky. Lanusided Carter¡¯s Jewel grand opening banquet was in full swing. Charlie had pulled Reba aside to a secluded corner, away from the hustle and bustle of socializing. He urged her to ignore the others and indulge in the delicious treatsid out on the table. The spread wasvish with an array of delectable desserts and delicacies. Reba¡¯s nerves were eased by Charlie¡¯s gesture, and she obediently epted his offerings, savoring each sweet bite. However, their moment was interrupted when someone approached Charlie for conversation, prompting him to temporarily leave Reba¡¯s side to attend to the guests in the hall. Meanwhile, at the heart of the banquet, Theodore was surrounded by a throng of people. Amidst the chatter, his gaze frequently drifted towards Reba. As Charlie pulled Reba into a secluded corner to savor some sweets, his poker face remained intact, but beneath that cool exterior, his heart was already plunging into a deep freeze, colder than an ice bath on a winter¡¯s day. When did Reba and Charlie first meet? How long had they been involved in this ndestine affair behind his back? What irked him most was that despite knowing he would be attending the event, Reba had the audacity to show up, and now, she seemed to bepletely disregarding his presence, cozying up to Charlie as if he didn¡¯t exist! As time passed and the banquet drew to a close, Theodore was among the first to take his leave. His demeanor, cold and distant, didn¡¯t go unnoticed by those familiar with him, or even those who weren¡¯t. They could tell that Theodore was clearly in a foul mood today. CHAPTER 60 Chapter 60 Theodore left, and following his lead, some other guests began to take their leave. In no time, the number of attendees at the banquet had dwindled significantly. Patrick remained his cheerful self until he saw off thest VIP Back at home that evening, Debra¡¯s face turned stern as she muttered angrily, ¡°Theodore is bing more disgusting by the day. Becky must divorce him!¡± Divorce was definitely on the table, but Theodore was adamant about retaining custody of the child and keeping the kid¡¯s surname. Without his consent, they were at an impasse, so Debra was furious about the situation. Patrick smiled reassuringly at his wife, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, take it slow. If he¡¯s reluctant to divorce and wants to drag it out, then we¡¯ll drag it out with him. We¡¯re not going to be the ones feeling bothered in the end.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Debra frowned, displeased with her husband¡¯s insinuations. Patrick looked at his wife, then at his daughter, before smiling and saying, ¡°How many years did that scumbag torment Becky in the past?¡± ¡°Becky has taken care of him for so long, and what does he do? He wakes up and gets involved with other women, sleeping around with them! Isn¡¯t J pregnant with his kid? I heard she gave birth around the same time Becky did, yet, did he feel any remorse? Does he realize he¡¯s wronged Becky by doing that?¡± Debra knew Patrick well, and at his words, she sensed mischief brewing. Her eyes lit up with anticipation as she probed, ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± Patrick chuckled at her curiosity. ¡°We¡¯ll take a page from his book. Why else would I have bought a house next to his?¡± Reba grew nervous at her father¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Dad¡­ do you have a n?¡± Patrick looked at Reba, his eyes filled with affection, and he nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± 1 2 2 2 2 2 ¡ê € 2 € ? Seeing the curiosity in both their eyes, Patrick smiled and exined, ¡°Becky, I want to ask you something. Has Theodore always thought it was okay to flirt and get close to other women without caring if it hurts you? Since that¡¯s the case, we move in right next to him and make him watch you get close to other ¡®men¡® right under his nose. I wonder if he can stand watching it.¡± His n rendered both Reba and Debra speechless. ¡°Wait, honey, what do you mean? I don¡¯t quite understand. We live here, so how is it the same as Becky getting close to other ¡®men¡® in Theodore¡¯s eyes?¡± Debra waspletely lost, and she pursued with confusion. 82% Paul took a sip of water, amazed by Patrick¡¯s schemel Unable to resist, Paul chimed in to help Patrick exin, ¡°Debra, think about it. Isn¡¯t Theodore misunderstanding Becky¡¯s rtionship with Chuck?¡± Debra asked in confusion, ¡°Yeah, so what?¡± Debra quickly pieced it together. The ¡®man¡® her husband mentioned earlier must be Chuck. ¡°But when we bought the house, Theodore didn¡¯t have any misunderstandings about them, right?¡± Debra couldn¡¯t help but ask. Paul chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s right. But isn¡¯t it just a matter of time because he does?¡± He nced at Reba, who looked utterly lost, thinking that his niece was as innocent as her mother. ¡°Chuck doesn¡¯t know his boundaries. After we found Becky, he started showering her with affection without restraint, but outsiders don¡¯t know that Chuck and Becky are actually siblings. As adults and Chuck suddenly being so kind to Becky, it¡¯s only natural for others to misunderstand them?¡± Debra¡¯s eyes widened as she turned to her husband. ¡°So you already foresaw Theodore misunderstanding Becky and Chuck¡¯s rtionship, deliberately buying the house next to Theodore¡¯s, waiting for him to jump to conclusions. about Becky and Chuck, just to infuriate him?¡± Patrick and Paul exchanged a knowing look, both sporting cunning smiles. When it came to dealing with men, indeed, their own kind knew the best method.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Becky getting the divorce license meant her liberation was assured. But letting everything end there would be letting Theodore off too easily. With Becky now under their protection, it was impossible for Theodore to make her suffer even a bit more! So now, it was time for them to strike back. Whether in business or personal matters, every bit that Theodore owed Becky, they would reim it, down to thest penny. Theodore finding a mistress, flirting with J in front of Becky, getting J pregnant, making Becky suffer for so long ¨C now they could live next door to Theodore for however long they wanted, maybe even longer, and make Theodore feel the same torment Becky once did. ¡°Will this really work? Would that scumbag even care?¡± Debra seemed to understand, yet also seemed confused about the situation. Paul chuckled, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it work? Hasn¡¯t Theodore been on the brink of losing it these past few days?¡± 15:51 Sat, 20 Jul 20 Jul ¡°Didn¡¯t you find Theodore¡¯s expression at the banquet amusing?¡± Paul smirked. ¡°No man can feelfortable knowing his wife is being flirtatious with another man, even if he doesn¡¯t love her,¡± Patrick interjected. Debra fell silent. Reba was stunned. She hadn¡¯t realized her dad was so clever, nning so much when she didn¡¯t even know, all for her. ¡°But¡­isn¡¯t it a bit wrong for him to misunderstand my rtionship with Charlie?¡± Reba voiced her unease. Patrick chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You and Chuck are siblings by blood, so nothing will happen. We¡¯ll make Theodore ufortable for a while. Once we have the divorce license in hand and the truth about you and Chuckes out, all misunderstandings will be cleared up. Then, Theodore will be the only clown left standing.¡± Reba fell silent. That was indeed quite a sinister n. ¡°Making Theodore ufortable is one thing, but Becky needs to hurry up and divorce him. Getting rid of that scumbag is the most important thing,¡± Debra interjected calmly, her tone serious. ¡°Of course,¡± Patrick nodded. Revenge might be important, but nothing outweighed his precious daughter¡¯s future happiness. As long as Becky was tied to Theodore, it would never be a good thing. If divorce was possible, they had to seize the opportunity. Patrick thought for a moment before speaking again. ¡°Michael and Helen are currently dreaming of Theodore marrying thedy from the Smith family. We should find a way through them. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult¡± Debra looked at her husband. ¡°Then you bettere up with a n to get Becky the divorce license as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Patrick nodded in agreement. Reba¡¯s emotions wereplex, yet she was deeply moved. CHAPTER 61 Chapter 61 Just as the family was having a good time, the maid, Brenda, suddenly rushed in anxiously. ¡°Mr. Carter, Mrs. Carter, Ms. Carter, something¡¯s not right. Mr. Edwards from next door is here, saying he wants to see Ms. Carter.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Everyone froze at the news, turning to the aunt for more information. She continued, ¡°He looks really grim. Could he be here to cause trouble?¡± ¡°Just ignore him,¡± Reba spoke up first. Debra sighed in relief, then nodded. ¡°Yes, close the door!¡± ¡°Brenda, if Theodorees again, just close the door and ignore him,¡± Debra instructed her directly. Brenda, still a bit stunned, quickly nodded. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll shut him out right away.¡± With that, Brenda left for the door. ¡°I think we should hire some bodyguards to stay watch the house, just to be safe. Becky and the two babies are at home. What if that scumbag barges in and tries to take them away?¡± Paul voiced his concerns. Patrick nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Bryce about this. He has a lot of connections, so I¡¯ll get him so introduce find good talents to us,¡± Debral chimed in. With each of them contributing a suggestion, they easily arranged to hire bodyguards. Outside the door, Theodore waited impatiently. Finally, Brenda emerged, but only to shoot him a cold re before shutting the door behind her. What did that mean? Was he not wee there? ¨C Did Reba still not want to see him? Theodore couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in frustration as the situation seemed iprehensible to him. Was Reba out of her mind? They hadn¡¯t even divorced yet, and here she was, openly living in another man¡¯s house¡­ How disgusting and shameless of her! Theodore, seething with anger, felt the urge tosh out. He turned sharply, yanking out his phone, and dialed Reba¡¯s number with a furious jab. 82% 15:01 Bat Inside Carter Vi, Reba¡¯s phone buzzed to life, disying ¡°Theodore¡± as the caller ID. The room¡¯s atmosphere shifted as everyone exchanged tense nces. Reba, however, looked at the screen with a cold resolve and promptly declined the call. She knew there was no point inmunicating with Theodore anymore. Answering his call and engaging in conversation would only squander her emotions and tarnish her peace of mind. Outside, Theodore red at his phone in disbelief. His call had been rejected? Reba had actually hung up on him? In a fit of rage, Theodoreshed out, kicking the flowerpot that adorned the Carter family¡¯s doorstep. The pot toppled down the stairs, shattering into a spray of ceramic shards and soil, the loud crash echoing through the quiet evening. Inside the house, Brenda¡¯s heart leaped at the suddenmotion outside. She felt a wave of fear wash over h Having vented his anger, Theodore shot a final, icy re at Carter Vi before turning away, cloaked in his see fury, and storming back to his ce. Meanwhile, Brenda waited with her heart pounding until the noise outside subsided. Cautiously, she stepper Inside to inform Debra and Reba. With their permission, she nervously ventured to the front door to asse damage. The sight that greeted her was disheartening: the once immacte doorstep was now a chaotic scene of bri pots and scattered flowers. Brenda¡¯s heart ached at the sight. These flowers had been specially brought in from Hivalis, and they were favorites. ¡°Mrs. Carter, it¡¯s terrible! Your favorite flowers have been knocked over, the pots are all broken, and many! and leaves are damaged!¡± Brenda rushed back in, her voice trembling with concern. The family shared a collective moment of distress upon hearing the news. Unable to contain their anger any longer, they all hurried outside. The sight of their beloved flowers and now reduced to a mess of broken pottery and trampled greenery, filled them with fury. Reba¡¯s face darkened with anger. She had known Theodore had a vtile temper, but she never imag would stoop so low as to vandalize the Carter family¡¯s property. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Count how many were broken. Later, we¡¯ll send apensation list to the Edwards Group,¡± her voiceced with cold determination. ¡°We¡¯ll demand reimbursement for the damaged flowerpots an Not just that, we¡¯ll also ask forpensation for the emotional distress caused by his senseless destru 15:51 Sat, 20 Jul Chapter 61. Debra demanded coldly. Paul smiled and said, ¡°No worries, let¡¯s leave this to Adrian. When ites to legal battles, our family has nothing to fear.¡± He turned to Debra, quickly adding, ¡°Oh right, Debra, about Becky and Theodore¡¯s divorce, why don¡¯t we have Adrian help Becky file awsuit? Maybe a court ruling will expedite the divorce.¡± Debra fell silent, contemting the suggestion. Patrick nced at his younger brother, shaking his head with a mix of amusement and exasperation. ¡°We¡¯ve already considered that and even discussed it with Adrian. ording to thew, for a divorce to be granted through litigation, the husband needs to havemitted a major fault.¡± Paul protested, ¡°How is there no major fault? Theodore cheated and even has an illegitimate child. Gathering evidence for that shouldn¡¯t be too hard, right?¡± Paul¡¯s mind wandered to J¡¯s child. ¡°Proving J¡¯s child is Theodore¡¯s shouldn¡¯t be too difficult. Leave it to me. I can arrange for a paternity test easily!¡± Debra sighed, shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. ording to thew, adultery doesn¡¯t constitute a major fault within a marriage. To file for divorce, there needs to be evidence of domestic violence, bigamy, or other serious misconduct. ¡°Theodore and J may have a child together, but they never lived together like a married couple, so it doesn¡¯t qualify as bigamy.¡± Despite the Carter family¡¯s influence, they still had to adhere to thew. In Zentiscape, no one was above thew. Even though Theodore cheated, as long as he refused to agree to the divorce, it would be difficult for them to obtain a divorce license through the court. ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about him. The divorce will happen eventually,¡± Reba interjected. In Carter Vi, happiness reigned, and Reba didn¡¯t want her family to be upset because of Theodore. Debra nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s not waste our time and energy on him.¡± Reba moved to fetch a broom to clean up the mess at the door. ¡°Becky, hold on a minute,¡± Debra called. ¡°Let me call Adrian and find out how to gather evidence. We need to document this in case Theodore denies responsibility and refuses topensate.¡± Reba paused in surprise then nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Debra quickly dialed Adrian, discussing the best way to handle the situation. Being an expert in the field, Adrian 15:52 Sat, 20 Jul promptly guided Debra on how to collect evidence. Once they had everything documented, they instructed Brenda to clean up the entrance. Meanwhile, Charlie, after attending the opening banquet, had to rush back to his film set. He had taken a day off and now had to return immediately. However, even while away, he didn¡¯t forget about Reba. Using his connections, he secured a promising script and wanted to bring Reba into the project. Given Charlie¡¯s status, the productions he joined were typically high¨Cprofile, making it difficult for neers to enter. If Reba could join such a set, even for minor roles, it would be a great opportunity for her. When Lynn received the news from Charlie, she was thrilled and promptly shared the good news with Reba. Reba, however, already knew about i CHAPTER 62 Chapter 62 ¡°Becky, go there with Charlie and get familiar with the environment of the crew. With your ability and efforts, you will definitely y the leading role in the future.¡± Lynnforted Reba. ¡°Hmm.¡± Reba nodded. After the discussion, Lynn took Reba to the crew by ne and signed a contract with the director. Unexpectedly, something happened on the Inte that night after they signed the contract. The hashtag ¡°Is Becky Charlie¡¯s mistress¡± trended. Charlie was the best actor. This news attracted the attention of manyizens as soon as it was reported, and it was forwarded wildly. There was a heated online discussion of this trend. Lynn soon learned about this news. She immediately contacted Reba, asking her to stay calm, not be affected by the onlinements, and not to respond. She would deal with this matter. Reba knew that it would be best to leave this matter to Lynn, so she agreed. Afterforting Reba, Lynn immediately went to see Charlie¡¯s agent to discuss how to deal with this matter. Charlie called Reba as well, and the solution was to call the police. It was illegal to spread rumors and nder people without evidence. He believed in the police and thew. This call dispelled Reba¡¯s panic instantly. Reba contacted Lynn and told her about the solution Charlie proposed. Lynn was stunned after hearing this. But seriously, calling the police was indeed the simplest and most immediate way to solve this problem. ¡°Good, let¡¯s call the police now and then issue a statement,¡± Lynn said. ¡°Okay,¡± Reba replied. Lynn and Reba went to the Civil Registry Office overnight and reported that someone had rumored and ndered her on the Inte. After that, Reba edited a statement on her mobile phone and posted it on Twitter: [I have called the police. The police will handle the follow¨Cup.] 15:52 Sat, 20 Jul Charlie also called the police. Seeing Reba¡¯s tweet, he posted a tweet just like hers. The two tweets reached an uncontroble level. Countlessizens forwarded them, almost causing the break. This situation pleased Charlie¡¯s fans. There were manyments in thement section. [Calling the police? That¡¯s Chuck¡¯s style!] system to [Some keyboard warriors are crazy. What¡¯s wrong with Chuck being kind to Becky? Does that mean Becky is his mistress just because he is nice to her?] [Becky is beautiful, and she¡¯s also a fan of Chuck. If I were him, I would also pamper Becky!] Reba and Charlie handled the matter in this way. The poster panicked and immediately deleted the rumor¨Cmongering video andments. However, it was toote. The police soon found him and arrested him for spreading rumors and ndering others. The arrest of the poster broke the rumors, and the poprity of this trend quickly dropped, with not many people. discussing it. At Evergrande Entertainment. Learning that the poprity of the trending topic decreased so soon, J was very annoyed.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°Lisa, did your people photo anything?¡± J asked in displeasure. Lisa frowned and shook her head. ¡°J, after the banquet that day, Charlie returned to the crew to film, and Reba stayed in Maeloria. They didn¡¯t meet at all.¡± J didn¡¯t get the evidence that Reba was Charlie¡¯s mistress as expected, and there was not even a photo of the two of them meeting. ¡°You idiot! You can¡¯t even finish such a trifle!¡± J cursed in disgust. Lisa looked a little angry, but it onlysted for a moment. She quickly adjusted her expression and said, ¡°J, I heard some news recently. It is said that¡­Charlie agreed to y a role in ¡®Reverse Days¡°, but the term is that he wants to bring someone into the crew.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Lisa keenly noticed something and asked immediately. Lisa answered, ¡°Becky.¡± Then, she exined, ¡°Charlie wants Becky to y his younger sister. I heard that the director has agreed, and Becky has signed a contract.¡± Let Becky y his sister? Reverse Days was a popr online fantasy novel. In the novel, the younger sister did not have many scenes, but she was favored by millions of fans. In addition, she was also the most important rtive to the hero. If Reba could y the role well, she would gain a lot of fans. Charlie actually wanted Reba to y such an important role. He was really nice to her. As J thought about it, her heart was pounding. She was excited and¡­very happy. ¡°Okay, I see,¡± J tried hard to suppress her smile and said calmly. The next second, she couldn¡¯t help but take out her mobile phone and send messages to Theodore. [Theodore, I heard that Reba will y a role in Reverse Days. Did you hear that?] [She¡¯s amazing. She has just debuted and could join such a big crew. When I debuted, I could only y supporting roles in some small crews.] [I heard that Charlie will also y the male lead in Reverse Days. Theodore, pay more attention to Reba. I feel that she has been too close to Charlie recently.] [She and you haven¡¯t divorced yet. It¡¯s inappropriate for others misunderstood their rtionship?] her to be so close to another man frequently. What if [Just now, there was a trending topic saying that Reba is Charlie¡¯s mistress. Theodore, you have to discipline her. Don¡¯t let her ruin your family reputation.] J sent several messages in a row. She no longer hid her dislike for Reba in front of Theodore. After all, everyone knew that she didn¡¯t like Reba, and so did Theodore. She wanted to marry Theodore and let him divorce Reba as soon as possible. In the factory workshop, Theodore, wearing a safety helmet, was inspecting his subordinates¡® work when the message ringtone sounded. He took out his mobile phone and nced at these messages. He stared at the screen. Reba? Filming? With Charlie? In an instant, depression and anger flickered in Theodore¡¯s eyes. If he could, he really wanted to vent his anger right away. Beside Theodore, the workshop leader noticed the sudden cold presence around Theodore and felt terrified. He thought, ¡°Oh no. Is there something wrong with this workshop? Did Mr. Edwards discover something?¡± The workshop leader stood with his hands hanging on both sides. He thought about it, and sweat broke out on his palms. He tried hard to recall whether there was anything wrong in this workshop. He even thought about the matter of his secretly dating his loverst night and almost being discovered by his wife, but he didn¡¯t find anything bad happening in the workshop. Theodore stared at the messages with gloomy eyes. After a long while, he took a deep breath, put away his phone, and left the workshop with a cold face. CHAPTER 63 Chapter 63 81% The contract was signed, but Reba would note to the crew immediately. The crew still needed a few days to prepare. The director reminded her to read the script and try to understand the character well during these days. Although this character did not have many scenes, it was essential. Reba agreed seriously. After returning, she began to read the original novel ¡°Reverse Days¡± carefully and tried hard to understand the character. Lynn found a lot of videos of some veteran actors, asking Reba to watch them and learn from their acting skills. When Reba was concentrating on preparing for the filming, Helen, Theodore¡¯s mother, came to see her. Reba went out for a morning running. Helen stopped her in the small park. ¡°Reba, we need to talk.¡± Helen wore a camel coat and carried a bag. Every inch of her seemed to exude nobility. She stared at Reba and said calmly. Reba looked at her and asked, ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°About your divorce with Theodore,¡± Helen said. Reba paused for a moment, then she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Since Theodore woke up from a vegetative state, Helen had always looked down upon Reba, saying that she was not worthy of Theodore as the adopted daughter of the Mitchell family. Helen wanted Theodore to divorce Reba and marry a better girl. Reba thought it was a good chance for her. Helen came to talk to her, and then she probably could divorce Theodore. Thinking of this, Reba said, ¡°There is a pavilion over there. Let¡¯s go there and talk.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Helen nodded. They came to the pavilion together. As soon as she sat down on the bench in the pavilion, Helen took out a card, pushed it in front of Reba, and said emotionlessly, ¡°There are two million dors in it. ¡°Reba, you know the reason why Theodore doesn¡¯t want to divorce you. ¡°He is the children¡¯s father, and he would never agree to let his children take another man¡¯s surname. This is about a man¡¯s dignity. 15:53 Sat, 20 Jul ¡°Go to the Civil Registry Office with Theodore and change the children¡¯s surnames within three days, then the two million dors will be yours. ¡°After that, Theodore will agree to divorce you. When you get the divorce license, I¡¯ll give you another four million dors. ¡°You will have six million dors, which is enough for you to live a carefree life. You know what to choose, right?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Reba looked at the bank card, then at Helen. After a moment, she stood up and said calmly, ¡°Save it. I won¡¯t change my children¡¯s surnames. As for the divorce¡­¡± She paused for a moment, then looked at Helen and said, ¡°If Theodore refused, then just wait. Two yearster, our separation period will reach the required time. By that time, I¡¯ll sue for divorce, and I can definitely get a divorce.¡± After saying this, Reba turned and left. Helen was stunned, looking up at Reba¡¯s back in shock. Reba had already started jogging and ran away leisurely. It took Helen a while toe to her senses. What did Reba just say to her? After two years, the separation period would reach the required period, and she would sue for divorce. Really? Helen couldn¡¯t believe it. She picked up the card on the table and thought about it for a while, still thinking it was unbelievable. Was Reba crazy? Would she really sue for divorce? She actually refused six million dors. Was she stupid? Or¡­ Did Reba want more? She was dreaming! Although the Edwards family was loaded, they were not foolish. They would not let Reba get what she wanted. Or could it be that Reba had an axe to grind? She said she didn¡¯t want to give up the children, but in fact, she just wanted to cling to Theodore and the Edwards family. The angre Hutay thought about it, the angrier she became. the angrier the became. Finally, she left with a sullen face Helen¡¯s todden rival did not affect Reba¡¯s mood. When she returned home, the servant had already prepared bregat, and her parents were also up. Everyone was ready to eat Abecedn¡¯t go to eat the washed her hands and went to see her children. Lily and Key were almost two months old. Their delicate faces became tender and plump, looking very cute.¡± Reba picked them up and went to the room to feed them. As soon as the two babies were in Reba¡¯s arms, they turned to start to have breast milk. Lily and Key had grown a lot, and they were much stronger than when they were just born. They would ¡°fight¡± hen having breast milk together. When Reba was feeding them, Debra woulde to help her look after the babies, especially Lily. As an older sister, Lily had an i dominance. She always reached out to try to push Kev away as if she wanted to beat him Key was careless. Every time Lily ¡°hit him, he would turn to smile at her foolishly, which amused Reba. ¡°Feed them one by one next time. It¡¯s tiring to feed them at the same time,¡± Debra couldn¡¯t help but say, feeling sorry for her daughter. Looking at the two babies in her arms, Reba said helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s faster this way.¡± She had to feed a baby for more than 20 minutes. If she only fed one at a time, it would take her more than 40 minutes to feed the two babies once, which was too long Reba did not always feed two babies at the same time. When she was free, she would feed them one by one. While feeding the babies, she would read the script or watch the videos Lynn sent to her to learn from these veteran actors acting skills. Reba still had the training to doter. There were some actions in the plot that she wanted to practice in advance so as not to dy others progress during the filming Debra cared for Reba, but she understood her and supported her. Aber Reba finished feeding the two babies, Debra asked the nanny to hold the babies. ¡°Let¡¯s go to have breakfast¡± The nanny took care of the children, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about anything for the time being and could go to eat. 15:53 Sat, 20 Jul ¡°Okay.¡± Reba nodded. The breakfast was hearty and nutritious. Reba ate them, not wanting to disappoint her parents¡® kindness. She ate more, and she needed to increase her exercise. She had signed a contract with the crew and would be acting, so she could not gain too much weight. Fortunately, except for her big belly during pregnancy, other parts of her body did not gain much weight. After giving birth, her health recovered quickly, and she did not suffer too much. When Reba worked hard to study the plot, J contacted the crew of ¡°Reverse Days¡± and wanted to make a guest appearance on the drama. ¡°Reverse Days¡± was a male¨Ccentered drama. With J¡¯s status in showbiz, she would definitely not be willing only to y a supporting role, especially since the male lead was Charlie. But the original work of this drama had tens of millions of fans. As long as the plot and acting were not too outrageous, it would definitely be a hit after it was aired. J had just given birth to a child. She badly needed an opportunity to gain poprity. CHAPTER 64 Chapter 64 Given J¡¯s current status, if she wanted, she would definitely choose a good script, preferably a female- centered one, so that she could secure her position in showbiz. However, it was not easy to have a good script. Before J got the script that was suitable for hereback work after her delivery, she needed to find ways to increase her rate of appearance while maintaining her poprity. ¡°Reverse Days¡± was a good choice. It was the hottest work and a big¨Cbudget production. A guest appearance on this drama would not devalue her status. Instead, J could take advantage of the publicity from ¡°Reverse Days¡± to maintain her poprity. In addition, J chose to make a guest appearance in ¡°Reverse Days,¡± which had a lot to do with Reba. Charlie wanted to use ¡°Reverse Days¡± to give Reba an opportunity to appear on screen and gain fans, but J didn¡¯t want Reba to be popr. J was the best actress. Even if she only made a guest appearance on ¡°Reverse Days¡°, she was confident that the focus of fans¡® discussions on the Inte would definitely be her, not Reba. Without trends, Reba¡¯s desire to gain fans and be famous through ¡°Reverse Days¡± would be in vain. Joe Folbre, the director of ¡°Reverse Days¡°, received a call from Lisa. Learning that J wanted to make a guest appearance on this drama for free, he was stunned. with After a moment of daze, he was surprised. J¡¯s status, as long as she appeared in this crew, she could bring trending topics and poprity and increase traffic for the crew. No one would refuse great traffic and poprity. What was more, J offered to make a guest appearance on this drama for free. Joe hurried to start negotiating with Lisa to arrange a guest role for J. Half a monthter, ¡°Reverse Days¡± officially started filming. Reba didn¡¯t have many scenes in the drama, but she still packed her things early, took the nanny and her bables, and went to the crew with Charlie. She wanted to learn more from other actors in the crew and umte acting experience. Reba and Charlie arrived at the crew in a good mood, but they did not expect to see a familiar person. 15:53 Sat, 20 Ju The moment they saw J, their smiles disappeared, and their faces darkened. J, however, walked towards them with a bright smile as if they were good friends. ¡°Chuck, Becky, you are Finally here. I have been waiting for you here for a long time. Charlie tumed his head to look to the side and keenly noticed that a woman was secretly taking pictures, or rather, recording a video He suppressed his anger and walked straight to the woman. ¡°Give me the phone,¡± he ordered. The staff member panicked, holding her mobile phone and looking at Charlie helplessly.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Charlie said coldly, ¡°Delete all the photos and videos you just took.¡± Joe saw this scene as soon as he came out. Worried about something going wrong, he hurried over and asked, ¡°What happened?¡± Just then, the staff member held her mobile phone and hurriedly deleted the photos and videos she had just taken. Charlie was still worried, so he asked the woman to open the album. After he had checked it carefully several times to make sure that these photos and videos had been deleted, the matter was over. J watched this scene with a slightly sullen face. She arranged for the person who had just secretly taken some photos and nned to expose them one day, but she didn¡¯t expect to be discovered. Charlie really had a sharp eye. Joe knew what was going on. He sullenly looked at the staff member who had just taken photos and asked, ¡°Which team are you from?¡± The staff member panicked upon hearing this and said anxiously, ¡°Mr. Folbre, I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it. I¡­¡± Joe didn¡¯t listen to her exnation and said coldly, ¡°Someone should have told you the rules before you joined the crew. In the crew, no one is allowed to take any secret photos.¡± He ordered, ¡°You have vited the rules. Pack up your things and leave.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± The staff member¡¯s face turned pale with anxiety, and she almost instinctively looked at J for help. Seeing that she was about to be exposed, J quickly stepped forward and scolded, ¡°I hate any behavior of 15:53 Sat, 20 Jul secretly taking photos. Go. You are unwee in the crew.¡± 81% After teaching the staff member a lesson, Joe turned to greet Chuck and J with a smile. ¡°Chuck, J, your came so early. Come in and sit.¡± Charlie nodded, called Reba, and they all walked into the house together. Seeing Charlie¡¯s attention on Reba, Joe looked at Reba seriously. He smiled, ¡°Becky is beautiful. She fits the role of the younger sister in the novel.¡± Reba was nervous. Upon hearing this, she quickly thanked Joe, ¡°Thanks for thepliment, Mr. Folbre. I¡¯ll act the role well.¡± Joe smiled, and everyone went in together. They came there to film, not to chat. The makeup artist saw Charlieing in and quickly took him to the male lead¡¯s dressing room to put on makeup. Reba followed in. She was very curious about the crew¡¯s work process. Charlie entered the dressing room and pulled Reba to sit on the sofa. Then, he asked his assistant to buy a cup of warm milk and stuffed it into her hands. ¡°Becky, just sit here and rest. You can watch the filming casually. Your scenes wille in a few days. Take it easy.¡± Reba held the milk and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± She came to learn. It was her first time acting, and she didn¡¯t quite understand the crew¡¯s workflow, so she wanted to know it in advance. Charlie knew her thoughts and brought her over to let her learn by the side. In the dressing room next door, J sat in front of the dressing table, letting the makeup artist put on her. makeup. She held her mobile phone and messaged Theodore. J sent: [Theodore, I came to the crew for the filming of ¡°Reverse Days¡± today. Do you know who I met here?] [Charlie and Reba!] [I asked the director. Reba didn¡¯t have any scenes to shoot today, but she came with Charlie. She stayed in his dressing room and didn¡¯t leave.] Theodore suddenly replied: [Where are you now?] J stared at the message in a daze, and then her heart beat faster. She was excited. Theodore replied to her 15:54 Sat, 20 Jul messages! Theodore had never replied to her before, and she always messaged him unterally. 81% 1 A bright smile appeared on J¡¯s delicate face, and she continued to send a message happily: [I¡¯m now at Aotori shooting base. Are you going toe over to visit me, Theodore?] After sending this message, J suddenly sat up, carefully looked at herself in the mirror, and then turned to urge the makeup artist, ¡°Put on me the best makeup. I must be beautiful!¡± Theodore woulde. She wanted to meet him in her most beautiful appearance. CHAPTER 65 The makeup artist spent an hour giving Charlie makeup. When he came out of the dressing room, the staff members outside were all ready ¡°Can we start?¡± Joe asked Charlie with a smile. Charlie nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Joe smiled and immediately shouted, ¡°Get ready and start filming.¡± Charlie went on stage and started acting. The plot he acted in today was that a young man who had been kicked out of his family and covered in scars encountered a wild beast outside. He fought with the beast and finally escaped death. The scenes were all built with green screens, and only Charlie was acting on the stage. He was serious, and he got into the state immediately. Reba stood aside and held her breath nervously. She watched Charlie¡¯s acting style, as well as what he had taught her before about how to find the camera while filming. Charlie was an excellent actor. He finished filming many scenes without needing any retakes. Even Joe was surprised, having a big grin on his face all the time. Charlie finished three scenes in one go without any bloopers. Joe was overjoyed, smiling with satisfaction. ¡°Chuck, you¡¯re in a good state today. You are indeed suitable for the role of Quentin Burg!¡± Joeughed. Charlie came down from the stage with a bright smile on his face. ¡°I think so!¡± Joeughed again, looking very happy. Reba handed Charlie a bottle of water. Charlie nced at her, then took the water, unscrewed the bottle cap, and drank it. News of Theodore¡¯s visiting J spread as everyone took a break and prepared for lunch. A group of waiters in restaurant uniforms brought in many lunch boxes. J said with a smile, ¡°Hey, everyone,e over to have lunch. Mr. Edwards is treating us to lunch today.¡± Those who were receiving the crew¡¯s work lunches gave up their meals upon hearing this and ran towards J excitedly. Reba and Charlle turned around and saw J and Theodore. Theodore stood beside J, but he stared at Reba as if he wanted to kill him with his gaze. ¡°Bah, that bastard. It¡¯s just a meal. ¡°Becky, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to a feast!¡± Charlie snorted disdainfully, then turned to pull Reba and walked out. Reba was a little worried that Theodore would catch up and make trouble, just like thest time they were filming the variety show. Fortunately, until they got outside, there were no footsteps behind them. Theodore did not follow. Unexpectedly, when they came back from lunch, Joe announced the news. The Edwards Group invested 20 million dors in the crew of ¡°Reverse Days¡± and became the currentlyrgest investor. Joe apanied Theodore, grinning from ear to ear. Charlie got angry and said, ¡°I¡¯ll invest 40 million dors!¡± Reba was stunned, looking at Charlie anxiously. Debra quickly held Reba¡¯s hand and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Forty million dors was not a big sum to the Carter family. The Edwards family could invest in this drama, and the Carter family could do it, too.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Joe was stunned when he heard that. He blinked and looked at Charlie in disbelief. Theodore was shocked. He looked at Charlie. Charlie actually spent 40 million dors just for a woman! For a married woman! How could Charlie be willing to do that? Theodore thought about it and looked at Reba again. His sneer became contemptuous. He thought, ¡®Reba is really something. She could let Charlie spend 40 million dors to defend her. No wonder she dares to think of marrying Charlie after divorcing me.¡¯ ¡°Mr. Carter, can we talk alone?¡± Theodore quickly shifted his gaze from Reba. He put on his usual cold expression, turned to look at Charlie, and spoke indifferently. Charlie looked at Theodore. As their gazes met, cold light seemed to sh in the air. ¡°Okay.¡± Charlie readily agreed. ¡°Dear bro¡­ Don¡¯t be impulsive!¡± Reba was anxious and almost called Charlie ¡°brother¡± in front of Theodore. Fortunately, she bit back her words in time and quickly reminded Charlie not to be impulsive. Charlie looked at her with a doting look. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You should trust me.¡± Reba remained silent. Theodore felt inexplicably disgusted upon seeing their interaction. Charlie and Theodore went to an empty corner outside together. ¡°Mr. Carter, Reba is married, and she has children, Is it appropriate for you to do this?¡± Theodore asked in a cold and calm voice. Charlie smiled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you married and have a child? You and J even have an illegitimate child. Do you think it¡¯s appropriate, Mr. Edwards?¡± Theodore frowned upon hearing this, and his face became even colder. He was displeased, saying, ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± Charlie sneered, ¡°Nothing to do with me? Huh, Mr. Edwards, you really have two sets of rules!¡± ¡°Charlie, with your conditions, it¡¯s not difficult to have a better woman. Why do you have to cling to a married woman? ¡°Reba has nothing but a good¨Clooking face. If you like beautiful women, I can send you a few.¡± Theodore spoke in a cold tone, with a chill presence exuding from him. He tried hard to suppress his anger and talked to Charlie calmly. The Carter family was not simple. Unless in apelling situation, the Edwards family did not want to be enemies with it. If it were someone else, Theodore would have used the most malicious means to make the man regret approaching Reba. ¡°Bah!¡± Charlie suddenly spat on Theodore¡¯s face. Feeling the saliva on his face, Theodore widened his eyes and stared at Charlie in shock. Charlie spat at him? 15:54 Sat, 20 Jul u What was wrong with the Carter family? Why did they all like to spit at other¡¯s faces? Theodore had intended to solve the problem peacefully. However, the anger was surging in his chest, and he couldn¡¯t suppress it at all. Reba¡¯s habit of spitting at people might not be learned from that couple, but from Charlie, right? Bitch! ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll let you down, Mr. Edwards. My family doesn¡¯t allow me to trifle with women. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be going. ¡°Oh, by the way, Mr. Edwards, if you have time, I suggest you divorce Becky ¨C get the divorce license as soon a possible. After all, it will be easier for you and Jenny Smith to get a marriage license quickly. Am I right?¡± After saying this, Charlie kicked Theodore hard in the butt and turned to leave. ¡°Charlie!¡± Being kicked, Theodore staggered and almost fell. The most embarrassing thing was that he had nev been kicked in the butt before. This was the first time! Charlie dared to kick him in the butt. The Carter family was so rude. Were they uncivilized? CHAPTER 66 Chapter 66 Charlie didn¡¯t even look back. Ignoring the furious Theodore behind him, he just walked away. Theodore was so angry that he nearly choked on his breath. Meanwhile, Reba waited anxiously. The moment she saw Charlie return, she rushed over in a fluster. ¡°Bro¡­ How did it go? *Did he give you a hard time?¡± Reba asked, her eyes scanning Charlie up and down with worry. She was anxious, fearing a repeat of thest incident in the mountains when her brother had gotten into a fight with Theodore during a reality show shoot. Debra was also observing her son. After a thorough look to ensure he wasn¡¯t injured, she nodded in satisfaction. Seeing his mother and sister¡¯s concerned looks, Charlie felt exasperated. ¡°I¡¯m fine. He wouldn¡¯t dare touch me,¡± he said. Not far away, J had been watching the scene. Seeing Reba and Charlie together, she smirked mockingly. However, J was more concerned with Theodore¡¯s condition. When she saw him emerge, she quickly ran over. ¡°Theodore.¡± Noticing some dust on the back of his pants, J took out a tissue and thoughtfully brushed it off. Feeling the movement on his backside, Theodore¡¯s muscles tensed up, especially around his rear. He instantly stepped away, putting some distance between them. Startled, J hastily exined, ¡°Theodore, your pants were dirty at the back. I¡­I just wanted to help you clean. them.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Theodore¡¯s face darkened as he recalled the kick he received earlier. He cursed at her directly. Not far away, a few crew members noticed themotion. When they heard Theodore telling J to get lost, they looked over in surprise. ¡®Aren¡¯t Mr. Edwards and J a couple?¡± ¡®I heard J¡¯s child is his. ¡®Mr. Edwards came to visit J on set today. ¡°Isn¡¯t his attitude a bit¡­ They nced at J as they thought but quickly averted their eyes. In the entertainment industry, many actresses dream of marrying wealthy men. While their public rtionships might seem sweet, only they knew the reality of how these wealthy men treated them. J noticed that others were seeing the scene of her being scolded. Her expression turned slightly sour. ¡°Theodore, it¡¯s gettingte. Do you want to go inside for a nap? I have a resting room in the set.¡± J suppressed her emotions and tried to coax Theodore with her sweetest voice. As she spoke, there was a tinge of anticipation in her voice. Would Theodore agree? If he did, they would be alone in a resting room together. Would something happen? Theodore looked at J with undisguised disgust, then abruptly turned and walked toward Reba, asking, ¡°Reba, where¡¯s your resting room?¡± Reba was utterly baffled. Charlie and Debra immediately became vignt, their eyes fixed on Theodore with guarded expressions. Not far away, Joe and the crew of Reverse Days were stunned. They nced at J, then at Becky, utterly shocked. Was this a love triangle? Everyone was thinking the same thing and couldn¡¯t help but sneak a look at J¡¯s face. Realizing the spectators¡® gleeful looks, J red back coldly, causing them to quickly avert their eyes. Joe finally grasped the situation, feeling even more astonished. This Becky must be something else to have Charlie and Theodore, two influential figures, vying for her attention. Thinking about Theodore¡¯s twenty¨Cmillion¨Cdor investment and Charlie¡¯s forty¨Cmillion¨Cdor investment, Joe felt a mix of worry and secret excitement. He worried they mighte to blows, but he also couldn¡¯t help but feel thrilled at the thought of profiting their rivalry. from Charlie and Theodore were jealous of each other over a woman and werepeting like crazy, so much so that all the investment was going into their crew. With 60 million dors in unexpected investments, their production could far exceed its initial expectations. In that brief moment, Joe realized the true power yer in their crew wasn¡¯t Charlie or J but this seemingly unremarkable Becky This girl was formidable. ¡°Mr. Edwards, Becky doesn¡¯t have many scenes in Reverse Days, so we didn¡¯t arrange a resting room for her. But if 2/4 78% you need it, we can arrange a room immediately. ¡°Mr. Edwards, please follow me. There¡¯s a resting room inside,¡± Joe offered, cautiously inviting Theodore to rest. As he said, Joe suddenly remembered something and hurriedly added, ¡°By the way, if Becky needs her makeup and resting room, I can have someone arrange it right away.¡± A girl who effortlessly brought in sixty million dors in investments for the crew deserved her own private r¨¦sting and makeup room. Everyone was at a loss for words. Charlie was exasperated. He chuckled and said, ¡°Joe, could you be any more obsequious?¡± ¡°Absolutely. Becky, if you need anything else, just let me know, and I¡¯ll make it happen,¡± Joe responded cheerfully, looking at Reba with a kind and friendly demeanor, making everyone feel a sense of warmth. Nearby staff couldn¡¯t help but snicker, and their gazes toward Reba became noticeably friendlier. Theodore¡¯s deep eyes seemed to hide a spark of fire as he, too, watched Reba. ¡°Becky, thank the director.¡± The next moment, Charlie suggested. The money was spent, so Reba should naturally enjoy the best, and she deserved a resting room. Reba remained silent. She looked at Charlie, feeling a mix of emotions. This was 40 million dors, yet her brother spent it so effortlessly. ¡°Thank you, Joe,¡± Reba said, deciding not to refuse and sincerely thanking the director. At this moment, Reba¡¯s feelings were oddly in sync with Charlie¡¯s. Since the money had been spent, they should make the most of it, and there was no need to be polite to outside Joe was delighted and immediately called over a female staff member to escort Reba to the resting room. Theodore¡¯s gaze shifted from Reba to Charlie. Being quite perceptive, Joe quickly realized that Theodore was uneasy about leaving Reba and Charlie alone. Perhaps he was worried they might end up in the same room during lunch break? Thinking he had figured out the situation, Joe immediately put on a nonchnt facade, pretending he knew nothing. He simply stayed nearby to keep the investorpany. Staff member Mia led Reba to the resting room, with Debra and Charlie naturally following. They wanted to see 78% 15:59 Sat, 20 Julu if Reba¡¯s resting room wasfortable and safe. Seeing Charlie follow, Theodore frowned and almost immediately followed as well. J stood nearby watching this unfold, her expression darkened. In the end, she decided to follow them too. Once they arrived at the resting room, Debra felt satisfied, while Charlie thought it was pretty nice, and Reba was very pleased. The room wasn¡¯t huge, but it had a bed, a sofa, a TV, and air conditioning, almost like a hotel room. ¡°This room is quite nice, isn¡¯t it?¡± Joe asked cautiously. ¡°It¡¯s decent. Alright, it¡¯s gettingte. Everyone who doesn¡¯t need to be here should leave. Otherwise, the whole lunch break will be over.¡± Charlie quickly turned around, shooing therge group out of Reba¡¯s resting room.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. He was especially annoyed by Theodore and J being in Reba¡¯s private space. CHAPTER 67 Chapter 67 Theodore noticed that Charlie was deliberately targeting him, his eyes shing coldly as he red at Charlie. Joe and the crew knew it was time to leave, so they turned and headed outside. Theodore didn¡¯t move. Instead, he dered, ¡°I am her husband.¡± As soon as he said that, Joe and the crew, who hadn¡¯t gone far, were stunned. They whipped their heads around and stared in shock at the people inside the room. Husband? What the heck? Were they legally married? So what was that love triangle they had imagined all about? Just then, J, who had been following behind, reached the door. However, she hadn¡¯t heard what Theodore said, so she still didn¡¯t know what was happening. J naturally walked into the room and look around the lounge. After a look, her face remained calm, but inside, she was burning with jealousy. Why did Reba get such a lovely lounge in the crew? It was all because Theodore and Charlie had poured money into the production. Two men, one spending 20 million for Reba, the other throwing in forty million. What did Reba have to deserve this? Why did so many people like her? Did she deserve it? She was just an orphan with no parents. J kept her thoughts to herself. She tried to suppress her jealousy and turned to Theodore with a soft, tender expression. ¡°Theodore, it¡¯s gettingte. We should go back and get some rest,¡± she said gently. J knew her goal clearly. What she wanted now was only Theodore. It had to be him. From the moment she was pregnant with his child and decided to keep it, she was determined to make things 15:59 Sat, 20 Jul official and married him. First, because she truly loved Theodore. Ever since he woke up and saw him for the first time, she had fallen. hopelessly in love. She had to marry him.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Second, now that all the fans knew she was having his baby, she couldn¡¯t imagine how the media and fans would react if they didn¡¯t end up married. She couldn¡¯t bear to lose the man she loved or see her career fall apart. She had to be with Theodore. J¡¯s words floored Joe and the crew inside the room. Their minds raced with bewildering thoughts. What kind of mess was this? Was this the life of the rich and powerful? It was all so chaotic! When Theodore invited everyone to lunch just a moment ago, they genuinely thought he was there to visit J. But looking at everything that happened afterward¡­ Theodore suddenly invested 20 million, and Charlie invested forty million. And now, with Theodore and Charlie in a tense standoff in the room, Theodore shamelessly insisted on staying in Reba¡¯s lounge, even dering he was her husband. So it was clear who Theodore was really there for. J truly had some nerve. Had female stars in the entertainment industry be so audacious about being mistresses? Her maniptive schemes were practically in the legitimate wife¡¯s face. But that wasn¡¯t even the most shocking part. The real question was, what was going on between Reba and Charlie? A top¨Ctier actor and a wealthy you youngdy?dy? Oh my, there were just too many juicy tidbits today. They were struggling to process it all! Reba was exasperated. She red at Theodore, utterly baffled by what was going on in his head. Hadn¡¯t he been the one wanting a divorce every day before? Now, she was ready to part ways, too. 15 by Sat, 20 JU 78% I Then they should have divorced, gone their separate ways, and lived their own lives. Wasn¡¯t that sensible? Was it really just because the kids didn¡¯t take hisst name? What a joke! When he had threatened her with their lives, did he ever concern for the kids then? As Reba thought about it, she suddenly raised her hand, ready to p Theodore hard. But there was no way Theodore would let her hit him. As soon as she raised her hand, he lifted his own, ready to grab her arm. Just then, out of nowhere, Debra kicked Theodore squarely, sending him stumbling backward. ¡°Theodore!¡± J, who had been standing by his side, was startled and quickly rushed to support him. With J¡¯s help, Theodore managed to keep from fallingpletely, saving a bit of face. But it did nothing to quell the raging fury inside him. He thought, Kicked again! Is kicking people a family trait for the Carters? Has Charlie taught them that? Every single one of them seems to be a pro at spitting and kicking! Especially Reba. She¡¯s picked up all their bad habits, too. Last time, she spat at me, and just now, she¡¯s raising her hand. Was she really about to hit me?¡± Theodore red at Reba as he sneered, ¡°Reba, so you insist on hanging out with them, don¡¯t you? Just don¡¯t forget your status. You are still a married woman!¡± he roared. That afternoon, two female bodyguards appeared by Reba¡¯s side. They shadowed her every move, following her wherever she went. Theodore had arranged them. Seeing this, Debra was furious and immediately called the police. Stalking and infringing on someone¡¯s privacy was illegal. News of Theodore hiring bodyguards to monitor his wife spread quickly, causing the Edwards¡® stock to start plummeting Far away in Maeloria, Michael learned the truth and was furious. He immediately called and ordered Theodore to return. With Theodore gone, peace finally returned to the set. J only yed a cameo role and filmed for just two daw L 15:59 Sat, 20 Jul Without any more eyesores around, Reba found her time on set to be quite pleasant. She dedicated herself to learning her role, practicing every day, and continued rehearsing at home each night. Reba repeatedly practiced her scenes privately, often getting guidance from Charlie, who corrected many of her mistakes. Even Joe watched her practice and saw her performance improve from barely passable to genuinely good. When it came time for actual filming, Reba nailed three scenes in one day, all in one take, much to Joe¡¯s satisfaction. A monthter, all the scenes featuring the sister character werepleted. After repeatedly reviewing Reba¡¯s performances, Joe grew increasingly pleased. He even felt that Charlie and Reba were real siblings, both on and off the screen. Their resemnce and the way they interacted gave off a strong brother¨Csister vibe. Sometimes, Joe wondered if he was imagining things. How could Charlie and Reba be real siblings? But the more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that he had made the right casting choice. Reba was perfect for the role of the male lead¡¯s sister. Joe even had a hunch that Reba¡¯s portrayal of the sister might be quite popr once the show aired. CHAPTER 68 Charlie was the lead and had many scenes left to shoot, so he couldn¡¯t leave the set just yet. But Reba didn¡¯t leave right away, either, Opportunities to learn up close like this were rare, and she didn¡¯t want to miss out on su a great learning experience. Charlie was naturally happy to have his sister sticking around, so he was d to let her stay. Whenever he had free time, he would exin the scenes to her and teach her how to y her role well. Reba stayed with the crew for another week. A weekter, an invitation to a birthday party made her leave the crew with her baby. The party was hosted by her aunt, Cynthia, or rather, her aunt from the Mitchell family. She had been adopted by the Mitchell family from a young age. Though her adoptive parents treated her poorly, Cynthia had always been kind to her. When J bullied her as a child, it was Cynthia who stood up for her. At age seven, J tricked her into going on a pic and had the driver take them to the outskirts. But when they got outside, J took advantage of her ying and left with the driver, leaving, her alone in the wilderness. That was the scariest experience of Reba¡¯s life. As a child, she kept running back along the road. She was terrified and cried as she ran. Finally, she was found by vigers in the countryside. The vigers took her to the police station, where the officers understood the situation, and then took her back home. Due to this incident, when the police brought her back to Mitchell Vi, they sternly criticized her adoptive parents and gave them a lecture. However, this didn¡¯t make them realize their mistakes. On the contrary, after the police left, they grew to dislike Reba even more.. Every time Reba ate, J would deliberately knock over her te, forbidding her from eating. J said that the food belonged to the Mitchell family and that Reba, being an outsider, wasn¡¯t allowed to eat It. Reba felt deeply wronged and helpless at that time. She was almost every night, she w 16:00 Sat 20 Jul 2 Chap 68 It wasn¡¯t until Cynthia came to visit them and discovered Reba was being bullied. Cynthia didn¡¯t argue with them. Instead, under the pretense of a family visit, she invited Reba to stay over. Although Reba was scared then, she saw the kindness in Cynthia¡¯s eyes and was magically moved to ept the invitation. Her adoptive parents had long despised her. Since Cynthia was happy to take her in, they were relieved to see her
  1. go.
Thus, Reba was temporarily taken away from the Mitchell family. She lived with Cynthia for three years, the happiest years of her childhood. She still remembered that when she lived with Cynthia, Cynthia would buy her beautiful clothes every year, cook delicious meals for her, and sometimes take her out to y and buy her snacks. Most importantly, Cynthia would help her with her homework every day after school. She always said that education could change one¡¯s destiny. Reba studied hard afterward, remembering Cynthia¡¯s words that education could change one¡¯s destiny. But this period of good fortune came to an end when Cynthia¡¯s husband, Ken, had an affair. When she was in fourth grade, Cynthia discovered that Ken was having an affair. Cynthia was devastated, and the household was filled with constant arguments, sometimes even physical fights. Once, when Cynthia threw a chair at Ken, it identally hit her, causing her forehead to bleed profusely.N?velDrama.Org ? content. That incident terrified Cynthia. At the hospital, after the doctor bandaged her up, Cynthia cried secretly for a long time. Soon after, she was sent back to Mitchell Vi. Reba actually wanted to stay sho Cynthia if Ken ever hit her. wasn¡¯t afraid of Cynthia and Ken fighting, and she thought she could help But Cynthia didn¡¯t want her to stay, so she was forcibly sent back to the Mitchells. After that, Cynthia seemed to stop fighting with Ken altogether. No matter who or how many women Ken saw or how long he spent with them, Cynthia stopped caring. She seemed exhausted and withdrawn, no longer interacting with 16:00 Sat, 20 Jul The loving, cheerful aunt she remembered gradually became a quiet, somewhat depressed woman. Cynthia looked much older. When the Mitchell family forced her to marry Theodore, a man in a vegetative state, Cynthia was the only one who stood up against it. But Reba agreed to the marriage. She asked the Mitchell family for forty thousand dors and gave it to Cynthia for surgery. Cynthia was ill with aneurysm, and the operation cost forty thousand dors. She had married down. In her youth, she fell in love with and married Ken despite her parents¡® objections. Ken had been poor but capable, and Cynthia believed in his potential to change their lives. Eventually, Ken did make money and became a well¨Cknown entrepreneur. However, after bing sessful, he fell for younger, prettier women, and Cynthia, now in her forties, became an eyesore to him.. Despite earning money, Ken was unwilling to spend it on Cynthia. Her daily expenses came from running her own flower shop. ?????????? ? ???? ?? Reba found out about Cynthia¡¯s illness by ident. She secretly consulted a doctor, who told her the surgery would cost around forty thousand dors. Cynthia had always been proud and refused to ask Ken for money or even consider spending his money. It seemed Cynthia also had no intention of borrowing from the Mitchell family. Reba sensed that Cynthia had lost the will to live. But she didn¡¯t want her to die. Cynthia was such a good person and deserved to live a good life. So, she agreed to her adoptive parents¡® demand to marry Theodore. In return, the Mitchells had to give her forty thousand dor The Edwards family gave the Mitchells an engagement gift of one million dors and significant business support. While this marriage brought the Mitchell family numerous benefits, she only requested forty thousand dors, considering the rest as repayment for raising her all these y Reba took the money and secretly handed it to Cynthia for her surgery. 16:00 Sat, 20 Jul At that time, she didn¡¯t know if Cynthia would actually go through the surgery, but she hoped that Cynthia would live and even live well because only by living could there be hope. Cynthia was shocked and touched when she received the money. That night, she cried. She clung to Reba, sobbing like a child. Cynthia promised that she would no longer be despondent. She would get the surgery, live on, and live better than Ken, making him regret everything. Reba held her and promised her, saying, ¡°Okay.¡± She would wait for the day when her aunt would live a better life, making Ken regret his actions. CHAPTER 69 Reba told her mother about Cynthia¡¯s situation. When Debra learned about it, she felt a deep sense of gratitude. toward Cynthia.N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°We should pick a nice gift to wish her a happy birthday,¡± Debra said. Reba nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°How old is she turning this year?¡± Debra quickly asked. ¡°Fifty¨Cfive,¡± Reba replied. She then took out her phone and showed her mother a photo of Cynthia that she had saved. After looking at the photo, Debra immediately smiled, ¡°No worries. I know just what to get her.¡± ¡°What?¡® Reba was a bit puzzled and looked at her mother in confusion. Debra looked at her daughter and smiled, ¡°The timing is perfect. I haven¡¯t had a chance to get you anythingtely, either. Let¡¯s go out together and pick something nice for you and your two kids tomorrow.¡± ¡°For me, too?¡± Reba was surprised. Debra nodded with a smile and said happily, ¡°Becky, you haven¡¯t been to our hometown in gua City, have you?¡± Reba remained silent. Debra straightened her daughter¡¯s clothes dotingly and smiled, ¡°We still have several mines in our hometown, rich with all kinds of emeralds and minerals. Tomorrow, let¡¯s take your father and go back home to have a look.¡± Reba¡¯s mind was buzzing. Mines, several of them, in their hometown? Was this something she was event supposed to hear? Or was she dreaming, and all of this was just an illusion? Debra noticed her daughter staring at her in a daze as she spoke. She paused and thenughed. ¡°What? You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Reba snapped back to reality and quickly shook her head. ¡°No. I¡¯m just really shocked.¡± She had alreadye to terms with her biological parents being wealthy, but having several mines back home? That was a whole new level of wealth. She still needed some time to process this new information. Chapt As the mother and daughter were chatting, Patrick came home from work, carrying the weariness of a long day. However, when he stepped inside and saw his wife and daughter in the living room, his tired expression softened, and a gentle smile appeared in his eyes. Reba and Debra heard themotion at the door and looked up. ¡°Dad¡± Reba stood up to greet him. Debra also stood up, smiling at her husband, ¡°Patrick, do you have time tomorrow? I was just talking to Becky about taking her back to our hometown to pick out a birthday gift for her aunt. It¡¯s also a good opportunity to choose some gifts for her and her two kids. We haven¡¯t had a proper chance to give them anything since the reunion. Patrick chuckled at her words, ¡°Why bother with gifts? What¡¯s ours is Becky¡¯s. Whatever she wants, she can take directly from home.¡± Debra¡¯s smile grew even wider. She quickly nodded. ¡°You are right. What am I saying about giving gifts? It¡¯s all hers, to begin with.¡± Patrick smiled, ¡°Alright then, tomorrow it is. I¡¯ll have someone arrange for a helicopter toe over tonight so we can fly back in the morning.¡± Reba was stunned again, questioning her hearing ¡°Helicopter?¡± she asked, unsure if she heard correctly. Debra and Patrick exchanged nces, and bothughed. Patrick looked at Reba and asked with a smile, ¡°Becky, have you ever ridden in a helicopter before?¡± Reba shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Debra smiled, ¡°That helicopter belongs to us, Becky. Let me or your dad know whenever you want to use it, and we can arrange it anytime.¡± Not only was Reba shocked, but the two nannies, who were caring for Lily and Kev, were also stunned. A family that owned a helicopter¡­ What kind of job had theynded? ¡°Um¡­ Will we be going with you tomorrow?¡± One of the nannies couldn¡¯t contain her excitement and asked expectantly. 77% Just one ride would give them a lifetime of stories to tell. ¡°Of course, the kids still need your care,¡± Debra said with a smile, looking at the nannies. Over the past few months, Debra had grown to appreciate the two nannies that Reba had initially hired. They were reliable, hardworking, and sincere. The two nannies, Marie and Gwen, holding the kids in their arms, looked at each other with excitement and anticipation in their eyes. While Reba wanted to buy a gift for Cynthia, J was also preparing a birthday gift for her. She hadn¡¯t paid much attention to Cynthia in previous years, but this year was different. A few days ago, J unexpectedly learned from her mother that Cynthia had been doing very well abroad over the past few years and had be one of the top designers at Vimy, with many domestic and international celebrities vying to have custom outfits made by her. Even if they had made an appointment, they still had to wait months, or up to half a year, just to get their clothes. for As a seasoned actress, J nevercked outfits. Every time she attended an event, numerous brands mored to dress her and have her endorse their clothes. However, those outfits were merely designed for the market. The brands wanted J to wear them for advertising purposes, and few were custom¨Cmade just for her. What she really needed was a high¨Cend designer exclusively for herself. That way, she could attend events in unique gowns designed specifically for her, elevating her status significantly. She would transform from just another celebrity in borrowed attire to a nobledy from a top¨Ctier family, standing out in the elite social circles rather than merely being a walking billboard. With this goal in mind, J naturally put a lot of thought into the gift for her aunt¡¯s birthday. But what could she give? After much deliberation, she decided on emerald. Emerald was timeless and elegant. An emerald bracelet would surely please Cynthia. So, she booked a ticket to gua City. Known as the emerald capital of Zentiscape, gua City was the perfect ce to find exquisite emerald pieces. The only hassle was the distance from her current location in Maeloria to Al- ¡ª TOU SAT, 20 JUI and several train transfers are required. 77%Çú However, J thought the journey was worthwhile that her aunt would be her exclusive designer, and she would stun in haute, unique and perfectly fitting dresses for all asions without any advertising implication. CHAPTER 70 Chapter 70 After discussing with her parents, Reba and her family started getting ready. The adults didn¡¯t have much to pack. Most of the preparation was for the babies, making sure nothing they needed was left behind.. With many hands to help, it didn¡¯t take long before everything was packed and organized. The thought of returning home to the ce that truly belonged to her made Reba¡¯s heart race excitedly. She could barely contain her joy. Debra and Patrick were equally ted. Thanks to a stroke of luck, their precious daughter, lost for so many years, had finally been found. Now, they could bring her home. That night, in the master bedroom, Patrick held his wife close. They were upte, unable to sleep due to their overwhelming happiness. In the next room, Reba also stayed awakete into the night, buzzing with excitement. Charlie was worried about her and called her. When he knew his sister was returning to their hometown with their parents, he almost cried with envy. Unfortunately, there were still many scenes left to shoot for his film, so he couldn¡¯t make it back in time. Otherwise, he would have loved to apany his sister back to their hometown. It wasn¡¯t just Charlie who called. Their older brothers, Adrian and Bryce, also reached out when they heard the news, having talked with Reba for a long time. They shared stories about their hometown. The unique spots, the delicious food, and even the family¨Cowned mineral mines. Especially re y regarding the mineral mines, they took the time to exin everything in detail, trying to teach her how to select the best emerald. ¡°Just pick the best ones, don¡¯t worry about the cost. We own several mines there. It¡¯s all ours, so take whatever you want.¡± It wasn¡¯t untilte at night that her brothers wrapped up the video call, finally giving Reba a chance to rest.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Surrounded by her family¡¯s love and care, she felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. Even in her sleep, a contented smile yed on her lips. Early the following day, everyone in the house was up and about Includi 16 01 Sat 20 Julgr The housekeeper had already prepared breakfast, and the babies woke up after the family ate together. Reba went back to her room to nurse the twins. Once the babies were fed, her parents started urging everyone to get ready to leave. They were going to take a helicopter back to their hometown. Reba was thrilled, and so were the nannies. It was their first time on a helicopter. Reba and Debra each carried one baby while the nannies handled the luggage. They all headed to the vi¡¯s courtyard. The courtyard, being spacious enough, had been used as a temporarynding pad for their helicopter, which was already waiting for them. Upon arriving, the pilot came over to help load the luggage onto the helicopter. Once everything was stowed away, it was time for everyone to board. Patrick and Debra got on first with Lily, followed by Reba and Kev, andstly, the two nannies. Inside the helicopter, everyone found their seats and buckled up. The helicopter had even been outfitted with special safety seats for the babies, ensuring their safety during the flight. The pilot went around to close the doors before returning to his seat. ¡°Are we ready for takeoff?¡± Patrick asked with a smile. ¡°All set,¡± the pilot replied with a grin. Soon, the helicopter roared to life. As it lifted off, apanied by a rumbling sound, Reba watched as the buildings below grew smaller and smaller. The nannies were equally excited, everyone gazing out the windows, snapping photos, and recording videos capture the moment. Reba couldn¡¯t resist taking out her phone to snap a few photos and record a short video. The distance from Maeloria to gua City was quite far, so Debra had thoughtfully packed plenty of snacks. Whenever anyone got bored during the helicopter ride, Debra would bring out the snacks and share them. to 77%8 16.01 Sat 20 Jul The adults were well¨Cfed and had pre¨Cprepared breast milk when the babies got hungry. They just needed to warm it slightly with a heater before feeding them. They had set off in the morning and didn¡¯t arrive until around four. Reba looked at the scenery outside as the helicopter descended, her heart racing with an indescribable sense of security. This was her true hometown. Due to Reba¡¯s current need for discretion, they didn¡¯t arrange for arge crowd to greet them upon arrival. Only the most trusted individuals were waiting for them. Patrick and Debra disembarked first, turning back to help Reba, followed by the two nannies carrying the babies. ¡°Mr. Carter, Mrs. Carter, Ms. Carter.¡± A man around Patrick¡¯s age greeted them respectfully. ¡°Becky, this is Dave Kon. You can just call him Dave. He has been my assistant for over twenty years. Whenever you¡¯re in gua City and need help, you can always turn to him,¡± Patrick introduced with a smile. ¡°Hello, Dave.¡± Reba greeted him warmly. Dave smiled at her, clearly fond of what he saw. ¡°Ms. Carter, you are very beautiful, just like Mrs. Carter when she was young.¡± Patrick burst outughing, delighted by thepliment. ¡°You always know what to say De couldn¡¯t help butugh, too. Dave then turned his attention to the two babies the nannies were holding. ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Carter, these two little ones must be Ms. Carter¡¯s babies, right?¡± he asked with a smile. Debra nodded with a smile. her Lily. Her younger brother is Kevin Carter, whom we call Kev. They were born just a few months ago and aren¡¯t even a year old yet.¡± brother is Kevin Carter, Yes, the elder is a daughter named Lillian Carter, but we all Dave¡¯s eyes lit up, and he was surprised. ¡°Both of them have the Carter surname?¡± Hearing this, Patrick and Debra both beamed with pride. ¡°Yes, they are also heirs of the Carter family, just like the children of our sons.¡± This statement clearly established Lily and Kev¡¯s positions within the Carter family. Although they were the daughter¡¯s children, they were members of the Carter family, just like their cousins. There was no distinction between them. They were all future inheritors of the Carter family legacy. Dave nodded eagerly. ¡°Understood.¡± 3/4 16:01 Sat, 20 Jul Reba was both surprised and deeply touched by this deration. € 77% ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not stand out here any longer. We can just go inside and continue our conversation,¡± Debra smiled. With that, the group headed towards the vi ahead. The vi was truly grand and luxurious, with a unique design that set it apart from other vis in the area. ¡°Becky, we built this house ourselves with full¨Ccustom design based on our preferences. Even the interior decor was a coborative effort,¡± Patrick said to Reba, his voice filled with pride for their home. CHAPTER 71 Chapter 71 The house was lovely. Reba loved it the moment sheid eyes on it. Debra smiled, ¡°Becky, there¡¯s a room inside just for you. Even though you¡¯ve been away all these years, we always kept one ready for you.¡± Reba looked at her mother in surprise. Patrick gazed at his daughter, a mix of pain and relief in his eyes. He was finally back felt the pain of knowing his daughter had suffered so much out in the world but relief that she and that she would never have to suffer again. As Debra spoke, her eyes grew moist. She quickly lifted her head and used a tissue to dab away the tears that were threatening to spill over. Debra soonposed herself. She looked at her daughter again, her eyes still glistening but filled with joy. ¡°You were three years old when you went missing. The whole family was frantic from the moment you disappeared, searching for you everywhere. We looked for so long but couldn¡¯t find you. ¡°Those who caused you harm were caught and are now in prison. But we didn¡¯t care about that. All we wanted was for you toe home. ¡°For the past years or so, whenever w missed you, we would sit in your room and imagine what you might be doing if you were here, what you might have in your room. ¡°Every year, we change the things in it. Your father, your three brothers, and I all added items we thought you might like. ¡°We filled the room with things a three¨Cyear¨Cold would love, then things for a four¨Cyear¨Cold, and so on, year after year, until now. Every year, we update the room ording to your age. ¡°Thetest season¡¯s clothes, the newest makeup, loads of books, toys, decorations a girl might like. There¡¯s so much in there. Debra¡¯s eyes grew moist again as she spoke, but she smiled as she looked at her daughter, ¡°Becky, for over twenty years, we imagined what you would need if you were still here, and we made sure to have it ready for you. ¡°We thought you might never get to use any of it, but then, out of the blue, fate opened a window for our family and brought you back to us.¡± Patrick¡¯s eyes also grew moist. The ruggedly handsome middle¨Caged man standing na- tears. n¡­. TOUT ¡°Let Becky go in and take a look,¡± Patrick said in a hoarse voice. Debra quickly nodded, tears mixed with her smile. ¡°Yes, yes, Becky, let¡¯s go inside. See if you like the room your dad, brothers, and I prepared for you. It¡¯s filled with all sorts of things. Keep what you like, and we can have the rest cleared out. If you want anything else, we¡¯ll buy it and redecorate the room to your taste.¡± With that, everyone cheerfully headed towards the vi. The living room was enormous, with spiral staircases on both sides. It looked like a grand castle straight out of a fairy tale, fit for a princess. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling was exquisite, giving the room an understated yet elegant feel. Thevish chandelier added to its beauty. The house was also adorned with fresh flowers, making it even more warm and inviting. ¡°All the rooms are on the second floor. Let¡¯s go up and take a look,¡± Debra said happily. Reba looked at her mother and smiled, nodding, ¡°Okay.¡± Not only was Reba amazed, but even the two nannies holding the baby were wide¨Ceyed with wonder. They had expected their employer¡¯s family to be wealthy, but this vi, which seemed like something out of a dream, still felt surreal. It was like stepping into a fantasy. Reba followed Debra up to the second floor, with the two nannies holding the baby quickly trailing behind. It was partly their responsibility but mostly curiosity. They were eager to see what the second floor of this magnificent vi looked like. The second floor was just as grand and opulent as the first. When Debra led Reba to the room at the end of the hall and pushed the door open, Reba was greeted with a warm, inviting space clearly designed as a girl¡¯s sanctuary. She couldn¡¯t help but hold her breath. Was this the room her parents and brothers had prepared for her? Even though she had been away for more than twenty years, there had always been a room for her in this house. Though she had not set foot here in so long, the house still bore the mark of her presence. Reba¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, and she struggled to keep from crying. She had always been loved. Her parents and brothers had never stopped thinking about her, longing for her. Seeing her daughter on the verge of tears, Debra felt a pang of bittersweet emotion herself. She quiet back, dabbed away her tears with a tissue, and then smiled, ¡°Beckv. and keep it. We¡¯ll clear out anything you don¡® nom.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. 1601 Sat 2013 77% As Debra spoke, the led Reba into the room and opened the door to the walk in closet, which was the size of a smalliving room. It was filled with clothes of all colors and styles, all thetest designs from top brands across the country. There were dresses, casual wear, and outfits for every asion. The closet also held an array of bags, shoes, hats, nes, and earrings. Any essory one could think of, in endless variety Reba was stunned. Was this really just her walk in closet and not a boutique? The two nannies were equally shocked. Over the years, they had worked for many wealthy families and seen plenty of extravagant closets, but never one so vast and beautiful. Debraughed, clearly pleased, as she looked around the closet. ¡°Becky, these are thetest products from this year bought by everyone of us. The things from previous years are in the warehouse. If you want to see those, we can head over there and take a look¡± Even though she knew the old items might not be useful anymore, Debra felt a desire to show her daughter the warehouse, which was brimming with things that represented the family¡¯s love for Reba. ¡°Yes!¡± Reba nodded eagerly. She was at a loss for words to express her feelings. Although she knew her parents and brothers loved her dearly, she never imagined they had prepared so much for her. Debra quickly led Reba to the back of the closet, where she opened a hidden door revealing an elevator. Reba was astonished. The two nannies behind her were equally dumbfounded. An elevator in a walk¨Cin closet? Was this how wealthy people lived? Debra turned and exined with a smile, ¡°Becky, over the years, we¡¯ve umted so many things for you that we designed a special warehouse just for your items. To make moving things easier, we installed an elevator in your closet to ess the warehouse below¡± Reba was speechless. The two nannies were equally at a loss for words. 18 CHAPTER 72 Chapter 72 Everyone got into the elevator. As it started and descended, they quickly arrived at the basement. Or should it be called the vi¡¯s underground chamber? Reba was surprised. She hadn¡¯t expected that beneath this beautiful vi, there was actually a basement. The storage room was enormous and filled with a wide array of items, from children¡¯s clothes, shoes, hats, and stuffed animals to fairy tale books, teenage outfits, cosmetics, cushions, and even flowers. Or were they preserved flowers? ¡°These are all preserved flowers,¡± Debra remarked as she noticed the blooms. She exined, ¡°Since you weren¡¯t here, it was hard for everyone to buy fresh flowers, as they don¡¯tst long. But preserved flowers do. Every year on your birthday, everyone would get you a cake, some small gifts, and a bouquet preserved flowers. We thought that since most girls like flowers, you would too.¡± of ¡°Yes, I really like them. Thank you, Mom.¡± Reba nodded quickly, almost moving to tears. ¡°And thank you, Dad and my brothers. Thank you all for loving me so much,¡± Reba said as she turned to her father, trying to hold back the lump and the wave of happiness in her throat. Before she could finish her words, her voice had already turned hoarse and choked with emotion. After she finished looking at her things, Reba was left speechless, filled only with a deep sense of happiness and joy. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not cry anymore. How about we all go check out Lily and Kev¡¯s room?¡± Patrick suggested with a smile. Knowing that Reba had given birth, they had contacted people back home and had long instructed the housekeeper to prepare rooms for the two kids. They took the elevator back to the second floor and then went to see the babies¡® room. Since Lily and Kev were still very young, they didn¡¯t prepare two separate rooms. Instead, they ced the two little ones in a single room so they could keep each otherpany when they were idle. Æ· The room w filled with baby items, including form, diapers, plenty of baby clothes, little bibs, tiny shoes, and a plethora of adorable toys. Everything a baby might need seemed there, making it a veritable treasure trove. Reba began to doubt whether packing up so many things back home in Maeloria had been necessary. With all these items here, it seemed they wouldn¡¯tck even if they hadn¡¯t brought their own. The nursery even had two temporary single beds set up for the nannies to .. 1602 Sat 20 Jul Chapter After they finished looking around, it was gettingte. The butler came up with a smile and invited everyone downstairs for dinner. The housekeeper had already prepared dinner for the whole family in the first¨Cfloor living room. They all sat around a table, enjoying a delightful meal together. Feeling full and satisfied, Reba finally had some time. She returned to the second floor to start feeding the babies. Debra went to her own room to tidy up for a while and then came over after Reba had finished feeding the babies. The nannies took the babies to rest. Debra sat in the room, looking at her daughter. She wanted to say something. but it seemed like nothing was left to talk about. Yet, she didn¡¯t want to leave. This room had waited over twenty years for its rightful owner. Now, their beloved daughter was finally back. ¡°Becky, are you tired? If you are, just go to bed. We can pick out the emeralds tomorrow,¡± Debra finally said, gently adjusting her emotions after a long pause. ¡°A little bit,¡± Reba admitted. After a whole day of flying in a helicopter, it wasn¡¯t for nothing. Debra smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, just go to sleep then. Your dad and I are in the master bedroom. If you need anything, just knock on our door or look for the butler or the housekeeper downstairs. ¡°The butler here is Cooper Hill, You can call him Cooper. The housekeeper in charge of the kitchen is Grace,¡± Debra introduced. ¡°Okay,¡± Reba smiled and nodded. Debra smiled back, stood up, and turned to leave. But Reba stood up, too, reaching out to hold her mother. Debra turned back. She was puzzled as she looked at her daughter. Reba hesitated momentarily and then said, ¡°Mom, can you stay with me tonight?¡± Debra looked at her daughter in surprise, but soon, she was overwhelmed with excitement and joy. She sat back down beside Reba and happily asked, ¡°Becky, do you really want me to stay?¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Blushing slightly, Reba nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± 16:02 5 She could see her mother¡¯s reluctance to leave and couldn¡¯t bear to watch her walk away with such a heavy heart. At the same time, she also wanted to experience thefort of sleeping beside her mother. Growing up, she had fantasized countless times about what her mother looked like and imagined many scenarios of spending time together. But nothingpared to the happiness of having her mother right by her side now. Debra quickly gathered herself, nodding excitedly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll stay in your room tonight, and we can sleep side by side. Let me take a quick shower and change my clothes. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± Debra said hurriedly. Reba nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright.¡± Filled with excitement, Debra rushed out. When she saw her husband, she couldn¡¯t help but run over to him, eximing, ¡°Patrick, I¡¯m staying with Becky tonight. You¡¯ll have to manage on your own. Becky wants to sleep beside me. She likes me and wants to sleep beside her mom!¡± By the end of her words, Debra was utterly lost in her own world, talking to herself, her smile uncontainable and radiating pure joy. Patrick was left bewildered. Debra quickly dashed off, hurrying back to the master bedroom to shower and change into her pajamas before heading back to Becky¡¯s room It took Patrick a moment to process what had just happened. He was anxious. His wife ran away. Who would he sleep with at night? But then, thinking of Becky, all hisints melted away. After all, it was their daughter. Their beloved Becky. Meanwhile, Debra returned to Reba¡¯s room. When Reba finished her shower, she emerged wearing pajamas her mother had bought her.- Instead of her own, she had chosen pajamas from the wardrobe, guessing her mother must have selected them. Growing up, she had never worn pajamas bought by her mother. Now, she wanted to experience that feeling of happiness. Debra quickly noticed the pajamas Becky was wearing. She remembered buying them and couldn¡¯t help but feel even happier. ¡°Let¡¯s go to bed,¡± Debra said happily. 16:02 Sat, 20 Jul ¡°Yeah.¡± Reba nodded. So the mother and daughter climbed onto the bed together and then happilyy under the same quilt. After lying down, Debra¡¯s excited mood calmed down a lot. She turned her head and couldn¡¯t help but look at her daughter, reluctant to avert her gaze. Reba also looked at her mother. She was reluctant to look away. This was the mother she had dreamed of as a child, her biological mother. CHAPTER 73 Chapter 73 Reba and her mother went to bed early, so when Reba got up in the middle of the night to feed the babies, she didn¡¯t feel too tired. On the contrary, her two adorable little ones filled her heart with joy. The next day, Reba and Debra woke up before dawn. They got out of bed together and brushed each other¡¯s hair, Such a heartwarming scene was something they had never dared to imagine before, and now it filled them with sweet happiness. There were many flowers downstairs in the yard, especially in the backyard, which looked like a garden straight out of a fairy tale. It was breathtaking. Debra took Reba to the garden to admire the flowers. The morning blooms were still glistening with dew, clear and beautiful, and Reba couldn¡¯t take her eyes off them. Unable to resist, she took out her phone and quietly snapped photos of the garden flowers. ¡°Do you like these flowers?¡± Debra asked with a smile. Reba nodded. ¡°Yes, I do.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. Debra felt happy and said, ¡°I love roses very much, so your father had the gardener nt a whole yard full of them in the backyard. They are tended to every day and always look stunning.¡± Reba thought Debra was lucky and that Patrick had treated her well. ¡°Becky, you can tell your father and me if you have any favorite flowers. We¡¯ll get some nted for you, too. There¡¯s another yard next door where we can grow the flowers you like.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Reba was surprised. Debra nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, that yard has been reserved just for you.¡± Debra sighed as she spoke, ¡°Most girls love flowers, just like I do. Ever since I was a child, I¡¯ve de of having a garden of my own. When you were born, and we found out you were a girl, I had your father prepare that plot ofnd next door just for you. It was meant to be your garden, something to grow with you bit by bit. But¡­ ¡°All these years, we never touched thatnd. I kept thinking, maybe one day here for you.¡± you¡¯de back, and it would still be As she spoke, Debra felt a pang of sadness. Her precious daughter had endured so much hardship over the years. But then, she brightened up and smiled, ¡°Maybe my heartfelt wish moved the heavens? They brought you back 1/4 Debra beamed. From now on, thatnd will be nted ording to your wishes. Whatever flowers you like, we¡¯ll nt them there and create the garden of your dreams.¡± Reba was surprised to leam about this. She followed her mother to the plot ofnd. The soil was well¨Cprepared nd fenced but baren, with nothing nted yet. ¡°Sure, Mom. I take some time to think about what I like and let you know. Then, I¡¯ll count on you to help set it Reba said with a smile. ¡°Of course.¡± Debra nodded happily Breakfast, was ready, and the housekeeper came to invite them back to eat. ba joined her mother and father, and they all had breakfast together in the dining room. After eating their fill and feeding the babies, they prepared to get on with the day¡¯s tasks. The Carter family owned several mineral veins in gua City, but Reba had no idea what they looked like. She couldn¡¯t even picture them. The children couldn¡¯t be taken along, so she left them home with the housekeeper and nannies. Reba apanied her parents to the mines. She saw several mountain ranges, machines, and workers excracting minerals, and at the foot of the mountains, Enes of workers on conveyor belts sorting through emeralds. *Becky, several of these veins belong to our family. A lot of emeralds were mined here every year,¡± Patrick exined with a smile. ¡°We also have a few mines abroad, but those are mostly for gold. We get most of our gold fromones. We¡¯ll take you to see them sometime.¡± Reba realized once again how wealthy her family was. Her parents were incredibly rich. ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed with a smile. As they chatted, a man wearing a safety helmet hurried toward them from a distance. When he got closer, Reba recognized him. It was Dave. ¡°Dave,¡± she called out with a smile. Dave nodded happily at Reba. ¡°Hey there.¡± Turning to Patrick and Debra, he said, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Carter, the materials you requested are ready. The inside. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look,¡± said Patrick, smiling Reba was curious and followed them inside. Finally, they came upon a huge emerald. Truly a massive one. Dave turned to Patrick and Debra, smiling. ¡°This is the best emerald we¡¯ve unearthed recently. It¡¯s the top¨Cgrade sty species emerald, perfect for making jewelry.¡± Debra reached out to touch the emerald, growing fonder of it with every touch. ¡°This one it is. Let¡¯s make it into a bracelet,¡± she said with a smile. Dave readily agreed, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have someone start on it right away.¡± ¡°Use the remaining to make a few pendants. One for Becky, and the other two, make them smaller for Lily and Kev, Debra instructed. Dave nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± With the gifts easily arranged, they moved on to enjoy their day. Patrick intended for Reba to learn about the family business, so he took her around to see various aspects of it He patiently exined important details, teaching Reba bit by bit. Reba listened intently, valuing the opportunity to learn from her father. After they finished inspecting the mines, they headed to their stores. The Carter family owned many mineral veins, and most of the emerald they extracted was sold for profit. Consequently, they had numerous shops to manage. In gua City, the Carter family owned nearly half of the raw stone shops. The quality of the stones varied greatly, attracting many buyers each year. However, Reba didn¡¯t expect to encounter a familiar face during their inspection of the shops. It was J. J also noticed her, along with Patrick and Debra, standing beside her. The surprise was fleeting, quickly reced by a sneer, especially when she nced at Patrick and Debra. The malice in her expression was unmistakable. with a malicious smile. ¡°Reba, shouldn¡¯t you be at Maetoria or on a film set right now? What brings you to gua City?¡± J asked It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Reba replied coldly. 16:02 Sat, 20 Jul J scoffed, ¡°Are you here to look at the emerald? Are you nning to give it as a gift to Cynthia?¡± Reba was taken aback by the remark. Suddenly, she understood and stared intently at J. ¡°You are here to buy a gift for Cynthia?¡± J¡¯s smile was triumphant. She said, ¡°Exactly. So, I¡¯d suggest you pick another gift. I¡¯ll be getting her the best emerald, and if we both present our gifts together, yours will look so cheap that people might think our family is treating you poorly.¡± CHAPTER 74 Chapter 74 ¡°Oh, you¡¯re married now.¡°atever you do won¡¯t affect the reputation of the Mitchell family anymore. But every word and action you make now represents the Edwards family. ¡°If you present a gift that¡¯s too cheap, won¡¯t it embarrass Theodore?¡± J sneered. The store owner, Buck, watched Patrick and his wife, Debra, standing outside. His head was buzzing, thinking, ¡®The woman must be blinded by her own ignorance, daring to look down on the person Patrick brought. Thisdy was brought by Debra and Patrick. The raw stone she buy will be worse than this woman¡¯s? What a joke!¡®N?velDrama.Org ? content. Buck wanted toe out and greet Patrick, but Patrick¡¯s gaze froze his steps. Then, as if he understood, he looked carefully at the two women arguing inside the shop. Debra smiled, ¡°So you will buy the most expensive raw stone?¡± J nced at Debra, assuming that Debra and Patrick were both employees of Carter¡¯s Jewel and the most loyal servants of the Carter family. They followed Reba around every day, but that was only at Charlie¡¯smand, Charlie was a member of the Carter family, and Rebatched onto Charlie. Charlie had the Carter family¡¯s servants follow Reba as if doting on her. J found it ridiculous. She thought, ¡®Reba is really shameless, clinging to Theodore and refusing to divorce while at the same time getting involved with Charlie. Disgusting! ¡°If outsiders knew that Reba was raised in my family, it might even bring shame to us! ¡°I really regret not throwing Reba farther away when I was younger. If I had taken Reba deep into the mountains where there was no one and left her far away, let the wild animals eat her, then it would have been over!¡± J turned around and looked at the disyed raw stones. She didn¡¯twant to waste any more words on Reba. Debra looked at Buck and exchanged a nce with him. In just an instant, Buck understood and looked thoughtfully at J, who was selecting raw stones. Debra said mockingly, ¡°We were just browsing. But since Ms. Mitchell brought this up, we¡¯ll have to stay and see how well you can buy in the end. Then we canpare and see whose raw stone is better, Becky¡¯s or Ms. Mitchell¡¯s? Right?¡± Debra said this with a doting Inale.
  1. 76%
16:02 Sat 20 Jul Reba looked at Debra and found it somewhat amusing. More than half of gua City¡¯s mining veins belong to the Carter family, and the best raw stones sold by jewelry stores were definitely within the Carter family¡¯s reach. They had the cream of the crop. J thought she could buy more expensive and better raw stones, which was nothing short of a daydream. All these shops belonged to the Carter family, and any money made was theirs as well. Debra was deliberately goading J with a dare, and if J cared about her face, she might empty her wallet trying to buy their raw stones. Buying raw stones was also known as betting stones, which not only required luck but also experience. J was not an expert in this field, so she would easily misjudge. Therefore, J was bound to lose money to the Carter family today. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s wait and see!¡± J was indeed furious. A momentter, she turned back to Reba and said with a cold smile, ¡°Just watch. Raw stones are not something anyone can afford casually. The cheap ones are in the tens of thousands, and the expensive ones can run into millions. I want to see if you can even afford the more expensive ones!¡± As J spoke, she turned towards a stone on the shelf and asked Buck, ¡°How much does this one cost?¡± Patrick raised a finger, secretly signaling to Buck. Buck understood and then looked at J, smiling sweetly, ¡°Miss, this one costs one hundred thousand dors.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it, open it for me!¡± J sneered coldly and decisively. Buck¡¯s eyes lit up, and his smile was radiant. ¡°Sure thing.¡± J took out her bank card, nced disdainfully at Reba and Debra beside her, and then swiped the card cleanly to pay. ¡°Sir, do you have a raw stone worth 102 thousand dors? Bring me one!¡± Debra asked Buck after J finished paying. J stared speechlessly at Debra. Buck quickly caught on and immediately replied with a smile, ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. Would you like it? I¡¯ll get it for you out from behind the counter.¡± Buck said, stepping out from behind the counter. He pointed to a boulder¨Csized stone on the shelf and said with a smile, ¡°This one. What do you think about it?¡± ¡°Tll take it!¡± Debra said. Debra also took out her card to pay. After paying, she turned to J and said with a smile, ¡°Shall we open it and check?¡± J had aplex expression and snorted coldly, ¡°Sure. Spending more doesn¡¯t guarantee better quality!¡± Debra smiled, ¡°You¡¯re right, so let¡¯s cut it open and see.¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± J said confidently. ¡°Excuse me, please help me cut it open,¡± J turned to Buck andmanded. Buck immediately took out his tools and carefully helped J open the stone. The rough stone J bought was veryrge, but afteryer uponyer of cutting, there was no trace of a gemstone visible. J¡¯s expression slowly turned solemn. After cutting through the entire block of stone, only an egg¨Csized piece of green emerald was revealed, and it was of the poorest grade. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with your stones. How can a stone worth ten thousand dors contain such a tiny amount of emerald in such poor quality?¡± J angrily scolded Buck. Patrickughed sarcastically. ¡°If you don¡¯t understand gems, then keep quiet. If you question the quality of the stone, why not our J scoffed, ¡°Do you think your luck will be better than mine? Don¡¯t be too conceited.¡± They attracted some curious onlookers from the vicinity, and everyone gathered around to watch. ¡°Let the store owner cut it open, and we¡¯ll see who¡¯s being conceited,¡± Patrick said. Patrick turned to Buck. ¡°Hello, could you please open the stone?¡± Buck immediately agreed. In just a few minutes, the betting stone they bought revealed the gemstones. The onlookers were all nervous. ¡°It shows!¡± someone excitedly eximed. Buck was a bit tense, too. He held his breath, adjusted his angle, and continued cutting. The more he cut down, the more green appeared. This raw stone was the size of a basin, and if it were al emerald, then the person who had purchased it would have indeed made a hu CHAPTER 75 Chapter 75 That one raw stone had been cut for several hours and still wasn¡¯t finished because there were simply too many gems inside. Almost the entire stone was filled with them. The onlookers were thrilled and couldn¡¯t wait. Some people snapped photos with their phones or even recorded videos. They couldn¡¯t wait to post the news on Twitter and share this incredible discovery with their friends who were interested in betting stones. Patrick and Debra, seeing more and more people gathering, quietly made their way upstairs, sneaking into a private booth on the second floor. Reba was left there alone to confront J.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The raw stone was incredibly valuable. The gems within it were beyond what Patrick and Debra had anticipated. Even Buck, the one who had helped them choose the stone, hadn¡¯t seen iting. Buck, having been in this business for a long time, was experienced. When he selected the stone for Patrick and Debra, he only knew vaguely that it was better than the others in the shop, never imagining that it would be such a precious emerald. If he had known earlier, he would have bought it himself, even if it meant spending his own money. But it was impossible to turn back time. Buck¡¯s hands were sweating with tension as he carefully cut the stone, afraid of damaging the precious gems inside. More and more people were drawn in. Customers kept arriving, sometimes inrge groups, lured by the news and rushing over to watch themotion. Once a sparsely popted shop, it was now packed with people who were all excited and tense as they stared at Buck¡¯s cutting of the rough stone. Patrick and Debra were stewing in their own anger. They had intended to take Reba on a tour of their own shop before apanying her happily on a day trip to their hometown. But with such an unexpected turn of events, they didn¡¯t even dare to go downstairs. It was their hometown, not Maeloria, and there were plenty of people who knew Patrick. Before, the shop only had Patrick¡¯s own people, so he wasn¡¯t worried. But now that news had spread and attracted so many people, it was likely there were those among them who knew them personally. There was no way they 1/4 could continue standing outside and risk being recognized, a took a full four hours to cut that stone Afterward, everyone was excitedly taking pictures on their phones. People marveled, ¡°That massive stone and it was entirely filled with precious gemstones inside!¡± J¡¯s face was pale with disbelief. She couldn¡¯t believe that the stone she had bought was so worthless while Reba¡¯s had turned out to be so valuable. However, what J thought no longer mattered. The news that Reba had purchased an extremely precious raw stone spread, attracting so much business to the shop. Enthusiasts who heard the news were all excited, feverishly cing orders, and in less than half an hour, they cleared out all the remaining raw stones in the shop. Buck was so busy checking that his hand was numb. His facial muscles were almost frozen from smiling so hard. He was simply exhrated. His sales for the day alone could have supported his store¡¯s performance for the entire year. He wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his store¡¯s financials for the year ahead! Most importantly, selling so many raw stones at once meant he would also earn a considerablemission. Patrick¡¯s drop¨Cby brought Buck huge wealth. He felt overwhelmingly happy. After cutting the stone, Buck received a message from Patrick, instructing him to give the precious stones to the girl who came with Patrick. Buck packaged the gemstones together and handed them to Reba. Reba, holding arge lump of raw stone that was now called a precious emerald, basked in everyone¡¯s envious gazes in the shop. ¡°She¡¯s just lucky. Nothing worthy to brag about.¡± J¡¯s face darkened with disgust, scolding disdainfully. Reba, however, smiled. She realized that she was no longer affected by J¡¯s bullying and suppression. On the contrary, as soon as she thought about Patrick and Debra defending her, she felt good. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll be leaving first,¡± Reba said. ¡°Wait, miss, do you have ns to sell it?¡± Someone chased over with a look of anxiety, asking eagerly. ¡°I¡¯m willing to offer ten million dors. Can you sell it to me?¡± the person asked nervously. Reba thought, ¡®It was bought for 102 thousand dors, and now it can be sold for ten million dors?¡® J also understood that Reba had made a huge profit today, and her angry expression was contorted. ¡°Sir, do you have any other raw stones avable?¡± J, unwilling to admit defeat, turned to Buck and asked. She felt that if Reba could buy such a good raw stone, she could buy one as well. She had always been luckier than Reba when they were young, and as long as she spent a little more money, she could definitely buy a better raw stone. The raw stones had already sold out, but Buck could get replenishment. Buck immediately called Patrick to inquire. Upstairs, Patrick listened to Buck¡¯s report and calmly instructed, ¡°Since she wants to buy, sell it to her. I¡¯ll have someone send some over for you!¡± The Carter family¡¯s mining veins were not far away, so sending over some stones was quite easy. They weren¡¯t afraid of running out of stock but afraid of no one buying Especially for rookies like J, buying stones from their store was like telling them her credit card PIN number. If they refused, they would feel guilty. Reba left the store with the gemstones carefully packed in boxes and got into her car. Once in the car, she called Debra on the phone. After receiving Reba¡¯s call, Debra felt helpless and could only ask Reba to go home first. They would slip away from the storeter, after no one was looking, and then head home. Today, they had attracted too much attention, and it was impossible to continue shopping at the store or sightseeing. Otherwise, their identity would really be exposed. Their best option now was home. Earlier, during the crowded moment, Patrick and Debra fled in a hurry, and they didn¡¯t have time to exin things to Reba. However, Reba wasn¡¯t stupid. She could guess some things. So when Debra asked her to go home, she obediently headed home with the precious gemstones. Reba left, but J didn¡¯t because she wasn¡¯t willing to admit defeat and bought another raw stone. Half an hourter, the betting stone she had requested finally arrived. After paying. Burk her right away, and she had to queue up. This was something ¡ª 76% 16:03 Sat, 20 Jul Chapter 75 Because of the explosive business, there their stones cut. were now arge number of people waiting in line ahead of her to have J waited for a long time until it was almost dark, and her stomach grumbled with hunger, bing agitated and restless. J couldn¡¯t wait any longer, and, carrying the raw stone she had bought, she paid another store owner to cut the raw stone for her. The result was the same as her first raw stone. It turned out to be another worthless scrap. Love And CHAPTER 76 Chapter 76 275%0 Reba returned home with the precious stone. Both nannies were surprised to see her so early, as was Cooper Hill, the butler of Carter Manor. Everyone was thinking about where Patrick and Debra had gone. However, Cooper was quickly drawn to the box that Reba was holding in her arms. Seeing that it was quite heavy, he hurried over to help Reba carry it into the house. ¡°Thank you, Cooper,¡± Reba said with a smile as Cooper set the box down in the living room. ¡°No problem,¡± Cooper replied with a smile. ¡°Ms. Carter, why did youe back so early? Do you miss the babies?¡± Cooper asked to lighten the mood, seeing how awkward Reba must be on her own. Reba shook her head. ¡°No, something happened, and Dad and Mom should be back shortly.¡± She never expected to meet J here. However, considering what J got, she was feeling pretty good. Reba missed the babies already and turned to hug her children, as it had been almost a whole day since she hadst seen them. The nanny carefully handed Lily to her. Reba held Lily and coaxed her for a while, and before long, there was a noise outside. It was Patrick and Debra returning. As soon as they entered, Debra looked towards Reba and the others. Debra smiled, walked in from the outside, and reached out to take Lily from Reba¡¯s arms. Reba had held Lily for a while, and her arm was getting a bit sore. Seeing Debra wanting to take her baby, she willingly handed Lily over. When Lily saw her beautiful grandmother, her eyes blinked, and she then actively reached out to want Debra to hold her. ¡°What bad luck. We ran into that bitch J there. Otherwise, we could have yed all day!¡± Debra grumbled as she held Lily, unable to restrain herself fromining to Reba. Reba found it amusing. ¡°Maybe it was just a coincidence. Never mind, we have plenty of time in the future, and we¡¯ll always be together.¡± 1/4 16:04 Sat, 20 Jul. She reunited with Patrick and Debra, and she was only twenty¨Csix years old. She had a long life ahead of her. Thinking about it, Debra agreed that what she said was correct, and she happily nodded. ¡°Exactly, we have time and will always be happy together.¡± They stayed in their hometown for two days. On the third day, after the bracelets and pendants were ready, they took a helicopter back to Maeloria. The journey there and back was somewhat tiring, but as they traveled by helicopter, this novel experience made Reba and the two nannies feel that being cooped up for a whole day wasn¡¯t so bad after all. They were all excited. However, on the evening they returned to Maeloria, Paul asked Patrick and Debra to go to the study. Avoiding Reba, he told them a big secret. ¡°Debra, Patrick, I have something very important to tell you. Look at this!¡± Paul said nervously, taking a document out of his pocket and handing it to Patrick and Debra. Both Patrick and Debra were stunned. They looked at the document, which was a paternity test report. [Tested: Theodore Edwards and Arthur Edwards. Results: The DNA mismatch between the samples was rather high, indicating ack of blood rtion.] ¡°What does this mean?¡± Patrick blurted out, looking at Paul. Paul was gloating, ¡°The Edwards couple, or I should say Theodore¡¯s grandparents, they¡¯ve been caring about the child J gave birth to, haven¡¯t they? ¡°Yesterday, while J was out of the house, they managed to bribe J¡¯s nanny and take some blood from the child for a paternity test with Theodore. ¡°You all know, don¡¯t you? If there is no marriage certificate, Theodore needs a paternity test to im custody of the illegitimate child. ¡°That¡¯s what they were nning. They wanted to secretly get all the paperwork ready, and then, while J was away, they would transfer custody of the child to Theodore.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Debra panicked. ¡°That bitch, I mean J, she¡¯s always been dreaming of marrying Theodore, isn¡¯t she? ¡°Her kid already has thest name Edwards, so why isn¡¯t she rushing to have the child recognized? Why do those two need to do such sneaky things?¡± Patrickughed sarcastically. ¡°Right, that¡¯s the reason. J dreams of marrying Theodore, but what about those two old farts? 2/4 9% ¡°They don¡¯t want J to marry Theodore! ¡°They may love the child, but they think very little of J. ¡°J knows that they just want the child, not her. So, for the past few months, J has been using the child as a bargaining chip in their negotiations. ¡°J¡¯s only condition is to marry Theodore, and on the day they register their marriage, she will let Theodore be the child¡¯s guardian, too.¡± Patrick spat and cursed, ¡°What a dog¨Ceat¨Cdog show!¡± Paulughed and quickly continued, ¡°J should be out these days. They couldn¡¯t wait any longer, so they secretly did the paternity test while J was away. Then, they wanted to find awyer to gain custody. ¡°But who would have thought? The paternity test results showed that J¡¯s child is not Theodore¡¯s!¡± Paul said, almostughing. Debra smiled delightedly and cursed, ¡°Two bad guys! Serves them right!¡± ¡°Oh right, I talked to Adrian about this, and Adrian told us to keep it a secret and not to tell Becky,¡± Paul reminded them cautiously again. Debra and Patrick were dumbfounded upon hearing this. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Paul couldn¡¯t help butin, ¡°You two really gave birth to a good son! Patrick, Adrian¡¯s cunning and deceitful nature is too simr to yours. He really deserves to be your son.¡± Debra and Patrick looked at each other. Paul thought for a moment and then continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t Adrian say he didn¡¯t rmend that Becky sue Theodore for divorce? I find it strange, too. Even though the marriagew doesn¡¯t explicitly state infidelity as a serious fault within the marriage, Theodore has an illegitimate child. If we gather evidence and let Becky initiate the divorce, we might actually have a chance of winning, right?¡± ¡°And guess what? ¡°Turns out Adrian started secretly investigating the day after we reunited with Becky. He gathered a lot of evidence, but none of it could prove that Theodore was cheating on J. ¡°The most important thing is that Adrian got the nurse at the delivery room to collect a sample of the baby¡¯s blood right after its birth and quietly had a paternity test done with Theodore.¡± Debra was shocked. ¡°So Adrian already knew that J¡¯s child wasn¡¯t Theodore¡¯s?¡± CHAPTER 77 Chapter 77 ¡°Right.¡± Paul nodded. ¡°Debra, Patrick, do you guys know what happened? When I found out this, I cursed at Adrian hard for hiding the truth. He was almost running away from me. How could he keep such an important piece of information from us?! ¡°But soon after, Adrian exined the reason to me. I thought about it, and he¡¯s actually right. When ites to intelligence, Adrian really inherited Patrick¡¯s genes,¡± Paul continued. Debra was anxious. ¡°Don¡¯t beat around the bush. Just tell us what Adrian told you!¡± Paul took a deep breath, carefully nced outside to make sure Reba wouldn¡¯t overhear what they were discussing in the study, then lowered his voice and exined it to Adrian and Debra. ¡°Think about it; didn¡¯t Becky used to have feelings for Theodore? ¡°If we had told Becky back then that J¡¯s child wasn¡¯t Theodore¡¯s, wouldn¡¯t she have softened up and forgiven Theodore? What would we do then? ¡°We have checked, and he¡¯s been treating Becky pretty badly. ¡°Besides, after observing them for some time, we all know the character and morals of the Edwards family. Even if Theodore didn¡¯t cheat on J, their family¡¯s character is still terrible. ¡°Moreover, I heard they¡¯ve been thinking of getting engaged to that¡­Smith girl recently. ¡°In short, there are no good people in the Edwards family. If Becky lived with such a family, how would she be happy in the future? ¡°Not to mention others, just watch their attitude toward the Smith family. Although Theodore is reluctant, he doesn¡¯t refuse Michael and Helen¡¯s proposal in the end. He¡¯s been bringing Jenny around everywhere, acting as affectionately as a couple in the throes of love. ¡°So Adrian reminded me that we mustn¡¯t disclose this secret to Becky until she discovers it herself. Otherwise, if Becky softens up, she might get in touch with Theodore again. ¡°Of course, if Becky finds out on her own, we shouldn¡¯t interfere with her decision. Just let her decide everything.¡± Debra and Patrick understood, and they agreed with Paul. They thought, ¡®Becky was bullied by the Mitchell family growing up, so she¡¯s quite fragile. She hasn¡¯t experienced much love, and she longs for it terribly. ¡®Lately, with the efforts andpanionship of our entire family, Becky has be stronnan 16:09 Sat, 20 Jul Chapter 77 often now.¡® 75% Suppose they had told Becky that J¡¯s child wasn¡¯t Theodore¡¯s right after they reunited. In that case, Becky might have indeed relented and gotten entangled with Theodore once again, resulting in more pain and suffering. As soon as they thought about the possibility that Reba might forgive Theodore and continue to be with him, being hurt over and over again, they couldn¡¯t help but worry about Reba. ¡°Let¡¯s not tell Becky for now. After some time, when Becky is stronger and more confident, we will tell her the truth,¡± Debra said seriously. Paul nodded. ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s what Adrian meant.¡± As they talked, time passed by. Debra finally realized and hurriedly said, ¡°That¡¯s a deal. We¡¯ll act as if we don¡¯t know anything and mustn¡¯t mention it in front of Becky. ¡°Don¡¯t lose the paternity test. Put it away for now. It mighte in handyter,¡± Debra added, looking at the test result. Patrick nodded and turned around to put the paternity test into the safe and lock it. After Reba came back, she carried the children to their room to breastfeed them. Because taking care of two children was rtively tiring, she didn¡¯t notice what Patrick and Debra were doing. After discussing with Paul, Debra and Patrick came out of the study and went to Becky¡¯s room. She was originally angry, but when she entered the room and saw Reba breastfeeding the children, she couldn¡¯t help but feel moved. She thought, ¡®My Reba, she¡¯s not really weak. She¡¯s just been bullied by the Mitchell family since she was a child and has been starved for love. Just like a newborn swan straying into a duck pond, although she was ridiculed and picked on growing up, by the time she grows her feathers, and meets her true flock, she can learn to fly in no time with just a little effort. ¡®My Reba is a beautiful and proud swan, not an ugly duckling!¡± Reba also noticed Debra. She looked up at Debra, surprised. ¡°Mom?¡± Debra smiled and went in, scolding, ¡°Why are you feeding both babies at the same time again? That¡¯s tiring. If you¡¯re not busy, feed them one at a time so you don¡¯t exhaust yourself.¡± 75% Reba helplessly said, ¡°I can¡¯t help it. They want to feed together, or else the other one will make a fuss.¡± Debra smiled helplessly, ¡°Don¡¯t spoil them too much, or they¡¯ll get spoiled.¡± Reba busted outughing, ¡°Mom, they¡¯re only three months old.¡± ¡°Three months? They¡¯ve caused trouble for you when they¡¯re three months old. You need to teach them a lesson!¡± Debra feigned fierceness. Reba felt truly happy because Debra cared so much about her. After sessfully breastfeeding the babies, Reba put the two down and felt relieved. Debra held one of the babies and said, ¡°Sitting in a helicopter all day is exhausting. Take a rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Reba smiled. As they were talking, Reba¡¯s phone rang, showing an iing call from Lynn. When Reba saw Lynn¡¯s call, knowing it was work¨Crted, she stopped chatting with Debra. She turned around and picked up the phone to answer the video call. ¡°Lynn!¡± Reba called out with a smile.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Lynn said seriously, ¡°Becky, remember that variety show you and Charlie filmedst time? Ben contacted me today, saying that the shooting went wellst time, and he wants to continue filming a few more episodes. Do you want to go?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not going!¡± Reba hadn¡¯t even finished speaking when Debra spoke up. Debra¡¯s face darkened with displeasure. ¡°Ben is no good. He¡¯s capable of doing anything for ratings. Becky, don¡¯t participate in shows like that!¡± Debra remembered how annoying it was to see Becky get manipted multiple times by Ben during a previous show, with J also plotting behind the scenes. Reba remembered what Charlie had said to her after the shoot ended and hesitated for a moment. ¡°Lynn, can I have few days to think about it?¡± Lynn nodded. ¡°Sure, take your time. It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t go. I have a few scripts here, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Reba nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright, thank you, Lynn.¡± After the call ended, Reba thought for a moment and wanted to call Charlie. 3/4 16:05 Sat, 20 Jul 375% However, just as she was about to dial the phone, she suddenly remembered that Charlie might be acting now. So, Reba switched to sending Charlie a message. However, she didn¡¯t expect Charlie to answer her message so quickly with a video call. CHAPTER 78 Reba quickly picked up the video call. ¡°Charlie!¡± Seeing Charlie, Reba¡¯s mood brightened, and she immediately called out happily. Charlie¡¯s eyes lit up upon seeing Reba, and he was delighted. ¡°Becky, I was just taking a break so I called you back. ¡°As for that variety show, don¡¯t go. I don¡¯t have a schedule free right now, so I can¡¯t apany you. ¡°If you go alone, given Ben¡¯s despicable nature, I¡¯m afraid he would maliciously arrange the plot for ratings. He¡¯ll make you suffer and tter J to build tension and attract attention. Don¡¯t put yourself through that.¡± Reba smiled, her eyes crinkling. She nodded. ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll call Lynnter and let her know I won¡¯t be attending.¡± Charlie was simply overjoyed just looking at Reba and thought, ¡®Becky is such a good girl. Having a younger sister feels so nice!¡® ¡°By the way, Becky, after a few days, when you¡¯ve finished with your aunt¡¯s birthday celebration, I¡¯m taking your somewhere!¡± Reba was surprised, then delighted. ¡°Where to?¡± Charlie chuckled enigmatically before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you then. You just focus on preparing for the birthday celebration now. In a few days, I happen to have two days off, and I¡¯lle pick you up!¡± Charlie had everything nned out, and Reba felt reassured as she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up now. The director is calling me for my night shoots, and I¡¯m already running. ¡°Okay,¡± Reba agreed. ¡°Here I am,ing soon¡­ I¡¯m reallying¡­¡± Charlie anxiously responded before quickly hanging up the video call. As the call ended, Debra couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit jealous. ¡°He knew I was beside you, and he didn¡¯t say a single word to me.¡± Reba was taken aback and then realized. She carefully exined, ¡°Maybe¡­ Charlie just forgot?¡± Debra sighed helplessly, ¡°Forget it. He¡¯s just afraid I¡¯ll pressure him into getting married. It took him quite courage to call you even when he knows you¡¯re with me.¡± 62% Speaking of marriage, Reba finally remembered that she was twenty¨Csix, whereas Charlie was a bit older than her. At his age, he really ought to get married. But the thought of Debra pushing Charlie to get married and Charlie¡¯s helplessness was somewhat amusing to her. ¡°Marriage is a big thing, and Charlie should take his time to find someone he likes,¡± Reba said seriously. Debra sighed, ¡°We thought the same thing before. But it seems like our family is cursed. Adrian, Bryce, and Charlie all refuse to date, let alone get married. It¡¯s driving me crazy.¡± Reba was stunned and then realized Debra was right. Since she was reunited with her family, she hadn¡¯t seen any girlfriends of her three brothers, and both Adrian and Bryce were likely quite grown up. ¡°How old is Adrian?¡± Reba couldn¡¯t help but ask. Debra nced at her and sighed again, ¡°He¡¯ll be thirty¨Cfive this year.¡± Now Reba was also helpless, thinking, ¡®Thirty¨Cfive, it¡¯s definitely time to get married!¡® ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s not talk about them anymore. They¡¯ll ruin our mood.¡± Debra shook her head as she spoke. It was getting dark without Reba realizing it, and Patrick knocked on the door. When Reba and Debra heard the sound, they both looked towards the door. Patrick smiled and said, ¡°Dinner is ready. Let¡¯s go downstairs and eat.¡± Only then did Reba and Debra react. Debra handed the baby to the nanny and stood up, telling Reba, ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go downstairs for dinner.¡± Dinner was still very rich, featuring a bnced mix of meat and vegetables, and each day brought different dishes. Reba never tired of eating and always had an appetite at every meal, After dinner, Reba called Lynn back and told her that she wouldn¡¯t be participating in the variety show recording. Lynn wasn¡¯t surprised by Reba¡¯s decision. ¡°Alright, then take a few days off to rest. In a while, there will be an audition opportunity, and I¡¯ll bring you there to check it out. ¡°Oh, by the way, the character information for the audition will be sent to you in advance. Spend the next few days 10:54 Sun, 21 Jul studying and embodying that character, thinking about how you want to y it,¡± Lynn added. Reba quickly nodded and thanked her, ¡°Okay, thank you!¡± 62N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Cynthia¡¯s birthday party was just around the corner. Early the next morning, Reba woke up and got ready. She packed her gifts and was ready to leave for Cynthia¡¯s house. Since Cynthia was a member of the Mitchell family, Debra couldn¡¯t go with Reba to the party before their rtionship became public. Debra could only repeatedly remind Reba before she left that if she encountered any trouble, she should just go home and ignore irrelevant people. Patrick was also very concerned about Reba and even wanted to send a female bodyguard to protect her. Reba was helpless but declined with a smile. However, Patrick and Debra still arranged for a bodyguard to follow Reba, waiting with the driver in the car. Just in case Reba needed help, the bodyguard could appear immediately and provide timely protection. Reba couldn¡¯t refuse and could only agree with them. A whileter, Reba set off. Sitting in the car, she looked at the scenery outside the window slip away behind her, feeling the time pass by so fast. Three years ago, to save money for Cynthia¡¯s medical treatment, she married Theodore, and Cynthia underwent surgery right after her wedding. Cynthia¡¯s surgery went smoothly, and after a period of recovery, she was discharged from the hospital. Later, Cynthia said that she wanted to develop abroad and pursue her dream of studying fashion design again. Reba supported Cynthia¡¯s dream, and on the day Cynthia left for abroad, she personally saw her off at the airport. In the beginning, she would often call Cynthia because she worried that Cynthia would not adapt to living abroad alone. Cynthia also cared about her a lot, frequently asking about her married life and fearing that she would have a hard time in the Edwards family. Cynthia also knew that Reba enrolled in graduate school at Twin Ivy University, and when she found out that Reba hadn¡¯t let her married life deter her from pursuing her goals, Cynthia felt more at ease. 10.34 Sun, 4TJI 62% ¦° Later, when Theodore woke up, Reba happily told Cynthia the good news, which put Cynthia even more at ease and filled her with genuine joy. At that time, both she and Cynthia felt that the gloomy days were over and that the future would be wonderful. But no one could have anticipated that J would fall in love with Theodore the moment he woke up. What followed was something Reba did not wish to recall at any cost. Reba didn¡¯t want to tell Cynthia about all this. No matter what, Cynthia and J were blood rtives, and she didn¡¯t want to make Cynthia choose between her and J. Over time, her contact with Cynthia gradually decreased until now. CHAPTER 79 Chapter 79 Half an hourter, they arrived at the hotel. Reba got out of the car and looked at the hotel in front of her, hesitant for a few seconds before finally stepping inside. She looked at the private room number sent in the message from Cynthia and found Room 606 on the sixth floor. The room door was open, and the inside was beautifully decorated with red and pink balloons and other birthday ornaments. Cynthia was standing at the door. When unthia saw Reba, her eyes lit up, and she immediately walked over happily to greet her. ¡°Reba!¡± Cynthia happily came over, grabbed her hand tightly, and called out to her. Reba looked at the elegantly dressed and radiant Cynthia in shock. She couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®Cynthia is so beautiful now.¡® More importantly, Cynthia¡¯s presence was much brighter, unlike before when she was always sullen, bringing a gloomy and oppressive atmosphere. Reba, pulled by Cynthia, entered the private room. She finally reacted, handed the birthday gift to Cynthia, and said with a smile, ¡°Cynthia, happy birthday.¡¯ Cynthia looked at the birthday present for a moment and, epted the gift with a smile, and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Reba.¡± ¡°I split my birthday party into two parts. In the morning, I invited all my friends, thinking that¡­ You are different from the Mitchells, so I invited you to join the morning event with my friends. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡± I I Cynthia looked at Reba and exined. Reba was stunned and stared at Cynthia in shock.. Cynthia sighed softly, gently embraced Reba, and whispered, ¡°Reba, I¡¯m sorry, I only learned how much you have suffered.¡± Reba¡¯s eyes started to water, and she hugged Cynthia gently, shaking her head and saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine.¡± Although Theodore and the Mitchell family were no longer part of her life, she was now living a better life. She was reunited with her biological parents, and the future would be even better for her. After a while, they released their hug. 62%2 Cynthia took out a tissue and carefully wiped away the tear streaks from the corners of Reba¡¯s eyes. ¡°Silly girl, why didn¡¯t you tell me about such a big thing?¡± Cynthia murmured softly. Reba slightly shook her head, exining, ¡°Cynthia, you just need to live your own life well, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± She didn¡¯t want Cynthia to be caught in the middle between her and the Mitchell family. ¡°You are silly.¡± Cynthiapassionatelybed back Reba¡¯s messy hair. ¡°Okay, Cynthia, today is your birthday. Let¡¯s not talk about those things. I am supposed to make you happy,¡± Reba smiled and changed the subject. Cynthia pressed on. ¡°So those adorable little babies? Didn¡¯t you bring them to see me?¡± Reba helplessly replied, ¡°They are still little, and it¡¯s a bit troublesome to bring them. I will take them out to meet you another time when I¡¯m free.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Cynthia agreed with a smile. ¡°Then can you show me photos of the babies? I can make clothes for them. I haven¡¯t even given them gifts yet.¡± Cynthia smiled and exined, ¡°Now I can make my own clothes, and I n to design a few outfits for them myself. I hope those two little ones will like them.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Reba smiled and agreed. Just as Reba was about to speak, she took out her cell phone, found pictures of the babies, and showed them to Cynthia. Cynthia looked at the photos and was very pleased, eximing, ¡°They really are two adorable babies!¡± ¡°Cynthia!¡± A voice called from the door, and a person the same age as Cynthia happily called out to her. Cynthia put down her phone, looked at the person, and immediately smiled, ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Long time no see, Cynthia. Happy birthday, and I wish you more and more sess in the future,¡± The person smiled and wished her well. ¡°Thank you, please take a seat,¡± Cynthia smiled and invited her friend in, epting the gift from the person at the same time. Gradually, more and more people came over, all of them friends of Cynthia. Reba did not feel ufortable at all. On the contrary, when Cynthia introduced Reba to her friends, Reba felt quite pleased. A birthday party among friends was much more rxed than one among family members. Everyone chatted, joked around, sang the birthday song together, ate cake, and had a great time. When the party ended, Reba left with a smile. Worried that Reba might be bullied at the Mitchell family¡¯s party, Debra and Patrick had discreetly followed her there, and they were now waiting downstairs. Ever since Reba went upstairs, they had been tense, uneasy, and worried about whether Reba would be mistreated at the party. Hourster, seeing Rebae out with a smile, they were a bit surprised. Debra and Patrick thought, ¡®Looks like she had¡­a pretty good time?¡®N?velDrama.Org owns this text. When they saw Rebaing down from the building, Debra quickly opened the car door and called out to her, beckoning Reba over. Reba was surprised for a moment upon seeing Debra, but soon, she hurried over to Debra. Debra quickly pulled Reba into the car. Patrick also got in the car. ¡°Mom, Dad, why are you here?¡± As soon as Reba got into the car, she couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously. Looking at Reba¡¯s happy face, Debra asked, ¡°Did anyone from the Mitchell family bully you?¡± Reba suddenly realized. Debra and Patrick were worried that she would encounter people from the Mitchell family at the party and be bullied by them. ¡°Mom, Dad, I¡¯m fine. Cynthia divided her birthday party into two parts. The morning event only invited her friends. The afternoon was for the family feast. Cynthia specifically arranged for me to celebrate with her friends,¡± Reba exined. Debra and Patrick were stunned, and then they both let out a sigh of relief. After a moment, Debra sincerelymented, ¡°Cynthia has been really nice to you.¡°¡± Patrick smiled and said, ¡°Shall we give her a gift to thank her for taking care of our Becky before?¡± ¡°Definitely!¡± Debra immediately said. After a second, she added, ¡°Wait until Becky gets divorced. We should prepare the gift first, but we can¡¯t reveal Becky¡¯s rtionship with us due to this matter.¡± Patrick agreed, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Watching Debra and Patrick casually discuss giving a gift to thank Cynthia, Reba also felt happy. When they got home, they all yed with the twins together again. The three¨Cmonth¨Cold babies could already roll over. ily was more active than Kev and kept flipping over by herself from time to time. Once sessful, she wouldugh heartily, looking very happy. Her yful demeanor made everyoneugh along with her. Debra held the camera, recording the children¡¯s adorable expressions in video mode, saving them for the twins to watch when they grew up. CHAPTER 80 Chapter 80 The next day, Charlie went home. After picking up Reba, they took a ne to the West Sea for fun. Upon arriving and seeing Charlie¡¯s friends, Reba realized the purpose of his trip. He was showing off that he had a sister to impress his friends. ¡°I told you I¡¯ll find my little sister. And I made it. Becky is my little sister!!! ¡°Hurry up and give Becky gifts. Conte on. No gift means you¡¯re a liar!¡± In the cabin of the luxury cruise ship, Charlie asked two handsome young men who were around his age for gifts. They immediately started chattering as soon as they met. Ernest Darwin stared at Reba seriously. Jarvis Barton was also curious, looking back and forth between Reba and Charlie. Reba felt a bit odd being stared at like this, hesitated for a moment, then cautiously spoke up. ¡°Hello, my name is Reba¡­Edwards.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not surnamed Edwards. Reba, your surname is Carter. Once you divorce that bastard, you can change it over,¡± Charlie muttered. Reba was stunned, then smiled and agreed, ¡°Okay!¡± As an adult, changing her surname was simple and only required her presence in person. However, she couldn¡¯t do it yet, or else everyone would guess her rtionship with the Carter family. She had to wait until she had the divorce license before making the change. Charlie was stunned, and then his eyes widened, He excitedly jumped up. ¡°Reba, did you agree to change your surname? Are you willing to change yourst name to ours?¡± They had only dared to think about it before, afraid of Reba not liking it. But now, Charlie incredulously thought, ¡®Did Reba agree?¡± Reba looked at Charlie and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Reba thought, ¡®I am already a member of the Carter family. Mom, Dad and brothers treat me so well, why should I use Edwards or Mitchell when I have my own family¡¯s surname? And the Mitchell family doesn¡¯t wee me either! 62% ¡°Ernest! Jarvis! Did you hear that? Reba wants to take the surname Carter! ¡°Hurry up and bring out all the gifts. We agreed that as long as I find my sister, you must give her gifts. They are her birthday gifts!¡± Charlie turned to Ernest and Jarvis and shouted. Ernest helplessly pulled out a ck velvet box from his pocket, holding it out to Reba with both hands. ¡°Becky, my name is Ernest Darwin, and I am a good friend of Charlie¡¯s. I got the Blue Tears by chance before. For the past few y years, Charlie has been trying every trick in the book to buy it from me, saying it¡¯s for his sister¡­¡± Reba was touched just as Jarvis whipped out his backpack like a universal treasure chest, clinking and nging as he began pulling out presents. In the blink of an eye, a small table was filled with them, containing expensive jewelry, as well as handmade gifts. ¡°Becky, I¡¯m also a good friend of Charlie. My name is Jarvis Barton. ording to my agreement with Charlie, as long as he can get you back, I have to make up for the birthday gifts you¡¯ve missed over the past twenty¨Csix years!¡± After Jarvis finished speaking, he turned to Ernest and eximed loudly, ¡°Ernest, we agreed to give twenty¨Csix years¡® gifts. How could you only give one gift? ¡°One gift can only count for one year¡¯s birthday present, no matter how expensive. What about the other twenty- five years?¡± ¡°Exactly. Ernest, don¡¯t be a sore loser!¡± Charlie was also dissatisfied and red at Ernest, shouting loudly. Ernest helplessly replied, ¡°I know¡­ The gifts are all at my house, I¡¯ll send them to Beckyter.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. These gifts had been prepared over the years for Charlie¡¯s younger sister¡¯s birthday present, and keeping them for themselves was useless. They had grown up with Charlie, and every year, on Charlie¡¯s younger sister¡¯s birthday, Charlie would forcefully take them along as he searched the world for a birthday present for his sister. Not only did Charlie buy a birthday present for her, but he also pressured them to prepare one as well. Wherever there was something good, Charlie went. And he never hesitated to spend money on birthday presents, as if what he was spending wasn¡¯t money but paper. Jarvis and Ernest both thought he was a bit too crazy. However, what was even more surprising to them was that there were a few years when Charlie became obsessed with crafting, believing that handmade birthday presents held a different meaning. As long as he put his wishes into it, maybe his sister woulde back! During those years, they were every forced to learn crafting with Charlie to prepare handmade gifts. 62% Now, even after twenty years, they still remember every time Charlie¡¯s sister¡¯s birthday came around, Charlie would secretly take them to pick out a birthday present. And as they chose, the young Charlie would sometimes cry pitifully. Out of kindness, they agreed over and over again and followed him to pick out a birthday present. But the birthday gifts they had been preparing for so many years were never given away because Charlie¡¯s sister had gone missing and never been found again¡­ They had considered giving these gifts directly to Charlie, but Charlie refused, insisting they keep them. He said his sister would definitely be found and wanted them to personally hand these birthday gifts to her when she returned. ¡°Becky, congrattions oning home. Now I am your friend, too. Let¡¯s add each other as WhatsApp friends. If you need anything, just tell me. Anything I can help with, I won¡¯t refuse!¡± In the next moment, Jarvis happily pulled out his phone, ready to let Reba add him as a friend. Rebaughed as she epted the phone, searched for her ount, and then sent a message to her ount. Ernest also handed the phone to Reba. ¡°If you need anything, tell us directly. Just treat us like your friends,¡± Ernest said concisely. Reba didn¡¯t expect that after going out for a trip, she would gain two more friends. This feeling was somewhat surprising but also made her very happy. ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± With a smile, Reba sincerely thanked Charlie¡¯s two good friends. After finishing speaking, everyoneughed, especially Charlie. He drank bottle after bottle and started tough foolishly, bragging about how he had found his sister, ¡°Who said I wouldn¡¯t find my sister in this lifetime? See, I did it! I have a sister now!¡± Ernest and Jarvis looked at the drunken Charlie helplessly. But at the same time, their smiles never faded. It was a day worth celebrating. Also, Jarvis started to chatter about Charlie¡¯s childhood with Reba. At first, Reba was happy, but as he spoke, her sadness grew. When she returned to the Carter family, everyone was happy, but she seemed to forget the pain her loved ones endured during the years she was lost. Patrick, Debra, and her brothers were all guilty and regretted not protecting her better, which led to her missing. CHAPTER 81 Chapter 81 Charlie ended up drunk, but luckily, the cabin had a bed, and Jarvis and Ernest helped him get onto it to rest. Reba also took advantage of the moment to go outside and have a look around. In all her life, she had never seen the ocean before. The Mitchell family wasn¡¯t struggling financially. They took annual vacations, but they never took Reba with them. ¡°There are speedboats over there. Do you want to try it out?¡± Jarvis asked Reba with a smile. Reba looked at the speedboat and then back at Jarvis. She thought about it for a while and finally nodded her head. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s go have fun together!¡± Jarvis decided happily right away. Ernest also startedughing. He rented a speedboat from the cruise staff. Ernest and Jarvis took Reba with them onto the speedboat and had a thrilling ride on the sea. Reba had never felt such a sensation before. The speedboat was racing through the water, asionally dashing into the waves, which was both dangerous and exhrating. Her heart was pounding, and after the excitement and tension, her nerves seemed to be open. She felt refreshed,fortable, and happy!!! After riding the speedboat, they returned to the cruise ship. Jarvis bought three fishing sets, handing one each to Ernest and Reba and keeping one for himself. The three of them fished together on the cruise ship¡¯s deck. It took Charlie three hours to wake up, and when he opened his eyes groggily at first, his consciousness was still somewhat hazy, but gradually, he became more alert. to the West Co Charlie remembered that he hade to the West Sea, and he had brought Reba along. ¡°Becky!!¡± Charlie panicked and instantly sat up in bed, then hurriedly ran outside. ¡°Why did I get drunk? Where is Becky? What if Becky gets lost again? Becky is unfamiliar with this ce and needs my care. How could I get drunk?¡® Charlie thought to himself, even wanting to p himself, but when he rushed to the door, he quickly remembered Ernest and Jarvis. 62% Charlie took out his phone and called Jarvis. Then, he felt relieved. Reba hadn¡¯t been lost. She was now fishing on the deck with Ernest and Jarvis. Charlie put away his phone and walked happily towards the exit. On the deck, he searched through the fishing crowd and indeed saw Reba. Charlie smiled happily, walking towards Reba. Reba seemed to sense Charlie¡¯s gaze, and she slowly turned around to see him. At that moment when their eyes met, Reba couldn¡¯t help butugh, and Charlieughed happily, too. ¡°Hey Becky, fishing isn¡¯t fun. It¡¯s all a guy thing. I¡¯ll take you on a speedboat ride instead, okay? Speedboats are way more fun!¡± As soon as Charlie arrived, he didn¡¯t stop talking. Ernest proudly said, ¡°We¡¯ve already taken her out on the speedboat earlier.¡± Charlie was shocked, then incredulously thought, ¡°How could this be? Shouldn¡¯t I be the one taking Becky for joyrides on the sea? How could Ernest and Jarvis beat me to it?¡± ¡°Okay, speedboats are really fun. I want to go on them again,¡± Reba said with delight, looking at Charlie. Ernest froze in his tracks. Charlie¡¯s eyes lit up, then he looked challengingly at Ernest and eximed happily, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll rent a speedboat right now!¡± He thought to himself, ¡°Becky is my sister after all. She¡¯s definitely going to side with me. Ernest is trying to make me jealous. He¡¯s dreaming. If Charlie had a tail, it would have been wagging so fast it would leave a blur.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Reba packed up her fishing gear and followed Charlie to go out on the speedboat. She wasn¡¯t lying when she said speedboats were fun. Riding in one was trulyfortable, and the feeling of speeding across the sea made her mood broaden. Reba and Charlie spent a long time riding on the sea together, and by the end of it, they had enough fun, and it was getting dark. The speedboat docked, and Ernest and Jarvis were ready to leave. Charlie took Reba to board the ne. They took another three¨Chour travel, and finally, just before nine o¡¯clock at night, they arrived back in Maeloria. The Carter family¡¯s driver was waiting for them at the airport entrance, and they got into the car together and went home. Charlie nned to sleep at home that night. Meanwhile, J arranged for the paparazzi to secretly follow Charlie and Reba, and they finally managed to capture evidence of Charlie and Reba returning to the mansion together. The paparazzi were ecstatic, holding their cameras and frantically taking pictures, thinking to themselves, ¡®We¡¯ve been waiting so long and finally got it. What sensational news!¡® But their happiness didn¡¯tst long. Three bodyguards in ck suits appeared behind them. A few minutester, the paparazzi were grabbed by the cor by the bodyguards and thrown into the vi¡¯s living room. Patrick, Debra, Charlie, Reba, the housekeeper, two nannies, and two babies were all in the living room. Everyone stared at the three paparazzi who the bodyguards had brought in. They were a bit scared, in fact, very scared, wondering what to do.. ¡°Were you spying just now?¡± Charlie stared at the paparazzi with a mixed expression of amusement and disdain. The paparazzi shook their heads frantically to deny it but then quickly realized they needed to respond and hurriedly said, ¡°We¡¯ll delete them now, right now!¡± They immediately opened their cameras and deleted all the photos they had sneaked. Charlie watched them finish and then personally took their camera to examine it carefully to make sure all the photos were gone before returning it to them. ¡°Becky, call the police,¡± Charlie said to Reba next. Reba snapped out of it and nodded. ¡°Okay!¡± Stalking, peeping, and taking secret photos were all illegal activities, and they could report it to the police for help.¡± As soon as the paparazzi heard this, they turned pale and begged for mercy, ¡°Mr. Carter! We¡¯re sorry, we were wrong, really! Please forgive us. We¡¯ve deleted all the photos, and we won¡¯t cause you any harm at all!¡± 10:55 Sun, 21 Jul G. Charlie smiled coldly, ¡°You deleted the photos, and I should let you go? ¡°What if I hadn¡¯t found you? Would I be the unfortunate one tomorrow?¡± The paparazzi were speechless. Reba gave the paparazzi a chilly look before resolutely making the call to the police. Half an hourter, the police, or rather Bryce in his police uniform, arrived at the door with colleagues. They had received the police call just now. Reba blinked, surprised. ¡°Bryce?¡± ? 62% Bryce looked at the family members and finally focused on Reba. His gaze softened, and he gave her a doting smile. Bryce nodded at them calmly as a greeting, then formally asked about the case before leading the paparazzi away. Not only was Reba shocked, but Charlie was also at a loss for words. After Bryant and his police colleagues took the paparazzi away, Charlie suddenly woke up and turned to Debra and Patrick. He said, shocked, ¡°Dad, Mom, why is Bryce here?¡± CHAPTER 82 Chapter 82 Debra and Patrick exchanged a discreet nce and then looked at Charlie and Reba, smiling, ¡°We¡¯ve moved to Macloria now, so he also wanted to live together with us, and he applied for a transfer and was transferred to Maeloria,¡± Debra exined with a smile. Charlie snorted, ¡°It¡¯s because Becky is here that he deliberately transferred over, isn¡¯t it? Hmph, I know his mind all too well!¡± Patrick pretended to scold Chuck, ¡°Chuck, don¡¯t be so harsh. Bryce also wants to take better care of Becky.¡± Charlie kept grunting like a pig, almost blowing air out through his nose. ¡°Okay, you¡¯ve yed with Becky all day and then took such a long flight. You must be tired. Let¡¯s eat dinner first, then hurry and take a shower to rest!¡± Debra urged with a smile. Charlie could only follow and take Reba to eat, then encourage her to take a shower and go to bed, saying, ¡°Early to bed and early to rise is good for health.¡± Charlie didn¡¯t dare to dy either. He had to catch the early morning flight back to the set to continue filming. The movie wasn¡¯t finished, and he still had to go back and continue shooting! J had bought gems for Cynthia¡¯s birthday present in gua City. When she came back home, she noticed that Theodore¡¯s grandparents no longer came to see her. At first, J didn¡¯t notice anything amiss. Before long, Cynthia¡¯s birthday had passed, and Sam and Melissa stopped showing up, not even calling her. Sam and Melissa used to be very concerned about Arthur, visiting almost every day to check on Arthur and urging her to give Theodore custody. Sam and Melissa even wanted to take Arthur away to raise themselves, but she didn¡¯t agree because she knew very well that Arthur was the biggest bargaining chip she had if she wanted to marry Theodore! Sam and Melissa just wanted Arthur, and if she handed Arthur over to them now, she wouldn¡¯t lose the qualification to negotiate anymore So, no matter how much Sam and Melissa tempted her, she didn¡¯t fall for it. On the contrary, she took advantage of Sam and Melissa¡¯s concern for Arthur to remind them that only after she married Theodore could Theodore obtain Arthur¡¯s custody. 10:55 Sun, 21 Jul Everything went smoothly, and each time Sam and Melissa visited, she took great care of them, trying hard to please them. 62% After several months of effort, Sam and Melissa were touched by her. The most obvious sign was that when they visited Arthur at her house, their attitude towards her had be much kinder. J thought that as long as she persisted, she could change Sam and Melissa¡¯s minds. Persuading them to agree to her marriage with Theodore was just a question of time. However, these past few days, she suddenly had a bad feeling. It had been three days since Sam and Melissa hade to visit Arthur, and not even a video call to see Arthur. At first, she didn¡¯t realize there was a problem. But after two days, Sam and Melissa still didn¡¯t react, as if they didn¡¯t care about Arthur anymore. J felt uneasy and even had a bizarre idea. ¡°Could Sam and Melissa have secretly transferred Arthur¡¯s custody while I was away?¡± J thought this was very possible, especially since they were part of the Edwards family¡­ She immediately called the nanny, Mary, over and started questioning her. At this point, she noticed Mary was hiding something and was clearly not herself. J had been working as an actress for several years, and sometimes, to y a role well, she often studied various ways to express emotions. Mary¡¯s performance clearly indicated that she was lying. J was furious and then questioned Mary. Mary couldn¡¯t stand up to J and, after being interrogated for an hour, she panicked and confessed everything. After telling the truth, Mary knew that she was going to lose her job. She had been taking care of Arthur these months and being criticized and bullied by J. All the umted anger poured out at once. ¡°Why are you feeling so good? ¡°You don¡¯t even know who the father of your child is. What a shameless bitch!! ¡°Give me this month¡¯s sry. I¡¯m not doing this job anymore!¡± Mary said imperiously and then demanded in a very unhappy tone. She had taken care of many children before, but this was the first time she was taking care of a child for a mistress. She would never mention this to anyone else in the future, as she felt it was inauspicious. 10:55 Sun, 21 Jul Gu J was already extremely angry, and Mary cursed before she could, causing her to burst into a rage all of a sudden. ¡°Mary, watch yournguage. ¡°Is this how yourpany trains you to talk to your employer?¡± Mary folded her arms and said fiercely, ¡°None of your business about mypany! ¡°Give me my sry now, or I¡¯ll put online the fact that you were hooking up with Theodore, forcing your sister Reba to divorce Theodore. ¡°I want all the fans to see what a despicable bitch their favorite actress is! ¡°Oh, by the way, that precious baby isn¡¯t Theodore¡¯s! 62% ¡°I¡¯m curious how many men you¡¯ve slept with that you don¡¯t even know whose child you have. And you want to use this bastard to force your sister Reba to divorce Theodore? Disgusting!¡± J trembled with fury and pped Mary across the face with a fierce swing of her hand. Mary was not someone to be messed with. Brought up in the countryside, Mary was strong. As soon as she raised her hand, she tightly clutched J¡¯s slim arm! J¡¯s arm suddenly felt as if it was about to be broken, causing her excruciating pain. J screamed in agony, ¡°Ouch! Let go! Let go!!¡± Mary snorted coldly and pushed J away as if throwing away trash. Then she grabbed a tissue from the table next to her and began wiping her hands as if simply touching J hadBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. dirtied them. ¡°Give me four hundred thousand, or I¡¯ll post online the photos of the paternity test proving that Arthur isn¡¯t Theodore¡¯s child. I want the whole country to see what a despicable person Best Actress J is!¡± Mary began to extort. J was stunned, her eyes wide open. She looked down on Mary and was shocked by Mary¡¯s demand. She couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°You¡¯re extorting me? ¡°I¡¯m going to call the police!¡± J trembled with anger and said loudly. Mary sneered, ¡°Do you dare? ¡°If you dare to call the police, I dare to upload your affair with Theodore, forcing Reba to divorce Theodore, and 10.33 the fact that Arthur isn¡¯t Theodore¡¯s child to the inte!¡± Mary threatened again. CHAPTER 83 Chapter 83 J¡¯s beautiful face was twisted with anger as she red at Mary. ¡°How dare you!¡± Mary smirked, ¡°You guess? I¡¯ve got nothing to lose. I¡¯ll just serve a few years in jail and then go back to the countryside to take care of my own grandson. But you better watch out if news gets out¡­¡± ¡°Shut up ¡°Shut up!¡± J shouted fiercely. J gasped for breath. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath but was still unable to calm down. She took another deep breath. She was going mad with anger. ¡°There must be something wrong with that paternity test. Arthur is Theodore¡¯s. I didn¡¯t sleep with any other man¡­ I¡¯m not that kind of person. Arthur is definitely Theodore¡¯s son! ¡°There must have been some mistake.¡± J was anxious to exin to Mary, but it also felt like talking to herself. J suddenly thought of Reba. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. She thought, ¡®Reba keeps dying the divorce. It must be Reba who did this. ¡®She bribed the doctors to change the results of Arthur and Theodore¡¯s paternity test. Sam and Melissa mistakenly thought Arthur wasn¡¯t Theodore¡¯s child, and then they came to disdain and distance themselves from me!¡® Once this thought popped up, it couldn¡¯t be suppressed. J imagined Reba¡¯s face in her mind and wanted toe in front of her right away and p her hard, tearing her face apart. She thought, ¡®If it weren¡¯t for Reba refusing to leave Theodore, I would have married Theodore long ago! How did things turn out like this?¡± ¡°Reba did it. She must have paid the doctor in the hospital to change the paternity test results!¡± J looked at Mary and said in a deep voice. Mary had nothing to say, inwardly thinking, ¡®She¡¯spletely insane. ming others for her own mistakes!¡± Turning her head, Mary gazed at Arthur in the crib. No matter how many times she looked, she felt there was no resemnce between Arthur and Theodore. Before, it was just a strange thought, but now, with the paternity test results out, everything seemed to make sense. Mary¡¯s scornful look was too obvious. Her turning to look at Arthur also caught J¡¯s attention. Following Mary¡¯s gaze, J also looked at Arthur in the crib. At that moment, J suddenly realized that Arthur had no resemnce to Theodore at all. J suddenly thought of another possibility: Arthur was the one who had the problem. Maybe the child she and Theodore had was switched in the hospital. J thought and then added, ¡°My child might have been switched. If that¡¯s true, then the paternity test report will definitely show non¨Cpaternity.¡± Mary sneered, ¡°Switched? How many months is Arthur now? Haven¡¯t you seen his facial features? Although he doesn¡¯t look like Theodore, he does look like you! ¡°I think you better stop guessing wildly and think about which men you¡¯ve slept with and find Arthur¡¯s real father as soon as possible.¡± J fumed angrily, ¡°Just shut up!!¡± Mary rolled her eyes and urged, ¡°I don¡¯t want to get involved with your mess, just give me the money now, I want to leave today!¡± She didn¡¯t want to stay in a mistress¡® house for a single minute longer. Mary thought, ¡®I don¡¯t know who the father of this child is. What if the man has a wife who is not a nice person¡­? One day, if she finds out andes here, it¡¯s bound to be a big fight. If I continue to work for J, what if she thinks I¡¯m an aplice to the mistress? I can¡¯t afford to lose face like that!¡± J was so angry that she was exhausted. She finally calmed down enough to caution, ¡°Arthur must be Theodore¡¯s child! He couldn¡¯t possibly be someone else¡¯s, don¡¯t talk nonsense! Defamation is illegal. Be careful. I will sue you!¡± J was silent for a while before saying again, ¡°I will give you the money, but you can¡¯t leave quite yet. You need to take care of Arthur for a while longer, wait for the new nanny to arrive, and then you can leave!¡± ¡°Then I want a raise!¡± Mary jacked up the price. J was infuriated. ¡°You are really¡­¡± Mary mocked, ¡°Arthur doesn¡¯t have legal status. Taking care of such an illegitimate child, first, it will tarnish my reputation, and secondly, I could be in danger. ¡°What if the man¡¯s wifees seeking revenge? 10:55 Sun, 21 Jul GE ¡°As I take care of Arthur, she will consider me an aplice to you. What if she hits me, too? ¡°Such a risky job requires at least triple the pay!¡± ¡°You¡¯re extorting me!¡± J said angrily. 62% Mary rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just analyzing the risks rationally. If you can¡¯t afford it, go find someone else to help you. Don¡¯t bother me!¡± Mary¡¯s piercing eyes stared at J, reminding her, ¡°By the way, the forty thousand and the sry for this month, can you transfer it to me now? ¡°I know you have the money. To you, it¡¯s just the price of a dress. There¡¯s no need for you to be so stingy, right?¡± Mary urged again. J was speechless with anger. ¡°If you don¡¯t give it to me, don¡¯t me me¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, I¡¯ll give it to you now!¡± J shouted loudly. J immediately transferred 402,000 dors to Mary on her phone, 400 thousand for Mary¡¯s extortion, and an additional two thousand for half a month¡¯s sry. It was now midmonth, and Mary had worked for half a month, making her sry exactly two thousand. ¡°Show me the photos of the paternity test and delete the negatives!¡± J said, looking at Mary coldly. Mary hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I can give you the photos, but the negatives¡­ I have many dummy ounts and have saved multiple copies. I can¡¯t remember all the passwords, so I might not be able to delete them all.¡± J¡¯s face contorted in anger. ¡°Are you fooling me?¡± With a sincere look, Mary turned to J. ¡°Ms. Mitchell, why would you think that? I¡¯m just getting old, and my memory isn¡¯t what it used to be.¡± Jughed sardonically, fixing her gaze on Mary, and said coldly, ¡°Mary, if I remember correctly, you should have a grandson in school back in your hometown?¡± Mary¡¯s expression changed, and she watched J warily. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Seeing her fear, J let out a sigh of relief and sneered, ¡°Nothing much. I just wanted to remind you not to go too far. Otherwise, it will be a lose¨Close situation for both of us!¡± CHAPTER 84 Chapter 84 The next day, Charlie got up so hastily that he didn¡¯t even have time for breakfast before rushing out. Reba finished feeding the babies and had her own breakfast. Then, she got ready to start training her acting skills in preparation for the audition. A few days a ago, Lynn had sent her a script, and after reading it, she found out it was a TV series adapted from a novel. However, unlike Charlie¡¯s hit show Reverse Days, which had high name recognition and was a major production, the drama she was about to audition for was considered average in terms of both the original novel and the production¡¯s positioning. But Reba wasn¡¯t discouraged. On the contrary, she was very aware of her current status. She was still a neer and had a lot to learn in terms of fame and acting skills. She knew she couldn¡¯t leap straight to primary production and needed to progress step by step. Over the past few days, she had used her free time to read almost the entire novel, which helped her understand her character. Now, she needed to manage her expressions and try to portray the character¡¯s emotions and personality wlessly. She returned to thepany¡¯s training room and reyed the scene in her mind, imagining herself as the character. Lynn was by her side, pointing out problems. This went on for three days. On the fourth day, they both arrived at the Aotori Shooting Base in Aotori City to audition for the TV series Lovey Princess. Reba waspeting for the lead role of Elizabeth Dalton in the y. However, while waiting in line to audition, Reba unexpectedly saw an acquaintance, Lesley. Lesley also spotted her. The moment their eyes met, both of them froze, and the atmosphere became tense. Everyone at the scene was there to audition for the leading role of Elizabeth, so Lesley was also trying out for this role. Suddenly Dabases ¡ê. 10:55 Sun, 21 Jul ¡ª people. 62%Á¿ Actresses came in and out one by one. When they went in, they had nervous but expectant faces, but when they came out, they all looked dejected. Finally, Lesley stepped inside. Reba suddenly felt inexplicable tension, wondering, ¡°Will Lesley seed?¡± A few minutester, Lesley also emerged from the room. There were still several people ahead of Reba in line, who entered and exited one by one. Reba followed slowly. A few minutester, another actress, Annie, came out. She walked over to Lesley and excitedly said, ¡°Lesley, how did you do? I think I performed really well, maybe I¡¯ll get it!¡± Lesley nced at the enthusiastic Annie, not knowing what to say, and couldn¡¯t help but steal a nce at Reba. Annie followed Lesley¡¯s gaze and also spotted Reba. She furrowed her brow and leaned closer to Lesley, whispering, ¡°That¡¯s Becky, right? The one who was with you guys in that variety showst time? A fan of Charlie¡¯s?¡± Lesley thought Annie was stupid. Reba was more than just a fan but Theodore¡¯s legal wife. After working in the entertainment industry for a long time, Lesley became smarter and realized she couldn¡¯t tell anyone the secret. Otherwise, everyone would know J had hooked up with Theodore, who was already married. If J found out the information came from her, she would be in trouble. After all, she was still employed by Evergrande Entertainment. J was a pir in Evergrande Entertainment, and even Evergrande Entertainment¡¯s executives had to give way to her. If she offended J, it would be easy for J to deal with her. ¡°She¡¯s just a fan, and she thinks that just because Charlie took her on a popr variety show, she can shine on her own. What a dream!¡± Annie taunted, and, more importantly, she raised her voice on purpose, hoping Reba would hear. Reba indeed heard, and she nced at Annie, albeit briefly. Reba didn¡¯t have time to worry about Annie¡¯s taunts, as it was her turn to go in. She took a deep breath and headed towards the audition roo Lynn had been upied with something earlier and had temporarily left, not staying with Reba. By the time she arrived, the audition for Reba had already started. 10:55 Sun, 21 62%C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Although Lynn was a bit anxious, she felt relieved knowing that Reba had been training hard these past few days. Given Reba¡¯s dedication, Lynn believed there shouldn¡¯t be many issues in securing the lead role. Lynn¡¯s appearance also startled everyone in the waiting area.. Passersby might not recognize Lynn, but those working in the entertainment industry know otherwise. Lynn had trained several acting legends and queens and several renowned actresses¡® top agents and was virtually known to all. At the sight of Lynn, everyone instinctively held their breath, afraid to make a sound. Many people began to feel uneasy, thinking. ¡®Why is Lynn here? ¡®This is just an audition for a small TV series! ¡®Lynn is so skilled and sessful. The actresses she manages, no matter who they are, wouldn¡¯t possiblye to audition for a low¨Cbudget TV show, right? ¡®If her actress wants to be in this series, then the female lead is definitely hers. ¡®Or maybe Lynn is actually here for something else? Not for the audition?¡® As they thought about this, they also felt that this TV series was indeed worth trying as it got someone as important as Lynn to pay attention. They all believed that if they shot the series well, it might be a hit. Those who had already auditioned started hoping they had been chosen. Those still waiting in line were more nervous and excited than ever before, wanting to get the female lead role even more. ¡°If this series bes popr, we might also be famous. While everyone was imagining this, Reba¡¯s audition had ended, and she came out. Lynn immediately went over and asked, ¡°How did it go?¡± Reba nodded with a smile. ¡°I think it was good.¡± Lynn smiled back and nodded. ¡°Great, then don¡¯t worry about it now. Let¡¯s go back and wait for the news.¡± Reba nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± As Reba and Lynn talked, they prepared to return to the hotel together. 10:55 Sun, 21 Jul G 62% Everyone at the scene who saw this moment stood there in shock, thinking, ¡®Was that girl just now¡­under Lynn¡¯s management? Was Lynn really here for the audition? No way! The main point is that Lynn brought a newbie. Does Lynn have a new talent? Is that the girl?¡± Realizing this, everyone became excited and quickly took out their phones to take secret photos, which they then posted to various groups to gossip with their friends in the entertainment industry. Lesley and Annie were also shocked, especially Annie. She couldn¡¯t believe Lynn was actually Becky¡¯s agent. She thought, ¡®With Lynn¡¯s reputation, how could she possibly manage someone like Becky who¡¯s a neer?¡± CHAPTER 85 Chapter 85 However,pared to Annie, Lesley regained herposure quickly after the initial shock and understood the situation. She knew Reba¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t ordinary, and it wasn¡¯t surprising that she followed someone as influential as Lynn. But many people didn¡¯t know the truth. When Reba returned to the hotel, she checked the babies. The nanny had also brought the babies over to the hotel to stay with her, as Reba was there for the audition. Since she had some free time, Reba wanted to spend a while with them. ¡°Take a break here for two days. The results shoulde out by then. I have some other things to take care of, so I can¡¯t stay with you the whole time. If you need anything, you can call me. I¡¯m nearby and wille right over,¡± Lynn told Reba. Reba quickly agreed, ¡°Okay, I understand. Thank you Lynn. Just go ahead and take care of who do.¡± Lynn nodded and then left. After Lynn left, Reba fed both babies one by one and yed with them with toys for a while. In the afternoon, Reba went to visit Charlie on the set of Reverse Days. you need to Everyone was excited to see her, and Reba generously ordered a bunch of delicious food, asking the store to deliver it to the shooting location. ¡°How was the audition this morning?¡± Charlie took a break after finishing a scene and asked Reba with a smile. Reba nodded with a smile. ¡°I felt confident, but I ran into Lesley during the audition.¡± Charlie was surprised. ¡°Lesley?¡± Reba nodded. ¡°Did she make things difficult for you?¡± Charlie asked again, slightly worried. Reba shook her head. ¡°No, we didn¡¯t even get to talk, she seemed to be with someone else. We were both there to audition for the female lead role in Lovey Princess.¡± ¡°Lovey Princess?¡± Charlie murmured, thenughed and said, ¡°Becky, if you pass the audition, I¡¯ll go find that directorter. I can guest star in your show and boost your poprity.¡± 1/ ¿Í:62%ýX Rebaughed out loud and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Charlie, if you do that for every show I¡¯m in, then I¡¯ll have you in all my dramas.¡± Charlie raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that a problem?¡± ¡°No, not at all!¡± Reba smiled. Charlie also beamed with a bright smile. He wanted to do so not just for the fun of it but also because the entertainment industry was tooplicated. If he didn¡¯t stay with her, Becky could easily be the target of some inte trolls who spread vicious rumors, like ¡°using charm to further oneself and selling herself for opportunities.¡± Many keyboard warriors these days enjoy specting about others with the worst intentions and feel jealous of those who are doing better than them, saying nasty things without any guilt. As a woman, Reba could easily be targeted by such people if she attended shoots alone, and they would use her as an outlet for their dissatisfaction. However, things would have been different if he had been there. As long as he was present on set, everyone would understand that Reba was under his protection. Once Becky received her divorce license and made their rtionship public, she would be the most favored princess of the Carter family. Any disparaging remarks would crumble on their own.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Reba stayed there in the afternoon, too, watching them film and learning acting techniques. The Edwards family had been having a rough time in recent days, with Melissa being hospitalized after realizing that J¡¯s child was not Theodore¡¯s. Melissa never liked J, feeling she was beneath them behaviorally. However, because J gave birth to Arthur, she loved him and had put up with J all along. ¡°After all, it¡¯s adults who make mistakes, not children, and the child is innocent,¡® she thought. Arthur was Theodore¡¯s lineage and a boy at that. So, they must take Arthur back to the Edwards family to take care of him. They had negotiated with J for so long just for Arthur. Day after day, for months on end, they were running out of patience. But the paternity test finally revealed that Arthur was a bastard, not part of their family at all. Melissa thought, J is really bold, using a bastard to fool us. Does she think we¡¯re idiots?¡± Äî62%Á¿ Theodore had been trapped in the hospital these past few days, facing Melissa¡¯s interrogation. They needed Theodore to clear the air about whether J¡¯s child was indeed his, and the truth shocked them. It turned out Theodore himself orchestrated the whole thing. A year ago, J presented Theodore with a heap of evidence proving that Reba was a slut before she got married, sleeping with many men and even getting pregnant and having an abortion at seventeen. Her parents were so afraid that the promiscuous Reba would ruin their family¡¯s reputation that they changed. her college application and sent her to a rubbish university in Harzan, far away. Theodore initially didn¡¯t believe it, but when he had it investigated, he discovered that everything J said was true. From then on, whenever he saw Reba, Theodore felt disgusted. He couldn¡¯t ept that his wife was that kind of slutty woman. During that difficult period, he didn¡¯t notice that J was always by his side. J, wanting to sleep with him, slipped a drug into his drink while he wasn¡¯t paying attention and then went to the hotel room he had booked to wait for him. But on that day, he happened to have left a document at home, so after dinner, instead of going to the hotel room, he had the driver take him back home straight away. When he arrived home, the drug kicked in, and he stumbled into a sexual encounter with Reba that night. That night, Theodore felt defiled by Reba, disgusted and dirty. After he sobered up, he left that home that very night and never wanted to see Reba, that dirty woman, again. After that, he was utterly repulsed by the sisters Reba and J. Both of them were rotten through and through! What made him even more disgusting was that J didn¡¯t give up after her first attempt failed. She tried to plot him again not long after. Theodore definitely wouldn¡¯t be fooled again. He was nning to turn around and leave, but just as he was preparing to go, he wanted revenge. Because of J¡¯s plotting, Reba had a night with him. Of course, he couldn¡¯t let J get away with it scot- free. TU 50 SUN, 21 He quickly came up with a new n. He intentionally diverted J¡¯s attention, making her look in another direction, and then switched their sses while J wasn¡¯t paying attention. J drank the wineced with drugs. 62% Then, he escorted J into a room and found a lecherous and greasy old man at the banquet to ¡°serve¡± J right. CHAPTER 86 Chapter 86 After Theodore arranged everything that day, he felt somewhat at ease and decided not to concern himself with the Mitchell sisters¡® affairs any longer. However, he did not expect that, two monthster, he would unexpectedly hear from a friend that Reba was pregnant! Reba was two months along, which meant there was a good chance the baby was conceived that night. Theodore¡¯s heart was once again thrown into turmoil. He was frustrated, But before he could figure out what to do, J came bouncing up to him, beaming with joy as she said she was pregnant, too. She seemed oblivious to the fact that the man that night wasn¡¯t him, happily thinking she was carrying his child. At that moment, Theodore suddenly felt a surge in getting back to Reba. If Reba made him feel so ufortable, then he needed to make her feel the same way. He had people find out Reba¡¯s prenatal checkup schedule and then deliberately took J for a checkup at the same time, ensuring Reba would witness it. J, shameless as she was, unted their rtionship in Reba¡¯s face as soon as they got to the hospital. Theodore would never forget that day. Seeing Reba¡¯s pale face as J gleefully informed her that the child she was carrying was his and even advised Reba to terminate her pregnancy filled him with a twisted sense of satisfaction. He felt so good that day! Reba deserved that! She was just paying the price for messing around! Theodore realized that revenge could be a hell of a drug. Seeing Reba in pain was like a shot of adrenaline to his heart. So, he allowed J to continue her antics, letting her unt and show off in front of Reba. He couldn¡¯t help but feel good every time Reba broke down. Later, J persuaded him to divorce Reba. How could he ever be interested in someone like J? He could never be attracted to a woman as despicable as J in his lifetime! But the idea of divorce had been tempting. Reba was filthy and not fit to be his wife.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. After pondering for a few days, Theodore had someone draft a divorce agreement and force Reba to sign it. He saw the devastation on her face again, even more desperate than before. But for some reason, when Reba finally signed the divorce papers, and they were one courthouse trip away from being officially over, he felt¡­surprisingly unsettled. Every night, he couldn¡¯t shake the memory of Reba¡¯s gentle care while he was in aa. A vegetative person wasn¡¯tpletely oblivious. In those months before he woke up, his mind was clear. During that time, Reba was the only one who was stuck by his side and took care of him. The caregiver was rough and careless, causing him pain and difort during baths. He wanted tosh out, but he couldn¡¯t control his body, let alone speak or fight back. Whenever Reba was home, she¡¯d take over, bathing him with gentle, careful hands. Her touch was always light, gentle, and careful, making him feelfortable. Theodore realized he¡¯d gotten lost in his memories and quickly snapped back to the present, focusing on his grandparents. He selectively shared parts of the story involving J. Melissa was utterly baffled as she heard this, but she knew one thing for sure and quickly asked, ¡°Theodore, did you say Reba used to fool around with others? And she had once terminated her pregnancy at seventeen?¡± Theodore¡¯s face darkened at the mention of this, and he nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Melissa immediately denied it without a second thought. Her gaze was firm as she looked at him. ¡°Theodore, before you married Reba, we did a background check. Reba was definitely a good and diligent girl! ¡°The Edwards family wouldn¡¯t have epted just any woman for you, even if you were in aa!¡± Theodore was stunned by her words, He stared at his grandmother nkly. Sam frowned as well. He stared at Theodore, questioning, ¡°Theodore, who did you have investigate this matter?¡± ¡®Investigate?¡® Theodore instantly thought of Wyatt. Wyatt was his college friend. They had known each other since university and had always been close. However, Wyatt didn¡¯te from a well¨Coff family, so after graduation, he had to look for jobs everywhere instead of inheriting a family business like the rest of them. Theodore knew Wyatt was good at grades. So, he immediately had Wyatt stay and join the Edwards Group as his. assistant. Wyatt had proven himself to be a remarkably capable assistant during his years working with Theodore. However, now that Theodore started to think about it, Wyatt seemed¡­a bit odd when things came to Reba. 15 Wyatt and Reba were not very close, yet he repeatedly spoke well of her, suggesting that Theodore should trust Reba¡¯s character. When Theodore was exacting his revenge on Reba, Wyatt even tried to stop him, warning him several times that he might regret it. With that in mind, Theodore suddenly stood up and said, ¡°Grandma, I have to go. I¡¯ll be backter.¡± He then left in a hurry. Melissa watched her grandson¡¯s retreating figure with a sigh. She couldn¡¯t help but think that there must be some kind of misunderstanding between Theodore and Reba. As she pondered the situation, Melissa¡¯s thoughts turned to Reba¡¯s two children, and a smile returned to her face. At least Reba¡¯s children were the true blood of the Edwards family. They needed to talk to Reba about changing the children¡¯sst names to Edwards. At the Aotori shooting base, Reba had been waiting all day when she finally received a notification from the Lovey Princess crew ¨C she had passed the audition! The director, Ruth Porat, wanted her on set the next day for promotional photos. Thrilled, Reba quickly messaged Charlie to let him know she hadnded the role! She did it! She had won the lead role in Lovey Princess all on her own! Not only that, Reba shared the good news with Lynn as well, bursting with excitement. Áã 62%Á¿. Charlie was busy filming and didn¡¯t see her message right away. Lynn, however, saw it immediately. But unlike Reba¡¯s excitement, Lynn was calm and didn¡¯t seem to be surprised. This was exactly what she had anticipated. She had been keeping a close eye on Reba during rehearsals and knew she had a natural talent for the role. She replied, smiling: [Congrattions.] Lynn understood what it meant for a neer tond a role through their own efforts. It was definitely something to celebrate, even if just a little. [Thank you, Lynn, for looking out for me these past few months. I wouldn¡¯t have improved so quickly without your constant coaching and guidance.] Reba¡¯s message popped up immediately. Lynn looked at the message and chuckled. Reba was a kid worth investing in. Gratitude was a raremodity these days. [You earned it through your hard work. Keep it up!] Lynn typed back after a moment¡¯s thought. [I will!] Reba responded almost instantly. CHAPTER 87 Chapter 87 After the conversation ended, Reba couldn¡¯t suppress the happiness bubbling inside her. Debra watched her daughter, a warm smile spreading across her face. Her daughter deserved to be this happy. With this thought, she quietly slipped out. Meanwhile, Charlie had just finished filming a scene when his phone buzzed with a call from his mom. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s up?¡± he asked cheerfully. Debra had been busy with Rebately and hadn¡¯t been on his case as much. Plus, Reba had just scored a starring role. He figured this call was probably good news, or at the very least, not a lecture. ¡°Becky just got the lead in Lovey Princess. I want you to invest 20 million dors in the production in the name of the Carter family. Make sure they get the script and casting right. ¡°I always heard about those diva actors who go off script and turn a good story into a total mess that nobody wants to watch. ¡°Tell the director to keep those kinds of actors out of the production. And take care of the casting for the other roles. Get people whose acting skills and looks are great. They better don¡¯t have terrible tempers. ¡°Whatever may cause Becky any trouble, make sure it won¡¯t happen.¡± On the other end of the phone, Charlie listened to his mom¡¯s instructions with mixed emotions. He was happy because he had already thought of these arrangements. As long as Reba could pass the audition, he would take care of everything. But a bitter taste rose in his mouth at his parents¡® tant favoritism. Reba decided to be an actress, and suddenly, they were tripping over themselves to pave the way for her. But when it came to him? Charlie remembered how his dad had paid the production crew to make things difficult for him, to give him a hard time, and push him out of the industry. ¡°Absolutely, I¡¯ll get right on it,¡± Charlie replied happily, despite his thoughts. After all, it was Reba whom their parents adored. He wanted to spoil Reba, too! 62%•þ Reba didn¡¯t know anything about what they did. She was still riding high onnding the role. She couldn¡¯t resist cracking open the novel again, eager to dive deeper into her character. Meanwhile, on the set of the low¨Cbudget web series Lovey Princess, Ruth was dumbfounded by the sudden arrival of Charlie, one of the best actors in the country. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of it all, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of excitement. As a smart woman herself, a wild, almost absurd theory started to take shape in her head. Just yesterday, they had auditioned for the female lead and met an actress named Becky. Not only was she stunning, fitting the image of Elizabeth from the novel, but her performance also perfectly matched Ruth¡¯s vision. After carefully reviewing all the audition tapes, Ruth had made her decision and cast Becky as Elizabeth. She had sent out the casting announcement that very morning. Ruth had assumed their production would follow the usual course, with the script being finalized, productionmencing, and the series eventually being released online. But this morning, after sending out that message, Charlie had unexpectedly shown up on set in the afternoon, asking specifically for her¡­ Ruth immediately thought of Becky. Before deciding to cast Becky as the female lead, they had actually looked up her information online. This industry was tough, and many outsiders knew that if any actor with a bad reputation appeared in a show, it could drag down the entire production, flushing months of hard work down the drain and potentially getting the show pulled. Nowadays, production teams were extremely careful about vetting actors to avoid anyone with a tarnished reputation. Becky was a newbie, a nk te. There was barely any information about her online. It was just a recent appearance on a reality show and rumors of her being in the Reverse Days production. How could a neer like Becky get into a major production like Reverse Days? It didn¡¯t take a genius to connect the dots to Charlie. ording to online sources, Becky had made her debut on a reality show where she was introduced as one of Charlie¡¯s biggest fans¡­ Long story short, the only person on the whole crew with any ties to Charlie was Becky, the newly cast lead actress. So, was Charlie here because of Becky? 10:56 Sun, 21 Ruth quickly confirmed that Becky was indeed the reason. Charlie had just invested 20 million dors into their production!Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. Äî62%•þ Ruth¡¯s knees buckled, and her heart skipped a beat. She even instinctively held her breath, too stunned to react. en instinctively held her breath, too stunned to react. Her eyes locked onto Charlie, burning with disbelief. She was worried that it was just a dream. ¡°How much did you say you were investing?¡± she asked, her voice trembling. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I must have misheard. I¡¯ve been pulling a lot of overtimetely, and my ears are ringing. Could you please say again?¡± Ruth forced herself to calm down, her hands shaking as she carefully inquired, her lips quivering. Charlie understood what 20 million dors meant to a small production team, but he just smiled and said again, ¡°I want to invest 20 million dors on behalf of the Carter family. You heard me right.¡± Ruth¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she stared at him. ¡°Not only that, I also hope to have a cameo role in this series,¡± Charlie continued. Ruth, almost jumping out of her seat, replied, ¡°Of course! How about the prince? No problem, I¡¯ll tell the actor right away. We can rece the original lead. If you want it, the role is yours!¡± Charlie¡¯s mouth twitched, and he exined, ¡°Not the lead role, just a cameo. ¡°You can pick any minor role you like, and we¡¯ll keep the rest of the cast as nned. It¡¯s best if it fits in with the original story. ¡°But these actors have to be good¨Clooking and talented. We can¡¯t let them drag Becky down.¡± Ruth was stunned, her mouth slightly agape as she stared at Charlie in confusion. Charlie¡­wasn¡¯t going to y the male lead? He only wanted a small cameo in their production? ¡®Why?¡® If Charlie agreed to y the male lead, their show would surely be a hit! ¡°But Mr. Carter,¡± Ruth stammered, unwilling to give up, ¡°if you were to y the male lead, you¡¯d be perfect! This show would be a guaranteed hit!¡± CHAPTER 88 Chapter 88 ¡°Becky is the star of this show, Charlie stated simply. Ruth was taken aback for a moment and quickly recovered, nodding. I understand.¡± Deep down, she was reeling. Charlie was investing 20 million dors specifically to showcase Becky! Having a star like Charlie in their production would be a massive coup, but¡­ Charlie wasn¡¯t just a star. He was a supernova! If he yed the lead, he¡¯d outshine everyone else. Even if Becky gave an amazing performance, it would be hard for her to stand out next to Charlie¡¯s blinding brilliance. But Charlie wasn¡¯t taking the lead role. He was using 20 million¨Cdors to support Becky! Ruth silently upgraded Becky¡¯s status within the crew from leadingdy to absolute VIP. From now on, she was to be treated like royalty ¨C no exceptions, no missteps, and absolutely no offense given. They had to pamper her to the max. Becky had the looks and the talent, and now, thanks to her, the biggest hurdle for their production, funding, had been cleared. By hiring mostly unknown actors, the crew kept costs down and freed up a lot more cash to y with. Twenty million dors was enough to give everyone on the team top¨Cnotch gear! With everyone decked out with the best resources, a solid script was all they needed to make the show a smash hit! The more Ruth thought about it, the more pumped she got. She started daydreaming about how she would unt it to those who hadughed at her, iming she was washed up and couldn¡¯t direct a decent project to save her life once they became a hit. Did sheck talent? Hell no. She just didn¡¯t have enough money! The entertainment industry was incredibly tough. Everyone thought the directors were king, but without funding, they were nothing! Money was the true king! Terrible costumes and makeup, investors shoving in talentless divas who demand script changes¡­ It was a miracle the author even recognized their own story. They had been through hell. Becky, on the other hand, was perfect. She had got the looks, the talent, and the financial backing to make this project soar. Plus, she never meddled with the script. Her only demand was just to make this the best damn show it could be. She was like the sugar daddies of the 80s and 90s, throwing money at passion projects with no strings attached. With everything settled, Charlie left the Lovey Princess crew. He had a few scenes to shoot tonight, but it was still early. He got plenty of time to swing by the hotel and see Reba and the adorable twins. Charlie slipped away from the set, hoping to avoid any attention But after a few blocks, he realized someone was following him, making him instantly alert. The result of being followed was that he couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to visit Reba and the two little ones all afternoon, which left him uiterly frustrated. Charlie returned to the set, feeling pissed off. Joe noticed Charlie back early and looking so downcast. Curious he walked over. ¡°Charlie? What¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so down?¡± Joe asked with concern. Charlie waved his hand dismissively. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing¡± Noticing Charlie¡¯s downcast mood, Joe had a lightbulb moment. He decided to switch tonight¡¯s scenes, bringing forward the more tragic parts. This way, they could capture Charlie¡¯s current mood perfectly. Hearing this n, Charlie looked up at Joe abruptly, confusion written all over his face. Joe gave him a sly smile, ¡°Look, Charlie, you¡¯re a veteran actor, and everyone knows you¡¯ve got the chops. You¡¯re immersing in such real emotion. Why not go with it? It might be more real than anything you could act.¡± Charlie was speechless. Taking his silence as agreement, Joe was delighted. He grinned. If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll let the other actors know?¡± ¡°Whatever, Charlie grumbled. Joe left with a spring in his step, clearly thrilled. Thanks to Charlie¡¯s genuine emotions, his sad scenes went exceptionally well. They worked straight through till midnight, nailing the most critical and heart¨Cwrenching scenes. Amazingly, they nailed those scenes in one take! No retakes were needed! As Charlie stepped off the stage after the final scene, Joe looked at him in astonishment. ¡°Charlie, what the heck happened to you this afternoon?¡± He had thought it was just a minor issue, but now he was starting to worry it was something big. Something that must have made Charlie incredibly sad and upset! How else could he have pulled off those gut¨Cwrenching scenes so perfectly, without a single flub, all in one take? It was mind¨Cblowing! Charlie rolled his eyes, too tired to exin. ¡°Come on, just tell me. Maybe I can cheer you up a bit,¡± Joe said in concern. He figured if he knew what was bothering Charlie, he could help manage his emotions better during future projects. That would make filming way smoother! Genuine feelings would certainly lead to a killer performance! Joe thought to himself, suddenly looking forward to working with Charlie again. Charlie could almost see through what Joe was thinking. He was speechless. ¡°Fuck off. Go home and cheer your wife up. Mind your own business.¡± Joe rubbed his nose, a bit flustered. He couldn¡¯t help but check himself in the mirror. Had he been that obvious? Charlie had actually seen right through him! Back at the hotel, Lesley and Annie anxiously waited for the audition results for Lovey Princess. They were a full day behind Reba in getting the news! The following day, Reba had already packed her bags and headed to the set to prep for the photo shoot when they got the news. They weren¡¯t chosen for Lovey Princess, Lesley had seen iting. Sure, she was a little bummed but not totally shocked. Annie, on the other hand, was different. Annie felt she had nailed the interview and was confident she would be chosen! Why they didn¡¯t choose me?¡® Annie thought about it and quickly recalled how she ran into Lynn and Becky during the audition. She suddenly had a hunch that Becky had snatched the lead role in Lovey Princess!C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Becky was tight with Lynn now, a major yer in their industry. For a small¨Ctime production like this, Lynn would totally pull some strings for her people, wouldn¡¯t she? With Lynn¡¯s extensivework, she could easily secure a role for anyone she wanted in a small production like Lovey Princess. Just one word from her to the director could get everyone else out of the running. As Annie thought about this, her face grew darker. Sure, using connections to snag roles was practice in showbiz, but of all people, it had to be Becky¡­. ¡°Becky? Who is she, anyway? She used to be a nobody!¡± She was just some fan of Charlie¡¯s who got lucky at one of his events and somehow managed to break into the industry. And then, bam! She appeared on a show with the famous actor Charlie right after her debut! CHAPTER 89 hapter 89 Why did Becky have such good luck? She had just entered the industry, yet Charlie was featuring her, and Lynn became her manager. Why? Annie couldn¡¯t help but seek out Lesley to vent her frustrations. As Lesley watched Annie¡¯s face twisted with anger, a wild thought popped into her head¡­ On thest reality show, she¡¯d failed to help, J, and her agent scolded her fiercely after the show ended. Her agent had made her buy thetest clothes from mour Closet to apologize to J, but Becky had scooped up even better stuff from the same store, so she couldn¡¯t hand out the dress that cost her a fortune. She ended up spending tens of thousands again to buy a designer handbag for J¡¯s agent, Lisa. She begged Lisa to put in good word for her, and Lisa reluctantly agreed, barely managing to smooth things over. After that incident, J seemed to have cooled down, no longer making her life difficult or sabotaging her career. But that didn¡¯t mean things were back to normal. Thepany hadn¡¯t given her any new opportunities for months since then. Like most of the other artists at thepany, she was on her own to find auditions. The only way to get on a production crew was to pass an audition. She couldn¡¯t just be assigned to a crew by thepany anymore. Lesley heard that J was looking at scripts and would soon start taking on roles and filming again Given J¡¯s fame, the scripts she received were certainly not simple. Landing even a third or fourth lead in a major production would be a far better career move than fighting for the lead in some cheesy web series. What was more, even in low¨Cbudget web dramas, the lead roles were often decided way in advance. They could run themselves ragged every day, but in the end, they were just there to make someone else look good. Lesley gave Annie a few nomittal responses to get rid of her. Once alone, she opened WhatsApp and sent a message to Lisa. [Lisa, I have some news. I¡¯m not sure if I should tell you.] At Evergrande Entertainment, Lisa was helping J choose scripts when she received a message from Lesley. She frowned as she read it. [What¡¯s it about?] Lisa replied. Lesley hesitated for a moment, pressed her lips, and carefully replied: [It¡¯s about Becky. Not sure if J would be interested.] Becky?¡® Lisa frowned, feeling odd.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± J noticed Lisa¡¯s distraction and immediately frowned, displeased. 1/43 +75% Lisa snapped back to attention and looked at J, quickly exining, ¡°Lesley just sent me a message. She said it¡¯s about Reba¡­ Becky. She wants to know if you¡¯d be interested.¡± ¡°Reba?¡± J¡¯s expression hardened. She didn¡¯t look happy. Lisa nodded and held out her phone, showing J the message from Lesley. J took Lisa¡¯s phone and sent a message to Lesley. [What news? What has Reba been up totely? J intentionally used Reba¡¯s real name, not her stage name. Becky. Lesley paused for a moment, and it clicked. This must be Becky¡¯s real name. Lesley felt a surge of excitement, thinking that ¡°Lisa¡± was interested in Reba, or rather, in Becky¡¯s information. If she could use this opportunity to win J¡¯s favor again and then ask J to bring her along for the next filming project, maybe¡­she might have a chance. [Lisa, I heard J¡¯s looking at scripts. Is J about to start filming something new? Do you think I could¡­.ask J for a favor?] J looked at Lesley¡¯s messages and instantly understood her intentions. Bringing someone into the crew wasn¡¯t difficult for J at this point. She thought for a moment and typed: [You want to join the crew with me?] On the other end. Lesley stared at thetest message in the chat box, her mind nk for a second. Then, she quickly realized that the person chatting with her wasn¡¯t Lisa but J herself! Lesley was growing excited. She quickly typed back: [J? Is that you?] J didn¡¯t deny it. She admitted it straight away and pressed for information about Reba: [Yes, it¡¯s me. What was the news you mentioned?] Lesley¡¯s face flushed red with excitement. She wondered if this could really work. If she leaked information about Becky to J, would J really help her get into the crew? With that in mind, Lesley quickly understood. Yes, J was just a mistress, while Becky was the legitimate wife of Theodore, and of course, J would be desperate for any information about her. Lesley couldn¡¯t help but smirk. J thought she was hot stuff, but in the end, she was just an ignorant mistress. Despite her disgust, Lesley knew J was her only way to stay in the industry. She had no connections and no other options. [J, I was hoping to y the second or third female lead in your new drama. Is that possible?] Lesley asked, negotiating terms rather than offering information. J sneered at the request. ¡®She want the second lead? How dare she?¡® Lesley waited anxiously for a response, but there was none. She messaged again: How about the fourth female lead?] Her tone was more cautious this time. From the beginning, Lesley knew she had no chance at the second lead. It was a crucial role, often as significant as the female lead in some dramas. But negotiating was all about ying the game. If she¡¯d asked for the fourth lead from the start, J might not have given it to her. Lesley aimed high first, asked for the second lead, and then lowered her request, increasing her chances of snagging the fourth lead. [Sure.] As expected, J quickly replied to her message. Lesley breathed a sigh of relief, her excitement barely contained as a smile spread across her face. [I¡¯ve been auditioning for a role at the Aotori shooting base these past few days, and guess who I ran into during the audition? Becky!] [Becky was actually in line with us, auditioning for the lead role in Lovey Princess.] CHAPTER 90 Lesley continued: [Lovey Princess is just a low¨Cbudget web series. I thought I would definitely get the part, but do you know what happened?] [After our auditions, we saw Ms. Fox picking up Becky. Everyone was specting that Becky is the new artist Ms. Fox is currently mentoring.] [Also, both Annie and I received our audition results for the lead role in Lovey Princess today. We both failed.] [Annie thinks the lead role definitely went to Becky. She said it might be because Ms. Fox pulled some strings to secure the role for Becky.] ¡®Lynn Fox?¡± J and Lisa both saw the message, and their faces darkened almost simultaneously. Lisa scoffed, ¡°No way. Lynn¡¯s not mentoring anyone new, especially not someone like Reba. She¡¯s way too old. By the time she gets famous, she¡¯ll be past her prime. This industry is all about youth. Lynn wouldn¡¯t be dumb enough to waste her time on Reba J sneered, ¡°That¡¯s not up to you. Figure it out. I want answers today.¡± Lisa¡¯s expression changed, and she quickly agreed, ¡°Okay¡± She took the phone and hurried off. If Lynn were actually mentoring someone new, it would be huge news. Unless she was keeping it a secret, it wouldn¡¯t take much to find out the truth. Lisa spent half the day digging around and returned that afternoon with her findings. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± she reported to J. ¡°Lynn¡¯s got a new prot¨¦g¨¦, and her name is Becky.¡± J exploded, smashing everything in the dressing room. Cosmetics, mirrors¡­ Everything shattered to pieces. Lisa hid by the door, afraid of being hit. But still, J grabbed her and pped her hard across the face Lisa, not one for fighting, was stunned. It wasn¡¯t until her cheek burned with pain that she realized what had happened. J had hit her? What did J think she was, a punching bag? Lisa wanted tosh out, but seeing the fury in J¡¯s eyes, she held back. She couldn¡¯t afford to lose J. As long as J keptnding roles, Lisa would keep getting those fat bonus checks. If she crossed J, she¡¯d return to square one. And besides¡­. Bing a movie queen wasn¡¯t Just about talent. It was about connections and luck. And if they didn¡¯t have those, well, they needed money. Lisa was well aware that she wasn¡¯t like Lynn, who navigated the entertainment industry with ease with every connection she needed. She¡¯d managed to make J a movie star, mostly because J parents were willing to spend money. They¡¯d invested heavily, pulled strings, and snagged top¨Cnotch scripts for J, allowing her to rise to fame. J was angry now because she had been so unluckytely! After going through the ordeal of childbirth, she¡¯d assumed the child was Theodore¡¯s. She¡¯d been convinced that once Theodore divorced Reba, she could step into Reba¡¯s shoes and be thedy of the Theodore family. But things hadn¡¯t gone as nned. A few days ago, J had taken the child for a paternity test. The results confirmed that while the child was hers, there was no biological link to Theodore. J couldn¡¯t ept it. She¡¯d secretly taken the child to Rainbow City for another paternity test, hoping for a different oue. But the results remained the same. The child was indeed her own, but it was certainly not Theodores J still refused to believe it. She continued to take the child to different ces for paternity tests. No matter how she tested, the results were always the same. J wentpletely mad. Eventually, she couldn¡¯t hold back and called Theodore, and then¡­Theodore told her the truth. That night, J ditched the baby. They drove to a deste area and after checking that there were no cameras nearby, she just left the baby there. Back in the car, they started the drive back to Macloria. However, on the way back to Maeloria, Lisa couldn¡¯t suppress the consciences she had left. Without J¡¯s knowledge, she contacted a friend overseas and asked them to anonymously report an orphan baby to the police officer using a foreign IP. She just hoped that the child could survive. After returning to Maeloria, J seemed like a again. She couldn¡¯t even Stand hearing the word ¡°Ed¡°. The mere sound of the name ¡°Ed¡± was enough to make her face turn livid. She had thrown herself into her work, meticulously choosing scripts. However, the anger she had suppressed finally exploded today. News of Reba¡¯s flourishing career was like acid, burning through herposure and driving her to the brink of madness. In a fit of rage, she tore through the lounge, smashing anything she could get her hands on. After venting her rage, J turned to Lisa and suddenly pped her hard across the face again. Lisa was caught off guard. She felt a burning pain as her face was pped to the side. She couldn¡¯t believe it. J actually hit her again? 08.49 MONI, JUI 2 G +75%1 . ¡°Why? Why does Reba get to debut with a top agent like Lynn, while I¡¯m stuck with you, such trash?¡± J¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as she red at Lisa, shouting in frustration. Everyone was born equal. Lisa could tolerate it the first time but not the second! ¡°You think you¡¯re so good?¡± she snapped back in frustration. ¡°If you¡¯re so great, why don¡¯t you just do what Reba did? Find yourself a sugar daddy to bankroll your career! I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll get you the best agent, the best resources, and shoot you straight to the top!¡± But as soon as the words came out, Lisa realized she¡¯d gone too far. Panic set second.¡± in as she quickly looked down and mumbled, J¡­ Im so sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have said that. I just lost it for a Regaining herposure, she quicklyforted J. ¡°J, you¡¯re actually amazing. You¡¯ve always worked hard and made it on your own. Reba only got where she is because of Charlie. Without him, she wouldn¡¯t be able topete withC0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. you. J looked at Lisa, murmuring, ¡°Charlie?¡± Lisa nodded eagerly. ¡°Yes, Charlie! J, don¡¯t you see? Reba¡¯s sess is all thanks to him. I bet even that coboration with Lynn was Charlie¡¯s doing. There¡¯s no way Reba could have pulled that off on her own.¡± CHAPTER 91 At the Aotori shooting base, Reba was busy trying on differe make¨Cup and working with the crew to find the perfect look for the final photoshoot. Ruth looked at her, growing more and more fond of her with each passing moment. Malcolm Gray, the male lead, was also on set. At twenty¨Cseven, wa he a veteran actor with solid skills and good looks. Unfortunately, hisck of connections and a string of bad luck had kept him from hitting the big time. Malcolm was on the verge of quitting the biz, but then, out of the blue, hended the male lead role in Lovey Princess. He actually nailed the audition! The initial thrill quickly faded, though. Malcolm began to worry again. Without any background or connections, he feared that the lead role he earned might be taken away at thest minute. Such things happened all the time in the entertainment industry. The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. Even his agent told him not to get his hopes up too high. With this mindset, Malcolm held it together and showed up for his costume fitting today, as instructed. It was only after arriving here that he realized just how wealthy their production team was! The renowned actor Charlie had invested 20 million dors into their crew! Not only that, but Charlie was also going to make a cameo appearance in their production. He wasn¡¯t going to steal the spotlight from the lead actor. He was simply taking on an insignificant supporting role! And the reason Charlie did all this was because of one person, the lead actress in their drama, Elizabeth Dalton, yed by Becky! The entire crew was buzzing, praising the director¡¯s keen eye for choosing Becky, the destined lead, from hundreds of auditioning actresses! The news of Becky passing the audition was just announced in the morning, and by the afternoon, Charlie had arrived and invested 20 million dors in their production, setting forth numerous demands. The more Malcolm listened to these demands, the more his heart raced with excitement. ¡°Malcolm, this is it! Give it your all and stay focused to portray the role of Yves Whitman. We¡¯re going to knock this one out!¡± Ruth said to Malcolm with a joyful expression. Malcolm¡¯s face was flushed with excitement. ¡°Wait, so we¡¯re locked in? You¡¯re saying the lead¡­that I won¡¯t get reced just because the investor wants his own guy?¡± Ruth nodded. ¡°Yes! Just focus on your acting. ¡°Still, you need to polish your acting skills and not mess up at critical moments. Charlie said he doesn¡¯t have any other specific requirements for our cast, but he insists that the lead actors must have bour the looks and the acting skills to keep up with Becky. ¡°You definitely look the part of the prince, but if your acting falls t and Charlie isn¡¯t happy, you could still be out.¡± Malcolm¡¯s jaw dropped. Don¡¯t you worry, Director! I¡¯ll knock your socks off with my performance!¡± he quickly responded, eager to reassure her. 08:49 Mon. Chapter 91 With a generous budget and amitment to the script, the only goal was to make this show the best it could be. Malcolm had a hunch it was going to be a hit! He knew this was his chance to shine. Who knew when another opportunity like this woulde alone? Reba stood nearby, listening to their open discussion, her cheeks slightly flushed with embarrassment. ¡°Let¡¯s all do our best!¡± she chimed in. Malcolm looked at Becky, nodding in excitement. ¡°Absolutely, let¡¯s do this! And¡­ thank you! Thank you so much!¡± he thought about something and shyly said, a bit embarrassed.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org. The entertainment industry wasplex, and Malcolm knew that without Becky¡¯s help wrangling investors for the show, he could easily be reced by some other actor someone else brought in. He was genuinely grateful. Plus, with Charlie pouring so much money into the production, they could go all out on costumes, makeup, and many other details. If the script was good and the acting held up, they could have a real hit on their hands! Malcolm was pumped. He felt like this was his shot, his one chance to really make it big! After the promotion photos were taken, the director distributed the scripts, instructing everyone to read through them and get into character. Meanwhile, the production team had a million things to take care of, such as costumes, sets, and location scouting. It was going to take some time to get everything ready. Reba spent nearly half a month preparing. Finally, Ruth called to check in, cautiously asking if she was ready because the production team was all set and ready to start shooting anytime. Reba, of course, was ready to jump in and immediately agreed. Ruth was thrilled and promptly sent over a few potential dates for Reba to pick from. Starting filming was a big deal, and the chosen date needed to be carefully selected to ensure everything went off without a hitch. Reba was surprised that the director was letting her choose the start date. But then again, considering how much money Charlie had poured into the production, it wasn¡¯t that shocking. Reba looked over the dates, pondered for a moment, and decided to message Malcolm to see if he was free to attend the opening ceremony for the film shoot. On his end, Malcolm was caught off guard to be consulted on such an important matter. It made him think even more highly of Reba. [I¡¯m good to go whenever. Just let me know what you decide.] Malcolm replied right away. Seeing his response, Reba smiled and picked the earliest possible date, eager to get started. Having made up her mind, she let Ruth know her decision. 08.49 MON, JUI CU Ruth was thrilled with the chosen date. She wanted to get the cameras rolling as soon as possible. Any dys could lead to unexpected problems. The sooner they wrapped up filming, the sooner they could rx. Just like that, the filming start date was set. It was the day after tomorrow! However, Reba didn¡¯t expect her phone to ring again the very next second. Someone was calling her. She nced at the screen. It was Theodore. Reba hesitated for a second before blocking his number. Debra saw this and frowned, ¡°That jerk is bad news, Becky. Don¡¯t give him another thought!¡± Reba looked up at her mother and smiled, nodding, ¡°I know, Mom.¡± She was done with Theodore. It was a waste of time and energy Just as she was thinking this, her phone rang again, showing a call from an unknown number. 0 CHAPTER 92 Who is calling? The production team? Or is it Theodore again? Reba frowned. ¡®T¡¯ll get it for you, Debra said. Reba was surprised and looked at her mother, but she quickly understood her mother¡¯s intention and handed her the phone. Debra took the phone and picked it up. Sure enough. Theodore¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Reba, I¡­¡± Without a second thought, Debra snapped, ¡°Ugh! You piece of trash, don¡¯t ever call Becky again. Becky doesn¡¯t want anything to do with you!¡± With that, she hung up and blocked the number. On the other end of the line, Theodore slowly realized that it was the woman who was always with Reba, the one Charlie had hired for protection, who had just berated him. His heart was still pounding as he had just finally cleared up the misunderstanding. Just as he was about to call Reba to exin, his heart sank again. Even if Reba hadn¡¯t cheated before their marriage, what was she doing now? Reba was still his wife and the mother of his children, yet she had run off with another man! The thought of his two children, who were clearly his, bearing die name Carter, another man¡¯sst name, filled him with rage! Theodore¡¯s mood changed quickly, changing from sunny to stommy in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, Debra held onto the phone for a while, waiting, but it didn¡¯t ring again. She handed it back to Reba. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t let him get to you,¡± Reba said, taking the phone and soothing her mother. ¡°It¡¯s not worth wasting your energy on someone like that.¡± Her mother deserved happiness, the carefree life of a princess, cherished by her father. Reba couldn¡¯t help but smile at the thought. She held Debra¡¯s hand and gently shook it, saying sweetly, ¡°Let¡¯s not even think about him anymore, okay? He¡¯s not worth our time.¡± Debra¡¯s heart melted at her daughter¡¯s yful gesture. She nodded. ¡°Okay, okay¡­ From now on, we¡¯re not wasting our energy on people who don¡¯t deserve it. We¡¯ll focus on the good things in life.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Reba nodded happily. As soon as Reba finished speaking, she felt a small hand grab her sleeve. She looked down, and there was Kev. The nanny held him, but his bright eyes were fixed on his mother with delight, and his tiny hand was gripping her sleeve. +75% 1 Reba chuckled, turning around to take the little one from the nanny¡¯s arms. Once in his mom¡¯s arms, Kev bounced happily, babbling excitedly in his baby talk, looking both sweet and adorable. Reba gently kissed her baby boy, her little bundle of joy. Nearby, Lily saw their mother holding her brother and reached out her chubby little hands from the nanny¡¯s arms, wanting to be held too. But Reba couldn¡¯t hold both children at once. Seeing this. Debra went to help and took Lily over from the nanny¡¯s arms. Lily stared at her grandmother, her eyes wide and filled with curiosity. ¡°You little rascal, Debra teased, lifting the little one yfully. ¡°Still don¡¯t like your grandma, huh?¡± Lily reached out her small hand and grabbed Debra¡¯s nose. Debra was speechless. Seeing this, the nanny smiled and gently took Lily¡¯s hand away. Not to be deterred, Lily reached out and grabbed her grandmother¡¯s ear instead. Debra was helpless, but her doting smile never faded. Becky had been just as mischievous at that age, always trying to grab at her face. What could she do but adore them? When Charlie came back from filming, he immediately reached out to hold the babies. Lately, he¡¯d been sneaking over to see them whenever he had a free moment. As a result, the twins had grown quite attached to him and were always vying for his attention. After all, Charlie had a knack for entertaining the kids. Unlike the others, he wouldn¡¯t just hold the babies. He would lin them high into the air, ying ¡°airne¡°. Lily and Kev were absolutely thrilled with this game. Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was the first day of shooting. Reba was up bright and early, quickly packing her things. She bid farewell to her mom and the nannies and headed off to the set. The ce was buzzing with activity. The entire main cast was present, from the leads down to the supporting roles. Reba was introduced to the other actors by the director, and they all chatted while getting their hair and makeup- Then, they all took a picture together to officially kick off the production. Since they were a small crew, there were no journalists around to take notice, so no one came to ask questions or take pictures. But that didn¡¯t dampen their excitement one bit. done. Everyone on set knew the show was well¨Cfunded, and they were confident that with their talent and hard work, they could make a ssh. U8.49 MON, June2 + 75%# Meanwhile, at Macloria, Theodore forged Reba¡¯s consent for to change the children¡¯sst name and went to the Civil Registry Office, intending to change the twins¡® surnames behind her back. Bryce was unfazed. He immediately pushed the documents back and sternly warned Theodore. ¡°To change a child¡¯s surname, we need a doc with signatures from both guardians. Forged signatures won¡¯t be eptable.¡± If thew had been allowed. Bryce would have dly arrested Theodore on the spot. But unfortunately, Zentiscapew didn¡¯t have any specific penalties for this kind of offense. The worst that could happen was that Reba could sue to have the children¡¯s surnames changed back. Theodore was utterly baffled. As he stormed out of the police station, he even kicked a nearby trash can in frustration. This scene was immediately witnessed by a street cleaner nearby Fuming, she marched over, broom in hand. ¡°Hey! What do you think you¡¯re doing? If you¡¯ve got a problem, take it somewhere else! Why are you kicking the trash can? Show some respect! ¡°Do you know how long it took me to sweep up all this trash? You better put it all back right now! You¡¯re not going anywhere until you do!¡± the cleaner yelled, her voice echoing down the street. People passing by turned to see what all themotion was about. A couple of young people seemed to recognize Theodore, their eyes wide with surprise. Theodore¡¯s face darkened instantly as he turned to leave.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. The cleaningdy grabbed him and shouted, ¡°Hey! I told you to clean that up. You may be dressed fine, but you¡¯ve got no manners, do you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have someone clean it up!¡± Theodore snapped irritably, trying to pull away from the cleaningdy. But years of scrubbing floors and hauling trash bags had given the cleaningdy surprising strength, and she held on tight. ¡°Oh yeah? Who you gonna call? I think you¡¯re just trying to run away! I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m watching you right here today. If you don¡¯t clean up this trash, you¡¯re not leaving!¡± She held onto Theodore, refusing to let him go and shouting loudly. CHAPTER 93 Chapter 93 +75%0 Theodore reached into his pocket as he wanted to pay off the cleaner. But after feeling around for a while, he realized that he hadn¡¯t carried cash in ages, as times had changed. All he had with him were his bank card and phone. Theodore took out his phone, looked at the cleaner, and asked, ¡°How much do you want? I¡¯ll transfer it to you!¡± He wanted to settle the matter with money. The cleaningdy, however, shoved the broom into Theodore¡¯s band and said irritably, ¡°How much? Quit acting like a big shot! You made the mess, so now get to work and clean it up! ¡°Young people these days are so spoiled. The government really needs to improve its education on manners,¡± the cleaningdy muttered under her breath. Theodore was instantly left speechless, and his face contorted with anger, almost ready to explode. Then, he furrowed his brows and made a phone call. A few minutester, the driver hurried over. Theodore tossed the broom to the driver and ordered coldly, ¡°Clean this ce up and I¡¯ll add 600 dors to your bonus this month!¡± The driver was confused at first but then became overjoyed. He wondered, ¡®I can get 600 dors just by cleaning up trash? Boy oh boy. Hope I get this lucky every day! With that in mind, the driver happily picked up the broom and started cleaning. Theodore frowned and turned around to leave, his entire being radiating an air of displeasure. Meanwhile, Bryce, who was not far from the Civil Registry Office, watched Theodore leave and narrowed his eyes. Immediately after, he took out his phone, clicked open the family group chat, and recounted how Theodore had just tried to change the kids¡®st names using forged documents. The group chat consisted of only their immediate family members, which were the parents, the three brothers, and Reba. Right after Bryce sent the message, Adrian, who was in Hivalis, saw it right away. Then, the mood of the man in the meeting turned dark instantly. Over at the branch store, Patrick and a group of business owners from Maeloria had just finished a round of golf. As he picked up his phone, he immediately saw the message his second son had sent in the group chat. His eyes instantly narrowed and emitted a dangerous glint. On the other hand, Debra, who was at the Aotori shooting base, was the first to see the message. Once she read about Theodore¡¯s outrageous stunt, she instantly became furious and grumbled inwardly, ¡®What kind of nonsense is this? He actually forged documents and tried to change the children¡¯sst name behind Becky¡¯s back? Who does Theodore think he is?¡® As she thought about it, she quickly called Adrian.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Adrian, who was at Evertrust Law Firm in Hivalis, knew instantly why his mother was calling when he saw her name on the screen He picked up his phone, walked to the balcony, and answered the call. ¡°Mom,¡± Adrian greeted with a deep andposed 75% voice. Debra snapped, ¡°You still remember I¡¯m your mom? Why haven¡¯t you sorted out Becky¡¯s divorce yet? ¡°Isn¡¯t your firm highly reputed? Can¡¯t you speed things up and get your sister out of this mess sooner?¡± Adrian sighed helplessly, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m already working on gathering the evidence.¡± As Debra listened to her son, she cooled down and said more patiently, ¡°Tell me what evidence you need, and I¡¯ll have someone find it.¡± Adrian shook his head. ¡°Mom, gathering evidence isplicated. We not only have to ensure the evidence is genuine but also that its source is legal. Please don¡¯t do anything rash.¡± Once Debra heard that, she snapped again. ¡°So you think I¡¯m that unreliable?¡± Adrian was left speechless by her words. After ending the call with her eldest son, Debra called her husband and immediately started scolding him. Patrick stayed silent and listened patiently to his wife¡¯s scolding. Once she was finally done, he was concerned about her and wondered if her mouth was dry after all that yelling. It was a pity that Patrick wasn¡¯t with her. Otherwise, he would have poured her a ss of water. Patrick cautiously exined, ¡°Debbie, the Edwards family is well¨Cestablished in Maeloria. It won¡¯t be easy to disrupt their influence in just a short time.¡± After saying that, he hurriedly added, ¡°But with all the effort we¡¯ve put intely, we have built some connections in here Macloria. We can¡¯t deliver a fatal blow to the Edwards family, but we can definitely cause them some trouble.¡± Debra irritably responded, ¡°After trying for so long, all we can do is cause them some trouble?¡± Patrick quickly corrected himself, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m sorry, honey I¡¯ll find a way to cause them bigger trouble!¡± Three dayster, someone anonymously posted a huge revtion online, and the Edwards family instantly became famous. The explosive news revealed that the chairman of the Edwards Group, Michael, had another family outside his marriage. with two illegitimate sons and one illegitimate daughter. Most importantly, all these illegitimate children were employed by the Edwards Group, and they held high positions. The first illegitimate child was Gifford Edwards. He was 27 years old, just a year younger than Theodore, and had already risen to the position of vice president at the Edwards Group headquarters. His mother was Pam Hughes, aged 48. The second illegitimate child was Oscar Edwards, aged 25. He joined a branch of the Edwards Group three years ago and was promoted and transferred to the headquarters a year ago. Oscar now held the position of research and development manager. His mother was Laura Price, 46 years old. The third illegitimate child was a girl named Tiffany Edwards, aged 21. She had just graduated from university and had been working in the finance department of the Edwards Group headquarters for three months now. Her mother was Heather Hall, and she was only 42 years old. It was unclear who was behind this, but as soon as the news broke out, its poprity skyrocketed. It immediately reached. the top of the trending topics, pushing down many entertainment industry headlines. ??? +75%1 In just one night, the entire inte exploded with various shares,ments, and posts. All the major online forums were filled with threads about the Edwards family¡¯s illegitimate children. [Wow! Three mistresses and three illegitimate children! The live of the wealthy are truly astonishing!] [Is there anything more thrilling than waking up to this kind of news in the morning?] I¡¯ve got to hand it to the rich. There¡¯s truly nothing they can¡¯t do [Did the Edwards Group chairman¡¯s legitimate wife and heir know about these things before they came out? How did the chairman manage to pull this off? Is he a time management master or what? We need to know his secrets!] These were just online posts. In reality, employees of the Edwards Group were all in a frenzy, too. In thepany¡¯s small chat groups, everyone was anonymously discussing like crazy. [I can¡¯t believe it! Mr. Gifford Edwards is also Mr. Michael Edwards¡® son? I really didn¡¯t see thating!] [Who would have thought that the new hire in the finance department is actually Mr. Michael Edwards illegitimate daughter!] [Ourpany is huge, and it¡¯s not unusual to have a few employees with thest name Edwards. But after this incident, I can¡¯t help but be a little suspicious whenever I see someone with thest name Edwards. I feel uneasy!] [Do we have any more employees with thest name Edwards?] [Yes, quite a few actually. Isn¡¯t there a salesperson with thest name Edwards over at the sales department? That salesperson. even won the top sales titlest year!] [This is terrifying! Could the top salesperson also be Mr. Michael Edwards¡® son?] [That salesperson is a woman, and she¡¯s 49 years old, almost ready to retire!] [49 years old? Ourpany has been established for many years, right? Could she be Mr. Sam Edwards¡® daughter?] [Mr. Sam Edwards? You guys have the wildest imaginations!] CHAPTER 94 The matter escted rapidly online, causing the stock of the Edwards Group to drop. Helen, who was at Edwards Vi, also saw the trending news. It was her ¡°best friend who first told her about it. The way this so¨Ccalled best friend gleefully shared the news made Helen tremble with anger. Helen brushed off her ¡°best friend¡± and immediately went home Once she reached home, she turned on herputer and immediately began searching the inte for the trending news, As she continued to read the news, her face grew increasingly grim. Meanwhile, Michael, who was in the gym downstairs, had no ideh what was happening and was still working out. With a grim expression after reading the documents, Helen headed to the gym, found him, and raised her hand. She pped Michael hard, and the crisp sound of the p echoed loudly. He was stunned by the p. As Michael came to his senses and saw Helen raising her hand again, be instinctively grabbed her hand and forcefully pushed her back. Helen lost her bnce from the push and fell backward, instinctively grabbing the treadmill¡¯s handrail. Michael then raised his hand and delivered a resounding p. Helen¡¯s youthful, well¨Ckept face instantly disyed a vivid handprint after he pped her. When she felt the stinging pain on her cheek, her eyes immediately reddened with tears. Helen then looked up at Michael in disbelief. ¡°Did you just p me, Michael?¡± Helen asked incredulously, her voice breaking with a sob. Michael frowned and replied irritably, ¡°You were the one who went mad and pped me first. I haven¡¯t even asked why you¡¯re acting so insane!¡± When Helen remembered why she hadshed out, her heart ached. She asked, ¡°Michael, we¡¯ve known each other since we were kids. We were childhood sweethearts. What did I do to deserve this? Why would you do this?¡± As Helen spoke, she grew agitated again. She then charged at Michael, wanting to attack him again while shouting in despair, ¡°Michael, tell me why! Why?! He restrained Helen and frowned in annoyance, ¡°What are you even talking about? What¡¯s gotten into you today, Helen? Did something set you off? Why are you acting all crazy like this?¡± She asked, ¡°I¡¯m acting crazy? Michael, you better tell me about the three mistresses and three illegitimate¨Cchildren! ¡°Michael, you¡¯re really something else! ¡°How long have you been supporting those mistresses and illegitimate kids? ¡°Him¡± Michael¡¯s expression shifted at Helen¡¯s words and he looked at Helen in surprise. ¡°When¡­ When did you find out?¡± + 75%1 She chuckled bitterly. ¡°When did I find out?¡± ¡°Michael, now it¡¯s not just me who knows. Soon the whole counity, and eventually the whole world will know!¡± Helen shouted hysterically. Michael then panicked as an uneasy feeling crept up on him. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Right then, his phone rang. Michael took out his phone and saw that his first mistress, Pam, was calling. Of course, she wasn¡¯t saved as Pam in Michael¡¯s phone. Pam was saved under the male name Peter so Michael wouldn¡¯t get caught by his wife. Helen stared at the caller ID on the phone screen and felt confused when she saw the name Peter. She had seen this name before but always thought it was one of her husband¡¯s male friends, so she never questioned it. Yet now, with everything happening, this call triggered a whirlwind of thoughts in Helen¡¯s mind. She wondered, ¡°What kind of rtionship does Peter have with Michael? Why is he calling Michael now?¡± As Helen thought about it, she reached out, wanting to answer the call for Michael. She wanted to hear who was actually on the other end of the phone. Helen was determined to find out who this Peter that Michael knew really was. -When Michael saw that she was about to answer the call, he inexplicably panicked and quickly moved his hand that was holding the phone away. Helen had spent most of her life with him, and after seeing this, she instantly recognized that he was hiding something. She then knew right away that there was something off about Peter. She lost it and immediately tried to snatch the phone from Michael. However, he quickly calmed down. Michael grabbed Helen forcefully, pushed her away, and snapped, ¡°Have you had enough, Helen?¡± With that, Michael turned to leave. Helen erupted in a fury and lunged at him, frantically trying to take the phone from his hand. She was determined to answer Peter¡¯s call and find out who he was. When a woman was pushed to her limit, she could be incredibly strong. As a result, Michael couldn¡¯t keep hold of the phone, and Helen managed to snatch it away. Michael¡¯s expression shifted drastically, and he immediately tried to get his phone back. Helen took the phone and immediately ran off. However, as she ran and tried to answer, the call from Peter had already ended because it went unanswered for too long. Shortly after, another call came in, and the caller ID showed it was Hector. Just then, Michael rushed over, grabbed Helen, and snatched the phone back from her. Being a man and having exercised for years, Michael¡¯s strength far exceeded Helen¡¯s, so it was easy for him to take the phone back. VO JU + 75%) She then stood there in shock, as her mind kept reying the rames she had just seen, which were Peter and Hector.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Peter and Hector. Heather and Pam. Helen appeared to have gured it out. Her eyes widened, and she stared at Michael in disbelief. She asked, ¡°It¡¯s them, isn¡¯t it? Helen went mad and shouted, ¡°Michael, it¡¯s them, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s Pain, and Heather. Michael, do you happened to have another lover named Laura?¡± As she was causing a scene, the second call from Heather ended Soon after, a third call came in, showing the caller ID as Lawrence. In just one day, three of Michael¡¯s lovers had frantically called him in a span of minutes. Coupled with Helen¡¯s outburst, Michael instinctively felt that something was wrong. He stopped dealing with Helen, took his phone, and left. Once Michael was outside, he answered the call. A few minutester, his face darkened, and he hurried to the study. Michael quickly entered the study, sat at his desk, and anxiously checked the news online. Just then, his phone rang again. Michael was frustrated, but when he saw the caller ID, he found that it was Theodore calling. Michael then hesitated for a moment before answering the call. Afterward, Theodore¡¯s cold voice came through the phone, questioning. ¡°Are all those things online true?¡± By this time, Michael had already seen the trending topics, and his expression was grim. He showed no guilt at all. Instead, he started scolding, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about whether it¡¯s true or not. Just get it taken down, What on earth is the Edwards Group¡¯s PR department doing? How can such a big issue not be dealt with?¡± CHAPTER 95 @+75% Reba spent the entire morning filming at the Aotori shooting base and was finally able to rest at noon. Debra immediately prepared a chair and some water for her daughter to rest. After sitting down and taking a sip of water, Reba felt less tire Debra cheerfully sat down beside her and said, ¡°Becky, something has happened to the Edwards Earmily She then unlocked her phone and handed it to Reba, showing her the trending news. Debra said, ¡°Look, Theodore¡¯s father is really something. ¡°He¡¯s been keeping three mistresses and fathered two sons and a daughter in secret for over twenty years, and now all of them have infiltrated the Edwards Group. The eldest one has even be a vice president, just a notch below Theodore.¡± After reading the trending news, Reba was a bit surprised and wondered if Theodore¡¯s father¡¯s private life was really that messy. As she thought about it, she suddenly recalled that when she used to stay at the Edwards Vi, Theodore¡¯s father rarely stayed at home. He was out most of the time, iming to be busy with work and had no time toe home, only returning on weekends to rest for two days With these thoughts in mind, Reba couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who dug up this news?¡± As soon as she said it, she had a sudden realization as if she already knew the answer. Reba then looked at her mother. Debra smiled and exined, ¡°This has nothing to do with us. We never forced Michael to keep all those mistresses.¡± In other words, the Carter family were the ones who leaked the news, but it wasn¡¯t them that made Michael have mistresses! It was his own doing, and he deserved the consequences. Reba blinked and smiled before nodding, ¡°Mm¨Chmm.¡± Debra had already ordered lunch. Her beloved daughter had to breastfeed her babies and was also busy filming, which was exhausting. Debra thought that Reba needed proper nutrition to stay in good health. When lunch was delivered, Reba and her mother ate together. While eating, she also took a moment to scroll through the trending news. She went over the news several times before finally putting her phone down. Once they had eaten, they returned to the resting room. As they got ready for a nap, Debra and Rebay side by side on the bed.. Debra smiled and said, ¡°Once this blows up, the Edwards family will definitely be in chaos. We can use this to push Theodore to ask you for a divorce.¡± When Reba heard that, she was surprised and puzzled. ¡°How do we do that?¡± Debra pulled the nket over and tucked her daughter in, smiling, ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything. ¡°All you need to do is focus on what you love. Let your dad and brothers take care of the rest. They¡¯ll sort everything out.¡± Reba was confused. ¡°What are they going to do?¡± Debra smiled knowingly, ¡°I have no idea. ¡°Your dad and Adrian told me to tell you that we should just focus on what we¡¯re doing here and wait. They will take care of everything.¡± she exined. Reba considered it and also smiled while nodding, ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Alright, enough of that. It¡¯ste. Get some rest. You have to shoot more scenes this afternoon,¡± Debra said with concern. ¡°Okay,¡± Reba responded in a gentle voice. She then slowly closed her eyes under her mother¡¯s gentle gaze. Reba didn¡¯t know exactly when she fell asleep, only that it felt wonderful to have her mom nearby and her dad and three brothers supporting her. The noon break wasn¡¯t very long, but Reba¡¯s biological clock was already used to it, and she groggily woke up on time. She turned to look around the resting room and then at her mother, who was still sleeping beside her. Afterward, Reba carefully got up, making sure not to wake her mother up. By then, the makeup artist was also well rested, and seeing her get up, they went to the dressing room together. The makeup artist then reapplied Reba¡¯s makeup and redid her hairstyle. Once it was all done, the afternoon shoot was set to continue. Over the following four months, Reba enjoyed herself immensely. She spent her days filming, and in her free time, she would be with her babies. As she and her family watched the babies grow up little by little, they felt better. During this time, Theodore didn¡¯t seek her out or call her because he was too busy. The Edwards family was thrown into chaos by the issue of illegitimate children. The illegitimate offspring who had been slowly infiltrating the Edwards Group in secret were suddenly exposed and brought to light. Helen wanted to drive the three of them out of the Edwards Group. But would those illegitimate offspringply? Or rather, would Gifford agree to it? Gifford was Michael¡¯s eldest illegitimate son. He was only a year younger than Theodore. Over the years, with Michael¡¯s secret support, he had gradually risen from being a neer to thepany to bing a vice president, a position only slightly inferior to Theodore¡¯s. After Gifford¡¯s lineage was exposed, he didn¡¯t bother to hide anymore and openly vied for various powers within thepany. It was clear that he intended topete with Theodore for the inheritance of the Edwards Group. Oscar was no better. Although he couldn¡¯tpete with his two brothers, he started to regard himself as an heir to the Edwards family after his identity was exposed. Oscar even publicly imed that, even as an illegitimate son, he had the legal right to inherit his father¡¯s property, implying that he also had a share in the Edwards Group. Tiffany was the youngest and had just joined thepany. Although she didn¡¯t seem like a threat, her mother had a strong influence over Michael, who often spoke up for them. In short, the Edwards family was a basket of chaos thesest few months. Theodore was busy dealing with his newfound siblings every day and had no time to trouble Reba. As for J, it was rumored that she had also joined a production team and was shooting a major IP film that might be. released soon. They were both working at the Aotori shooting base. So, Reba asionally ran into J, and every time they met, J¡¯s gaze made Reba feel a cold, lingering difort. Reba¡¯s father had already arranged for bodyguards to protect her and her mother, so she was not afraid. She just stared at J until they walked past each other. In the blink of an eye, the filming Lovey Princess was about to wrap up. All the crew members gathered together, each with a bright smile on their face.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Nora Handler, who yed Chloe, the second female lead in Lovey Princess,mented, ¡°These months flew by so fast. I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re wrapping up. Ohhhh, I¡¯m going to miss this crew so much!¡± Malcolm Gray, who yed the male lead role of Yves Whitman, felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. Although the director had told Malcolm to focus on honing his acting skills and not worry about anything else, it still felt surreal to him. Now, with the entire dramapleted and about to wrap up, Malcolm finally believed that it was all real. He had actually yed the main character, and there were none of those messy issues in this series. The script hadn¡¯t been randomly changed, and the entire crew worked together to polish their acting, striving to depict every detail of the novel faithfully. Moreover, the costumes, props, and makeup of their crew were the best Malcolm had seen in all his years in the industry. He felt that this experience was incredibly wonderful. CHAPTER 96 Chapter 96 ¡°I¡¯m going to miss this too,¡± Malcolm said and instinctively looked over at Becky. Reba looked at everyone and said with a smile, ¡°It has been a challenging four months, and I¡¯m grateful for all your help. She genuinely meant it. Reba was a rookie in the entertainment industry and was still unfamiliar with many aspects. During filming, Reba struggled with some scenes and had to reshoot multiple times. Yet, they didn¡¯t criticize her. Instead, they were supportive and kind. Theyforted her, taught her how to manage her emotions and control her facial expressions, and helped her practice until she perfected the scenes. Over the past four months, Reba felt like the crew¡¯s darling, with everyone treating her exceptionally well. With a smile, director Ruth Porat joked, ¡°Becky, you¡¯re humble. Everyone benefited from you. If this drama bes a hit, they¡¯ll ride the wave too!¡± Everyone then burst intoughter at herment. ¡°Ms. Porat, do you really think our show will be a hit?¡± Nora asked excitedly. Malcolm appeared calm, but the slight clench of his hand inside his sleeve betrayed his nervousness. Ruth looked at everyone and remained mysteriously silent for a moment. Once everyone¡¯s curiosity peaked, she smiled and -replied, ¡°Based on my years of experience in this industry, I believe that even if our show doesn¡¯t be a major hit, it will certainly gain some poprity!¡± Nora let out a heavy sigh of relief and jokinglyined, ¡°Ms. Porat, you nearly gave me a heart attack!¡± Ruth couldn¡¯t help butugh heartily, and everyone else joined in as well. She then cheerfully announced, ¡°Let¡¯s have a big celebration at the wrap up party tonight!¡± Hearing about the wrap party, everyone cheered happily once more. The cheerful atmosphere spread quickly, so Reba and Debra joined in theughter. Even Lily and Kev, who were in the nanny¡¯s arms, seemed to pick up on the good feelings. The two babies looked happy, their eyes shining and their mouths forming little smiles. Reba walked over to the babies and picked up Lily from the nanny¡¯s arms. As soon as Lily was in her arms, she seemed to smell the scent of milk and turned her head, wanting to feed. Reba quickly held the baby a bit farther away, knowing it wouldn¡¯t be proper to nurse in front of everyone. Seeing this, Nora immediately came over with a smile and tenderly caressed Lily¡¯s cheek. Lily immediately stretched out her little hands, spreading her arms for a hug. Nora was delighted by the sight and immediately took the baby into her arms. Meanwhile, Malcolm took Kev from the nanny¡¯s arms and started to soothe him. ¶à475%ͯ After spending several months together, everyone had be cose, and the babies had now grown familiar with the crew. They all then rested for a while longer before finally parting ways. Later that night, they all met at the hotel booked by the crew for the wrap¨Cup party. After enjoying the celebratory meal, the crew¡¯s work of Lovey Princess was essentially done. Reba just waited for the post¨Cproduction team¡¯s finalization of the drama, the release schedule, and the broadcast of the episodes.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Lynn smiled and said to Reba, ¡°Becky, you¡¯ve worked hard these past few months. Take a few days off to rest and I¡¯ll let you know if anything elsees up.¡± Reba responded gratefully, ¡°Sure. Thank you for taking care of me, Lynn.¡± Lynn nodded with a smile and felt gratified as she looked at Reba. The first few episodes of Lovey Princess had already been produced. Lynn had discussed them privately with Ruth and others, and they were all impressed by the final product. Lynn felt that the show¡¯s production level was beyond just a web series and could be pushed as a TV drama. She then suggested Ruth try submitting it for a higher¨Clevel review, hoping it might get approved for a broader release. Ruth was excited upon hearing Lynn¡¯s suggestion and agreed immediately. Lynn had a strong intuition that Lovey Princess would not just be popr but a major hit. Therefore, she knew that Reba needed to be in her best state so that her fans could see the best version of Becky when the time came. Lately, Charlie hadn¡¯t been at the Aotori shooting base. The filming Reverse Days had wrapped up two weeks ago. As a top actor in the entertainment industry, his schedule was packed. Therefore, right after finishing here, Charlie had to head straight to other projects. He was out of town these days for amercial shoot, which was why he wasn¡¯t around. Meanwhile, Patrick, who was at Macloria, had been waiting all alone for a long time. When he learned that they had finally finished filming, he immediately urged them toe back. He really missed his wife, his daughter, and the two babies. To get his wife to agree toe back, Patrick even swallowed his pride and acted coy with Debra. He had pleaded for a long time before his dear wife finally nodded in agreement. He was incredibly thrilled, and if it weren¡¯t for the distance, he would have scooped his wife up and kissed her right away. When Debra and Reba returned, it was Patrick who picked them up from the airport. As they came out, the Carter family¡¯s car was already waiting outside the airport. It was now December, deep in winter, and quite chilly. So, Patrick had prepared two coats and two thick nkets. When he theme out of the airport, he immediately went over and put a coat on his wife and one on his daughter. Afterward, he handed the two nkets to the nanny, who then wrapped the babies dp snugly. ¡°Hurry up and get in the car. The heater¡¯s on and it¡¯s nice and warm inside,¡± Patrick urged. Then, the whole family quickly got into the car and went home. Once they got home, the maid had already prepared hot chocte for them to drink to ward off the cold. JO¨CJU IIUH, JUI 22 @+75%@ After drinking the hot chocte, Reba felt warm inside and much better. ¡°Can you stay and rest at home for a longer time this time? Patrick asked expectantly. Debra then looked at Reba, waiting for her to respond. Reba nodded with a smile. ¡°We should be able to.¡± As soon as Patrick heard that, he broke into a cheerful smile. Just then, Lily, who was in the nanny¡¯s arms, suddenly looked at her grandfather and called out in a soft voice, ¡°Ya¡­ Ya¡­¡± Everyone heard it and turned to look at Lily in surprise. Patrick was delighted and rushed to pick her up cheerfully. ¡°Lily, are you asking for a hug?¡± His granddaughter was so tiny, and he liked her more and more as he held her. Kev, who was on the side, saw that Lily was being held by her grandfather and blew a bubble in annoyance. Then, he turned to look at his mother. However, it didn¡¯t take long before he became restless, wanting his mother to pick him up. Reba then smiled and reached out to pick the little guy up. As soon as Kev was in her arms, he immediately beamed and, his eyes sparkling with joy. CHAPTER 97 Over the next three days, Reba stayed at home, but she would asionally visit the family store. Her identity hadn¡¯t been made public yet, so the store employees only knew her as the brand¡¯s ambassador. Even so, they were always thrilled to see Reba. Reba was incredibly attractive, especially when she wore the store¡¯s jewelry, which made her look even more stunning. She was a true delight to the eyes while standing in the store. Most importantly, she had some fans now. Not many, but whenever Reba showed up at the store, her fans would be drawn in. Some fans would buy jewelry just to follow her trend, and many customers would buy simr pieces after seeing how great they looked on her. In short, whenever Reba appeared in the store, the sales assistants would sell more than they normally did, causing their sales to skyrocket. Who wouldn¡¯t love someone who helps them make money effortlessly? They thought that Becky wasn¡¯t just the store¡¯s ambassador but also their lucky charm, like a talisman for good fortune. On the fourth day, Reba woke up early. She put on her workout clothes and went out with Debra for a morning run. To their surprise, as soon as they left, they bumped into a woman exiting Edwards Vi next door. It was Jenny. Debra saw Jenny, too, and her expression instantly darkened. However, Jenny seemed unaware of the rtionship between Reba and Theodore. When she saw Reba and Debra staring at her, she paused for a moment and shed a big smile at them before greeting them warmly, ¡°Hello, good morning!¡± Jenny had assumed they were just regr neighbors. Shortly after, Theodore also came out of the vi. When he saw Reba, his body tensed slightly. Reba only nced at Jenny briefly before quickly looking away. Reba then turned to Debra and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With that, Reba started jogging toward themunity garden. Debra then hurriedly ran after her. The mother and daughter ran in silence for twops before heading back home. As soon as they got home, Debra began to rant, ¡°Damn it! Theodore is one hell of a bastard! Becky hasn¡¯t even divorced him yel, and he¡¯s already bringing another woman home! ¡°Patrick! What happened to the ns for Becky to divorce him? Why is it taking so long?¡± she angrily shouted. Patrick cautiously handed his wife a ss of water and replied, ¡°It¡¯s almost done, honey. Don¡¯t worry.¡± He then turned to look at Reba, hesitated for a moment, and cautiously asked, ¡°Becky, you really don¡¯t like Theodore anymore, right? ¡°You won¡¯t be upset if you divorce him, right?¡± Reba took a deep breath, then smiled and nodded, ¡°Yes. ¡°Dad, I want to get divorced.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this text. +75% Patrick breathed a sigh of relief and then said seriously, ¡°Actually, over the past few months, your brothers and I have been very worried. We were afraid that you hadn¡¯t moved on yet. We we just wanted to wait until you were truly ready before pushing for the divorce.¡± Reba looked at her father and exined seriously. Thank you all for your concern. But I¡¯ve thought it through. Theodore and I aren¡¯t suitable for each other. I don¡¯t want to be with him anymore.¡± Patrick stepped forward, spread his arms, and gently hugged his daughter. Debra felt emotional, too. She quietly wiped the corners of her eyes and embraced her husband and daughter. It took a moment before they finally let go of one another. Patrick said, ¡°Becky, actually, this situation has something to do with us as well.¡± Upon hearing that, Reba looked at her father. Patrick exined seriously, ¡°Four months ago, Theodore forged your signature to change Lily and Kev¡¯sst name to Edwards at the Civil Registry Office, but Bryce stopped him. ¡°After that, your mom got really mad, and we were all upset too, so¡­. Patrick took a deep breath and continued, ¡°We only discovered the Edwards family¡¯s secrets aftering to Maeloria, establishing many connections, and quietly investigating for a long time. ¡°We initially nned to quietly cause discord and let Michael¡¯s illegitimate children take over theirpany. However, Adrian and I discussed it for a long time and realized Michael wasn¡¯t a good person either, as he used to bully you. ¡°Besides, even if the illegitimate children rose to power, it would still be the Edwards family managing the Edwards Group, which benefits them regardless. ¡°We thought it over and finally decided to expose the news directly, letting the Edwards family members fight each other while we just watched.¡± Patrick added, ¡°Gifford is Michael¡¯s eldest illegitimate son. Over the years, with Michael¡¯s secret support, he has established himself in the Edwards Group and has secretly won over many of the board members. ¡°With their rtionship now out in the open, it¡¯s almost impossible for Theodore to kick Gifford out of thepany. ¡°Moreover, Gifford even has the ability topete with Theodore for thepany¡¯s inheritance.¡± Patrick exined further, ¡°Michael has always wanted the Edwards Group to expand abroad. To achieve this, he and Helen want Theodore to marry the heiress of the Smith family, Jenny, whom you know, ¡°Before this incident, Theodore, pressured by his parents, only agreed to take Jenny around the country and attend various events, appearing as a couple. But at that time, they weren¡¯t actually a couple yet. ¡°After the illegitimate offspring incident was exposed, it became almost impossible for Theodore to overpower his own. Theodore needed support, such as from the Smith family.¡± Gifford on Patrick continued to say, ¡°Michael has been pressuring Theodore, forcing him to divorce you and marry Jenny, to form an alliance with the Smith family. ¡°Theodore is now backed into a corner. He has to agree to marry Jenny so that Michael can support him. Otherwise. Michael will support Gifford. + 75%1 ¡°Michael will then introduce Jenny to Gifford and have him marry Jenny instead. This way, the Edwards family and the Smith family will still form an alliance. However, by doing so, Michael would have to pass the Edwards Group to Gifford to keep the Smith family satisfied.¡± Patrick sighed. To Michael, whether it¡¯s Theodore or Gifford, they are both his sons. As long as they follow orders and secure the marriage alliance to expand thepany internationally, they are good sons and recognized heirs of the Edwards Group. ¡°Michael owns the most shares in thepany. If he chooses Theodore, the Edwards Group will belong to Theodore in the future. But if Michael chooses Gifford, it will then belong to Gifford. ¡°Under these pressures, Theodore and Jenny have grown closer think he has probably made his decision by now.¡± Debra became increasingly upset as she listened, and her expression turned grim as well. Patrick looked at Reba and cautiously said, ¡°Becky, all we did was just to speed up the Edwards family¡¯s issues¡­. ¡°I get it,¡± she interjected. Reba then looked at her father and responded, ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t need to worry about me. I know Theodore is not a good match.¡± If Theodore had been worth staying with, he wouldn¡¯t have deemed Reba unworthy just based on J¡¯s fewments. CHAPTER 98 Chapter 98 Ãü+75%•þ Reba couldn¡¯t forget how she had pleaded desperately, hoping Theodore would believe her, but all she had gotten in return was his mockery. She had cared for Theodore for years, yet she never carned even a bit of his trust. Although it appeared that circumstances were pushing him to make a choice, these events were bound to happen sooner or Reba¡¯s father and brothers just made everything happen a bit sooner. Michael¡¯s illegitimate children were a reality. Considering Gifford¡¯s role and status in thepany, it was clear that these illegitimate offspring weren¡¯t much less important in Michael¡¯s eyes than Theodore. Sooner orter, the Edwards family¡¯s illegitimate offspring would be exposed, leading to a power struggle between the heir and the illegitimate offspring. Most of the Edwards family¡¯s shares were in Michael¡¯s control. For Theodore to secure the Edwards Group¡¯s shares and his status as the heir, he had to follow Michael¡¯smands. Michael wanted to use the heir¡¯s marriage as a bargaining chip to gain benefits for their . Theodore just made the choice between love and profit a bit earlier than expected. It was something that would have happened eventually. Ultimately, Reba had always been the one left behind in his life. Her dad and brothers made all this happen ahead of time so she could see Theodore¡¯s true character. This way, she wouldn¡¯t) forgive him, go back to him, trust him again, and end up getting hurt again. Patrick looked at his daughter seriously for a while before breaking into a happy smile and nodding repeatedly. ¡°That¡¯s my girl. Well done.¡± Reba¡¯s ears inexplicably turned red as she listened to her father. Actually, she knew that her mindset couldn¡¯tpare to her parents and three brothers because she had grown up in Mitchell Vi. However, she was determined to work on changing that. Reba knew she would be stronger, more confident, and better. The next moment, Patrick cheerfully said, ¡°We¡¯ll just wait and see then. It won¡¯t be long before Theodorees over and begs Becky for a divorce.¡± Reba¡¯s face lit up with a smile at his words. Debra also breathed a sigh of relief. She felt that it was better this way. Otherwise, dealing with Theodore¡¯s antics would have made every meal ufortable. Reba stayed home for a few more days, waiting quietly for Theodore to ask for a divorce. Instead of hearing his plea, she received a message from Lynn that several advertising offers hade in. Lynn asked if she wanted to ept them. Reba hesitated and was at a loss for words. Sering her hesitation, Lynn sighed in relief and suggested, ¡°Becky, given your current situation, I wouldn¡¯t rmend 08:51 Mon, Jul 22 rushing into endorsements¨Cnow. 75%% ¡°Both Reverse Days and Lovey Princess are about to air soon. I believe that after these shows are broadcast, you could be very popr. By then, your worth could increase by hundreds of times. Taking these endorsements now might lower your standards and not be worthwhile.¡± Reba agreed with a nod, ¡°Mm.¡± J had epted a fantasy drama, Disciple Meets Master, at the Aotori shooting base a while back. After months of hard work, they had finished nearly three¨Cquarters of the filming. The remaining scenes would take about another month to finish. Ben Hofmann, the director of the show, had alreadypiled the previously shot content and discreetly submitted it for review. If everything went smoothly, the show could be finished by the end of the year, perfectly timed for Christmas, and could air as a holiday program on the trending Starlight Spectrum Network. Why not on the top¨Crated Horizon Network, you might ask? It was because Horizon Network had already allotted their Christmas holiday season program¡¯s slot for Reverse Days. Disciple Meets Master couldn¡¯tpete with that. Ben and his team could only settle for the next best option, choosing Starlight Spectrum Network, which was almost as good as Horizon Network. He thought that the Starlight Spectrum Network also had high ratings. If Disciple Meets Master could be scheduled on Starlight Spectrum Network, especially as a holiday season program, their show would surely do well after it aired. Since both Reverse Days and Disciple Meets Master would be aired simultaneously on Christmas, many in the industry were specting about which channel viewers would choose to watch and which show would have higher ratings. While everyone else was celebrating, J noticed that Reba¡¯s show Lovey Princess had surprisingly passed the TV review and was also scheduled for the holiday season program, albeit on a minor channel. She couldn¡¯t believe it had be a TV drama. She thought, I remember very clearly that Lovey Princess was just a low¨Ctier web drama before! Could Charlie have done this for Reba again? Why? What does he see in Iter? Reba is just an older woman who has had children. What does Charlie see in her?¡¯ J couldn¡¯t wrap her head around it, as she didn¡¯t find Reba pretty at all. Ever since they were young, she had considered Reba very ugly. Yet J couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Reba managed to attract one man after another and even wondered if Reba was better at seducing men than she was. When J thought of the word ¡°seduce,¡± her wildly beating heart suddenly calmed down. She pondered, ¡®If Reba can seduce men, why can¡¯t I? I am younger and prettier than her. If Charlie simply likes women who have just had children¡­ I am one too! If I try hard enough, could Charlie like me?¡® J had no feelings for Charlie and even felt a bit of disgust toward him because he had publicly insulted her on the web before. But he was the man Reba had set her sights on, after all. J currently couldn¡¯t stand the sight of Reba. She wanted to destroy anything Reba had, even if it was a man. J then wondered if Reba would be devastated if she took Charlie away from her. The idea of Reba falling apart, feeling sorrowful, and perhaps even hopeless, just like when she had snatched Theodore from her, brought a surprising sense of relief to J. She remembered Reba¡¯s shattered and vulnerable looks and how she had repeatedly shed tears in secret. Just as J was lost in her thoughts, Lisa¡¯s voice suddenly sounded beside her. ¡°J.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. J was startled and immediately snapped back to her senses. ¡°What is it?¡± Lisa was also startled by J¡¯s reaction. She felt that J¡¯s gaze seemed somewhat cold. ¡°You¡¯re up,¡± Lisa reminded her. It was only then that J snapped out of it. She shoved the script into Lisa¡¯s hands and walked toward the stage. Lisa then stood frozen while holding the script. As she watched J go back on stage to continue filming, she felt something was off. She thought that J had looked somewhat unusual a moment ago. After thinking for a while, Lisa realized it was a twisted, unnatural expression. She then figured that J might have some psychological issues and needed to see a therapist. CHAPTER 99 Before she knew it, mid¨CDecember had arrived, and Christmas was just around the corner. Her parents, Bryce, and Paul gathered together, discussing ns to return to their hometown for the Christmas celebration. Bryce and Paul had special jobs with very few vacation days, and they would have to workte into the night before getting any time off. Reba, however, wasn¡¯t in a hurry. What mattered to her was that the whole family was together. She thought it would be wonderful for everyone to wait a few extra days in Macloria until Bryce and Paul got time off from work, and then all headed back to their hometown together. It was during this time that Theodore reached out to Reba. He called her from an unfamiliar number, asking her to meet him to discuss the matter of their divorce. After their conversation concluded, Reba was ovee with an unexpected rush of joy. It felt as if a massive weight that had long burdened her heart had finally been lifted. Debra, noticing Reba¡¯s sudden change in demeanor, couldn¡¯t help but inquire, ¡°Who was that on the phone? Why are you so happy?¡± Reba struggled to contain her emotions, but soon found herself unable to restrain the tears welling up in her eyes. Her years of hardship and emotional turmoil seemed to culminate in this moment of release. Finally, she felt free. ¡°Mom, Theodore wants to meet me to talk about our divorce!¡± Reba shared with a sense of liberation. Debra, momentarily taken aback, quickly recovered with excitement. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good news! You two should hurry and sort out this divorce!¡± Debra¡¯s joy was palpable as she leaped from her seat, dashing to the study with a youthful exuberance. ¡°Honey, I have wonderful news! That scoundrel has finally agreed to divorce with Becky!¡± Captivated by his wife¡¯s infectious happiness, Patrick momentarily felt as though she was just as radiant as she had been in her youth. ¡°Honey!¡± Debra eximed, realizing her husband¡¯s distraction. When he didn¡¯t respond immediately, her expression turned stern. ¡°Pay attention.¡± Patrick quickly snapped out of his reverie, focusing intently on his wife. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡± Rolling her eyes, Debra sighed, ¡°What was on your mind earlier? You seemed lost in your thoughts.¡± But before she could finish, Debra resumed her excitement, eximing, ¡°Honey, let me share the good news again. Theodore is epting the divorce! He just called Becky and asked to discuss about the matter.¡± Patrick was surprised at first before he broke into a warm smile. That¡¯s great news,¡± As he spoke, Patrick retrieved a document from a drawer, handing it to Debra. ¡°Here, give this to Becky. When she¡¯s ready to proceed with the divorce, have Theodore sign these agreements. ¡°This is¡­a divorce agreement?¡± Debra¡¯s voice quivered slightly as she read the title of the document, her brows furrowing with concern. Æø+75% Patrick nodded solemnly his gaze fixed on the papers before them. ¡°Yes, Adrian drafted this meticulously. Its primary aim is to safeguard Becky¡¯s rights to custody of the children. We must Theodore sign it to prevent any future attempts by the Edwards family to reim the children. ¡°Okay.¡± Patrick¡¯s words hung heavy in the air, and Debra grasped the gravity of the situation. Her eyes widened with understanding, and she nodded decisively. ¡°I¡¯ll go and show this to Becky right away,¡± Debra dered, her voice determined as she reached for the document and made. her way purposefully out of the room. Patrick watched her depart with a tender smile. Meanwhile, in the cozy confines of the living room, Reba cradled Lily close to her chest, softly encouraging her to say ¡°Mommy¡± ¡°Mo¡­mo¡­.¡± Lily¡¯s innocent voice echoed through the room as she blinked up at her mother with wide, curious eyes. After a brief pause, a tiny bubble formed on her lips, followed by a heart¨Cmelting utterance of ¡°Mommy!¡± Reba¡¯s heart swelled with joy, her eyes shimmering with tears of happiness. Lily had just called her ¡°Mommy¡± for the very first time, which was a milestone that filled her with immense pride and warmth. Just then, Debra emerged from the study, drawn by the sound of Lily¡¯s joyful promation. Her face lit infectious smile as she hurried over to join the heartwarming scene. ¡°Lily called you Mommy?¡± up with an Reba nodded enthusiastically, her voiceced with emotion. Yes, she did!¡± Quick, sweetie, I¡¯m Grandma. Say ¡°Grandma¡± for me!¡± Debra¡¯s eyes twinkled with anticipation as she yfully coaxed Lily. Lily turned her attention to Debra, her expression curious and attentive. With a look of concentration, she attempted to mimic the sound. ¡°Gr¡­Grand¡­ Lily had just started learning how to talk and wasn¡¯t very fluent yet, which waspletely normal. Debra ced the divorce agreement on the table and then reached out to take Lily from Reba¡¯s arms as she began. ¡°Becky, this is the divorce agreement prepared by Adrian. It focuses on securing custody rights for the children, ensuring the Edwards family won¡¯t contest it and try to take them away. When you speak with Theodore about the divorce, make sure he signs this agreement.¡± Reba¡¯s attention shifted to the divorce agreement resting on the table. With a deep breath, she reached out and picked it
  1. up.
¡°Money or possessions don¡¯t matter to us, and we care most are these two children. We must ensure they stay with us and not let that jerk take them away,¡± Debra continued. Having spoken her piece, Debra moved to the cozy corner where Lilyy nestled in her arms. She cooed and gently encouraged the baby to say call Reba ¡°Mommy¡°. Meanwhile, Reba settled into the soft embrace of the couch, her fingers tracing the embossed letters of the divorce agreement as she carefully read it. As she read, Reba felt a wave of relief wash over her. Adrian had thought of everything, especially the future care of her beloved children. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll make sure he signs it,¡± Reba dered softly. Debra¡¯s face lit up with a proud smile at Reba¡¯s resolve, nodding her approval warmly. With the agreement in hand, Reba rose gracefully from the uch. ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs and put the way Tomorrow, Theodore had scheduled a meeting to discuss their vorce, leaving Reba with today to gather herself at home. ¡°Alright.¡± Debra replied. Reba ascended the stairs with purpose, the soft rustle of the document in her hand a reminder of the weighty decisions ahead. In her room, she carefully ced the agreement inside a drawer, taking a moment to breathe deeply before turning back downstairs. Beyond the immediate concerns of paperwork and discussions, the household buzzed with the joyful milestones of their children. Lily¡¯s first attempts at speaking were a testament to their growth, while even Key was now beginning to experiment with standing, clutching onto furniture for support. The family had recently invested in a specialized baby walker and they carefully ced the little ones inside. The babies gripped the handles, their chubby legs wobbling as they toddled around the spacious living room. Reba, Debra, and the two nannies were all fixated on the babies, observing their unsteady attempts at walking. However, at this early stage, the babies couldn¡¯t stay on their feet for long. After a brief stint of exploration, the nannies would swoop in, cradling them gently to prevent any idents Reba and Debra returned to the plush sofa, theirughter filling the room as they yfully interacted with the babies, encouraging them to utter their first words. Mommy¡­ Kev¡¯s tiny mouth puckered, his voice innocent and full of wonder, making Reba¡¯s face lit up with pure joy and surprise. Debra, inspired by this heartwarming moment, continued her efforts to teach the babies to call her ¡°Grandma.¡± Three hourster, Debra gave up, her throat was dry from all the excitement and teaching. Standing up, she turned to head towards the kitchen for a well¨Cdeserved ss of water. ¡°Grand¡­¡± Suddenly, Kevin made a sound. Shocked, Debra froze in her tracks!N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Turning back around, she looked at Kev with wide eyes, overwhelmed with disbelief and delight. ¡°Sweetheart, who did you just call?¡± CHAPTER 100 Key blinked, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Debra. Debra was overjoyed. She quickly ran back, scooped Kev up in her arms, and showered him with happy kisses. ¡°Ah, my sweet baby, you finally called me Grandmal¡± Nearby, Lily tilted her head, puzzled as she watched Debra smothering her little brother with kisses. The next day, Reba woke up early, excited about discussing the divorce with Theodore today. Debra was thrilled, too. In fact, she barely sleptst night from all the excitement. Her beloved daughter was getting divorced, and her grandson had finally called her Grandma. All day yesterday, she felt like she was floating in a sea of happiness. The downside of all this excitement was that Debra stayed uptest night. By the time she got up this morning, the sun was already high in the sky. Fortunately Reba and Theodore had scheduled their meeting for the afternoon, so there was no rush in the morning. They spent the morning eagerly anticipating the meeting. Early in the afternoon, Debra apanied Reba to a caf¨¦ in the Edwards Group building, where they waited for Theodore in a private room on the second floor. When Theodore arrived, he looked exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes. It was clear he hadn¡¯t been doing well. Seeing Theodore in such a state, Debra felt a wave of satisfaction and joy. However, Theodore frowned the moment he saw Debra, clearly unhappy about her presence there. Still, he only paused briefly before stepping inside. Looking at Reba, Theodore said in a low voice, ¡®Can we discuss this matter privately? ¡°I don¡¯t want any outsider present while we talk about the divorce.¡± Debra scoffed, ¡°Who are you calling an outsider? Just get the divorce over with. After that, we¡¯ll see who the real outsider is!¡± ¡°You!¡± Theodore was furious, ring at Debra. Reba nced at Debra, then turned to Theodore, her voice cold as she said, ¡°Let¡¯s just talk. She¡¯s not an outsider.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. How could her mother ever be an outsider? Theodore was the real outsider there. ¡°Reba, there¡¯s no way Charlie will marry you! Theodore said, frowning in displeasure. ¡°You¡¯re divorced and have two kids. Do you really think someone with Charlie¡¯s background and status would consider you!¡± His words were cold and deliberate. Reba¡¯s smile vanished as she stared at Theodore. Debra scoffed, ¡°Mr. Edwards, I never took you for a meddler Herment irked Theodore further, but he managed to suppress his anger, his frown deepening. Just then, a waiter knocked and cautiously entered, handing their menus. Reba ondered a ss of milk, while Debra and Theodore ordered a cup of coffee. None of them spoke, and the atmosphere in the private room grew increasingly tense. Debra looked at the two of them, wanting to say something several times. However, she remembered Patrick¡¯s advice from the night before and held her tongue. The divorce was something Becky needed to handle herself. They needed to see if Becky was truly ready, if she had decided to end things with that unworthy man. As her parents, they wanted Becky to be happy, not to control her life. Important decisions in their daughter¡¯s life should be hers to make, and they needed to respect her choices. After a long silence, Reba took out the divorce agreement. She handed it to Theodore and said. ¡°This is the divorce agreement. Look it over, and if everything is in order, please sign it.¡± Theodore looked at the document, then slowly raised his eyes to Reba. ¡°Reba¡­I¡¯ve looked into things and I realize now that I misunderstood you, Theodore exined slowly. His words surprised both Reba and Debra. They looked at Theodore with astonishment, then disbelief. Reba was stunned. She couldn¡¯t believe it. Just as they were about to divorce, Theodore finally figured out the truth and admitted his misunderstanding? She felt a sudden urge tough, finding the situation almost ridiculous. Debra sensed trouble. Could this scoundrel be trying to pull a fast one after dragging things out for so long? Debra stared at Theodore warily and Theodore returned her gaze in the same manner. They locked eyes, both with an air of distrust. ¡°When J first told me those things, I didn¡¯t believe her, Theodore continued. ¡°But then I had Wyatt investigate, and he confirmed it was all true. ¡°I never expected Wyatt would betray me like this. ¡°Wyatt is my best friend and he¡¯s my most loyal subordinate. We knew each other since our college days and after knowing each other for so many years, I trusted him in everything.¡± Debra sneered, ¡°So you trust your friend but not your own wife? Your feelings toward your wife truly impress me.¡± Theodore¡¯s face darkened at the rebuke, but knowing deep down it was his fault, he couldn¡¯t find words to argue back. ¡°Reba, anywayowe you an apology for what happened before. Can you forgive me? IVIUTI, JUI ZA ¡°Reba, I¡¯m sorry. I was wrong about everything that happened in the past.¡± Theodore spoke with carnestness. Beside him. Debra seethed silently. If it weren¡¯t for Patrick¡¯s advice the night before, she might have poured her coffee over Theodore right then and there. What a shameless man! Did he think a simple apology could erase the pain he caused Reba? What value did his sorry hold? A dyed apology was worth less than nothing! As she pondered, Debra nced discreetly at Reba¡¯s expression. She feared Reba might waver. This man wasn¡¯t worth any second thoughts. But thankfully, she saw the calmness in Reba¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now,¡± Reba spoke abruptly. Reba turned to Debra briefly, then to Theodore. Her voice was calm as she said, ¡°The past means nothing to me now. Whether you know the truth doesn¡¯t change anything for me. ¡°We¡¯re here to discuss divorce today. Let¡¯s sign the papers if possible and skip the pointless talk. It¡¯s just a waste of time.¡± Theodore, feeling anxious, interrupted, ¡°Rebal¡± Reba met his gaze calmly, her eyes showing no emotion. Theodore stared into Reba¡¯s eyes, unsettled by her calm demeanor. He had a strange feeling, sensing that he was about to truly lose Reba. In Reba¡¯s heart, there was almost no ce left for him anymore. It was clear that once, Reba only had eyes for him. When joy filled Reba¡¯s heart, her eyes naturally sought him out, despite the misunderstandings and hurts that followed, Her gaze remained tethered to him, a testament to the depth of her emotions. But now, it seemed like he was invisible to her. CHAPTER 101 Chapter 101 ¡°You still won¡¯t agree to a divorce? Reba asked incredulously, her voice trembling with disbelief. As she spoke, Reba reached for the divorce agreement and stood up, ready to leave. What was the point of wasting time there with him if they weren¡¯t going to divorce? Debra stood up alongside Reba, preparing to leave as well. ¡°Reba, I came here to discuss the divorce! Theodore eximed anxiously, grabbing Reba¡¯s arm. Debra swiftly pulled out a self¨Cdefense baton and aimed a strike it Theodore¡¯s grip on Reba¡¯s arm. Theodore¡¯s face changed instantly, and he quickly withdrew his hand. ring fiercely at Debra, Theodore then turned to Reba, pleading, ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and talk this through, can we? ¡°Reba, there are many things between us that need rification to avoid regrets in the future, don¡¯t you think?¡± he continued urgently. ¡°And¡­Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t think for my sake, think for the sake of our two children. Do you really want them to grow up without a father?¡± Theodore pressed. When Reba heard Theodore mentioned their children, she scoffed coldly. Displeased, she turned to him and said, ¡°Theodore, how dare you bring them up?¡± Theodore¡¯s anger red at her words. ¡°Reba, stop being so unreasonable! Yes, I suggested you have an abortion, but that We only when you were three months pregnant. The embryo was small then but now that they are born, things have changed! ¡°They are living, breathing beings now, and they¡¯re my children. I should step up and be a good father to them, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Theodore insisted. Debra didn¡¯t hesitate. With a swift motion, she kicked Theodore in the midsection. Caught off guard, Theodore stumbled and lost his bnce, crashing forward. At that moment, a waiter arrived with their ordered drinks. The door swung open, and Theodore¡¯s head collided loudly with
  1. it.
Startled, the waiter identally spilled scalding coffee all over Theodore as he fell. Theodore, in pain from both the impact and the hot coffee, trembled involuntarily and scrambled to the side. Once he regained hisposure, his face darkened with anger. ¡°Sir, are you alright?¡± the waiter asked nervously, trying to assist Theodore. ¡°Did you get a burn?¡± the waiter inquired anxiously, hastily wiping away the spilled coffee from Theodore¡¯s clothes. Reba was taken aback by Debra¡¯s sudden action. She hadn¡¯t anticipated such a decisive move, which was literally a kick. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Debra said firmly, taking hold of Reba¡¯s hand and leading her out. Reacting instinctively, Reba followed suit behind Debra. ¡°Walt,¡± Theodore reached out again, catching Reba¡¯s hand unexpectedly. But then Theodore remembered the impact of the baton earlier In a reflexive moment, he quickly let go of Reba¡¯s hand, apprehensive about holding onto her again. Tll sign it¡± Theodore ground out through clenched teeth. Today was supposed to be about discussing their divorce. He nodded to finalize things with Reba so he could marry Jenny. Otherwise, his father wouldn¡¯t support him. If his father ended up handing over all thepany shares to Gifford, Theodore couldn¡¯t handle the consequences. Reba and Debra were taken aback by his resolve, both turning to look at Theodore in surprise. Theodore appeared utterly disheveled in Reba¡¯s eyes ¨C she had never seen him look so defeated. Just moments ago, he had been struck, kicked, and spilled with hot coffee¡­ A year ago, Reba might have felt sorry for him. But now she felt strangely indifferent. She almost believed that Theodore deserved it all. These were consequences he had to face. They returned to the privacy of the room. The waiter discreetly exited and closed the door behind him. Reba retrieved the divorce agreement and handed it to Theodore once more. This time, Theodore didn¡¯t argue. He flipped through the document and scrutinized its contents carefully. With each passing moment, his brow furrowed deeper. ¡°Reba, I can¡¯t agree to you having sole custody of the children. I¡¯m their father and I have every right to be a part of their lives. Theodore said, meeting Reba¡¯s gaze with calm determination. Debra, impatient and direct as ever, interjected, ¡°You¡¯ve said enough. So, are you signing it? This is the only divorce agreement we¡¯re offering. Sign it if you¡¯re serious about it. If not, we can drag this out. We have all the time in the world, you know.¡± Theodore closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then turned to Debra with a cold smile. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, wasn¡¯t it Charlie who exposed the Edwards family¡¯s illegitimate children scandal? ¡°Is Charlic nning all this so he can marry Reba once we divorce?¡± Theodore mocked. Debra frowned at his words, ¡°Why do you talk so much nonsense?¡± Theodore looked at Reba and continued, ¡°If my sources are correct, Charlie¡¯s mother has been arranging blind dates for him these past few years. All candidates aredies of prestigious families. ¡°Reba, do you really think you have what it takes to marry him and be thedy head of a wealthy family?¡± Theodore sneered With that said, Theodore handed over the divorce agreement, picked up a pen, and swiftly signed it. Driven by self¨Cinterest, he was willing to give up everything, including Reba and the two children he imed to care about the most. Chapter 101- Debra was surprised that Theodore actually signed. She quickly look the signed document, checked it several times to ensure there were no issues, and then handed it to Reba. Reba took the pen and signed her name on the document. With the divorce agreement settled, the process at the Courthouse would be much simpler. Debra checked the time on her phone. It was 4 PM now, and the Courthouse closed at 5:30 PM. They had an hour and a half, which was enough time to get everything sorted out today ¡°Why don¡¯t we head to the Courthouse now? You can get the divorce license directly a month from now!¡± Debra eximed excitedly. Reba looked at Debra and nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± Meanwhile, Theodore frowned irritably. Nevertheless, they left the cafe together and headed to the Courthouse. Inside the divorce office at the Courthouse, the hall was bustling with couples waiting to finalize their separations. Debra, after a brief pause, pulled out her phone and started distributing money to the couples ahead of them in line, with each pair receiving 200 dors. She politely asked if they could allow Reba and Theodore to move up in the queue. The couples waiting, already resigned to their own marital endings, were taken aback by this unexpected gesture.¡± Nheless, they all agreed without any fuss. Money falling from the sky wasn¡¯t something to pass up, especially for just one spot. They were fine with being a bit dyed, after all, what was a little extra time in line? Debra, however, was nervous. Only she knew how much effort had it taken to convince that scoundrel to agree to the divorce. They had endured so much, and now, finally, he was the one pushing for it, even if it meant giving up custody of their children. This needed to be done swiftly, and dying the divorce any longer would be a shame to them. CHAPTER 102 Chapter 102 Debra¡¯s move to buy their ce in line with money further darkened Theodore¡¯s expression. Debra was truly impatient, ger to finalize the divorce between him and Reba. With the financial boost, Reba and Theodore jumped straight to the front of the queue without any dy, ready to proceed with their appointment. The staff behind the counter wore neutral expressions. After routine inquiries, they produced the necessary documents for signing. Reba and Theodore both signed the papers, effectivelypleting their divorce appointment. After the mandatory one¨Cmonth cooling¨Coff period, they could return to collect their divorce license. Debra¡¯s face was beaming with a radiant smile. Seeing Debra so happy made Reba feel quite happy too, but asionally, when she nced at Theodore out of theer of her eye, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit ufortable. She knew why Theodore was in such a hurry to sign the divorce agreement¨CJenny. This man, in the end, was just like this. He wasn¡¯t worth her spending the rest of her life with him. Debra also nced at Theodore, and she was increasingly disapproving of him. If Becky ever met her prince charming who was willing to cherish her for a lifetime, Debra would surely grow fonder of hint over time. As Debra thought, she held Reba¡¯s hand happily. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Regardless, they had achieved today¡¯s goal. The Carter family¡¯s car had been waiting outside the Courthouse, ready for Reba and her mother, Debra. They climbed in and settled into their seats as the vehicle swiftly pulled away from the curb. Theodore watched silently as the car gradually disappeared from view, His hand, absentmindedly slipping into his pocket. clenched slightly as he contemted the turn of events. In Theodore¡¯s mind, there was no possibility that Charlie would marry Reba He was convinced that once he resolved the issues surrounding the Edwards family, he could eventually win Reba back. He believed that in time, she woulde to realize who truly deserved her love and trust. With that in mind, he got into his car and ordered his driver to leave the ce. Meanwhile, inside the Carter family¡¯s car, Debra was bearning with joy. Unable to contain her excitement, she eagerly pulled out her phone and shared the news in their family group chat. Debra: [I have some good news!] Debra: [Theodore signed the divorce agreement!] 08:51 Mon, Jul 22 G Debra: II just apanied Becky and Theodore to the Courthouse to arrange the divorce, and all procedures were sessfullypleted] As soon as the good news was sent out, the family immediately replied. Patrick: [Good job!] +75%0 Charlie: Congrattions, congrattions, congrattions Wibing Becky the best in getting your divorce license sooner!! Bryce: [Great!] Adrian: [Congrattions, Becky J Reba also nced at her phone, observing the flurry of messages in the group chat. Even through the screen, she could feel the genuine happiness and support from her family. Reba turned to her mother, and their eyes met in shared radiant smiles. In that moment, Reba¡¯s heart lightened considerably, and a smile spread across her face. ¡°Thank you. Mom Reba said sincerely. Debra looked at her, feeling an unexpected pang of sadness. Smiling, she tucked a stray strand of hair behind Reba¡¯s ear and sighed. ¡°Becky, I should be the one apologizing to you. If I had been more vignt back then, that scoundrel wouldn¡¯t have taken advantage of you, and you wouldn¡¯t have suffered for so many years.¡± As Debra spoke, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She didn¡¯t want to cry, quickly turning away from Reba to dab at her eyes with a tissue. Reba reached out immediately and hugged Debra tightly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Mom. It¡¯s not your fault. We¡¯re finally all together as a family.¡± Rebaforted her gently. They arrived home quickly, but Reba hadn¡¯t expected the warm wee waiting for her. Patrick, Bryce, Charlie, and even Paul were there, each holding a bouquet of flowers for her Each of them approached Reba with their flowers in hand. ¡°Becky, congrattions! You¡¯re finally getting divorced,¡± Patrick said first, handing Reba his bouquet with a smile and heartfelt wishes. ¡°Congrattions, Becky. Wishing you freedom and a brighter future ahead!¡± Adrian added, offering his bouquet with a smile. ¡°Becky, I wish you a better and happier life ahead,¡± Bryce said sincerely as he handed over his flowers. Charlie bounded forward next, presenting Reba with an enormous bouquet,plete with confetti poppers set off by an assistant nearby!Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Becky, congrattions! I wish you and the two little ones all the happiness and joy in the world. Let that jerk rot in regrets for his actions! Charlie shouted happily. Reba found herself overwhelmed with flowers in her arms, and Debra quickly stepped in to help carry the bouquets she had received earlier. With a bit of space now, Reba finally had a hand free to ept Charlie¡¯s enormous bouquet. It was truly massive and incredibly beautiful, filling her with joy. 6+ 75 %1 Lastly, Paul approached, offering his flowers to Reba with gentle warmth. ¡°Becky, I wish you all the best in the future, he said tenderly. With another free hand, Reba epted Paul¡¯s flowers, then turned to express her heartfelt thanks. ¡°Thank you, Paul, thank you, Dad, thank you, Adrian, thank you, Bryce, and thank you, Charlie. Thank you all for your care and blessings. We¡¯ll all be better from now on.¡± ¡°And there¡¯s not just flowers; there¡¯s cake too! Th¨Cda! Look in the dining room, Becky. We¡¯ve got a huge cake ready for you to wish you all the happiness in the world!¡± Charlie yfully dragged Reba into the dining room, bursting with excitement to show her the enormous and beautifully decorated cake inside. The entire restaurant was adorned so splendidly that anyone unaware might think it was someone¡¯s birthday at home, making the atmosphere exceptionally festive. ¡°Thank you, I love it,¡± Reba eximed joyfully. Debra walked over, gently embracing Reba and nting a soft kiss on her forehead. Not only did Reba love the setting, but Lily and Kev were clearly delighted by the festive ambiance as well, especially the balloons scattered throughout the space, Reba smiled as she picked up two balloons, handing one to Lily and the other to Kev to y with. The rest of the time, the whole family enjoyed themselves immensely, devouring an entire birthday cake together. The next day, a helicopter arrived to whisk them away as they packed up to return to their hometown for the Christmas celebration. This wasn¡¯t Lily and Kev¡¯s first helicopter ride back home, butst time, they were just newborns and not yet sensitive to the outside world. Now, at over eight months old, the babies had grown significantly and were at an age full of curiosity about everything. Lily and Kev sat in their specially designed baby seats, eagerly looking around, touching everything they saw and peering outside the window curiously. Whatever caught their eye, their tiny hands would reach out instinctively to touch it. Their little feet kicked yfully under the baby seats, which was an utterly adorable sight to behold. CHAPTER 103 This was Reba¡¯s first time returning to her hometown of ga City for Christmas. As the helicopter descended, Dave and the estate manager, Cooper, were already there with a group of people, waiting nearby. As they disembarked one by one, Cooper swiftly organized helpers to fetch their luggage as the whole family entered the house with excitement. Cooper had already instructed Grace to prepare some hot chocte, which was promptly served to warm them up after the chilly journey. ¡°Becky, are you feeling tired? Would you like to go to your room for a rest?¡± Debra asked, standing up and showing concern for Reba Patrick quickly agreed. ¡°Yeah, Becky and the kids should take a break in their rooms. It¡¯s been a long day in that helicopter; you must be worn out. ¡°And the rest of you should head to your rooms too. Take a break and stop staring at Becky. She¡¯s back for good now; there will be plenty of chances to catch up,¡± Patrick added, turning tos son. Reba couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at Patrick¡¯s remark, ncing easingly at her three brothers. Since arriving home yesterday and finding everyone gathered there, Reba noticed her brothers and Paul frequently ncing in her direction. Their gazessted for a few minutes, sometimes just a few seconds, before quickly turning away The sensation of being watched sent shivers down her spine, making her nervous. From yesterday until today, she found herself unintentionally on edge. It was only when Patrick suddenly pointed it out that she couldn¡¯t hold back and burst intoughter, uncontrobly. Herughter was infectious, and soon everyone joined in, unable to contain their amusement. Debra joined in, yfully scolding. ¡°You troublemakers!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind them, Becky. They¡¯re just thrilled to see you. Give it a few days,¡± Debra reassured her with a smile. Blushing slightly, Reba nodded in agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs and leave them be,¡± Debra suggested, taking Reba¡¯s hand and guiding her away. Reba cast a quick nce back at her brothers, particrly Adrian, before disappearing upstairs. She had been in touch with Charlie for a while now, so they were quite familiar. After Bryce transferred to work in Maeloria, she saw him asionally, so there wasn¡¯t much curiosity there. The exception was Adrian; due to workmitments, he couldn¡¯te to Maeloria. Besides their initial meeting at the hospital, they hadn¡¯t seen each other since, and now she was quite curious about him.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Adrian was tall, probably around six feet, with handsome and well¨Cdefined features. He exuded amanding presence, perhaps a demeanor acquired from his long stint as awyer. Adrian noticed her gaze and his lips curved into a gentle smile. Reba couldn¡¯t help but smile back before regaining her senses and quickly followed Debra upstairs. Once in her room, she sighed in relief without the asional stres from her brothers. bily and Key were asleep, cradled by the nanny who took themck to the nursery and settled them into their small cribs for rest Reba and Debra peeked in to check on the children, silently leaving once they saw they were sound asleep. They left the 08.57 nanny to continue caring for them. Debra followed Reba back to her room, who stopped at the door. ¡°Becky, rest well. We¡¯re all here at home;e find us if you need anything, Debra said tenderly. ¡°Okay. Thanks, Mom, Reba replied gratefully. Debra nodded in reassurance, gently closing the door behind Debra to ensure she wouldn¡¯t be disturbed. With the door shut, Reba found herself alone in her room, finally letting out a quiet sigh of relief. Despite her family¡¯s warmth, the solitude was a wee change rxing andforting. After unwinding, she felt the onset of tiredness and fatigue as she hadn¡¯t taken a nap today at all, Reba kicked off her shoes, slipped out of her coat, and carefully climbed into bed. Despite having slept in her own bed only twice, it felt incrediblyfortable and reassuring, like home. Reba quickly fell asleep again. When she woke up once more, the sky outside waspletely chrk, a deep, dense ckness. Feeling a bit groggy, she reached for her phone to check the time and was surprised to see it was already past ten at night. Dinner¡­ Reba hesitated, then made up her mind and got up. The second floor was quiet while the living room lights were on, and her parents were in their casual home clothes, watching TV. Upon hearing movement from upstairs, both Patrick and Debra turned their heads towards the staircase, visibly happy to see Reba. Debra stood up just as Reba descended the stairs. Debra approached, smiling, ¡°You¡¯re awake? ¡°Are you hungry?¡± she asked. ¡°We kept some food for you in the kitchen,¡± Debra said, then called out to Grace, ¡°Grace, please warm up Becky¡¯s dinner and bring it out for her.¡± Grace looked at Reba happily, too. She hastened her steps, eager to bring Reba her dinner. Grace had been with the Carter family for over thirty years, hired on a high sry after Debra married Patrick because thetter enjoyed her cooking She had watched over the three boys as they grew up, and the family¡¯s optimism and happiness were infectious. Working for them had made her more cheerful over time, and she enjoyed her life every day. So, without realizing it, she had grown -closer to the family. However, everything changed after Reba had an ident. The Carter family¡¯s happiness had been shattered for years, and the atmosphere in the house had been dead ever since. However, now it seemed fortune had smiled upon them as Reba had miraculously returned, bringing back the happiness and joy that once defined the Carter family. Grace genuinely shared in the joy of Patrick and Debra 0 In no time, Grace brought¨Cout the freshly warmed meal. Reba hadn¡¯t expected them to keep her food for her despite thete hours. ++BU% It seemed this was typical for her- no matter the time, her meal would always be saved for her. Reba thought to herself as she picked up her utensils and dug in. Just then, there was movement upstairs once more. Reba instinctively looked up towards the staircase and saw Bryce. He appeared to have just woken up as well and was descending the stairs. Shortly after, Bryce joined them in the dining room. Grace also set out a meal for Bryce, and they dined together. After Reba finished eating, she stood to clear her dishes. Grace promptly approached her, insisting on taking the dishes herself as she urged Reba to wash her hands and then take a rest. CHAPTER 104 After a night¡¯s rest at home. Reba set off the next day with her parents and brothers, taking the two babies on a whirlwind tour of gua City. Every day in gua City meant indulging in the delicious local cuisine, with different dishes changing so often that they never got bored. On paths adorned with blooming blossoms, Lily and Kev were ced on the ground. The two little ones wobbled. precariously but managed a few tentative steps forward. Everyone retrieved their phones as they joyfully captured the babies¡® first attempts at walking. This Christmas, they stocked up on fireworks and firecrackers. When Christmas Eve arrived, the night sky erupted in an array of dazzling fireworks, big and small. As fireworks echoed in the skies, Reba and Charlie each cradled a baby, shielding their cars and enjoying the spectacle together. Lily and Key were initially startled but soon captivated by the breathtaking fireworks disy. However, their young age meant they couldn¡¯t watch for long. After just a minute outside, they were swiftly whisked indoors, their ears covered and protected until the fireworks concluded. Now at nine months old, Lily and Kev could toddle a few steps on their little feet. They couldn¡¯t get enough of the fireworks and, unable to hear themotion outside, eagerly grabbed the adults¡® hands, wanting to join in the fun outdoors. Charlie simply scooped up Kev and headed outside. Adrian approached, nced at Reba, then bent down and lifted Lily high above his head, setting her on his shoulders for a ride. Reba jumped in surprise, instinctively reaching out to steady Lily Adrian proved to be remarkably strong as Lily quickly settled securely on his shoulders, her tiny hands gripping his head, ¡°Becky, let them watch the kids for a bit. You should rest,¡± Patrick suggested. After looking after the children for a while, Becky was understandably tired, and Patrick felt for his daughter. Reba chuckled and agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± The Christmas Eve feast wasvish, and Reba enjoyed every bite. From childhood to adulthood, this was perhaps her most joyous Christmas celebration yet. The next day, they gathered under the Christmas tree in the morning and exchanged gifts with each other. Lily and Key received many gifts, with each onerger than thest. Even Reba found herself showered with gifts, supposedly everything she had rightfully earned from her youth to adulthood, all given to her at once. Reba blushed as she hesitated to ept the gifts, but despite ber reluctance, everyone insisted and shoved the gifts into her arms, making her gifts pile into a small mountain on their own. However, in contrast with the joyous atmosphere there, things felt somewhat awkward at Edwards Vi. Everyone kept asking about Reba and the two children, and were particrly set on knowing where Lily and Kev were. Chapter 101 + BUX Naturally, everyone assumed that even though Theodore and Reba had divorced, Theodore had custody over the kids. So, not seeing the kids at the Edwards family¡¯s during Christmas was quite puzzling to them. No one dared to bring it up, which was just as well. Whenever the children were mentioned, except for Michael, the atmosphere turned sour for the whole family. Sam and Melissa were adamant about wanting grandchildren. In this case, they were strongly against Michael forcing Theodore to divorce Reba and marry Jenny. Helen couldn¡¯t get Michael¡¯s affair with those illegitimate children out of her mind. While others might ept the mistress, her husband had raised so many. During this time, she had be theughingstock of high society. She was even nervous about meeting acquaintances when she went for her beauty treatments. Despite all this, Helen couldn¡¯t confront Michael head¨Con or even mention the divorce directly. When they married years ago, they had signed a prenuptial agreement. If they divorced, she wouldn¡¯t get a penny from the Edwards family. Her only hopey in her son. Theodore was the first in line to take over the Edwards Group. Only if her son seeded could the entire Edwards family fortune be theirs in the future. Theodore¡¯s expression turned even more grim as he had already realized that he loved Reba. If it hadn¡¯t been for his father¡¯s coercion, he would never have considered divorcing her Those two children were undoubtedly his treasures, and they would still be a part of the Edwards family now if he hadn¡¯t done what he did. However, Reba had stopped caring about the situation with the Edwards familyThis content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. At this moment in gua City, the Carter family was gathered on the living room sofa, watching a show together. The show they were watching was Lovey Princess starring Reba in a historical romance role. When Reba was filming, she took her role seriously. But now, sitting together in the living room watching the romance drama she starred in, Reba¡­felt embarrassed! Sitting among everyone, Reba felt like his hands and feet were not his own and was so embarrassed that he didn¡¯t know what to do. Eventually, she simply pretended to use the restroom and slipped away quietly. Charlie caught sight of his sister sneaking off, and with a slight grin, he let out a chuckle at her embarrassment. With Reba joining him now, he wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed all by himself anymore. How wonderful! Lily and Kev recognized their mom on TV, and the two babies were overjoyed. They reached out with their tiny hands, trying to grab their mom from the screen. Kev even toddled over, wobbling slightly, and with arms outstretched towards the TV, he gleefully shouted, ¡°Mommy, hug The whole family was enchanted by the adorable little boy before the nanny hurried over and scooped him up into her anns. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Lily called out as well as she stared at the TV. It wasn¡¯t just their family watching it, all across the country, countless families were gathered in their living rooms, watching the show together. However, TV shows varied in quality, and many viewers grew impatient, frantically switching channels. Despite their efforts, they couldn¡¯t find something they liked. But for some, as they kept switching, they suddenly stumbled upon¡­. [Hey? Who¡¯s this? The female lead is so beautiful!] [The male lead is handsome,tool] [The costumes in this drama are stunning, they look so beautiful!] Their initial fascination made them stay on the channel, and after watching for a while, they became captivated by the storyline and burst intoughter with their family. Some enjoyed it so much they picked up their phones to quickly share this great show with their friends and family, inviting them to watch together! Some talented video editors unexpectedly discovered how amazing this show was. To seize the opportunity and gain more followers, they immediately started searching for all kinds of information about this show before creating promotional videos and posting them on their social media ounts. Over the next few days, the viewership ratings for Lovey Princess soared, almost catching up to Disciple Meets Master in no time. Many people spected and bet on whether Lovely Princess could surpass Disciple Meets Master to be this year¡¯s dark horse in the industry. CHAPTER 105 Chapter 105 The audience was just there for the fun, but the actors involved in these two dramas were different. All the actors in Lovey Princess were so excited that they were screaming and congratting each other through messages. The leading actors of Disciple Meets Master looked gloomy, especially the male lead, Hackett Cousy. When the director told him that the female lead was J, he knew things were not going well In their circle, the most popr thing was the girlish persona. Jafet was just exposed for having a child out of wedlock. Her fans would think she was no longer a girl, but a young woman. It was expected that few people would like this drama for a young woman ying a young girl! However, the person who was in the worst mood right now was the female lead of ¡°Disciple Meets Master, J. As the best actress, after it was revealed that she had a child out of wedlock, Disciple Meets Master¡± was the first work that J officially starred in after her postpartumeback. This drama must be a hit to consolidate her position in the entertainment industry. But now, with only a week on the air, the drama ¡°Disciple Meets Master¡± she starred in was about to be overshadowed by Lovey Princess starring Reba! If J was suppressed, she would lose her significant role in the entertainment industry. Janer was thinking irritably, but she was not in a hurry. On the contrary, she sat on the sofa and watched Lovey Princess on TV. Seeing the heroine yed by Rebaughing in the y, she gave a smile full of malice. She thought, Just go viral. Let Reba make a name. J would wait until Reba reached the peak of her career and then let her fall down hard! The New Year passed by unknowingly, and everyone had to go back to work, especially Paul and Bryce, who had a special job. They had to return to work earlier than others.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. A weekter, the family CHAPTER 106 BU Lily and Rey had been separated from their grandmother for a day, so they missed her very much. When they saw Debra, they stretched out their little hands, stumbled towards her, and fell into her arms. Debra held Kev in her arms and got into the car. Reba also picked up Lily and got into the car. HE ¡°Take it easy and pay attention to safety,¡± Cynthia reminded them worriedly ¡°Okay, got it. Cynthia, you should go back soon. It¡¯s cold outside Reba responded in the car while looking at Cynthia through the window. The driver started the car and drove away. It was not until the car drove into the busy traffic that Debra asked, ¡°How do you feel? Is it tiring to take care of two children alone?¡± Reba shook her head. Tm fine. Cynthia also helped me look after the children.¡± Debra nodded and felt relieved. ¡°Okay.¡± After returning home, Reba received a message from Lynn. Just as they had expected before the New Year, after Lovey Princess and Reverse Days became popr, her status rose rapidly, bing a second¨Ctier star. The opportunities she could ess now were much better than before. The most important thing was that all the resources were actively offered by the drama producers or brands, instead of Reba having to beg them for an audition opportunity. Lynn sent Reba several scripts and endorsements, asking hero take a look. If Reba wanted, she could give it a try. Reba happily agreed. So in the next few days, she began to concentrate on selecting scriptsN?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Reba was reluctant to take endorsements for the time being, because she entered the showbiz just to win the Best Actress, Award and prove that what her adoptive parents and J said were wrong. Reba had a talent for acting, and as long as she was given the opportunity, she would not be worse than J This was her deepest regret after so many years in the Mitchell family, or rather she would never let it go. If Reba didn¡¯t try hard once to prove herself, she would probably even doubt her ability. After finishing all this, Reba might study business and help her father run the family business as her parents expected. However, when she was carefully selecting the script, something went viral. A well¨Cknown inte gossip blogger, Gossipy Girl, released a video, revealing a shocking secret. ¡°Why does the new rising star Becky have so many good opportunities?¡°, ¡°The new rising star Becky is Charlie¡¯s mistress?¡°, ¡°In order to support Becky, Charlie not only pulled strings to get a role for her in Reverse Days, but also invested 20 million dors in ¡®Lovey Princess? ¡°Becky is married and has children. Her husband is Theodore, a wealthy outsider. ording to urate information, they had a boy and a girlst year?¡°, ¡°Becky is shameless. She and movie star Charlie bought a house next to Edwards Vi. They openly have an affair in front of her wealthy husband and provoke her husband¡°, and ¡°Becky changed the surname of her and Mr. Edwards¡® children to Charlie¡¯s¡°. The video was a hot topic, shockingizens. It was a big secret at the beginning of the new year, and everyone was thrilled about what would happen. @ $+ 80%* Soon, countlessizens and bloggers forwarded this video, and the number of likes andments under Gossipy Girls short video increased rapidly. Soon, there came some trending topics on Twitter, ¡°Becky is shameless¡°, ¡°Becky, get out of the entertainment industry¡°, and ¡°The rtionship between Charlie and Becky¡± A series of topics rted to Becky became trending topics. Countlessizens discussed this topic on major well¨Cknown forums. Everyone was shocked. They didn¡¯t expect the rising star to be so shameless. Some even felt disgusted and regretted watching Lovey Princess. Some people said that they were really amazed when watching Lovey Princess, but they did not expect that Becky was such an immoral person. So, they could no longer watch Lovey Princess Even the crew of Lovey Princess were panicked. Ruth anxiously contacted Lynn and Reba, asking them what was going on. Was there a misunderstanding and was there any way to save the situation? The higher¨Cups had started to review the TV series, saying that if there were any problems with actors¡® character, Lovey Princess might be banned directly! However, before the crew of Lovey Princess came to Reba, Charlie had told her what to do, so after receiving the news from Ruth, Reba was not panicked or anxious. She followed what Charlie said and told the director not to worry. Nothing would happen. Ruth was in a daze, feeling very confused. How could this be okay? This was a disaster. On the other hand, Lynn finally found out the rtionship between Reba and Charlie. They¡­were actually siblings! At first, Lynn thought Charlie was lying, but as straightforward as Charlie was, he asked her to look at the paternity test report. Lynn then shut up and rxed. There was nothing to worry about As soon as this paternity test was posted, those rumors would be nonsense! On the contrary, the more serious the situation was now, the more popr Becky would be when things turned around in the end. Maybe this incident¡­could directly make Becky an A¨Clist star. ¡°Because of some reasons, the rtionship between me and Becky cannot be exposed for the time being. Don¡¯t tell anyone else these days,¡± Charlie reminded Lynn again. Lynn raised her eyebrows. ¡°Do you want to hype it up?¡± Charlie smiled, ¡°No need to bother you. Just let them continue for a few days. In a few days, when the time is right, I will make it public¡± Lynn nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± There were only a few days left in the cool¨Coff period for Reba and Theodore¡¯s divorce. After that, they could get a divorce. Then Charlie would immediately make the paternity test public to prove their true rtionship. Because of the scandal, the ratings of Lovey Princess did not decrease but increased. Many people rushed in to curse Reba while watching the show. The leading actors of Lovey Princess were worried. Some contacted the director privately to ask what was going on The crew put great effort into the TV series. Every scene was practiced repeatedly for many days to make sure that every detail was done to the best. They wanted to make a name through this drama! If the show was taken off the air because of Becky¡¯s scandal, everyone would be heartbroken. What could Ruth say? She knew nothing. After contacting Becky and Lynn that day, she was told not to worry for nothing would happen! How could Ruth be at ease? But she waited for a few days, andter, she found that the high¨Cups stopped the investigation. Lovey Princess was broadcast as usual, and there was no news of it being taken off the air or bined, as if the negative news on the Inte had no effect. Ruth was confused. She understood that Becky must have found way to solve the problem, but Ruth was not quite sure how she made it. She just felt¡­it was great to have money and connections. Ruth was envious. How great it would be if she could be as rich and well¨Cconnected one day! ? CHAPTER 107 Chapter 107 Others didn¡¯t care, but it didn¡¯t mean Debra and Patrick were the same. Debra was enraged. Patrick kept calming his wife. He tapped her shoulders and rubbed her hands to appease her. Even, in real life, some people knew the true rtionship between Charlie and Debra. They texted to ask what was going on. Somedies imed they were concerned, but in fact they just wanted to seek fun. Debra spat several times and cklisted those hypocritical people. In the chat group of the loving family, rtives were also concerned about this matter, but Debra and Patrick told them not to be anxious and not to disclose the rtionship between Becky and their family. Just wait a few more days for the right timing, the Carter family would make it public.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. When the rtives heard so, they felt relieved and no longer worried. In Evergrande Entertainment, J had been in a very good mood these days. She always had a smile on her face while happily browsing information online. Lisa was also in a good mood at the sight of it. She worked for J, and whenever J was in a bad mood, she would suffer. Lisa was nervous and cautious every day. Now that Reba was in trouble, J was visibly happy, which made her work environment a lot more rxed. J, yesterday the staff from Beauty, Glory, and Nature texted us and wanted to hire you as the spokesperson for their products. Would you like to take a look?¡± Lisa handed J several documents as she said with a smile. Beauty, Glory, and Nature were all well¨Cknown domestic brands. The fact that they asked J to be their spokesperson proved that J was not out of date yet. It proved that J¡¯s performance in ¡°Disciple Meets Master was useful. As long as her drama was on air, she would be popr. With the poprity, there would naturally be no shortage of endorsements. J took the documents, read them one by one, and then replied with a smile, ¡°Sign them all.¡± Lisa was surprised upon hearing it. ¡°Sign them all?¡± J nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± Lisa felt a little dazed. She felt¡­J was in a really good mood today. In the past, she would only agree to sign an endorsement contract at most. But this was a good thing. The more endorsements J signed, the more money she would earn. And as J¡¯s agent, Lisa could get more bonusmissions. Thinking about it, Lisa couldn¡¯t help butugh happily. ¡°Where¡¯s the pen?¡± J asked. Lisa quickly handed one over. J took the pen and signed all three endorsement contracts in a few strokes. In the next few days, J became busy. She hummed songs and flew all over the country to shoot thetest endorsement promotional video. People¡¯s criticism of Becky intensified online, but Lovey Princess got more attention, overshadowing ¡°Disciple Meets Master¡°. Many people criticized the TV series while watching it. Lovey Princess won a lot of poprity due to the scandal instead. As the plot in Reverse Days showed, the male protagonist¡¯s sister yed by Reba finally appeared. As soon as she appeared, everyone¡¯s eyes lit up. She was so beautiful, just like a fairy. However, soon everyone realized that the actress who yed the Tairy¡± was Becky, and many people couldn¡¯t help but curse harshly. Some people with bad tempers started to vent their anger by posting on major online tforms. ¡°Becky, get out of the showbiz!¡°, and ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Charlie? Why would he get involved with such a woman!¡°. Those topics dominated the list, and all people demanded Becky to get out of the entertainment industry in Twitter. Some people even made a lot of short videos, using special effects to throw rotten eggs and rotten vegetable leaves at Becky¡¯s face. In the video, Becky looked so embarrassed as she begged for mercy. In response to these posts containing malicious personal attacks, Adrian in Hivalis said nothing, but he quietly preserved evidence for future charges. When Debra encountered someone who began harsh personal attacks on Becky, she would note down the ID and hand it over to Adrian. With the evidence, they could sue the attacker on. Even the Edwards family¡¯s stocks declined slightly. Theodore wanted to spend money to reduce the poprity of those posts, but now, during the critical period ofpetition with Gifford, every penny he had was important and must not be wasted. His father Michael wa CHAPTER 108 +80% Reba couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and said. ¡°Theodore, it has nothing to do with you. You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing this for your own good! Theodore frowned and reminded. Reba hung up the call and cklisted the number. After doing all this, she felt better. Theodore was stunned. When he came to his senses, he found that Reba had hung up on him. Theodore¡¯s heart sank. He picked up his phone and called Releen again. Soon, the system prompt told Theodore that Reba had cklisted his new number! As Theodore held the phone in his hand, his face darkened. He burned with anger, thinking, ¡®How dare Reba? She kept blocking my phone number. Was it just because she had hooked up with Charlie? How shameless! How shameless! Did she even realize, with her current status, Charlie would never consider marrying her? She¡¯s embarrassing herself.¡± Reba was embarrassing herself. Holding the phone in his hand, Theodore was so angry that his chest heaved violently. No one had ever enraged him so much. Reba was the first! After a moment, Theodore picked up thepany¡¯s internal phone and ordered directly. ¡°Go get me some new mobile phone cards!¡± When assistant Jude Dudley heard this request outside, his heart skipped a beat. He knew something was wrong. Jude then quickly went to apply for a few new cards before handing them over to Theodore. Theodore took the SIM card, unwrapped it with a cold face, and put it into the phone before calling Reba again. He finally understood what he should do. He was concise and went straight to the point. ¡°Reba, those online scandals have affected the reputation and stocks of the Edwards Group. We must solve this problem as soon as possible.¡± Theodore didn¡¯t bother to talk nonsense, lest he get blocked again. ¡°Post a statement online, saying that you and Charlie are just friends, not in affair. ¡°Also, let¡¯s go to the Civil Registry Office together this afternoon to change the two children¡¯s surnames back.¡± Theodore thought that if he could use this opportunity to make Reba realize the seriousness of the matter and change the two children¡¯s surnames back, it would be a blessing in disguise, so as to avoid further entanglement in the future, which would be troublesome. Frustrated, Reba didn¡¯t respond. She blocked Theodore¡¯s number again, thinking there was something wrong with Theodore¡¯s mind. In the Edwards Group, Theodore was surprised that Reba hung up on him again. Theodore frowned and kept dialing. As expected, the number was blocked again! 08:58 Tue, Jul 23 ) ¡¤ Chapter 108- ×Ô¼Ò+80%´_ A surge of anger rose inside Theodore, but he held it back, took out a new card, and installed it before making another call. At the sight of the unfamiliar number, Reba didn¡¯t want to answer it, so she hung up and ignored it. Theodore kept dialing, but he couldn¡¯t get through, which pissed him off. He thought, ¡°Is Reba crazy? Just because she¡¯s with Charlie, does she think she has be someone important? Does she know her ce?¡± Reba could not feel Theodore¡¯s anger for the time being, nor did she want to feel it. After hanging up on Theodore, sh took our the scripts and continued to study them. These scripts were good, but she felt that something wascking. Reba thought about it for a long time and finally told Lynn her idea. Lynn nodded after listening. ¡°Well, these scripts are just ordinary, and there is still a big gap between them and top ones. But good scripts are hard to get. Some actors may get a top one soon after entering the industry. Some may have no such a chance even though after more than ten years, or even decades in the industry. In addition to performance, luck is also very important. ¡°But given your conditions, if you really want to star in a good script, there is a way,¡± Lynn suddenly said. nas she quickl Reba¡¯s eyes lit asked, ¡°What¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Buy the copyright, find someone to adapt it, and professionally customize the best script, Lynn replied concisely. At Aotori shooting base, Lynn held her phone while saying seriously, ¡°Nowadays, many scripts are adapted from novels, and the current novel market is veryplete, with a variety of themes and settings. No matter what you want, it will be offered. You can go to major novel websites, and maybe you can find a novel that suits your taste. ¡°If you find it and you are willing to spend money, you can talk with the author or buy the adaptation rights of the novel from the website, and then have someone adapt the novel into the script you want,¡± Lynn exined. ¡°Got it.¡± Reba nodded in agreement. In the next few days, Reba started to visit various major websites and read various novels, trying to find the content she wanted. Another day passed. At night, Theodore appeared at Carter Vi again. The servant came in in a panic and shouted, ¡°Mrs. Carter, Ms. Carter, bad things happen. Theodore from next doores again.¡± ¡°Ignore him. If he dares to break in, tell the bodyguards to throw him out!¡± Debra said calmly while applying a facial mask. Reba was wondering whether to go out and take a look, but when she heard Debra¡¯s suggestion, she calmed down. Yes, she could ignore Theodore.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. In this way, they went through thest few days. The one¨Cmonth cooling¨Coff period expired, which meant they could officially go to get divorced. That morning, the whole family got up very early. Everyone was happy and sincerely hoped that everything would go well today. After Reba was done, she checked the time and saw that the Courthouse was about to be open for business, so she took out her cell phone and called Theodore. In the vi next door, Theodore was upset to receive Reba¡¯s cal Today happened to be the day when the cooling¨Coff period expired, so he knew clearly why Reba called him at this time- COMMENT 0 It was obvious that Reba couldn¡¯t wait to divorce him. Theodore found it ridiculous. Why did Reba do that? Did she choose Charlie because he was nicer to her? Was she¡­so eager for love? But Reba used to be so obsessed with Theodore. When Theodore thought about the past, his heart ached slightly He misunderstood Reba, so Charlie took advantage of the opportunity. Reba wanted love so much that she was easily deceived. Theodore wondered, ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter. Charlie is just ying with Reba. After the divorce, Reba will know that Charlie will never marry her. To Charlie, Reba is just his mistress. She will realize the truth sooner orter. By that time, the Edwards family¡¯s affairs must have been resolved, and I can get her back.¡± As Theodore, who was restless, thought about it, he slowly calmed down. CHAPTER 109 Theodore contained his emotions and then answered the phoni Reba spoke briefly and reminded him that he needed to go to the Courthouse to get the divorce license today. Theodore didn¡¯t badger, and just simply replied a word, ¡°Okay¡± Reba was stunned by his crisp reply. She paused for a moment and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± After hanging up, she picked up her bag and went out. Debra was worried about her, so she hurried to follow. When they arrived at the door, they happened to see Theodore opening the door and walking out of the vi next door. At the same time, in a vi diagonally opposite, a paparazzo was taking pictures of them. The bodyguards hired by the Carter family could prevent paparazzi from hiding near the vi and taking secret photos. Still, they had no way to deal with those paparazzi who bribed others and found ways to sneak into nearby vis. After all they couldn¡¯t break into other people¡¯s homes to stop those paparazzi, and there was no need for that. Reba, Debra, and several bodyguards got in the car. Theodore watched them with a frown and then got into his car without saying anything. His car followed the Carter family¡¯s car. They drove to the Courthouse. Half an hourter, the two cars arrived at the entrance of the Courthouse and stopped in the parking lot. They opened the car doors at the same time, got out of the cars, and nced at each other before walking towards the gate of the Courthouse. Behind them, a ck car followed. Inside it, Daly Moore, a paparazzo, looked at the gate of the Courthouse with his eyes widened in shock. He immediately realized something. Then, he excitedly picked up the camera and frantically took pictures of the backs of Reba and Theodore, who were walking towards the gate of the Courthouse. Big news! Big news! Daly thought he was going to make a fortune from this news, There was indeed something wrong with Reba. Theodore was about to divorce her. Daly was excited. He took some photos in a row, then got out of the car and wanted to follow. However, as soon as he got out of the car, two bodyguards in ck suits came out of Theodore¡¯s car and walked up to him. Daly had a bad feeling. He quickly turned to go back to the car, inserted the key, and wanted to drive away It was toote. His car was stopped, and a bodyguard stood beside the car door, asking Daly to open the door and get out Not only Daly, there were many paparazzi in other ces. Many bodyguards came out from all directions. Without exception, all the paparazzi were stopped. Reba and Theodore didn¡¯t care what happened outside. Debra paid the couples in the front line and let Reba and Theodore jump the queue and stand at the front. It didn¡¯t take long before Reba got the divorce license. The moment she got it, she felt the depression in her heart finally +80% relieved. WE Debra was happy. She took the divorce license from Reba and looked at it. The more Debra looked at it, the happier she felt. She couldn¡¯t help but take a photo of the license with her mobile phone and send it to the family chat group of six people. Soon, there were many messages, emojis, and stickers to celebrate Reba¡¯s divorce.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Becky, look, they said they have transferred money to you to celebrate your divorce. Check it!¡± Debra was excited. She pulled Reba beside her and reminded her happily. little girl Reba was amused, thinking, ¡°Sometimes, Mom is very cute, acting like a little girl: Thinking of this, she took out her mobile phone, checked the group chat messages, and received the transfers. Reba thought for a moment and sent a message: [Thank you Theodore stood aside and kept looking at Reba. She hadn¡¯t looked at him since she got the divorce license. She actually¡­didn¡¯t even show the slightest reluctance. He clenched the divorce license slightly. After a while, he pretended to put his hand in his pocket casually and turned to leave the Courthouse. Bryce sent another message to the group chat: [Becky, go to the Civil Registry Office and change yourst name.] Reba saw the message and replied with a smile [OK] Debra saw Bryce¡¯s message as well as Reba¡¯s reply. She turned to look at Reba, feeling very happy. Then, she took Reba¡¯s hand, left the Courthouse, and went to the Civil Registry Office together. It was easy for an adult to change his or her name. Reba took the relevant information, went through all the procedures, and changed her name. ¡°This is the temporary passport. You can use it during this period. The official one will be processed after a while.¡± Afterpleting the process, Bryce gave Reba the passport and spoke with a smile. From today on, Reba¡¯s name was Stacey Carter. Debra and Patrick gave her this name a few days ago, and Reba liked it very much, so she changed her name to this today. ¡°Thank you, Bryce.¡± Stacey looked at Bryce and said with a smile Bryce also smiled. He couldn¡¯t help but rub her hair lovingly. After enduring for so long, Stacey finally went through the hardship and started her new, happy life. ¡°Don¡¯t be so polite to me. If you have any problems in the future, feel free to leave them to me. I will do my best to protect you,¡± Bryce said lovingly. ¨C In the office, a female officer on duty turned to nce over quietly, showing great curiosity ¡°If you have nothing else, go home and rest. I still have to work for a while. I¡¯ll go home after getting off work,¡± Bryce said with a smile. ¡°Okay,¡± Debra agreed immediately. As she spoke, she secretly nced at the female officer in Bryce¡¯s office and suddenly smiled brightly. The female officer was caught peeking and was startled. She quickly shifted her gaze but soon realized that she was overreacting, so she pretended to be calm and turned around naturally to say goodbye to Debra with a smile, ¡®Goodbye, Madam. Be safe.¡± ¡°Hey, are you marned? How old are you? Do you have a boyfriend?¡± Debra didn¡¯t want to leave. She looked at the female officer and asked with a smile. Bryce realized what Debra wanted to do. His ears turned red, and he quickly stopped her. ¡°Mom, she¡¯s just my colleague. Don¡¯t overthink. It¡¯s gettingte. Go home with Stacey. As he spoke, he pushed Debra out. ¦° Debra looked at the female officer. That girl was good¨Clooking, and she had been peeking at Bryce just now, Debra thought the girl and Bryce were well¨Cmatched. Stacey also smiled. She couldn¡¯t help but secretly take a few more nces at the female officer. The girl was really beautiful. When Bryce noticed Stacey¡¯s gaze, he felt helpless, quickly pushing them out and letting them get in the car. ¡°Mom, Becky, go home. I¡¯ll be off work soon and be back.¡± After the car door closed, Bryce breathed a sigh of relief and said with concern. Debra smiled. ¡°Go back to work. It¡¯s not bad to work overtime asionally. Come on, Bryce!¡± Bryce was speechless. CHAPTER 110 Stacey returned home. Lillian and Kevin toddled towards her. 1.lian could walk a long distance without the support. She was growing up. Stacey squatted down, opened her arms, and hugged Lillian, who threw herself into her arms, ¡°Mama Mama¡­¡± Kevin couldn¡¯t walk very well, and he fell after toddling a few steps. The nanny hurriedly supported him. took his hand, and helped him walk towards Stacey. Seeing Lillian in her arms, Kevin babbled anxiously. Debra came in. Looking at Kevin, she smiled, bent down, and hugged him. She kissed his check. He was so cute. Stacey kissed Lillian, then picked her up and walked inside, followed by Debra with Kevin in her arms. The home gave Stacey a different feeling. She looked up at Deb and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Debra showed a sincere smile. It was great that Stacey finally got rid of that scumbag ¡°Becky, how about we buy another house? Let¡¯s live in a different ce, somewhere farther away from/Theodore.¡± Debra thought about it and said. Stacey was surprised, asking, ¡°Mom, have you decided where to buy a house?¡± Deltra nodded. ¡°I have a few ces I want to go. If you are willing to move out, we can choose a ce we both like and then move there together.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Stacey agreed. Debra was delighted. She immediately took out her mobile phone and started searching for the property information in Macloria. In fact, Debra had nned to take Stacey back to Hivalis after she got the divorce license. Then, Stacey could stay away fromd the bastards in the Edwards family. Unexpectedly, just after Stacey¡¯s troubles had just been resolved, Bryce seemed to meet his partner. Debra thought Bryce and the female officer could be a couple, so she wanted to stay and try to bring them together. What p it worked out? If Bryce could be unavable, Debra would be happier. Stacey¡¯s mobile phone rang when she was choosing a house with Debra. Stacey was stunned. She picked up the mobile phone and saw that the caller ID was Charlie, then immediately answered the video call.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Congrattions! You finally got rid of that scumbag!¡± As soon as the video was connected, Charlie happily Congratted in a loud voice. Debra heard Charlie¡¯s voice, craned her neck to look at Stacey¡¯s phone, and saw Charlie.. Thinking about Stacey¡¯s divorce, Debra felt very happy and relieved. ¡°Chuck, Becky got the divorce license, so we need to solve those things on the Inte as soon as possible. I can¡¯t bear those people who scold Becky anymore,¡± Debra reminded Charlie seriously. Charlie was happy to hear this. ¡°Yeah, I called Becky to talk to her about this.¡± As he spoke, he looked at Stacey and said excitedly. ¡°Becky, I prepared the paternity test. At nine o¡¯clock tonight, I will have my studio issue an announcement that we are biological sibling Call Lynn to forward the tweet ¡°Okay,¡± Stacey agreed with a smile. ¡°By the way, have you changed your name?¡± Charlie asked with great anticipation. Stacey smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Stacey Carter. 801 Charlie paused, looking very confused. He looked at Stacey, then at Debra. ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you change your name to Reba Carter?¡± Debra¡¯s mouth twitched, and she scolded, ¡°Reba Carter? Shut up! I don¡¯t like it.¡± Charlie was speechless. It seemed that his parents knew how casual they were when they casually named him. Not only Reba but also her three brothers¡­ He thought, ¡°Forget it. There is nothing I can do. ¡°What is the meaning of Becky¡¯s new name?¡± Charlie asked again. He no longer trusted his parents¡® naming skills. He really wanted to know the meaning of the second name they gave to Reba. Debra saw Charlie¡¯s doubting look. ¡°Stacey, it means stable, and she will bounce back. Listen, if you keep doubting me, I will beat you up!¡± Debra warned. Stacey realized btedly. She didn¡¯t expect her name to have this meaning. Upon hearing Debra¡¯s warning, Charlie was afraid. He dared not let his mind wander anymore and quickly remembered his sister¡¯s name. ¡°Yeah, yeah, it¡¯s a good name. Stacey Carter.¡± Charlie felt happy when he was speaking. Debra could not help butugh. The video callsted for a long time. After talking about everything that needed to be said, Charlie hung up the video call. Thinking about what Charlie had just said, Stacey picked up the phone and sent a message to Lynn. Lynn replied quickly and told Stacey not to worry, as she would take care of everything. Stacey felt relieved and happy after hearing this. She couldn¡¯t help but start looking forward to nine o¡¯clock tonight Stacey thought about it and went back to the room. She took out her tablet and started watching a TV series. Lovey Princess was aired on TV and online drama tforms. However, the online streaminggged behind television broadcasting, but it did not affect her keeping up with the drama. This drama was really popr. On the online drama tform, its poprity was second to Reverse Days, starring Charlie. Seeing the rankings of these two dramas, Stacey felt very happy. Then, she clicked and yed the drama. As soon as the drama started, the screen was covered by countlessments, most of which were cursing Stacey. Many words were abbreviated, leaving a long series. of asterisks. Stacey watched thesements for a while, then simply closed thements and continued watching the drama. J had been attending activities here in Amando for the past few days. After a tiring day, she finished her work. When she returned to the hotel at night, she took a shower, theny on the big bed in her pajamas, took out her mobile phone, and started reading the news on the Inte. In the past few days, the inte was flooded with insults directed at Reba. Thesements were very became happier and happier as she read thesements. Reba would never be a match for her in this life. J had said long ago that Reba was not cut out for showbiz Reba didn¡¯t believe it, and now she was suffering the result. harsh. J J thought about it, switched to the burner ount, and contacted the inte trolls that she had hired a few days ago. She added arge sum of money and ordered them to continue to curse Reba online and manipte the online public opinion, maintaining the negative poprity of Reba. J thought, This time, I¡¯ll definitely drive Reba out of showbiz. She will never enter it again in this life! CHAPTER 111 After getting the money, the interntet trolls continued to curse Berky. Some negative news rted to her once again became popr. Topics trended one after another. ¡°When will Becky get out of showbiz?¡°, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Lovey Princess been removed yet?¡± and ¡°The drama starring a tainted star became popr. Who is protecting her?¡± These topics trended one after another. The crew of Lovey Princess, from the director to the leading roles, spent their holidays in anxiety. Didn¡¯t they know who Becky¡¯s backer was? Was it Charlie or Lynn? Someone thought that even if Charlie and Lynn protected Becky, it would be hard to protect her since the matter had be so severe. Could it be that Becky¡¯s backer was someone else! However, no matter how powerful the backer was, it couldn¡¯t soothe such a situation like this. The poprity of Lovey Princess had been soaring recently, and it was almost catching up with that of Reverse Days. If it were in the past, those actors would have felt extremely happy. However, seeing the increasing negative poprity of Becky. they were very uneasy. Was this going to cause trouble? Would something severe happen soon? Tainted stars couldn¡¯t always be popr like this. They would definitely be suppressed in one day. Although everyone in the crew thought so, whether it was Ruth, Malcolm, or Nora, they said nothing If other actors had encountered this situation, they would probably have harshly cursed the tainted star, which affected the, crew. Sometimes, they read thesements and wanted to scold those keyboard warriors online, but they couldn¡¯t. Becky was not like that. She didn¡¯t do anything wrong. She was a very good girl. In their impression, Becky was a good girl. Having been working together for several months, she had given everyone in the crew a good impression. Every one of them thought she was a girl with a good personality and great kindness. Why was she described as such a bad woman on the Inte? They wanted to retort, but the gossip bloggers posted photos and videos, even including the scene of Charlie buying a house next to Edwards Vi and entering the house with Becky So far, Becky had note out to exin. Everyone in the crew didn¡¯t know what to do. Lovey Princess was bing more and more popr, but the ratings of this drama were getting lower and lower because of those anti¨Cfans. Many people curse Becky, and most of thements for Lovey Princess were curses at her. Thesements were very +80% Chapter III ¦° harsh. Those people want the drama to be removed and banned. Seeing these harshments, everyone in the crew fell annoyed and had a mixed mood. Tonight, the trending topic changed, but they were still about Becky. Manyizens wanted her to get out of showbiz and even mentioned Lovey Princess. They wanted this drama to be removed and banned. Besides, they were curious about the person who was protecting Becky behind the scenes. The reason told the crew not to meddle in this trouble, but they couldn¡¯t help but worry about Becky. The minutes were ticking away. It was already nine o¡¯clock in the evening At that moment, Charlie¡¯s studio issued an announcement. Charlie¡¯s fans, online trolls, and even J¡¯s burner ount, almost everyone received the news at the first possible moment. They quickly clicked the announcement posted by Charlie¡¯s studio. The announcement was long, like an essay. It attached some photos and a picture of a paternity test report. Charlie¡¯s fans became excited. Theymented excitedly. [Ah, I knew! I knew Chuck was that kind of person. I¡¯m so excited!] [Becky is actually Chuck¡¯s biological sister!] [Ipared some pictures. Becky and Chuck really look alike, don¡¯t they?] Thisment attached Charlie and Becky¡¯s photos. The fans were excited, while the anti¨Cfans were stunned, including J, who was reading this announcement with her burner ount. J was stunned. She couldn¡¯t believe it. Reba was Charlie¡¯s biological sister! No. It was impossible! That was absolutely impossible. How could Reba, that bitch, be¡­ Reba was definitely not Charlie¡¯s biological sister. J thought about it and frantically looked for Reba¡¯s photo, then shepared it with Charlie¡¯s photo. Shepared them carefully, trying to prove that they had no simrities at al But as shepared the two photos, she suddenly thought of two people, Debra and Patrick. J had subconsciously ignored Debra and Patrick before, and she only thought that the couple were servants that Charlie had arranged for Reba. But now, J suddenly discovered that Charlie and the couple¡­looked a bit simr! And even Reba looked like the couple. Who was that couple? Were Charlie and Reba really siblings? If so, who were Reba¡¯s biological parents? Reba¡­ Was she the lost youngerdy of the Carter family? As J thought about it, her hands began to tremble. She hurriedly looked up the information, trying to find out whether the Carter family had lost a daughter before. J searched for a long time but got nothing. The Carter family had long canceled the information after they recognized Reba. At Edwards Vi, Helen received messages from her friends. Their words were mocking, but she could tell that they were 18:59 Chapter III jealous. Sara sent: [Helen, it¡¯s said on the Inte that Reba is Charlies biological sister. Is that true?] ra sent: [Those news some days ago were all hyped up by you right? Interesting. I almost believed them before ] Joann sent: [Helen, Charlie is the youngest son of the Carter farly, right? If Reba is the lost daughter, it means your daughter¨Cin¨Cis ady from the Carter family. And you actually became a rtive of the prominent family. I¡¯m so envious!] Sara: [It is really lucky for Theodore to marry Reba. With the Carter family backing them up, those illegitimate children will probably not be able to cause trouble anymore, right?] ra: [Helen, you and Theodore are really enviable. When Theodore bes sessful in the future, remember to help us.]Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Sara reacted when she saw this message and quickly sent: [Right, and help my family. Helen, don¡¯t forget us in the future. We have been good friends for so many years, and we should help each other to be rich.] Joann sent: [Calm down. Don¡¯t be so excited.] [Helen, I heard that Reba gave birth to twins a while ago. It just so happens that I also had a grandson the year beforest. How about we let them meet each other one day? You have seen my grandson. He is only two years old, but he is very smart. It will definitely be a good deal for your granddaughter and my grandson to be childhood sweethearts.] CHAPTER 112 Chapter 112 Reba was Charlie¡¯s biological sister and the lost youngerdy of the Carter family! How could this be? Helen¡¯s mind went nk, and her heart was pounding. In a panic, she quickly quit the group chat, opened Twitter, and checked the post. Reba was an actress. There were many posts rted to her on Twitter. These things that caused hot discussions sometimes ago were also on it. Helen guessed that the news her friends had just talked about could also be found on Twitter. Helen opened Twitter and checked the trending topics. She saw the top one at the first sight. The hashtag was ¡°What a reversall Charlie and Becky are siblings!¡± Helen began to browse various posts and then found that Reba¡¯s official Twitter ount, which used the stage name. Becky, forwarded the tweet that Charlie¡¯s studio posted. The tweet announced that Charlie and Becky were siblings. The tweet was long, and the most important thing was the picture of the paternity test report in it, Charlie and Reba were real siblings.. So, in other words, Reba¡¯s real identity was¡­.the youngerdy of the Carter family, who had been missing for more than 20 years. Facing the truth, Helen felt dizzy. Theodore and Reba had just received the divorce license in the morning, and in the evening, Reba and Charlie announced that they were siblings. What exactly did everything that happened during this time mean? Reba deceived Theodore into divorce! She concealed the truth and her true rtionship with Charlie and then tricked Theodore into getting a divorce. Helen thought about it and hurriedly picked up her mobile phone. She was so panicked that her hands were even shaking Helen finally got the phone. She quickly opened the contacts, found Theodore¡¯s phone number, and called him. At the Edwards Group, Theodore was still working overtime at night when his personal phone suddenly rang. He nced at it and found that it was his mother calling, so he answered the phone. ¡°Theodore, you are deceived into divorce. Reba lied to you. She and Charlie are not in love but are siblings. They are real siblings. Reba identally got lost more than 20 years ago, and she is the missing youngerdy of the Carter family!¡± Helen said anxiously on the phone. What? Theodore was puzzled. He was deceived into divorce. What did this mean? But soon, he understood. Reba and Charlie were not in that kind of rtionship but were siblings. Theodore¡¯s heart beat fast, and he felt happy and excited. Reba was not that kind of person She didn¡¯t cheat on him or have affairs with other men. She was still that simple, pure girl. The more Theodore thought about it, the happier he became. After hanging up, he quickly went to check the news and wanted to find out the truth. Upon learning that Reba and Charlie were siblings. Theodore felt unprecedented relief and happiness As for Reba hiding the truth and divorcing him, Theodore thought about it seriously for a while. He thought Reba was angry with him because he had misunderstood her, hurt her, and made her sad, so she decided to divorce him. But it didn¡¯t matter. Theodore knew that those were all misunderstandings, and he thought they would never be like that again. Moreover, the Carter family was even more potent than the Smh family. The Carter family seemed to have several gold mines overseas. Theodore heard that it had bought several private inds.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. abroad. Theodore thought, If1 pursue Reba again and be with her, Did will support me, right? With this in mind, he immediately called his father, Michael. Theodore was confident that he could convince Michael this time. He could be with Reba again, and Michael would not force him to marry Jenny. After all, the Carter family was more potent than the Smith family. At Mitchell Vi, J¡¯s parent. Gary and Karen, also received messages from their rtives and friends. Everyone was shocked and then curiously asked them about the situation. Gary and Karen were stunned. After learning that the incident had been exposed on Twitter, they quickly took out their phones and checked the trending topics on Twitter. After reading the tweet, they were shocked. Their adopted daughter, Reba, was the lost youngerdy of the Carter family! That famous Carter family! Many people even congratted Gary and Karen, saying that they had raised Reba for so many years. Now that the Carter family had found Reba, they would definitely repay the Mitchell family. Everyone thought the Mitchell family would prosper under the Carter family¡¯s support in the future. But the more Gary thought about it, the more panic and uneasiness he felt. He couldn¡¯t help but call J. J was a famous star. She knew more about the news of the tweet than they did. Could it be that the news was false? How could Reba be the lost youngerdy of the Carter family? When Ruth, the director of Lovey Princess, saw the news, tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly took out a tissue to wipe away her tears. After she came to her senses, she forwarded Charlie and Reba¡¯s tweets through the official ount of Lovey Princess to support them, Not only Ruth, Malcolm, Nora, and the others also saw the news quickly. After finding out the truth of the matter, which they had been worried about for a long time, they felt relieved. Then, they forwarded Charlie and Reba¡¯s tweets to support them. They finally understood why Reba was not worried after the incident had been discussed for so long and why the drama had not been removed or banned. Reba was so calm and clever. This big news would definitely arouse a new round of heated discussion of Lovey Princess and Reverse Days. After everyone forwarded the tweets, they still couldn¡¯t control their exciting moods, especially Malcolm. He finally burst into tears. He had been too depressed during this period. Lovey Princess was the drama he had the greatest hope for. Malcolm wanted it to be a big hit. After all, he had been lukewarm in showbiz for too many years. If he failed to be popr this time, he we, Jul 23 would have to retire from showbiz. He might not be suitable for this circle. But the situation had reversed. Reba and Charlie were not in that rtionship but were siblings. BUZ Malcolm never expected that he would actually have the chance to act with Charlie¡¯s sister, and they yed the leading roles. as a couple. It was the highlight of his life.. The most important thing was that Lovey Princess was going to be popr. Malcolm thought, Then, will I also be considered famous?¡® Thinking of this, Malcolm became very excited. He couldn¡¯t control the surging emotions. He was overjoyed. CHAPTER 113 This news was so stunning that the Twitter system broke down not long after the tweet was posted. Manyizens couldn¡¯t even log in, feeling extremely anxious. Twitter officials had to call back the programmers to work overtime to stabilize the program quickly so that the tform would not crash. Many people were surprised by this news. At Carter Vi, Debra asked the servant to buy a lot of ingredients, preparing to have a barbecue at home tonight to celebrate. Lillian and Kevin watched these ingredients and wanted to grab them. They were very curious. Stacey could only keep an eye on them to prevent them from grabbing the food. After the ingredients were ready, everyone sat at the table and had a happy meal. It was already dark when the barbecue finished. Lillian and Kevin toddled and wanted to go outside. Debra looked at them and said, ¡°Becky, let¡¯s go out for a walk. We have been here for so long and have never walked out at night.¡± Stacey thought about it and smiled, ¡°Okay.¡± She and Debra went upstairs together to change their clothes, put on light makeup, and then went out together. The two nannies pushed the strollers, with Lillian and Kevin following behind them. After entering the shopping mall, Debra couldn¡¯t help but start a shopping spree. She bought whatever she liked for herself, for Stacey, and for the two babies. Stacey once again witnessed the charm of money and felt Debra¡¯s happiness. She suddenly understood Patrick¡¯s joy in making money. Money could make the people he cared about happy, and this was a great happiness and joy. However, this happiness did notst long because someone recognized Stacey and came over to ask for her signature and take photos. Stacey could only smile, give him her signature, and take photos with him. Soon, the news spread, and more and more people came over. Fearing that something unexpected would happen, Stacey quickly left the mall with Debra and the two babies. Fortunately, they brought bodyguards with them. When they left, the bodyguards helped them to go out sessfully and stopped the fans who were crowding over. After leaving the mall and getting in the car, Stacey finally felt relieved. ¡°Becky, you are popr now,¡± Debra said happily. Stacey calmed down and nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± 89%1 She seeded. She proved that she could also make an achievement in showbiz. As long as she had the opportunity, she could be popr. In the past, the Mitchell family had deliberately put her down. The car started and drove towards home. But they did not expect to meet Theodore at the gate of Carter Vi when the car entered the vi district. In the car, Stacey and Debra¡¯s faces darkened. The two nannies also frowned and looked outside, feeling a little worried. Theodore¡­ Was he here to pester Stacey? ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Let¡¯s get out of the car,¡± Stacey said calmly. Now that she had obtained the divorce license, there was no need for her to be afraid of Theodore anymore. Upon hearing Stacey¡¯s words, Debra paused for a moment and then smiled. Theodore was Stacey¡¯s ex-husband. They didn¡¯t have to be afraid of him. Debra became confident and got out with Stacey. As soon as they got out of the car, Theodore came over. He walked up to Stacey and said excitedly, ¡°Reba, you and Charlie are siblings, really?¡± He smiled, ¡°I knew you weren¡¯t that kind of woman. You¡¯re such a good girl. How could you be with a bastard¡­ Sorry, I mean, you¡¯re definitely not the kind of shameless woman.¡± 5 Debra frowned upon hearing this and said, ¡°Mr. Edwards, what kind of person my daughter is have nothing to do with you. You are already divorced. From now on, you should go your separate ways. Do you understand?¡± Daughter? Theodore was shocked when he heard this and then quickly realized that Debra was not a subordinate of the Carter family but the mistress of the Carter family. She was Charlie and Reba¡¯s biological mother! ¡°You¡­ Are you Reba¡¯s mother?¡± Theodore thought and asked carefully. Stacey stood aside, asking the nannies to bring the children into the vi quickly. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if Theodore wanted to take the children away. After the children were brought into the vi, Stacey turned around and said to Debra, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go in. There¡¯s no need to waste time talking to him.¡± Debra also noticed that Stacey asked the two nannies to take the children away just now, so she deliberately talked to Theodore to stall for time. Now that the children had gone in, she naturally wouldn¡¯t waste time talking to Theodore, so she immediately walked into the vi with Stacey. Theodore wanted to follow them, but two bodyguards came over and stopped him. In the vi, Debra said, ¡°Becky, maybe we should leave Maeloria and go to Hivalis, or go back to our hometown in gua City to live for a while. Theodore¡­ I don¡¯t think he will give up. If you and the children stay here, he might keeping over to bother you, and that would annoy you.¡± 11:26 Wed, Jul 24 G ON. Stacey thought so, but when she thought about Bryce, she was a little worried. ¡°Then what about Bryce?¡± Stacey asked in concern. JEET 09/01 Debra thought about it and then said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Bryce is an adult. I will call him more often to remind him. There wouldn¡¯t be any problems.¡± Seeing Stacey¡¯s worried look, Debra added, ¡°At worst, we cane back more often when we are free. As a mother, I can only do this to help him. If I interfere too much, the girl might dislike it, and it would backfire.¡± Patrick and Bryce came back from a walk and heard that Theodore had juste again. Their faces darkened.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. But soon, they heard Debra¡¯s suggestion that she and Stacey would leave this city. Patrick and Bryce looked at each other and finally agreed. Stacey had obtained the divorce license, so she could leave Maeloria and get rid of Theodore. It was really good. ¡°What do you think, Becky? Are you¡­willing to leave here?¡± Before making a decision, Patrick turned to ask Stacey for her opinion. It was up to Stacey. They had to know if she was willing to leave, ¡°Yeah. No problem. I want to leave,¡± Stacey said. ¡°But Bryce¡­¡± She hesitated. Stacey looked at Bryce and said worriedly, ¡°Bryce, you and that girl¡­ Can you do it on your own?¡± Bryce¡¯s ears turned red when he heard this, and then he said, ¡°I can deal with my own affairs. You can rest assured and leave.¡± Upon hearing this, Debra and Patrick looked at each other and felt happy. CHAPTER 114 Chapter 114 Not only did Debra and Patrick notice it, but even Stacey understood it. Bryce really had feelings for that female officer. She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Well, good luck to you. I¡¯ll take Becky and the children to Hivalis tomorrow.¡± Debra decided. It would be good if Bryce was willing to take the initiative to pursue that girl. It was inadvisable if she interfered too much. ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Stacey was surprised. Debra nodded. ¡°Yes, the sooner the better. Otherwise, with Theodore and his family¡¯s characters, we won¡¯t have peaceful days if we stay here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy you ne tickets, and you can leave early tomorrow morning.¡± Patrick made the arrangements.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Things were arranged so quickly that Stacey felt like she was on a spontaneous trip, but this feeling was quite good. She liked her parents¡® decisiveness. She hoped that she could be as decisive as them in the future and not always hesitate. If she overthought, she would finally lose her courage and dare not do it again. ¡°Okay!¡± Debra agreed. ¡°Becky,e on, let¡¯s pack up. We have to leave early tomorrow morning.¡± Debra pulled Stacey and said happily. Stacey was infected by Debra¡¯s good mood and nodded happily. They went upstairs together to pack up. But soon, Stacey realized that she had too much stuff. Most of them were gifts given to her by her family after she came back to her parents, especially Debra, who had bought her a lot of things. They were gifts from her mother, and Stacey wanted to bring them. She soon came up with an idea. She could pack them up and express them to Hivalis. She wanted to bring everything Debra had sent her. It was convenient to express them. Lillian and Kevin also had a lot of stuff. After Reba packed up, their things almost filled up a room. Debra and Patrick came over and were stunned. ¡°Do you want to bring all these¡­things?¡± Debra looked at Stacey and asked hesitantly. Stacey smiled and nodded. ¡°Yeah, these are the gifts you gave to me and the babies. I want to bring them.¡± Patrick smiled. He nced at Debra beside him with a doting look. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll call a movingpany and have them deliver these things,¡± Patrick said indulgently. He loved his wife and daughter. These two women were his treasures. Since Stacey wanted to bring these things, just deliver them all there. It was not troublesome. X ex Q Tamasha Installed Open 11:26 Wed, Jul 24 GON. Stacey nodded with a bright smile when she heard this. ¡°Thank you, Dad ¡°No big deal,¡± Patrick smiled. It was alreadyte at night after packing up. Patrick urged them to go to bed and sleep. They had to go to the airport early tomorrow morning, Stacey and Debra nodded. But Stacey couldn¡¯t fall asleep because she was too excited. The recent days had been like a beautiful dream. It was veryte before she fell asleep. The following day, Stacey woke up. She got dressed, washed up, and went downstairs for breakfast. After that, it was time to go to the airport. 3 They dragged two suitcases filled with temporary supplies and set off for the airport with the nannies and the two babies. Half an hourter, the ne took off, and they left Maeloria. On the ne, Stacey secretly looked back. She finally left Maeloria, the ce where she had lived for more than 20 years. She left far away everything about Reba. From today on, she was just Stacey Carter, and everything rted to Reba was all the past. Three hourster, the nended at Hivalis Airport. Adrian was waiting for them at the arrival hall. As soon as Stacey and Debra went out, Adrian saw them and came over with a smile. ¡°Mom, Becky, you are here. The car is outside.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Debra nodded. The group of them went outside together, got in the car, and went to their home in Hivalis, Stacey had never seen their home in Hivalis, and she was a little curious. The moment she saw it, she was stunned. It was so luxurious. Hivalis was the most prosperous first¨Ctier city in Zentiscape, but this vi covered an area of more than 9000 square feet. There were many flowers in the yard, which was very beautiful. The two nannies who were taking care of Lillian and Kevin were stunned by such a beautiful ce. They had never imagined that they would have the opportunity to take care of children in such a luxurious vi. They would help take care of their employers¡® children, which meant they could also live here. Living in such a luxurious vi, even if they lived here for a while as nannies, they were happy enough. What a wonderful 2/3 K Tamasha 07/0 11:26 Wed, Jul 24 GN¡¤ experience! The two nannies were so excited. ¡°You can ask the servants to nt flowers you like in the yard,¡± Debra said to Stacey. Stacey looked at her and nodded. ¡°Hmm.¡± The car arrived at the vi gate. Debra looked at the vi, then turned to Stacey and said, ¡°There is also a room for you, and there are many things in it. Let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± ¡°There is also my room here!¡± Stacey was surprised. Debra nodded. ¡°Yeah, no matter where we go, we will always keep a room for you. You are a member of my family, and you will always be. We¡­ We have long been looking forward to the day when youe back.¡± Stacey was touched. She nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, thank you, Mom.¡± Debra smiled, took her hand, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Adrian stood by and looked at them with a smile. He didn¡¯t interrupt their chat and took them home. As soon as they entered the vi, Debra took Stacey to the second floor and let her see the room. Stacey was very curious about her room, and she walked there with a spring in her step. She was mentally prepared, but she was really moved when she opened the door. This room was simr to the one in her hometown. It was warmly decorated. Stacey opened the wardrobe, which was full of clothes from thetest season. The dresser was also filled with thetest cosmetics and skin care products from major brands. On the balcony, there was a sofa with cute dolls and cushions on it, which were all things girls liked. What touched Stacey the most was that there was a photo frame on the table in the room. It was a group photo of her and the two babies. Stacey thought, ¡®Did they put this photo after finding me?¡® She carefully picked up the photo and looked at it for a while. Finally, she smiled, glowing with happiness. CHAPTER 115 704% ¡°Just like the room back home, this one also has an elevator straight to the warehouse. It¡¯s all for your personal use. If you can¡¯t fit something in your room, you can store it there,¡± Adrian exined. Stacey was surprised. ¡°There¡¯s one here, too?¡± Debra nodded. ¡°Yes, every room has a small warehouse underneath. It¡¯s everyone¡¯s private space, convenient for storing things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fantastic!¡® Stacey thought to herself. ¡°Got it, thanks, Mom,¡± she said happily. Debra nced around the room and said, ¡°The two rooms next door are ready, too. One is for Lily, and the other for Kev. Do you want to have a look?¡± ¡°Sure, Stacey agreed. They went to see the babies¡® rooms together. Both rooms were beautifully decorated. Lily¡¯s room had warm tones, mainly yellow, with a theme of cute and cuddly animals, giving it a warm and happy vibe. Kev¡¯s room had cool tones, primarily blue, with a theme of sky, sea, and little dolphins, creating a clear and spacious feel. Next to each baby¡¯s crib were two beds for the nannies to use at night to take care of the children. ¡°Who set all this up?¡± Stacey couldn¡¯t help but ask Adrian nced at their mother. Stacey immediately understood, looking at her mother with a heartfelt smile. ¡°I just provided the designs. Adrian took care of everything else, Debra exined with a smile. She had been with her daughter the whole time recently and didn¡¯t have the chance toe back. All she could do was draw up the designs and leave the execution to Adrian, who was the only one still in Hivalis. ¡°Thanks, Adrian,¡± Stacey said, turning to him with a grateful smile. Adrian instinctively tensed up but nodded. ¡°It¡¯s what a brother should do. No need to thank me.¡± Stacey was genuinely happy. Life with her family was filled with joy. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve seen all the rooms. If there¡¯s nothing else, everyone should rest for a bit. We¡¯ve all had a long journey and must be tired, Debra said with a smile. Stacey smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay¡± ¡°Mom¡± Lily stumbled over, wrapping her tiny arms around her mother¡¯s leg, refusing to let go. ¡°Mom Seeing this, Kev also ran over and clung to Stacey¡¯s other leg Looking down, Stacey saw the two adorable little ones, her heart melting at the sight. She gently bent down, pries apart, and scooped them into her arms. 13 +89%% 11:26 WNT AW2N GON Chewer 223 Zacky she was to have been reunited with her parents and brothers at a time of her greatest need for help. ZA: Kenari the? Stacey asked the little ones. Lid intend Axaking at her mother with curiosity: Ker was even more confused and had no idea what she was asking Stacey raised her hand, gently pinching their cheeks before leaning down to kiss each of them. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep with them tonight.¡± When they were very little, she had never dared to sleep with them, fearing she might identally roll over and hurt them in Aer skep But now, they were much bigger, and her worries had lessened. The two nannies were surprised at this Debra smiled. Alright, let them sleep with you then. Sleeping with children was not easy, as their restlessness could easily disturb the mother¡¯s sleep. However, doing it asionally was fine and could even strengthen the bond between mother and child. The two nannies, Marie and Gwen, had brought a lot of things with them and needed time to organize. It was perfect timing for Stacey to take the kids and let the nannies settle in and take a break. Everyone left, and soon, the room was quiet, with only Stacey and her two babies remaining. She picked up the babies, took off their shoes, and ced them on the bed before climbing in herself. Lily wobbled around and tried to walk on the bed. Stacey quickly grabbed her and tucked her into the covers. Being smaller and more well¨Cbehaved than his sister, Kev crawled into the bed by himself. Stacey thought for a moment as shey down, then took out a storybook. She flipped through it and found a children¡¯s story. ¡°Lily, Kev, how about I tell you a story?¡± she asked. Despite her busy schedule, Stacey made it a point to read bedtime stories to her children every night. Tonight was no different. She began reading softly, her gentle voice and soothing tone embodying the essence of a mother¡¯s love. The little ones were already ustomed to falling asleep to their mother¡¯s voice. Though they had been full of energy moments ago, the calming rhythm of her storytelling soon made their eyelids grow heavy. Before long, both were sound asleep. Stacey rxed, carefully set the book aside, andy beside her children. Watching the two peacefully sleeping beside her filled her with happiness, and she soon drifted off. However, her sleep was restless. She dreamed she was being crushed under a heavy boulder, struggling to breathe. She fought with all her might, believing she had finally pushed the boulder away, only to wake up with a start. Stacey looked down at her chest and saw Kev sprawled there. 23 1 + 89% 1 11:26 Wed, Jul 24 GON. No wonder she had that dream of being crushed. She chuckled softly and carefully moved him aside.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Key had woken up at some point, and when he was seeing his mother awake, his eyes lit up. ¡°Mom,¡± he called out in his adorable baby voice. Kev, almost ten months old, was getting better at saying ¡°Mom¡°. ¡°Yes, Mom is here,¡± Stacey replied tenderly, kissing Kev¡¯s forehead. Following her lead, Kev wrapped his little arms around his mother¡¯s head and gave her a slobbery kiss on the forehead. Stacey¡¯s heart melted. She was utterly in love with her baby. Meanwhile, in Maeloria, Theodore wasn¡¯t having such a great time. After work, he had bought a bouquet of flowers, hoping to give them to Reba. Given how much she used to love him, he thought that a few days of sincere effort would make her forgive him. But after waiting outside Carter Vi for over an hour, it¡¯s getting dark, and there was still no sign of Reba. Neither Debra nor the two kids came out either. When Bryce finally returned from work, Theodore couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. He hurried over and called out anxiously, ¡°Bryce,¡± Bryce frowned, clearly annoyed, ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± Theodore quickly asked, ¡°Is Reba home? Can I go in and see her?¡± CHAPTER 116 3 + + ??% _ 15 ¡°Mr. Edwards, you and my sister have been divorced. There¡¯s no need for you to see her anymore, and it¡¯s best if you don¡¯te looking for her again,¡± Bryce said coldly. Theodore was anxious. ¡°Bryce, there were many misunderstandings in the past. Reba really likes me. She divorced me out of anger. Let me in. I¡¯ll exin everything to her. She will forgive me. I know she will.¡± As Theodore spoke, he suddenly remembered something and hurriedly added, ¡°Right, about J, I can exin that too. Nothing ever happened between me and her. Her child isn¡¯t mine. I never betrayed Reba or our marriage.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Bryce cut him off bluntly, issuing an unmistakablemand for him to leave. In the next moment, Bryce turned to go back inside. Theodore was desperate and grabbed Bryce¡¯s arm. But Bryce had trained for situations like this. He swiftly turned, performed a reverse takedown, and threw Theodore over his shoulder on the ground instantly. He released Theodore immediately, clearly disgusted. ¡°Don¡¯t bring up the past anymore. No matter what, my sister has nothing to do with you or your family now. If you have any sense, go home and stay there. Stop thinking about my sister. If I catch you again, I won¡¯t let you off so easily,¡± Bryce warned sternly. With that, Bryce turned and walked into the house without another nce at Theodore. ¡°Bryce!¡± Theodore scrambled to his feet, desperate. ¡°I messed up in the past. I really understand where I went wrong now. I hurt Reba, but I¡¯m ready to make things right, I¡¯ll apologize to her. We still love each other.¡± Without a second thought, Bryce grabbed a broom from the corner. He swung the handle with all his might, striking Theodore¡¯s calf. The blow sent him several steps backward, just enough to push him out of Carter Vi. Bryce drew an imaginary line in the dirt with the broom handle. ¡°Take a good look. Inside this line is the Carters¡® territory. Don¡¯t step in again, or don¡¯t me me for what happens.¡± Terrified, Theodore stumbled back even further. The pain and his past dealings with the Carter family had taught him that Bryce¡¯s threats were never empty. If he said he¡¯d hit, he meant it. Seeing that Theodore had the sense to back off, Bryce snorted and turned to go back inside. Theodore¡¯s face twisted with frustration. He wanted to leave but couldn¡¯t bring himself to walk away. By the time Patrick returned from work, it was already dark. As he stepped out of his car, he noticed a familiar figure standing under the streetlight by the gate. It was Theodore. Disgusted, Patrick spat on the ground and went inside without ncing at Theodore. Theodore stood at the gate for a long time, long enough for his legs to go numb. It gradually dawned on him. Reba was genuinely furious this time and didn¡¯t want to see him. Wed, he held into the trash and walked away Just as he stepped into his own house, his phone rang: The called D showed it was Michael, Theodore hesitated for a moment before answering the call: ¡°Theodore? How did it go? Did you make up with Reba?¡± Michel¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°Have Reba bring the kids to Edwards Manor tomorrow. You grandparents want to see them; Michaelinued. ¡°No,¡± Theodore replied, his voice low and weary, ¡°What?¡± Michael was puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Theodore felt a surge of frustration. If it weren¡¯t for Michael constantly interfering, would things with Reba have gotten this bad? ¡°She¡¯s still angry. It might take some time before we can reconci¡± Theodore said. There was a patise on the other end of the line before Michael spoke again. ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s to be expected. Women can be temperamental, like your mother. She often got angry over nothing. And now that Reba has the Carters backing her, it¡¯s normal for her to feel more assertive. ¡°Just be patient with her. Spend some time making her happy. By her flowers, jewelry, and handbags, She¡¯lle around in a few days. And don¡¯t forget to clear up the misunderstanding about J¡¯s child not being yours¡± Theodore nodded, his voice still subdued. ¡°Okay¡± Michael thought momentarily before adding, ¡°And as for Jenny,ven though you¡¯ll be with Reba, it¡¯s best not to offend the Smith family. Find a way to soothe Jenny. Don¡¯t let her be to upset¡± Theodore frowned, ¡°I¡¯ll exin to her¡± There was no future between him and Jenny. He never had feelings for her. ¡°Good, as long as you¡¯ve got it under control. You can handle the details yourself. But don¡¯t drag things out with Reba. Try to make up and get the marriage license soon. It¡¯ll put everyone at ease, ¡°If she¡¯s really upset, take a few days off work to be with her. The benefits of being with the Carter family far outweigh a few extra days at work. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll make a fortune in a day or two, Michael continued to patiently advise his son. Theodore nodded. ¡°Alright,¡± Meanwhile, in Hivalis, Stacey woke up. She got up, tidied herself, and then carried Kev downstairs, Lily was still asleep, and Stacey didn¡¯t want to wake her. Adrian was watching a legal program on TV downstairs. Hearing the noise from the stairs, he quickly stood up. He walked over, took Kev from her, and asked with concern, ¡°Marning. Are you hungry? Should I ask the housekeeper to make you something to eat? vved, Jul 24 GON 10+89% 5 Stacey shook her head. That¡¯s fine. Is Mom still asleep?¡± Adrian nodded. ¡°Yes¡± Stacey didn¡¯t know what to do next. Adrian thought for a moment and then suggested. ¡°You could go outside and have a look around. Our garden is quite nice.¡± Stacey considered it but then remembered Lily. She was a bit worried. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll wait for a bit. Lily should be waking up soon. I¡¯ll go after she wakes up Adrian was taken aback but then nodded. ¡°That works, too.¡± Stacey sat in the living room, watching TV with her brother. Adrian silently handed her the remote. Stacey shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is fine.¡± Adrian chuckled, ¡°Why are you treating me like a guest?¡± Stacey sighed, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one doing that, Adrian?¡± Adrian paused, then quietly took back the remote. ¡°Alright, from now on, I won¡¯t treat you like a guest. Watch whatever you want. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°Okay,¡± Stacey agreed. CHAPTER 117 Chapter 117 After sitting in the living room awhile, Stacey stood up and went upstairs to check on Lily. She was a bit worried that Lily might wake up. To her surprise, as soon as she entered the room, she saw Lily had already woken
  1. up. The baby was sitting on the bed, looking a bit dazed. When she heard the noise at the door, she turned her little head and looked towards her mother.
When Lily saw her mom, her eyes lit up instantly, and she said softly, ¡°Mom.¡± ¡°Yeah, Stacey responded, walking over to pick up her. The calm days didn¡¯tst long. The next day, Lynn sent a message saying Stacey had be very popr and that many directors and brands wanted to coborate with her. Lynn didn¡¯t interfere much with third¨Cparty endorsements, simply passing on the information of interested brands for Stacey to choose from. However, she had a special rmendation for a script called The Empress. Among the scripts that wanted to coborate, The Empress was just a small production, its conditions only slightly better than the previous Lovey Princess. But this script was unique. Its plot was distinctive and unlike the usual generic storylines in the market. If they could ensure the script for The Empress stayed clean, avoiding any unnecessary meddling, and if the actors could embody their roles and meticulously bring each scene to life, there was a good chance this script could make her famous again, but with apletely different character. The female lead in Lovey Princess was more of a sweet, naive character, leaving the audience feeling warm and fuzzy and always wanting to smile. In contrast, the female lead in The Empress was fierce and beautiful, with a queen- like vibe and presence. ¡°Of course, a script with a unique twist could also be a major flop. There¡¯s not guarantee that the film will make a hit, and the risk of it failing is high. ¡°Inparison, traditional, formic scripts mayck novelty but have a stable audience base. As long as there are no significant mistakes during filming, it¡¯s Chipser 129 generally easier to seed. It might not be a huge hit, but it won¡¯t do poorly either. ¡°You must decide whether to go with The Empress or opt for a more conventional script. Think it over carefully, and let me know your decision.¡± After rmending. Lynn borated on the differences, pros, and cons of The Empress and the other conventional scripts, letting Stacey decide. ¡°I¡¯ll think it over. Thank you, Lynn,¡± Stacey said, noting Lynn¡¯s advice with gratitude. ¡°Oh, by the way, Lynn. I¡¯ve moved to Hivals now, just to keep you informed,¡± Stacey added suddenly Since Lynn was her manager, it was easier to arrange work if she was informed about such changes. Lynn nodded. ¡°Yes, Charlie already told me. Thepany will also move to Hivalis soon, so don¡¯t worry¡± Stacey was silent for a moment, surprised by the sudden news, Charlie had registered thepany, so it must have been his idea to move it to Hivalis Despite the surprise, she felt sorse warmthin her heart. ¡°I see. Thank you, Lynn¡± Stacey said gratefully. Lynn smiled and replied, ¡°Becky, you don need to keep thanking me. Your talent is exceptional, and your rapid rise has added another ster achievement to my career. Let¡¯s continue to work together and grow mutually was surprised. Had she really earned such a significant ce in Lynn¡¯s Stacey was heart! ¡°Yes, I get it. Let¡¯s keep working hard together¡± Stacey cheerfully encouraged ¡°Let¡¯s do our best,¡± Lynn replied with a smile. After hanging up, Stacey immediately turned on herputer, downloaded the files Lynn had just sent, unzipped them, and found the script for The Empress. She then began reading it carefully. ?????
  1. Thu, Jul 25 h¨¬nh
+94%8 generally easier to seed. It might not be a huge hit, but it won¡¯t do poorly either. ¡°You must decide whether to go with The Empress or opt for a more conventional script. Think it over carefully, and let me know your decision.¡± After rmending, Lynn borated on the differences, pros, and cons of The Empress and the other conventional scripts, letting Stacey decide. ¡°I¡¯ll think it over. Thank you, Lynn,¡± Stacey said, noting Lynn¡¯s advice with gratitude. ¡°Oh, by the way, Lynn, I¡¯ve moved to Hivalls now, just to keep you informed,¡± Stacey added suddenly. Since Lynn was her manager, it was easier to arrange work if she was informed. about such changes. Lynn nodded. ¡°Yes, Charlie already told me. Thepany will also move to H¨ªvalis soon, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Stacey was silent for a moment, surprised by the sudden news, Charlie had registered thepany, so it must have been his idea to move it to Hivalis. Despite the surprise, she felt some warmth in her heart. ¡°I see. Thank you, Lynn,¡± Stacey said gratefully. Lynn smiled and replied, ¡°Becky, you don¡¯t need to keep thanking me. Your talent is exceptional, and your rapid rise has added another ster achievement to my career. Let¡¯s continue to work together and grow mutually.¡± Stacey was surprised. Had she really earned such a significant ce in Lynn¡¯s heart? ¡°Yes, I get it. Let¡¯s keep working hard together.¡± Stacey cheerfully encouraged. ¡°Let¡¯s do our best,¡± Lynn replied with a smile. After hanging up, Stacey immediately turned on herputer, downloaded the files Lynn had just sent, unzipped them, and found the script for The Empress. She then began reading it carefully. 09 12 Thu, Jul 25 a God She quickly discovered that The Empress was a script adapted from a novel. Intrigued, she picked up her phone and searched for the original story. The original work was not too short but not brief either, totaling 600,000 words. Putting everything else aside, Stacey dedicated her time to thoroughly studying the novel. After finishing it, she also read through the script, spending a total of two weeks on this endeavor. When Lynn called again to ask if she had decided which script to choose, Stacey responded without hesitation, ¡°Lynn, I want to take The Empress.¡± The Empress was a challenge for her, but the main character, Charlotte, a strong and confident woman, was the kind of role she aspired to y. However, Lynn did not smile. She looked worried and was silent momentarily before speaking. ¡°Becky, I¡¯ve got a bad news and a good news. Which one do you want to hear first?¡± Stacey¡¯s heart sank, a sense of foreboding washing over her. ¡°What¡¯s the bad news?¡± she asked cautiously. Lynn sighed before speaking. ¡°It seems J has also set her sights on the The Empress script. Her manager, Lisa, is currently negotiating with the director.¡°¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. This was indeed bad news. Stacey¡¯s expression darkened. After reading the original novel and the script, Charlotte had be a queen in her mind. She was noble, powerful, beautiful, and confident. Stacey couldn¡¯t bear the thought of J ying this role.¡± Imagining J as Charlotte was unbearable. Her queen could not be J. ¡°What¡¯s the good news?¡± Stacey asked cautiously. Lynn, remaining calm, said, ¡°The good news is that the director of The Empress hasn¡¯t agreed to let J y the role yet. If you work hard, you might still have a chance to win the role.¡± ¡°I will try my best, Stacey responded without hesitation. Lynn nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you three more days. During these three days, 03 THU JUSS LI +94% study Charlotte¡¯s character thoroughly. After that, I¡¯ll take you to meet the director. You¡¯ll perform as Charlotte before them and show them you are the best choice. for this role, more fitting than J.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Stacey agreed quickly. ¡°Good luck.¡± Lynn encouraged with a smile. Stacey took a deep breath and seriously said, ¡°Lynn, don¡¯t worry. I will give it my all. I can do this.¡± ¡°Good, I believe in you,¡± Lynn said with a smile. ¡°I look forward to your performance in three days.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Stacey nodded eagerly. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll hang up now. I¡¯ll see you in three days,¡± Lynn said. ¡°Okay,¡± Stacey agreed. CHAPTER 118 For the next three days, Stacey threw herself into intense practice. She stood in front of the mirror at home, repeatedly adjusting her posture and perfecting her expressions. After being weak for so long, finding the strength to stand tall again was hard. Thankfully, she had been fortunate. In her darkest hour, she had found her biological family, who supported and encouraged her tirelessly. Now, whenever she thought of her parents, her three brothers, and their unwavering support, fears melted away, and confidence came naturally. her Taking on the role of Charlotte didn¡¯t seem so daunting anymore. The most crucial aspect was Charlotte¡¯s innate queenly vibe. Stacey gazed at her reflection, constantly tweaking her demeanor and micro- expressions. She envisioned herself as Charlotte, who was admired by everyone in the cultivation world in her previous life. She imagined her breakthrough in cultivation, her ascension amidst heavenly tribtion, only to be identally thrust into the void by a stray lightning bolt,nding her in this strange, technology¨Cdriven 21st¨Ccentury Earth. This world was utterly devoid of spiritual energy, so barren that she couldn¡¯t perform any spells despite her cultivation level. The people here were mere mortals with no cultivation to speak of. In her past life, such mortals would revere her as a deity, offering their most precious food as tribute at the mere sight of her. With this vision in mind, Stacey worked on aligning her expression and gaze with that of the high and mighty Charlotte, who looked down on all beings from the clouds, as described in the script. While Stacey was diligently honing her acting skills, over in Maeloria, Theodore finally found out that Reba had long left for Hivalis. Theodore was shocked and in disbelief. He hadn¡¯t expected that Reba had already moved out. ++ 94% During this period; he waited outside Carter Vi almost daily, hoping to see Reba and have a proper talk with her. But day after day, he didn¡¯t even catch a glimpse of her. Not only Reba but even their babies were nowhere to be seen. In the past few days, he hadn¡¯t heard the child¡¯s voice from Carter Vi nor seen the nanny taking the child out for a walk. However, since Patrick and Bryce still went in and out of the vi daily, he instinctively assumed that Reba was still living there. But today, he received a piece of news: [Carter¡¯s Jewel in Maeloria had a new general manager. This new manager had taken over the branch, and from now on, the new manager would manage it as Patrick Carter would be leaving.] Why would Patrick leave? Under what circumstances would Patrick leave? Theodore¡¯s mind raced. He suddenly recalled that he hadn¡¯t seen Reba, Debra, or the two babies in the past half month. It dawned on him instantly. Something had happened, and Reba might have already left.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. He quickly investigated, and sure enough, Reba had left half a month ago, right after he hade to see her. The very next morning, she and the kids had moved out with Debra. Utilizing his connections, Theodore found out that Reba and Debra¡¯s destination was Hivalis. He hurriedly rearranged hispany¡¯s schedule, resolved important matters, and cleared a few days off. Then, he quickly headed to Hivalis. He didn¡¯t expect that just as he had finally arranged everything and bought his ticket to Hivalis, Stacey also bought her ticket, flying directly to the shooting base in Aotori City. Two and a half days had passed, and Lynn was waiting for Stacey at the Aotori shooting base, When Stacey flew over, Charlie and Lynn came to the airport to pick her up. They had already arranged the best hotel for her, and she just needed to check¨Cin. 09:32 ¡°How¡¯s the practice going? Do you feel confident about getting this role?¡± Lynn asked Stacey in the car. Stacey nodded. ¡°Yes, I can do it.¡± Lynn smiled and nodded. Charlie was also pleased. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her practice. Her acting is top¨Cnotch.¡± During these past few days, while Stacey practiced intensely, Charlie had video calls with her. He knew she was relentlessly honing her skills, so he had her turn on the video during her practice. Watching the video, Charlie pointed out problems that needed improvement, helping her fine¨Ctune her performance. Stacey¡¯s learning ability was impressive. With just a few practice sessions, she could correct the issues Charlie pointed out. ¡°Once we get to the hotel, show me a scene,¡± Lynn said. ¡°Okay, Stacey agreed. Charlieughed. ¡°Lynn, you¡¯re really invested in my sister now, huh?¡± Lynn chuckled at his words, ¡°I have you to thank for that. If you hadn¡¯t rmended me to be her manager, who knows how long it would have been before I met such an outstanding artist.¡± Charlie beamed proudly. ¡°That¡¯s right, my sister is the best.¡± Lynn found his pride amusing. But she had to admit that Becky¡¯s talent and hard work were undeniable, and she truly was exceptional. They soon arrived at the hotel. To ensure the privacy of the actors, they used a special entrance. Aotori shooting base was different from other ces. With many big starsing and going, the high¨Cend hotels here provide special passage services for celebrities. Entering through these passages prevented paparazzi from taking their photos. +94%7 When they got to the room, Stacey started feeling nervous again. She drank a ss. of water and took a brief rest before performing Charlotte¡¯s role in front of Lynn. Initially, she was anxious and fearful, but her fear vanished once she immersed. herself in the character. She naturally embodied Charlotte¡¯s lofty disdain for mortals. Both Charlie and Lynn were stunned. When they snapped out of it, they were thrilled. Lynn was excited. She eximed, ¡°Perfect, Becky! Keep your performance, maintain this state, and you¡¯ll ace the audition.¡± Stacey adjusted her emotions, slowly stepping out of Charlotte¡¯s character. As her vibe faded, she felt like a regr again. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Stacey said with a smile. Lynn was both excited and happy. She quickly took out her phone and messaged Vicky Astley, the director of The Empress, informing them that Becky could audition tomorrow. Vicky valued this script highly, believing that if it were filmed well, it could be a big hit. However, the entertainment industry wasplicated. After starting production, many scripts were subjected to numerous modifications for various reasons. Sometimes, it was due to actors being capricious, insisting on changes because they were close to the investors, leading to a muddled script that ended up a mess. Other times, it was because the production ran forcing them to cut out of 1 expensive scenes and rece them with cheap, poorly executed ones. CHAPTER 119 Chapter 119 In short, for various reasons, making a good TV show was truly an uphill battle for them. When Ruth rmended Becky to her, she felt an undeniable spark of excitement. The story behind the production of Lovey Princess was already the talk of the town within the industry. Outsiders might not understand, but those in the know knew that Lovey Princess turned out so well due to its lead actress, Becky. Because Becky had money, looks, and talent. Her wealth allowed her to invest in the production, freeing the crew from financial constraints and enabling them to achieve top¨Cnotch costumes, props, and makeup. Having money also meant avoiding the meddling of various dubious investors, which prevented random casting and script changes, marking half the battle won. Becky¡¯s good looks and acting skills allowed her to portray her character wlessly. Coupled with the hard work of others, as long as the initial script was solid, sess was almost guaranteed. The initial script of The Empress was outstanding, and in Vicky¡¯s eyes, nothing short of perfect. it was If their crew could find an actress like Becky, who had money, looks, and acting prowess, Vicky was confident their show would be a hit. However, Becky¡¯s acting skill was Vicky¡¯s primary concern. Charlotte¡¯s character was a far cry from Elizabeth¡¯s naive and sweet persona. Could Becky really handle such a drastic change in role? Due to this concern, Vicky hesitated to cast Becky as the lead and reached out to Becky¡¯s agent, Lynn Fox, to arrange an audition for the role instead of directly offering it to her. To her surprise, while waiting for Becky¡¯s response, the agent of the renowned actress J unexpectedly approached her J had taken a liking to their show and wanted to y the lead role of The Empress. Vicky couldn¡¯t believe her ears. How did J even hear about their show, let alone
  1. Thu, Jul 25
approach them first? Èý+94%Æð She would have jumped at the chance without a second thought if it were in the past. Having an award¨Cwinning actress on board would almost guarantee a hit or, at the very least, moderate sess. The chances of the show tanking would be next to none. However, this time, after her initial excitement, Vicky quickly remembered her prior engagement with Lynn. She calmed herself and realized she couldn¡¯t afford to offend Lynn. She had reached out to Lynn first and promised to give Becky time to consider. She had to wait until Becky made her decision before moving forward. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t she be stringing Lynn along? Everyone in the industry knew Lynn¡¯s influence and standing, so Vicky had to tread carefully, stalling for time as best as she could. Despite her cautious approach, Vicky couldn¡¯t help but secretly hope. What if¡­Becky really had the chops to pull it off? If Becky could indeed nail the role of Charlotte, giving her the lead wouldn¡¯t be such a bad idea. Although J was a great actress, her reputation left much to be desired. Everyone online was talking about Becky and Charlie and whether Becky was. really Charlie¡¯s biological sister. But amid all that, they seemed to have forgotten J¡¯s old scandal. Rumors about her having a child with Theodore outside of marriage. Few people noticed that a key detail was revealed in Becky¡¯s recent news ssh. Becky and Theodore were married and weed a set of twinsst year. So, Becky and Theodore were a married couple with twins, but what about the child J hadst year? What was J¡¯s rtionship with Theodore? These were all potential time bombs visible to insiders. Who knew when they might explode, causing an uproar? Casting J as Charlotte posed significant risks. It might even turn into a major blemish in production. Of course, rumors couldn¡¯t be taken at face value. News about actors was often nine parts fiction, one part fact. One day, the narrative might change, saying J¡¯s child wasn¡¯t Theodore¡¯s and she had no connection to him.. However, they had to consider those risks now and make the most appropriate risk assessments when casting the lead. When Vicky received Lynn¡¯s message that Becky coulde to audition the next day, she was thrilled and eagerly anticipated Becky¡¯s performance. The next day, Stacey followed Lynn to the set. Vicky, waiting for a long time, greeted them and led them inside for the audition after introductions. She handed Becky three short scenes to perform.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Stacey had read the original work and studied the script, so she knew exactly how to perform those scenes when the director presented them. Over the next half hour, Stacey performed all three scenes in one go. When Stacey finished, Vicky was stunned. She stared at Stacey in amazement, and after a moment, she snapped out of her daze, jumping up quickly. Rushing over to Stacey, she started to lift her hand in excitement but then remembered something and promptly turned back. Vicky hurriedly fetched her bag and pulled out a contract. Returning swiftly, she handed it to Stacey and said, ¡°Becky, your performance was incredible and perfectly suited for Charlotte. How about we sign the contract right now?¡± Previously, Vicky¡¯s highest expectation was for someone to capture a fraction of Charlotte¡¯s essence from the original novel. The show¡¯s sess was almost guaranteed if they could manage even half But just now, she felt as if Charlotte hade to life. Becky¡¯s performance was spot¨Con. 09:33 She was Charlotte, and Charlotte was her. 94% ¦° Such remarkable acting talent made Vicky willing to go to great lengths. Even if Becky didn¡¯t want to invest a penny, Vicky would have been ready to sell her house, car, and luxury handbags to fund the show herself. With acting like that, the show was bound to be a smash hit. And if it became a hit, making a profit would be a piece of cake. Stacey was taken aback by Vicky¡¯s intense gaze. She carefully epted the contract with both hands. ¡®Should I sign it?¡® she thought. Charlie had warned her that contracts in the entertainment industry were full of pitfalls. Before signing anything, she had to take it home and let Adrian review it to avoid getting swindled. ¡°Can I have someone review the contract before I sign it?¡± Stacey asked cautiously. Vicky was momentarily stunned but quickly nodded. ¡°Sure, of course. ¡°By the way, Becky, don¡¯t worry too much about the terms. If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re notfortable with, we can talk it over. Most of them can be adjusted, so let¡¯s take our time with it,¡± Vicky added quickly. Her heart was racing at this moment, and she regretted not being more generous with the contract¡¯s benefits. What if Becky wasn¡¯t satisfied? Before seeing Becky¡¯s portrayal of Charlotte, Vicky believed many actresses could y the role. But after witnessing Becky¡¯s performance, she couldn¡¯t imagine anyone else. Only Becky could be Charlotte. Becky was Charlotte. Charlotte was Becky. CHAPTER 120 Vicky spoke as she sent an electronic contract. Times had changed. Electronic agreements had long been as legally binding as their paper counterparts. With the contract in hand, Stacey left The Empress production team with Lynn. Back at the hotel, she forwarded Vicky¡¯s contract to her brother and asked him to review it. At the same time, she sent a copy to Lynn, who was well¨Cversed in the entertainment industry and could alert her to any potential pitfalls she might have missed. Having taken care of everything, Stacey felt a wave of relief wash over her. She had been worried aboutpeting with J for the role, but to her surprise, the director had handed her the contract directly. Did this mean she was officially the lead actress? ¡°Lynn, if I¡¯ve signed the contract, does that mean I¡¯m the lead in The Empress?¡± Stacey couldn¡¯t help but ask cautiously, looking over at Lynn. Lynn smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, you were fantastic!¡± Even Lynn had been taken aback by Stacey¡¯s performance during the audition in front of Vicky. It was as if Charlotte had walked straight out of the novel. Stacey nodded enthusiastically, her excitement bubbling over. Thinking it over, Lynn took out her phone and messaged Vicky, requesting a copy of her audition footage. On the other end, upon receiving Lynn¡¯s message, Vicky blinked in surprise before- quickly forwarding the recorded audition video. Lynn received the file. With a few taps, she forwarded it to Charlie. Charlie was in the middle of talent scouting. The Carters¡® entertainmentpany had just been established, and apart from Stacey and himself, they had no other artists. He needed to find some promising talent to get thepany off the ground and start making money. In the midst of poaching talent, Charlie¡¯s phone pinged with a new message. He 09:33 opened it to find the audition video sent by Lynn. It was his sister¡¯s audition. +94% Charlie¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. Ignoring the actor he was scouting, he slipped into the break room to watch the video. Malcolm was stunned. Did he just see Becky in that video? Was that really Becky in the video Charlie had just received? Malcolm vaguely recognized the background. It looked like an audition. Had Beckynded a new role? After Lovey Princess, the cast had all experienced varying degrees of sess. Many production teams had reached out, offering them roles. Some agents, aware that his contract with his previouspany had ended, even offered him deals, hoping to sign him. Malcolm had been waveringtely. Should he stay in the entertainment industry or leave to pursue something else? If he stayed, what would his next steps. be? He would definitely need to join apany. For someone with no connections or background, being a signed artist was essential to get good scripts. Otherwise, top projects would nevere his way. But whichpany should he choose? This was a serious issue. Acting was a career for the young, and he had already wasted many years. At 25, if he signed with a mediocre agency or one that didn¡¯t promote him, he might never make it in this industry. When Charlie contacted him, Malcolm was shocked. He hadn¡¯t expected Charlie to start his ownpany and even try to recruit him. Joining Charlie¡¯spany could be a promising move. As an award¨Cwinning actor, Charlie had the connections and resources needed. 0935 Thu, Jul 25Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Moreover, since thepany was new, there wouldn¡¯t be many senior actors. hogging the opportunities. Most importantly, Becky was Charlie¡¯s sister. She would likely be part of Charlie¡¯s Having worked with them on a previous show, Malcolm had a good impression of the siblings. Despite their wealth, they were genuinely decent people. So, as Charlie discreetly finished watching his sister¡¯s audition video and came out, he met Malcolm¡¯s eager gaze. Charlie¡¯s eyes flickered, sensing that something might have changed quietly without his knowledge. ¡°I can sign with the L&K Group,¡± Malcolm said.. The L&K Group might be unfamiliar to outsiders, but Malcolm knew Lily and Kev. He had even held those two adorable babies, so he could guess that the name of Charlie¡¯spany likely came from their nicknames. ¡°Really?¡± Charlie was delighted. He quickly produced a contract, almost like a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat, and handed it to Malcolm. ¡°How about we sign the contract now?¡± Malcolm remained silent, thinking that Charlie must havee prepared. ¡°Can I ask a question?¡± Malcolm asked cautiously. ¡°Of course,¡± Charlie replied seriously. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Has Becky signed with the L&K Group?¡± Malcolm inquired. Mentioning this made Charlie visibly happy. He immediately said, ¡°Of course! Ourpany was started for Becky. Any good resources will definitely prioritize her. But she¡¯s a girl, so it won¡¯t affect the roles for guys. Signing with us won¡¯t impact you negatively.¡± Malcolm knew that male and female actors had different roles, and even if thepany heavily promoted Becky, it wouldn¡¯t affect him much. On the contrary, if the L&K Group thrived, it would secure more resources, which could also mean more opportunities for him. 1233 Thu, Jul 25 ¡°Is Becky taking or a new role soon?¡± Malcolm asked again. 9 + 94% Charlie instantly became wary. ¡°What are you up to?¡± he asked defensively. ¡°If you¡¯re thinking of barging into Becky¡¯s project, that¡¯s out of the question. Becky takes her acting seriously. Any male actor working with her must have both looks and talent. No freeloaders, back off!¡± As he spoke, Charlie even gestured for Malcolm to back off, his attitude firm. His sister had entered the showbiz for fun, and he was determined to ensure she enjoyed herself thoroughly and without worries. He would neverpromise her projects by stuffing them with subpar actors. If Malcolm thought he could get in through the back door, he could forget it. Startled by Charlie¡¯s gestures, Malcolm took two steps back but couldn¡¯t help butugh once he realized what was happening. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± he quickly exined. ¡°I don¡¯t need any special. treatment. I just wanted to know what kind of script she¡¯s considering next. There must be male roles in it, right? If possible, just let me audition. If I get the part, it¡¯ll be on my own merits. What do you think?¡± Charlie fell silent for a moment, scrutinizing Malcolm with a suspicious look. He wondered, ¡®Why is he so eager to stick around Becky? Is he trying to court her? Becky just got divorced. Is he trying to take advantage of that?¡® Feeling unnerved by Charlie¡¯s intense gaze, Malcolm quickly waved his hands in denial. ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not trying to pursue Becky. I just think she¡¯s great, and I enjoyed working with her. Plus, with your family¡¯s great support, she will get great opportunities. If I can work with her, even in a supporting role, it would really help my career. Charlie¡¯s look seemed to use him of wanting to climb the socialdder by exploiting Becky, which terrified him. Though he did want to leverage good connections, it wasn¡¯t in a maniptive way. CHAPTER 121 Chapter 121 Becky was already married and even had kids. How could he dare to think about her in a way he shouldn¡¯t? One might live without shame but not without principles. Malcolm would never dream of seducing a married woman. ¡°At least you¡¯re smart about it,¡± Charlie snorted. Becky was the apple of the Carters¡® eye; someone they would always cherish and protect. If Malcolm could tag along with his sister, even if it was just as a minorpanion, he would still benefit greatly. However, the fact that Malcolm had the guts to confess his feelings to him spoke to his character. The entertainment industry was full of shady dealings, and it was better to have someone trustworthy like Malcolm around Becky than to risk unsavory characters getting close to her. ¡°Alright, but the best I can do is get you an audition. If you don¡¯t get the part, don¡¯t me me,¡± Charlieid it out inly. Malcolm was overjoyed and nodded eagerly. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll do my best.¡± ¡°One more thing,¡± Charlie added as a thought urred. ¡°I can¡¯t be around Becky all the time. If yound the role, keep an eye on the people around her. If anyone has bad intentions, step in for her. You can send the bill for any protection costs.¡± Charlie proposed a new deal. Malcolm¡¯s eyes lit up, and he quickly agreed, ¡°Sure, no problem.¡± These were golden opportunities and ways to make some extra cash. ¡°Can I take the contract home to review? I¡¯ll bring it back signed in a couple of days,¡± Malcolm said. Charlie nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± me Bursting with excitement, Malcolm repeatedly nodded like a pecking chicken. His luck had finally turned. Prom now on, he¡¯d be riding the coattails of someone powerful, sailing smoothly toward wealth and sess. Having settled things with Malcolm, Charlie dusted off his hands and walked away, Jul 25 feeling quite pleased. +94% Brimming with excitement, he returned to the hotel and shared the news about signing Malcolm with his sister. Stacey was surprised. ¡°You signed a contract with Malcolm?¡± ¡°Yeah, I did. His acting skills are decent, his character is good, and he¡¯s willing to work hard to hone his craft. He just needed a bit of luck, so I signed him up. After all, we have plenty of resources,¡± Charlie said with a cheerful grin. Stacey nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡± While speaking, Charlie carefully observed his sister¡¯s expression. He was curious to see if she had any feelings for Malcolm. However, seeing her calm demeanor, he realized she regarded Malcolm as just a friend. His worries were unfounded, and he felt relieved. Stacey was too innocent. After finally getting rid of that scoundrel, he didn¡¯t want her to be easily deceived by another rogue, especially one from the showbiz. ¡°Malcolm also wants to join your new production. I agreed to get him an audition, but I won¡¯t interfere beyond that. It¡¯s up to him to impress the director. If hist acting is good enough and he gets the role, I won¡¯t stand in his way,¡± Charlie added. Stacey was taken aback. ¡°He wants to join the The Empress production?¡± Charlie shook his head, then nodded. ¡°Not exactly, but sort of.¡± Stacey looked puzzled. Charlie¡¯s smile faded as he exined earnestly, ¡°He just wants to follow you around. He wants to be part of any production you join.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Stacey was confused. Charlie chuckled, unable to resist pinching his sister¡¯s cheek. ¡°Yes, you. You¡¯re now the darling of the Carters, my dear sister. Everyone knows you¡¯re our princess. We¡¯ll always cherish and protect you. Malcolm sees this as a golden opportunity. He wants to be your sidekick because he knows that being around you means a high chance of sess and making a lot of money.¡± Charlieughed. ¡°Malcolm is a smart guy with a decent character. I¡¯ve looked into his past. He seems clean with some morals. He¡¯s just trying to make the most of his opportunities and ride on some coattails. Letting him stay around you isn¡¯t a big deal. Consider it his good luck. ¡°Just see him as a friend, nothing more,¡± Charlie continued. Suddenly remembering something, he added, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve hired him to protect you. If you run into any trouble, you can go to him. He¡¯ll keep you safe, and I¡¯ll pay him for his services afterward.¡± Stacey was speechless. Rattling on, Charlie¡¯s mouth was dry. He quickly took a big gulp of water. He went on at length to remind his sister that if Malcolm treated her well, it was because he was being paid to do so. There was no need to be overly moved by it. Stacey had a hard time shaking off Theodore. He didn¡¯t want her to be easily taken in by another untrustworthy man. What if this guy had ulterior motives and just wanted to use her? The entertainment industry was too messy, so he needed to give her a heads¨Cup. Unaware of Charlie¡¯s thoughts, Stacey would have found it amusing if she knew. After her experience with Theodore, she had no interest in romance or finding a partner. She just wanted to focus on herself, raising her two adorable babies, and living well with her parents and three brothers. She only wanted to cherish the present and strive for a better future. ¡°Got it, thanks, Charlie,¡± Stacey said, feeling blessed as she looked at him. Charlie smiled, lifting his hand to affectionately pinch her cheek again. She had inherited their parents¡® excellent genes and was very beautiful. The more he looked at her, the more he adored her. ¡°Charlie!¡± Stacey couldn¡¯t help but pull away her brother¡¯s mischievous hand. She noticed that he loved pinching her cheeks ever since they got closer. But she wasn¡¯t a child like Lily and Kev anymore. Charlie quickly withdrew his hand, smiling, ¡°Becky, do you have any ns for 09:33 Thu, Jul 25 ¨C 5 t ?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Stacey¡¯s eyes. lit up. 2494% Lynn, standing nearby, chimed in, ¡°You¡¯re about to join the production. You need to watch your diet.¡± ¡°Becky is not fat at all,¡± Charlie retorted without a second thought. Stacey chuckled and turned to Lynn. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lynn. I¡¯ll watch it.¡± She was about to sign a contract with the production team, so she needed to manage her figure and not indulge recklessly. Otherwise, she would be irresponsible. Her parents and brothers always doted on her, giving her anything she wanted and constantly finding ways to treat her to good food. If this continued, she would be spoiled.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. ¡°We could go for something that doesn¡¯t make me gain weight so easily,¡± Stacey said. Charlie looked at her, feeling a bit downcast. ¡°What kind of food doesn¡¯t make you gain weight?¡± Stacey cautiously answered, ¡°Veggies?¡± Charlie was dumbfounded, thinking, ¡®Did Mom never mention that I don¡¯t eat veggies?¡® Stacey knew Charlie disliked vegetables. When they ate together at home, their mom would often nag a bit about how Adrian liked this, and Bryce liked that, but Charlie was the pickiest, refusing to eat this or that. When he was younger, his finicky eating habits even led to malnutrition. Because of this, she hoped Charlie would eat more vegetables for a bnced diet, which was good for his health. CHAPTER 122 ¡°Let¡¯s skip the veggies. It seems like no ce in the Aotori shooting base has good veggies,¡± Charlie chuckled, trying to reject. As he spoke, he stood up and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take the next few days to really delve into the script, Stacey? I¡¯ve gone through The Empress, and it¡¯s pretty solid. I think it¡¯ll turn out well when filmed.¡± ¡°Charlie, you can¡¯t be so picky about food.¡± Staceyughed, reminding him gently. Charlie looked at his sister with a mncholic expression. ¡°Bnced nutrition is key to good health,¡± Stacey added, exasperated. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I take my vitamins regrly. I¡¯m notcking in nutrition.¡± Charlie waved his hand dismissively, sounding like an old man set in his ways. After spending a little more time in Stacey¡¯s room, Charlie left. Lynn also took her leave because there was nothing more to do. Stacey was the only one left in the room. She took out her script and began to memorize her lines. However, she hadn¡¯t been studying for long when her phone rang. She picked up the phone and looked at it, and she found that it was an unknown number. Stacey recently became wary of unfamiliar numbers because Theodore had called her repeatedly using new numbers. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she decided to answer the call. She and Theodore were divorced now, and she had no reason to fear him. More importantly, she was working now, so this call could be from someone in the crew wanting to discuss work. But once she picked up and Theodore¡¯s voice came through, she instinctively hung up and blocked the number. It wasn¡¯t work¨Crted at all. It was just Theodore bothering her again. After ending the call, Stacey felt a bit unsettled. She closed her eyes, took a few 9+94% deep breaths, and let it go. It was all in the past now. There was already no Reba Mitchell in this world. From now on, she was only Stacey Carter. She no longer needed to let Theodore affect her. Soon, another unknown number called.. Stacey didn¡¯t answer. She simply blocked it, handling it all in one go. In Hivalis, Theodore made call after call, only to be hung up on each time. When he tried again, he found himself blocked. His expression darkened. He realized that Reba didn¡¯t want anything to do with him anymore. Why? Was it because he had hurt her too deeply in the past? In the middle of the night, Theodore stood by the window of his hotel room, memories flooding his mind. He recalled Reba¡¯s pain, her breakdowns, and the times he had driven her to despair. He had indeed done many things that had caused her immense sorrow. Suddenly, his phone rang. Theodore looked at the caller ID. It was Jenny. His brows furrowed in annoyance, but thinking about the ongoing projects with the Smith family, he reluctantly answered. Back in Aotori City, at the shooting base, after blocking several numbers, Stacey¡¯s phone finally went silent. There were no more calls from unknown numbers. She waited, feeling a sense of peace return. Once calmed, she picked up her script and resumed memorizing her lines. But just after two sentences, her phone rang again. Feeling irritated, Stacey frowned, picked up her phone, and turned it off. However, as she pressed the power button, it dawned on her that the caller ID seemed familiar. It looked like it was her mother. Her heart raced. She patiently waited for the phone to shut down, then quickly powered it back on. 09:33 hu, Jul 25 Æø494%Ѫ After the phone rebooted, she checked the call log. Sure enough, she hadn¡¯t been mistaken. Thest call was indeed from her mother. Thinking of her mother, Stacey was delighted. She quickly called her back via video. The call connected almost immediately, and she was greeted by the close¨Cup of a baby¡¯s face. It was Lily. ¡°Mom,¡± Lily said, holding the phone. Her voice was sweet and joyous as she looked at her.mother on the screen.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Mom.¡± Stacey responded to her daughter with a smile. Soon, the phone was back in Debra¡¯s hands, and her face appeared on the screen. ¡°Mom,¡± Stacey smiled and greeted softly. ¡°Hey. Debra responded happily, then quickly asked, ¡°why did you hang up earlier? I tried calling back but couldn¡¯t get through.¡± Stacey thought for a moment before exining, ¡°Theodore called me multiple times from unknown numbers. I didn¡¯t want to answer, so I kept hanging up and blocking them. But he had so many numbers and kept calling, so I turned off my phone. I didn¡¯t realize it was from you.¡± Hearing that Theodore was still bothering her daughter, Debra¡¯s face darkened. with displeasure. ¡°Becky, don¡¯t worry about him. You¡¯re divorced now and even got the divorce license. As long as you ignore him, he can do nothing to you,¡± Debra reminded her. Stacey nodded. ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Debra looked at her daughter and added, ¡°I¡¯ll ask your father to find a way to create trouble for the Edwards family in business. That should keep them too busy to bother you.¡± Stacey felt a surge of gratitude towards her parents. ¡°Thank you, Mom. But if doing that doesn¡¯t benefit the Carters, don¡¯t waste your efforts. It¡¯s not worth it,¡± she advised. For the rest of her life, she wanted her family to thrive and not be burdened by the chaos of the past. @ +94% Sensing her daughter¡¯s concern, Debra became cheerful. She smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your father is smart. He won¡¯t do anything that¡¯s a waste of effort. If he¡¯s going to target the Edwards family, it will be in a way that benefits us. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Suddenly, Stacey remembered the vast business empire her family controlled and how the money seemed endless no matter how much her mother spent. Maybe her mother was right? **the Her father had managed the business so well that he surely wouldn¡¯t let the Edwards family take advantage of them. With this realization, Stacey¡¯s worries eased. She nodded happily. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Mom.¡± As they talked, Kev squeezed his head into the frame, joyfully calling out to his mother with his sweet, baby voice. He even reached out his chubby little hands, trying to grab the screen as if to touch his mother. Seeing her baby, Stacey couldn¡¯t resist reaching out her hand, almost as if she could grasp his soft little hands. ¡°Becky, how about I bring the kids to the shooting base in a few days?¡± Debra suggested casually, and her eyes filled with a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t have much to do at home anyway, and the kids really miss you!¡± Stacey hesitated. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be too tiring for you to keep following me around?¡± Debra raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why would it be tiring? The ces where the crew shoots usually have nice scenery. I can take Lily and Kev along as if we¡¯re traveling. Why not?¡± CHAPTER 123 Chapter 123 Happiness seemed contagious. Watching her mother¡¯s joyful smile, Stacey felt happiness well up inside her, too. She nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± The next day, Debra, together with the two babies and the nanny, flew straight to the Aotori shooting base to reunite with Stacey. Stacey saw Lily and Kev again. The two little ones, had missed their mother dearly. As soon as they saw her, they toddled over. Each baby hugged each of her legs, and in an instant, Stacey had two little cuties clinging to her. ¡°Mom,¡± Lily said and looked up at her mother. Her words were much more fluent now, and she was no longer stuttering. ¡°Mom,¡± Kev echoed in his soft, sweet voice, which was quieter than his sister¡¯s energetic tone. Stacey bent down and scooped the little ones up, giving them kisses. They were just too adorable. ¡°Lily, Kev, I love you.¡± Stacey nuzzled their soft cheeks, enjoying the closeness with her babies. ¡°Ah¡­ Mom.¡± Lily blinked, her babyish voice suddenly stuttering again as she tried to speak. Stacey was stunned, and then her eyes lit up with surprise. ¡°Lily, what did you just say?¡± But Lily didn¡¯t repeat herself. Instead, she stretched out her chubby arms, hugged her mother¡¯s neck happily, and demanded, ¡°Hug.¡± Hearing the word ¡°hug¡°, Kev also became excited, immediately extending his soft little hands to embrace his mother, cheerfully shouting, ¡°Hug.¡± Stacey¡¯s heart melted. How could her two babies be so adorable? Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t lift both little ones at the same time. Yet, she still held them both in her arms, feeling utterly joyful and full of love for her babies. Chayrere 223 Their mother held them, and although it wasn¡¯t quite as they had imagined, Lily and Key were still delighted. The two little ones eagerly extended their tiny hands to embrace their mother, showing how much they loved her. After watching for a while. Debra greeted the little ones. ¡°Lily, Kev,e over here. Your mom is tired. Don¡¯t disturb her rest Lily and Kev looked at their grandmother with puzzled expressions. Stacey released the two little ones. She stood up, walked over to her mother, and couldn¡¯t help but gently hug her. She truly loved her mother so much Her mother had always been so kind to her Debra was taken aback for a moment but then opened her arms and gently returned the hug to her daughter, her heart filled with sweetness. In the afternoon, Adrian returned with the contract that had been sent earlier. The contract indeed had some issues, and Adrian had marked them with a red pen and exined them to Stacey After a thorough exnation, he included. ¡°Becky, do you have the contact for the director of this production? Give it to the, and I¡¯ll discuss it with her.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Stacey was momentarily speechless. ¡°Even Charlie¡¯s contract was negotiated by gue,¡± Adrian added, rifying Feeling relieved, Stacey quickly agreed, ¡°Alright¡± She had been worried about whether the director might feel offended if her elder brother stepped in for negotiations. But since it was customary for Charlie, having Adrian handle it shouldn¡¯t be a problem After ending the call with Adrian, Stacey still decided to check with Charlie and Lynn about this arrangement. Once she got their approval, she handed over Vicky¡¯s contact information to Adrian At Evertrust Law Firm, Adrian received the contact information his sister had vert and immediately searched for Vicky on WhatsApp. Without dy, he initiated the contract negotiation Chapter 123 Their mother held them, and although it wasn¡¯t quite as they had imagined, Lily and Kev were still delighted. The two little ones eagerly extended their tiny hands to embrace their mother, showing how much they loved her. After watching for a while, Debra greeted the little ones. ¡°Lily, Kev,e over here. Your mom is tired. Don¡¯t disturb her rest.¡± Lily and Kev looked at their grandmother with puzzled expressions. Stacey released the two little ones. She stood up, walked over to her mother, and couldn¡¯t help but gently hug her. She truly loved her mother so much. Her mother had always been so kind to her. Debra was taken aback for a moment but then opened her arms and gently returned the hug to her daughter, her heart filled with sweetness. In the afternoon, Adrian returned with the contract that had been sent earlier. The contract indeed had some issues, and Adrian had marked them with a red pen and exined them to Stacey. After a thorough exnation, he concluded. ¡°Becky, do you have the contact for the director of this production? Give it to me, and I¡¯ll discuss it with her.¡± Stacey was momentarily speechless. ¡°Even Charlie¡¯s contract was negotiated by me,¡± Adrian added, rifying. Feeling relieved, Stacey quickly agreed, ¡°Alright.¡± She had been worried about whether the director might feel offended if her elder brother stepped in for negotiations. But since it was customary for Charlie, having Adrian handle it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. After ending the call with Adrian, Stacey still decided to check with Charlie and Lynn about this arrangement. Once she got their approval, she handed over Vicky¡¯s contact information to Adrian, At Evertrust Law Firm, Adrian received the contact information his sister had sent and immediately searched for Vicky on WhatsApp. Without dy, he initiated the contract negotiation. Chapter 123 97% +5 Although Vicky had mentally prepared herself, knowing that the previous contract had issues, her heart still pounded with nerves when thewyer of the Carter family approached her. After all, it was Adrian, the eldest son of the Carters. Vicky had anticipated a lengthy negotiation, but to her surprise, it took just ten minutes. Essentially, Adrian pointed out what was wrong with the contract and how it needed to be amended, and she, feeling somewhat dazed, kept agreeing to all his suggestions. In the end, Adrian sent her a revised contract and told her to review it. If she had no objections, they could proceed with the signing. As the conversation wrapped up, Vicky¡¯s mind suddenly cleared a bit. She wanted to protest that this revised contract was too generous. The terms were akin to those of an award¨Cwinning actor like Charlie, while Becky was just a neer. How could she receive such favorable treatment? However, she quickly recalled Becky¡¯s impressive performance during the audition. ¡°Can I think it over and get back to you?¡± Vicky asked cautiously, needing moment to wrestle with her thoughts. ¡°Of course,¡± Adrian replied graciously, giving her the requested time. Vicky hastily expressed her gratitude. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll get back to you as soon as possible.¡± While Vicky carefully considered Adrian¡¯s contract, J was waiting for a response from the crew of The Empress. Normally, a small production like this wouldn¡¯t match her status, but her current position was rather precarious. The viewership of ¡°Disciple Meets Master¡± had been unexpectedly surpassed by a neer¡¯s work, Lovey Princess. She urgently needed a unique project to -overshadow that and regain her footing in the industry. The Empress was rmended by a friend. She was intrigued by the protagonist¡¯s character design. The role was distinct from that of typical female leads in current dramas, a notable +96% Chapter 123 point that could potentially make the show a hit and help her reestablish her image. The only downside was that the production team was somewhat unimpressive. It was a small crew, and the director had a rather average track record with no remarkable sesses. +5 However, given her awkward status, a top¨Ctier director wouldn¡¯t likely invite her to star in such a project. She was realistic about this. Thus, the fact that this script was in the hands of a lesser¨Cknown director was actually a relief. With her current status, joining a small production was rtively easy. However, J hadn¡¯t expected that even with such a small production, her manager, Lisa, had been negotiating for over half a month without any result. ¡°Lisa, what¡¯s going on with the director of The Empress? Have you gotten the contract yet?¡± J asked impatiently, her tone cold. Lisa frowned and quickly replied, ¡°J, I¡¯ve been pushing them. The director said she needed some time to consider.¡± CHAPTER 124 Chapter 124 Lisa¡¯s eyes widened in shock at the news. ¡°J, you¡¯re saying some other artists. who are just as talented as you are interested in The Empress?¡± In the world of showbiz, poprity ruled. Even if J¡¯s star was fading, she was still the best actress with a fanbase. For someone like her to join a small production, Vicky should be thrilled and ready to sign on the dotted line. She would be afraid that J might back out. Lisa thought, ¡®But Vicky isn¡¯t jumping at the chance. It¡¯s one thing to think it over, but it¡¯s been half a month with no decision ¡®Could it be that there are other top¨Ctier talents on a par with J also in talks with The Empress? Who else could it be? Who else besides J would even consider this show?¡® Lisa¡¯s face fell, and she quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll find out right away.¡± J¡¯seback would directly affect Lisa¡¯s future sess, so she was on edge, too. After Lisa left, J was alone in the dressing room. She looked around the small makeup area and finally sat in front of the mirror. Her reflection showed a face that was far from pleased, with dark circles under her eyes. J grabbed a makeup pad and tried to cover the dark circles in the mirror, but no matter how long she tried, they wouldn¡¯t hide. She was shaking with anger. She thought, ¡®It¡¯s all Reba¡¯s fault. If it weren¡¯t for her mess, I wouldn¡¯t be in this state. Reba¡¯s almost washed up. She¡¯s been dragged through the mud online. Everyone¡¯s calling her names, telling her to get lost. How can she make aeback? A paternity test? The long¨Clost daughter of the Carter family? ¡®Ha, I don¡¯t buy it. Reba is the Carter family¡¯s lost daughter? She might just have the luck of the draw, looking a bit like the Carters. It¡¯s got to be a coincidence. Or could it be¡­ Charlie¡¯s trying to shield Reba? Seeing her take all this heat online, he¡¯d go as far as faking a paternity test, iming Reba as his sister to clear her name?¡¯ With these thoughts, J hatched a n. She needed to get a hold of Reba and Charlie¡¯s DNA and get it tested to prove they were not really siblings. Chapter 124 This n brought a smile to J¡¯s face, and finally, she felt sleepy. She hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep in ages. The idea of Reba as the Carter family¡¯s daughter had been driving her mad. Her body was exhausted, but her mind was wide awake, refusing to rest, resulting in those dark circles under her eyes. J returned to the lounge¡¯s bed, kicked off her shoes, climbed in,y down, and pulled the covers over herself. This time, she drifted off to sleep quickly. ***** At the Aotori shooting base, after wrestling with her thoughts all night, Vicky finally signed her name on the contract with a grimace. She told herself, ¡°It¡¯s a sure thing. I won¡¯t lose money. I¡¯ve seen what Becky can do on camera. We just need to find the right guy to y off her, and this show will be gold. I¡¯ll be rolling in the dough.¡± Adrian had emailed her a digital contract. Vicky signed it and shot him a message. In Hivalis, Adrian got the message, gave a quick scan to make sure it was right, and then sent the contract link to his sister Stacey to sign, too. Stacey gave the contract a final once¨Cover. It seemed good to her, so she signed on the line. It brought the contract into legal force instantly. Now she was the lead in The Empress. Vicky got the heads¨Cup that the contract was signed. She checked it out, confirmed it was Becky who signed after her, and then exhaled. She thought, ¡®Just need the right male lead now. He¡¯s gotta be perfect and top¨Cnotch. Gotta make this show pop.¡® Lost in thought, Vicky was interrupted when an artist came knocking, one she knew well¨CMalcolm, who yed the lead character Yves in Lovey Princess, the show he did with Becky. Malcolm was easy on the eyes and not bad at acting. The show with him and Becky had been a hit. They had a bunch of fans already shipping them online. If Malcolm could nail the male lead in The Empress and team up with Becky, it¡¯d be a m dunk. But here was the thing, acting chops were key. Just like Charlotte and Elizabeth 96%1 45 game fromContent rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. were day and night, Raymond in The Empress was a whole other ball Yves in Lovey Princess. Malcolm killed it as Yves, but Raymond? Vicky had to see how he¡¯d handle the audition. Half an hourter, Vicky was blown away. Malcolm nailed it and acted smoothly. With his skills,nding the role of Raymond was a no¨Cbrainer. ¡°Mind if I ask you something?¡± Vicky couldn¡¯t resist it. Malcolm nodded and said, ¡°Shoot, Vicky.¡± Vicky hesitated and then asked, ¡°Why¡¯d youe to our show?¡± She was dying to know. ¡°Because of Becky.¡± Malcolm was upfront. ¡°Heard she¡¯s on board, so I figured why not give it a whirl?¡± Vicky blinked and asked, ¡°You¡¯re into Becky?¡± Malcolm shook his head and replied, ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just chasing fame.¡± Vicky was speechless. Malcolm got serious and said, ¡°What do you think, Vicky? Becky¡¯s gonna be huge, right? If I tag along, even if I¡¯m just a sidekick, I can get a job. I¡¯m not picky.¡± Vicky¡¯s mouth twitched. She cracked a smile. ¡°You¡¯reing off like a freeloader here.¡± Malcolm smiled and responded, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a free meal? If it¡¯s there, might as well dig in.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Vicky nodded and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re not bad¨Clooking and can hold your own on stage. If we¡¯re good, let¡¯s sign this contract. Becky signed this morning. You two are our leads.¡± Malcolm beamed, bowed in gratitude, and said, ¡°Thanks, director, I won¡¯t let you down.¡± Vicky chuckled, pulled out the contract, and handed it over to Malcolm. Malcolm scanned it. A few terms made him raise an eyebrow, but he was about to sign. Chapter 124 9 T 90% Just then, Malcolm remembered he wasn¡¯t on his own anymore. Signed with Charlie¡¯spany, he had backup now. If he signed this contract solo, he wouldn¡¯t have much leverage, but if hispany signed, that changed the game. CHAPTER 125 hapter 125 ¡°Mind if I take this contract back to mypany before I sign?¡± Malcolm asked, his voice cutting through the silence. Vicky paused, surprised. ¡°Whatpany are you with these days?¡± she questioned. ¡°The L&K Group,¡± Malcolm replied, a grin spreading across his face. Vicky¡¯s brow furrowed, her mind racing. ¡®What group? Never heard of it, she thought. Malcolm picked up on Vicky¡¯s confusion, and in a good mood, he exined, ¡°Our boss is Charlie. He started thepany not long ago. It¡¯s still pretty fresh.¡± Vicky¡¯s face fell. She thought, ¡®Charlie, uh¨Coh, this isn¡¯t good. Gonna cost me an arm and a leg.¡¯ ¡°Huh, when did he start apany?¡± Vicky forced augh, trying to hide her concern. ¡°You¡¯re with him now, huh? Why didn¡¯t he mention it?¡± Malcolm, sharp and calm, noticed the shift in Vicky¡¯s demeanor. He went on, ¡°Mr. Carter¡¯s gonna set up an audition for me. He said I¡¯m on my own after that.¡± Vicky hesitated, ¡°With his style, you still signed up?¡± Malcolm smiled, ¡°It¡¯s all good. I¡¯ve got the chops and the talent. If he gives me a shot at an audition, I know I cannd it on my own.¡± The tricky part was securing his spot after acing the audition and ensuring that he wouldn¡¯t get bumped by the investors¡® picks. He¡¯d been sidelined before, but now, he saw that with Becky by his side, the Carter family would shield him. They¡¯d make sure Becky¡¯s co¨Cstar was a real actor, not just some crony the investors wanted to slip in. ¡°Alright, take it back. Let Charlie check it out. If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re not happy with, we can discuss it. We¡¯re reasonable,¡± Vicky said sincerely, getting straight to the point. Malcolm was taken aback by her openness, feeling a surge of hope. Vicky¡¯s words hinted that the contract was up for discussion. With these thoughts, Malcolm felt a sense of validation about his choice of 96%1! Chapter 125 He thought, ¡®If it were my old management, the director wouldn¡¯t entertain any changes to the contract. It¡¯s a one¨Csize¨Cfits¨Call deal. Take it or leave it. But with Charlie in my corner, everything is on the table. The director is willing to cut Charlie some ck, and having him as a backer means I have some leverage! ¡°Thanks, Vicky,¡± Malcolm said with the thought in mind, his tone earnest and his posture a bit straighter. With their talk wrapped up, Malcolm walked away, contract in hand.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ***** Meanwhile, Lisa tapped into herwork, quietly figuring out which actresses were in the running for The Empress besides J. The name that stood out the most was Becky. Lisa¡¯s face dropped at the mention. She thought, ¡®Why does Reba keep popping up everywhere? Can¡¯t she just vanish?¡® Becky might not have J¡¯s star power yet, but Lisa felt a sinking feeling in her gut. It seemed like Becky was destined to steal ¡°The Empress¡± from under J¡¯s nose. J was always having a hard time when Becky was around, as if her past misdeeds against Becky wereing back to bite her. Deep in thought, Lisa returned to J¡¯s side and shared her findings. J had just woken up from a nap, feeling refreshed, but her mood instantly soured upon hearing Lisa¡¯s news. ¡°Reba again?¡± J¡¯s anger was palpable, her heart aching. Lisa nodded, her worry evident. ¡°Yeah, I heard Vicky wanted you in the cast, but Becky showed up for an audition and killed it. Vicky seems to really like her.¡± ¡°Like her? Please. Reba¡¯s just doing this on purpose,¡± J snapped, her voice quivering. ¡°How long has she been in the industry? What acting skills could she possibly have?¡± ¡°It must be the Carter family. Charlie¡¯s backing her. Vicky must be giving her a chance because of Charlie. No, Charlie must have invested in the production, just like with Lovey Princess. He must have poured in 20 million dors or more. Vicky¡¯s only doing it for the money. That¡¯s why she¡¯s letting that bitch take the lead,¡± J ranted, her words tumbling out in a heated stream. 09:28 Fri, Jul 26 G D Chapter 125 96% Lisa was taken aback by the outburst but then realized it made sense. She thought, ¡®In the entertainment circle, investors can put people on a set as long as they have money. It¡¯s all toomon these days. Even the lead roles in many smaller productions are forced in by the investors. The production teams, desperate for cash, have no spine, all too willing to say yes, and they pretend the actors got the roles on merit, which is just disgusting. ¡®No matter what, J¡¯s a movie queen. Vicky would never just drop her for Becky. The most likely scenario is that Charlie has invested a fortune in The Empress, just like he invested heavily in Lovey Princess. Then, using his position as an investor, he can force Becky into the lead role, leaving J out in the cold.¡¯ ¡°What are we going to do?¡± Lisa asked, her voiceced with concern. J¡¯s face turned red with anger. She thought, ¡®What can I do? Compete with the Carter family for who has more money? I¡¯m not stupid. My family has some cash, but it¡¯s nowhere near the Carter family¡¯s wealth.¡¯ ¡°Forget it. If she wants the show, she can have it. Let¡¯s see if Reba really has what it takes to y the role well,¡± J said through gritted teeth. Lisa didn¡¯t respond. Taking a deep breath, J continued, ¡°Does ourpany have any other scripts?/ Ones that are better than The Empress?¡± Lisa hesitated, ¡°We have plenty of scripts, but for uniqueness, The Empress is still the best.¡± After a moment of hesitation, Lisa added, ¡°J, how about we take a break from back to to go you to acting for now? Variety shows are really popr. Ben still wants filming A Glimpse into Our Family, right? Why don¡¯t you go back to that show?¡± ¡°I think Ben treats you pretty well. If you go back, it won¡¯t be bad. Plus, variety shows are live, which can keep your poprity and heat up,¡± Lisa continued, with one suggestion after another. ¡°No way.¡± J refused without a second thought. ¡®Others have interactions with their partners, but I don¡¯t. Thest time I was on that show, my mom had no idea what to do and just followed me around the whole time. Our team didn¡¯t generate any buzz. If the director hadn¡¯t set up a little drama at the end, we would have been a total embarrassment, she thought. ¡°Keep looking for scripts for me. Ones that J said firmly. ¡°Keep looking for scripts for me. Ones tha J said firmly. Uy.20 rt, Jui (5) ¡°Keep looking for scripts for me. Ones that are definitely better than The Empress,¡± J said firm CHAPTER 126 Chapter 126 Stacey barely waited a week before Vicky called her in for a makeup test. The male lead had been locked down¨CMalcolm, he former co¨Cstar. Stacey was caught off guard for a second, but then she figured it made sense. They¡¯d worked together on Lovey Princess for months and knew each other¡¯s mettle. She thought, Just like Charlie said, Malcolm¡¯s good¨Clooking, can act, and isn¡¯t afraid of hard work. What he¡¯s been missing is just a bit of luck. Without those unspoken rules, it¡¯s totally normal for Malcolm to ace the audition with his real skills. From now on, let¡¯s work hard together.¡® As Stacey thought this through, she considered Charlie¡¯spany. She wouldn¡¯t be in showbiz for long and felt that if she could make Malcolm a hit before she left, it¡¯d be a nice contribution to Charlie. With that, Stacey texted Vicky back. [Sure, I¡¯ll be there tomorrow.] Her mother had rented a vi close to the shooting base, where the whole family now lived happily, close to the set. 0 Vicky replied: [Okay, see you tomorrow.] Stacey responded cheerfully: [Okay.] Just as Stacey hit send, there was a noise at the door. She looked up and saw Charlie. Lily and Kevin, hearing the noise, scrambled up from the rug in front of the couch and rushed toward Charlie at the door, hugging his legs like little puppies wagging their tails. Charlie squatted down, hugged one with each arm, and in one swift motion, lifted both kids up. Marie and Gwen watched anxiously, ready to catch the kids if Charlie stumbled. But Lily and Kevin were smart. As soon as Charlie picked them up, they wrapped their little arms around his head, one on each side. ¡°Charlie,¡± Kevin and Lily called out in tandem. Kevin¡¯s sweet voice trailed off while Lily¡¯s voice sounded crisp and cute. Just then, Debra came down the stairs and spotted them, quickly warning, ¡°Chuck, don¡¯t drop them.¡± Charlie, of course, wasn¡¯t about to drop the kids. He carried them to the couch, gently put them down, and gave each a kiss. ¡°Lily, Kevin, I¡¯ve been gone all day. Did you miss me?¡± Charlie put on a serious face and asked the kids. ¡°Of course,¡± Kevin said and nodded, his voice sweet. Charlie¡¯s eyes smiled instantly, and he gave Kevin a noisy kiss on the cheek. ¡°I missed you, too.¡± Lily, seeing him kiss Kevin and not wanting to be left out, spoke up. ¡°Alright, I missed you a lot, too.¡± Charlie grinned and kissed Lily, clearly delighted. Lily reached out, still trying to snuggle into her uncle¡¯s arms. Then Charlie hugged Lily. Kevin, not wanting to be left behind, tried to crawl over. ¤Ò Stacey reached out and picked him up so he wouldn¡¯t feel left out. Stacey leaned down and kissed Kevin, who immediately focused on his mother, beaming. ¡°Mom,¡± Kevin said in his cute little voice. ¡°Oh, my good boy,¡± Stacey said, praising him.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Kevin was instantly overjoyed, hugging his mother tightly. ¡°Charlie, Vicky just told me toe to the set tomorrow for a makeup test,¡± Stacey said, looking up at Charlie while holding Kevin. Charlie looked at his sister and said happily, ¡°Yeah, I invested 20 million dors in the production. If you need anything on set, just ask. Don¡¯t hold back. And tell the costume and makeup department to go all out and spend when it¡¯s needed. Don¡¯t cut corners.¡± Stacey nodded in agreement. She was all for Charlie¡¯s investment because the entertainment industry could be very lucrative. If a show was well¨Cmade and became a hit, earning back the money was no problem. The key was for the actors to perform well and not mess up, to avoid ruining the show. There also shouldn¡¯t. be any issuester on. Otherwise, if the show got taken down, the investors would lose everything. The following day, Stacey arrived on set for her makeup and costume test, where she bumped into Malcolm. It had been half a year since theirst encounter, and their faces lit up with smiles. upon reuniting. ¡°Becky,¡± Malcolm said, approaching her with a hint of shyness. With Stacey being the older of the two by a year, Malcolm regarded her with a brotherly kind of respect. ¡°Malcolm, here¡¯s to working well together, Stacey said cheerfully, offering her hand to Malcolm. Malcolm hesitated for a moment and then caught on quickly, shaking her hand with a grin. ¡°Becky, here¡¯s to a great partnership.¡± Vicky emerged from inside the set, her eyes lighting up when she saw the two of them. ¡°Becky, Malcolm, you both made it. Great! Come on in, the stylist is ready. Let¡¯s create a look for you,¡± she said, her mood instantly lifted by their presence. Stacey¡¯s features were a clear inheritance from the Carter family¨Cstriking and adaptable. Back on the Iovey Princess set when she yed Elizabeth, the stylist had taken only half an hour to apply a sweet makeup look that turned her into a charmingdy. Now, on The Empress set, the stylist managed to give Stacey a regal makeup look in just over forty minutes. As she stood up, Stacey immediately exuded the grand presence of Charlotte. Yet, as Stacey gazed at her reflection, she felt there was potential for more. She thought about the clothes in the Carter Manor and those at her home in Hivalis- there were each season¡¯stest collections from various brands, and many of them were limited editions, ordered for her by her parents and brothers. And the essories were far superior to what the crew had provided. It wasn¡¯t that the crew¡¯s offerings were subpar. It was just thatparisons E highlighted the differences. No matter how diligent the crew was, their efforts. couldn¡¯t match the selections made by her parents and Charlie. ¡°Can I use my own jewelry and clothes?¡± Stacey advised the director and stylist. She thought, ¡°Those clothes back home are just gathering dust. It¡¯s better to put them to use. If the show does well, the profits will be shared with Charlie too, considering how much he¡¯s invested.¡± CHAPTER 127 Chapter 127 Sierra, the stylist, looked puzzled. Vicky was confused too, but she quickly shook it off, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she asked, ¡°You have a ton of clothes?¡±This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org. Stacey thought about all the stuff her parents and brothers had gotten her over the years and nodded. ¡°Yeah, quite a bit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got pictures. You can see if there¡¯s anything that fits, Stacey said, thinking out loud. As she spoke, Stacey pulled out her phone and showed the director and the stylist the photos she¡¯d taken. She had quietly snapped some shots of her wardrobe and storage back at Carter Manor, filled with clothes and essories. At first, Vicky and Sierra just figured that as a Carter, Becky¡¯s clothes would be pretty nice, way better than what the crew had put together. But when they saw the photos, they were floored. Both Vicky and Sierra were fashion¨Cforward women, so they could instantly recognize the brands and designers of the clothes, bags, and essories in the photos. They could even remember which year some of them were produced. Usually, thetest trends were what everyone wanted, andst season¡¯s stuff wasn¡¯t cool in high society. But there was one exception: limited edition items. For a moment, Vicky and Sierra were speechless. They scrolled through the photos, zooming in on each one, their eyes glued to the screen. Every piece of clothing in the photos seemed extraordinary. What was even more shocking was that there was more than one photo, each filled with dozens, maybe even hundreds of clothes. And there were not just clothes, but bags and all sorts of essories, too. Vicky and Sierra were so engrossed in the photos that they forgot they were on the clock,pletely mesmerized by the images. Malcolm, who had finished his styling, was oddly left out. Despite being ignored, he was in a great mood. One could even say he was thrilled. He had secretly studied the original novel of The Empress before his audition. The characters were crucial¨Cthe female lead and the male lead were both incredibly 09:32 Sat, Jul 27 G Chapter 127 wealthy and attractive, exuding an air of nobility wherever they went. For this drama to take off, it wasn¡¯t just about the acting. The costumes and makeup were key.. +99%1 He knew Becky was in this crew and figured the costumes and makeup would be top¨Cnotch. But now, seeing that Becky looked down on what the crew had prepared and that she could bring in much more valuable, even limited¨Cedition clothes and essories, he thought it was clear that their show was set to outshine even the biggest domestic productions in terms of costume and makeup. He felt The Empress was bound to be a massive hit. Meanwhile, Sierra and Vicky were so excited about the clothes that they were. almost in tears. They believed that with these clothes, along with Becky¡¯s and Malcolm¡¯s acting skills, The Empress would be a smash hit in no time. At Evergrande Entertainment, J tossed and turned every night since learning The Empress had been snatched up by Becky. She¡¯d coolly told Lisa to scout for a better script, but who was she kidding? If top¨Ctier scripts grew on trees, guys in showbiz wouldn¡¯t be scrambling for the next big hit. If she couldn¡¯t find a script better than The Empress, Reba would steal her spotlight for good. Thedies of the Mitchell family¡¯s friends, who¡¯d watched her and Reba grow up, were already snickering behind her back. She needed to outshine Reba fast, o she¡¯d be theughingstock at the next high¨Csociety shindig. That night, sleep didn¡¯te easy to J. Her mind raced with thoughts, but in the end, she hit on a n. She thought, Vicky¡¯s not casting me, but what if Imission a script? I¡¯ll model the characters after The Empress. ¡®Copyrightws were a joke in our country. giarism and piracy are the norm. Original works got ripped off left and right, and by the time the dust settles from legal battles, the knock¨Coffs are already raking in the dough with fans across the globe. ¡®And let¡¯s not forget the fans of the knock¨Coffs. They despised the original creators, 24 using them of being envious and money¨Chungry. The real artists ended up as the viins in the public eye. If I pay for a script and produce it, any bacsh willnd on the writer, not me. ¡®All I have to do is move fast. My show had to premiere before The Empress. First impressions matter. Whichever show airs first will be seen as the original, others as the copycat. Even if The Empress proves to be original, it wouldn¡¯t matter. The audience will be smitten with the first show they saw. ¡°Though it¡¯s the same storyline, the crowd will be blown away by the first one theyy eyes on. Theter show will getpared, and no matter the oue, it just falls short. It¡¯s called the first impression effect. ¡®Plus, I¡¯m J, the movie queen. Reba¡¯s just a sh in the pan, a newbie who lucked into a hit. If our shows air back¨Cto¨Cback, Reba will be setting herself up for humiliation. Unless, of course, Reba¡¯s acting is so phenomenal that it can outshine mine, but is that even possible? ¡®Reba is nothing but a pretty face, propped up by the Carter family¡¯s deep pockets. Lovey Princess had been a fluke, a product of the Carter family¡¯s wealth and PR prowess. ¡®Now that Reba¡¯s true ties to the Carter family are out in the open, what else does she have to bank on? Nothing!¡± The more J thought about it, the better she felt. She could already see the headlines: J¡¯s acting skills versus Reba¡¯s, and Rebaing out as the loser. With years in the industry under her belt, J knew her fair share of scriptwriters. She had several in her contacts. Wasting no time, J reached out to the writer she knew, setting up a meeting. Now, the money talked. If she was willing to pay, there was always a writer ready to write a script. She was ready to double the fee just to get the job done quickly. CHAPTER 128 Chapter 128 At the filming site, Sierra and Vicky stared at a photo for ages before snapping out of it, both looking at Stacey with faces full of admiration.. Stacey felt a bit nervous under their scrutinizing gazes. In the next moment, Sierra grabbed Stacey¡¯s hand and eximed excitedly, ¡°Becky, do you really have all these clothes, bags, and jewelry?¡± Stacey¡¯s heart raced, she looked into Sierra¡¯s eyes, then turned to Vicky. ¡°Yes¡­ I took these photos in my family¡¯s walk¨Cin closet and storage back home. They were gifts from my parents and brothers before returned.¡± ¡°Before you returned?¡± Vicky caught on. Stacey nodded, ¡°Yep. I got separated from my family when I was little. But my parents and brothers have always been good to me. Not only did they leave a room for me at home, but they also bought me lots and lots of things every year ording to my age. I have everything a girl should have.¡± ¡°Are these things all gifts from them in the past?¡± Sierra was thrilled. Thinking about those gifts back home, Stacey also felt happy. She nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Sierra was truly envious. She thought, ¡®How can someone be this lucky in the world?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it, Becky, can you take me to see them? Unless I see it with eyes, I won¡¯t rest in peace for the rest of my life.¡± Sierra held Stacey¡¯s hand, pleading pitifully. my v own Vicky rubbed her temples, feeling embarrassed for Sierra. She pulled Sierra aside and reminded her, ¡°You need to control yourself. Today is just the first day we officially meet Becky. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself like this.¡± Sierra, with tears in her eyes, looked at Vicky. ¡°Vicky, what¡¯s the point of being reserved? I just wanna go to see Becky¡¯s walk¨Cin closet.¡± Sierra cried, ¡°I don¡¯t care. I want to see it. I have never seen such a luxurious closet in this lifetime. Let me see it once. Maybe I can also have such a closet in my dream. You know, it can make my dream more beautiful.¡± ¡°Just keep daydreaming.¡± Vicky couldn¡¯t help butugh. Stacey also chuckled, saying, ¡°These clothes are back in my hometown, quite far away. Otherwise, I¡¯d take you to see it.¡± Sierra¡¯s eyes lit up. She gazed at Stacey, excitedly asking, ¡°So does that mean if we. head to your hometown, I can see the closet?¡± Stacey was taken aback. Not just Sierra, even Vicky looked at Becky expectantly. Stacey was stunned. Then she hesitated for a moment before asking, worried it¡¯s far?¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Aren¡¯t you Sierra pondered for a moment and blinked, then earnestly asked, ¡°How far? End of the earth? Anywhere I can walk to with my two legs, I¡¯m in!¡± Malcolm couldn¡¯t help but chuckle on the side, finding Sierra very adorable. Then Malcolm turned to Becky and thought, ¡®I have to admit that Becky is indeed enviable. Her family background and kin are something many only dream of.¡± Stacey chuckled. In the next moment, she said with a smile, ¡°All right. Sierra, if you want to see it, you¡¯re wee anytime.¡± ¤Ò Excited and thrilled, Sierra quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s a deal then! You¡¯re not lying to me, right?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Stacey replied with a smile Sierra was overjoyed, so happy that her hands were trembling slightly. She turned to Vicky, gripping Vicky¡¯s hand, and eximed excitedly, ¡°Vicky, did you hear that? Becky¡¯s willing to show me her closet! Oh my goodness, that heavenly ce. If I get to step inside in this lifetime, I could die tomorrow with no regrets. This is pure bliss!¡± Vicky was speechless, but actually, she also envied Becky¡¯s livestream room. If she weren¡¯t so upied filming The Empress, she¡¯d have loved to swing by like Sierra. After all, that livestream room was perfect in her eyes. ¡°Since you¡¯re nning to go, why not make a trip before the shoot officially begins?¡± Vicky said. Then she turned to Stacey, ¡°Becky, aren¡¯t you nning to use those clothes for your scenes? How about you all go together, pick out the outfits and jewelry you¡¯ll 09.32 need, and bring them here? It¡¯ll make things a lot easier during filming,¡± Vicky suggested with a smile. Sierra¡¯s eyes lit up at the suggestion. She excitedly asked, ¡°So, does that mean I can head straight to Becky¡¯s closet now?¡± Vicky nced at Stacey, then back to Sierra, replying seriously, ¡°You need to ask Becky.¡± Sierra immediately turned to Becky with excitement. Stacey nodded with a smile, ¡°Of course.¡± Ecstatic, Sierra lunged forward, hugging Stacey tightly. She eximed, ¡°Oh, Becky, you¡¯re the best! My babe!¡± Vicky envied them but earnestly added, ¡°Don¡¯t forget about the other character styles, especially for Raymond.¡± With that final remark, Vicky nced at Malcolm. The lead actress¡® costume and style were crucial, and the male lead¡¯s couldn¡¯t be low¨Ckey. To be precise, after the female lead¡¯s styling reached the top¨Cnotch level, the male lead¡¯s attire must also be outstanding enough to match hers. Only then could they stand side by side without causing dissonance for the audience. Sierra was shocked as she eximed inwardly, I¡¯m done for. Becky¡¯s got all those rare outfits. Where am I gonna find suitable clothes for the male lead to match her outfits?¡® ¡°How about we tweak the male lead¡¯s character, turning him into a broke guy?¡± Sierra suggestively chuckled. ¡°Buzz off!¡± Vicky didn¡¯t even think twice before snapping back. She wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to change the script. ¡°Maybe we can have Adrian offer his old clothes. Malcolm has a body type simr to Adrian¡¯s. He should be able to wear Adrian¡¯s old clothes,¡± Debra, who had been silent all this while, chimed in with a smile. Everyone turned to look at Debra, Becky¡¯s mom. Stacey looked slightly surprised, ncing at her mother too. Debra looked at her daughter, then said with a smile, ¡°Your brother has a lot of clothes I bought him before. But he hardly ever wears them. Those clothes just sit +99% in his closet going to waste.¡± Stacey suddenly remembered that Debra liked going shopping. She understood everything, finding it amusing. ¡°Better ask Adrian first. We gotta have his approval,¡± Stacey insisted. Those clothes belonged to Adrian, and she wouldn¡¯t touch his stuff without his permission. Debra nodded with a smile. ¡°Sure thing!¡± Beside them, Sierra and Vicky were shocked, and Malcolm was pleasantly surprised. With his status, he could only wear what the production had lined up¨Cdecent but nowhere near Becky¡¯s outfits. He had already prepared himself to stick to the production¡¯s clothes. But now, there was a chance he could wear Becky¡¯s big brother¡¯s old clothes. Even if they were obsolete, they¡¯d be way fancier than the production¡¯s clothes. Will Becky¡¯s big brother agree?¡® Malcolm couldn¡¯t help but secretly anticipate in his mind. CHAPTER 129 In the evening, Stacey called Adrian, asking in a probing tone if he still had any clothes that he didn¡¯t wear. Adrian was initially puzzled, but after Stacey exined, he understood. ¡°Everything¡¯s at home. I¡¯ll have the housekeeper pack it up and send it to you,¡± Adrian immediately responded. Adrian didn¡¯t like changing clothes daily, but his mom kept buying him clothes, and their storage room was overflowing with new stuff. ¡°Really?¡± Stacey¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Thanks, Adrian!¡± Stacey expressed her joy the next moment. Adrian couldn¡¯t help but smile. He was d that he could make his sister happy. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Adrian said. Stacey quickly nodded in agreement. ¡°Got it, got it!¡± After they sorted things out, the next day, a helicopter from their hometown. arrived, and Stacey brought Sierra along as they flew back home together. Sierra was stunned when she saw the helicopter, eyes locked on the chopper,pletely awestruck. ¡®Is this real? I actually got a chance in my life to ride on a wealthy family¡¯s private helicopter!¡® she eximed in her mind. ¡°Oh my goodness. Becky, you¡¯re amazing! I love you so much!!¡± Sierra cried out in excitement, turning around and lunging to hug Stacey. Stacey chuckled, letting Sierra hug her tightly. After a moment, Sierra finally let go. ¡°We should head up. The sooner we go, the sooner we¡¯ll be back,¡± Stacey said. Sierra quickly pulled out her phone and snapped away at the helicopter, capturing every moment. She hadn¡¯t seen much of the world. She wanted to document it all for future TA 09 memories. And most importantly, she wanted to unt these pictures to her future. kids, grandkids, and the next generations toe, bragging like crazy, telling them that she was once flown in a helicopter.. With the snaps taken, Sierra joined Becky as they boarded the helicopter together. This trip was to collect some stuff from Stacey¡¯s hometown, so they¡¯d be back soon. Debra and the ayah didn¡¯t tag along this time. This was Stacey¡¯s first solo trip back home. The helicopter soon started up, leaving Aotori shooting base behind. Meanwhile, Theodore, after dealing with a tricky project at thepany, had just rushed over, dusty and tired, eager to see Reba as soon as possible. Theodore was pressed for time. There had been too much going on at thepanytely, especially with Gifford being in the Deputy General Manager position. If he didn¡¯t keep a close eye, Gifford might meddle with things. And at this moment, the Carter family hade to make trouble for him. Theodore had noticed that the Carter family was intentionally targeting him. Theodore felt exhausted, but he restrained himself whenever he thought of Reba. He believed that as long as the misunderstanding was exined clearly and Reba calmed down, everything would pass. But to Theodore¡¯s surprise, after flying for four hours to reach the shooting base, others told him that Reba had left again. ¡°When is sheing back?¡± Theodore asked urgently, ncing at his phone, then turning to Vicky for answers. Vicky remainedposed, saying seriously, ¡°We¡¯re not sure about that. After all, the production hasn¡¯t officially started, and we can¡¯t restrict the actors¡® movements.¡± ¡°Do you still need investment for the production? I¡¯ll invest 20 million in the project.¡± Theodore pulled out a card and handed it to Vicky. Vicky¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Her hand almost reached out. After all, that was a huge sum of money. But thinking about the exclusive investment contract she signed with the Carter family before, she had to restrain herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. 09: Edwards, we already have investors for this project,¡± Vicky said cautiously. Theodore was surprised as he looked at Vicky. Vicky exined, ¡°Mr. Edwards, I¡¯m not lying. We¡¯ve already signed an exclusive. investment contract with the Carter family and can¡¯t ept investments from others.¡± Viting the contract would mean a hefty penalty, something they couldn¡¯t afford. After a moment of silence, Theodore finally took back his card. ¡°Let¡¯s exchange Whatsapp numbers, and if Reba¡­ if Becky returns, please inform me,¡± Theodore added. Vicky hesitated for a while but eventually took out her phone and added Theodore as a friend. ¡®Anyway, he¡¯s a wealthy tycoon. Even if this project couldn¡¯t secure Theodore¡¯s investment, there might be opportunities for future cooperation. No need to burn bridges unnecessarily, Vicky thought. Adding Theodore on Whatsapp didn¡¯t mean Vicky would inform Theodore when Stacey returned. Stacey had the Carter family backing her, and Vicky didn¡¯t want to offend them for the Edwards family¡¯s sake. Finally getting Theodore to leave, Vicky quickly texted Stacey, informing her of Theodore¡¯s visit. On the helicopter, Stacey was checking her phone when she suddenly received a message from Vicky. After she read it, her face darkened for a moment. But in just a second, Stacey swiftly replied to Vicky, ¡°Vicky, thank you. Just ignore him.¡± Back at the film city, Vicky received a reply from Stacey, confirming her suspicions. ¡°The situation between Becky and Theodore is indeedplicated. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t interact with Theodore just now, or I might have offended Becky and the Carter family.¡® She sighed a breath of relief in her mind. After flying in the helicopter for a long time, they finally arrived in gua City. That night, Stacey took Sierra to her closet and warehouse, picking out various clothes, jewelry, and bags that might be needed and then neatly organizing and packing everything. During this process, Sierra¡¯s eyes widened as she snapped pictures like crazy with 98%1 her phone. She had never seen such a luxurious closet and warehouse in her entire life. Stepping inside, even the floor felt super expensive. When everything was packed, it was veryte. Avish dinner was prepared by the staff. Before dinner, Sierra snapped away again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Becky. I¡¯ll only keep these photos for myself, won¡¯t leak them out,¡± Sierra hurriedly reassured Becky after taking the photos. This was Stacey¡¯s home, and privacy was a big deal to many here. Though Sierra was envious, she also knew not to casually reveal someone else¡¯s privacy. ¡°Okay.¡± Stacey nodded with a smile. After dinner, they were both tired and sleepy, so they headed to their rooms to rest. A guest room was prepared for Sierra by the housekeeper. Rather than immediately returning, Stacey spent a whole day showing Sierra around gua City before they headed back to Maeloria together. ¤êContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. The back and forth was quite exhausting, but Sierra didn¡¯t feel tired at all. She was excited and thrilled from start to finish. Most of Adrian¡¯s clothes were in Hivalis. Two dayster, those clothes were sent over and ced in the vi they rented. Sierra came to check them out and asked Malcolm toe over and try them on. The results were fantastic. CHAPTER 130 +98% Time flew by, and after half a month, the director finally decided on all the key actors for the production. It was time to inform everyone to meet at the set for the kickoff ceremony. Little did Stacey expect that she would see Theodore at the ceremony. To be precise, Theodore wasn¡¯t part of the crew. Just like a fan, he stood outside holding a bouquet of flowers, waiting for the ceremony to end so he could talk to her. The Carter family had assigned for bodyguards to protect Stacey. When the guards saw Theodore approaching, they became alert and immediately stopped him. Stacey didn¡¯t look back. She simply got into the car and left. Theodore was anxious, but with so many paparazzi around, he hesitated to follow. Yet, as Reba¡¯s car drove off into the distance, Theodore couldn¡¯t bear the frustration any longer. He hade to visit her many times already, but he didn¡¯t expect Reba to keep ignoring him. Wearing a cold expression, Theodore finally tossed the flowers into the trash and walked away. However, after a few steps, he froze. After a moment¡¯s pause, he turned around, approached the bin, carefully retrieved the flowers, and took out a small gift box hidden inside. He opened the box, anda tiny ring was revealed. Today, he nned to propose to Reba again. But it seemed like she didn¡¯t want it. Theodore held the ring, inspecting the carefully engraved name on it. The name was meticulously engraved stroke by stroke by him after he learned from a designer. It was originally a surprise. He gently traced the name on the ring¨CReba. Suddenly, rain poured down from the sky. In a luxurious car nearby, Theodore¡¯s brother, Gifford, cynically observed Theodore outside. And the person sitting beside Gifford was Jenny. Gifford turned to look at Jenny and then said, ¡°Ms. Smith, you also saw it. My big brother isn¡¯t exactly a good guy. Why don¡¯t you be with me¡­¡± Jenny didn¡¯t wait for Gifford to finish his words. She turned, opened the car door, and walked out with an umbre. Gifford¡¯s remaining words got stuck in his throat, unable toe out. He just. watched as Jenny, holding the umbre, walked towards Theodore in the pouring rain. Under the curtain of rain, Theodore carefully ced the ring back into the gift. box, closed it, and stood up. Unexpectedly, as he turned around to leave, he found himself covered by an umbre held by Jenny. Theodore¡¯s hand holding the gift box slightly stiffened. He looked around, quickly spotting the luxurious car nearby, with Gifford sitting inside. As the gazes of Theodore and Gifford met, the atmosphere became tense. Neither of them was easy to mess with. ¡°Theodore, you¡¯re getting wet. Let¡¯s head back to the hotel first. You need to change into dry clothes,¡± Jenny spoke gently. Theodore withdrew his gaze. He looked at Jenny, hesitated for a moment and then nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± Jenny held the umbre for Theodore. She wasn¡¯t very tall, much shorter than Theodore, making it a bit difficult for her to hold the umbre. Theodore gently took the umbre from her hand, holding it for both of them. Then they left together. In the luxurious car not far away, Gifford¡¯s face darkened for a moment, but it quickly passed. Gifford took out his phone, snapped a picture of the two of them leaving side by side, and then rolled up the car window. With a few taps, he swiftly sent out those photos. At the same time, Stacey received several messages. It was from an unknown contact on Whatsapp, without a name attached. Stacey couldn¡¯t remember who this person was or when they became friends. But now, this person messaged her. She checked the messages to find a photo of Theodore and Jenny leaving together with an umbre near the garbage can at the shooting base. Stacey felt a bit disgusted after just one look. She closed her phone, not wanting to +98% see any of that messy stuff again. Back home, Lillian and Kevin ran over. ¡°Mommy, mommy,¡± the two little ones called out in their sweet voices. In less than a minute, Stacey¡¯s knees were greeted by two fluffy cuties. They were truly fluffy as they were dressed up in adorable tender yellow plush duck outfits, super soft to the touch. Her babies really grew up fast. Now, the two little ones were walking more smoothly, even sounding more natural when they called her ¡°Mommy¡°. Stacey squatted down to kiss each of the babies, saying, ¡°Mommy loves you.¡± ¡°Love you, Mommy,¡± Lillian said while pouting her lips to ce a kiss on Stacey¡¯s cheek. ¡°I¡­ Mlove you, too, Mommy!¡± Kevin got anxious, quickly adding. He held Stacey¡¯s face, giving her a little peck. Debra smiled and asked, ¡°How was the opening ceremony? Was it smooth?¡± Stacey didn¡¯t want to bring up Theodore¡¯s matters and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, everything went smoothly.¡± ¡°Becky, I want to throw a party to formally introduce you to everyone and let them know you¡¯re back,¡± Debra looked at Stacey, saying earnestly. Thinking back to the rent hot topic, Stacey chuckled. ¡°Isn¡¯t everyone already in the loop?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different,¡± Debra said. Stacey smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll follow your n.¡± Debra smiled at Stacey, contemting, ¡®What outfit should I prepare for Becky when she formally makes an appearance? She must be dazzling at the party. The party nning was mostly on Debra¡¯s te. Stacey¡¯s next task was to film The Empress. The production had officially kicked off, keeping her busy with numerous scenes every day. However, while she was busy, Theodore seemed as if he was pumped up,ing back to the set every day to bring her flowers and food, talking less but remaining persistent in his gestures. Whether it was flowers or snacks, Stacey didn¡¯t even spare them a nce. Every day on set, she came to work seriously. Debra would asionally bring Lillian and Kevin to the set. The two little ones. were enthralled by watching Stacey act, and they were so adorable that all the staff liked them. Days passed by, and before they knew it, the day of the Carter family¡¯s party arrived. The Carter family had sent out many invitations, but neither the Mitchell family nor the Edwards family were on the guest list. This made both families quite upset. Ever since Reba¡¯s true identity was exposed online, both families had been showered with congrattions, well¨Cwishes, and even envy from everyone. Among those who knew that Becky was Reba, the Mitchell family¡¯s adopted daughter, many believed that the Mitchell family was now destined for great sess alongside the Carter family. Some even tried to cozy up to the Mitchell family by sending gifts, hoping to leverage their connection to the Carter family. Suddenly, even those who had no ns to deal with the Mitchell family showed interest in doing business with them due to their ¡°rtionship¡± with the Carter family. They signed project contracts with the Mitchell family, hoping for introductions and connections to the Carter family. During this period, the Mitchell family inadvertently gained numerous benefits due to these vague and unclear connections.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. É« CHAPTER 131 Chapter 131 The Edwards family found themselves in a very awkwa situation. Michael had always felt that Reba belonged to the Edwards family, believing that a few bunches of flowers from Theodore could easily bring her back, so he never paid much attention to Reba and Theodore¡¯s divorce. Over the past few months, Michael had been boasting to his friends that Becky, whose real name was Reba, was his daughter¨Cinw and had given birth to a pair of twins. Many people believed Michael, and they sought to please him, actively cooperating with the Edwards family, leading to the signing of several contracts and the Edwards family gaining numerous benefits. However, only a few keen observers noticed that after Charlie publicly acknowledged Becky online, the Carter family did not be closer to the Edwards family. In fact, the head of the Carter family, Patrick, was discreetly taking actions against the Edwards family. Thus, they remained aloof from Michael¡¯s boasts about Becky being his daughter¨Cinw. Of course, Michael was dismissive of those who maintained a cautious attitude. He firmly believed that Theodore and Reba were only temporarily separated. After all, not long ago, it was through special means that he had pressured Theodore into agreeing to the divorce. Theodore and Reba were originally a loving couple. Now he strongly supported their reunion. He thought that with no impediments between Theodore and Reba; it was only natural for them to be together. Currently, Reba might harbor some resentment due to the divorce. However, Michael was certain that once some time passed and Reba¡¯s heart softened, Theodore would quickly win her back. Most importantly, Reba had already had two children with Theodore. Michael believed that, considering the kids, Reba would definitely return. Understanding Reba¡¯s character, he was convinced that she wouldn¡¯t be so cruel as to deprive her children of their father. After reuniting with their precious daughter, the Carter family prepared a reunion banquet. Many families received invitations from the Carter family, including some smaller 98% Chapter 13t ns who usually only had business dealings with them. However, the Mitchell family and the Edwards family did not receive anything. They even learned about the Carter family¡¯s reunion banquet from other business acquaintances, which seemed absurd, even embarrassing. The Mitchell family didn¡¯t dare to let others know that the Carter family hadn¡¯t. sent them an invitation. Michael¡¯s expression soured as he pondered his son and his daughter¨Cinw¡¯s petty disagreements. He was dissatisfied that they let emotions cloud such a crucial matter. With such an important banquet approaching, the Edwards family didn¡¯t receive an invitation, leading Michael to worry that people might look down on the Edwards family in the future. Michael, feeling unsettled, quickly called Theodore upon returning home, inquiring about the invitation. Though Theodore was irritated seeing Michael¡¯s call, he managed topose himself and answer the phone. ¡°Dad,¡± Theodore said, restraining his temper. Hearing his son¡¯s voice, Michael didn¡¯t soften his tone. Annoyed, he said, ¡°Theodore, I¡¯ve heard that the Carter family is preparing a reunion banquet for Reba. Why haven¡¯t they sent us an invitation?¡± ¡°You two quarreling at home asionally is okay, but you must distinguish between major issues. If the Carter family doesn¡¯t send us an invitation, others are sure to suspect discord between our families, Michaelined, his tone even carrying a hint of me on Reba for being immature. Theodore, taken aback, learned about the Carter family¡¯s ns to host a reunion banquet for Reba through this conversation. The Edwards family had to attend. this event. Theodore, contemting, simply replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Impatiently, Michael urged, ¡°Remind her. Women can be a bit temperamental, but she mustn¡¯t push the boundaries too far, Maintain some dignity¡­¡± His reprimands flowed out naturally, and midway, Michael realized that the Mitchell family was no longer Reba¡¯s sole support. Her true family was the Carter family, a more influential one than the Edwards family. Quick to correct himself, Michael added, ¡°Forget it. Don¡¯t upset her. Remember, women tend to be more assertive if they are from powerful families: Come up with a n, appease her, and make sure that invitation arrives promptly. We can¡¯t have any misconceptions between our families.¡± + 98%# Theodore felt a sense of dismay about Rebapletely ignoring him recently. However, he understood the importance of the invitation and agreed, ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°By the way, have you sorted things out with Jenny? Keep her happy, and don¡¯t offend the Smith family,¡± Michael, at the end of the call, couldn¡¯t help but give his son some advice. Theodore nodded in response. ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it¡¯s settled.¡± Having exined everything to Jenny, even though she was disappointed, she behaved herself and acted very considerate, saying that she could understand Theodore¡¯s feelings. Thinking of Jenny, Theodore suddenly thought of Reba. He found himselfparing Reba and Jenny, and then he smiled bitterly.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Reba couldn¡¯t be as understanding and considerate as Jenny. After all, he had already rified things, addressing past misunderstandings. Theodore was puzzled as to why Reba still harbored grudges, even after his apologies. The sound of knocking came from behind. Theodore turned to look at the door, pondered for a moment, and then opened it. Jenny stood in the doorway, looking at him happily. ¡°Theodore, are you free tonight? I want to go outside for sightseeing!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my first time in Aotori, and I haven¡¯t seen Aotori at night. I¡¯ve only seen it on TV before, and it looks so beautiful at night!¡± Jenny expressed her excitement, her eyes sparkling. ¡°I¡­¡± Theodore hesitated. Jenny grabbed his hand and started walking towards the door. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go outside and unwind. Maybe you¡¯ll feel better after a walk.¡± In the end, Theodore didn¡¯t refuse her. He closed the door and left the hotel with Jenny. Meanwhile, after much deliberation, Gary finally picked up his phone and dialed Reba¡¯s number. 09:33 Sat, Jul 27 Gu 98% Gary was well aware of the strained rtionship between Reba and him, but this time, he couldn¡¯t resist trying his luck. The allure of the Carter family was too strong. If the Mitchell family could establish a connection with them, even if they were just slightly supported by the Carter family, it could elevate their future. prospects. At the Aotori shooting base, Stacey¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Looking at the caller ID, she was surprised to see it was Gary. After much hesitation, Stacey finally swiped the screen gently and answered the call. CHAPTER 132 Chapter 132 9+98%% ¡°Reba?¡± Gary hesitantly asked as the call connected. Stacey paused before inquiring. ¡°Why are you calling?¡± Hearing her voice, Gary also paused. After a silence, Gary spoke up, ¡°Reba, I heard that you are a daughter of the Carter family. Are they nning a reunion banquet for you?¡± Stacey opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out in the end. Gary also felt awkward. But thinking of hispany, he eventually revealed his purpose. ¡°Reba, no matter what, it was the Mitchell family that raised you. Could you provide us with an invitation to the Carter family¡¯s banquet?¡± Upon hearing that the Mitchell family wanted an invitation to the Carter family¡¯s banquet, Stacey felt a sharp pang in her heart, almost as if ants were biting at her. ¡°Will you call me if I¡¯m not the Carter family¡¯s daughter?¡± Stacey asked, masking her pain. This question left Gary speechless,, ¡°Reba, even if you don¡¯t care about us, could you please, for the sake of your aunt, give the Mitchell family a chance?¡± Gary cautiously asked. Stacey opened her mouth. The refusal at the tip of her tongue, but she didn¡¯t know how to say it. ¡°I need to consult my mom about this. I can¡¯t decide on my own,¡± Stacey cautiously stated after much deliberation. She didn¡¯t want to agree, but she didn¡¯t know how to refuse either. She feared rejecting the request would upset Cynthia. Gary breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing her response and quickly agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± The call wasn¡¯t lengthy, but after it ended, Stacey was left feeling uneasy. She never expected her foster father to call her, especially in such a subservient and cautious manner. Through her upbringing, Stacey had limitedmunication with her foster father, Gary. Most of the time, J always found ways to bully her, while her foster mother, Karen, often criticized and belittled her to protect J. Gary 14 09:33 Sat, 1989 mostly remained silent in the face of these situations. Stacey knew that his silence. was a form ofplicity, allowing J and Karen to mistreat her. Now, seeing Gary¡¯s submissive demeanor, along with his mention of Cynthia, Stacey found it difficult to refuse his request directly. Carrying on with her filming, Stacey eventually called Cynthia in the evening. In truth, she had already sent an invitation for the reunion banquet to Cynthia, along with her new husband Xavier, but had omitted inviting other members of the Mitchell family. Stacey had no desire to maintain any connection with the Mitchell family anymore. Cynthia was delighted to receive Stacey¡¯s call, but after a brief chat, she understood the purpose behind Reba, or rather Stacey, making the call. A few days ago, when Stacey sent the invitation to Cynthia, she had shared her story of acknowledging her connection to the Carter family and changing her name with Cynthia¡¯s support and joy in learning about it. During their video call, Cynthia, looking at her non¨Cbiological niece, tenderly said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, Reba. Let¡¯s forget about it. I¡¯ll call you Becky from now on. The past is in the past. Just focus on being Stagey, or being Becky in the future. You have no obligation to the Mitchell family. If you don¡¯t want to deal with them anymore, then don¡¯t.¡± Stacey hesitated. ¡°Cynthia, will this make you ufortable?¡± Cynthia smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. I don¡¯t represent the Mitchell family. Your rtionship with them, good or bad, has nothing to do with me, and certainly doesn¡¯t affect our bond.¡± If Cynthia were only in her twenties, she might have defended the Mitchell family. But now, being older and having lived most of her life, she deeply understood that since the day she got married, she was no longer a part of the Mitchell family. Her ex¨Chusband Flynn cheated on her, and even abused her, yet the Mitchell family never protected her. Instead, they advised her to endure it because Flynn¡¯spany had significant business ties with the Mitchell Group, bringing immense benefits to the family. If she divorced Flynn, the Mitchell Group would incur significant losses. The Mitchell family asked her to endure for the sake of the Mitchell Group and +98% their interests. Trusting them naively at that time, she didn¡¯t want to burden her birth family or affect the Mitchell Group, so she endured silently. Subsequently, she suffered from depression, fell ill, and at no point did the Mitchell family.fort or care for her. She remembered the medical bills of forty thousand dors. J could easily. spend tens of thousands on a dress or a bag, and the sofa in the Mitchell family¡¯s living room was valued at 120 thousand dors each. Yet, Cynthia¡¯s surgery required only forty thousand dors, and not a single person from the Mitchell family voluntarily stepped up to offer her that amount. They didn¡¯t even tell her to do the surgery. Only the seemingly clueless Reba, who had no blood ties to the Mitchell family, used her marriage to cover the forty thousand¨Cdor expense for her surgery, urging her to live well, because only by staying alive, there is hope. Since that time, she understood. In reality, she had lost her birth family long ago, leaving her all alone. Sacrificing herself for the benefit of the Mitchell family and enduring Flynn all along was just in foolish. She came to her senses, deciding not to consult with the Mitchell family, and instead divorcing Flynn directly before seeking medical treatment abroad. During her treatment overseas, Reba frequently called to check on her. When others from the Mitchell family called, they only questioned her about Flynn¡¯s divorce. They used her of ying the victim, saying that Flynn suddenly terminated many partnerships without warning, causing significant losses to the Mitchell family. They even persuaded her to return and remarry Flynn for the sake of the Mitchell family. Stacey attentively observed Cynthia¡¯s expressions. Noticing the genuine concern in Cynthia¡¯s eyes, Stacey knew that she cared about her and didn¡¯t care if the Mitchell family would be affected. However, Stacey was still somewhat uncertain. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Becky, I¡¯m pleased that you rediscovered your biological parents and realized how much your family truly loves you,¡± Cynthia interrupted Stacey, speaking earnestly. As Cynthia spoke, her eyes welled up with tears. She briefly lowered her head, took out a tissue to wipe them away. When she raised her head again, a smile graced her face. ¡°Becky, in the past, you reminded me to live well, because only by staying alive is there hope. Now, I have some advice for you.¡± + 98% ¡°You must cherish everything you have, treasure those who genuinely love you, and not waste a single moment on those who do not. It¡¯s not worth it,¡± she said. Cynthia¡¯s words seemed to strike a chord within Stacey, dispelling her doubts, worries, and unease. She knew that Cynthia spoke from the heart. ¡°Alright, I understand. Thank you, Cynthia!¡± Stacey beamed, looking at Cynthia with happiness. She felt incredibly fortunate to have such a wonderful aunt like Cynthia. ¡°Silly girl.¡± Cynthia gazed at Stacey with a mixture of envy and happiness. She envied Stacey for having a good fate and being able to reunite with her families, who loved her deeply. But she was also happy to see Reba, after enduring so many hardships, being loved by so many families once again and living a happy life..Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. CHAPTER 133 Chapter 133 After talking to Cynthia, the heavy burden that was weighing on Stacey¡¯s heart finally lifted. She felt a sense of relief and also deep sympathy for Cynthia¡¯s past struggles. Witnessing Cynthia¡¯s experiences, Stacey learned that a girl¡¯s home isn¡¯t determined by marriage alone. What truly matters are the family members who genuinely care for her¨Cher parents and siblings. With loved ones who treasure her, she¡¯ll always have a home. If a girl¡¯s parents and siblings don¡¯t show genuine love, she migh indeed feel like shecks a home after getting married, and a family like that won¡¯t mean anything to her. But Stacey also understood that it¡¯s not worth sacrificing oneself for family members who don¡¯t appreciate her, simr to how Cynthia was constantly manipted for her natal family¡¯s benefit. With that in mind, Stacey left her room, a smile gently ying on her lips. She felt lucky to have such loving parents and three protective brothers. ¡°Dad, mom,¡± Stacey called out to her parents. Patrick hade to the Aotori Shooting Base a few days ago because he missed his daughter and wife dearly, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Patrick and Debra turned to her simultaneously, their gazes affectionate. Stacey approached, taking a seat on the sofa opposite Debra, and said, ¡°This morning, my foster father, Gary called me. He wants us to send an invitation to the Mitchell family.¡± The expressions on Patrick and Debra¡¯s faces changed almost simultaneously, both looking angry After a moment of hesitation, Patrick asked, ¡°Becky, did you agree?¡± Shaking her head, Stacey replied, ¡°No, I said I needed to discuss it with mom first.¡± Debra breathed a sigh of relief, proud of her daughter for not being manipted by the Mitchell family. ¡°We don¡¯t need to bother with them,¡± Debra immediately spoke up. ¡®I hadn¡¯t even settled the score for all the years the Mitchell family had mistreated my daughter, and now they dare to try to use the Carter family? They don¡¯t have an ounce of self¨Cawareness Debra thought. Stacey nodded with a smile, ¡°Gary mentioned Cynthia and asked me to give the Mitchell family a chance for Cynthia¡¯s sake.¡± Patrick and Debra¡¯s faces changed once again. They exchanged silent nce, both thinking. This is not good. Stacey continued, ¡°But I just spoke with Cynthia on the phone, she told me not to bother about them. Cynthia said she and the Mitchell family are different and that I could do as 1 please. Patrick and Debra looked at each other once more, their expressions turning cheerful. ¡°Cynthia is really kind.¡± Patrick said with a smile. ¡°Absolutely. Do you have her number? Can I befriend her? Debra asked eagerly, wanting to know more. Stacey was surprised. ¡°You want to befriend Cynthia? Debra nodded. ¡°Yes. Cynthia is amazing. We should thank her properly.¡± Stacey smiled. ¡°Sure¡± Tll let Cynthia know,¡± Stacey said as she checked her phone. Debra nodded. Stacey quickly opened WhatsApp, found Cynthia¡¯s chat box, and messaged her, sharing that Debra wanted to be her friend. Meanwhile, Cynthia suddenly received a message from Stacey, Her eyes gleaming as she quickly replied. After getting approval from Cynthia, Stacey shared Cynthia¡¯s number with Debra. Upon receiving the number, Debra immediately added Cynthia on WhatsApp. Stacey didn¡¯t know what Debra and Cynthia said after bing friends. She was busy teaching Lillian and Kevin, helping the two kids learn to talk. Lillian and Kevin both loved ying with Stacey. They eagerly listened to her every word, mimicking her speech. As they became more eloquent, Stacey felt proud. At nine in the evening. Stacey put down her parenting book and took the two little ones for a bath. She didn¡¯t leave everything to the nanny. asionally, she found time to personally care for the children, who both enjoyed bathing with her. After giving both kids a pleasant bath, Stacey took her own shower and then cuddled with the children to sleep. Before they dozed off, just like before, she brought out a storybook to read to them. Lillian and Kevin adored listening to stories, their eyes sparkling with interest as they paid close attention.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. They¡¯d always been lulled to sleep by stories. No matter how captivating the tale was, they eventually sumbed to drowsiness. Their adorable little eyes slowly closed as they drifted off to sleep. Seeing the babies fast asleep, Stacey¡¯s voice trailed off softly. She carefully ced the storybook on the bedside table and then turned to tenderly tuck both kids in. Gently kissing their foreheads, she softly whispered. ¡°Goodnight, my darlings.¡± Stacey switched off the light, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep. When she woke up again, a new day had begun. After getting ready, she was all set to head to the set for filming. Lillian and Kevin were also up, but Stacey was in a rush and had to leave the caretaking to the nanny. Hastily finishing breakfast, she set off for the set. Rushing into the filming location, Stacey was taken aback to find Theodore there. She furrowed her brows and simply walked past him towards the set. ¡°Reba!¡± Theodore rushed over and grabbed her arm. Stacey turned to look at him. Taking a deep breath, Theodore earnestly said, ¡°I heard that the Carter family is throwing a reunion banquet for you?¡± Stacey hadn¡¯t expected him to bring this up. She nodded. ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s none of your concern.¡± Seeing her cold demeanor, Theodore felt a pang in his heart, ¡°What should I do to make you forgive me?¡± he asked earnestly Stacey chuckled, gazed up at the sky for a moment, then turned to Theodore and said. ¡°That¡¯s never going to happen. The past Reba is dead. Standing in front of you now is Stacey Carter ¡°Reba used to be your wife, the foolish woman who loved you dearly. But Stacey Carter isn¡¯t her. Stacey hasn¡¯t met you, hasn¡¯t loved you, and has no connection to you.¡± Staring into Theodore¡¯s eyes, Stacey said those words. Theodore took a step forward anxiously Reacting instinctively, Stacey performed a sweeping move, her fighting skills kicking in. Caught off guard, Theodore was tripped, and he stumbled forward. ¡°Be careful!¡± A passerby suddenly appeared, catching Theodore before he fell 16:15 Sun, Jul 28 B5. +63% Theodore regained his bnce, his face changing color, his heart beating rapidly. He looked up at Reba, or rather, Stacey Carter, feeling uncertain and shocked. Stacey was also startled. Recently, Debra had enrolled her and Charlie in a boxing ss. Apart from acting, she and Charlie had been learning boxing. The move just now was instinctive when she saw Theodore running towards her. She didn¡¯t expect that it would actually manage to knock Theodore down. CHAPTER 134 Chapter 134 +63%1 After Reba had reconciled with the Carter family, she gradually assimted into their ways, bing virtually indistinguishable from them in demeanor and action. During this time, Theodore reflected on the numerous ordeals he had endured recently, like being subjected to spitting and physical assaults ¨C behaviors typically associated with the Carter family, which Reba had now adopted. Deep inside, Theodore harbored resentment. Despite his past missteps, he had repeatedly sought Reba¡¯s forgiveness with genuine humility, fet, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder, what more could Reba possibly want from him? The strain was evident on Theodore¡¯s visage, his expression growing increasingly troubled as if a tempest was about to erupt around him. Stacey sensed the ominous shift in Theodore¡¯s presence, her heartbeat quickening. She clenched her fists, her body tensing up as she prepared for whatever was toe. In a moment of resolve, Theodore directed. ¡°Send a copy of the Carter family¡¯s invitation letter to the Edwards family!¡± His voice carried a deep, resonant tone. If Reba truly intended to reconcile, she would understand the significance of this gesture. In their private moments, anything was permissible, but publicly, he could not afford to be the subject of ridicule. Upon hearing this, Stacey turned and departed without a word. ¡°Reba Theodore eximed in frustration, ¡°What in the world do you want from me?¡± ¡°We¡¯re divorced, remember?¡± Stacey replied sinctly. Theodore¡¯s response was tinged with sarcasm as he replied, ¡°There¡¯s a limit to your ying hard to get, Reba. Don¡¯t overdo it. Asmile yed on Stacey¡¯s lips as she queried, ¡°ying hard to get?¡± She locked eyes with Theodore, her gaze piercing as she challenged, ¡°Mr. Edwards, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being overconfident?¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Their eyes met, and Theodore attempted to decipher Reba¡¯s thoughts, but all he found was an unwavering resolve that he couldn¡¯t prate. After a prolonged silence, he wearily conceded, ¡°Reba, I¡¯ll give you three more days. If you reconsider within that time, bring the invitation to the. You know how chaotic things are with the Edwards family right now, and remember, it was the Carter family who threw everything into disarray. Surely, any grievances from the past should be settled by now, right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t waste any more time on this. I need to keep a close watch on the Edwards family, or Gifford might seize control of the Edwards Group at any moment,¡± he continued, venting his frustrations in one long outburst. Exhaustion was evident in his voice; he found the situation increasingly vexing and time¨Cconsuming. Looking at Reba earnestly, he added, Kardless, I am truly sorry for everything that happened before. I¡¯ve apologized to you, Reba. Just remember, I¡¯ll be waiting for you at home.¡± Stacey, hearing this, felt a bitter irony wash over her. She had waited for him countless times, only to be met with derision and ultimately, a divorce. ¡°Don¡¯t bother waiting. It¡¯s over between us,¡± she stated tly before turning to leave. But the only thing she got was ridicule and humiliation. What she got was his divorce agreement. ¡°Don¡¯t wait. We can¡¯t do it anymore.¡± Stacey Carter said directly and then turned around to leave. Theodore, desperate to say more, opened his mouth but ultimately restrained himself. As Stacey returned to her filmi set. she readjusted her focus to her work. Unnoticed by Theodore, Jenny approached him, her toneced with envy, ¡°I really envy the attention you give her.¡± Theodore offered Jenny a rueful smile. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Jenny responded, ¡°I¡¯m concerned about you. Theodore, if she won¡¯t forgive you, perhaps you should consider moving on with me. The Smith family¡¯s resourcesbined with our capabilities could surely outmaneuver Gifford and restore your control over the Edwards family.¡± To this, Theodore merely shook his head, offering no reply. Meanwhile, at Mitchell Vi, Gary had been waiting expectantly for a response from Reba regarding the invitation, holding onto a 60% certainty that she wouldply and extend an invitation to the Mitchell family. But as dawn broke 1/2 without any news, there was still nomunication from her. Although Gary typically remained silent regarding family matters, it wasn¡¯t an indication of hisck of intelligence. He generally abstained from involvement because his wife had already handled the necessary actions, negating any need for him to step into the role of the viin. Understanding the personalities of both his daughter J and wife Karen, Gary was well aware that it would be futile for them to request an invitation from Reba. Hence, he found himself in a position where he had to act directly. He had approached Reba with a gentle strategy, entreating her carneilly, yet his efforts had been unsessful. Since Reba had be affiliated with the Carter family, she seemed increasingly beyond his influence. Nevertheless, Gary was not one to rush; he picked up his phone and dialed his sister Cynthia. While Reba had be resistant to providing favors directly to them, Gary knew she would not decline a request from Cynthia. Reba and Cynthia shared a strong bond, forged over years of closeness since Cynthia had taken great care of Reba during her early childhood. Confident in this rtionship, Gary believed that if Cynthia made the request, Reba would surely grant the invitation. At Cynthia¡¯s Boutique, Cynthia was absorbed in her work, sitting behind the counter while she sketched out new clothing designs on herputer. The sudden ring of her phone internipted her focus. ncing at the disy and recognizing Gary¡¯s name, she hesitated, her hand pausing mid¨Creach. Over the past few years, Cynthia hade to a realization that had eased her mind significantly, allowing her thoughts to flow more freely. Almost instinctively understanding why her brother might be calling now, she opted not to engage and ignored the call. The phone continued to ring persistently beside her until it finally ceased. Back at Mitchell Vi, Gary felt a mixture of confusion and concern wash over him as the phone call went unanswered. What¡¯s Cynthia up to? Why didn¡¯t she answer the phone?¡® he pondered. Despite this setback, he didn¡¯t relinquish his efforts: he dialed her number once more. As Cynthia¡¯s phone rang again, she had just resumed her artistic endeavor, picking up a brush to add a few strokes to her drawing. The repeated disruption caused by the ringing phone began to grate on her nerves. Despite confirming it was Gary calling again, Cynthia decided to leave the phone undisturbed, choosing instead to continue her work. At that moment, Xavier emerged from the lounge, having heard the phone. ¡°Cynthia, your phone¡¯s ringing,¡± he noted. Cynthia nced back at him and shook her head slightly. Just ignore it. Xavier observed the caller ID, recognizing it was Gary. ¡°Okay. The phone ceased ringing only to start again several times. ¡°Is there something wrong with him?¡± Xavier inquired, a hint of concern in his voice. Cynthia simply nodded. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s none of our business.¡± ¡°If your brother asks, just say your pone was broken identally I¡¯ll get you a new one, Xavier suggested earnestly. Cynthia looked at her husband with a mixture of appreciation and relief. Smiling, she agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± Xavier then affectionately kissed her on the cheek, his actions reflecting his deep affection for her. 2/2 CHAPTER 135 An hourter, Cynthia and Xavier departed together, towing their suitcases behind them. They had nned a short getaway. intending to celebrate it as their dyed honeymoon. By the afternoon, when Gary arrived at Cynthia¡¯s Boutique, he found the store securely locked and shuttered. Undeterred, Gary then proceeded to Cynthia and Xavier¡¯s new residence, only to discover that this location was also closed Intent on reaching Xavier, Gary pulled out his phone, only to realize in a sh of dismay that he had never obtained Xavier¡¯s contact details during theirst Christmas gathering. Now, with no way to contact him and the Carter family¡¯s banquet looming. Gary felt the pressure mounting. Unable to contain his frustration any longer, Gary took matters into his own hands; he secretly purchased a ne ticket and headed to the filming studio to confront Reba directly. The urgency to secure an invitation to the Carter family banquet had be paramount. Simrly, Michael was grappling with his own concerns. He reached out to Theodore, bewildered and anxious, and asked why they hadn¡¯t received the invitation yet, Contrarily, Helen understood the underlying dynamics of why the Carter family might not extend an invitation to the Edwards family. Now that she¡¯s reunited with her prominent biological family, she¡¯s gone for rags to riches and is now refusing to acknowledge Theodore!¡® she thought Frustrated, Helen called her son, urging him to return home. She believed that Theodore could not get Reba back, he shouldn¡¯t relentlessly pursue her just to be humiliated. Rather than fixating on Reba, Helen suggested Theodore focus his attention on Jenny. Though the Smith family was slightly less influential than the Carter family, aligning with them still held promising prospects for the Edwards family. With Jenny by his side, there might be significant opportunities for both the Edwards and Smith families to flourish, possibly even overtaking the Carter family in the future. Receiving this call from his mother and hearing her analysis prompted a mix of reactions from Theodore. ¡®Reba wouldn¡¯t refuse to get back together with me. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s just throwing a tantrum, he thought. However, as he formted a response, he found himself speechless, realizing that Reba¡¯s recent actions might indicate a genuine desire to sever tiespletely. Resigned. Theodore agreed, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be back in a few days.¡± I can¡¯t keep staying here and ying along with Reba¡¯s tantrums, especially with pressing matters awaiting my attention at thepany. I can¡¯t afford to have Gifford mess round in my absence. Perhaps giving Reba some space might be beneficial. Besides, I need to strategize on managing the Edwards Group and ensuring Michael relinquishes his shares. Im sick and tired of being manipted by those fools! he reasoned. Meanwhile, Stacey found herself disconnected from the concems of the Mitchell and Edwards families. She had been exceedingly busy; each day after filming, her mother would eagerly style her in various outfits and experiment with different makeup looks, transforming her appearance dramatically. Stacey couldn¡¯t help but wonder if her mother viewed her as a mere doll, dressing and making her up incessantly, often more borately than her roles required. ¡°What do you think? Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± Debra, inquired afterpleting another transformation, her smile reflecting her satisfaction. Looking at her reflection, Stacey thought, ¡®It¡¯s really pretty, but this is probably thest outfit, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. Mom, I think this look is very good. How about we use this look at the banquet?¡± she ventured cautiously as she watched her mother¡¯s reaction, worried that any hint of dissatisfaction might prompt yet another makeover. Debra paused, seeming to contemte another change, which made Stacey¡¯s heart sink. Quietly, she moved away, subtly lifting the hem of her dress and running out of the room. Rushing into the living room, she turned to her father, twirling and asking, ¡°Dad, isn¡¯t my outfit the most beautiful in the world?¡± As she spun around, she noticed her mother following her. Completing a full 360¨Cdegree turn, she swiftly winked at Patrick, silently pleading for his support¨CPatrick, catching on to his beloved daughter¡¯s cues, chuckled heartily. Just then, a little voice eximed with admiration, ¡°Mommy, you look so beautiful! Mommy, you¡¯re the most beautiful in the world!¡± another chimed in.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Lillian and Kevin ran to their mother with wide¨Ceyed admiration. As they spoke, they reached out to touch Stacey¡¯s skirt, dazzled by their mother¡¯s beauty. Upon hearing the little ones¡® voices, Debra was delighted and scooped up her grandchildren, asking. ¡°Really? Do you both think your mom is particrly beautiful today?¡± An hourter, Cynth An hourter, Cynth ¡°Yes!¡± Lillian dered, her excitement palpable. ¡°Grandma, I¡­ want to be dressed up too!¡± she then pleaded eagerly. ¡°Me tool¡± Kevin echoed his sister¡¯s sentiment, afraid that his grama might not dress him up otherwise. ¡°Okay!¡± Laughing, Debra assured them. ¡°On the day of the banquet, not only your mother but you two little ones will also be dressed up.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be the prettiest in the world Lillian chimed in. Debraughed as she enveloped the two little ones in an embrace, nting kisses on their cheeks. ¡°Of course, my dear!¡± Stacey, meanwhile, discreetly covered her face, finding the scend slightly overwhelming yet endearing. ¡°Mom, my brothers and Dad will also be in attendance, right? Should we prepare an outfit for everyone?¡± she suggested, hoping to involve the whole family. Just then, Charlie entered, overhearing the conversation. A sense of foreboding washed over hirm as he eyed the scene warily. Debra, catching sight of her youngest son, pondered for a moment before nodding affirmatively, ¡°We¡¯ll have to design our looks carefully. Everyone needs to dress up so the whole world knows our baby princess is back and the Carter family is super happy!¡± Even Patrick, sitting on the couch, froze when he heard his daughter¡¯s words. Although it hasn¡¯t been that long since she came back, Becky is fitting right into our family. She¡¯s adopting our mannerisms and our cunningness¡­ This must be her revenge! Becky¡¯s taking revenge on me for not being the first to speak up for her! he mused. CHAPTER 136 Chapter 136 A week had passed, and the cast of ¡°The Empress found themselves on a well¨Cdeserved vacation. In a grand gesture, the Carter family had chartered a ne and whisked all the staff from the series to gua City for avish homing banquet in honor of Stacey. Alongside the film crew, the ne was filled with a host of Charlie¡¯s acquaintances including Lynn, Courtney, and a slew of prominent directors and actors from the entertainment industry. It was quite the gathering. with the Carter family extending invites far and wide, weing anyone who was avable to partake in the festivities Sierra, the stylist, found herself marveling at her second visit to gua City in just a few months, each asion memorable and unique. Her first visit had been marked by a helicopter ride her first ever, and now, she found herself aboard a Carter- family¨Cchartered ne surrounded by A¨Clisters of the entertainment industry. The journey took a full day, and upon arrival, everyone disembarked in an orderly fashion. Joshua, the Carter family¡¯s butler, greeted them at the airport gate, nked by a bevy of attendants. Outside, a lineup of luxury cars awaited ready to the transport everyone to their hotel. The guests filed into the vehicles, departing one by one as filled. At the back of the line, Sierra couldn¡¯t resist capturing the opulent scene on her phone. However, as their turn approached. she quickly tucked her phone away. Stacey, having noticed Sierra¡¯s sneaky snapshot, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Sierra, Malcolm, thank you for going through the trouble of traveling to join us here. she invited warmly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Becky. Congrattions on your return to the Carter family!¡± Sierra responded quickly, offering her genuine congrattions,¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Stacey replied with a smile. Malcolm added, ¡°Becky, Sierra and I will head to the hotel first. See you tomorrow.¡± Stacey¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Okay, see you tomorrow.¡± After ensuring all guests were attended to and had left for the hotel under Nick¡¯s guidance, the Carter family themselves. finally got into their luxury car and drove home. Nik made sure that the hotel staff was well¨Cprepared to look after the guests, ensuring they felt nothing short of weed. Now, it was time for the hosts themselves to rest and rejuvenate for the festivities tomorrow. Today¡¯s arrivals weren¡¯t just from the Aotori shooting base. The Carter family had also organized for guests from Hivalis to be flown in, and those from Maeloria posed more of a logistical challenge. Proactive as ever, they had driven to Hivalis a few hours earlier to connect with the flight to gua City. Curiously, the Mitchell and Edwards families were notably absent, sparking whispers among some who suspected a separate arrangement might have been made for them. Many spected that perhaps the Carter family hadt another ne or even a helicopter for them, given their distinct standing.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. As these musings circted, the very helicopter presumed to fetch them returned from Maeloria. Itnded with a resounding thud, but to everyone¡¯s surprise, it wasn¡¯t the Mitchell or Edwards family members who disembarked. Instead, Bryce, the Carter family¡¯s second son, exited with his colleagues. The return of their long¨Clost sister after 23 years had sparked immense joy within the Carter family. Previously, Bryce had introduced his colleagues to his sister at the Civil Registry Office, and now he had invited them to join the family banquet. iven the distance from Maeloria to gua City, the convenience of helicopter transport made attendance at the banquet a elightful prospect for Bryce¡¯s colleagues. They dly epted the invitation, eager to partake in the family¡¯s celebrations. Uponnding at the Carter Manor, Bryce led his colleagues on a brief tour before Nick ushered them to the hotel to rest and prepare for the uing festivities. Among Bryce¡¯s colleagues was his female colleague, whom Debra and Stacey had previously met at the Civil Registry Office. This time around, only the female colleague returned with Bryce from the hotel. Overjoyed, Debra exchanged knowing nces with her husband, Patrick, eagerly awaiting their son¡¯s exnation of the unfolding events. The conclusion was as expected and pleasantly satisfying. Stacey had learned the name of the girl, Ramona Quigley, a 28¨Cyear¨Cold whose parents were simple, honest civil servants. She was merely a year older than Stacey The Carter family was thoroughly pleased with this potential unjon. Debra was especially eager to wee Ramona as her daughter¨Cinw, seeing a bright future ahead. However, the looming concern was still Adrian. After his mother¡¯s worried +63% gaze became too much, he excused himself, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going back to my room,¡± his difort Debra watched him retreat, her gaze lingering on his departing figure until he vanished around the corner. Turning to Patrick with a worried expression, she voiced her fears, ¡°What should we do about Adrian?¡± Patrick tried to reassure her, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. They are old enough to make their own decisions.¡± ¡°But he¡¯s already 35 years old¡­ Debra fretted, her brow furrowing as a new worry struck her, ¡°Patrick, do you think there¡¯s something wrong with his health? Is that why he hasn¡¯t shown interest in anyone for so many years?¡± Stacey was taken aback by her mother¡¯s suggestion. ¡®Is Adriai¡­ sick?¡® she wondered. This news startled not only Stacey but also Bryce and Charlie. Seeing their mother and sister¡¯s serious expressions sent a chill down their spines. ¡®If we don¡¯t find ourselves a partner soon will Mom there¡¯s something wrong with us too? they pondered. This sentiment also shocked Patrick, who hesitated before saying, ¡°That¡­ can¡¯t be, right?¡± In the midst of her musings. Debra turned to look at Bryce. Bryce, seeing everyone¡¯s eyes on him, quickly asserted, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with my health! Nothing at allf This elicitedughter from Ramona, who could no longer hold back her emotions as she found the entire exchange all too amusing Hahahaha!¡± CHAPTER 137 Ramona¡¯s smile ignited a wave ofughter that rippled through the entire family. Lillian and Kevin joined in, their giggles echoing around the room. They may not have understood the jake, but their joy in the shared family moment was infectious. Meanwhile, in Macloria, the atmosphere at the Mitchell family Home was starkly different, weighed down by tension and disappointment, Gary had recently made a trip to the Aotori shooting base in a determined effort to see Reba, but his attempts were thwarted. He had even tried to approach the gatedmunity where the Carter family resided, hoping to find her there, but strict security barred his entry, allowing only residents through. Frustrated, he then aimed to connect with her at the film crew¡¯s location, only to discover from the st that Reba hadn¡¯t yet arrived. With no other option, Gary settled in to wait. However, his patience was cut short when he received an urgent message from a Mitchell Group assistant, demanding his immediate return to dress a pressingpany matter, so he had no choice but to temporarily leave the Aotori shooting base. This unexpected detour ultimately cost him several days, and by the time he was able to refocus on his original mission, the Carter family had already arranged transportation for all attendees of the banquet. Worried about the optics of the Mitchell family¡¯s absence, Cary fretted over the potential gossip that might swirl around their non¨Cattendance. What should I do? Are we about to be the butt of the joke? Will people find out that we¡¯ve mistreated Reba in the past, and that¡¯s why our rtionship with the Carter family is strained? These thoughts gued Gary, robbing him of sleep. In a desperate move, he decided to reach out to Cynthia, hoping her close bond with Reba could sway her to secure an invitation for their family, thus sparing them any embarrassment. Yet, try as he might, Gary couldn¡¯t reach Cynthia. He started to suspect she was avoiding his calls. Frustrated and running out of options, he reluctantly dialed J¡¯s number. J, who had interacted the most with Reba since childhood, was hisst hope. ¡®Maybe she has a n to secure us an invitation?¡® he mused, though he didn¡¯t hold much optimism. At that point, J was at the Aotori shooting base, deeply immersed in hertest project, ¡°Her Majesty,¡± a script adapted from her role in ¡°The Empress¡± but heavily modified to suit the new narrative. The project was behind schedule, and they were still writing the script while shooting, necessitating frequente nights and continuous revisions to perfect the storyline. Despite the exhaustion, J was fueled by the ambition of outshining ¡°The Empress¡± and stepping on Reba while earning praises for her work. That evening, while rehearsing her lines for the next day in her hotel room, J was interrupted by a call from her father. Initially surprised, she soon felt irritation wash over her as she realized the reason for his call. ¡®Dad wants me to secure an invitation for him to Reba¡¯s homeoming banquet? she thought. ¡°Dad, what are you doing at her house! Can¡¯t you see? Reba has nothing to do with our family now. She¡¯s just an ungrateful woman who doesn¡¯t want to acknowledge us after finding her biological parents¡± J eximed in frustration. Gary sighed on the other end. Janie, I know what you mean. But think about it, the Carter family didn¡¯t invite us. What will people say? That we mistreated Reba and that¡¯s why we weren¡¯t invited?¡± ¡°How did we mistreat her? If it weren¡¯t for our family, she would have been in dire straits!¡± J retorted fiercely. ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that, but not everyone sees things our way. The Carter family holds sway, and people tend to side with them. It¡¯s all about who you please these days,¡± Gary responded, his voiceced with worry. ¡°Janie, you usually have a lot of contact with Reba. Can¡¯t you find a way to get us an invitation¡± he asked cautiously. ¡°What? Dad, just don¡¯t go. It doesn¡¯t matter if they didn¡¯t invite us- you shouldn¡¯t go either! Who is Reba? She doesn¡¯t want to acknowledge us, and we don¡¯t need to acknowledge her either. For more than 20 years, even a dog knows to show gratitude, but Reba only bites the hand that fed her! She should just fuck off!¡± J eximed, her anger palpable. After her outburst, she hung up abruptly and fossed her phone onto the bed. Over at the Mitchell Vi, Gary couldn¡¯t help but sigh when the call disconnected. Although he had anticipated his daughter¡¯s reaction, he still felt a mixture of emotions. After taking a brief moment to cool down, J picked up her phoneContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. and called her father bark, Cary, seeing the caller ID, answered anxiously, ¡°Janie?¡± ¡°Dad, stay out of Reba¡¯s business. She¡¯s with the Carter family how and won¡¯t care about us. But don¡¯t worry ¨C how high she climbs now, just means the fall will be harder. I¡¯ll make sure the falls hard¡± J spoke with a chilling resolve. Gary felt a sudden dread. ¡°Janie? What are you nning to do?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but recall the fact that J had bullied. Reba since their childhood. Now that Reba had the support of the Carter family, she became a figure they simply couldn¡¯t afford to offend. Despite being a selfish man, Gary felt ajang of concern for his only daughter. He worried about the repercussions from the Carter family if J acted on her threats. Janie, don¡¯t do anything rash. Let me handle it. Just focus on your life, and don¡¯t go against Reba again,¡± he urged, trying to diffuse her anger. J¡¯s impatience was palpable. Buried in her workload, she needed to quickly memorize her script to avoid any holdups during tomorrow¡¯s shoot. ¡°Okay, Dad. I¡¯ll hang up if there¡¯s nothing else. I¡¯m busy and need to get back to the script,¡± J stated briskly. Hearing hermitment to her work reassured Gary that she was too upied to stir any trouble with Reba. He responded, ¡°Okay, then you should concentrate on your work, and I won¡¯t keep you any longer After ending the call, J immediately picked up her script to continue memorizing her lines. In the adjacent room, Tina Morgan, the screenwriter for ¡°Her Majesty,¡± was also deeply engrossed in her task, typing away feverishly to finalize the script without dy. CHAPTER 138 Chapter 138 Meanwhile, Gary was left to wrestle with the reality that securing an invitation from the Carter family might be ant impossible task. Despite his disappointment and growing anxiety over the familial and public perception, he felt powerless to change the situation. On the other hand, Michael had been confidently expecting an invitation and had even prepared a gift in anticipation of attending the event. However, to his dismay. Theodore informed him that despite his efforts, he had failed to secure an invitation. This news exacerbated Michael¡¯s concern about the bifting dynamics within his family, particrly the unstable rtionship between his son and daughter¨Cin¨C. ¡°Are they going to break up? They can¡¯t! This is the Carter family we¡¯re talking about! he thought. Frustration took hold of Michael, and he found himself on the verge of losing his temper. Reflecting on old sayings, he mused, ¡®Indeed, dumb dogs are often the most dangerous. He had always regarded his daughter¨Cinw as obedient and sensible, yet now it appeared she had orchestrated a clever scheine against him. It was a testament to her Carter bloodline -cunning was apparently ingrained in her, regardless of her upbringing in the more modest Mitchell family. ¡°I don¡¯t think the Carter family is indispensable,¡± Theodore dered in the office to his father. ¡°If our family aligns with the Smith family and gains their full backing, we can still venture into overseas markets. Intrigued by this strategic shift. Michael eyed Theodore and inquired, ¡°Do you n to be with Jenny?¡± Internally, Michael considered, ¡®Indeed, aligning my son with Jenny from the Smith family might not be such a bad idea. Although the Smith family isn¡¯t as prominent as the Carter family, they hold their own merit. Theodore, after a brief hesitation, shook his head and replied, ¡°No, but I¡¯ve made things clear to Jenny. She understands my position. Even if we don¡¯t marry, we can maintain our friendship and foster cooperation between the Edwards and Smith families.¡± Pleased with his son¡¯s diplomatic approach, Michael pped Theodore on the shoulder, beaming with pride. Theodore, I didn¡¯t expect you to be the most like me among your siblings. Let¡¯s coborate to take the Edwards family business global!¡± Michael eximed, his spirits lifted by the discussih. He then fantasized about the Edwards Group expanding globally, feeling a surge of happiness. However, Theodore, more reserved merely lowered his eyes without response. Theodore lowered his eyes and didn¡¯t answer Michael, Michael, undeterred, continued optimistically, ¡°Since Jenny is so understanding, there¡¯s no rush to sever ties with the Carter family. After all, you and Reba share two children. If the opportunity arises, try to regain your control over them. Should we manage to align with both the Carter and Smith families, our family¡¯s prospects will only improve.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. The following day marked the anticipated banquet. Stacey rose early and sat for makeup, a process that on this particr morning filled her with a joy akin to a child receiving candy. It took two hours just to perfect her makeup, and then it was time to prepare Lillian and Kevin. The two little ones were her precious children, and they naturally had to be dressed to the nines alongside their mother. However, a minor hup urred when Kevin, usually calm and collected, realized he was the only one in a ck suit while his mother and sister donned beautiful dresses. Feeling out of ce and somewhat less adorned, he became overwhelmed and started crying. The family quickly rallied around him, soothing him with turns offort and yful balloons, which eventually calmed him down. Once everyone was ready, the family proceeded to the hotel where the banquet was being held. The guests, having stayed overnight, were already congregating in the lively banquet hall. Stacey, along with her parents and children, greeted the guests, many of whom brought gifts for both the adults and the children. Thankfully, waiters were on hand to manage the influx of presents, holding them at either side. Noteworthy among the attendees were Charlie¡¯s friends, Ernest and Jarvis, whose long¨Cawaited reunion with Stacey was marked by joy and generous gifts. The guests from gua City, though arriving a tadter, filled the room by eleven in the morning. #%89 + At this pivotal moment-Patrick and Debra, with a sense of ceremony and gravity, approached the microphone. The couple, with a touch of grace, escorted Stacey to the forefront of the stage. Lillian and Kevin, brimming with youthful enthusiasm, trailed behind their mother, closely watched over by their three attentive uncles. The air grew thick with emotion as Patrick and Debramenced a heartfelt speech that journeyed back through the decades to a time when their daughter was not yet lost to them those carefree days more than 20 years ago before the agony of separation had touched their lives. The banquet hall¡¯srge screen flickered to life, disying numerous photographs of Stacey as a child. These images captured her innocent visage -sometimes in the embrace of her parents, sometimes frolicking with her brothers, and at times, captured In a solo portrait, her expression pensive yet endearing. As Stacey gazed at these snapshots of her past, and then at her parents standing resolutely on the stage, the emotional weight of the asion overwhelmed her. Though not overtaken by sadness, the poignant atmosphere moved her deeply, and she found herself unable to hold back tears. Despite the rollercoaster of emotions and the convoluted path that had led her back, this was a moment of triumph she was home atst, reunited with her family, her parents, and her brothers. As her parents concluded their recounting of these memories, apuse cascaded through the hall, each p seeming to infuse the space with warmth and joy. With solemnity, Patrick and Debra then introduced Stacey to all in attendance, making a particr note of her official name. Stacey Carter, and her beloved children, Lillian and Kevin. It was then that the Carter family made a groundbreaking announcement that would forever alter the fabric of their legacy Stacey was to have the same rights of inheritance as the three sons of the Carter family. Moreover, her children, Lillian and Kevin, would also share these rights, equating them with any future offspring of the Carter brothers. The revtion sent a wave of astonishment throughout the room. It was indeed a joyous asion to celebrate the return of the Carter daughter, but the deration that she and her children would hold equal standing in the inheritance was profoundly unexpected. Th CHAPTER 139 At the banquet, many guests from Macloria hade knowing that Reba ¨C now formally known as Stacey Carter ¨C and her two young children were part of the Edwards family. As they mingled and enjoyed the festivities, a realization dawned upon them ¨C they had not seen any members of the Edwards Carily. Curious and somewhat concerned, they scanned the room, searching for familiar faces associated with the Edwards family. Pondering over their activities for the past two days, which included flying and staying at hotels, they wondered, ¡°Why haven¡¯t we seen the Edwards family at all during this event? Why would the Edwards family not attend, especially when their daughter¨Cinw is from a distinguished family like the Caster faully?¡± Among those unaware of the underlying tensions, confusion reigned Meanwhile, those in the know couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the situation. One of the guests couldn¡¯t contain his amusement andughed out loud, drawing curious nces ¡°Yohannes, what are youughing at? It¡¯s kind of creepy, remarked one of his friends, puzzled by his reaction. With a smirk. Yohannes Larson raised his ss, took a sip, and teased, ¡°Do you want to know why neither the Edwards family nor the Mitchell family showed up?¡± ¡°Come to think of it, we haven¡¯t seen the Edwards or Mitchell families ever since we got here. Where are they? Darren Wilkins mused. Now intrigued by the mystery of their absence, be pressed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t theye!¡± Yohannes exchanged a knowing look with Darren and chuckled softly. He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, ¡°It¡¯s because they¡¯ve practically sabotaged themselves with their anties¡± Darren¡¯s eyes widened with curiosity, prompting her to ask eagerly, ¡°How did they manage that?¡± Yohannes, ensuring they were not overheard, pulled Darren aside and after ensuring his loyalty with potential benefits from a cooperation project, divulged the juicy details. Darren was astounded by the revtions, his eyes widening with each word ¡°So Reba- sorry, I mean Stacey is no longer tied to the Edwards family, correct?¡± he confirmed with Yohannes, his eyes sparkling with intrigue. Yohannes nodded, his expression one of mischief as he revealed ¡°Exactly. Why else would her children carry the Carter family name exclusively? Haven¡¯t you heard? Lillian and Kevin are officially registered under the Carter family, and they have nothing to do with the Edwards family now. Darren, intrigued, pondered the implications, They¡¯re divorced. So, does that mean Ms. Carter is single now? There won¡¯t be a problem if I ask my son to pursue her now, will there?¡± Yohannes was taken aback by Darren¡¯s forwardness. ¡®Wait, we can do that?¡® he pondered, bewildered by the matchmaking ns. As he looked at Darren, Yohannes thought about his married son and then nced back at Stacey on the stage, feeling like his family had missed out on a fortune.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. However, the thought struck him that though his son was married, he had a nephew who was eligible. Perhaps, if my nephew pursued Ms. Carter and seeded, our families could still be united in some way! Yohannes mused. Mulling over this idea, he felt as if a clear path had beenid out before him. He raised his ss to Darren, proposing, ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± though Darren remained skeptical. Darren stared at Yohannes, musing, ¡°Why do I feel like there¡¯s something off about his smile? Is he plotting something? Yohannes and Darren were merely representatives of a broader sentiment that spread through the crowd at the banquet Upon hearing the Carter family¡¯s deration that not only their daughter but also her children were granted inheritance rights, many attendees began to entertain simr notions. The banquet was set to be an all¨Cday affair, offering everyone the opportunity to indulge in an array of foods and beverages to their heart¡¯s content. Additionally, a special lounge had been prepared upstairs, featuring various entertainment options for those desiring a break from the main festivities. In the main hall, professional performances were scheduled throughout the day to enhance the celebratory atmosphere. Lillian and Kevin, particrly fond of such disys, positioned themselves up front. Their young faces lit up with wonder, and they were so captivated by the performances that they seemed glued to ??? ? 16-16 Sun, Jul 28 the spot. reluctant to misvegen a moment. Meanwhile, the Carter family¡¯s official Twitter ount, manage.. by a reporter who had been strategically hired beforehand began disseminating joyous updates about Stacey¡¯s formal return to the family fold. The announcements made it clear that Stacey was to enjoy the same inheritance rights as her brothers, a policy that extended to her children as well, ensuring they would be treated on par with their cousins in the future. This groundbreaking news quickly spread as Charlie enthusiastically liked and retweeted the post. The inte buzzed with activity as more and more people engaged with the news. The hashtags, ¡°BeckyHasOfficiallyReturned ToTheCarter Family¡± and ¡°Becky AndHerkidsHaveTheRightTolnherifTheCarter FamilyFordine surged in poprity, bing trending topics within hours The onlinemunity overflowed with messages expressing a mix of congrattions and envy. [Congrattions, Becky, on your return to the Carter family!] [Congrattions to Chuck on reuniting with his long¨Clost sister [I¡¯m so envious that Becky is Chuck¡¯s little sister.] [Well. I¡¯m envious that Becky has such a powerful family backing her!] Others envied Becky for her newfound standing within such a prestigious family, and admiration for the Carter family¡¯s progressive stance on gender equality in inheritance a rarity that many found aspirational. Amidst this online fervor, Gary felt increasingly isted and distracted at work. Unable to participate in the celebrations, he found himself frequently checking his phone for updates from old friends and business associates, many of whom had been. lucky enough to attend the grand event. His business group chat initially quiet, burst into life around midday as discussions about the banquet¡¯svishness and the Carter family¡¯s bold derations picked up. Gary¡¯s heart sank as he read message after message detailing the festivities and the family¡¯s progressive announcement on inheritance rights. When Gary encountered the news, he was absolutely dumbfounded. It felt as though he was sitting on a scorching seat, his disbelief igniting a fiery difort. His first instinct was to reject the reality before him, for it just seemed so imusible. It¡¯s impossible!¡® he thought. ¡°The Carter family, with its three sons, is now extending equal inheritance rights to a daughter? Such a notion was almost unheard of in our circle!¡± Yet, as he scrolled through his phone, the Carter family¡¯s official Twitter feed along with numerous media reports confirmed the groundbreaking news about Reba, now known as Stacey Carter. The inte was aze with articles and discussions about her, it seemed every news our had something to say about the Carter family¡¯s unprecedented decision. Gary meticulously went through each piece of news, his initial shock slowly turning into a deep¨Cseated annoyance and regret The more he read, the more he ruminated on the past ¨C if only he had recognized the full extent of Reba¡¯s potential and treated her with the respect she deserved.. Regret gnawed at him as he considered the missed opportunities. If only the Mitchell family had nurtured Reba properly, if only he hadn¡¯t allowed his wife and daughter to mistreat her, perhaps their family could have been riding on the coattails of her sess now. Gary found himselfmenting internally, Why weren¡¯t J and Karen more amodating? We had the means. There was absolutely no reason why we couldn¡¯t have supported Reba more. We could have easily afforded to provide her with everything she needed to excell These thoughts tormented Gary momentarily, but he soon managed to gather hisposure. After all, Janie was his biological daughter, and he felt it wasn¡¯t right to harbor resentment toward her over someone who was, at the end of the day, an outsider to their immediate family. Meanwhile, at Mitchell Vi, Karen also stumbled upon the trending news. She had been aware for some time that the Carter family would publicly acknowledge Reba as their long¨Clost daughter. However, their intention to grant Reba and her children the same rights as their sons was entirely unexpected, and the reality of it happening struck her with force. She stood up, overwhelmed by a mix of shock and indignation. How could the Carter family extend such generosity to that bitch? she thought. CHAPTER 140 Chapter 140 63% Karen felt a surge of hatred as she thought, Had I known about this earlier, I would¡¯ve thrown that bitch into some remote. obscure mountain vige! That way, the Carter family would never have found her, and she wouldn¡¯t be basking in glory right now. Now, everyone¡¯s morking me and Janie because of he! The longer Karen dwelled on this, the more her anger festered, ultimately causing her to ruin her freshly done manicure. Simultaneously, at Edwards Vi, Michael also caught the news le swiftly verified the Carter family¡¯s formal statement on Twitter. When he learned it was authentic, Michael¡¯s joy soared, and he mused, ¡®Since the Carter family decided to grant inheritance rights to those two kids, their fortune would eventually enrich the Edwards family, which they¡¯re part off With each thought. Michael¡¯s grin widened, unable to mask his glee. Without dy, Michael shared the jubnt news with Theodore reconciliation failed, he must vie for the kids custody. Gaining would ultimately flow into the Edwards¡® coffers. urging him to strive to reconcile with Reba. Even if istody would ensure that the substantial Carter inheritanceC0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Theodore, already aware of the Carter family¡¯s deration, was genuinely astonished. Like many, he pondered, The Carter family has multiple sons; why grant their daughter equal inheritance rights?¡± While Reba celebrated. Theodore felt perturbed about the Edwards family¡¯s familial strife. Gifford watched him keenly, and neither Oscar nor Tiffany were ready to forfeit their inheritance ims. Crucially, though Michael seemed detached from corporate dealings, he maintained a firm grip on the Edwards Group¡¯s shares. As long as Michael held those shares, Theodore couldn¡¯t fully rx. After some reflection, Theodore¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He was determined not to let this status quo linger; those shares would soon be his. After mulling over the situation, Theodore picked up his phone andposed a congrattory message to Reba. Meanwhile, in gua City, Stacey¡¯s phone chimed. She discovered a message from an unknown sender:[Reba, Congrattions on rejoining the Carter family with the children Wishing you all happiness ¨C Theodore.] 9 Disgust washed over Stacey as she read. She instantly deleted the message and blocked Theodore¡¯s number. After managing the situation, Stacey briefly toyed with the idea of changing her number. Theodore¡¯s relentless attempts to contact her using various numbers had been exceedingly bothersome. Yet, she quickly dismissed the notion. Changing her number was easy. but keeping it from Theodore would prove more difficult. Phone numbers were essential for maintaining connections. Shed have to give her new number to new acquaintances, and if Theodore was determined, he could easily obtain it. Deciding to set aside her concerns about Theodore, Stacey returned her phone to her purse. She rejoined the festivities on stage, enjoying the performance with her children. The banquet wrapped up quickly, and everyone departed the next day. Stacey traveled back to the Aotori shooting base with her children and the film crew, However, their stay at the shooting base was brief this time around. They soon departed as the film crew had finished the indoor scenes and were moving to outdoor locations. Unfazed by the inconvenience, Debra decided it was a perfect opportunity for the nanny and children to apany the film crew, dubbing it a holiday. However, Stacey hadn¡¯t expected the ¡°chance¡± encounter that awaited them at their new location. As Stacey entered the amodation arranged by the film crew, a young man hurried out and bumped into her. She fell before she could react. With his swift reflexes, the many down, attempting to cushion her fall. Having been trained inbat arts at her mother¡¯s asistence, Stacey adeptly twisted her body,nding next to the man instead of on him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Are you all right?¡± he said, quickly standing and offering a hand to help her up. Stacey brushed off his hand and stood independently. Hello, I¡¯m Russel Hampton, and I sincerely apologize for the mishap earlier. Perhaps I could make it up to you by inviting you to dinner sometime as a gesture of apology?¡± Russel suggested with a warm smile, extending his hand in a friendly manner toward Stacey. ¡°No, thanks,¡± Stacey responded briskly, her tone firm. Russel, taken aback by her swift rejection, quickly attempted andher approach, ¡°Maybe we could exchange WhatsApp contacts instead? Since I was the one who bumped into you, calling you to fall, it might be best for you to get a medical check¨Cup. Should any issues ariseter, you¡¯d be able to contact ne immediately. I¡¯ll ept full responsibility for the ident? However, Stacey, clearly unimpressed by his efforts, countered ispiciously, ¡°You did that on purpose, didn¡¯t you?¡± Stunned by her usation, Russel could only stare nkly at her, his phone in hand. Meanwhile, Debra, who had been leading the way, noticed her daughtergging behind and rushed back to assess the situation. Seeing her mother approaching, Stacey quickly moved toward her. Debra eyed Russel with a mix of curiosity and confusion, but she continued to guide her daughter toward their amodation without further interaction. Once inside their room, Debra inquired with concern, ¡°Who was that man carlier?¡± ¡°No idea, but it feels like he did that on purpose, Stacey admitted, her instincts tingling with suspicion. As they settled in, a sudden noise from outside their door caught Stacey¡¯s attention. She opened it to find Russel standing there, a grin spread across his face as he waved casually. ¡°Hi there, it was actually me who bumped into you deliberately. I need to ask you for a favor. Would that be okay?¡± Stacey, puzzled by his audacity, queried, ¡°What do you need?¡± Russel nced back cautiously at the two bodyguards stationed nearby, Stacey recognized them; the Carter family had employed them for her protection and to ward off any intrusive paparazzi. With a resigned sigh, Russel stepped into her room and began his tale. ¡°Your family hosted a banquet a few days ago, right? My dad attended, and when he returned, he ordered me to pursue you romantically. If I didn¡¯tply, he threatened to break my legs!¡± Russel¡¯s voice carried a note of desperation as he continued, ¡°I had no choice but to create this scenario to meet you.¡± Pulling out his phone, he added, ¡°I meant no harm; I just wanted to be friends. Ms. Carter, I don¡¯t expect to seed. I just want to record this incident to show my dad that I¡¯ve tried and you weren¡¯t interested in me. That way, he would stop pressuring
  1. me.
After his exnation, Russel pulled out his phone, yed the video he had just recorded, and handed it to Stacey. ¡°Ms. Carter, please review this video yourself. It captures a regr encounter between us. There is absolutely nothing amiss with dad my this video! I just need this small favor. Please allow me to use this video as evidence to show Initially at a loss for words, Stacey took the phone and scrutinized the video that Russel had covertly made. Debra also peered over her shoulder, watching the footage. After viewing it she confirmed that it indeed depicted just a simple, harmless encounter. CHAPTER 141 ¡°Let¡¯s see how things go after Chuck has a look at the video,¡± Debra reminded Stacey nodded. ¡°Sure. She looked up at Russel after concurring with Debra and stated, ¡°Can you send me this video?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± he replied enthusiastically. His eyes lit up as he quickly took out his phone, looking at Stacey with expectation ¡°We¡¯ll need to swap numbers, then I can send it over to you.¡± His eager demeanor slightly amused her, and she responded with a slight smirk, ¡°Okay¡± ¡®No big deal. I¡¯ll just block him if he turns out to be dodgy, she thought. At that moment, Debra interjected, ¡°I¡¯ll give you my number instead.¡± She was constantly wary of men who approached her daughter.with ulterior motives. After all, Stacey had just gotten out of a pickle with difficulty and couldn¡¯t afford to fall for the trickery of such sleazeballs again. Russel was momentarily speechless, his smile fading quickly. Meanwhile, Debra took out her phone and added his contact, soon receiving the video he sent over. Russel¡¯s eyes flitted between Debra and Stacey, then he exhaled and remarked somberly, ¡°Trying to woo you seems quite the challenge, Ms. Carter. Stacey couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter at his ¡°Don¡¯t you sweet talk my daughter!¡± Debra eyed Russel dubiously as she warned him. The Carter family won¡¯t be fooled so easily!¡® she mused. In response, Russel quickly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. ¡°I promise, 1¡­¡± He trailed off, distracted and suddenly captivated by the radiant smile on Stacey¡¯s face. She¡¯s truly beautiful when she smiles, he thought. Observing Russel stiring at Stacey mid¨Csentence, Debra deliberately started to cough loudly. This snapped Russel out of his daze. However, he had lost his train of thought upon turning his attention back to Debra. Sheepishly, he lowered his hands and quickly rified, ¡°Please rest assured; I have no ulterior motives.¡± Debra snorted coldly. She would have believed him before, but not anymore. Debra¡¯s guard was up as she contemted, She might have believed him previously, but not under the current circumstances. Debra was cautious, thinking, My dear daughter deserves only the best, and those with dishonorable intentions can get lost ¡°Erase the video from your phone for now. If I decide it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll send it back to you, and then you can show it to your father,¡± shemanded firmly, ¡°All right. Thank you, Madam!¡± Russel responded eagerly, promptly deleting the video in front of them. The professional bodyguards made sure to verify that no unauthorized videos of Stacey remained on his device before handing it back. Meanwhile, Theodore, Taylor Morgan, andn were relishing a barbecue in a private room at a restaurant in Marloria. Seated next to Taylor was his current girlfriend, Celeste Wayne. ¡°Theodore, what¡¯s the situation between you and Reba?¡±n inquired. Taylor looked over at Theodore, chiming in, ¡°Are you nning un remarrying her?¡± Samuel cut to the chase, saying. ¡°The Carter family has officially weed Reba back and publicly dered that Stacey, I mean Reba, and her child are heirs to their fortune. Now, it seems everyone is vying for her attention.¡± ¡°My dad urged me to pursue her just two days ago,¡± Taylor added ¡°What exactly do you mean by that?¡± Theodore asked, his irritation apparent as he red at Taylor, Just checking if you¡¯re still interested in remarrying Reba. If not, I might step in Taylor said with augh. ¡°Don¡¯t me me for seizing an opportunity now that everyone is after the Canter family¡¯s wealth, Theodore. If things are truly over between you two, you might as well let your best friend benefit instead of someone else¡± +99% As Taylor finished his sentence, Theodore stood abruptly and struck him hard in the face. Naturally, Taylor, having grown a toughened street fighter, swiftly retaliated. Their confrontation stunned Celeste, who moved away with a shriek. up Unfortunately, his attempt was futile as Theodore¡¯s anger had overtaken him. In the heat of the moment, Theodore grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it against Taylor¡¯s head. The impact caused Taylor, his face now covered in blood, to loosen his hold immed It was only then thatn managed to pull them apart. Shaking, he assessed Taylor¡¯s bloody condition, his uneasy gaze shifting back to Theodore. Theodore¡¯s eyes were red with fury as he turned to leave. Ian instinctively followed but paused upon realizing Taylor¡¯s severe condition. He turned back, quickly dialed emergency services, and waited anxiously for the ambnce. Taylor cked out and copsed right then. Thankfully, the ambnce arrived promptly and transported him to the hospital. The fight marked the end of Theodore and Taylor¡¯s friendship. Thus forth, they would be enemies, their camaraderie bygone. Meanwhile, Ian followed the ambnce to the hospital and stayed untilte, ensuring Taylor was stable before leaving. After leaving the restaurant, Theodore headed to thepany only to discover that Gifford, the Edwards Group¡¯s vice- president, had requested leave to chase after a romantic interest. Theodore frowned, suspicious of the timing, pondering. ¡°Could Gifford really be stepping away now, when he¡¯s been scheming to take over the Edwards Group? And all for a supposed romantic pursuit? To think he¡¯d have a romantic interest in someone!¡± Despite his doubts, Theodore saw the advantage in Gifford¡¯s absence and approved the leave request without further ado. It would be far more convenient for Theodore to proceed with his ns without Gifford¡¯s presence at thepany Upon getting approval, Gifford revealed with a smirk, ¡®I should mention, you know my crush too. It¡¯s Reba, your ex¨Cwife.¡±C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Theodore¡¯s face contorted in shock at the revtion, and he sprang up, ring at Gifford incredulously. His reaction merely elicited a chortle from Gifford, who held up his leave letter and uttered joyously. ¡°Dad has promised me half of the Edwards Group¡¯s shares if I can win Reba¡¯s affection.¡± In a fury, Theodore lunged at Gifford, poised to deliver a punch to thetter¡¯s face. However, Gifford had long since anticipated his moves and took several steps back. ¡°Calm down, Theodore. Dad¡¯s hands and mine are tied. If only your weren¡¯t such a good¨Cfor¨Cnothing who can¡¯t even get the girl after pursuing her for so long. It¡¯s toopetitive now that she¡¯s back with the Carter family, and they¡¯ve announced they¡¯re granting her inheritance rights. If we don¡¯t act fast to win her back, someone else will, and it¡¯ll be our loss. Don¡¯t me me; I¡¯m just trying to do what¡¯s best for our family.¡± He then walked away confidently. Behind him, Theodore, enraged, grabbed a ss from his desk and hurled it at Gifford as he walked away, aiming at the back of his head. Gifford, sensing the impending danger, ducked just in time, and the ss shattered on the floor instead. He nced down at the ss shards, then looked back into the office at the infuriated Theodore, his mood unshaken as he whistled casually and continued on his merry way out. CHAPTER 142 At the ancient town, Stacey and the film crew were filming some scenes for The Empress. Striving for quality, the film crew had strict standards, often rehearsing scenes multiple times before the final shoot to ensure perfection. Vicky was particrly serious, to be precise, strict, insisting that every actor was in top form and every detail of all the scenes was wlessly executed. Thankfully, the lead actors of the film, Stacey and Malcolm, were seasoned from their previous work on ¡°Lovey Princess.¡± Despite the hardships of the filming process, they found it rewarding, believing all their effort would be worthwhile if the final work turned out excellent and sessful more afluent However, while they were filming diligently, the remote tourist town inexplicably became a hotspot. More and young people flocked to the area for leisure and sightseeing. Rusel, one of the first to arrive, had not left. After Debra obtained the staged ident video that Russel had secretly filmed, she had it checked by Charlie. After Charlie verified the video. Debra sent it back to Russel, who then sent the video to his dad toplete his task. Despite finishing his mission, Russel stayed behind in the ancient town,ughing off his dad¡¯s threats to freeze his bank card by iming he wanted to spend a few more days there. He seemed to adore children¡¯spany very much. With nothing else to do, he spent his days ying with Lillian and Kevin. Initially shy, the children soon warmed up to Russel, eagerly looking forward to ying with him every day. One day, Stacey returned to the guesthouse for some rest after she finished her scenes. She was surprised to find someone waiting for her. It was Gifford, and he was strikingly handsome. Upon seeing her, he picked up a bouquet from the table and approached her. ¡°Hello, Ms. Carter. It¡¯d be an honor to make your acquaintance. Gifford spoke as he smiled. His deep and maic voice was captivating. Displeased, Debra furrowed her brows as she stepped forward. Becky, have some rest upstairs. You don¡¯t need to bother with random people. Stacey nodded at her words and headed upstairs. However, Gifford was unperturbed. Instead, he pulled out his phone and sent a message. Upstairs, Stacey arrived at the room and sat down. She habitually checked her phone, noticing a new message that read: [Ms. Carter, let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Gifford Edwards. How about we discuss a coboration] Stacey paused for a moment, checking her message history. She realized that this number belonged to the same person who had previously sent her photos of Theodore and Jenny together. It was Gifford?¡¯ she thought. She moved to delete the contact but hesitated. At the thought of something, she reconsidered and typed back [What do you want?] Gifford¡¯s response was swift: [The Edwards family knows you and your children have the right to inherit the Carter family¡¯s fortune. Michael wants to fight for ctody.] Stacey thought, The Edwards family wants custody of my children? Almost immediately, her anger red, and she replied instantly: [They must be out of their minds!] Gifford replied: [I think so too. So, how about a coboration? I have no interest in your children. If you help me, I can ensure the Edwards family will never bother you again.] Staceyughed exasperatedly and set down her phone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Debra asked, noticing Stacey¡¯s expression. After some hesitation, Stacey showed Debra her chat history. Debra¡¯s Eice darkened as she read the messages. She took screenshots of the conversation and sent them to Patrick Afternding the phone back to her Stacey, Debra began messaging Patrick herself. In Hivalis, Patrick, who was busy at work, received a message from Debra and checked it inunediately. As he read it, his face turned grim. Then, he forwarded the message to Adrian, whose expression remained unchanged as he replied: Don¡¯t worry about them. They can¡¯t take the kids.] Patrick sent a screenshot of Adrian¡¯s reply to Debra to ry the messige. Back in the ancient town, Debra read the screenshot of Adrian¡¯s reply sent by Patrick She snorted and continued to reply: [I know they can¡¯t take the children away, but we still have to do something about this. Patrick, will we just stay idly and do nothing to the Edwards family?] Patrick hurriedlyforted Debra: [Of course not. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s already been arranged.] Displeased, Debra replied: [You¡¯re too slow.] Patrick responded with a cute cat emoji, trying to appease Debra.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. However, Debra replied bluntly: (Go away!] Not ready to give up Patrick sent Debra a rolling panda gif. +99% Afterforting Debra, Patrick made a video call to Stacey. Stacey was surprised when she saw the video call from her father. She turned to look at Debra before she answered the phone. ¡°Dad,¡± Stacey greeted happily as soon as she saw Patrick on her phone screen. Patrick looked at Stacey and smiled happily, ¡°Becky, how have you been these days? Is filming tiring?¡± ¡°Not at all¡± Stacey shook her head. Meanwhile, Debra noticed the noise and immediately came over. Still irked, she stared at Patrick coldly. Upon seeing Debra, Patrick grew tense. Stacey found the situation funny but tried to mediate, speaking kindly of Patrick until Debra¡¯s mood improved slightly, though she remained somewhat displeased. After a moment, Patrick said, ¡°Debbie, I¡¯ve been preparing Recently, I invested in a project abroad. If all goes well, thend the Edwards family is bidding for will be out of their reach¡± Instantly, Debra¡¯s eyes lit up with interest as she nced at Patrick. ¡°What are you nning, Dad?¡± Stacey asked, curious. ¡°Nothing much. Just causing them some trouble overseas,¡± Patrick replied with a smile. Upon hearing that, Stacey nodded approvingly. ¡°Okay.¡± Debra, however, was not satisfied. This won¡¯t do. It won¡¯t crush thempletely. Just thinking about Theodore pestering Becky every day makes me ufortable. Has the Edwards family done anything illegal over the years? Investigate them. Find evidence and get them locked up. That would solve everything.¡± Patrick stayed silent and was visibly hesitant as if he was worried about something. ¡°Mom, we can¡¯t do that. Theodore is Lily and Kev¡¯s Biological father. If he goes to jail, it will affect their future,¡± Stacey reminded Debra. Through the phone screen, Patrick looked proudly at Stacey and nodded. Meanwhile, Debra¡¯s expression changed, realizing the implications. Though frustrated, she knew there was little she could do. CHAPTER 143 ¡°Grandpa!¡± Lillian and Kevin came running over, their little heads peeking into the video call as they called out in their sweet voices. The sight of the two little ones instantly brought a loving smile to Patrick¡¯s face. He entertained thern through the screen for a while before ending the call after chatting with Debra After the call, Debra still seemed slightly upset. Hence, Staceyforted her as best as she could. In the following days, more young people tried to befriend Stacey, and some even attempted to get close to Lillian and Kevin. Fortunately, Debra had already sensed something amiss and instructed the bodyguards and the nannies to stay vignt, keeping strangers away from the children. Half a monthter, the filming at the ancient town waspleted. The film crew packed up and prepared to move to the next location, Time flew by, and two months had gone by as they moved from ce to ce, experiencing numerous events. Finally, the filming of ¡°The Empress¡± was wrapped up, and the film crew prepared for the final wrap party. Charlie, who had some free time, flew over to visit and celebrate Stacey¡¯spletion of the film. On thest day on set, everyone had a joyful feast. However, back at the guesthouse, with only their family present, Charlie shared some troubling news with Stacey. It was news about Theodore managing to acquire 80% of the Edwards Group, and Gifford had been formally ousted from the Edwards Group. Even Michael had been expelled from the board of directors. ¡°What?¡± Stacey was stunned. Debra was equally shocked, unable to believe that Theodore had managed to deal with Michael so thoroughly. After a moment of silence, Charlie exined, ¡°Theodore sent several underage girls to Michael. Greedy and Justful, Michael initially resisted, but after being tempted a few times, he fell for the trap. With evidence in hand, Theodore ckmailed Michael into transferring all his shares and resigning from the board of directors to avoid jail time. Arthis, both Stacey and Debra¡¯s faces darkened. Just days ago, they had discussed how both Theodore and Michael were direct rtives of Lillian and Kevin, and if either of them went to prison, it would affect the children¡¯s future. ¡°Is Theodore out of his mind? Has he thought about the children¡¯s future at all Debra was so enraged her chest hurt, cursing through gritted teeth but keeping her voice low to avoid being overheard Theodore¡¯s ruthless pursuit of the Edwards Group¡¯s shares without considering the consequences was infuriating. She thought, What if people find out what he did? Did he ever think about the potential fallout for the children? Such a Goundrel doesn¡¯t deserve to be the children¡¯s father! ¡°Forget about the Edwards family for now. Let¡¯s just head back. We haven¡¯t been home in a while.¡± Stacey sighed. The matters of the Edwards family were beyond their control for now Debra looked at Stacey, her heart aching with concern, but she nodded in agreement. ¡°All right.¡± They stayed one more night at the guesthouse, then packed up the next day and headed back to Hivalis. On the flight home, Stacey¡¯s mood dually lifted. Her busy work schedule was finally over, and she felt a sense of relief Additionally, Lillian and Kevin seemed to have grown quite a bit, bing more adorable with each passing day, which brought immense joy to her heart. Upon returning home, they were greeted with several bouquets. Patrick had prepared one for his beloved wife, one for his precious daughter, and even smaller bouquets for his little grandson and granddaughter. ¡°Dad, where¡¯s mine!¡± Charlie asked, wide¨Ceyed with disbelief as he realized he was the only one without flowers. Patrick nced at Charlie and said coldly, ¡°I forgot about you.¡± Charlie was bbergasted by Patrick¡¯s response and wondered if he was actually thetter¡¯s son. Finally noticing the heavy look of resentment in Charlie¡¯s gaze, Patrick exined, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me you wereing back with them, so I wasn¡¯t expecting you.¡± Indeed, since Charlie hadn¡¯t informed Patrick of his return, no flowers had been prepared for him. Charlie froze at his father¡¯s words and started to reflect on his actions. He realized he hadn¡¯t informed Patrick about his ns to return home with Debra and Stacey. However, he thought of something andined, ¡°But you¡¯ve never bought me flowers before whenever I returned home.¡± Patrick was silent for a moment before Saying, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go out and get you a bouquet now.¡± Debra suddenlyughed Stacey joined in, her eyes twinkling with amusement. They both looked at Charlie. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! Why do you all get flowers and I don¡¯t? I want flowers too,¡± Charlie grumbled.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. 09:24 Mon, Jul 29 G * ¡°All right, stop fussing. Your dad will buy you a bouquet. Debra id with a smile. When she saw that the hem of Charlie¡¯s clothes was wrinkled, she reached out to straighten it. Stacey entered the house and nced around. At the thought of Adrian, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is Adrian at work? Since it was a weekday, a Tuesday to be exact, she guessed he was bus Debra was momentarily taken aback before nodding. He should be. However, when evening came and Adrian still hadn¡¯t returned, they grew curious. Debra turned to her husband, asking. Patrick, where¡¯s Adrian?¡± Patrick seemed to snap out of a daze. He smiled warmly, yet with a hint of mystery. ¡°He¡¯s our on a dare¡± ¡°A date?¡± Stacey and Debra eximed in unison. Charlie, who had been watching TV, leaped off the couch, shocked. ¡°Adrian is dating someone? Since when? Howe I had no idea?¡°.The rapid¨Cfire questions revealed his inner turmoil. Debra¡¯s hands trembled as she fixed her intense gaze on Patrick, trying to discern if he was joking. She thought. Is he pulling a fast one on us!¡± Her expression grew serious as she said, ¡°Patrick, don¡¯t joke about this. It¡¯s not funny.¡± Patrick nced at Debra, then at the equally curious faces of Stacey and Charlie. Finally, his eyes met the innocent gazes of little Lillian and Kevin. Even the little ones were staring at him, their curiosity piqued. Patrick¡¯s smile widened as he spoke seriously, ¡°I don¡¯t know all the details, but this came straight from Adrian. He admitted it himself. However, he said the girl¡¯s situation was a bit special and asked us not to disturb her. Otherwise, their rtionship might fall apart.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so special about her?¡± Debra asked, intrigued. Patrick shook his head. He thought for a while and finally said with a smile, ¡°Well, let¡¯s not get to the bottom of this. The kids will handle their own matters.¡± In response, Debra nodded happily in agreement. CHAPTER 144 After a day of rest at home, Debra decided to visit Macloria. She wanted to bring some gifts to see Bryce, and his girlfriend. Ramona. Stacey thought it was a good idea and wanted to join Debra but thetter stopped her. ¡°You¡¯ve been working so hard for the past few months. You finally have a few days off. Don¡¯t go through the trouble of traveling to Macloria Just rx at home and enjoy life a bit.¡± Patrick also encouraged her to stay in Hivalis, suggesting several local attractions to visit with the kids. As Stacey looked at her parents, she couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that they didn¡¯t want her to go to Maeloria. However, at the thought of the unpleasant events there, she nodded. ¡°Okay¡± Upon seeing her agree to stay, both Debra and Patrick breathed a sigh of relief. At two o¡¯clock in the afternoon, when Patrick left for work, Stacey took the kids to the airport to see Debra off. Despite the brief separation, Debra and Stacey felt uneasy and exchanged cuntless reminders until Debra passed through security and boarded the ne. Only then did Stacey return home reluctarily With Debra gone and Patrick at work, the house felt empty. Stacey decided to entertain the kids by fishing in the pond in their yard. Adrian had mentioned that the fish in the pond were for catching. On holidays, they could enjoy some peaceful fishing there. Since it was their yard, they had ntedrge shade trees nearby, and under those trees, there was a away.¡± Stacey gently reminded them, cing a finger to her lips. Upon hearing that, the two children covered their mouths with their tiny hands, their eyes wide with curiosity as they stared into the water. Life at Carter Vi was peaceful until a weekter, when J¡¯s new drama, ¡°Her Majesty, premiered. The show quickly became a hot topic, trending on social media, short video tforms, and major forums. All of a sudden, everyone was discussing about J The forums quickly gatheredments: [Our celebrity, J, is stunning! She looks so cool and confident in her new drama. It¡¯s a must¨Cwatch!] [Exactly! ¡°Her Majesty is incredible! I highly rmend it, guys! Go watch it now. [Ahh. J is indeed an award¨Cwinning actress. She remains a top actress even after having a child. How does she maintain her figure?] The sudden surge of discussions almost overnight suggested that there was a professional marketing team behind the scenes pushing the hype. However, regardless of any potential maniption, the film crew of ¡°The Empress couldn¡¯t ignore the news. Malcolm, noticing the buzz, immediately forwarded the news to Stacey, anxiously seeking help. ¡°Becky, have you seen J¡¯s new drama, ¡®Her Majesty? Does it seem giarized to you? It looks suspiciously simr to The Empress!¡± Skeptical, Stacey thought, ¡®giarized?¡® She had noticed the news of J¡¯s new drama but had chosen to ignore it, not caring how well she was doing. However, she thought it was problematic if J¡¯s new drama was indeed giarizing The- Empress Curious, she returned to the living room, turned on the TV, and began watching ¡°Her Majesty.¡± The more she watched, the more familiar it seemed. These were ¡°The Empress plots. After two episodes, Stacey was convinced ¡°Her Majesty had indeed giarized ¡°The Empress. All those past events she thought she had les go of came rushing back. Upon seeing the tant giarism, she couldn¡¯t help but sneer, Her anger was fleeting, though, as she quickly calmed down. Despite its initial poprity, ¡°Her Majesty was nowhere near the level of ¡°The Empress From the costumes and set designs to the actors¡® performances, ¡°Her Majesty had a cheap, fast- paced feel, while ¡°The Empress¡± was meticulously crafted in every detail. Most importantly. ¡°The Empress had the original author¡¯s backing. Hence, ¡°The Empress¡± would not lose to ¡°Her Majesty.¡± Just as Stacey had this thoughs, her phone rang Upon seeing Lynn¡¯s name sh on her phone screen, she answered. ¡°Becky, have you seen ¡®Her Majesty?¡± Lynn asked. Stacey nodded, ¡°Yes, I just finished watching it. The characters and plot are very simr to The Empress Lynn said in response, ¡°I¡¯vepared them. It¡¯s definitely giarism, but they copied the original novel of ¡°The Empress,¡± 98%ˆD not our script. So, we¡¯ll need the novel¡¯s author to step forward and take legal action. Ms. Astley and I have discussed it, and we¡¯ll contact the author to proceed.¡± Lynn continued to reassure Stacey, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. This matter will be handled. You don¡¯t need to get involved. Just focus on waiting for ¡°The Empress to premiere.¡± Stacey replied, ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Lynn looked at her, hesitated for a moment, and then said, ¡°Becky, would you be interested in taking on a few more projects? Your poprity is quite high right now, and I¡¯ve received several scripts that could be a good fit for you.¡± ¡°What kind of scripts?¡± Stacey asked. ¡°A few different ones. I¡¯ve reviewed them, and they¡¯re all pretty good. I¡¯ll send them to you if you¡¯re interested,¡± Lynn offered.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Stacey eagerly nodded. ¡°Yes, please.¡± There¡¯s one more thing. I have a friend who really wants you to endorse their product. Would you be interested?¡± Lynn asked. ¡°A friend of Lynn?¡® Stacey wondered. Curious, she asked, ¡°May I know¡­ what kind of product is that?¡± ¡°Robots. They want you to film amercial for their robots,¡± Lynn exined sinctly. ¡°Huh?¡± Stacey was shocked, staring at Lynn on the phone screen in surprise. Lynnughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re just regr robots, for cleaning the house and cooking. Very standard functions.¡± She was worried Stacey might think of more dubious kinds of robots. After thinking for a moment, Stacey smiled and agreed, ¡°All right Lynn breathed a sigh of relief and said earnestly, ¡°Thank you so much for this.¡± Becky rarely epted endorsements, and this time, Lynn¡¯s friend had pestered her endlessly. She had approached Becky with a trial mentality, and fortunately, the Jatter was willing to do it for her sake ¡°You¡¯re wee, Lynn, Stacey replied with a smile. ¡± Lynn nodded. ¡°Mm.¡± CHAPTER 145 Chapter 145 After the call, Lynn sent over the scripts and endorsement detail Stacey immediately retreated to her study, opened herputer, and began reviewing the files. Setting the scripts aside for now, she first examined the robot endorsement information. Thepany was called Hoggard Technologies, which ranked first domestically and among the top ten globally. Despite their renown, thepany was unfamiliar to many average consumers because their high¨Cend robots were extraordinarily expensive, with pre¨Corders requiring deposits ranging from millions to billions. Only the world¡¯s wealthy elite could afford such luxury. Most of the consumption information on the inte rted to the products of Hoggard Technologies was about royal consumption in various countries around the world. By the time Stacey finished her research, her hand was numb from holding the mouse. Her mind reeled at the absurdity of it all. She wondered. ¡®How could such a prestigiouspany choose me for their endorsement? They even asked Lynn to ask me a favor. Is this for real?¡® Stacey felt a pang of self¨Cdoubt in epting Hoggard Technologies¡® offer, despite her growing confidence in epting most endorsements. She went silent for a long while before she logged into her chat app and messaged Lynn: [Lynn, did you send the wrong endorsement info?] The response from Lynn was almost immediate. She texted: [No, there¡¯s no mistake. Stacey asked: [Is it really Hoggard Technologies?] Lynn replied, ¡°Yes.¡± She then added, ¡°Are you surprised? I was shocked too. I confirmed with my friend multiple times. The request came from the grandma of Hoggard Technologies current CEO. She specifically asked for you¡± Stacey was at a loss for words upon hearing the news. ¡°Don¡¯t feel pressured, Lynn reassured her. ¡°I believe they have their reasons to have you endorse their product. We¡¯ll just follow the procedure and shoot themercial. Everything will be fine.¡± Stacey¡¯s heart pounded. After a while, she agreed, ¡°Okay¡± After the call, Stacey couldn¡¯t resist searching the web for more information about Hoggard Technologies. She scoured the inte but couldn¡¯t find any photos of the head of Hoggard Technologies. All she found were names of the Hoggard family members from thepany profile.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. The current CEO of Hoggard Technologies was named Hayden Hoggard. Hayden¡¯s father was named Jack Hoggard, while his mother¡¯s name was Audrey Wright. The founder of Hoggard Technologies was named Albert Hoggard, and he was Hayden¡¯s grandpa. As for Albert¡¯s wife, her name was Sharon Wood. Stacey thought, This Mrs. Hoggard must be the person Lynn mentioned. She must be Hoggard Technologies¡® current CEO¡¯s grandma, the person who specifically asked me to endorse Hoggard Technologies¡® product. Despite the simplicity of the information, it took Stacey most of the day to gather it all. When Lynn finally sent over the endorsement contract for Hoggard Technologies, Stacey read it carefully and found no issues. She forwarded it to Adrian for review, and his response left her stunned. Soon after, her parents were in the loop as well. Debra called almost immediately, demanding details. Dazed, Stacey exined everything to Debra. From their discussion, she finally understood the connection between their families, and why Hoggard Technologies asked her to endorse their product. It turned out that the Carter family and the Hoggard family used to be friends. Stacey¡¯s grandma, Gemma Walsh, was a good friend of Sharon, the wife of the founder of Hoggard Technologies. When Stacey was born 23 years ago, Sharon¡¯s grandson, Hayden, just turned two that year. Sharon often brought Hayden over to y. Besides, she was delighted in holding and ying with baby Stacey. ording to Debra, Sharon even joked about Stacey bing the future granddaughter-inw of the Hoggard family. Tragedy struck when Stacey went missing at age three. Despite exhaustive searches, she wasn¡¯t found. The Carter family was heartbroken from the incident, and Sharon mourned alongside them. After Stacey¡¯s grandma passed away nine years ago, Sharon stopped visiting the family as often. Eventually, the two families drifted apart. There were few interactions among the younger generation of the Hoggard family and the Carter family, as the two had different business philosophies Consequently, the Carter family did not invite the Hoggard family to Stacey¡¯s homing celebration Little did anyone know that Sharon would specifically request Becky for Hoggard Technologies endorsement. The Carter family was well aware of Stacey¡¯s worth. They believed she was good enough to endorse most brands, but Hoggard Technologies was in a league of its own. Hence, Sharon¡¯s request for Becky to shoot the endorsement for Hoggard Technologies¡® product was clearly an act of favor and support. 98 ¡°Did Lynn mention when the advertisement shoot will take ce? Debra asked, her voice tinged with nervous excitement. ¡°I¡¯lle back right away so we can prepare some gifts and visit the Hoggard family.¡± Stacey hurriedly replied, ¡°Tll ask.¡± After saying that, Stacey hung up the phone and called Lynn. The phone was quickly picked up. However, Lynn said she didn¡¯t know the exact shooting date either. She had to wait for the contract to be finalized and then discuss the details slowly. After Stacey found out, she hung up the phone and called Debra back to ry the information. Debra sighed in relief after she found out Stacey wasn¡¯t going to film for the endorsement right away, and then she hurriedly said. ¡°Becky, wait for me at home. There¡¯s nothing much to do at Bryce¡¯s ce anymore, so I¡¯ll return tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay, I will,¡± Stacey agreed. Beside Stacey, Patrick reminded Debra through the phone, ¡°Be careful on your way. Don¡¯t be in a hurry, and take care of yourself.¡± Upon hearing Patrick¡¯s voice. Debra sounded slightly impatient as she assured him she would before hanging up. After the call, Stacey¡¯s heart was still racing. The realization that her family had such a connection with the prestigious Hoggard family was astonishing. Moreover, the thought that Sharon had once held her as a child was surreal. Beside Stacey. Patrick seemed deep in thought as he looked at her. The fact that the Hoggard family had reached out to Becky was as surprising to him as it was to her. However, knowing the Hoggard family¡¯s status, he was confident they wouldn¡¯t mistreat her. A smile tugged at his lips as he pondered this unexpected twist of fate. Perhaps, after more than 20 years of hardship, Becky was finally reaching a turning point where luck and happiness would follow her. ¡°Rx, don¡¯t overthink it. Let things happen naturally,¡± he advised gently. ¡°Okay, I will,¡± Stacey replied, her heart feeling lighter. That evening, Adrian came home. As for Bryce and Charlie, they called to video chat, their faces lit with concern and curiosity. They wanted to confirm the news and ensure Stacey was handling it well. Staceyughed and chatted with her brothers for a long time, their warm concern filling Her with a sense offort and support. It wasn¡¯t untilte into the night that the video call finally ended, leaving her with a sense of excitement and anticipation for what was toe CHAPTER 146 The next day, Debra rushed back from Macloria. As soon as she arrived home, she kept asking Stacey questions and wanted to see the endorsement contract offered by the Hoggard family Stacey showed Debra the contract. Adrian had read this contract and its terms and conditions were excellent. Debra read it for a long time. Finally, Lillian and Kevin pestered her to hang out with them. Then, she came back to her senses and bent down to attend to them. Stacey was much caliner now. She was not as nervous and shocked as yesterday and was in a good mood when she thought back calmly. Her first impression of the Hoggard family was very good, and she felt that Sharon should be a nice person. When Patrick came home from work in the evening. Debra immediately grabbed hirm and discussed with him about visiting Hoggard Manor and what gifts to prepare. Stacey did not know what to say, so she could only watch her parents discuss it. They discussed it for a long time and finally arranged everything. Patrick had the contact information of the Hoggard family. After confirming the visit to Hoggard Manor, he tried to call their old number. Fortunately, the call went through. Although it had been many years, their phone number remained unchanged Both Stacey and Debra watched nervously. Fortunately, the call went smoothly. Patrick held the phone and talked with Sharon¡¯s son, Jack, for half an hour without realizing it. ¡°Okay. Mrs. Hoggard will be home tomorrow, and Jack said we can visit them anytime.¡± Patrick spoke and smiled at Debra and Stacey. Debra and Stacey breathe a sigh of relief, thenugh. ¡± Everything was arranged. The next day, Patrick and Debra flew hack to gua City with Stacey, Lillian, and Kevin Hoggard, Manor was also in gua City, and it only took about 40 minutes to drive from Carter Manor. However, they had already flown for several hours from Hivalis to gua City. They were very tired, and most importantly, it was gettingte, so their visit to the Hoggard family could only be postponed for another day. They rested in Carter Manor for a day and visited Hoggard Manor the next day. the Hoggard Manor was even more magnificent than Carter Manor. As soon as the Carter family¡¯s car stopped at the gate. butler of the Hoggard family came G and weed them in with a kind smile. When they walked into the yard, a gray- haired couple came out of the manor with smiles. Even Debra and Patrick were nervous ¡°Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Hoggard,¡± Patrick greeted them respectfully first,Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Debra also quickly greeted them, ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Hoggard, it has been years since we met. How have you been doing all these years?¡± Sharon nodded with a smile, and her eyes kept falling on Stacey ¨¢llian, and Kevin. The more she looked at them, the more she liked them. She could not help smiling. ¡°We have been doing well all these years. I have been thinking about when Becky wille back.¡± She answered Debra¡¯s question, then looked at Stacey and asked happily, ¡°Is this Becky? In the blink of an eye, you have grown up and be a mother!¡± ¡°Good day, Mr. and Mrs. Hoggard, Stacey hurriedly greeted them. ¡°Good day! Good girl!¡± Sharon responded joyfully. Jason smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside.¡± Jason led the way, and Patrick, Debra, and Stacey followed him into Hoggard Manor with Lillian and Kevin. It was arge, luxurious, and beautiful Epean¨Cstyle manor. 109:24 Mon, Jul 29 G Chapter 146 +98% ¦° After sitting down in the living room, Stacey told Lillian and Kevin to greet Jason and Sharon. Lillian and Kevin were not shy. They looked at Jason and Sharon curiously with wide eyes and greeted them obediently, ¡°Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Hoggard!¡± ¡°Nice to meet you too!¡± Jason and Sharon replied cheerfully. ¡°When were these two children born? They look over a year old, right? So cute!¡± Sharon smiled and praised. §ä§Ñ Stacey smiled and answered, ¡°They are just over a year old.¡± Sharon looked at Stacey again. The more she looked at Stacey, the happier she grew. She could not help but think of her good friend, Genma, and said with a smile, ¡°If Gemma were still alive, she would be happy to see you reunite with the family. In the past, she always told me that she had to find her granddaughter. Unfortunately, she died early. She would have been overjoyed if she could live for a few more years until then.¡± She spoke with tears in her eyes. Jason took a tissue and handed it to her, sighing and saying, ¡°Wipe it.¡± Sharon naturally took the tissue and wiped off her tears. But after crying, she could not help but smile brightly. ¡°Luckily, got to see it. When Hayden told me that you had been found a while ago, I could not believe it.¡± After saying that, Sharon turned to Patrick and Debra and reprimanded them angrily. ¡°What¡¯s with your Becky is back. Why didn¡¯t you tell us about such a big thing? You held a homing party for Becky but did not invite us! This is too much. Let me tell you, Patrick. I willin to your mom in the afterlife and ask her to teach you a lesson!¡± She pretended to be angry. Patrick felt helpless and apologized quickly, ¡°Yes, yes, Mrs. Hoggard, I was wrong. I apologize. I am sorry.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Sharon snorted coldly and was very annoyed. Jason nced at her and said with a smile. ¡°Well, they are all just young people. Don¡¯t scare them¡± Only then did Sharonugh. She stood up, walked to Stacey, held her hand, stared at her, and was reluctant to let go. ¡°Becky you have grown up and are getting more and more beautiful now,¡± she said and chuckled. Then, she looked at Debra and Patrick and sighed. I used to say that when Becky grew up, she would marry Hay and be my granddaughter¨Cin¨C. I did not expect such a twist of fate. s!¡± Debra looked at Stacey and sighed. ¡°It is all my fault. If I had been more careful back then, Becky would not have gotten lost.¡± She felt a little sad whenever this was mentioned. Hearing this, Sharon also sighed. Bu soon, she smiled cheerfully again. ¡°But it is all over now. I believe both Becky and Hay will be better in the future.¡± Hearing this, Debra and Patrick felt something was wrong and exchanged nces with each other. The next moment, Patrick looked at Sharon and asked with concern, ¡°Mrs. Hoggard, what happened to Hay?¡± ording to the information he found, Hayden was now the CEO of Hoggard Technologies and was very capable. He should be doing well. ¡°It is all over. Things will get better and better in the future. Do not bring up the past again, Jason interrupted with a sad Hearing this, Sharon also fell silent. After a while, they changed the subject and began to talk about something else. CHAPTER 147 The Carter family stayed with Jason and Sharon at Hoggard Manor for more than half a day. In the afternoon, they got up, said goodbye, and left. When they were leaving. Sharon was reluctant to part with them and kept telling them toe over often and spend time together. Debra and Patrick agreed repeatedly, and everyone got in the cat reluctantly. After the car started and drove off, they breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn¡¯t toote when they got home. Lillian and Kevin were eager to go and y in the yard, so the butler took them out. The next day, they flew back to Hivalis and signed the endorsement contract After the contract was settled, Hoggard Technologies replied quickly, saying that the shooting time would be determined ording to Becky¡¯s schedule. She could just let them know when she was free to do it. The attitude of Hoggard Technologies once again puzzled Lynn. Even the person in charge of Hoggard Technologies suspected Becky had something to do with the Hoggard family or the grandmother of the current CEO of Hoggard Technologies, Otherwise, she couldn¡¯t have received such a good treatment. Lynn thought, ¡°It¡¯s such a bigpany. Even if global superstarse here, they will have to obey the arrangement of Hoggard Technologies. But Hoggard Technologies actually let Becky arrange the time and will do the shooting only when this little star named Becky is free. This treatment is no different from that for a princess!¡± After Lynn got the news from Hoggard Technologies, she immediately called Becky and told her about it. Stacey was no longer as surprised as before. After receiving Lyngs call, she thought about it and decided to hurry and get the endorsement shooting over with Lynn thought about it and reckoned there was no problem. She contacted her friends and discussed the endorsement matter with them. Then, she took Becky to Strico, where the headquarters of Hoggard Technologies was located Although Stacey had been mentally prepared to enter such a world¨Csspany for the first time, she was still nervous after entering it. What made her even more nervous was that when she came, Hayden, the CEO of Hoggard Group, came out of his office in person and went downstairs to greet her at the entrance. The employees of Hoggard Technologies were all stunned. They pretended to be working hard while sneaking nces in the direction of Hayden and Stacey ith curious and gossipy gazes ¡°H¨CHello.¡± Stacey looked at Hayden and felt nervous. She hesitated and greeted him cautiously. Hayden looked at Stacey. His handsome face with sharp features was expressionless and looked serious the whole time. He nodded, hummed, and responded concisely. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first Stacey quickly nodded and replied, ¡°Okay¡± Hayden nodded, then turned around, and walked toward the elevator. Stacey hurriedly caught up, followed by Lynn and several employees of Hoggard Technologies. This time, only Lynn apanied Stacey toe for the endorsement shooting. After all, the other party was the Hoggard family Patrick and Debra were very reassured, so Debra didn¡¯t bring Lillian and Kevin toe with Stacey this time. Hayden pressed the button for the 33rd floor, which was an exclusive floor for the CEO¡¯s office. There was only a huge conference room on the entire floor other than the CEO¡¯s office. The elevator door quickly closed, and the elevator began to move upward. Hayden told the employees of Hoggard Technologies, ¡°You can go back to work first. We will start shooting after she has a good rest. The person in charge of the nning department was speechless. ¡°Okay, Mr. Hoggard,¡± Daniel, the nning department¡¯s manager, replied quickly. The employees of the nning department hurriedly pressed the button for the Lith floor, where the nning department was located. They thought they¡¯d better leave quickly. The cramped elevator was so quiet that the sound of a pin falling on the floor could be heard. Everyone held their breath and was too nervous to move The elevator went up floor by floor and finally reached the 15th door, and the elevator door opened. ¡°Mr. Hoggard, we will go to work first,¡± Daniel said quickly. ¡°Okay,¡± Hayden responded in a low voice. Daniel walked ahead, followed by several employees from the nning department. They hurried out as if they were fleeing. The elevator door quickly closed again and continued to go up in the small elevator, there were only four people left. They were Hayden, an employee of Hoggard Technologies, Stacey, and Lynn Somehow, Stacey suddenly remembered that when she had visited Hoggard Manor a few days ago, Sharon had said Hayden was the one who had told them she had returned to the Carter family. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Hoggard.¡± She thought about it and finally thanked Hayden sincerely. Hayden was stunned when he heard this. He looked at her and asked in confusion, ¡°What did you thank me for?¡± Stacey was at a loss for words. She organized the words in her mind and then exined, ¡°I went to Hoggard Manor with my parents a few days ago. We met Mr. Jason Hoggard and Mrs. Hoggard. Mrs. Hoggard said it was you who told her I had returned to the Carter family.¡± Hayden nodded. ¡°Well, Grandma has always missed you.¡± Stacey was silent. Lynn, who was listening to their conversation, was surprised. Her expression remained unchanged, but she was shocked inwardly. So I guessed it right before, didn¡¯t I? Becky and the Hoggard family did know each other. Otherwise, how could such a world¨Css enterprise have chosen us to be their endorser?¡± she mused. The topic ended inexplicably, and the elevator fell into silence again. Stacey¡¯s heart beat fast, and she became nervous again. As time went by, they finally reached the 33rd floor, and the elevator door opened. Hayden lowered his eyes and said to Stacey, ¡°Here we are. Let¡¯s go Stacey quickly nodded and responded, ¡°Okay.¡± They walked out of the elevator together. After they took a few steps, a little boy appeared before them and looked straight at Stacey with bright eyes. The next moment, he suddenly ran over and hugged Stacey¡¯s thigh Stacey¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked down at the boy holding her thigh and then subconsciously nced at Hayden feeling very nervous. ¡®What¡¯s¡­ with this kid? she wondered. Hayden was silent. A momentter, he looked at the boy and ordered in a solemn tone, Jeremy Hoggard,e here!¡± Hayden¡¯s son, Jeremy, didn¡¯t even look at Hayden and held Becky¡¯s thigh tightly.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. 09:25 Mon, +98% Stacey came to her senses. She quickly bent over, hugged Jeremy and asked with a smile, ¡°Is your name Jeremy Hoggard? Jeremy stared at her intently and said nothing. Hayden said in a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. If you don¡¯t let go of her, our previous agreement will be invalid! Then, he began to count down. ¡°Three, two-¡± Jeremy let go before Hayden counted to one. Stacey was inexplicably distressed. She picked up Jeremy, turned to Hayden, and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Does Jeremy like me?¡± She was happy to be liked by Jeremy the first time they met. Maybe because she had given birth to children, her maternal love was aroused when she saw Jeremy. CHAPTER 148 As soon as Stacey picked up Jeremy, his small hands wrapped tightly around her neck, as if holding a treasure, and refused to let go. Hayden looked at them and finally said, ¡°Let¡¯s go into the office.¡± The office was just around the corner, and they went in quickly. Stacey subconsciously observed the office. It wasrge, decorated simply in a minimalist style, and resembled the cold air Hayden gave off. ¡°If you get tired of carrying him, just put him down. You don¡¯t have to hold him all the time. Let him y by himself, Hayden said to Stacey Stacey smiled and agreed. ¡°Okay.¡± It had to be said that with the appearance of Jeremy, Stacey wasn¡¯t so nervous now. Jeremy had been staring at Stacey since the beginning. His eyes were sparkling. The more he looked at her, the more he liked her. Lynn looked at the child and then Becky. Finally, she smiled and joked, ¡°Is this kid a fan of Becky?¡± As soon as these words were spoken, Martin, Samuel, and Jeremy looked at Lynn. Even Stacey subconsciously looked at her. Lynn¡¯s scalp tingled, and she suddenly held her breath, not daring to move. Stacey suddenly figured it out. Well, yeah, Jeremy should be my tan, right? Is that why he likes me so much, even though we just met? There are a lot of fans on the inte, including many children of other celebrities, she thought, She looked at Jeremy and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you my fan?¡± Jeremy looked at Stacey and nodded. Then, he seemed to remember something and quickly shook his head vigorously. Stacey was puzzled by his response. Hayden frowned, but he didn¡¯t exin. He said to Stacey. ¡°There¡¯s a lounge nearby. You can rest there for a while. If you need anything, just find my assistant, Samuel. You can go shoot the endorsement after you¡¯ve rested¡± Stacey hurriedly agreed, ¡°Okay, thanks.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Hayden nodded and returned to his desk. He started typing on theputer, apparently resuming handlingpany documents. Stacey and Lynn looked at each other, feeling a little strange. Samuel hurriedly said, ¡°Ms. Carter, Ms. Fox, this way, please.¡± He took them to the lounge and had them sit on the couch. there. Then, he brought out various drinks and snacks to entertion them. After arriving at the lounge, Jeremy came down from Stacey¡¯s arms. Although she was no longer carrying him, Jeremy stuck close to Stacey. Samuel brought a box of Legos and Jeremy y with them. Jeremy nced at Stacey and then pushed Legos toward her. Stacey was amused and took the initiative to open the box to y with him. The minutes flew by with something for them to kill the time with. An hourter, Lynn reminded her that she had to shoo the endorsement. Stacey looked at the time and remembered her job. After putting thest Lego parts together, she smiled and said to Jeremy, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s done!* Jeremy looked at her. Stacey hesitated momentarily, then carefully said to him, ¡°Jeremy, I¡¯m going to shoot an endorsement Can I y with you next time?¡± He didn¡¯t answer, and Stacey hesitated for a while. Finally, she stood up and walked over to Hayden sitting at the desk in the work area outside. Behind the desk, Hayden also heard the noise and looked up at her. Stacey was nervous but still said, ¡°Mr. Hoggard, I¡¯ve rested well. Can I shoot the endorsement now?¡± Hayden nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± The next moment, he shut down theputer and stood up. Stacey looked at him in confusion. Even Lynn was shocked and thought, ¡°What does he mean by this? Is he going to watch Becky shoot the endorsement himself? When a typical smallpany hired a celebrity to endorse its products, it wasn¡¯t unusual for the boss to apany the celebrity during the endorsement shoot. However, this was Hoggard Technologies, a top¨Cnotchpany. Surely, a simple endorsement could be handled by the nning department. Regardless, Hayden closed hisptop, put away the documents, and walked out from behind the desk. Jeremy¡¯s face had a nk expression as he followed them. They all went downstairs. On the 15th floor, Daniel from the nning department received a notification from Samuel, and his whole face froze. He then quickly informed the entire department, asking everyone to stop working immediately so they could wait at the elevator to greet the CEO and Jeremy. Everyone wondered why they needed to turn this into a production over an endorsement shoot. The hundreds of employees in the nning department were stunned. Everyone reacted and hurriedly cleaned up their desks. They quickly put away their snacks into the drawers and tidied up their messy desks. Everyone moved quickly. In less than a minute, the nning department¡¯s office was spotless. Everyone left their workstations, followed Daniel out, and waited in two lines outside the elevator on the 15th floor. It was only a few minutes, but it felt like a century before the elevator stopped at the floor, and the door slowly opened. Everyone held their breaths and looked at the people in the elevator nervously. Jayden walked out of the elevator with his long legs, followed by Stacey. Jeremy trailed closely behind her. Finally, Samuel and Lynn emerged. Daniel breathed nervously and hurriedly said, ¡°Mr. Hoggard, the studio is ready. Shall we start the shoot immediately?¡± Hayden nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± So, everyone marched off to the studio with Hayden leading the way. ¡°Where¡¯s the script?¡± Hayden held out his hand toward Daniel Daniel¡¯s expression changed, and he hurriedly urged the secretary next to him. The secretary quickly handed him the script. and Daniel hastily gave it to Hayden. Hayden looked at the script expressionlessly. After a while, he closed it and said unhappily, ¡°It¡¯s too fake!¡± Daniel was rmed, his hands trembling. In a panic, he thought What should I do? Somebody save me! Ah! He had assumed Hayden invited some small¨Ctime celebrity, so he didn¡¯t take it too seriously and wrote a simple script. He figured it would be enough, but¡­ Jeremy lowered his head, opened his little backpack, and pulled out a writing tablet. Then, he started writing on it. Stacey was curious. She looked down at Jeremy¡¯s writing and saw the words: [Go home for the shoot!] Her mind suddenly went back. Horge? Whose home?¡® she wondered, but she soon realized something else. She looked at Jeremy, shocked. He can read and we? CHAPTER 149 Hayden stared at Jeremy. After a while, he looked at Stacey and asked, ¡°Is that okay?¡± Stacey was dumbfounded and shocked. ¡°Is this my decision?¡± The other staff of Hoggard Technologies also thought the same thing. They were all surprised when they saw Jeremy write but didn¡¯t expect what Hayden said next to be even more surprising. He¡¯s asking for someone else¡¯s opinion before making a decision?¡® they thought. ¡°This small¨Ctime celebrity. Just who is she? Jeremy looked at Stacey eagerly. She thought for a while and nodded. ¡°Fine by me. I can go anywhere!¡± Hayden nodded, then looked at the Hoggard Technologies employers. ¡°Pack up your things and go to my house for the shoot,¡± he said. The employees were shocked and speechless. ¡®We¡¯re filming at Mr. Hoggard¡¯s home? Seriously? Did we hear it right? they thought Hayden didn¡¯t care about what they thought. After he made up his mind, he turned around and walked outside. Jeremy hurried over, took Stacey¡¯s hand, and walked with her. 2 Stacey was as shocked as the Hoggard Technologies employees. She had imagined ¡°filming at home¡± meant finding a ce simr to a home and doing the shoot with a family environment theme. She didn¡¯t expect Hayden straight¨Cup meant doing the shoot at his home. ¡®Is that even convenient for him?¡® she thought. Just as she was thinking in shock, her hand was held by a smaller one. Stacey looked down and met jeremy¡¯s joyful eyes. She suddenly smiled, squatted down, picked up Jeremy, and then followed Hayden out. Hayden, who was walking in front, seemed to notice something He stopped and turned to look at them. Hayden nced at Jeremy, then frowned and said, ¡°He¡¯s pretty heavy. Let him walk by himself.¡± When he heard this, Jeremy hurriedly hugged Stace¡¯s neck and red at his father discontentedly, as if to say, ¡°I don¡¯t want toe down! Bad Dad!¡± Stacey was in a good mood when she noticed that Jeremy was sticking to her. She looked at Hayden and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just hold him for a while and put him down when I can¡¯t keep it up.¡® In response, Jeremy nodded repeatedly and buried his head in Stacey¡¯s shoulder to show that he wanted her to hug him Howard looked at his son who was throwing a tantrum and stayed quiet. Then, he urged, ¡°Let¡¯s goContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Since Stacey wanted to hold Jeremy, they should walk faster and leave sooner. Once they got downstairs, they could sit in the car, and Stacey wouldn¡¯t have to carry this big solid weight the whole time. A three¨Cyear¨Cold boy wasn¡¯t quite small anymore. When they reached the elevator door, Stacey couldn¡¯t keep carrying Jeremy but hesitated to put the child in her arms down. ¡°Let me carry him.¡± Right then, Hayden appeared in front of her Stacey was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly gave the child to him. Hayden stretched out his hand, and his strong arms easily picked up Jeremy Jeremy was transferred to his father¡¯s arms. He looked at Stacey feluctantly, but he seemed to understand that she had no strength left and couldn¡¯t keep carrying him, so he didn¡¯t say airything. He looked at his father expressionlessly and kicked his legs, indicating to Hayden that he wanted to be put down Howard looked down at his son making a fuss in his arms. Jeremy also looked at his father with a cold, emotionless gaze. After a white, Hayden bent down and carefully put his son on the ground. At that moment, the elevator door opened. Hayden was the first one to go in. Jeremy immediately tumed to Stacey and took her hand. When she looked at how cute he was, Stacey¡¯s heart softened. She felt almost touched by this boy. Mr. Hoggard is always so cold and serious. How does he have such a cute and cool sun? Stacey pondered as she followed Jeremy into the elevator. +98% Lynn and the other employees of Hoggard Technologies also followed. Except for Lynn, the other employees did not dare to peek at Jeremy sticking so closely to the small¨Ctime celebrity. They all seemed serious on the surface, but they secretly stole nces at the small and big hands holding onto one another. Why is Jeremy so attached to her! Did Mr. and Mrs. Hoggard ask this small¨Ctime celebrity named Becky to endorse floggard Technologies¡® robots because Jeremy likes her? Is he a fan of hers? Once the employees thought of these questions, it sounded likely. The more they thought about them, the more they felt that it was the truth. They were surprised that Jeremy liked this small¨Ctime celebrity, Becky! Although Jeremy was just a child, he stayed with his father in theirpany every day. He resembled his father, expressionless and always serious. At first, everyoneined about it in private. Later, as time went by, they gradually got used to it and didn¡¯t find it strange anymore. Everyone had epted that Jeremy was like a replica of his father, and now he was suddenly a fan of some minor celebrity. It was shocking to them. They secretly thought about it,municated with each other silently with their eyes, and then quickly epted this situation. After all, Jeremy had only turned three years old this year, and he was still a child. It was normal for him to like messy things. Besides, Jeremy being like this was more appealing. This was what children should be like. The way he seemed before was abnormal, right! The elevator descended to the basement floor. No one spoke in the narrow elevator, except for Hayden and Jeremy. The others didn¡¯t dare to. Everyone held their breaths and waited until the elevator reached the underground parking lot. None of Hoggard Technologies employees were poor, so they went to find their cars once they reached the parking lot. Stacey and Lynn didn¡¯t have a car, so they could only follow Hayden. There was also Samuel, who was Hayden¡¯s round¨Cthe- clock assistant. He would follow Hayden wherever he went, and it was the same at this moment. They went to Hayden¡® luxury car together. Samuel reached out to open the door and let Hayden, Jeremy, Stacey, and Lynn into the back seat. Then, he went around to the passenger seat and opened the door. After everyone was seated, the driver started the car and drove outside. Meanwhile, the nning department¡¯s staff also received an urgent notice from their manager: [Everyone, now! Immediately, right this instance, hurry and a shooting nt it must be ready before everyone arrives at the boss¡® house!] Çú CHAPTER 150 Chapter 150 Hayden¡¯s house was just a short drive from thepany, leading to a grandiose Epean pce¨Cstyled mansion that stood tall and magnificent. The mansion wasplemented by a broad, verdantwn that stretched out, offering a sense of spacious tranquility. As everyone parked their cars and approached the mansion, they treaded carefully on the stone steps, their strides naturally bing more measured. The happiest among them was Jeremy, clinging to Becky¡¯s hand as he eagerly anticipated entering the mansion. The butler, Joshua Oswald, emerged promptly from the mansion. He approached them, bowed deeply, and offered a respectful greeting, ¡°Wee back, Mr. Hoggard, Jeremy.¡± Hayden hummed a brief acknowledgment and quickly instructed, ¡°We¡¯re shooting an endorsement video at the mansion. Coordinate with the team and handle all the necessary arrangements.¡± At first, Joshua instinctively nodded, ready to agree. Suddenly, something dawned on him, causing his words to catch in his throat. His eyes widened in shock as he looked up at Hayden, but the moment passed quickly. Regaining hisposure. Joshua nodded firmly. ¡°Understood. I will do my best to cooperate. Hayden turned to the Hoggard Technologies staff trailing behind him andmanded coolly, ¡°Follow Mr. Oswald inside. I expecta finalized shooting n by 3 p. We begin filming after that.¡± Stacey pulled out her phone and saw the time was 11:30 am, which meant the group had three and a half hours to the n work out Daniel from the nning department exhaled deeply, relieved. He thought, ¡°Thank goodness we have three hours. There¡¯s still time to tweak the shooting ns Jeremy nced at Hayden, then at Daniel, and pulled out his writing tablet once more. His fingers flew across the screen as he scribbled a few words. Approaching Daniel, he held up the tablet, disying his message: [I want to join. Let¡¯s shoot together.] led by Jeremy¡¯s note, Daniel stood frozen, unsure whether to give his consent. And so, he nervously looked over at Hayden. Hayden¡¯s brows furrowed as he fixed his gaze on Jeremy. He wondered, ¡°What is that brat up to again? Standing off to the side, Joshua swiftly read Jeremy¡¯s writing boafil. He then hurriedly conveyed the message to Hayden, ¡°Mr. Hoggard, Jeremy wants to participate in the filming¡± Stacey stood frozen in surprise as she stared at Jeremy, who, in turn, looked back at Hayden eagerly. ¡°You can¡¯t act,¡± Hayden remarked with a disapproving scowl. Angered by the remark, Jeremy wrote hastily on the tablet. Then, he raised the tablet, challenging It can!] Hayden locked eyes with Jeremy, who held his gaze firmly. After a moment, Hayden turned to the staff and instructed. ¡°Let him join.¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Everyone was speechless. ¡°Okay, Mr. Hoggard. We¡¯ll arrange it right away, Daniel agreed hurriedly. As Stacey observed Jeremy, she couldn¡¯t help but find him more adorable with each passing moment. She waved at him, and seeing her friendly gesture, Jeremy¡¯s face lit up. He hurried over her, writing tablet in hand. 9+98% Stacey crouched down and unable to resist, nted a kiss on Jeremy¡¯s cheek, smiling warmly as she said, ¡°How can you be so cute?¡± Jeremy¡¯s whole body went rigid, particrly the spot on his cheek where it was kissed. ¡®Aunt Becky actually kissed me! he thought to himself. The sight didn¡¯t faze Joshua. Instead, his curiosity about her grew, and he couldn¡¯t help but cast a few more covert nces toward her. Hayden¡¯s gaze lingered on the scene, his dark eyes betraying a spark of surprise. So, Becky has taken quite a shine to Jeremy, huh?¡® he mused. The kiss from Stacey left Jeremy in a trance, and he clung to her with renewed fervor, his fingers curling around herrge hands as he guided her into the mansion. Hayden, with a casual case, turned and followed suit into the mansion. Stacey followed Jeremy into the living room and was immediately captivated by itsvish, pce¨Cinspired design. Absolutely breathtaking! she silently admired. The employees of Hoggard Technologies, trailing behind Joshua entered the opulent hall with bated breath. Overwhelmed by its grandeur, they thought in astonished whispers, Wow, we¡¯re actually in Mr. Hoggard¡¯s home! To see such beauty in person¡­ It¡¯s like stepping into royalty! Hahaha! Jeremy led Stacey to the second floor, opening the bedroom door, and stepping inside. Momentster, he emerged holding a wooden duck, which he presented to Stacey. She examined the duck with curiosity, thinking. The little duck looks quite aged and worn. Why would Jeremy y with it?¡± Hayden strolled over and said, ¡°This is actually your favorite childhood toy. Stacey¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she looked from Hayden to the wooden duck in Jeremy¡¯s hands. ¡°It even has the teeth marks from when you used to chew on it,¡± Hayden continued. Feeling a pang of difort, Stacey took the duck with aplex mix of emotions. As she inspected it, she saw the countless bite marks that marred its surface. ¡°Is this for real? Why on earth would my childhood toys end up in your house? Stacey asked as she struggled to process the situation. Hayden exined, ¡°You used toe over to my ce when you were little. Remember?¡± Stacey was stunned into silence Hayden added, ¡°Grandpa made this duck for me, but you always fought with me over it whenever you came over. You even chewed on it so much that you broke it.¡± Her hand quivering, Stacey shot back without hesitation, ¡°I didn¡®¡± She insisted to herself, Absolutely not! There¡¯s no way I¡¯d ever do something like that! Hayden cast a fleeting look at the duck and said, ¡°Whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you,¡± Stacey was left stunned, unable to respond. ¡°Is there anything special you¡¯d like for lunch? Just let Joshua know, and he¡¯ll arrange for the kitchen staff to prepare it,¡± Hayden offered next. Still reeling from the revtion, Stacey shook her head slowly and said. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll just go with whatever While Hayden¡¯s eyes remained fixed on her, Jeremy pulled out his writing tablet and scribbled: (Meat] Hayden looked at the tablet, and Stacey noticed it as well Jeremy, though young and still mastering his vocabry, had a firm grasp of the alphabet. His spelling was clear enough for anyone to read, especially since Stacey was a meat enthusiast and understood immediately. What¡¯s causing this odd, unsettling awkwardness in my gut? Why do I feel ashamed? she pondered. ¡°That¡¯s what Grandma shared with him. Whenever he visited our hometown, she would always recount stories from your childhood,¡± Hayden exined. 09.25 MOI, JUI 29 Hayden kept silent about his ex¨Cwife who had tricked him into marriage and then cloped with someone else. Since then, Melissa had oftenmented that if Becky hadn¡¯t disappeared, she might have married Hayden. This would have prevented him from being betrayed or losing his wife so young and spared Jeremy the pain of growing up without a mother. As a result, ever since childhood, Jeremy had always thought of Becky as a figure who might return to be the mother The had always wished for, one who would remain with them and never walk away. CHAPTER 151 Chapter 151 Stacey was speechless. ¡®Have I really liked eating meat since I was a kid? But Mrs. Hoggard, why would you tell Jeremy something like that?¡± she thought to herself, squatting down in front of Jeremy with a small duck in her hand. Meeting his gaze, she smiled and asked, ¡°Jeremy, do you like eating meat too! She thought, ¡®It can¡¯t just be me who likes to eat meat; Jeremy must like to eat as well, right?¡± Upon hearing this, Jeremy nodded immediately, and Stacey felt wave of relief at having apanion who shared her taste. She nced up at Hayden who stood beside her, then back at Jeremy. Jeremy is not shy at all. This is our first meeting, and he is already so attached to me. He is really adorable, Stacey thought to herself. Unable to resist, she gave Jeremy another hug and kissed his cheek. Jeremy¡¯s eyes lit up with joy as he looked at Becky. ¡°Let¡¯s go find Joshua and ask the kitchen staff to prepare more meat for our lunch, okay?¡± Stacey suggested with a smile. Jeremy nodded enthusiastically in response. Stacey then stood up, gently took Jeremy¡¯s hand, and led him downstairs. Hayden watched them with a thoughtful expression. Stacey paused for a moment, then could not help but ask, ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Hoggard, is there anything specific you would like for lunch? Jeremy and I can let Joshua know.¡± ¡°Joshua knows my preferences,¡± Hayden replied sinctly. Stacey nodded, understanding that it made sense; after all, this was Hayden¡¯s home, and the butler at Hoggard Vi would undoubtedly be familiar with his likes and dislikes. She said, ¡°In that case, I will take Jeremy downstairs now.¡± Hayden gave a nod of approval. ¡°All right.¡± Stacey smiled and exchanged a warm nce with Jeremy¡¯s bright eyes before they cheerfully headed downstairs. Hayden watched them intently until they disappeared down the stairs. Stacey led Jeremy down to the lower level, instinctively looking for Joshua. However, Jeremy took her directly to the kitchen. As they entered the kitchen, Stacey was surprised to find not the elderlydy she had expected, but a young woman in her twenties. The woman had delicate features and wless skin, and her presence radiated a serene charm. Hearing the noise at the door, the young woman turned around. Stacey¡¯s ey eyes widened as she took in the girl¡¯s stunning appearance. This girl is so beautiful!¡± she thought to herself. The young woman, seeing Stacey and Jeremy, was momentarily surprised but quickly focused on Jeremy, offered a warm smile, and asked, ¡°Jeremy, is there something you need from the kitchen? Jeremy opened his little bag again, took out a writing tablet and pen, and drew the same picture as before meat. Stacey nced at Jeremy¡¯s board and then at the young woman, smiling, ¡°What Jeremy wants to say is that we would like more meat for lunch today,¡± she exined ¡°Sure.¡± The girl looked up at Stacey and smiled. Her voice was pleasant, gentle, and warm. ¡°Thank you,¡± Stacey said earnestly. The girl¡¯s smile was soothing as she shook her head. ¡°It is my job. No need to thank me,¡± she said. Stacey smiled back, nodded to the girl, and said, ¡°If there is nothing else, we won¡¯t take up any more of your time. You can continue working, and I will take Jeremy outside to y.¡± ¡°All right,¡± the girl replied with a nod. Stacey nodded back and then led Jeremy outside, who followed obediently. Lynn saw them and quickly approached. Although she had managed many top stars, the scene at Hoggard Vi was a first for her. Even the most popr stars she had managed had endorsements that paled inparison to those of the Hoggard family. Most importantly, the Hoggard family¡¯s attitude toward Becky gave Lynn a surreal feeling, as if she were truly experiencing the presence of a top¨Ctier family. ¡°Becky, what is your rtionship with the Hoggard family?¡± Lyna could not help but ask quietly. Tue, Jui JU Stacey thought for a moment before providing a simple exnation. ¡°When my grandma was alive, she and Mrs. Hoggard were very good friends.¡± Lynn was speechless after hearing this. Becky¡¯s exnation was too brief, but it summed up everything. In short, the Carter family had connections. Looking at Stacey, Lynn felt a pang of envy and jealousy even as an agent herself, not to mention how other stars must feel. After leaving the Mitchell and Edwards families, Becky¡¯s life had taken a beautiful turn since returning to the Carter family. ¡°Qkay, I got it,¡± Lynn finally responded after holding it in for a long time. Knowing the truth, Lynn was not as anxious as before. On the contrary, she began to look forward to the afternoon¡¯s shoot. She thought to herself, ¡®With the Hoggard family¡¯s close rtionship with Becky, even if she does not perform perfectly this afternoon, they probably won¡¯t me her. The Hoggard family might even allow Becky a few chances to mess up and permit her to have more takes? §¸§å§á§á knew Becky¡¯s capabilities well. Although Becky was not formally trained andcked professional acting experience, she had a natural talent for the craft. As long as she received the script in advance and had time to practice before the official Shoot, she could deliver a wless performance. The key was ensuring she had some rehearsal time before the actual filming. With this thought in mind, Lynn nced at the staff of Hoggard Technologies seated around the nearby couch, all Trantically typing away on theirptops ann¡¯s first thought was to get the script from the staff to Becky as soon as possible so she would have time to rehearse. However, she quickly dismissed this idea.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Given the circumstances Hayden¡¯sst¨Cminute decision to filmmat his home and include Jeremy in the script ¨C Lynn realized that the formal and backup ns previously designed by the Hoggard Technologies nning department would likely need major revisions. If they could manage to have the script ready by 3 pm. as Hayden requested, it would be tessive enough. Getting the script ahead of time was already unrealistic. Them. Lynn¡¯s gaze shifted to Jeremy, who was clinging to Becky Luckily, this kid seems very attached to Becky and really ilkes her. It should not be too hard for Becky to work with him in the shoot, right? she thought to herself. Sepatting down to meet Jeremy¡¯s eye level, she said seriously. ¡°Hi Jeremy. My name is Lynn, Becky¡¯s agent er seeing this, Stacey also squatted down, watching Lynn and Jeremy talk. Upon hearing Lynn¡¯s words, Jeremy was tentarily stunned but then nodded at her. Lynn smiled and said, ¡°Jeremy, could you help take care of Becky for me turing the shoot this afternoon?¡± +77% 5) Stacey thought for a moment before providing a simple exnation. ¡°When my grandma was alive, she and Mrs. Hoggard were very good friends.¡± Lynn was speechless after hearing this. Becky¡¯s exnation was too brief, but it summed up everything. In short, the Carter family had connections. Looking at Stacey, Lynn felt a pang of envy and jealousy even as an agent herself, not to mention how other stars must feel. After leaving the Mitchell and Edwards families, Becky¡¯s life had taken a beautiful turn since returning to the Carter family. ¡°Qkay, I got it,¡± Lynn finally responded after holding it in for a long time. Knowing the truth, Lynn was not as anxious as before. On the contrary, she began to look forward to the afternoon¡¯s shoot. She thought to herself, ¡°With the Hoggard family¡¯s close rtionship with Becky, even if she does not perform perfectly this afternoon, they probably won¡¯t me her. The Hoggard family might even allow Becky a few chances to mess up and permit her to have more takes?¡¯ Lynn knew Becky¡¯s capabilities well. Although Becky was not formally trained andcked professional acting experience, she had a natural talent for the craft. As long as she received the script in advance and had time to practice before the official shoot, she could deliver a wless performance. The key was ensuring she had some rehearsal time before the actual filming. With this thought in mind, Lynn nced at the staff of Hoggard Technologies seated around the nearby couch, all frantically typing away on theirptops. Lynn¡¯s first thought was to get the script from the staff to Becky as soon as possible so she would have time to rehearse. However, she quickly dismissed this idea. Given the circumstances ¨C Hayden¡¯sst¨Cminute decision to film at his home and include Jeremy in the script ¨C Lynn realized that the formal and backup ns previously designed by the Hoggard Technologies nning department would likely need major revisions. If they could manage to have the script ready by 3 p.m. as Hayden requested, it would be impressive enough. Getting the script ahead of time was already unrealistic. Then, Lynn¡¯s gaze shifted to Jeremy, who was clinging to Becky. Luckily, this kid seems very attached to Becky and really likes her. It should not be too hard for Becky to work with him in the shoot, right?¡® she thought to herself. Squatting down to meet Jeremy¡¯s eye level, she said seriously, ¡°Hi, Jeremy. My name is Lynn, Becky¡¯s agent.¡± ¡± After seeing this, Stacey also squatted down, watching Lynn and Jeremy talk. Upon hearing Lynn¡¯s words, Jeremy was momentarily stunned but then nodded at her. Lynn smiled and said. ¡°Jeremy, could you help take care of Becky for me during the shoot this afternoon?¡± CHAPTER 152 Lynn nced at Becky and exined, ¡°Becky is new to the industry. She¡¯s not professionally trained in acting and might not perform well without rehearsals. If she doesn¡¯t perform well during the afternoon shooting, could you be more understanding and allow her to rehearse a few more times? She¡¯ll perform brilliantly if given more time. Please don¡¯t be angry if she makes mistakes. Is that okay?¡± Jeremy retrieved his writing tablet from his bag and wrote: [Of course!] Lynn felt her heart melting when she saw Jeremy holding the tablet with his simple reply. ¡®Little kids are so cute, and he¡¯s too adorable for a kid from the Hoggard family!¡® She tried to caress Jeremy¡¯s head as she thought so. This surprised Stacey, who quickly stopped Lynn. Jeremy also reacted quickly as he tilted his head and dodged Lynn¡¯s hand. ¡°A child¡¯s skull is soft and fragile, Lynn. We shan¡¯t touch a child¡¯s head carelessly,¡± Stacey reminded her. Lynn was stunned. She wasn¡¯t familiar with such knowledge since she wasn¡¯t married and had no children. ¡®Now that Becky reminded me, I could feel the pulse on Lily and Kev¡¯s heads when they were very young. They looked so fragile, she thought. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry. I didn¡¯t think of it just now,¡± she immediately apologized. They spent time rxing in the living room. Lunch was ready at noon, and Joshua exited the kitchen to notify the group, telling them to gather for lunch. The dishes were arranged on a very long table, with two rows of stools on both sides for them to sit on. The Hoggard Technologies employees couldn¡¯t resist the temptation, as they began taking pictures inconspicuously. An impatient female employee immediately posted the photos on Instagram with an annotation: [Hey, would anyone believe me if I say I¡¯m having lunch with my boss at his home?] Hayden also exited his study and joined them. He asked everyone to sit down for lunch. Jeremy grabbed Becky¡¯s hand immediately. He rushed to Hayden and sat next to him with her in tow. Hayden then came over and took the host¡¯s seat. Following him, Hoggard Technologies employees and Lynn sat down. Everyone was jubnt because the meal was splendid. They felt so blissful with a full stomach that they almost forgot how stressful their work was. After a brief moment of rxation, they were quickly reminded of why they were at their boss¡± home once they left the table. They felt anxious and hurried to catch up with the work. The nning department had drafted several scripts since one clock. They sent the scripts to Hayden, who eliminated one after another until only one was left. However, the only eptable script needed revision. The employees were very busy. All were staring at theirputers and typing feverishly. Hayden finally approved the edited script at three o¡¯clock in the afternoon. With that, Hoggard Technologies nning department employees collectively heaved a relieved sigh. After printing the script in his study, Hayden strode downstairs and passed it to Stacey. I¡¯ll give you half an hour to prepare. Is that okay?¡± he asked. The employees of Hoggard Technologies went green with envy when they heard that. ¡°We can¡¯t believe our boss asks her ¡°Is that okay?¡± they thought. Many of them had worked at Hoggard Technologies for years, and Hayden¡¯s orders were always ¡°I¡¯ll give you this amount of time. It must be done before time¡¯s upl Upon hearing that, Jeremy took out his writing tablet again and scribbled: [One hour!] Since Hayden wasn¡¯t looking at Jeremy after he finished writing, the boy tugged at his father¡¯s shirt for attention. He then showed Hayden the tablet to bargain. Hayden lowered his gaze and looked at Jeremy. The Hoggard Technologies employees also stared at the boy. They felt the green¨Ceyed monster striking again. Jeremy is so kind to Becky! He shows her so much love by helping her to negotiate with our boss! They couldn¡¯t help but think.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°I¡¯ll be ready in half an hour.¡± Stacey said solemnly, Tll try my best.¡± Hayden nodded and told her, ¡°Well, let¡¯s rehearse for half an hour first. We can extend the rehearsal time to one hour if needed. You don¡¯t have to be nervous.¡± Stacey was pleasantly surprised upon hearing that. Thank you, she said with a smile. Hayden nodded again and answered calmly, ¡°Sure.¡± The employees of Hoggard Technologies were speechless. They thought Jeremy had been unusually nice to Becky, but Hayden was also unexpectedly kind to her. They couldn¡¯t help but think again, ¡®Our boss has always been strict with time, yet he allows Becky more leeway if needed. Moreover, he alsoforts her so she won¡¯t be nervous! Jeremy needed to work hard alongside Stacey since he had insisted strongly to be included in the script. This meant he would act with Stacey. When Stacey was preparing her part, Hayden took Jeremy aside and apanied him as the boy practiced his parts again and again. Fortunately, the scenes and plots written for Jeremy were rtively simple, and the boy only needed to act naturally. Hayden approved Jeremy¡¯s performance after only two rehearsals and told the boy he could participate in the shooting Inter. Stacey also began her rehearsal after preparing for while. However, as Lynn described, Stacey was less familiar with her parts on the first try. Her expression was rather unnatural. Nevertheless, Jeremy ran to her and partnered with Stacey withoutints. After rehearsing repeatedly, Stacey finally felt she was in character. The onlookers were relieved. Hayden¡¯s serious face also broke into a smile. ¡°That looks all right,¡± he announced. While his approval cheered everyone up, their smiles disappeared quickly because the shooting was about to start. After Stacey felt prepared enough, she tried to find the Hoggard Technologies robot she was supposed to endorse. ¡°Where¡¯s the robot?¡¯ she wondered. Stacey looked around but didn¡¯t see any robot. The only beings here were people she knew. Atst, she turned her questioning gaze to Hayden. At that, the employees of Hoggard Technologies grinned mysteriously. Even Hayden smiled. He looked to the kitchen and ordered, ¡°Come here, Hannah.¡± The graceful and pretty girl came out of the kitchen. She went straight to Hayden and asked gently, ¡°Mr. Hoggard. What can I do for you?¡± This is thetest, most advanced robot of Hoggard Technologies with the best chip, which canplete most of the work in the kitchen. We designed her physical appearance to be as close as possible to an actual human. There¡¯s almost no difference between her and a human. Hayden exined as he looked at Stacey. CHAPTER 153 Chapter 153 +77% Stacey looked at the beautiful girl in front of her in shock. She reached out, intending to touch the robot, but hesitated just before making contact. ¡®Can I touch it?¡® she wondered, gazing at Hayden, and her expression revealed her thoughts. ¡°You can touch it,¡± Hayden said with a smile. Stacey¡¯s heart raced. She carefully raised her hand to touch Hannah, and upon contact, she instantly eximed in her mind, ¡®It feels almost indistinguishable from a real person!¡® Subconsciously, Stacey uttered, ¡°It just feels like a real human¡­¡± Lynn was also curious about the girl before them, doubting her entity as a robot. ¡°Mr. Hoggard, can I also touch it?¡± Lynn asked carefully. After receiving Hayden¡¯s permission, Lynn walked toward Hannah with an excited, racing heart. She gently reached out to touch her hand. ¡®It feels as soft and warm as the human skin. Is she truly a robot instead of a real person?¡± she wondered in disbelief. Hayden chuckled and suddenlymanded, ¡°Shadow No. 1, Shadow No. 2, attack me!¡± Immediately, the two stools beside the dining table suddenly transformed into robots. One raised its gun and shot at Hayden, while the other charged forward, attempting to attack him up close. The scene startled both Stacey and Lynn, especially Stacey. Almost instinctively, she tried to pull Hayden away. However, a figure suddenly darted past her, and Hannah instantly reached Hayden¡¯s side. She raised her hand and caught the bullet aiming at Hayden with bare hands. Simultaneously, she turned around and fought with the robot who attacked Hayden close. After several fast and ruthless moves, the robot stool that cracked Hayden was soon broken. ¡°Hannah, stop,¡± Hayden ordered. Hannah instantly stopped. Her demeanor exuded gentleness, and she slowly withdrew her hands. She returned to Hayden¡¯s side and asked with concern, ¡°Mr. Hoggard, are you injured? Do you need me to make an emergency call? Hayden replied, ¡°Tm fine. Where is the bullet?¡± Hannah then opened her hand, revealing her palm. There was a bullet in her once wless and delicate palm. Unfortunately, her skin was marred by the bullet. Upon seeing that, Stacey and Lynn widened their eyes in astonishment. At that moment, they both appeared like country bumpkins who hadn¡¯t seen much of the world, yet no one mocked them. At the side of them, the employees of Hoggard Technologies couldn¡¯t help but smile mysteriously. They took pride in such a high¨Ctech product of theirpany, even though they were just employees. Hayden exined, ¡°The greatest advantage of this robot lies in its ability to mimic humans, with a staggering 95 percent fidelity. However, it also faces a significant drawback ¨C the biomimetic skin that makes it appear human is rtively fragile. If it encounters strong attacks, such as bullets, its biomimetic skin will be pierced and damaged. Then, it needs to be sent back to ourpany for repair to restore its original condition.C0ntent ? 2024 (N/?)velDrama.Org. Lynn stared at the bullet in Hannah¡¯s hand. After a while, she asked tentatively, ¡°Is this bullet real?¡± Hayden nodded. ¡°Yes,¡± he confirmed. Stacey and Lynn, who had never seen high¨Ctech products, were utterly stunned. They couldn¡¯t believe that the attack they had just witnessed was real. They couldn¡¯t help but look at the broken robot stools beside them, and then nced over to the dining table. Recalling that they had just sat on those stools for lunch earlier, they were so startled to learn from Hayden that those were not real stools but high¨Ctech robots capable of shooting and harming humans. ¡°This robot stool was developed by our as a real seat, but its most crucial feature is its ability to transform into a robot when needed, following its owner¡¯smands and Maunching attacks against enemies.¡± Danjel finally couldn¡¯t hold back and exined excitedly. Seeing that Becky was so interested in the robots, Jeremy hurriedly took out his writing tablet and perrand wrote: [I have many robots too!] Afterward, he walked to Stacey and tugged at her hand. Sensing the movement in her hand, Stacey immediately withdrew her attention. She looked down and saw the writing tablet. held up by Jeremy. Specifically, she saw the words on the writing tablet. But Stacey just stared at Jeremy dazed. Hence, Jeremy took out a remote control in his small bag. Hayden looked at Jeremy and reminded him. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s shoot the promotional video first. You can take her to see your robots afterward.¡± Jeremy frowned and turned to look at Hayden with dissatisfaction. Stacey was amused. ¡°That¡¯s right, let¡¯s finish the work first. We can yter,¡± she persuaded. When Jeremy heard Becky¡¯s words, he immediately nodded obediently and put the remote control back into his bag. After that, the employees of Hoggard Technologies brought a billetproof vest for Stacey to put on, while Jeremy also followed Joshua to wear a bulletproof vest. The other staff who participated in the shooting were required to wear bulletproof vests as well. The shooting soon began when everyone had done their safety preparation. ording to the script, Stacey and Jeremy¡¯s roles were a young mother and son. After the cameraman set up the camera in the children¡¯s study on the second floor, Stacey and Jeremy began to act. The children¡¯s study was bathed in soft light, and a gentle breeze rustled the sheer curtains. A young mother, acted by Stacey, was tutoring her three¨Cyear¨Cold child, acted by Jeremy, to read and understand the intricacies of recognizing letters. She stood behind him, her arms enveloping his small frame, while herrge hand gently sped his. She taught him to write stroke by stroke and reminded him with a gentle voice during her guidance. However, the harmonious and heart- warming scene was suddenly interrupted by a series of knocks at the door. Almost simultaneously, Stacey and Jeremy looked at the half¨Copened door and found Hannah holding a tray with a bowl of hot mushroom soup at the door. Hannah smiled and said to them. ¡°Madam, Mister, the mushroom soup is ready.¡± ¡°All right, take it in,¡± Stacey agreed. After receiving the order, Hannah brought in the mushroom soup with a smile and carefully put it on the desk. Stacey put the children¡¯s literacy book aside, then picked up the hot soup, and slowly fed Jeremy the soup spoon by spoon. Jeremy was remarkably well¨Cbehaved. He looked at Stacey joyfully with bright eyes, and his gaze was full of love toward a mother. Mouthfully, he slowly finished the small bowl of mushroom soup fed by Stacey. At that very moment, two robots suddenly appeared at the door. They held guns and fired directly at the harmonious mother and son in the room! Instantly, Stacey¡¯s face turned pale, nd she instinctively opened her arms to hold Jeremy tightly, shielding him with her back turned toward the enemies. Watching the scene, everyone¡¯s hearts raced as they sensed impending doom for the mother and son in the room. Suddenly, the ¡°housekeeper¡® who delivered the mushroom soup, Hannah, standing next to them sprang into action. Her movements seemed simple, yet she caught two bullets barchanded and dashed with lightning speed toward the two robots at the door. With two crack sounds, the arms of the two robots holding the guns were broken in an instant! CHAPTER 154 +77% 2 Stacey held the baby in her arms, not daring to move until a ck shadow was cast down in front of her. ¡°Master, the enemy who attacked you has been eliminated. Please don¡¯t be afraid,¡± said Hannah with a smile while looking at the mother and son duo with a gentle gaze. With the baby in her arms, Stacey carefully looked up at Hanna In the process, the photographer hurried over with a camera in his hands and captured a close¨Cup shot of that scene. Stacey¡¯s face was pale, and she looked at Hannah as if she was looking at her savior. ¡°Where are the bullets?¡± She spoke after a long time, her weak and trembling voice revealing the fear of dying she just experienced. Hannah opened her hand, revealing two bullets lying in her pal. She said in a sweet voice, ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Cut!¡± the director shouted, indicating the conclusion of the filming. The camera¡¯sst shot was fixed on Hannah¡¯s palm, which hid two secrets- first, the bullet had pierced the young housekeeper¡¯s skin, yet she wasn¡¯t bleeding and instead exposed the silver machinery parts inside, implying that she wasn¡¯t a human, but a humanoid robot; second, this humanoid robot could take down two bullets for her owner with her bare hands. ¡°Becky, how is it? Are you all right?¡± Lynn hurried over to Stacey feeling worried. Stacey looked at Lynn and shook her head lightly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Only after seeing that Stacey was really fine could Lynn breathe a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Hayden and the staff of the nning department were checking the video they had just taken. Stacey thought about it and decided to go over to take a look. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you a week to produce the final film,¡± ordered Hayden after checking Daniel didn¡¯t expect the shoot to progress so smoothly and with such impressive effects. He could already foresee how amazing this promotional video would be upon its release, so he wasn¡¯t worried when he heard Hayden¡¯s order and instead even looked forward to it. ¡°Sure, I promise we¡¯ll finish it within a week!¡± eximed Daniel, thinking that if they received a good impact from the promotional video, the employees of the nning department would surely receive more bonuses for the month. That thought alone left him excited. By the time work ended, it was already dark outside. The employees of Hoggard Technologies bade goodbye and left one after another. Stacey and Lynn exchanged nces, figuring it was time they left, too. ¡°Mr. Hoggard, if there¡¯s nothing else, Becky and I will make a move, too,¡± Lynn said.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Hearing that, Jeremy grew anxious. He ran over and grabbed Becky¡¯s hand to stop her from leaving. She was stunned and lowered her eyes to look at Jeremy, to which he quickly pulled out his writing tablet and wrote: [Don¡¯t go]. He looked at her anxiously with imploring eyes. Hayden looked at Jeremy, then turned to Becky and asked, ¡°Where will you be staying tonight?¡± Stacey turned to look at Lynn, as she was usually the one who made arrangements. Tve booked a room at a hotel,¡± responded Lynn. Hearing this, Hayden nced at Stacey, then shifted his gaze to Lynn and concisely said, ¡°So, you two n to stay in Strico tonight and not head back? If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you stay at my house tonight? I¡¯ll have my butler arrange two rooms for you.¡± Jeremy nodded vigorously, looking anxious. That¡­ That¡¯s not very appropriate, is it Lynn sounded hesitant ¡°Mr. Hoggard, I know you¡¯re very kind to Becky, but her identity¡¯s rather special now. There must be many paparazzi out there following her. If we stay here tonight, those paparazzi will surely write about it.¡± + ¦° Hayden fell silent. Jeremy was so anxious that his face turned pale, his gaze switching between Hayden and Becky. After some contemtion, Hayden finally suggested, ¡°How about this Becky, you go to the hotel with Lynn and take Jeremy along so that he can spend the night with you. Take it as helping me take care of him tonight. Will this be okay? I¡¯ll pick him up at the hotel tomorrow.¡± Stacey was surprised to hear that. She didn¡¯t expect Hayden to ask her to take care of his son, or rather, she thought it was a little bizarre about how Jeremy was so close and dependent on her. In fact, she had been puzzled since the morning about why Jeremy was so clingy toward her when they had only met for the first time. Though she couldn¡¯t quite wrap her head arpund it, she still agreed, ¡°Sure.¡± They had only been together for a day, but Stacey couldn¡¯t deny that Jeremy was adorable, and she quite liked him. Hearing that, Jeremy¡¯s eyes immediately lit up with excitement. ¡°Thank you,¡± Hayden expressed earnestly, Stacey smiled and shook her head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite with me. ¡°Have dinner at home. I¡¯ll take you guys to the hotel after dinner Hayden added. Stacey replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Hanna was still cooking in the kitchen. Stacey checked her phone, and seeing that there was still time, she took Jeremy to the couch and turned on the TV after getting Hayden¡¯s consent. Then, she looked for the kids channel, tuned in on a cartoon, and watched it with Jeremy. However, they had barely watched for a few minutes when her phone rang. It was a video call from Debra. As soon as Stacey saw the caller ID, she answered the phone. ¡°Mama!¡± Kevin¡¯s face appeared on the screen as soon as the video call was connected, and his baby voice rang out in excitement. ¡°Mhm, I¡¯m here,¡± said Stacey with a smile, looking at Kevin on the phone screen. ¡°Did you call me, Kev? Where¡¯s Granny?¡± Jeremy leaned over, with his eyes widened slightly. He stared curiously at the baby boy on the video call, wondering if that was Stacey¡¯s son. Kevin aw Jeremy, too. He blinked and shouted in a baby voice, ¡°Bubba¡± Kevin was over a year old, and he was at the age of learning to talk. Whenever Debra took him out for a walk, she would also introduce him to various words, for instance, telling him to greet boys older than him as ¡°brother. As such, he now had a habit of calling older boys ¡°Bubba.¡± Hearing Kevin call him, Jeremy was delighted. He hurriedly pulled out his writing tablet, scribbled something, and eagerly held it up to show it to Kevin through the video call. However, Kevin was no longer on the phone screen, instead, he was reced by Debra. She had taken the phone back from Kevin and upon seeing the young boy with Stacey, she curiously asked, ¡°Becky, who is this child?¡± At that, Stacey nced at Jeremy and smiled, introducing, ¡°Mom, his name is Jeremy, Mr. Hoggard¡¯s son.¡± CHAPTER 155 The grandson of the Hoggard family? wondered Debra, looking briefly stunned. The next moment, her eyes lit up, and she raised her hand as she looked at Jeremy on the screen and cheerfully waved to him. ¡°Hello, you¡¯re Jeremy? I¡¯m Becky¡¯s mother, Debra. Nice to meet you!¡± Jeremy¡¯s pupils dted slightly. Then, he quickly picked up his writing tablet, wrote down his name, and lifted it to show it to,Debra. After showing her his name, he turned the tablet around, erased the words, and continued writing something. It was a pity he didn¡¯t know many words now. He had a lot in his mind that he wanted to tell Debra, but he didn¡¯t know how to pen those words. His brows became tightly scrunched up, and he was hesitant but eventually drew a bunch of pictures on the tablet and showed them to Debra. Debra looked at the tablet Jeremy was holding and was visibly surprised. ¡°Wow, Jeremy, you already know how to draw? They¡¯re all nicely drawn! You¡¯re amazing!¡± Jeremy said nothing Just like that, Debra and Jeremy chatted over the phone. Before they realized it, Hannah had finished preparing dinner. The group gathered at the dining table, but when Lynn saw the stool next to the table, she became a little hesitant to take a seat. Hayden smiled, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The robot still is just an ordinary stool before transformation and nothing special.¡± Lynn was speechless, mulling, ¡°Would you believe me if I say I¡¯m afraid that the robot will lose control and shoot me in the butt?¡± Hayden took the lead to sit down and said with a smile, ¡°Currently, among 197 countries around the world, there are at least 100 countries whose royal families or presidents use this robot stool ourpany manufactured.¡± Lynn was stunned when she heard that, but on further thought, she figured, Yeah, I¡¯m nowhere importantpared to the royal families and presidents in the world. If they¡¯re not afraid, what¡¯s there for me to be afraid of? Besides, if the safety standards of Hoggard Group¡¯s products aren¡¯t guaranteed, those royal families and presidents wouldn¡¯t have bought them. either, right? Be it the royal families or presidents, they¡¯re all big shots whose lives concerned their country. They¡¯re bound to buy items with high¨Cquality standards. The safety standards of Hoggard Group¡¯s products must be top¨Cnotch for those people to ept them¡± ¡°Haha, I¡¯m just a little hesitant because it feels like this stool is worth so much more than me Lynn chuckled, trying to ease the embarrassment. Stacey chimed in, . ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t think much of it during lunch, but now that I know how impressive of a robot it is, I feel a little nervous, too. Why would such a high¨Ctech robot be used as a stool?¡± Hayden looked at Stacey and exined with a smile, ¡°No matter how high¨Ctech something is, its purpose is to serve people. Its important value is to y a role in our daily lives.¡± Lynnughed. ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± After everyone sat down, they began to eat. Looking at the dishes on the table, Jeremy immediately used his small spoon to scoop a big piece of delicious meat and put it on Stacey¡¯s te. Hayden, sitting in the main seat, was rendered speechless when he saw that, musing. This brat has never offered me any food before!¡± Following some deliberation, he also picked up some meat with the serving fork and put it on Stacey¡¯s te. ¡°Eat up.¡± Stacey was wholly baffled. with his small spoon in his grip. Jeremy stared at Hayden in shock, wondering if his father did that to snatch Becky from him. A sense of crisis crept up within Jeremy as those thoughts flooded his mind. He hastily stretched out his hand and scooped the meat on the te with his spoon. Then, he turned with much effort and put the meat on Stacey¡¯s te. Hayden reminded, ¡°You should use the serving fork when you¡¯re serving others food. It¡¯s unhygienic and impolite to use your own spoon. There were only serving forks on the dining table, and Jeremy hadn¡¯t learned how to use forks. ¡®Daddy is back¨Cstabbing me! he fumed inwardly. Stacey¡¯s small te was piled up with food. Seeing that Jeremy was still intending to offer her more meat, she hastily said, ¡°Jeremy, that¡¯s enough. There¡¯s too much food on my te already. As she spoke, she also grabbed the serving fork and served Jeremy a few pieces of meat. ¡°You should eat more, Jerenty. You need enough nutrition to grow up.¡± Sitting aside, Lynn quietly scooped herself some food, which she thought was really delicious. As for the interaction between Becky and the father and son duo, she tried to convince herself that she was oblivious to it so that she wouldn¡¯t be envious. After dinner, it was time to leave Hoggard Vi for the hotel. Jeremy had been following Stacey closely after he was done eating, unwilling to leave her side for fear that she might disappear. Stacey was so amused by him that she couldn¡¯t help squeezing his cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll take Jeremy to the hotel, then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you guys there,¡± offered Hayden. Stacey answered with a smile, ¡°Okay, thank you.¡± Though Hayden said he¡¯d send them, he actually had a driver to drive the car. That said, they still headed to the hotel together in the same car. Outside, they spotted a few paparazzi squatting near the entrance. Nheless, that was no longer much of a problem. Before long, they arrived at the hotel, and the hotel owner came down to greet them in person. When Stacey saw that, her mind went nk momentarily, but she quickly caught up and figured it was normal for a boss to personally wee someone like Hayden, Stacey, however, soon found such a situation a little too much for her. With just a single word from Hayden, the boss of the hotel upgraded their superior suite to a VIP presidential suite, one that not anybody could book but only those who had connections could. The hotel owner even personally escorted them to their room after they settled the necessary procedures. Only after the hotel owner and Hayden left could Stacey quietly exhale in relief, thinking, ¡®Mr. Hoggard is being too nice.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Nevertheless, when she looked down at Jeremy, who had been clinging to her, she could understand why Hayden would take so much care of them. He must be worried that his son will feel ufortable staying at the hotel, that¡¯s why he especially made all these arrangements, huh? Mr. Hoggard¡¯s a really good father, she considered. Thinking about that, Stacey was reminded of Lillian and Kevin, as well as their father. Unknowingly, the smile on her face disappeared, and she suddenly felt a pang of gloom envelop her. If possible, she hoped that Lillian and Kevin could also have aplete family and a good ther. It¡¯s a pity there are different types of fathers¡­ Some deserve that title, while others¡­ He doesn¡¯t deserve to be one!¡® she seethed inwardly. Even now, ording to the news she vaguely heard, Theodore and Jenny were still very close. ¡®How can Theodore pester me while continuing to be ¡°good friends¡± with Jenny? He obviously knows how Jenny feels toward him, so why does he refuse to cut her off while asking for a remarriage?¡® she brooded, unable to ept how he was bing more and more like Michael. She didn¡¯t really mind before, but now that she had Lilian and Kevin, she became more determined to stay away from Theodore, fearing that the kids would be influenced by his bad habits. After all, the environment had a great influence on one, especially one¡¯s parents, since they would be their children life mentors. She didn¡¯t want her kids to live with a father like Theodore, as she believed it would severely affect their personal values. The mere thought of how Kevin might be influenced by Theodore if they were to live together and be a man like thetter 20 yearster simply haunted Stacey badly, leaving her feeling almost suffocated. CHAPTER 156 Stacey and Jeremy stayed at the hotel for one night. The following day, Hayden arrived before dawn. Stacey and Lynn, who got up early, opened the door and let Hayden in to check on Jeremy, who was still sleeping, before leaving with the suitcases. Stacey had an intuition if Jeremy woke up and saw her go, he would be very upset. As they left early in the morning, it was still early when they returned to Hivalis. Lynn had something to do at Aotori shooting base, so she went to catch the next flight and flew over immediately. Debra picked Stacey up with Lillian and Kevin. When Stacey exited the airport, she saw her dear family. When Lillian and Kevin saw her, their eyes lit up immediately, and they shouted excitedly at the same time, ¡°Mommy!¡± Stacey¡¯s mood was lifted in an instant. She pulled her suitcase and walked toward them while the children ran toward her, dragging Debra along. As the children had grown up, they were stronger and could run fast. Debra almost couldn¡¯t keep up with them. Fortunately, there was a leash, which kept the two children from escaping het grip. The nanny was also running at the side, watching carefully for pedestrians and vehicles around them to prevent the children from being hit or bumping into others. The two children soon reunited with Stacey. One on each side, they wrapped their soft arms around her thigh and looked up at her, cheering excitedly. Stacey was overwhelmed with happiness when the children kept calling her. She squatted down and kissed them one by one. ¡°Lily, Kev, I¡¯m back.¡± Stacey held the children and spoke happily. With sparkling eyes, Lillian immediately stretched out her small short hands, held Stacey¡¯s head, and pecked her cheek. Then, she said in a childish voice, ¡®I love you, Mommy.¡± Kevin got anxious and hurriedly stretched out his hand to hug Stacey¡¯s head and kissed her as Lillian did. Only then did he feel relieved. ¡°Love you, Mommy¡± ¡®Oh, my. How can my babies be so cute? Stacey eximed inwardly. Holding one of them in one hand, she wanted to carry both of them up at once, but unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have the strength to. It was doable to carry one of them, but she was afraid that they would fall if she held them at the sfthe time. Debra came over and reached out to carry the cheeky Lillian. Then, Stacey picked Kevin up, ¡°I want Mommy to hold me! Lillian, who was in Debra¡¯s arms, yearned for Stacey. She stretched out her little hands and tilted her waist toward thetter. Debra hurriedly hugged Lillian tightly andforted her, ¡°Your mommy is very tired now She¡¯ll hold you when we get home, okay?¡± Pouting, Lillian was about to break to tears. Stacey¡¯s expression changed as she hurriedly kissed Lillian and said with a smile, ¡°Lily, I¡¯ll reward you with one more kiss, okay?¡± The tears welling up in Lillian¡¯s eyes suddenly stopped. ¡°Let¡¯s go. car is waiting outside. After we get into the car, you can hug both of them,¡± Debra said with a smile before Stacey nodded and replied, ¡°Sure.¡± Then, they walked out quickly with the children in their arms. They arrived at the Carter family¡¯s car. The driver had opened the door for them, so they carefully got in with the children in their arms. The When they got into the car, Stacey put Kevin on her right and reached out to carry Lillian. She pinched her little face and smiled. ¡°You crybaby. Can¡¯t you wait for just a while? Do you have to cry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a crybaby!¡± Lillian immediately retorted loudly. Hearing this, Kevin looked at her and said solemnly in his adorable voice, ¡°You almost cried just now!¡± ¡°No!¡± Lillian stared at Kevin and shouted. ¡°You sure did!¡± Kevin added, unwilling to back down.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Lillian got angry. Chuckling, Stacey held the two children in each arm and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. No, Lily didn¡¯t cry. Her eyes were just wet, right?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Lillian agreed earnestly, raised her hand, wiped her eyes, and added, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened just now. Some water seemed to get into my eyes.¡± Hearing this, Stacey almost burst intoughter. She forced herself to hold back andforted her, ¡°Yes. Lily¡¯s eve wet by ident. She didn¡¯t cry.¡± Kevin was confused. ¡°Why were Lily¡¯s eyes wet?¡± Children always had countless questions. Stacey patiently answered their questions, coaxing them. just got At Strico, when Jeremy woke up, he was still in a slight daze but soon remembered Stacey. He hurriedly turned around and looked at the seat next to him. Last night, he slept with Stacey, who told him a bedtime story. However, when he turned around, he didn¡¯t see her. He was all alone in the room. Thinking of something, he suddenly panicked, hurriedly lifted the quilt, sat up, and climbed down the bed. Before he put on his shoes, he ran out anxiously. In the living room, Hayden, who was working on some documents on theputer, heard the noise and looked up. Jeremy also saw him. ¡°Why is Daddy here?¡® he wondered and had a bad feeling. Hayden seemed to know what Jeremy was thinking and said right away, ¡°Stacey went back.¡± Thetter immediately ran toward the door, raised his hand to open it, and rushed out. Hayden came to his senses, hurriedly set down theputer, and chased after Jeremy. Hayden often worked out, so he caught up to him swiftly. In the corridor, he grabbed thetter and asked. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Jeremy didn¡¯t speak or exin. He kicked his legs hard and tugged at Hayden¡¯s clothes with his little hands. He wanted to push him away as he wanted to see Stacey. Jeremy struggled with all his strength. His eyes reddened like a hopeless small beast. Hayden forcibly brought Jeremy back to the presidential suite. As soon as he let go of Jeremy, he uttered in a cold voice, ¡°Jeremy, she¡¯s not your mother!¡± Thetter raised his head and looked at Hayden fiercely, like a little wolf. Hayden smiled and added, ¡°But if we work together, she can be your mother in the future. It¡¯s possible.¡± Jeremy was stunned, opened his eyes wide, and looked at Hayden in shock, confused at the same time. Hayden knew he had manipted Jeremy, so he calmly returned to the couch and turned on theputer. Jeremy chased after him. Thinking of something, he hurried back to his room, took out his writing tablet and pen, and wrote: [What do you mean?] After writing the four words, he hurriedly tugged at Hayden¡¯s hand so thetter could read what was written on his writing tablet. CHAPTER 157 Hayden turned his head to look at Jeremy¡¯s writing tablet, turned theputer around, and pointed the screen at him. It was a webpage full of text. ¡°Can you read all this?¡± he asked. Jeremy¡¯s face darkened when he heard Hayden. He stared at thetter fiercely. He was only three years old and understood some words, but not much. He could tell Hayden deliberately rocked him for being illiterate. Hayden said calmly. This is the civil code. ording to the current marriage regtions of our country, Stacey has divorced her ex¨Chusband, and I also divorced your mother, so technically speaking, we are single now. If I can win Stacey over and marry her, she¡¯ll be your mother in the future. You cankall her mommy then. Jeremy¡¯s eyes lit up as he was excited. He took the writing tablet and wrote: [Then you must] After only three words, he stopped and thought about how to spell the next word. Hayden didn¡¯t urge him and just watched from the side Jeremy racked his brains and finally wrote: [Then you must merry her fast!] After finishing writing, he hurriedly held the tablet in front of Hayden and showed it to him anxiously, Hayden stared at the words on Jeremy¡¯s writing tablet and looked up at the flustered Jeremy. ¡°Do you think I can just marry her if I want to? If I want to marry her, first of all, she must like me and be willing to marry me. Jeremy was speechless. ¡°You have to help me win her over. When I manage to, and she likes me, I can propose to her and marry her. Hayden continued. Jeremy hurriedly picked up the writing tablet and wrote: [How can I help you?] Seeing this, Hayden thought about it. After a while, he shook his head and said. ¡°I haven¡¯t made up a n yet. After I do, tell you what to do. You just need to follow my instructions. Jeremy stared at Hayden and pondered for a long time. Finally, he took the tabler and wrote: [Okay] Hayden smiled while Jeremy looked at him solemnly. At this moment, Stacey didn¡¯t know about Hayden and Jeremy¡¯s deal. In Hivalis, she was heading home with Lillian and Kevin but when she arrived at the residential area entrance, she unexpectedly saw a man who she hadn¡¯t met for a long time ¨C Theodore. Stacey almost subconsciously reached out to cover Lillian¡¯s and Kevin¡¯s eyes. Perhaps she was selfish and didn¡¯t want them to see Theodore. Debra also saw Theodore. Her face darkened as she muttered unhappily, ¡°Leave him alone. Our residential area is gated. He doesn¡¯t live here, so the guard won¡¯t let him in.¡± After saying that, Debra was still worried. She took out her phone and called the management office of the residential area, asking them not to let Theodore in. All the people who could live in the neighborhood were wealthy tycoons. The manager was very nervous when he received the call, so he immediately came out to check. After confirming Theodore¡¯s identity, he quickly notified the guards to tighten the security and never let Theodore in. The Carter family¡¯s car in Hivalis was different from that in Marloria. Theodore didn¡¯t notice the car that just entered belonged to the Carter family. He was still standing at the gate, frowning slightly and feeling a little annoyed. In the residential area, a ck luxury car entered the Carter family¡¯s mansion and stopped at the garden near the gate. Patrick was fishing at the side. When he saw theming back, his eyes lit up. He immediately put down the rod and skipped over happily. The door opened, and Stacey and Debra respectively got out of the car with a child, Patrick came over happily and took Lillian away from Stacey¡¯s arms. However, he kept looking at her and asked, ¡°How was your work? Did you have any problem?¡± Stacey thought of her time at Hoggard Vi these days and shook her head with a smile. ¡°Nothing. Everything is fine. Mr. Hoggard, I mean, Hayden took good care of me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Patrick smiled and nodded repeatedly. ¡°The Hoggard family has always been kind. If you go over to their ce, we won¡¯t worry much.¡± Everyone entered the house together. Stacey thought of Theodore at the gate just now, took out her phone, and saw a ¨C message from an unknown¨Cnumber: [Reba, I¡¯ve settled the matter with the Edwards family. I¡¯m at your ce. Can youe out and talk?] The message was sent an hour ago. When she got off the ne, her phone was turned off, and she didn¡¯t look at it. Then, shel was upied with the two cute children and didn¡¯t have time to turn on her phone, so she didn¡¯t see the message until she turned it on. However, nothing would change even if Stacey had seen it. Her face was void of expression as she blocked and deleted the number right away. Theodore waited for a long time outside the residential area, but Stacey didn¡¯t appear. He wanted to go in but was stopped to send by the guard, who didn¡¯t ept bribes. After waiting for a long time, he took out a new SIM card and continued messages to her with the new number: [Reba, can I see the children? It¡¯s been a long time. Lately, I¡¯ve been missing them.] In the mansion, Stacey received a message again. She nced at it, deleted it, and blocked the number. If possible, she didn¡¯t want the children to have any contact with Theodore. In other words, Theodore and the Edwards family were problematic. If the children mingled with them too much, their mindset might be influenced. She couldn¡¯t ept it if, when they grew up, they would have the same mindset as the Edwards family.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Not wanting to be constantly disturbed by Theodore using an unknown number, Stacey wanted to turn off her phone, but at that moment, a message from a new contact popped up on her WhatsApp. Stunned, she opened her WhatsApp and saw that the person¡¯s name who added her contact was Hayden. She was a little surprised because she didn¡¯t expect Hayden to message her. Stacey thought about it and added his contact. With that, they both started a chat. After hesitating for a moment, she carefully sent a message: [Mr. Hoggard?] A message from Hayden quickly popped up in her WhatsApp chat box. [Yes, it¡¯s me.] She was rendered speechless. He asked: [Are you home?] Stacey hurriedly replied: [Yes. I¡¯m home now. Thank you for taking care of me yesterday.] Hayden wrote: [You don¡¯t have to be so polite with me. I¡¯m d you got home safely. I won¡¯t disturb you. Have a good rest We¡¯ll talk next time.] Stacey was stunned and wondered, ¡®Did Hayden add my contact on purpose to check on me?¡® Just as she was pondering, a video call request suddenly popped up on her phone. It was from Hayden. Her mind went nk for a moment. She came to her senses and quickly answered the call. Jeremy¡¯s face instantly appeared. Stacey suddenly realized and thought, Jeremy probably misses me. That¡¯s why Hayden added me!¡± After all, children were sometimes very difficult to deal with. Even their parents might not be able to control them when they were at a certain age. Thinking of this, she suddenly recalled when Hayden was so angry and helpless because of Jeremy. Suddenly, she couldn¡¯t help butugh. CHAPTER 158 ¡°Jeremy, Stacey called out happily as she looked at Jeremy on the video call. Jeremy hurriedly took his writing tablet and wrote: [I miss you so much!] As expected. Stacey gazed at the writing tablet with a soft expression as she mused, Jeremy is so cute. With a smile, she responded, ¡°I miss you, too.¡± The next moment, Hayden took back the phone. Jeremy¡¯s little body disappeared from the screen, and Hayden appeared, stating in a deep voice, Tm sorry. Jeremy seems to like you a lot I wonder if it caused you any trouble:¡± Stacey quickly shook her head and exined, ¡°Of course not. Jeremy is cute. He¡¯s a well¨Cbehaved, thoughtful child. I really like him too.¡± Meanwhile, in Hoggard Vi, Hayden forced Jeremy out of the camera, but he stood next to Hayden and could still hear their video call. When Hayden made negative remarks about him to Becky, his countenance grew unhappy. He red at Hayden as he thought, ¡®How could Daddy say that to Becky?¡® However, his expression soon brightened, and he turned delighted when he heard herpliment and liked him. Her remarks made him forget his anger from a while ago. ¡°Really?¡± Hayden asked with a smile. He saw Becky¡¯s liking and eptance of Jeremy as a positive development for him. Tve heard that you have two kids too. Can I meet them next time if there is a chance?¡± Hayden asked again. Stacey mused, ¡°My kids?¡± Her mood improved as she thought of Lillian and Kevin. She grinned and said with a nod, ¡°Sure.¡± Meanwhile, Lillian dashed over and leaped into Stacey¡¯s arms like a small cannonball, shouting joyously, ¡°Mom!¡± Stacey,¡± noticing her, hurriedly hugged her to prevent her from falling On the other side, Jeremy also heard Lillian¡¯s voice and wondered if it was hers. He couldn¡¯t take it any longer, so he leaned closer to the camera and looked at her through the video call with Hayden. Lillian wasn¡¯t afraid because Stacey was holding her. She stretched out her head, wanting to peek at Stacey¡¯s phone, and even reached for it with her short hands. She detected Stacey was on a video call and wanted to know who she was talking to at the moment. The children¡¯s curiosity was never¨Cending, and she eventually snatched the phone, leaving Stacey feeling helpless. After getting the phone, Lillian held it up happily and nced at the two individuals on the video call. However, she was taken aback to see unfamiliar faces on it. ¡°Who are you?¡± Lillian inquired, confused. When Jeremy heard Lillian¡¯s voice, he responded quickly and proceeded to write his name on the writing tablet, wanting to give her his name. Looking at the little face in the video that resembled Becky, Hayden was likewise in a pleasant mood and introduced. himself. Tm Hayden, your mom¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°What is a friend?¡± Lillian asked doubtfully.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Howard was at a loss for words. Stacey hurriedly took back her phone, looked at Hayden in the video call, and exined, ¡°Lily can be a little naughty at times. Please forgive her ¡°Same as Jeremy Hayden stated calmly, selling Jeremy out. Jeremy had already finished writing his game. He was ready to show Lillian his writing tablet when he heard Hayden badmouthing him to Becky again, which disturbed him. He scolded inwardly, I¡¯m not a naughty boy! I¡¯m not! Bad Daddy!¡± He hurriedly erased his name from the writing tablet and wrote other words: [I¡¯m a good boy!] When he was done, he pushed Hayden away, held up the writing tablet, and anxiously disyed it to Becky. 76% y saw the words on Jeremy¡¯s writing tablet. She nodded with a smile and said, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re a good boy. Not naughty at Stacey all.¡± Upon hearing that, Jeremy nodded vigorously. He took the writing tablet and resumed writing, looking serious and frowning. Stacey waited patiently until Jeremypleted writing before lifting it again, and it wrote: [Daddy is talking nonsense!] The words made her smile again. She couldn¡¯t help but think Jeremy was so adorable. After a lengthy and enjoyable talk, Hayden finally took the phon back. He looked at Becky in the video call and said with a smile, ¡°You just got home, right? Jeremy and I should stop disturbing you now. Have a good rest.¡± ¡°Okay. Take care of yourselves, too, Stacey responded. After saying that, her mind went nk again. She thought something was wrong with her words. However, this was only a fleeting thought. She instantly dismissed the bizarre delusion in her heart. The video call was ultimately ended, and both sides were made quiet. Meanwhile, Patrick and Debra both turned to gaze at Stacey, Debra smiled, asking, ¡°Did that kid from the Hoggard family call just now?¡± Stacey nodded, replying, ¡°Yes.¡± Patrick nced at Debra, then Stacey, and smiled, stating, ¡°Hay is quite good. He cares about you.¡± Stacey reflected for a while and concluded that the Hoggard family was fairly good. Whether she went to Hoggard Manor to visit Jason and Sharon or to Strico to meet Hayden and Jeremy, she could tell they were all friendly. Perhaps it was because of their family values that people feltfortable with them. ¡°Hmm,¡± she said, nodding. Then, Debra smiled and reminded Stacey, ¡°You returned from Strico early this morning. Are you tired now? Why don¡¯t you go back to your room and sleep for a while? As women, we should get adequate sleep so that we can preserve our beauty forever.¡± Stacey replied, ¡°Okay.¡± She was indeed a little exhausted. She had a good time with Jeremy the previous night, but putting him to bed was tiring, which caused her to fall asleep veryte at night. Moreover, she had to wake up early the next morning to catch a flight back to Hivalis. Stacey then headed upstairs. Kevin remained mute and attempted to follow her up but was carried down by Debra. Debra softened her voice and smile at Kevin, saying, ¡°Let your mommy rest. She has worked for a long time and is very tired. Blinking his eyes, Kevin looked at Debra in confusion. ¡°Why will she get very tired after working for so long?¡± Lillian asked. Although her pronunciation was considerably clearer, sometimes her words were sporadic, and she still spoke with a babyish ent Debra didn¡¯t know how to exin. Patrick sat on the couch. Upon hearing the noise, he smiled and replied, ¡°Because work needs energy, and using too much energy is exhausting¡± Then, Mommy should stop working.¡± Kevin said. As a child, he didn¡¯t think much and simply didn¡¯t want Stacey to be exhausted and suffer. CHAPTER 159 Debra and Patrick mused, ¡°What a good boy. They looked at Lin and Kevin and couldn¡¯t help but adore them more. They were pleased to have Lillian and Kevin in the family. Debra lowered her head and kissed Kevin. She nodded and stated. ¡°We listen to you. We won¡¯t let her work anymore.¡± Meanwhile, despite many attempts, Theodore was unable to get into the residential area. Reba didn¡¯t reply to him either. He could certainly guess she didn¡¯t want to see him, let alone let her children see him. His face darkened. He stood at the entryway for a long time before turning around to leave. When Theodore returned to the hotel, he was surprised to meet Jenny, When he noticed her, his eyes softened significantly. and Reba¡¯s hatred in his heart vanished almost instantaneously. He knew that Jenny understood him and woulde to soothe him for more than a year, no matter what happened Every time he finished arguing with Reba, Jenny would appear tofort and enlighten him, gradually alleviating his depression. Furthermore, regarding the coboration between the Edwards and Smith families, he declined to marry Jenny and instead opted to marry Reba. Despite her sadness, she eventually chose to understand him. She remained cool and willing to assist him, even if it was only a friendship. She maintained coboration between the two families to assist the Edwards family. Theodore mused, Jenny is indeed a nicedy¡® However, Reba¡¯s face shed through his mind again, and he frowned again instinctively. He couldn¡¯t believe Reba had turned so arrogant since rejoining the Carter family. Not only did she ignore him, but she also repeatedly asked the Carter family to suppress the Edwards family. Then, he realized Reba and Jenny weren¡¯tparable at all. Thinking about it, Theodore remembered Reba¡¯s tenderness and care for him when he was still in a vegetative state. He attempted to quell the irritation in his heart and mused, ¡®It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll try my best to amodate Reba¡¯s temporary waywardness. After some time, she will calm down hd be more rational Three dayster, Stacey received a piece of positive news from the production team. The timeline for ¡°The Empress had been set, and it would be officially released in one month. Before The Empress was officially broadcast, they could also participate in the variety show for some publicity. The director, Vicky, messaged Lynn, asking Becky if she wanted to go to the variety show with Malcolm for only one episode as a special guest Lynn received the message and promptly forwarded it to Stacey, allowing her to decide for herself. However, Stacey didn¡¯t expect Charlie to send her a message excitedly before she decided whether to participate in the variety show and promote ¡°The Empress¡± as he wrote: [Becky, did you receive the invitation letter from ¡°Happy Little Mango¡± to be a special guest?] Looking at Charlie¡¯s reply, Stacey replied directly: [Yes. What¡¯s wrong?] Charlie wrote: [Hurry and ept it. I happen to have a drama that is set to be released soon. My production team is also nning to be in ¡°Happy Little Mangoes¡± on the same episode as you. We¡¯ll go together, then!] Stacey was shocked after reading the message. She asked in text: Charles, are you sure?] Charlie responded: [Of course. Let me tell you something. I¡¯ve been on ¡°Little Happy Mangoes¡± several times, and I¡¯m familiar with their hosts. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll ask them to take care of you while you¡¯re on the show. And we can interact with each other during the show. I haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. Ah! I miss you.] Stacey replied: [Okay. Lynn just messaged me. Then, I¡¯ll ask her to arrange it.] Charlie then sent her a hugging sticker and texted: [Love you.] +76% Stacey couldn¡¯t help but think Charlie was mischievous, like a vibrant boy. She smiled and replied with another Love Brother sticker. The following second, a new message popped up in the family group chat, contrary to her expectations. She subconsciously clicked on the family group chat, where Charlie had proudly shared screenshots of his messages with her in the group. Charliemented: [Hahaha! Stacey said she loved me and sent me a Love Brother sticker. You guys don¡¯t have it. Hehe.] Stacey was speechless and embarrassed at the same time. Following that, Adrian, Bryce, Patrick, and Debra all texted her personally. The whole family had a private chat with her. Adrian texted: [Becky, I love you too.] Bryce messaged Stacey, writing: [I love you very much, too. Could you also send me the same sticker that you sent to Charlie?] Patrick wrote: [Becky, can I get a Love Dad sticker?] Debra texted: [Becky, have you seen the message in the group? Ignore them, a bunch of psychos. By the way, do you have a Love Mom sticker? Why don¡¯t you send me one too?] Browsing through those messages from her family, Stacey was a little nonplussed. She hurriedly searched her sticker She spent collection but failed to find one with high resolution. So, sheunched Photoshop and began creating it directly an hour making stickers for everyone in the family, including Lillian and Kevin, from a series of pictures. She then opened the family group chat and sent all seven stickers to it. Everyone was waiting for her response. Unexpectedly, after a long wait, many stickers appeared in the group chat one at a time. Adrian, Bryce, Patrick, Debra, and even Charlie who had just received a sticker, all clicked on and downloaded their own stickers, saving them right away. A few secondster, Adrian¡¯s profile picture changed from a serious personal ID photo to a sticker that Stacey had just created for him. Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Everyone in the group chat was astonished by Adrian¡¯s actions. Charlie sent three exmation marks in a row and hurriedly went to change his profile photo. However, as he finished changing it, he noticed that the profile pictures of the whole family had changed. Everyone¡¯s profile images used to be various and had unique characteristics. Now they were all the same type of stickers made by Stacey, which made him at a loss for words. Patrick texted: [Speaking of which, should we change the name of our group chat? Our family has grown to eight members, despite the fact that Lily and Kev are still too young to use mobile phones or register ounts to join the group chat. How about changing the name of this group to Family of Eight?] CHAPTER 160 In the group chat, Adrian replied: [Agree.] Bryce tagged Debra and asked: [Mom, can you change it now?] Noticing them tagging her, Debra hurriedly modified the name of the group chat. After confirming that the group name had changed, she returned to the group chat in a better mood and started sending messages as she wrote: [I¡¯ll create an ount for Lily and Key respectivelyter. Before they grow up, these ounts will be used to record their progress until they reach adulthood.] Patrick replied: [Agree.] Stacey added, texting: [Thank you, Mom.] Adrian and Bryce also responded respectively: [Agree.] Charlie replied: [Long live. Mom. Agree tool Stacey observed everyone having fun conversing in the group chat before finally quieting down. Even though everyone had quieted down, reading the chat messages in the group made her feel warm and happy. However, her good mood and smile faded when she took Lillian and Kevin to the yground in the residential area in the afternoon and noticed Jenny, who was being led by another owner. Jenny walked toward them and bent down to tease Kevin. Stacey, noticing her, quickly pulled Kevin behind her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I mean no harm to them,¡± Jenny remarked. Stacey, on high alert, questioned, ¡°What do you want?¡± Jenny looked at Stacey and inquired seriously, ¡°Can we talk? Just us two.¡± Stacey stared at Jenny coldly and stated expressionlessly, ¡°I don¡¯t think we have anything to talk about.¡± Jenny was silent for a time before speaking seriously, ¡°I want to talk to you about Theodore.¡± Stacey remained mute, ncing at Jenny. She mused. I¡¯ve never seen such a shameless person before. She then responded. unhappily, ¡°He and I got divorced. It has nothing to do with me whatsoever that happens between you and him.¡± Jenny smiled and nodded, saying, ¡°Hmm. I know. But I want to thank you, Ms. Carter. Thank you for divorcing him and giving him up.¡± When Stacey heard that, she frowned and felt annoyed. Jenny continued, ¡°Ms. Carter, if possible, I hope you and Theodore maintain your current rtionship. You should never get back together, yet¡­ If you really want to, I won¡¯t give him up either. By then, let¡¯s see who can win his heart. But I think¡­ 1 might have a shot, too.¡± Her eyes became brighter as she spoke, conveying confidence and hope for the future. She mused, ¡°In fact, Theodore is also nice to me. Evenpared to Reba Oh no, it¡¯s Stacey. I believe Theodore treats me far better than she does, but he hasn¡¯t noticed it yet. Stacey couldn¡¯t understand, so she asked, ¡°What do you like about Theodore?¡± She wondered, ¡®Does that kind of man deserve to be loved?¡± Jenny was ecstatic when she heard it. That was because she could tell from Stacey¡¯s current attitude that she no longer had feelings for Theodore, which indicated that she would most likely not marry him again. She lost a love¡¯rival, and Theodore might be her husband in the future. She looked at Stacey and replied happily, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like Theodore anymore. But that¡¯s because there was a misunderstanding between you two, and something awful happened before. But he and are and I had no misunderstandings from the beginning, and my family background matched his. Um¡­ ording to Zentiscape, this is what you call a well¨Cmatch.¡± Staring at Stacey, Jenny added, ¡°You know what? When I first saw him, I fell in love with him. He¡¯s so handsome that he¡¯s the prince charming in my heart. Besides, he¡¯s such a gentleman. He took me to Zentiscape to enjoy thendscape and eat wonderful food. He can be described as considerate and gentle. I¡¯m totally in love with him. I love him very much and would never want to let him go.¡± Expressionless, Stacey stated, ¡°Wish you sess. Good luck.¡± Jenny, nodding joyfully, replied, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll try my best, but I also hope you can look after yourself and your two kids. Although they¡¯re adorable, I might not enjoy other people¡¯s children very much. If I marry Theodore in the future, I might¡­ Hmm¡­ Lmight not be able to tolerate seeing his children from another woman in front of me every day. Can you understand me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The kids are mine, and I¡¯ll never give them to Theodore, Stacey reassured coldly. ¡°Thank you,¡± Jenny expressed her gratitude happily. After that, Stacey turned around and took Lillian and Kevin home directly. Her terrible mood persisted until that evening when a WhatsApp video call came in, and the caller ID was Hayden. She picked up the phone, slightly taken aback. After she answered the video call, Jeremy¡¯s adorable face came on it. She instantly got cheerful, smiled, and greeted him, ¡°Good evening, Jeremy.¡± Jeremy immediately grabbed the writing tablet and wrote: [Becky, I miss you so much.] He had studied hard over thest few days and learned a few more words, particrly the name ¡°Becky¡± and those he had previously been unable to spell in front of her. ¡°I miss you, too,¡± Stacey replied with a smile. Jeremy¡¯s eyes brightened up as he heard that, and he quickly wrote again: [Can I go to you to y with you?] Stacey was confused and stunned to react to his question. After she regained herposure, sheughed and replied, ¡°Of course, you can. But does your daddy know about it? If you want to go out, you have to first seek his permission. You can¡¯t leave until he approves.¡±N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. When Jeremy heard that, his eyes lit up. He instantly turned to look at Hayden, who was watching the news not far away. Then, he quickly picked up the wring tablet and wrote: [He allows me to go.] ¡°Pift.¡± Stacey couldn¡¯t contain herself and erupted intoughter. She could tell Jeremy had made his own decision without asking Hayden for permission. She thought that Jeremy¡¯s behavior aligned with his character. ¡°All right, but you¡¯ll have to wait until I have time. I may go out to shoot a variety show these days and wille back home after a bit. When I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll contact your daddy and fetch you up from Strico in person, okay?¡± she then exined with a smile. Jeremy was perplexed when he heard her words. He couldn¡¯t understand it well, wondering. She has to go out for work, so huh?¡® she can¡¯t pick me and Daddy up to y at her ce, Even Hayden, who pretended to watch the news on the couch but was actually listening to their video call, was stunned. He turned around, looked in Jeremy¡¯s direction, and asked, ¡°Are you going to shoot a variety show in a few days?¡± CHAPTER 161 Hayden didn¡¯t appear in the video call, but his voice rang out clearly in it Stacey, who had been on the video call with Jeremy, was slightly stunned when she heard his voice. However, she quickly. reacted and exined seriously, ¡°Yeah, I shot a TV series some time ago. It should be broadcast in a month. The other actors and I will participate in a variety show to promote the series.¡± ¨C ¡°What variety show?¡± asked Hayden. ¡°Have you heard of ¡®Happy Little Mango?¡± asked Stacey tentatively. She wondered if someone like Hayden would watch variety shows. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve seen it on TV asionally. You¡¯re going to appear in that show?¡± replied Hayden. Stacey nodded and said, ¡°Yes,¡± ¡°Are you going to shoot in a few days?¡± asked Hayden again. Stacey answered affirmatively. ¡°Where is the shooting location? Can you tell me the specific shooting time?¡± Hayden continued to ask in a cold and clear voice. Stacey was confused when she heard this. Hayden¡¯s questions were too detailed, and he asked casually as if it was normal. South City, informed Stacey Still, she thought there was no problem answering him honestly Tm leaving tomorrow. It¡¯s ¡°Well, I happen to have the next few days off and have nothing to do. I¡¯ll take Jeremy to South City for a walk and visit you. that okay?¡± asked Hayden ¡± Visit me? No problem with that, I think. Stacey thought. She immediately smiled and agreed, ¡°Okay. Call me in advance when you arrive. I¡¯ll pick you up at the airport.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± replied Hayden with a smile. With their next meeting arranged, both Hayden and Jeremy were relieved and happy. The video call ended cheerfully. Meanwhile, in Carter Vi, Stacey¡¯s heart started to pound after she ended the video call Hayden would bring Jeremy to visit her, and she wondered if their rtionship was that close now While she was in thought, she heard slight noises at the door. It seemed that Debra had returned from an outing with her friends. ¡°Mom,¡± called Stacey happily as she stood up subconsciously, looking at Debra, who wasing home. As soon as Debra returned home, she could see her precious daughter. She was in a good mood and came in with thetest bag she bought that afternoon, among other things. She ced them on the table for Stacey to look at with flourish and happily said, ¡°Stacey, look, these are my haul today. I bought them for you. Do you like them?¡± Stacey didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. She said helplessly. ¡°Mom, I have a lot of bags and can¡¯t use them all ¡°Those are old and outdated. These are thetest designs, all beautiful!¡±¡± said Debra excitedly. Stacey knew Debra just loved shopping to she stopped arguing. She smiled and nodded before praising. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re beautiful. I like them.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Debra was also happy, feeling particrly good. Is Stacey smiled and hurriedly said, ¡°By the way Mom, Mr. Hoggard¡­ Hayden and Jeremy video¨Ccalled me just now. He said he will take Jeremy to visit me in South City in a few days.¡± ¡°Huh?¡¯ thought Debra, surprised. She remained motionless and stared at Stacey with a burning gaze before saying. ¡°Hay did Stacey Carter nodded and said, ¡°Yes,¡± ¡°You two are so close now?¡± asked Debra happily the next moment. Debra was very happy that Stacey had new friends. She also hoped that Stacey could meet more and better friends and start her life anew in a better direction. Stacey didn¡¯t know how to reply to that. Debra waved his hand and generously said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. The Hoggard family has good characters. Since Hay wants to befriend you, you should try to get along well with him.¡± Stacey remembered that the Carter family and the Hoggard family used to have a good rtionship. That must be why Hayden and Jeremy were quite friendly to her. She wondered if she had thought too much before. ¡°Okay,¡± she replied. ¡°Well, when will you go to the shooting?¡± asked Debra again. Stacey hesitantly replied, ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Debra¡¯s eyes flickered before she pretended to be in a bind and said, ¡°It¡¯s too sudden, so I might not be able to go with you this time. Well, Charlie¡¯s there to take care of you, so I can rest assured. Her tone turned relieved toward the end. Stacey nodded and said, ¡°Yeah. She wasn¡¯t a child anymore. She felt that she could be independent and didn¡¯t need her mother to follow her anytime and anywhere. Seeing that she agreed, Debra immediately became happy and said, ¡°Okay, then it¡¯s decided. I¡¯ll help you pack up your thingster. I¡¯ll take care of Lily and Kev at home when you go filming tomorrow.¡± Stacey was puzzled and hurriedly said, ¡°I can pack on my own.¡± Debra really treated her like a child when she was already a grown¨Cup. It was ridiculous. Hearing this, Debra felt helpless. Her daughter had grown up and didn¡¯t need her care anymore. She didn¡¯t know what to do, Debra sighed before saying, ¡°Okay, I leave the packing to you. Still, if you need my help, just tell me. As long as I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll warp to you as quick as teleportation!¡± Stacey was puzzled at her words, which sounded like game lingo She wondered if Debra had been ying video games. ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed. After packing up and resting at home for the night, Stacey flew to South City the next day. Debra and the two children watched the ne take off happily. The Hoggard family suddenly became close to the Carter family. They had to specte on the intention for Becky¡¯s sake.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. During this period, Debra also asked Patrick to ask someone for some information. He found that five years ago, Jason was -seriously ill, and the hospital issued several critical condition notices. Everyone thought that Jason was going to die, and he also felt that his end was near. However, now that his end was approaching, he got really worried about his grandchild¡¯s marriage. The Hoggard family was anxious to find a suitable marriage parter for Hayden. Hayden also started going on blind dates. They decided on a girl in just one month, and the two quickly got married. Coincidentally, Jason¡¯s illness took a turn for the better miraculously, and he gradually recovered after Hayden¡¯s marriage. Everyone thought that Hayden got married to a perfect partner and the marriage was good, which brought good fortune to Jason and saved his life. However, no one expected that the woman Hayden married had a problem. She had a feeling for someone else. It was said that Hayden¡¯s wife even refused to sleep with him after getting married, and their children were conceived through IVF at the urging of the woman¡¯s elders. CHAPTER 162 Originally, it would¡¯ve been fine. Anyway, as long as the man and the woman had no objections, it would be fine if the couple could live their life separately. ¦° Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. However, a bizarre thing happened when the woman was around seven months pregnant. She heard that her sweetheart hade back from abroad, and she suddenly wanted to get a divorce and have an abortion. She was willing to sever ties with her parents and have an abortion to be with her sweetheart. Debra heard that at that time, the Hoggard family was furious when the woman insisted on aborting her seven¨Cmonth¨Cold child. Sharon even fell ill and was hospitalized for a month before being discharged. It was unknown how they dealt with this matter, but the woman did give birth to the child in the end. However, after the child was born, Hayden and the woman went to the Courthouse to arrange for a divorce. When the woman was in postpartum care a monthter, the two officially got divorced. From then on, they no longer had any rtionship. After hearing about the divorce, the woman¡¯s parents immediately severed ties with her and kicked her out of the family. Unfortunately, the woman had been infatuated with love and didn¡¯t care at all. She packed up her things, dragged her suitcase, and followed her sweetheart away. After investigating these things, Debra was fully relieved. If the Hoggard family really wanted Hayden and Becky to be together, she had no problem with it. She also thought that the two were suitable. However, the condition was that the two must have feelings for each other. Of course, feelings were ultimately up to fate. So, Debra wanted to let nature take its course and let the two get along with each other at their own pace. The only thing she needed to do was to keep a distance from Becky and not follow Becky every day as before. Otherwise, the two would be embarrassed when getting along with each other while an elder was present. Stacey was unaware of her mother¡¯s thoughts at this moment. She took a flight for several hours before finally arriving in South City. As soon as she got off the ne, Lynn was already waiting for her at the airport. Stacey hurried over to her. ¡°Lynn, called Stacey with a smile. Lynn reached out to take her suitcase and handed it to the assistant next to her. ¡°Charlie is waiting for you outside,¡± said Lynn. ¡°Charlie?¡± Stacey was surprised. ¡°Yeah.¡± Lynn nodded. They walked quickly, but halfway through, a sharp paparazzi spotted them. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Becky?¡± shouted the paparazzi while staring at her. Stacey and Lynn both subconsciously raised their heads to look over, which inadvertently confirmed their identity. ¡°Run!¡± said Lynn anxiously. Stacey was already experienced. She had pulled Lynn to run before thetter even spoke. To put it simply, the two started running almost at the same time. They ran very fast and reached outside not long after. The minivan was already parked outside and the door was opened in advance. They went over and got into the minivan immediately. The door closed, and the minivan immediately drove away. The process was smooth. Stacey exhaled gently and looked out of the back window. She could see some paparazzi holding cameras and frantically taking pictures of the minivan. It didn¡¯t matter anymore. She quickly turned around and looked aside. She hadn¡¯t seen Charlie for many days. ¡°Charlie¡± called Stacey happily after sitting down Charlie chuckled, immediately scooted aside, and said happily, Sit down. I¡¯ve brought lots of delicious food As he spoke, he reached out and opened the box on the small table in front of him, revealing arge teful of still- steaming spicy lobsters. The strong fragrance immediately wafted out. ¡°Did you just buy it?¡± asked Stacey. Charlie nodded immediately and said, ¡°Yeah. Isn¡¯t it delicious? Lobster is the best. Lynn sat speechlessly before saying, ¡°Charlie, your manager didn¡¯t allow you to eat these, right?¡± Hearing this, Charlie got nervous and hurriedly said, ¡°You won¡¯t tell her, right?¡± Lynn didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°I¡¯m not a busybody. Still, she did it for your good.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Stacey was confused. Lynn nced at Stacey and exined, ¡°Charlie¡± Charlie got nervous and immediately interjected, ¡°Ah, Lynn! There¡¯s no need to tell my sister about this, right? I think it¡¯s more enjoyable to eat lobsters together.¡± Stacey was even more puzzled. Lynn remained silent for a moment before finally saying. ¡°Charlie¡¯s been having a stomach problem recently. He gets diarrhea every time he eats lobster. His manager asked me to keep an eye on him and not let him eat lobster.¡± Stacey thought for a moment before immediately grabbing the lobster from Charlie¡¯s hand and putting it into her mouth. Charlie was shocked and looked at his sister in disbelief. ¡°Becky Stacey casually said, ¡°Charlie, it¡¯s not suitable for you to eat this for now. How about not eating these lobsters today? Peel the lobster for me, okay? I¡¯ll peel the lobster for you when you can eat itter, all right?¡± ¡°I just want to eat a little,¡± said Charlle pitifully. ¡°You have a show to recordter,¡± Lynn reminded him coldly. Charlie was speechless. He looked at Lynn andined, ¡°You guys are so cruel that you won¡¯t let me eat anything. So inhuman.¡± Staceyughed and said, ¡°Charlie, just bear with it for a while. You¡¯ll recoverter, and you can eat it then ¡°But I want to eat it now! Charlie pursed his lips. Stacey no longer paid attention to him. She peeled the shrimp and ate it herself. It had been some time since she returned to the Carter family, and she finally understood Charlie. Although he was her elder brother, sometimes he was really childish and cute, like an old child. The next moment, Charlie gave up and coffed. ¡°Forget it. I won¡¯t eat it. Becky, I¡¯ll peel the lobster for you.¡± Stacey smiled and looked at Charlie before saying, ¡°When you get better, I¡¯ll peel it for you then.¡± Charlie¡¯s eyes immediately¨Clightened again. He was excited and said, ¡°Okay, but I get to choose the time, all right?¡± Stacey was puzzled. She felt that there was something wrong, so she asked tentatively, ¡°When do you want to choose?¡± As Charlie spoke, he had already peeled a lobster for Stacey. He put the lobster on the small te in front of Stacey and said with a smile, ¡°Not during a special asion. It¡¯s like family gatherings. Well, it¡¯s when our family gathers together. Becky, li telling you. You can only peel lobsters for me then and not for them. I want them to be jealous!¡± Stacey chuckled and thought that Charlie was quite cute. ¡°Okay. Next time we have a family gathering. I will peel lobsters for you and only you,¡± said Stacey with a smile. Apart from Charlie, there shouldn¡¯t be any other childish people in the whole family, right?¡± she thought. CHAPTER 163 They soon arrived at the hotel. Lynn had already arranged a room for them, so Stacey only needed to bring her luggage over and check in directly. The actors who arrived there in advance also came to greet her after she finished arranging her belongings. Among them was Malcolm, the leading actor of ¡°The Empress¡± It had been a while since they saw each other after filming The Empress,¡± so this was a happy asion for them. Moreover, ¡°The Empress¡± was going to be broadcast soon, so they were all anticipating the series¡® poprity. After a short reunion, the most important thing was the script of the official recording. Yesterday, the crew of ¡°Happy Little Mango¡± distributed the script to the cast. When they officially started to record the program, everyone had to perform ording to the script so that the variety show could achieve the best effect. In the room, Malcolm looked at Stacey with eyes shining brightly with excitement and anticipation. Then, he cautiously asked, ¡°Becky, the script given by the crew is veryx. There¡¯s no rule that we have to lose to the crew of ¡®Rising Dragon: Can we beat them on our own?¡± Stacey had already read the script. She nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± In fact, it was an unwritten rule in the entertainment industry that popr stars should be given leeway. The leading actor in ¡°Rising Dragon¡± was Charlie. With Charlie¡¯s status, he should be given special treatment when the program crew of Happy Little Mango invited him. This was actually reflected in the script. The program crew would try their best to give Charlie more advantages in the script and give him the most chances to perform. Even if others have the strength to beat Charlie in the game, they must make room for him and not steal his ¡°spotlight.¡± However, the cast of ¡°The Empress¡± was different. Becky was the leading actress in this series. The whole country knew that she was Charlie¡¯s sister and that he spoiled her like crazy. Becky was his sister who had been lost years ago and had finally returned home. Therefore, even if the cast of ¡°The Empress¡± stole the spotlight of ¡°Rising Dragon¡¯s¡± cast during this recording, no one would scold them for not knowing how to behave toward their seniors On the contrary, because the two siblings appeared aspetitors for the first time in front of the screen, they could also be used as a gimmick to attract more fans. In the show, if two crewspete with each other with their own skills, some idents caused by mutual conflict could also be a major highlight. If the crew of ¡°The Empress lost, people would say that their status was too far behind Charlie¡¯s and it was normal for them to lose to a senior. promoteN?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. If they won, people could also say that Charlie spoiled his sister and deliberately let the fans enjoy their siblings¡® bond. This wouldn¡¯t affect the reputation of the two crews, and the variety show¡¯s rating should be high, which also served to the two TV series. Therefore, they basically had no pressure during the recording of this program. As Charlie¨Cexined to Stacey in the car, they could just rx and treat this as a leisure trip. It took them a few days to finish recording this program leisurely Even so, they needed to rehearse the games they¡¯d be ying in the show in advance. There must be at least a tacit understanding within the team so that they could win. While they were happy, Tina, the scriptwriter of ¡°Her Majesty from Evergrande Entertainment, was in a bad mood because something happened to her. br the original¨Cnovel ¡°Her Majesty¡® was sued for giarism. In the beginning. Tina had no fear because J paid double for her manuscript. A portion of the payment could be used to pay for the fine, and the remaining money would still be a lot.. Tina was even somewhat proud and looked down on the origin author. After all, this was the current environment in the domestic entertainment industry. However, her joy onlysted until today, and she could no longerugh. It was because she was cklisted. She worked hard on the script for months and submitted it to a filmpany with full confidence but was directly rejected by major entertainmentpanies. The higher¨Cups said that the giarism usation surrounding the script of ¡°Her Majesty was too loud, so theybeled Tina as a bad screenwriter and cklisted her. They would never use her script again. Tina finally panicked. She had been writing scripts for almost ten years, and now she had no other ability except for screenwriting. She would¡¯ve had no ie if no one was willing to use her script. Her future was ruined. Tina was so anxious that she finally went to find J under her friend¡¯s reminder. It wasn¡¯t her who wanted to giarize the work. It was J. Tina thought about it and hurried home. She entered her study, opened the drawer, and took out a voice recorder. During their first meeting. Tina didn¡¯t know what J wanted to do and, therefore, didn¡¯t collect evidence. In theirter meetings, she prepared a voice recorder and secretly collected a lot of evidence just in case. She didn¡¯t expect that something would really happen. A few minutester, Tina called J, but J didn¡¯t want to talk to Tina. J¡¯s voice was cold, and she directly denied that she told Tina to giarize ¡°The Empress.¡± J said impatiently, ¡°I don¡¯ know what you are talking about. You wrote the script yourself. What does it have to do with me? I can¡¯t write a script!¡± Tina directly and sinctly said, ¡°I have a recording. I recorded our conversation where you asked me to giarize the script. J¡¯s expression changed when she heard this, Tina directly said, J, let¡¯s meet up. I think we should meet and have a good talk.¡± J wanted to say something but was afraid that Tina would trick her. She finally shut up before saying. ¡°Come find me.¡± J gave Tina the address, and that afternoon, Tina came to find her. Tina didn¡¯t even have a rest and dared not to. This was rted to her future career and lifetime job. She didn¡¯t know what to do if she couldn¡¯t be a screenwriter in the future. Her life would be over. Tuma was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. As soon as Tina entered the private room on the second floor of the coffee shop, Lisa walked over and checked her whole body. She even checked inside Tina¡¯s clothes to make sure that bere was no voice recorder hidden. Then, she took Tina¡¯s mobile phone away and let her sit down on the couch after checking that the phone¡¯s recording function wasn¡¯t turned on. Instead of returning the phone to Tina, Lisa directly put the phone on the coffee table to ensure that this conversation wouldn¡¯t be recorded. After sitting down, Tina subconsciously reached out to take back her phone. However, Lisa suddenly reached out and blocked her hand. Tina looked at Lisa, and Lisa also looked at Tina. A few secondster, Tina withdrew her hand. ¡°What do you want?¡± asked J coldly. CHAPTER 164 Chapter 164 Tina took a deep breath and said. ¡°I¡¯m banned.¡± J frowned and said unhappily. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! It¡¯s just giarism. So many people do it in the industry. They¡¯re still flourishing.¡± Tina grimaced when she heard this. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m aware. If I didn¡¯t understand the industry¡¯s rules, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed. to assist you with giarism.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the situation now. When I submitted my manuscript, they told me that due to the giarism incident, I am now cklisted in the entertainment industry. They won¡¯t ept my work again,¡± Tina said, her voice tinged with anxiety. J was annoyed. ¡°Did you offend someone?¡± Tina got worked up, too. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t offend anyone at all. Before the ¡®Her Majesty¡® giarism incident, my work was always well¨Creceived. All these problems started only after that. She continued, ¡°And they imed that the giarism issue with ¡°Her Majesty¡® was so severe, they¡¯vebeled me a cklisted scriptwriter. All of this must be due to Her Majesty¡®!¡±Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve upset someone in the past. They couldn¡¯t find any real faults, so they just used the ¡®Her Majesty¡® incident as an excuse to target you directly this time,¡± J suggested casually. Tina was speechless. Her thoughts were scrambled, momentarily swept up by J¡¯s suggestions. But it wasn¡¯t long before she sorted herself out. Looking directly at J, she warned, ¡°Don¡¯t lead me astray. I¡¯m aware of my actions, and I¡¯m certain I haven¡¯t offended anyone before.¡± Then, Tina begged J J, you know a lot of people. Could you talk to them for me? Maybe get me off the cklist!¡± Janel was speechless. ¡°Who do you think I am? Do you think they will just listen to whatever I say?¡± Tina fell silent. She understood rationally that despite J being an award¨Cwinning actress, to the entertainment executives, she was merely a promoted entertainer. Even if J were to stand up for her, it might not make much difference. But Tina had no way out. The only reason she could pinpoint for being cklisted was the ¡°Her Majesty¡± incident, so she reached out to J subconsciously. She felt that since J and she were on the same boat, J would surely help her. ¡°I don¡¯t care. You¡¯re the one who asked me to giarize. You have to help me, or I¡¯ll release the recording. If I¡¯m going down, I¡¯m not going alone, Tina said irritably. ¡°You!¡± J red at Tina angrily. J¡¯s face darkened, and she tried to stay calm. Lisa poured J a cup of coffee. J took a sip, then looked at Tina and said, ¡°I have an idea.¡± Tina¡¯s eyes lit up, and she asked in a hurry, ¡°What is it?¡± J took a deep breath and said firmly, ¡°Go to the author of ¡°The Empress and offer hersofie money. Convince her to admit that she sold the copyright to you.¡± Tina was confused and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± J spoke coldly. As long as the author of ¡°The Empress¡® officially grants you the copyright, it¡¯s not giarism. It¡¯s simply a legitimate adaptation.¡± Tina frowned. ¡°But the copyright of The Empress¡® has already been sold.¡± ¡°Then let her sell it again!¡± J said impatiently. 09:15 Wed, Jul 31 G ¨C +99%0 After a moment of silence, Tina finally spoke. ¡°I heard that the author of ¡°The Empress signed an exclusive buyout contract. with Vicky for ten years.¡± She paused, then added, ¡°That means, for ten years, the film and television rights to ¡°The Empress belong solely to Vicky. Even the author can¡¯t resell them to anyone else. J was upset. ¡°That¡¯s why I asked you to pay the author. Don¡¯t you know that money can make the world go round? As long as you offer her enough money, she will definitely agree.¡± Agree to what? Agree to sell us the copyright of The Empress? that¡¯s the case, then the real issue lies with the authors of The Empress. They¡¯re greedy, selling off the copyrights to multiple buyers without truly understanding the implications. We know nothing about it. We¡¯re victims too. Thinking that this tactic might work, Tina hurriedly nodded and said, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll try In South City, Stacey and the crew enjoyed a day off before starting their shoot the next day. The filming process turned out to be as rxed as they had imagined. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. After a morning of shooting, during the noon break, a little child suddenly darted in and made a beeline for Stacey. He stretched his arms and hugged her legs tightly. Stacey¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw Jeremy. She asked in surprise, ¡°Jeremy? You¡¯re here?¡± As she said that, she squatted down and carried Jeremy, thinking. Jeremy is really cute! Hayden followed closely behind. His striking features and the nobility of his gestures gave him an air of distinction. The head of Southern TV arrived as well, walking alongside Hayden with a bright smile on his chubby face, clearly in high spirits. The director and the coordinator of ¡°Happy Little Mango quickly came out to greet them. The atmosphere was electric, everyone excited and slightly cautious in their presence Jeremy held up his writing tablet, on which a message was already written: [Becky, I miss you so much!] Stacey¡¯s heart melted at the sight of the adorable child. She kissed Jeremy and said with a smile, ¡°I miss you, too! I really, really miss you!¡± After saying that, Stacey took Jeremy¡¯s hand and stood up slowly. She looked at Hayden and said with a smile, ¡°You are here.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Hayden nodded. Hayden scanned the area but didn¡¯t spot the people he was looking for. Finally, he asked, ¡°Where are Lily and Kev?¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard the words. He immediately looked at Becky expectantly because he wanted to see his younger brother and sister. Stacey was amused by Jeremy¡¯s reaction. ¡°Does he like Lily and Rev too? Stacey answered, ¡°They are at home. They didn¡¯te here.¡± Jeremy was confused. Then, he took out his writing tablet and wrote: [Why?] Both Stacey and Hayden looked at Jeremy¡¯s writing tablet. Amused by Jeremy¡¯s question, Stacey squatted down again to meet his eye level and asked with a smile, ¡°Jeremy, do you like your younger brother and sister?¡± Jeremy nodded enthusiastically in response. Then, he quickly took out his writing tablet and wrote: [I like them!] Stacey¡¯s heart warmed at the sight of Jeremy¡¯s crooked handwriting. ¡®He is so cute, she thought, ¡°Okay,¡± Stacey responded happily. While Stacey reveled in her happiness, Charlie, who had been standing beside her, adopted a slightly defensive posture. He eyed Hayden with suspicion, his gaze curious yet cautious. Intuitively, he suspected that this man might be trying to woo his sister. CHAPTER 165 Chapter 165 ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. Have you had lunch? Hayden asked. Stacey shook her head and replied, ¡°Not yet, but I¡¯m on break now and can join you¡± Her spirits were high, so she offered. ¡°Mr. Hoggard, let me treat you to a meal. Mr. Lane, would you like to join us?¡± she asked with a smile, turning to Adam Lane, who was apanying Hayden. When Adam heard that, he nced at Hayden and quickly shook his head, politely declining, ¡°No need. I promised my wife I¡¯d be home for lunch today. If I don¡¯t get back, she¡¯ll be upset.¡± Everyoneughed when they heard that. Hayden smiled andmented, ¡°You seem to have a good rtionship with your wife.¡± The next moment, Adam, the head of Southern TV, nodded. He smiled and responded, ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s all go andContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Everyone went out smiling. Meanwhile, Adam got into his car and drove home. Stacey and Charlie walked Hayden and Jeremy to their car. They were apanied by Lynn and Charlie¡¯s manager, Cassie Colt. Stacey had known Hayden and Jeremy were visiting, so she had researched the famous restaurants in South City and picked out several good ces. She could now take Hayden and Jeremy to try them out together. Jeremy remained by Becky¡¯s side the whole time, preferring not to wander too far from her. Upon reaching the restaurant, Stacey guided Jeremy into the establishment and carefully lifted him, personally settling him on the couch. Jeremy rarely died out in his childhood. At that moment, he nced around, absorbing everything with sharp interest. The waiter handed out menus, one for each person. Stacey invited Hayden to order his favorite dishes first, then took the menu and began picking out options with Jeremy. Jeremy flipped through the menu and pointed out several dishes with vibrant colors. Stacey ordered all the dishes Jeremy had selected then turned and handed the menu back to the waiter. Hayden kept an eye on Jeremy as he picked out the food. Hayden knew that his son had already picked out enough food, so he decided not to order anything else. Charlie snorted and randomly picked two dishes while Lynn ordered one for herself. Cassie also chose a dish.. The waiter put away all the menus before leaving the room. After the waiter left, Stacey looked at Hayden and tried to find a subject, ¡°Hasn¡¯t yourpany been busytely?¡± she asked. Stacey felt awkward and thought, ¡®We can¡¯t just sit there in silence. ¡°Well, we have a few days off, Hayden replied briefly. ¡°Wow!¡± Stacey replied. Her eyes lit up as she deliberately praised, ¡°I am so jealous of you. You should get a good rest.¡± Hayden smiled and said, ¡°You can take a vacation too.¡± Stacey thought about it and shook her head. She couldn¡¯t afford to rest. ¡°I need to make a lot of money. I have to support Lily and Kev,¡± she replied and smiled. Stacey¡¯s parents were very kind to her, and the Carter family was wealthy. However, Lillian and Kevin were her children, and she felt it was her responsibility to raise ther on her own. She couldn¡¯t let her parents take on that role for her. ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Hayden replied and nodded. I can raise Lily and Kev] Jeremy wrote on his writing tablet and then held it up to Becky. Every Christmas, his grandparents and many rtives gave him money. Now, he had plenty of savings to help support his younger siblings. Staceyughed when she saw Jeremy¡¯s words. 99%1 Charlie also read what Jeremy wrote. He was rmed when he saw it. ¡°You don¡¯t have to raise them. They are my nephews, and I can raise them! Charlie said to Jeremy on purpose. When Jeremy heard that, he became anxious and hurriedly wrote again, I can raise them.] ¡°No, thanks,¡± Charlie refused. Jeremy grew anxious. He clutched his writing tablet, looking back and forth between Charlie and Becky, unsure of what to do. Stacey looked at Charlie and said helplessly, ¡°Charlie, don¡¯t pick on Jeremy. Then, she turned to Jeremy and smiled, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I can afford to raise Lily and Kev. You don¡¯t have to it.¡± Jeremy continued to write. I have a lot of money. I can support my Lily and Kev!) Stacey didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at Jeremy¡¯s words. She hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, I know you¡¯re a good boy and really want to help. I¡¯m very grateful, but we¡¯re not short of money now Jeremy looked slightly dejected. ¡°You can still do it, Hayden suddenly interrupted. Jeremy turned to his father, and Hayden looked back at his son, earnestly exined, ¡°If you like Lily and Kev, you can use your pocket money to buy them things, such as food, drinks, clothes, toys, school supplies¡­ or anything¡± Stacey was dumbfounded. Jeremy¡¯s eyes lit up and he hurriedly wrote, [Can I?] Hayden nodded and said, ¡°Of course. You can buy something and give it to Lily and Kev if they are willing to ept what you give them.¡± Charlie was stunned. He wondered, ¡®Why is Hayden encouraging his son to buy those things for Lily and Kev? It¡¯s not like the Carter family can¡¯t afford to raise babies! Is he up to no good? He must have ulterior motives. At that thought, he said, ¡°Lily and Key won¡¯t ept gifts from you.¡± Jeremy was worried again, but Hayden looked at his son andforted him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your gift is not for him but for your siblings. As long as they like it and are willing to ept it, he can¡¯t do anything about it.¡± Charlie almost choked. Jeremy¡¯s face immediately lit up, and he nodded vigorously. Without thinking, Charlie turned around andined to his sister, eximing. ¡°Becky, Hayden bullied me!¡± Stacey was amused ¡°Charlie, Mr. Hoggard means no harm,¡± she said. Meanwhile, Lynn and Cassie remained silent, trying to stay out of the situation while thinking, ¡°The love drama among the rich. We can only stand on the sidelines and watch While they were talking, there was another knock on the private room¡¯s door. Stacey quickly got up to open the door. The waiter brought the dishes and ced them neatly on the table. Jeremy¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity as he looked at the colorful food. Stacey picked up the serving fork and served Jeremy some food. Despite being a little clumsy, Jeremy carefully ced some food in Becky¡¯s bowl to share with her. After his father¡¯sst lesson at home, Jeremy had put much effort into practicing using a serving fork. Although he wasn¡¯t skilled, he could finally serve food with it. CHAPTER 166 Hayden stayed in South City for two days, waiting for Stacey to fish filming thetest episode of the variety show. They spent a fun day at the amusement park with Jeremy before saying goodbye and heading home. Jeremy was reluctant to part with Becky when it was time to leave, but Hayden finally convinced him to go. Stacey then flew back to Hivalis, where Debra was waiting for her at the airport with Lillian and Kevin, just like before. Her life seemed to be starting anew, filled with peace and beauty. However, the tranquility was short¨Clived. Three dayster, Vicky, the director of ¡°The Empress,¡± sent Stacey an unexpected message. Vicky texted: [Becky, Mermaid Tail told me something today. She mentioned that Tina Morgan approached her, offering money in exchange for a public admission that she had already sold the rights to Tina.] Stacey was puzzled by Vicky¡¯s message. She wondered, I know Mermaid Tail is the original author of The Empress. But who exactly is Tina Morgan? She looked up Tina online and discovered she was the screenwriter for J¡¯s new show, ¡°Her Majesty.¡± Not long ago, when ¡°Her Majesty was released, they found that it heavily giarized ¡°The Empress.¡± The settings and main plots of both shows were nearly identical. At that time, Charlie and Lynn advised her to stay out of it, assuring her they would contact Mermaid Tail to address the issue. Looks like the original author managed to defend her rights? Stacey thought, replying to Vicky: [Did Mermaid Tail agree to sell the rights to Tina¡®] Vicky replied with a mischievous smile and continued texting: (Of course not! Mermaid Tail has signed a ten¨Cyear exclusive contract with me. She is legally bound and cannot sell the rights to The Empress to anyone else during that period. Tina is foolish for not even knowing Mermaid Tail¡¯s true identity and trying to bribe her with money. Becky, do you know who Mermaid Tail really is?] Stacey texted back: [Is she someone important?) Vicky replied: [Absolutely. I just happened to hear about this. It turns out that Mermaid Tail works at Hoggard Technologies and writes on the side. Are you familiar with Hoggard Technologies? Stacey was silent for a moment, thinking about Vicky¡¯s message, Really¡­ What a coincidence!¡± Vicky continued: [At first, I did not know what Hoggard Technologies did. But after discovering that Mermaid Tail was working there, I decided to look into it. You wouldn¡¯t believe it! was surprised when I found out. Hoggard Technologies is one of the top tenpanies in the world! Mermaid Tail must car more in a single month than we do in a whole year. Tin is foolish to think that she could bribe Mermaid Tail with just tens of thousands of dors, especially considering the potential damage to Mermaid Tail¡¯s reputation. It¡¯s ridiculous! Does Mermaid Tail look like someone who needs money?] Stacey responded: [So, Mermaid Tail didn¡¯t agree to Tina¡¯s request, right?] Vicky replied promptly: [Of course not! Becky, don¡¯t worry. The Empress¡® is not only superior to ¡®Her Majesty¡® in terms of copyright issues but also in terms of production quality. I am confident that The Empress will surpass ¡®Her Majesty¡® once it is released.] Stacey suddenly realized that Vicky had contacted her because she was worried that Stacey might be upset. ¡°The Empress¡± had been giarized, and its adaptation became an earlier movie. Stacey thought about it and found herself surprisingly calm. She had almost forgotten about the giarism issue with Her Majesty until Vicky brought it up. The lead in Her Majesty¡® is J. If this had happened before, I might have been unable to let it go so easily. But now, I truly don¡¯t care anymore, Stacey thought to herself. After a moment, she smiled softly. It seemed she had fully moved on from the shadows of her past. The wrongs done by the Mitchell and Edwards families no longer felt like an insurmountable barrier in her heart. As she thought about it, she suddenly remembered Patrick¡¯s wish for her to take over the family to return home and seriously learn how to run the family business with business. Perhaps the time had finallye for h Patrick¡¯s guidance. Just then, Lillian ran into the room and hugged Stacey¡¯s leg, shooting, ¡°Mommy!¡± 9+99%DContent rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Stacey snapped back to the present and looked down at her daughter with a smile. She bent down to pick Lillian up and carried her over to the couch, where she sat down, Smiling warmly, Stacey asked, ¡°Lily, why did youe to find Mommy all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Mommy, I missed you!¡± Lillian said in her sweet, childlike tone Stacey chuckled and kissed Lillian on the forehead as she said, I¡¯ve missed you too. I¡­ I missed you too, Mommy!¡± Kevin shouted eagerly, running in from the doorway. Stacey reached out and picked Kevin up as well, yfully pinching his nose with a smile. ¡°I missed you too, Kev,¡± she said. ¡°Mommy, what were you thinking about just now?¡± Lillian asked, looking at Stacey curiously. Momentarily puzzled, Stacey turned her gaze to Lillian. ¡°What are you asking about?¡± she asked. ¡°Mommy, you looked really happy just now,¡± Lillian said. Her gaze was serious as she spoke. She held on to Stacey, a smile spreading across her face. ¡°Were you thinking about something fun? I want to y too!¡± she added. Stacey¡¯s smile widened as she nodded. ¡°Yeah, Mommy¡¯s been thinking about a lot of things. You know, the things that used. to make Mommy sad don¡¯t seem important anymore. What matters is the wonderful life ahead of us together,¡± she said. Lillian was slightly puzzled and didn¡¯t fullyprehend what Stacey was saying. ¡°Mommy is happy!¡± Stacey added in a reassuring tone. Kevin did not fully grasp what Stacey was saying, but he could feel her happiness, which also made him happy. Stacey looked at Kevin with a warm smile and said, ¡°Yes! Mommy is happy.¡± After a moment of reflection, Stacey took out her phone and posted on her official ount: [The rest of our lives will only get better.] She then put her phone down and hugged Lillian and Kevin tightly. With a beaming smile, she asked, ¡°How about I tell you a story?¡± Lillian and Kevin¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as they looked at Stacey. They nodded enthusiastically and replied in unison, ¡°Yes! We want to hear a story¡± Stacey stood up, walked to the nightstand, and opened the drawer. She pulled out a storybook and returned to the couch. Sitting down, she opened the book and read the story to Lillian and Kevin in a soft, soothing voice. CHAPTER 167 Stacey was now a star, adored by fans who flocked to her official ount. Every post she shared received immediate attention and countless likes from her followers. Becky¡¯s family, friends, and even Theodore and Jenny were among them. Though most people did not know what had happened to Becky, they could sense her happiness through her posts and leftments wishing Becky joy and a better life. Meanwhile, Theodore felt a deep sense of misery as he thought to himself, Stacey¡¯s happiness means leaving me and starting over for a better life, doesn¡¯t it? They had been so close once, and Reba had truly loved him. However, a knock on the office door interrupted his thoughts. Theodore looked up to see Jude standing there, and he quickly entered, reporting. ¡°Mr. Edwards, Wyatt has been found! The pen in Theodore¡¯s hand froze in mid¨Ctwist. He stood up abruptly, his expression darkening as he demanded. ¡°Where is he?¡± Theodore nearly clenched his teeth. If he had not trusted Wyatt so much back then, and if Wyatt had not betrayed him. things with Reba would not have ended like that. ¡°Brighton City, Jude replied. Theodore sneered andmanded, ¡°Cancel all my appointments. Get me a ticket now. I need to see Wyatt immediately.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Jude said, understanding the urgency. He was very efficient and quickly booked the earliest flight for Theodore, which departed in an hour. So they had only one hour to wait before they departed. While they waited, Theodore efficientlypleted his most urgent tasks. Finally, they rushed to the airport, Jude apanying him. After a two¨Chour flight, they arrived in Brighton City. ¡°Where is he?¡± Theodore asked impatiently as they exited the terminal. Jude replied promptly, ¡°He opened a small game studio called Prosperous Studio. It is located in the Brighton City New District. We should find him there.¡± ¡°All right, let¡¯s go,¡± Theodore said, nodding decisively. Jude then hailed a cab, and they headed straight for the studio. When they arrived, Jude knocked on the door, and an employee answered, looking slightly puzzled by the unexpected visitors. ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± asked the Prosperous Studio employee. Jude smiled politely and said, ¡°Is Mr. Shatner here? Our boss wants to see him.¡± ¡°Yes, he is inside, the employee replied immediately upon hearing that they were looking for Wyatt. He led them into the did studio. Prosperous Studio was rtively small. Only about seven or eight people were in the studio, and thepany not even have a single private office. Wyatt and all the other employees worked at desks in the main hall Wyatt was engrossed in his work and did not notice the visitors. Theodore approached Wyatt¡¯s desk with a determined. stride. Theodore¡¯s demeanor was extremely somber upon seeing his former good friend after more than a year apart, a storm of emotions brewing beneath his calm exterior. ¡°Mr. Shatner, someone is here to see you, the employee said cautiously, standing beside Wyatt, who looked up in confusion and suddenly froze when he saw Theodore standing there. He stood abruptly, his face turning pale. Without a word, Theodore punched Wyatt hard. ¡°Hey the employee yelled, startled by the sudden violence. Wyatt did not fight back, silently taking the blows. Themotion quickly drew everyone¡¯s attention in the Prosperous Studio. Realizing the urgency of the situation, someone rushed to pull Theodore away. They could not allow Wyatt to be beaten to death in the office, or they would all lose their jobs. ¡°Stay out of this Wyatt shouted coldly, shoveling his employees aside. His voice wasced with anger and sorrow.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. 09:16 Wed, Jul 31 G ¡¤ 0 +99% The employees of Prosperous Studio stood confused and shocked, unsure of how to react. Theodore¡¯s eyes were red with rage, his anger consuming him. He punched Wyatt again and again, each blow a release of his pent¨Cup frustration and betrayal. Then, still unsatisfied, he picked up a chair and swung at Wyatt. Wyatt¡¯s assistant, who had been watching the scene with increasing horror, finally could take it no longer. She rushed out, grabbed the chair from Theodore¡¯s hands, and pulled it aside, preventing it from hitting Wyatt. ¡°That¡¯s enough! If you kill him, will you take responsibility?¡± Emily Young yelled as she stood in front of Wyatt, ring unhappily at Theodore and scolding him with fierce protectiveness. The office fell silent, the tension heavy in the air. Wyatt stared nkly at the girl standing before him. He quickly pulled Emily aside when he realized what was happening. ¡°This is not your problem, stay out of it!¡± he ordered, trying to protect her from the fallout. His hand trembled as he pulled Emily away. He was panicked, afraid Theodore would strike again and hurt the innocent girl who had bravely shielded him. But Theodore could not hold back and kicked Wyatt hard once more. ¡°Hey! Enough already!¡± Emily yelled angrily. Wyatt took a deep breath and then looked at Theodore, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s talk outside.¡± Theodore stared at Wyatt, clearly unhappy, but finally relented. They left the studio. Emily was worried but obeyed Wyatt¡¯s orders to stay in the office and not follow them. In a private¨Croom on the cafe¡¯s second floor across the street, They were silent for a long time before Wyatt spoke. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to betray you, but¡­ J deliberately sent someone to seduce my sister and set her up. My sister was in love. Not only did she scrimp and save for that guy, giving him all her allowance from home, but she also took out an unsecured loan online. Wyatt looked at Theodore and continued, ¡°J had my sister¡¯s nudes and ckmailed me, telling me to deceive you as she instructed, or she would post the photos online.¡± Theodore red at Wyatt. Thetter smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Theodore, I¡¯ve tried my best. I¡¯ve reminded you to trust Reba and her character, but you never trusted my words.¡± Theodore was silent for a long time before finally asking. ¡°The first time Reba and I went to the courthouse to file for divorce, was it you who had someone call my grandma?¡± Wyatt fell silent at the question. After a long pause, he nodded and replied, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You son of a¡­¡± Theodore began to curse, but the words caught in his throat, leaving him unsure how to continue. He stayed silent for a while, finally muttering, ¡°Reba and I are divorced She¡­ doesn¡¯t want me anymore.¡± Theodore¡¯s voice was slightly choked with emotion, his eyes reddening as he said, ¡°I¡¯ve been to see her many times, but she refuses to see me. Wyatt, I feel like¡­ Reba is not just ying hard to get. She truly doesn¡¯t want me anymore.¡± Wyatt was shocked, not because Reba had divorced Theodore or rejected him, but because of Theodore¡¯s current attitude. He thought, ¡°Is Theodore truly hurt? Has he really fallen in love with Reba?¡± CHAPTER 168 After a long, tense silence, Wyatt finally spoke, T¡¯m sorry.¡± Theodore¡¯s face remained a mask of cold indifference as he coldly replied, ¡°I don¡¯t need an apology. Just do me a favor. Find Reba and exin everything to her, Wyatt was taken aback, his eyes widening in shock. He hesitated his voice slightly trembling as he said, ¡°But¡­ J might still have the photos of my sister. Theodore¡¯s frown deepened at Wyatt¡¯s words, a flicker of irritation crossing his features, Wyatt sighed and exined, ¡°Even though J promised to delete the photos when I agreed to help her, she did show me that she deleted them. You know J¡¯s character, Theodore. She¡¯s not trustworthy. She could have easily made backups. somewhere else. I can¡¯t risk my sister¡¯s future on a gamble. I¡¯m sorry. Wyatt looked away guiltily. He was painfully aware that he was letting Theodore down, but he could not do what Theodore had asked. Wyatt could not risk L¡¯s future for a friend. Even though L was not innocent, she was his sister, and he had to protect her above all else. The mention of J stirred a deep¨Cseated irritation in Theodore. It was always J who caused problems. The thought of her made his frustration boil over. He could not help but wish that J had met a tragic fate long ago to spare him the endlessplications she had brought. The conversation ended on a sour note. After Theodore left, Theodore and Wyatt were no longer friends. Despite Wyatt¡¯s exnations, the damage was permanent and irreparable, and Theodore could not bring himself to forgive him. Fully aware that their friendship was over, Wyatt felt its finality. They could never return to the closeness they once shared. However, from that day on, the heavy burden on his heart lifted slightly. He knew that Theodore now understood that misunderstandings marred the past, and he realized that the faulty primarily with him. At Carter Vi, after Stacey finished taking care of Lillian and Kevin for the night, she proposed to Patrick that she join him at thepany the next day. Patrick¡¯s eyes immediately lit up with excitement when he heard Stacey. ¡°Really? Becky, you want toe to thepany with me?¡± he said, surprised. Stacey nodded and replied, ¡°Yes¡± ¡°Fantastic! In that case,e with me today. I will introduce you to everyone at Hoggard Technologies, Patrick said, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. His posture straightened with a newfound energy, and he seemed more motivated than he had been in a long time. Debra, who had been watching froma nearby chair, was speechless. Patrick was genuinely happy. He had dedicated many years to thepany, and as it grew, so did his responsibilities. Patrick had be busier and spent less time with Debra, which was challenging for both. He had always envisioned a future where his sons would eventually take over the family business, allowing him and Debra to retire and explore the world together. However, none of his sons showed any interest in inheriting the family business, which Patrick found frustrating and disappointing. Fortunately, Becky had a different perspective. There was amon saying that daughters were their fathers¡® little angels, which was undeniably true in Becky¡¯s case. Patrick was deeply grateful for his little angel ¡°Debra, I am taking Becky to thepany today. Please look after Lily and Kev at home while we are gone. Patrick said, his tone filled with happiness. ¡°Go ahead, but remember to take good care of Becky, Debra advised, her voice carrying a motherly concern. ¡°Of course!¡± Patrick replied eagerly. Stacey, seeing Patrick¡¯s joy, felt a sense of happiness. They left the vi together and got into the car. After a short drive, they arrived in the vibrant heart of Hivalis, where Carter¡¯s Jewel headquarters stood tall amidst the hustle and bustle of the city. Carter¡¯s Jewel headquarters upied an impressive 33-story building. The first floor housed a standard jewelry store. The second floor was dedicated to thepany¡¯s regr employees, featuring an array of offices and a spacious lounge. The third floor was a warehouse, storing countless valuable items from Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s extensive inventory Floors four, five, and six were dedicated to thepany¡¯s designers, each divided into various work areas. The fourth floor was for regr designers. That floor resembled arge office space, with many designers working together in open¨Cn offices. The fifth 09:16 Wed, Jul 31 floor was designated for senior designers and featured 64 individual offices, each providing a private workspace for the experienced designers. On the other hand, the sixth floor was reserved exclusively for Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s top jewelry designers ¨C those world¨Crenowned for their unparalleled expertise. Despite its expansiveyout, the sixth floor was only divided into three sections, each dedicated to one of those top designers. Patrick took Stacey to meet the three top designers: Linda Steinfeld, Bernard Spielberg, and Thomas Burtman. Everyone smiled during their first official meeting, but Stacey sensed the designers¡® curiosity and wariness toward her. Patrick continued the tour after leaving the sixth floor, leading Stacey through the other building floors. They saw many raw stones and met numerous buyers and business owners. Many of those owners smiled and greeted Patrick and Stacey warmly when they entered. ¡°This must be Becky. Congrattions on finding your daughter, Mr. Carter, Henry Brown said warmly. Patrick smiled back, his pride evident. ¡°Yes, this is Becky, my daughter,¡± he said. He continued with the introductions by saying, ¡°Becky, meet Henry Brown. You can call him Mr. Brown. He¡¯s a regr customer here and loves to buy our raw stones. In addition to Henry, they met several other esteemed customers, including n Davis, Lucas Wilson, and Caleb Harris. Patrick kept smiling, enthusiastically introducing Stacey to each one and examining raw stones with them Stacey felt a mixture of exhaustion and awe at the end of the day. It was not easy running a business. Patrick was truly impressive, maintaining friendships with so many customers, always cheerful, and sessfully selling raw stones regardless of whether the customers won or lost. As long as their raw stones were sold, it was all profit. After a busy day, as the afternoon was winding down, Stacey asked, ¡°Dad, can I ess the building¡¯s surveince footage?¡± ¡°Surveince? Did you lose something?¡± Patrick asked. He was stunned and slightly puzzled, worried Stacey might have lost something important. Stacey shook her head and replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s just that I met so many people today, and I can¡¯t remember them all. I want to go through the footage to remember everyone.¡± Patrickughed and nodded. ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± he said.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. CHAPTER 169 Stacey started working at thepany. Her job was hectic, but Patrick was always there to guide and help her, allowing her to understand her responsibilities quickly. As everything was proceeding smoothly, ¡°The Empress¡± finally premiered. The moment it was released, it immediately captured the attention of many viewers, just as expected. There were ims that ¡°The Empress¡± had the same plot as ¡°Her Majesty,¡± but the news of giarism quickly quelled these People could clearly distinguish which was the original. Most importantly, the storyline of ¡°The Empress¡± was exceptional. The costumes, makeup, filming locations, appearances, and acting skills of the actors and actresses were all outstanding. It could be said that every frame in the show was like a painting. Upon seeing it for the first time, many fans started screaming, taking screenshots, and sharing them on Twitter, urging their friends to watch the show because it was simply too good. Many short video creators were excited, thinking. ¡°Ah! Finally, there¡¯s a phenomenal show after such a long time! Most importantly. The Empress was perfect for creating a trending top. ¡°Her Majesty, which had been recently released, featured an almost identical plot, making it perfect for aparison video. Thus, numerous bloggers and short video creators madeparison videos, juxtaposing the plots of ¡°The Empress¡± and ¡°Her Majesty.¡± They edited clips of the two leading actresses from both shows side by side forparison in a single video. Some bloggers humorouslybeled ¡°The Empress as the original and Her Majesty¡± as the imitation. The difference in quality between the original and the imitation was strikingly clear in the show, the actors and actresses, and their performances. This made the description both urate and fitting. In Mitchell Vi, J couldn¡¯t sleep the night of ¡°The Empress premiere. She had meticulously nned for so long. spending a fortune to hire a scriptwriter to giarize the script, all to ensure her show aired before ¡°The Empress,¡± J was confident in her looks and acting abilities, anticipating that Reba would bepared to her once ¡°The Empress¡± was released, with everyone evaluating their acting skills. She wondered. But why didn¡¯t the scenario I envisioned, where my acting is praised as superior to Reba¡¯s, happen? Why? J kept refreshing the updates from the short video creators she knew, watching as theybeled the videos with the original and the imitation. The bold, erged words seemed to be mocking her directly. She thought, ¡®It¡¯s impossible. This can¡¯t be right! It absolutely cannot be like this!¡± The more J scrolled, the more panicked she became. Her face soured as she repeatedlypared the two, but there was no need forparison. The moment Charlotte appeared, her natural aura immediately spoke for itself. J just didn¡¯t want to believe it or ept the fact. She would never admit that Reba¡¯s acting was better than hers. After all, Reba had only been in the industry for a little over a year. J mused, Reba is just a neer with no acting skills and no professional training. How could she be better than me? Everything Reba has now is just due to the Carter family¡¯s support and media hype. How could she possibly have real talent? Hal Unwilling to ept this, J considered one thing. ¡°Her Majesty was rushed. There wasn¡¯t time for the actors and actresses to practice their acting skills before filming. Once the script was written, they immediately began shooting. She mused, ¡®So¡­. this it? I lost to Reba because the filming was rushed and I didn¡¯t have time to prepare. With this thought, J gradually began to calm down. However, while J calmed down, Karen was on the verge of losing her mind in the master bedroom next door. Yesterday, someone approached her with the shocking im that J was not her biological daughter. Karen dismissed the person as crazy, thinking. ¡®Ha! How could J not be my daughter? The pain she endured during pregnancy and childbirth was still fresh in her memory. Karen reassured herself, J is definitely my biological daughter. I¡¯m certain of it!¡® However, that person took out a paternity test report and said that if she didn¡¯t believe it, Karen could conduct a paternity test with J herself. Karen didn¡¯t react well to that person and chased them away, cursing them as she did. However, she couldn¡¯t settle her restless thoughts after that person left. Their words were like a seed of doubt, taking root her heart and troubling her. Karen thought about it repeatedly and eventually couldn¡¯t resist getting up and going to J¡¯s room Lying on her side in a foul mood, J heard a noise at the door and nced back at Karen, who had suddenly entered her room. She called out in surprise, ¡°Mom?¡± Karen couldn¡¯t help but observe her features. She had known since childhood that J didn¡¯t resemble her much, nor did she look much like Gary. However, Karen had never doubted it, as she had given birth to her. On the other hand, that person imed that during the in vitro fertilization process at the hospital, the embryos were identally swapped by theContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. doctor. J felt as though Karen was staring at her strangely. She frowned and asked, ¡°Mom? Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Karen came back to liersenses and shook her head. ¡°I¨CIt¡¯s nothing.¡± J looked at Karen with confusion and asked, ¡°Mom, is there something you need?¡± 993 Karen hesitated but eventually entered the room and spoke, saying, ¡°Janic, I heard that Reba¡¯s new show was released. Many people are talking about you two¡­¡± ¡°Mom!¡± Hearing this, J became unhappy, and her face darkened. Of course, she knew that people outside were talking about her. They wereparing her to Reba, mocking her, and saying she couldn¡¯t measure up to Reba J, thinking of this, grew upset and asked, ¡°Why are you bringing this up? Reba has already cut ties with our family. She has nothing to do with us!¡± Karen remained silent. If it had been in the past, she would definitely go along with J¡¯s words. However, now, Karen seemed hesitant. J grew more puzzled by her mother¡¯s strange behavior and asked, ¡°Mom, did youe in just to talk about this?¡± Karen snapped back to her senses and quickly shook her head. ¡°No, L¡­ As she spoke, she walked over to J. After a moment of hesitation, Karen suddenly reached out and tugged on a strand of J¡¯s hair. J was instantly baffled. Karen felt a sudden sense of relief after she pulled out the strand of hair. She quickly added, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡­ was just a little worried about you. I¡¯m so angry seeing all those people criticizing you online. Are they blind? How could Reba possibly be better than you? It¡¯s because the Carter family is wealthier than us. They invested more in costumes and makeup, which made Reba look stunning. That¡¯s why people perceive her acting as better.¡± CHAPTER 170 ¡°Yeah, Mom. You¡¯re right. But why did you pull my hair?¡± Jtened to Karen¡¯s words but kept her gaze on the strand of hair in Karen¡¯s hand. The strange look Karen had given her earlier,bined with the hair, made her ponder. As J thought about the hair, her mind immediately jumped to the idea of a paternity test. Why would Karen want a paternity test? J suddenly entertained a ridiculous thought. She wondered, Could I not be my dad¡¯s daughter? Did my mom recently discover something and is now using my hair for a paternity test?¡® Karen panicked at J¡¯s question and hurriedly replied, ¡°No! That¡¯s not¡­¡± Karen realized she couldn¡¯t find the right words. The unsettlingments from that person had made her anxious and distraught, causing her to act out of character and forget to cover her tracks. She had even gone into J¡¯s room to pull out a strand of hair. Karen quickly threw the strand of hair into the trash can and looked at J, exining, I saw a bug on your hair and wanted to help you get rid of it, but I identally pulled your hair out.¡± J was speechless. Karen awkwardly paused for a moment before continuing. ¡°I¡¯ll go now if there¡¯s nothing else. You should rest well. Don¡¯t let those onlinements bother you. That brat, Reba, will never be better than you!¡± J looked at Karen thoughtfully and nodded. ¡°Okay,¡± Karen eventually left her room. J stared at the strand of hair in the trash can, remaining silent for a long time before finally picking it up. Karen¡¯s actions today had been strange, and she feltpelled to investigate. J suddenly remembered that her parents adopted Reba because of infertility issues. She wondered, ¡®How did Mom end up getting pregnantter? Could it be that I¡¯m actually not Dad¡¯s biological child? J felt guilty for having such thoughts, but the thought of Reba receiving affection after reuniting with her biological parents sparked a flicker of expectation. J wondered, ¡®Could it be possible that my biological father is actually someone even more exceptionalContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. With The Empress¡± skyrocketing in poprity, the giarism of ¡°Her Majesty¡± was exposed. Manyizens discovered that Tina was the screenwriter of ¡°Her Majesty,¡± leading to widespread criticism. It would have been manageable if the criticism. had been confined to online discussions, but ¡°The Empress¡± was too popr. As the show¡¯s poprity soared, the focus on the giarism of ¡°Her Majesty intensified. More and more people were sharing news about Tina, the screenwriter used of giarism. Soon, even those close to Tina became aware of the situation. Some of her former ssmates even reached out to ask what was happening. Her parents back in her hometown called her too, as many people had informed them about the situation. Tina was so anxious that she was afraid to go outside, feeling as if anyone who saw her would look at her with disapproval. The more Tina feared, the more she resented J, the instigator who had initially encouraged her to giarize. The countless onlinements defending J, with J¡¯s fans ming Tina for the giarism, only heightened Tina¡¯s frustration. They imed that J was just following the script and was not to me for the issue. ording to them, the me should fall on the screenwriter, not J. Tina grew increasingly resentful. She wondered, Why should I take the me for J? This whole situation was J¡¯s idea from the beginning. If J hadn¡¯t approached me and offered a high price to giarize, I would never have copied The Empress without reason. After thinking all night, Tina made a decision the next day. Since the situation was already out of her control, she decided to leverage the evidence she had to make a significant profit. J was an award¨Cwinning actress, and ¡°The Empress¡± and ¡°Her me other information about J that she had Majesty were the hottest topics at the moment. Additionally, Tina had painstakingly gathered. After staying up all night, Tina had noticeable dark circles under her eyes, but she no longer felt tired. Instead, she experienced a twisted sense of excitement. She thought, ¡®If I¡¯m going down, everyone¡¯s going down with me. No one will escape! Tina turned on herputer and sent message to the most famous paparazzi online. She thought, ¡®It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to sell these materials for 100 thousand dors, would it?¡± At Carter Vi, Stacey thought that once she got used to going to work at thepany, her life would settle into a smooth and happy routine. However, she didn¡¯t expect that one afternoon, as she was getting out of the car after work, Jeremy suddenly emerged from a corner and ran straight into her arms Stacey was stunned, instinctively holding Jeremy, and nced around. She spotted a middle¨Caged man at the back, who seemed to be a driver of the Hoggard family. Stacey hesitated for a moment, then crouched down and held Jeremy in her arms. She asked with a smile, ¡°Jeremy, what are you doing here? Where¡¯s your dad?¡± Stacey instinctively assumed that since Jeremy was so young, Hayden must be close by, following him around. Jeremy didn¡¯t respond. His bright eyes looked at her, and soon, tears began to well up in his eyes. Stacey instantly became anxious when she saw his tears. Sensing something was wrong, she quickly lifted Jeremy and soothed him. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here. Jeremy doesn¡¯t need to be scared.¡± Jeremy buried his face in her arms. His tears overflowed, streaming down inrge droplets. Stacey, holding the child, hesitantly walked toward the Hoggard family¡¯s driver. The driver approached as well and said respectfully, ¡°Ms. Carter.¡± Stacey¡¯s lips moved, and she wanted to ask what had happened, but she held back when the words reached her throat. She thought, Jeremy is still crying, and asking such questions in front of him might make him even more upset. Stacey then said to the driver of the Hoggard family. ¡°Well then¡­ I¡¯ll take him inside the house first. Why don¡¯t youe in and rest a bit too?¡± The driver nodded quickly. ¡°Okay. Thank you, Ms. Carter. Stacey nodded and carried Jeremy into her house, with the driver following behind. They entered Carter Vi together. Inside the house, Lillian and Kevin ran out. Since Stacey had gone to work, they had been waiting at home every day. As soon as Stacey came back from work, they would immediately rush over and hug her. They had missed her terribly. But today, Lillian and Kevin were both stunned to find Stacey standing at the door with a young boy, CHAPTER 171 Lillian dashed over to Stacey joyfully, tugging at her pants. With curious eyes, she gazed up at Jeremy, who was cradled in Stacey¡¯s arms. In a sweet, innocent tone, Lillian asked, ¡°Mommy, who is he?¡± Kevin, equally curious, chimed in, ¡°Yes, Mommy, where did you find him?¡± Stacey¡¯s lips twitched when she heard this. She thought, ¡®Where did I find him? Indeed, I found him right outside our door. At the moment, Jeremy was still crying, and Stacey wasn¡¯t sure how to exin things to Lillian and Kevin. She carefully ced Jeremy on the couch as they reached the living room. As soon as Jeremy settled onto the couch, Lillian and Kevin eagerly leaned in with their eyes sparkling with curiosity. Jeremy felt a pang of embarrassment, wondering. How can I embarrass myself in front of them?¡® He hurriedly turned his head away and reached out to quickly wipe his tears. The children¡¯s curiosity had no limits. When Lillian and Kevin saw Jeremy turn away, they quickly scampered in front of him. Kevin¡¯s eyes widened as he remembered something. He eximed, ¡°You¡¯re Jeremy!¡± Jeremy froze, thinking. My identity has been exposed Kevin was thrilled. He knew Jeremy, as Stacey often had video calls with Jeremy: Stacey always described Jeremy as an exceptionally adorable child. Jeremy didn¡¯t want Lillian and Kevin to know that he cried, so he quickly took out his writing tablet and wrote: [I¡¯m not.] Jeremy quickly denied it, not wanting to embarrass himself in front of Lillian and Kevin. He thought, It¡¯s not me! I¡¯m not Jeremy!¡® Kevin stared at the writing tablet, confused. He wondered, ¡®What did he write? I don¡¯t know what he wrote. Lillian, suddenly remembering too, shouted, ¡°I remember now! You are Jeremy.¡± Jeremy thought, ¡®My embarrassment has just doubled.¡® Panicking, he quickly wrote on the board: [I¡¯m not Jeremy. I¡¯m Jeremy 1.0! As Stacey poured water for Jeremy and kept an eye on the kids, she caught sight of Jeremy¡¯s writing and felt her mind go nk. She wondered, Jeremy 10? What does that mean Jeremy noticed Becky looking back at him, and his ears suddenly turned bright red. However, the words he had written could not be taken back. Jeremy quickly steeled himself and drew on his tablet. He exined that the version that used to be called Becky was Jeremy 2.0, the upgraded version. He was currently 1.0, the original version, and a bit worse. The upgraded version wouldn¡¯t cry, but since he was the original version, he did. Jeremy thought, Tm three years old, so I should be version 3.0. He quickly erased and redrew, correcting himself with a serious expression. Jeremy rified that he was mistaken and that the version that had called Becky before was Jeremy 3.0, not 2.0. Lillian and Kevin were puzzled, exchanging confused nces before turning their attention to Jeremy¡¯s writing tablet. Nothing made sense to them. After Stacey poured the water, she realized that the Hoggard family dealt with robots Jeremy might have been exposed to various programs since childhood. She mused, ¡®So, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0. these are version numbers for system upgrades? How adorable. Hahaha!¡® Stacey wanted tough but remembered Jeremy had been crying earlier, so she tried to suppress herughter. ¡°Would you like some water?¡± she asked; smiling as she held out the ss. Jeremy hesitated for a moment before nodding. Stacey watched as he gulped down several sips before stopping. ¡°Are you hungry? Would you like me to make you something?¡± she asked just as Stacey finished speaking, Jeremy¡¯s stomach growled audibly. Lillian and Kevin, having never heard a stomach growl before, were fascinated and stared curiously at Jeremy¡¯s tummy. Jeremy¡¯s face flushed again as he quickly covered his stomach and shook his head, Stacey, amused, nodded. ¡°Well, Jeremy isn¡¯t hungry, but I¡¯m a little hungry. I¡¯ll go to the kitchen and see if there¡¯s anything tasty. How about I make something deliciouster?¡± Jeremy, surprised, looked at Becky. He wondered, ¡®Is she hungry Dinner needs to be served. Becky has to eat so she won¡¯t get hungry! Jeremy quickly wrote: [Have the housekeeper cook Stacey chuckled, adjusted Jeremy¡¯s slightly wrinkled cor, and then headed to the kitchen.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Carter Vi had a housekeeper, but Stacey felt a sudden urge to personally cook something special for Jeremy since it was his first visit. After seeing him cry, she especially wanted tofort him. Grace, who was in the kitchen, smiled as she spoke to Stacey. ¡°Ms. Carter, what would you like to eat? Shall 1 do the cooking?¡± 09-16 Wed, Jul 31 Stacey cook today? Could you please teach me some of the ey came back to her senses and shook her head. ¡®Grace, can family¡¯s favorite dishes?¡± Stacey knew how to cook, but she was as familiar with her family¡¯s favorite dishes as Grace. Since she was going to cook today, she wanted to make something everyone would enjoy, not just Jeremy. Her parents, Lillian, and Kevin all needed to be considered. Adrian had been busy with his love lifetely and wasn¡¯t home much, so she didn¡¯t have to think about him for now. Jeremy¡¯s stomach growled in hunger. Stacey first washed an apple, peeled it, and handed it to him so he could nibble on it and not feel so hungry while waiting for dinner. Jeremy suddenly received an apple. He blinked nkly. Lillian immediately shouted, ¡°I want one too!¡± Seeing Jeremy with an apple and Lillian wanting one, Kevin also wanted one. He eagerly chimed in, ¡°I want one too!¡± Stacey looked at them and then grabbed another apple. She washed, peeled, and cut it into small pieces, cing them in two bowls. She handed one to Lillian and the other to Kevin. Jeremy, being three years old, could manage to eat a whole apple. However, Lillian and Kevin were still too young and could choke on an entire apple, so they should have slices instead. With their own bowls of apple pieces, Lillian and Kevin were instantly delighted. Stacey looked at the three children. With a smile, she said, ¡°Jeremy, could you take Lillian and Kevin to the living room to y for a while?¡± Jeremy understood that Becky needed him to look after the two. He nodded and wrote on his writing tablet: [Okay.] Stacey let the children go outside. She turned her attention back and began thinking about dinner. Just then, her phone rang. Confused, Stacey took out her phone and saw that it was a call from Hayden. She instantly understood and answered the phone with a smile. CHAPTER 172 Chapter 172 ¡°Is Jeremy at your ce?¡± Hayden asked, sounding a bit exasperated.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org. Stacey nced outside to ensure Jeremy was still in the living room with Lillian and Kevin. Seeing that he wasn¡¯ting into the kitchen for the time being, she then lowered her voice. Yes, he just arrived. But Jeremy started crying as soon as he got here. Did something happen?¡± ¡°There¡¯s been some trouble at home, and the situation is a bitplicated. Could you take care of Jeremy for a few days? I¡¯lle to pick him up soon and exin everything then, Hayden asked. Stacey was momentarily taken aback, but she quickly agreed. ¡°Of course. That¡¯s no problem. Lillian and Kevin seem to enjoy ying with Jeremy. The three of them can keep each otherpany.¡± Hearing this. Hayden smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± The call was brief since Hayden seemed busy, and he quickly hung up. Stacey felt more at ease, knowing that Hayden was aware of Jeremy¡¯s whereabouts. She didn¡¯t have to worry about it anymore. Grace already bought the groceries. After thinking for a while, Stacey began to prepare dinner. Grace helped with washing the ingredients. The two of them made dinner together, which made the task much easier. Debra didn¡¯t know how to cook. but Stacey was preparing dinner. Debra was so excited that she hovered nearby, eager to help. Patrick peeked in from the doorway, smiling warmly before returning to the living room to keep an eye on the three children. Jeremy soon finished his apple, and Patrick asked the butler to go upstairs and take down the children¡¯s toys. A few minutester, Jeremy was in the living room, ying with toys alongside Lillian and Kevin. Lillian and Kevin were still quite young and didn¡¯t know how to y with many toys. However, Jeremy was very patient with them, patiently teaching them how to y. Watching from a distance, Patrick was increasingly pleased Jeremy¡¯s good manners clearly reflected the Hoggard. family¡¯s upbringing, demonstrating that their family traditions remain as strong as ever. Patrick thought, ¡®If Becky were to end up with that guy from the Hoggard family in the future, it would be a good match. An hour and a half passed quickly. After a flurry of activity, dinner was ready. Debra was particrly happy. She enthusiastically carried the dishes to the dining table and excitedly called everyone to eat. Stacey, emerging from the kitchen, noticed that Jeremy¡¯s mood had significantly improved since his arrival. He was no longer teary¨Ceyed, which was a relief. Stacey brought out three small bowls, one for each child. Each bowl was filled with a serving of pasta, apanied by a portion of meat and a variety of colorful vegetables. ¡°All right, everyone. Let¡¯s eat,¡± she said with a beaming smile, looking at the three children. Jeremy¡¯s eyes lit up as he looked at Becky, nodding eagerly, Stacey mused, ¡°He¡¯s so adorable!¡® She felt her heart melting from his cuteness. ¡°Eat plenty, and make sure you¡¯re full. Don¡¯t go hungry,¡± she reminded. Jeremy quickly took out his writing tablet and wrote: [Okay.] Debra marveled at Jeremy¡¯s writing skills. ¡°Jeremy, you can write so many words already? That¡¯s incredible!¡± Debra¡¯s praise was deeply heartfelt, stemming from her genuine admiration for the Hoggard family¡¯s approach to educating their children. The more she interacted with Jeremy, the more her affection for him grew. He was exceptionally smart, obedient, and remarkably sensible for his age. The only downside was that he couldn¡¯t speak. The Carter family had heard some troubling rumors regarding Jeremy¡¯s background. They learned that Jeremy¡¯s mother had secretly taken medication during her pregnancy with the aim of terminating it. This action had unfortunately led to the condition Jeremy now lived with. It was no wonder that the Hoggard family lost their temper and didn¡¯t like Jeremy¡¯s mother. Jeremy¡¯s mother had been pregnant for six or seven months when she chose to terminate the pregnancy, despite the baby already being well¨Cdeveloped. She made this decision for the sake of what she imed was true love. The Carter family found this irresponsible behavior uneptable and would have felt simrly outraged and disappointed if such a situation had happened to one of their own. Rumor had it that the Hoggard family had spared no effort in seeking the best possible care for Jeremy. They had consulted numerous doctors over the years and engaged a specialist family doctor who continually worked to improve Jeremy¡¯s health. Despite their efforts, it remained uncertain whether aplete cure was attainable. As Debra pondered these defils, her heart ached more and more for Jeremy. Unable to restrain her nurturing instincts, Debra began serving dishes onto Jeremy¡¯s te. She carefully included a little bit of everything from the array of delicious dishesid out on the able. ¡°Jeremy, eat more. Make yourself at home here, and you 98% don¡¯t have to be polite, Debra said gently. Jeremy nodded vigorously in response. After a moment of thought, he quickly grabbed the serving fork and, albeit clumsily, began to serve some food to Debra in return. When she saw the food that Jeremy had taken for her, Debra¡¯s heart melted. She thought. How could this child from the Hoggard family be so sweet and endearing?¡± After adding some food to Debra¡¯s te, Jeremy then helped to take food for Patrick and Becky. He remembered what Hayden had told him before about the importance of teamwork Jeremy was determined to work hard to help Hayden win Becky¡¯s heart so that she would agree to marry him. If Becky married Hayden, she would be his mother, and he would have the chance to call her ¡°Mommy. The entire Carter family received Jeremy¡¯s thoughtful service, and they couldn¡¯t control the smiles growing wider on their faces with each passing moment. They were clearly delighted. Lillian and Kevin, not wanting to miss out, eagerly held out their tes and looked up at Jeremy with expectant eyes. Jeremy didn¡¯t disappoint Lillian and Kevin and finally added some food to their tes. However, after serving food to so many people all at once, Jeremy felt a bit exhausted and quickly sat down. Lillian, upon receiving her food, excitedly waved her little spoon, trying to mimic Jeremy and give him some food in return. ¡°Lily!¡± Stacey hurriedly held her hand. Jeremy was three¨Cyears old and sensible. He could help to take food for everyone, but Lillian was different. As a one¨Cyear¨Cold baby, she could barely manage to pick up her own food without making a mess. If Lillian tried to give her food, it was likely that the dishes on the table would end up in a mess.¡°Lily, please be careful not to mess up the dishes on the table, okay?¡± Stacey asked gently. Confused, Lillian protested, saying, ¡°Give¡­. to Jeremy!¡± As Stacey was attempting to coax Lillian, Kevin suddenly reached out with his spoon. He quickly scooped up a portion of food from the table, moved, and tried to put it onto Jeremy¡¯s te. Jeremy quickly pushed his small te closer to Kevin to make it easier for him to transfer the food. Debra, Patrick, and Stacey watched anxiously nearby. As Kevin sessfully ced the food in Jeremy¡¯s bowl, she hurried to stop him from serving any more. ¡°Key did it!¡± Lillian was not convinced and protested from the side. Stacey was at her wit¡¯s end. In the end, she allowed Lillian to serve Jeremy food once, but she ensured that a serving fork was used. Stacey exined to Lillian and Kevin that using their own spoons was both impolite and unhygienic. They needed to use the serving utensils to demonstrate proper manners and maintain good hygiene. CHAPTER 173 Chapter 173 Dinner took a long time, mainly because Lillian and Kevin ate slowly. They would eat for a while, then start ying, unable to stay still despite the adults¡® reminders. However, the good news was that although Lillian and Kevin liked to move around during meals, they were both well¨Cbehaved eaters. They ate whatever they were given and finished everything without being picky. Jeremy was even more obedient. He did not need any urging from the adults and proactively finished all the food on his te. After the meal, Stacey decided to take the three little ones for a walk in the residential area. Jeremy was very curious and looked around with wide¨Ceyed wonder as soon as they entered the residential area garden. Quietly, Stacey snapped a photo of Jeremy, Lillian, and Kevin ying together in the sandbox at the children¡¯s yground. She opened WhatsApp and sent the picture to Hayden. Jeremy was only three years old and staying at someone else¡¯s home without him, so she figured Hayden might be worried. Stacey thought that sending him a few photos of the children having fun would put him at ease. At Hoggard Technologies, the nighttime lights had been switched on in the CEO¡¯s office on the top floor. Hayden had returned after dinner to continue working overtime. He needed to finish his tasks before he could make time to pick up his son from the Carter family. Although Hayden was the boss, working overtime to catch up with the schedule was exhausting. However, he didn¡¯t expect that tonight¡¯s overtime would be different from any before. His phone in the drawer suddenly chimed with a special rm he had set exclusively for messages froto family. Instinctively, Hayden took out his phone to check. He was initially stunned but then pleasantly surprised Hayden had nearly forgotten that he had set a special rm for Becky, so this distinct sound would y whenever she sent him a message. Opening the message, he saw a photo of three children ying in the sandbox. It seemed Becky sent it to reassure him about Jeremy. She might be afraid that he would worry about the child, so she sent him photos. A faint smile appeared in Hayden¡¯s eyes as he examined the photo closely. Jeremy was ying joyfully with Becky¡¯s children, and it was clear even from the photo. It seemed that the incident from a few days ago had affected Jeremy less than before. Looking at the photos, Hayden couldn¡¯t help but imagine the angle and appearance of Stacey taking photos of the children with her phone. Since she captured the children so adorably, she had to have been full of maternal love and very gentle while taking the pictures. With this thought in mind, Hayden opened his office drawer and took out a small wooden duck, covered in bite marks, to y with. He then replied to her Jeremy looks really happy¨Cl On the other side, Stacey saw Hayden¡¯s message and quickly responded: [Yes, Jeremy is very well¨Cbehaved. He¡¯s nice to Lillian and Kevin when he¡¯s with them. Jeremy is so considerate. Hayden mused, Jeremy¡¯s nice to Lillian and Kevin?¡® He chuckled at her words, and his gaze fell back on the photo. Indeed, Jeremy and Becky¡¯s children looked very harmonious together. Hayden thought, ¡®It seems that Jeremy really likes Becky and everything associated with her, including her children. Hayden texted in response: [Yes.] After a moment of thought, he took a photo of his office and sent it to Becky. Stacey was surprised to see that he was still working and texted him: [Are you still working?] Hayden texted back: [Yes.] Stacey quickly replied: [I won¡¯t disturb you further then. You can focus on your work, Jeremy is doing great here, so there¡¯s no need to worry about him.] Hayden replied: [Okay.] Their chat ended, and Stacey nced at the chat box before looking at Jeremy, who was still ying. She suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Hayden, realizing that he had it tough and even had to work overtime. Stacey put her phone away and sat on a nearby bench, watching the three children y in the sandbox. Although Jeremy was intelligent, he was still just a child. Back at Hoggard Vi, he likely didn¡¯t have many ymates his age. Now, ying with Lillian and Kevin, Jeremy had naturally be more ¡°childish,¡± leading the other two to build sandcastles, Jeremy¡¯s practical skills were impressive. He quickly built a small castle, earning admiring nces from Lillian, whose wide eyes were filled with awe. Kevin also thought Jeremy was amazing and looked at him with joy. ¡°I want to build one too!¡± Kevin shouted in his sweet and innocent voice. 09.17 Thu Aug 1,N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Jeremy nced at Kevin and nodded. He went over to teach Kevin how to build a castle. Stacey couldn¡¯t resist moving closer. pulling out her phone to capture the best angle of Jeremy¡¯s creation. Jeremy noticed Becky was secretly taking a picture of his castle and shyly turned to look at her. Stacey waved him over Jeremy,e here and stand in front of your castle. Let me take a picture of you with it, okay?¡± Jeremy hurried over and stood nervously in front of his little castle. When Lillian and Kevin saw that Stacey was going to take a photo of Jeremy, they quickly joined him. They squeezed together obediently, waiting for Stacey to take the picture. Stacey smiled as she aimed the camera at the three children, capturing the moment. As soon as the photo was taken, Lillian excitedly ran over. ¡°Mommy, I want to see!¡± Even though she was only a year old, Lillian was quite familiar with the process of having her picture taken. Thanks to Debra, who loved dressing her up and capturing the moments, Lillian knew that she could see the photo right after it was taken. Lillian wasn¡¯t the only one eager to see. Jeremy and Kevin were also curious, and soon all three children gathered around Stacey. Quickly, Stacey crouched down, clicked on the photo, and showed it to them. ¡°It looks good!¡± Kevin eximed happily as he looked at the photo. Jeremy¡¯s eyes also sparkled. With bright eyes, he looked at Becky with a smile and thought, I like it. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s nice, Jeremy?¡± Stacey asked with a smile. Jeremy nodded vigorously. She grinned and said, ¡°I¡¯ll save this photo and send a copy to your dad. When you want to see it in the future, you can ask him to show it to you, okay?¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly. Stacey instinctively thought about forwarding the photo to Hayden, but it urred to her that he was at work and sending it might disturb him. ¡°I will send it to your dadter tonight, okay? He¡¯s busy working overtime right now,¡± she exined as she looked up at Jeremy. Stacey smiled, put away her phone, and said, ¡°All right, the photo has been taken. You guys can go back to ying now.¡± Lillian¡¯s face lit up at her words. She wanted Jeremy to teach her how to build sandcastles, just as he had taught Kevin earlier. It was going to be her turn now. CHAPTER 174 Stacey took the children to y in the residential area¡¯s yground for a long time and only headed home at eight o¡¯clock in the evening. Upon arriving home, Stacey gave Marie and Gwen extra pay for their overtime and asked them to help look after Jeremy while also caring for Lillian and Kevin. She needed them to bathe Jeremy ton, Marie and Gwen had been working at Carter Vi for over a year and were quitefortable in their jobs. The pay was good, and they were treated well. So, when Stacey offered them extra pay and asked them to look after Jeremy, they readily agreed. After making these arrangements, Stacey asked Marie and Gwen to give the kids a both. Lillian and Kevin were washed first, with Jeremy being thest. The Hoggard family¡¯s driver had delivered Jeremy¡¯s clothes half an hour earlier, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about him not having anything to wear. Stacey also went back to her room and took a shower. When everyone was done with their baths, it was time to sleep. Stacey thought, Jeremy is only three years old, so it will be impossible for him to sleep alone in a room. What if he got scared? Besides, be¡¯s very clingy to me! The thought of how Jeremy had ried when he came here made her heart ache. After careful consideration, Stacey decided that all three children would sleep with her at night. Her bed had already been reced with arger one. Although it would be a bit more crowded with an additional person, there was still enough space. Jeremy was thrilled at the thought of sleeping with Becky at night. His eyes sparkled with joy as he settled into bed with Lillian and Kevin, behaving exceptionally well. Stacey smiled, climbed into bed, and took out a storybook. She began reading a bedtime story to the three children. Lillian, the most lively one, frequently interrupted with her endless questions. Kevin, who was very obedient, enjoyed listening to the story and would be a bit upset by her interruptions. He would gently pull at her to stop so Stacey could continue reading. This was Jeremy¡¯s first time hearing Becky tell a bedtime story. He didn¡¯t fuss or make a scene. He simply sat quietly, filled with joy. After finishing the story, Stacey gently reminded the children that it was time to sleep, as usual. Lillian and Kevin, already ustomed to this routine, quicklyy down without fuss. Jeremy alsoy down obediently bur couldn¡¯t help but notice theforting scent of Becky¡¯s body wash on the nket. He found it soothing and thought of it as a motherly fragrance. He longed for a mother like Becky and not that woman. As he thought about this, Jeremy pressed his lips tightly together, as if making a silent vow. Stacey, unaware of Jeremy¡¯s thoughts, noticed that the children had fallen asleep. She turned off the room light before lying down beside them. Soon, she was asleep as well, likely due to exhaustion. However, it wasn¡¯t an easy task sleeping with the children. Kevin woke her up in the middle of the night, needing to go to the bathroom. Stacey rubbed her sleepy eyes.. turned on the light, and took Kevin to the bathroom. When Stacey finished taking Kevin to the bathroom and carried him back, she suddenly heard crying. Startled, she quickly went to check on the child in the bed and found Jeremy crying in his sleep. ¡°Jeremy?¡± she called softly. Stacey nudged him gently and used the most soothing voice she could manage, asking. Jeremy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jeremy groggily woke up from her nudge and stared nkly at Becky. Jeremy¡¯s eyes resembled ck grapes, but at that moment, they seemed freshly washed and still glistening with moisture. Hurriedly, Stacey carefully wiped away his tears. She climbed onto the bed,y down beside him, and asked softly, ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± Jeremy mused, ¡®A nightmare? He thought about the woman in his dream and nodded. Stacey, unsure of what exactly Jeremy had dreamed, instinctively wanted tofort him and asked, ¡°Did you have a bad dream? Can you tell me about it?¡± As she spoke, Stacey reached for the writing tablet on the nightstand and gently handed it to Jeremy. Jeremy held the writing tablet but instinctively hesitated. He didn¡¯t want to discuss that woman with Becky. Stacey waited for a while, noticing his reluctance. Without pressing him she remained silent for a moment before leaning down to kiss Jeremy gently andfort him. She whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Jeremy. I¡¯ll stay with you tonight. We¡¯ll chase the nightmare away together, okay?¡± Jeremy looked at her. He thought seriously and then nodded heavily. Stacey gently kissed his forehead once more and said softly, ¡°All right, go back to sleep. Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll stay right by your side.¡± Jeremy looked at Becky once more and nodded again. Kevin curiously watched Staceyforting Jeremy. He thought. How strangel Jeremy is crying again. He¡¯s just like Lily, who always seems to cry: Stacey had finally managed to soothe Jeremy, but she noticed Kevin staring at her intently as she turned. Her heart skipped a beat from the sudden surprise. Quickly, she reached out and gently pressed Kevin down,Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. +97%1 whispering, ¡°Kev, it¡¯s time to sleep too, okay?¡± Kevin was somewhat speechless. He rubbed his eyes, wondering why he didn¡¯t produce tears like Lillian¡¯s and Jeremy¡¯s. He thought, ¡®If my eyes water, will Mommyfort me the same way she does with Jeremy?¡± Stacey noticed Kevin rubbing his eyes, which seemed a bit unusual. She wondered, ¡®Does Kevin have something in his eye? Is he feeling ufortable? Feeling a bit nervous, Stacey quickly asked, ¡°Kev, is something wrong with your eyes? Are you feeling ufortable?¡± Kevin, being an honest child, replied, ¡°No.¡± Stacey didn¡¯t know how to reply to that. Kevin thought about it and asked Stacey seriously, ¡°Mommy, why don¡¯t my eyes produce water?¡± Stacey was momentarily puzzled and asked, ¡°Water?¡± Kevin nodded earnestly. ¡°Yes. Lily¡¯s and Jeremy¡¯s eyes produce water. When there are tears, Mommy, you be especially nice!¡± Thest part was said with a serious tone, and Kevin¡¯s eyes reflected the pure, unmasked envy of a child. CHAPTER 175 Chapter 175 There was a buzz in Stacey¡¯s head. She was stunned. Realizing something, she hurriedly wheeled around and hung her head low to give Kevin a hug while cooing. ¡°Hush, Kev. I also love you the same.¡± She was so used to appeasing crybabies that she almost neglected Kevin. Never would she expect Kevin to be envious of Lillian and Jeremy simply because they were coased when they cried. Stacey suddenly felt sorry for Kevin. Kevin¡¯s eyes widened as he eyed his mother in astonishment. Stacey kissed Kevin again and uttered with a smile, ¡°Be good and get some sleep, will you?¡± The boy¡¯s eyes shone with tion upon receiving a kiss from his inother, hence agreeing, ¡°Aright!¡± Beaming, Stacey gently tucked Kevin in and cooed, ¡°Night¨Cnight ¡°Night¨Cnight. Mommy.¡± Kevin was pleased. ¡°Sweet dreams. Kev, Stacey added sweetly. After putting all of them to bed, she turned off the lights once more. At the other end of the bed. Jeremy turned over and looked at Kevin enviously, thinking, ¡®If only I¡¯m also her kid. As the night deepened. Kevin and Jeremy fell into slumber. Stacey listened to the children¡¯s light breathing and slowly fell asleep, too. The next day, Stacey was all ready to go to work. Jeremy wished to follow her to work, for he used to follow his father to work back home. Unless he were to be at the kindergarten, his father would send him there first before departing for work. Gazing at the little boy, Stacey fell silent for a moment. In that split moment, she recalled how Jeremy had sobbed in his dream the night before, so she took the initiative to help him into the car. It was not a big deal for Stacey, for Jeremy was always well¨Cbehaved in the office; he had never made a fuss, so she reckoned, that his presence would not affect her work. Never in her wildest dream would she expect Lillian and Kevin to follow suit the second they saw Jeremy hop into the car. It was as though a door to a new world had been opened for them. Gwen and Marie panicked, darting over to hold the two munchkins back. That sight made Patrick smile as he told Gwen and Marie, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Get Lily and Kev their things and some toys. Let them visit thepany today.¡± Stacey was helpless to see how her father spoiled the children. Patrick then asked the driver to wait until Gwen and Marie packed up some stuff for Lillian and Kevin. With that, Stacey helped Lillian and Kevin into the car. Still, she squatted down and set some rules with them upon thinking about her workter. ¡°Lily, Kev, if you wanna go with me to work you have to promise me three things, okay?¡± That got Lillian curious. ¡°What kind of promises?¡± Stacey held out a finger and pronounced seriously, ¡°First, when Im working, there¡¯ll be no noise and no asking me to y with you. You must y by yourselves¡± Lillian was stumped, for that proved to He challenging. Kevin, though, was confused. ¡°Why can¡¯t we ask you to y with us?¡± That threw Stacey into a dilemma. She enunciated solemnly, ¡°Because I have work to do. Lily hurriedly chimed in, ¡°Then, you shouldn¡¯t be working anymore!¡± Stacey¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. She was speechless. Patrick, in turn, chuckled, pretending to be mad. ¡°So, Lily, you don¡¯t wanna y with me! Hmph! I¡¯m so mad now that I know I¡¯m not your favorite.¡± Hearing that, Lillian widened her eyes in shock. She quickly tugged at her grandfather and exined, ¡°I¡¯lle y with you! Kevin fixed his gaze on his mother firmly. ¡°I wanna y with you, Mommy!¡± Kevin¡¯s eyes were sparkling as he looked at Stacey delightfully. He still remembered what she told him the night before. Even though he did not shed tears, Stacey would still love him the same. Jeremy watched Lillian and Kevin. Although he was only three, he grew up spending plenty of time with his father at work, so he knew that when adults were working, children should never make noise, otherwise they could not perform well at work Quick as a wink, Jeremy fished out his writing tablet and wrote four words before hitting the read key of the system. Out of the blue, the Al of the writing tablet spoke at Jeremy¡¯s behest. Tll y with you!¡± Gwen and Marie came to the car with the kids¡® toys, clothes, diapers, and baby bottles. The driver then revved up the engine and set off for thepany. In the car, Jeremy continued to write and thenmunicated with Lillian and Kevin using the reading function of the tablet. ¡°When your mommy¡¯s working, you can¡¯t ask her to y with you. It¡¯d disturb her work.¡± Lillian and Kevin did not get what Jeremy meant, but they found it amusing that his writing tablet could actually speak. The tablet attracted their attention like a ma. They continued to stare at the tablet curiously, ¡°Jeremy, it can talk!¡± Lillian said in surprise. She had seen electronic products talking, but that was her first time seeing Jeremy¡¯s writing tablet speaking. Previously, she only saw Jeremy write words she could not read on it, yet that was the first time she heard the sound it made. It was all too magical for her. ¡°So cool!¡± Kevin looked all curious as well. Jeremy stole nces between Lillian and Kevin, continued to write, and then activated the reading function. Then came the electronic voice from the tablet. This is my voice.¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Lillian was surprised, her mouth agape. Out of curiosity, Kevin reached out for the writing tablet Jeremy noticed that, thus generously let the boy touch it. Lillian, too, was curious and wanted toy her hand on the tablet just the same. Beholding the kids, Stacey could not help reminding. ¡°Be carefu, Lily and Kev. Don¡¯t mess with it or drop it. That tablet is super important to Jeremy. Make sure not to break it¡± Hearing that, Jeremy immediately raised his eyes to look at Becky. He smiled, appearing happy that Lillian and Kevin adored his belongings. Brooding over something. Stacey turned to Gwen and Marie and reminded them, ¡°Keep an eye on them, Gwen and Marie. Don¡¯t let Lily and Kev break Jeremy¡¯s tablet.¡± Aug Since Jeremy could not speak, the writing tablet was his only mins ofmunication. It was paramount for him. Gwen and Marie acknowledged that at once. At that thought, Stacey unwittingly focused on the brand of Jeremy¡¯s writing tablet. She had an urge to get more of it and keep them at home just in case. Moreover, should Lillian and Kevin truly fancy ying with the tablet, it would not hurt to get each of them one. In her book, Lillian and Kevin might even learn to read and write alongside Jeremy.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. CHAPTER 176 Stacey searched high and low all over the inte, but she could not locate the very brand of Jeremy¡¯s writing tablet. Perplexion hit her. Yet, refusing to throw in the towel, she pressed on. Again, she nced at the logo on the tablet in Jeremy¡¯s hand and continued the search. Jeremy noticed Becky stealing nces at the logo, not to mention the confusion marring her face. The boy felt odd, having no idea why the woman kept peeking at the tablet. However, it was not long before he figured it out. In a jiffy, he wrote down some words and activated the read function. ¡°My daddy made this tablet. It¡¯s not in the market.¡± Stacey was first speechless and shocked before she piped up admiringly, ¡°Wow! Your dad¡¯s amazing!¡± To think that Hayden could even make a writing tablet for his son, she thought he must love Jeremy with all his heart. As she pondered that, Hayden¡¯s serious, frosty face popped into her head for some reason. While thinking about that, though, she soon remembered that a person of his stature had not been entrusting Jeremy to others. Instead, he watched Jeremy all by himself and even brought the boy to work. Rting that to herself, Stacey suddenly felt that she was not as good as a mother, paling inparison to Hayden¡¯s care for Jeremy when it came to taking care of her own kids. When she went to work, Gwen and Marie were mostly the ones watching the kids. Only after she got off work would she spend time with the children.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. On the contrary, Hayden, who had his te full day in and day out, managing such a bigpany, still willingly took his son with him to work. Stacey was happy for Jeremy to have such a marvelous father. Thinking of that, Stacey turned to Jeremy and could not help reaching out to gently pinch the little boy¡¯s cheek. ¡°You¡¯re so blessed, Jeremy, you know? Your dad really loves you.¡± She beamed. Jeremy was bbergasted. He looked at Becky and thought for a while. Then, he lowered his head, wrote on the tablet, and held it up to show her the text: [Do you like this writing tablet Daddy made?] Stacey read the words and nodded at Jeremy, ¡°Yes, your dad¡¯s super amazing. This tablet he made is just as awesome as well That speech lit Jeremy¡¯s eyes up. No longer could he suppress the glee within him. He wondered if Becky was starting to fall for his father, considering that she had called him amazing. Stacey looked at the boy¡¯s bright eyes and thought that he was cute. To be that happy when hearing her praise his father, she reckoned that the boy must love Hayden a lot. ¡°What an enviable father¨Cson rtionship!¡® she mused. ¡°Is Jeremy¡¯s daddy super amazing?¡± Lillian looked at them curiously and asked. When Jeremy heard Lillian¡¯s question, he suddenly thought of what his father had told him back home. If he wanted to make Becky his mother, not only should he let Becky fall for his father and be willing to tie the knot, but he must also make sure both Lillian and Kevin ept his father like their own. Only if Lillian and Kevin both wished to have his father as their stepfather would Becky be more likely to marry his father. In other words, that would increase the chance of Becky bing his own mother. As Jeremy recalled what his father had said to him, he eyed Lillian, picked up the tablet, wrote anxiously, and finally pressed the read button. ¡°You bet my daddy¡¯s awesome! He dots on us kids a lot. He¡¯s the best daddy in the world!¡± Stacey listened to that and was extremely surprised. She never expected Jeremy to peg Hayden as the best father in the Thu, Bull world, but soon, she smiled because Jeremy was right- Hayden was indeed a dutiful parent. ¡°Wow!¡± Lillian¡¯s eyes lit up. She looked at Jeremy enviously. ¡°I also want him as my daddy!¡± ¡°Me, too!¡± chimed in Kevin upon hearing the exchange between Lillian and Jeremy. His voice was meek as he put his heart into shouting, ¡°I, too, want him as my daddy!¡± At first, Jeremy was shocked. Then, it turned into surprise and pure joy because Lillian and Kevin had agreed to ept having his father. Stacey only felt a buzz in her head, wondering what just happened. She was baffled as to how things abruptly turned out like that. Patrick sat beside them, witnessing everything. He could not help smiling. Indeed, children were innocent souls, not to mention adorable, or so he thought. All in all, he, too, shared the sentiment that Hayden was apetent father through and through. From Patrick¡¯s perspective, if Hayden was really into Becky, it would be great for them to walk down the aisle and parent Lillian and Kevin together. Before they knew it, the car arrived at thepany amid the chatters. ÈÕ The staff saw their boss and Stacey there with the three linle munchkins. Their eyes lit up. They could not help but peek at the kids secretly. As soon as Jeremy stepped into thepany, he subconsciously became serious. His expression resembled that of Hayden when he was at work ¨C a little serious, cold, totally an embodiment of a mini¨Cboss. It was the first time that Lillian and Kevin came to work with their mother. When they set foot inside, their gazes darted across every corner curiously as they wandered about, Cute would be an understatement to describe those kids, Finally, they reached Stacey¡¯s office. Stacey went to the lounge to clean up and had Gwen and Marie lead the children there, Fortunately, the lounge was spacious enough to amodate the children. After that was finished, Stacey went to settle some work. She could try to get cracking on her work all she wished, but Lillian and Kevin simply could not sit still. After some time ying in the lounge, they wanted to look for Stacey. Jeremy saw Lillian and Kevin¡¯s whim to disturb Becky, so he tugged at Lillian and Kevin straightaway and took out his writing tablet, trying to teach Lillian and Kevin writing Lillian and Kevin had zero idea how to write yet, nor did they have the intention to learn. They were still far too young. Fun was all that they had in mind. Luckily, both Lillian and Kevin were intrigued by Jeremy¡¯s writing tablet. In their hearts, they painted the tablet a highrend toy. Seeing how Jeremy had been writing on the tablet, they believed that that must be how the toy worked All kids liked to have fun, especially when they first encountered new toys. Lillian and Kevin were soon swayed by Jeremy¡¯s ¡°new toy and happy to y some writing games with him. Patrick also loved children. He only worked for a few minutes before he sneaked over to see the kids when nothing important was up Witnessing the kids learn to write with Jeremy, Patrick ordered his assistant to buy two more writing tablets on the spot. In less than half an hour at work, Lillian and Kevin each had a tablet in their hands. It was then that all three children happily started to y some writing games in the lounge of the office. CHAPTER 177 Jeremy. Lillian, and Kevin had a happy day ying together at Hoggard Technologies. In the evening, Hayden had rushed back to Hivalis overnight. He even brought gifts as he stepped into Carter Vi. One of them was a smart massage robot. This gift is far too precious, Debra and Patrick thought in shock They knew that Hoggard Technologies¡® products were not cheap. It was not that the Carter family could not afford it. It was the fact that the massage robot was too pricey to be given. as a gift Knowing this, Patrick and Debra hurriedly refused, but s, at Hayden¡¯s continued insistence, they had no choice but to ept it. Subsequently, after receiving his gift, they became far more hospitable to him. Hayden not only brought gifts for Patrick and Debra but also for Lillian and Kevin. The gifts were two writing tablets just like Jeremy¡¯s. Besides the handwriting function, it had educational tools for children and could teach them how to read and understand things. It was a great tool to guide their learning. When Lillian and Kevin saw the gifts Hayden had gotten them, their eyes lit up. They were overjoyed. Jeremy took his writing tablet, wrote something, and pressed the button for the tablet to narrate it. The tablet made a sound. ¡°Lily. Kev, I told you, right? My Daddy is the best Daddy in the world. He treats us kids the best!¡± Hearing Jeremy¡¯s voice, Lillian and Kevin nodded quickly. Then, Lillian looked at Hayden and eximed happily, ¡°Mr. Hoggard. I want you to be my Daddy!¡± In a hurry, Kevin followed, saying, ¡°Mr. Hoggard, I want to be your Daddy too ¡°Pift Stacey couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°Hahaha!¡± ¡°Key¡¯s still young and isn¡¯t that eloquent in speech yet but him saying that he wants to be Mr. Hoggard¡¯s father¡­ I really¡­ Ah, I can¡¯t help it!¡¯ she thought in amusement. Patrick and Debra also chuckled to themselves secretly, thinking Ah, silly Kev. He¡¯s torturing us withughter. Lillian then frantically reminded, ¡°It¡¯s not like that. You¡¯re not bing his Daddy. He¡¯s bing your Daddy!¡± Kevin quickly realized his error and corrected himself, ¡°No, I said it wrongly. I want you to be my Daddy too!¡± Hayden looked at Lillian and Kevin. He was surprised. ¡®Have Key and Lily epted me? he wondered while ncing at Jeremy, and the moment they looked at each other, he understood what was going on. However, even though he understood, he was still shocked yet pleasantly surprised. Huh, I didn¡¯t expect Jeremy to be so persuasive. He¡¯s gotten Lily and Key on board so quickly. This makes things much easier for me to pursue Becky too, Hayden thought. ¡°Do you want me to be your Dad, Kev and Lily?¡± Hayden asked in the most gentle tone possible while crouching down and embracing them in his arms. Lillian and Kevin were still young, so they couldn¡¯t truly understand adults expressions. To them, Hayden¡¯s features made him appear considerably fierce. Despite that, they listened to Jermy and believed him. From the bottom of their hearts, they thought that Hayden was an excellent father. Besides, Hayden was Jeremy¡¯s father, so they also wanted him to be theirs. ¡°Yeah!¡± Kevin nodded immediately. Lillian examined Hayden¡¯s handsome face and was stunned. She stretched out her soft fingers, touched his nose, and then said yfully, ¡°Mr. Hoggard, you look good, just like the uncles in the paintings!¡± Wow, I didn¡¯t expect Lily to admire my jooks, Hayden mused as he chuckled uncontrobly. ¡°Yet, she¡¯s so simr to Becky when she was younger. I still vaguely remember that Becky said something simr to me before back then, but she was too young. She certainly doesn¡¯t remember it now,¡¯ he thought. ¡°Well, I am quite handsome, so will you let me be your daddy and Kev¡¯s daddy, too, Lily?¡± Hayden asked Lillian, looking at her and smiling dotingly, 97%1 ¡°Yes!¡± Lillian immediately affirmed loudly with starry eyes. She was jubnt at the thought of Hayden bing her father. Stacey was speechless. Embarrassed, she hurriedly exined, ¡°Mr. Hoggard, Lily, and Key are still young. There are many things they still don¡¯t understand. Some of what they said is just yful nature. Please don¡¯t take it seriously Debra and Patrick exchanged nces with each other. As parent they smiled wordlessly and thought, ¡®Hasn¡¯t Becky figured it out yet? Mr. Hoggard most likely has such an idea; he¡¯s interested in her. Hearing the children say all this must be having him writhing in delight. Moreover, Patrick and Debra¡¯s gaze toward Jeremy had changed, especially Patrick¡¯s. I¡¯ve been praised for my intelligence and perceptiveness all my life. Few can y tricks and schemes before met he thought. ¡®Earlier, in the car. Jeremy suddenly enticed Lily and Key to take Hayden as their father but I didn¡¯t think much about it. I just regarded it as an ident. Nevertheless, now adding the previous time and this time together¡­ I can¡¯t help but overthink it! Mr. Hoggard has deliberately convinced Jeremy to help be their matchmaker, hasn¡¯t he? He¡¯s a little cunning schemer, but not bad¨Chearted. He¡¯s pretty smart, Patrick mused. Regardless, Patrick and Debra were satisfied with the Hoggard family anyway. Thinking this, they stood up in sync and left quietly instead of staying in the living room as third wheels Noticing Patrick and Debra leave, Hayden knew they understood what he was doing and approved, so the biggest problem was Stacey. As long as she was willing, they would be an item. Im not kidding. I want Mr. Hoggard to be my Daddy!¡± Lillian retorted Stacey¡¯s words. Then, she stretched out her little hands, hugged Hayden, and dered, Jeremy says that Mr. Hoggard is a good Daddy. He says he¡¯s the best Daddy in the world, so I want him to be my Daddy too!¡± Pleased. Hayden reached out to pinch her cheeks. Aw, she¡¯s so cute he thought Kevin was a follower. He wanted whatever his sister Lillian wanted and shouted, ¡°Yeah, I want Mr. Hoggard to be my Daddy¡® too!! Stacey was speechless and abashed to no end watching this. ¡°When did you arrive here in Hivalis? Are you tired? Why don¡¯t you sit down and rest for a while?¡± Stacey changed the subject. ¡°I just arrived,¡± Hayden answered sincerely. Stacey was stunned momentarily but soon figured it out. She thought, Mr. Hoggard must have been very worried about Jeremy while he was staying here the past two days, so that¡¯s why he rushed over so quickly.¡¯ Thus, she reported, ¡°He¡¯s been very well¨Cbehaved, obedient, and sensible these two days. He also had a good time ying with Lily and Kev.¡± Hayden nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Huh, as soon as Lily and Kev saw me, they kept going on about wanting me to be their father. It seems like Jeremy made good use of his two days at Carter Vi. That¡¯s my son, my highly efficient son, he thought proudly. ¡°You must be tired having taken care of three children at the same time, right?¡± he then greeted Stacey with concern. At the mention of caring for children, Stacey thought of Hayden¡¯s dedication to Jeremy. She felt ashamed yet admired him simultaneously. ¡°You really do care for Jeremy well,¡± she said sincerely, ¡°He¡¯s very lucky to have a father like you, she praised, smilingN?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Hearing this, he smiled and asked tentatively, ¡°So am I qualified to be Lily and Kev¡¯s Dad? CHAPTER 178 Stacey was stunned. She looked at Hayden, bewildered and surprised. Meanwhile, Hayden simply looked at her, waiting for her response, Stacey was speechless. It took a while for her to process what Hayden meant. ¡®Does he like me? It can¡¯t be, right? Given that I¡¯m a divorced woman with a child, I expect it to be difficult to find someone who loves me. Wait. Hayden is also divorced and has a child. Could he really be interested in me? she pondered. Stacey¡¯s divorce may have subconsciously made her believe that love and marriage were no longer a part of her life. So, throughout her interactions with the Hoggard family, she never considered that possibility. Stacey began to panic, unsure if she understood what Hayden meant. ¡°M¨CMr. Hoggard, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re suitable for each other, Stacey said nervously, her voice stuttering a bit. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding. Howard replied. He had anticipated her rejection. After all, she had just divorced and had probably not considered remarriage yet. Nevertheless, from her nervousness and the slight reddening of her ears, he could tell that she didn¡¯t dislike him. If she didn¡¯t dislike him, that meant there was hope. As long as he was patient, there would be a day when she would ept him. Seeing Stacey remain silent, Hayden sat on the couch as he said, Jeremy¡¯s mother has returned.¡± Stacey was stunned at Hayden¡¯s words, looking at him in surprise Hayden paused for a moment before telling how, when his grandfather was critically ill, he desperately wanted Hayden to marry before he died. As a result, Hayden was forced to go on a frantic series of blind dates in less than a month, eventually marrying a girl he barely knew and had no feelings for ¡°At that time, our family was all worried about my grandfather¡¯s condition. The marriage happened so quickly that we didn¡¯t have time to investigate the background of the girl¡¯s family, Hayden exined. Stacey was taken aback when she learned the truth about Hayden¡¯s previous marriage. Hayden looked at her and said, ¡°Because we didn¡¯t have time to investigate, we didn¡¯t know that Queenie Leavey didn¡¯t want to marry me. She had a boyfriend she loved very much, but her family forced her to break up with him and marry me to climb the socialdder. When we first got married, she told me she wasn¡¯t mentally prepared, so she didn¡¯t want to have intercourse with me.¡± He added, ¡°I didn¡¯t have any feelings for Queenie either. I married her just to put my grandfather at ease, so I didn¡¯t mind her request. We agreed to live in separate rooms from the start. Later, my grandfather¡¯s health gradually improved, and everyone was happy.¡± ¡°One day, Queenie suddenly told me she wanted to try for a baby via in vitro fertilization. I was quite surprised, but she was very anxious, saying her parents were pressuring her to have a child. At the time, I thought that since we were already married, having a child didn¡¯t seem like a problem, so I agreed. We went to the hospital together and had a baby by artificial means, Hayden continued. ¡°Butter, when she was six or seven months pregnant, she suddenly told me she couldn¡¯t take it anymore, she wanted to abort the baby, and she wanted a divorce. That¡¯s when I realized something was wrong, he resumed. Stacey was surprised and thought, ¡®Six or seven months pregnant? By then, the baby was already about to be born. I¡¯ve heard from somewhere that babies born at seven months have a high chance of surviving, while those born at eight months have a higher risk of not making it. At seven months pregnant, the child is already alive. Terminating the pregnancy at that point is essentially the same as killing a living baby! Hayden carried on. ¡°Queenie confessed everything to me, and I had someone investigate. It was then that I learned she hadn¡¯t willingly married me. But by then, the child was about to be born. There was no way I would agree to her aborting the child. It wasn¡¯t just her child. It was mine too.¡± +97%Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. As Hayden spoke, he subtly observed Stacey¡¯s expression. Seeing that she didn¡¯t seem repulsed, he continued, ¡°I took some measures to prevent the hospital from allowing Queenie to have an abortion. Her family also forbade her from aborting the child. Everyone was keeping an eye on her every move.¡± ¡°But none of us expected that Queenie would secretly take abortion pills to get rid of the baby. Fortunately, someone realized the situation soon after she took the pills, and she was rushed to the hospital where the drugs were induced out of her system, barely saving the baby,¡± Hayden exined. ¡°I promised Queenie that as long as she delivered the baby safely, I would divorce her immediately and give her family arge amount ofpensation. This would allow her parents to consent to her being with her boyfriend. She agreed to this and promised to take care of herself and deliver the baby. Liter, when the child was born, I kept my promise. I gave her parents a major business project and negotiated conditions with them, allowing her to be with her boyfriend,¡± he added. ¡°After she gave birth, we scheduled the divorce. As soon as she finished her postpartum care, we got the divorce license. Right after that, she left with her boyfriend. That¡¯s the story of my past with Queenie, Hayden said solemnly. After saying that, Hayden took a sip of water and continued, ¡°But a few days ago, she came back. I had someone investigate, and the results showed that she had a bad time with her boyfriend these years. Her boyfriend turned out to be a gold digger. From the beginning, he only valued her because she was a rich heiress. He used her to provide himself with connections in the business world.¡± ¡°But after shepletely severed ties with her family, the Leavey family stopped giving her any money and refused to help her boyfriend in his career. At first, Queenie¡¯s boyfriend treated her well, but after a year, when he realized that she was truly cut off from her family and wouldn¡¯t receive any more benefits, he gradually changed,¡± he stated. but Two years ago, her boyfriend started dating another woman from a wealthy family. Initially, she didn¡¯t know about it, after six months, she found out, and they constantly argued. After a year and a half, she finally saw her boyfriend¡¯s true color. She broke up with himpletely, returned to her family, and apologized to her parents,¡± Hayden said. After listening to that, Stacey couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Did she meet with Jeremy?¡± Hayden looked at Stacey and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± He was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°She wants to remarry me. She said she was the one in the wrong and that she would live a good life from now on and take good care of Jeremy CHAPTER 179 Stacey was speechless. She didn¡¯t know how to judge Jeremy¡¯s mother, and it seemed she didn¡¯t have the right to do so either. ¡°What are your ns?¡± Stacey asked politely after some thought. Hayden didn¡¯t respond. He just looked at her quietly. Stacey smiled awkwardly, took a sip of coffee, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go check on the kids.¡± When Hayden came over, he gifted Lillian and Kevin each a writing tablet. At that moment, the three children were happily ying with the writing tablets. Although Stacey had left in a rush, Hayden wasn¡¯t worried. He leisurely finished the drink Stacey had poured for him, then slowly got up and walked toward the children. Hayden had personally taken care of Jeremy until thetter was three, so Hayden was quite experienced with young children. As he approached, he began guiding the three children on how to use the writing tablets for learning. Lillian and Kevin were at an age where they were curious about everything. Seeing that Hayden, whom they considered to be their father, was willing to teach them, they immediately became happy and joyfully followed his lead in learning. Nevertheless, Lillian and Kevin were still too young to fully understand what a father was to them. They thought a father was something they could have if they wanted, as long as the other person was willing. To them, Hayden was their father. After a while, Stacey found herself bing the odd one out. She had little experience in teaching children, unlike Hayden, who naturally found the right approach and started teaching the children how to read. Standing nearby, Stacey eventually realized she couldn¡¯t do anything and quietly left. Outside, Debra and Patrick had been secretly watching. Seeing their daughtere out, they immediately smiled at her. When Stacey looked at her parents, she instantly knew that she was probably thest one in the family to learn about Hayden¡¯s feelings for her. Stacey felt helpless, knowing that Hayden was a good man and a great father to the children, bur she hadn¡¯t considered remarrying after her previous marriage with Theodore. When Stacey walked outside, Debra gently said to her, ¡°Becky, Hay is a good man, and we¡¯ve investigated his past with his ex¨Cwife. It¡¯s not his fault.¡± When one is in doubt about having a second marriage, they often fear character issues with their partner. However, if both parties were kind¨Chearted people, two single¨Cparent familiesing together could be beneficial for everyone, especially the children. ¡°I know he¡¯s a good man, but¡­¡± Stacey hesitated. After a moment of silence, she said with a grasp and didn¡¯t want to get into another marriage so soon. Hearing that, Patrick quickly stood by his daughter¡¯s side and responded, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to remarry, then don¡¯t. It¡¯s okay To him, his daughter¡¯s happiness was the most important. Stacey¡¯s previously tense expression rxed as she looked at her father. She was grateful for her parents¡® love and understanding. Debra nced inside the house, feeling a bit regretful. If Becky doesn¡¯t cherish Hay, others might take him away soon. However, if Becky truly has no feelings for him, forcing her wouldn¡¯t bring her happiness. After all, things like love shouldn¡¯t be forced, Debramented inwardly. Debra sighed and said, ¡°All right. As long as you¡¯ve thought it through. You¡¯ve known Hay for a while now. You understand his character, family background, and personality. It¡¯s your decision.¡± Stacey nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Debra couldn¡¯t help but advise, ¡°But Becky, I still want to remind you. Before rejecting him, 0918 Thu, AUDIG make sure you understand your feelings. Do you have no feelings for Hay at all? Some chances, if missed, are gone for a lifetime. Every decision should be made seriously and carefully to ensure no future regrets.¡± Stacey remained silent. ¡°You¡¯re right, Stacey agreed solemnly after a long silence. She wasn¡¯t a child anymore. She understood the meaning of her mother¡¯s words. Although Stacey said she didn¡¯t want to remarry for the time being, Patrick and Debra still warmly invited Hayden to stay in the guest room at Carter Vi that night. The following day, Hayden departed with Jeremy, who was hesitant to leave. Jeremy, at the age of three, was already attending kindergarten. Despite everything, he had to attend kindergarten. Due to his mother¡¯s sudden return, he felt wronged and upset. After crying, he wanted to run away. However, after adjusting his mood, he went back to kindergarten. Stacey took Lillian and Kevin to see them off. At the airport, Jeremy held onto Becky¡¯s hand, looking reluctant to part, tears welling up in his eyes, about to cry. with Meanwhile, Stacey felt a pang in her heart as she watched Jeremy¡¯s sad expression, so she gently coaxed him. In the end, she even impulsively promised Jeremy that she would visit him when she had time. Seeing that the tears in his eyes had vanished and he was happy again, she finally felt relieved and was no longer uneasy. Mommy, what¡¯s a kindergarten?¡± Kevin asked curiously after Jeremy left, looking up at his mother, Stacey lowered her gaze to Kevin and exined, ¡°Kindergarten is a ce where little kids go to learn. When you and Lillian turn three, you can go to kindergarten.¡± no Lillian was delighted. ¡°Then I want to go to kindergarten too!¡± Staceyughed and agreed, ¡°Yes. When you turn three, you can go.¡± Lillian didn¡¯t understand and stubbornly said, ¡°Why do I have to wait until I¡¯m three? I want to go now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still too young,¡± Stacey exined. ¡°I¡¯m over a year old!¡± Lillian argued. ¡°You have to be three, Stacey repeated.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. On the way back in the car, Lillian and Kevin kept arguing with Stacey about why they had to be three to go to kindergarten Patiently, Stacey exined over and over again until she was parched. Finally, she had no choice but to take the children to a restaurant for a delicious meal. The appearance of delicious food sessfully distracted the children, and Stacey was finally free from the endless debate about why they had to be three to go to kindergarten. Little did she know that she would encounter Michael, Gifford, and Gifford¡¯s mother, Pam, at the restaurant. If Stacey hadn¡¯t been aware of their rtionship, she might have mistaken them for a happy family of three. They were standing in the restaurant lobby, engaged in conversation with a group of people. Without further ado, Stacey turned around and left with her two children. She felt unlucky and didn¡¯t want to face anyone from the Edwards family. CHAPTER 180 Chapter 180 As Stacy tried to leave, Gifford noticed her and immediately chased after her. Stacey quickly pulled Lillian and Kevin behind her, watching Gifford warily. Gifford hesitated for a moment, then quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. I mean you no harm.¡± Lillian and Kevin peeked out from behind their mother, curiously looking at the strange man in front of them. Michael and Pam also noticed Stacey and the two children at the entrance. They were momentarily stunned, especially Michael. However, Michael quickly regainedposure, his expression turning to one of displeasure, an ominous aura surrounding him. Six months ago, he still had hopes for the Carter family. However, after being schemed against by Theodore and forced to hand over the Edwards family¡¯s shares, he would be irritated every time he saw anyone rted to Theodore. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here. Can I invite you and the two children for a meal?¡± Gifford asked cautiously, looking at Stacey. Stacey¡¯s expression was cold, and she said with displeasure, ¡°There¡¯s no need. We¡¯re not that close.¡± With that, Stacey turned to leave with Lillian and Kevin. Anxious, Gifford called out as he followed, ¡°Ms. Carter, I know you won¡¯t remarry Theodore. You don¡¯t need to be nervous.¡± Stacey looked at Gifford, who was blocking their way, and asked irritably, ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Gifford looked into her eyes, and after a moment of thought, he made up his mind. He immediately said, ¡°Theodore and Jenny are getting married. You still don¡¯t know Jenny¡¯s true color, right?¡± Stacey frowned, displeased. ¡°If they want to get married, go ahead. Jenny¡¯s character has nothing to do with me¡± Giffordughed. He looked at Stacey and continued, ¡°On the surface, it seems unrted. But once Jenny gets pregnant and gives birth to Theodore¡¯s child, do you think she will let your two children live peacefully? Your two children are legally entitled to inherit Theodore¡¯s property!¡± When Stacey heard that, her heart skipped a beat. She stared at Gifford. Gifford stared back at her and smiled. ¡°I know the Carter family is wealthy and willing to give these two children inheritance rights. You might not care about the Edwards family¡¯s assets, but just because you don¡¯t want them doesn¡¯t mean Jenny believes you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What harm can she bring to Lily and Kev?¡± Stacey sneered.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights. Gifford was silent for a moment, then said, ¡®I had someone investigate some information abroad about the Smith family and Jenny. Ms. Carter, if you¡¯re interested, we can have a meal and discuss it in detail. How about it?¡± Stacey stared at Gifford as thetter smiled at her. After a long silence, Stacey said, ¡°I need to take Lily and Kev home first.¡± Gifford was surprised, then smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay. Do you need me to escort you back?¡± Stacey was rendered speechless. Naturally, she didn¡¯t let Gifford escort her. She took Lillian and Kevin home, entrusted her mother and the two nannies to take care of the children, and then left for the restaurant where she had agreed to meet Gifford. Sitting down in the private room, Stacey cut to the chase and asked, ¡°What problem does Jenny have?¡± Gifford took out a printed document and pushed it across the table to her. Curious Stacey took the document and began reading. Her expression darkened as she read through it. Gifford¡¯s information revealed that Jenny had a previous marriage before her encounter with Theodore. In Jenny¡¯s previous marriage, her ex¨Chusband Jeffrey Thatcher had an adorable daughter named Sophie Thatcher, who was Thu, Aus conceived with his ex¨Cgirlfriend before he met Jenny. But after Jenny married Jeffrey, Sophie died in a car ident just six. monthster. ording to Gifford¡¯s investigation, the ident was not a simple mishap. There was a high possibility that Jenny had tampered with the car Sophie was in beforehand. At least, that was what Jeffrey believed. Unfortunately, Jeffrey could never find concrete evidence to prove that Jenny had deliberately caused Sophie¡¯s death. The couple¡¯s constant arguments over the matter eventually led to their divorce. ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± Stacey asked, regaining herposure as she looked at Gifford. Gifford handed her the menu, inviting her to order. ¡°No thanks,¡± Stacey declined instantly. Gifford hesitated for a moment and decided not to insist. He said solemnly, ¡°I have no ulterior motive. I just want to establish a good rtionship. When I want to expand mypany in the future, I hope the Carter family knows that I¡¯ve nothing to do with Theodore and will not suppress me along with him.¡± Over the past year, the Carter family had been marginalizing and suppressing the Edwards Group in both connections and the market. Many business owners who wanted to cooperate with the Carter family were now hesitant to deal with the Edwards family, making it much harder for the Edwards Group to expand its business domestically. ¡°You started your ownpany?¡± Stacey was surprised. Gifford smiled bitterly and said. ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no other way. Theodore seized all the Edwards Group¡¯s shares and kicked me out. But I can¡¯t just give up, can I? I worked hard for so many years to be the deputy CEO. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Theodore is my father¡¯s son with his first wife, I believe that with my ability, I would have been the CEO of the Edwards Group, not Theodore ¡°That¡¯s your business. It has nothing to do with me,¡± Stacey said as she stood up. Then, she looked at Gifford and added, ¡°I father understand about Jenny¡¯s past now. Thanks for the warning. I¡¯ll have someone keep an eye on her. And I¡¯ll tell my about what you said.¡± Gifford was overjoyed and quickly expressed his gratitude, saying, ¡°Thank you!¡± Stacey picked up her bag and left the private room. As soon as she stepped our, two bodyguards approached her. Debra was worried about Stacey¡¯s safety, so she sent them to ensure Stacey¡¯s safety. With the bodyguards escorting her, Stacey soon returned home. Debra, worried about Stacey, hurried out to greet her. ¡°How did it go? He didn¡¯t trouble you, did he?¡± Stacey handed Gifford¡¯s document to her mother. After reaching the living room, Debra began to read the document carefully. When she finished, her face turned pale. ¡°Tomorrow¨CNo. I¡¯ll arrange for more bodyguards right now. From now on, bodyguards will apany Lily and Kev everywhere, and their vehicles must be thoroughly checked. We cannot give Jenny any opportunities,¡± Debra said. ¡°Are we going to live with constant vignce forever?¡± Stacey felt weary, Suddenly, she thought of something and said. Are ¡°Mom, I want to have someone investigate Jenny and her ex¨Chusband. If Jenny truly caused her ex¨Chusband¡¯s child¡¯s death, we should be able to sentence her to jail ording to thew.¡± Once Jenny was imprisoned, they wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her scheming against Lillian and Kevin anymore. CHAPTER 181 Hearing this. Debra was stunned. Then, she said in surprise, ¡°Yeah, it might work!¡± Stacey thought, then added, ¡®But I can¡¯t believe what Gifford said. Let¡¯s re¨Cinvestigate this matter to see what¡¯s going on.¡± Debra nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes. We should investigate. As Debra spoke, she looked at Stacey with mixed emotions and relief. After Stacey adjusted her mindset, she became much more clear¨Cheaded and alert. ¡°When your dades back from work, you can talk to him and see how to investigate this matter, Debra reminded Stacey. Stacey nodded and agreed, ¡°Okay¡± After Stacey agreed with Debra, she sent a message to Adrian and Bryce. She knew that they would know more about the investigation than she did. Both Adrian and Bryce were shocked and worried when they received a text from Stacey. If Jenny was that kind of person, she might end Lillian¡¯s and Kevin¡¯s lives in the future. Becky was right. They couldn¡¯t be on guard all the time. A child still had a long way to go, and there might be times when they were negligent. If one day they were not careful, something would happen. It would be better to find out the cause of this matter and how Jeffrey¡¯s child died. If the child¡¯s death had nothing to do with Jenny, it meant that Gifford spread the rumors. They didn¡¯t need to worry about it. If Jenny nned the death of that child, then Jenny was dangerous. Adrian texted: [I have a fewwyer friends in Menterra, and they know some people. I¡¯ll ask them to help with the investigation. Don¡¯t worry too much.) Stacey was stunned when she received the message from Adrian She didn¡¯t expect that he could directly send someone to investigate. Stacey didn¡¯t want to bother others, but when it came to this kind of thing, Adrian¡¯s friends certainly knew more about it than she did. It would be more reliable for them to investigate it than her. Stacey texted Adrian: [Okay, thank you.] Adrian texted: [I told you. You can drop the formalities.]All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Stacey couldn¡¯t helpughing. She texted: [Okay.] After chatting with Adrian, Stacey hurriedly told Bryce about whit Adrian would do. She didn¡¯t want Bryce to worry. Bryce was relieved when he heard that Adrian had someone over there who could help with the investigation. He didn¡¯t believe others, but Adrian was trustworthy. Bryce texted Stacey: [Okay, let Adrian deal with this. There should be no problem. In the meantime, protect Lily and Kev well Don¡¯t let anything happen to them and don¡¯t think about anything else.] Stacey hurriedly texted: [Okay. Thank you] Bryce texted Stacey a happy emoticon She thought it was difficult to solve the problem, but she didn¡¯t expect that all she needed to do was to text Adrian and Bryce. Basically, she didn¡¯t need to worry about it. As she rxed, she was somewhat stunned before she started to giggle. She thought, ¡®It feels good to be loved by the whole family. Thinking of this, Stacey felt motivated. She also wanted to strive To be tough, so she could help with the worries of her family. Adrian, Bryce, and Charlie had their favorite things to do, and they had their areas of expertise. The only thing they probably didn¡¯t want to do was to manage thepany. It seemed that everyone in Stacey¡¯s family had their dreams and were trying to live the dream. Even Patrick wanted to find an he soon so that he could retire and travel with Debra Stacey finally knew the direction of her future and responsibilities. She wanted to work harder to manage thepany well, so Adrian, Bryce, and Charlie could do what they wanted. Patrick could retire with peace of mind and took Debra to travel Stacey¡¯s dream was to protect her loving family so that everyone could pursue their dreams at ease without being confined 09:18 Thu Aug 1 by family business. That afternoon, Stacey returned to thepany. She sorted out the previous information and began to work. She w familiar with thepany¡¯s operations because she just entered thepany, so there weren¡¯t many tasks assigned Patrick. She was mainly responsible for jewelry design for the time being. The Carter family business had always been stable, but that stability might be affected after a month because the contract of their top designer, Thomas, was about to end. A few days ago, when Stacey was in thepany, she overheard some employees chatting. They said that Thomas had received an invitation letter from Eklonna. He would immediately join them after his contract with Carter¡¯s Jewel ended. Stacey had secretly looked into the information about Eklonna, She didn¡¯t know anything about them until she looked into it. Once she did, she was shocked. Eklonna was a famous brand in Daprein. Their target customers were somewhat simr to the Hoggard family. Eklonna catered to the world¡¯s top elites, and they specialized in designing various pieces of jewelry for Epean royal families. After finding out about Eklonna, Stacey knew that it was almost impossible for her to ask Thomas to renew the contract with Carter¡¯s Jewel and continue to stay at Carter¡¯s Jewel. She also talked to Patrick about this matter in private, and his attitude was very calm. He told her not to dwell on it and to just go with the flow. People naturally sought to improve their status, while things tended to follow their natural course. Those who master a skill to the highest level had their dreams. They wouldn¡¯t be held back by the samepany forever. Not only Thomas but also the other two top designers, Linda and Bernard, who worked for the Carter family were the same. When their contracts ended, if they could find better opportunities, they would leave What they needed to do was to train people and help them grow, so they could be the top designers of Carter¡¯s Jewel. They could also find other top designers to join Carter¡¯s Jewel. Stacey had been paying attention to the work of ordinary designers these days, but there was a huge gap between them and the top designers. It wasn¡¯t because the ordinary designers¡® designs weren¡¯t good. It was just that their designs were far from top¨Cnotch. Stacey thought for a while and somehow wanted to go to Daprein. She wanted to see how beautiful the design of Eklonna was. As soon as this idea came out, Stacey couldn¡¯t help but search for information about Eklonna. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t find much useful information after a whole afternoon. Eklonna¡¯s online information was somewhat simr to Hoggard Group. It was so brief that there was almost no information about them. There was only news about Eklonna¡¯s products when it involved the Epean royal families, such as some princesses attending a certain event and wearing the products designed by Eklonna¡¯s designer. CHAPTER 182 Chapter 182 Stacey spent the whole afternoon thinking about it. When she got off work that evening, she told her father she wanted to go on a business trip to Daprein.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. When Patrick heard that, he was surprised, but only for a moment. He quickly agreed and said, ¡°Sure, bring your mom with you. She¡¯d love to shop at Eklonna.¡± Stacey felt relieved and nodded before saying, ¡°Okay.¡± Soon, it was time to leave work. She and Patrick left work together and went home. When Stacey returned home, she told her mother she would take a business trip to Daprein to inspect Eklonna. As expected, Debra¡¯s eyes lit up. She immediately expressed her desire to apany Stacey, who readily agreed with a smile, remembering Patrick¡¯s suggestion earlier that evening to invite Debra along. When Debra heard Stacey¡¯s words, she turned to look at Patrick, unable to hide the happiness in her ¡®cyes. Stacey spent a week preparing and organizing things at thepany. Then she took her assistant, Debra, Lillian, Kevin, Gwen, and Marie, abroad together. Lillian and Kevin were still very young, but Debra insisted they should have been taken out more often to look around and broaden their horizons. Even Patrick allowed the little ones toe along. Stacey finally agreed after¨Ccareful consideration. When they eventually went abroad with such arge group, it didn¡¯t seem like they were on a business trip, more like a vacation. However, Patrick said it was better to disguise as a regr visitor when inspecting a head, looked at Hayden, and said happily, ¡°Daddy!¡± Lillian quickly ran over, hugging Hayden¡¯s other leg, and shouted excitedly, ¡°Daddy, why are you here?¡± Stacey was taken aback. Startled, she quickly regained herposure and followed after them. She hurriedly said, ¡°My apologies, Lily and Kev are quite young. They might not realize the difference¡­ As Stacey spoke, a Dapreinian looked at Lillian and Kevin in surprise and excitedly said a few words to Hayden in Dapreinish. Stacey Carter had not learned Dapreinish and could not understand what was being said. More importantly, the person was clearly Hayden¡¯s friend, and Stacey felt awkward asking her assistant to trante, so she was quite confused. After listening to the man, Hayden seemed to be in a pleasant mood. He nodded and spoke to him in Dapreinish. After a while, Hayden bent down and carried Lillian and Kevin in his arms. Stacey was startled and instinctively reached out to support the children in case Hayden could not hold them properly, and they could fall. Unaware of any danger, Lillian and Kevin were thrilled to be carried up by Hayden. They both reached out to hug Hayden on either side. When the Dapreinian looked at the children, he was curious and reached out to hold them. Lillian wasn¡¯t afraid of strangers. When she looked at the stranger, she was especially fascinated by his golden hair, which caught her eye because she loved pretty things. Lillian extended her arms. She was on the verge of throwing herself into the blond man¡¯s arms. The man¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Lillian about to run into his arms. He quickly reached out to catch her and was excited to hold her in his arms. Stacey was finally less worried when a child was taken from Hayden. An adult should have only held one chill. Hayden adjusted his posture, holding Kevin in his arms. He smiled at Stacey and asked, ¡°Why are you in Daprein?¡± Stacey thought it over and told Hayden the truth. He was surprised to hear Stacey¡¯s exnation and quickly said, ¡°Eklonna? We¡¯re actually here for Eklonna¡¯s new product exhibition. Becky Mrs. Carter, would you like to join us?¡± He looked at Stacey and Debra with courtesy and respect. Debra was delighted as she asked, ¡°Eklonna¡¯s new product show? ¡°Yes,¡± Hayden replied and nodded. +97% Stacey was also excited. They came to Daprein specifically to see Eklonna, so visiting their new product exhibition would be even better. Anyway¡­. ¡°But we don¡¯t have an invitation,¡± Debra said. Hayden smiled and said, ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll let them know. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Hay.¡± Debra quickly thanked him.. Stacey also realized Hayden had helped her, so she quickly thanked him. ¡°Thank you. If there¡¯s a chance next time, I¡¯ll buy you a meal. Hayden looked at Stacey and nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay, he replied, ¡°Daddy, what are you doing here?¡± Kevin asked as he hugged Hayden while the adults were talking. Hayden heard Kevin¡¯s words and lowered his head to answer Kevin¡¯s question seriously. Unfortunately, he was too young to understand what an exhibition was. ¡°Where are you staying? Have you booked your rooms? Shall I take you upstairs?¡± Hayden asked Stacey and Debra while coaxing Kevin. Stacey nced at the golden¨Chaired man and shook her head quickly, refusing, ¡°We¡¯re staying at the hotel. We can go there ourselves. You have other things to do, right? Go ahead and don¡¯t worry about us.¡± Hayden noticed her nce and looked at the man, smiling as he said, ¡°This is Hugo Eastman, my friend. We¡¯re close friends. No need to be formal with him.¡± Hugo was excited to hear Hayden introduce him to a girl he cared about. So, he turned around, extended his hand to Stacey, and introduced himself in a slightly awkward Zentiscapian, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Hugo, Hayden¡¯s friend. Nice to meet you.¡± Stacey quickly reached out Hugo¡¯s hands and introduced herself ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Stacey Carter.¡± ¡°Stay¨Csee?¡± Hugo asked with some confusion. His pronunciation was slightly strange. When Stacey heard hisnguage, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly as she exined earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s Stacey, derived from the word ¡®Eustace, which means fruitful or productive.¡± CHAPTER 183 Chapter 183 After struggling with the topic of name pronunciation for a few seconds, Stacey found that she couldn¡¯t correct it at all. Her name¡¯s pronunciation was too hard for Hugo. In the end, she and Hugo gave up. The pronunciation wasn¡¯t too important as long as they could understand each other. After Hugo left, Hayden sent Stacey and the others to their rooms to settle down. Lillian and Kevin were thrilled. As they entered the hotel room, they ran around, cager to explore every corner. ¡°Where is Jeremy?¡± Stacey gestured for Hayden to sit down on the couch and smiled as she asked. ¡°He¡¯s in kindergarten, replied Hayden.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Stacey was a little concerned. ¡°Is he home alone? Will he be afraid?¡± Hayden shook his head and said, ¡°No, my grandparents came to Strico, and they are currently taking care of him. He enjoys being with them a lot.¡± ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Hoggard?¡± Stacey was surprised. Hayden nodded and hummed in reply. He thought for a moment and then exined, Jeremy will undergo another surgery in a few days. He has been undergoing treatment for his speech issue. Everyone is afraid that he will be scared. So, before each surgery adjustment, my grandparents woulde a month in advance to apany him. This way, Jeremy won¡¯t be as afraid. Mentioning this, Stacey also expressed her concern. She asked with some worry, ¡°Can Jeremy¡¯s issue be cured?¡± Hayden nodded. ¡°We started treatment early, so there is still hope. However, it is aplicated process that requires multiple surgeries and gradual adjustments. But from one year old until now, we have made significant progress. After this uing surgery, Jeremy should be able to try to speak. Stacey¡¯s eyes lit up immediately, and she asked excitedly. ¡°Really Hayden looked at her shining eyes and knew that she genuinely cared about Jeremy. He couldn¡¯t help but feel happy, so he nodded and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great! When is he scheduled for the surgery? Where will it take ce? How about I apany him when the timees?¡± Stacey offered. Jeremy liked her. Stacey thought that if she went along, he would be very happy and wouldn¡¯t be so scared during the surgery. ¡°Are we going to find Jeremy? I want to go too!¡± Kevin, upon hearing her mother¡¯s words, immediately hopped over and said. Stacey, amused by his words, pulled the boy into her arms and yfully squeezed his chubby cheek. Lillian also ran over and said excitedly, ¡°I want to y with Jereray, too!¡± Hayden lifted Lillian into his arms, smiling as he asked, ¡°Do you like Jeremy, Lily?¡± ¡°Yes, I do!¡± Lillian answered without thinking. ¡°I like Jeremy, too!¡± Kevin was not to be outdone and said loudly Hayden was in a good mood. Even the three children were so close to each other. It seemed like he and Becky were meant for each other. After sitting in their room for a while, Hayden got up to take his leave. It was not that he didn¡¯t want to stay, but Stacey, Debra, and others had just arrived in Daprein. They were tired for sure after a long flight and in need of rest, so he couldn¡¯t linger and interrupt their reg. Moreover, theunch event of Eklonna¡¯s new product was about to begin Tomorrow. He also needed to ask the organizer for more invitations so that he could take Becky and others to attend the event tomorrow. UETTE Thu, Aud I GN +97% After Hayden left, Lilliam¨Cand Kevin continued their persistent questioning, like a broken record. They asked repeatedly. ¡°Where is Daddy going? Why does Daddy have to leave? Why can¡¯t Daddy stay and y with us?¡± Stacey felt a headache, pulled Kevin and Lillian close to her, and exined seriously, ¡°Lily, Kev, that¡¯s Mr. Hoggard, not Daddy. Next time, when you see him, please call him Mr. Hoggard, okay?¡± However, her exnation received a strong protest from the two kids. They refused loudly, saying they wanted Hayden to be their daddy. They insisted that he was great and that they liked him. Seeing the situation, Debra couldn¡¯t help but protect the children and said, ¡°Becky, let¡¯s not correct them for now. I like Hay, too. If you don¡¯t like him, I will discuss with him whether he can be Lily and Kev¡¯s godfather. And since Jeremy likes you so much, you can also be his godmother. That way, all the children will have parents, which would be good for them.¡± ¡®The most important thing is that if the children call Hay by Mr. Hoggard, it creates distance, whereas calling them ¡®mom and dad¡± feels more intimate. Becky¡¯s children call Hay ¡°Daddy, while Hay¡¯s son call Becky ¡°Mommy¡°. Who knows, as they keep calling each other like this, it might be real in the future. When you separate things too clearly, it can actually create distance, and it might truly end up being aplete separation, Debra thought. Although Debra told herself to respect her daughter¡¯s thoughts, she felt that Stacey had feelings for Hayden after seeing how they got along these days. Otherwise, Stacey would have long felt annoyed by Hayden and Jeremy¡¯s approach and wouldn¡¯t be friends like this. Debra was afraid that Stacey had notpletelye out of the shadow of thest divorce, so she couldn¡¯t see her true feelings clearly. If she missed the right person, she would regret it . Stacey was also confused after hearing her mother¡¯s words. She wondered, ¡®Can we do this? But¡­ It¡¯s not impossible, is it?¡± She thought of Jeremy, Kevin, and Lillian. The three kids were so adorable and well¨Cbehaved. Most importantly, she knew Jeremy really liked her. She could feel it. And Lillian and Kevin needed a father, or even if it was just a godfather. Seeing Becky¡¯s expression, Debra knew that she was considering it. Debra felt relieved and said with a smile, ¡°There will be) no problem. After all, our families have been friends for so many years. If your grandmother were still alive, she would surely be delighted too.¡± Mentioning her grandmother, Stacey thought of the rtionship between the two families. She was too young when she got lost, and there were hardly any images of her grandmother in her memory. However, during herst visit to the Hoggard Manor, even though she spent just one day with Jason and Sharon, she could sense that the bond between Sharon and her grandmother was genuine and deep. She thought, ¡®Hayden and being godparents to each other¡¯s children, the eldest in our families should also be supportive, right?¡± ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t have any objections, I will mention it to Hay next time. What do you think?¡± Debra observed her daughter¡¯s expression quietly for a while and couldn¡¯t help smiling in her heart. ¡°I want Mr. Hoggard to be my father!¡± Lillian didn¡¯t quite understand what the adult was talking about, but she vaguely knew that Debra and Stacey were discussing how to let Hayden be their father. ¡°I want Mr. Hoggard to be my father, too! He¡¯s a good man!¡± Kevin said loudly. CHAPTER 184 ¡°If you have no objection, I¡¯ll talk to Hay about it next time, Debra said happily. Stacey¡¯s heart clenched, and she hurriedly stopped her. ¡°Mom! Don¡¯t¡­¡± She felt nervous as she spoke but didn¡¯t know why. Regardless, she was a little afraid to tell Hayden about this. ¡°Why don¡¯t we wait a little longer and talk about itter. Stacey hesitated the more she thought. Debra could tell Stacey was hesitant. So, she smiled and didn¡¯t push too hard, lest Stacey be anxious and make things worse instead. Debra smilingly said, ¡°Okay, there¡¯s no rush.¡± At the airport, Queenie came out with her suitcase and hailed a taxi to Sanders Hotel. Her parents had found out that Hayden was in Daprein these days to attend Eklonna¡¯s new productunch and was staying at Sanders Hotel. Queenie wasn¡¯t familiar with Daprein, but fortunately, it was convenient to hail a taxi. She just needed to stop a taxi and ask the driver to take her directly to the hotel. Hayden didn¡¯t expect to actually meet Queenie in the hotel lobby on his way back from getting Becky and Debra Eklonna¡¯s invitations. He instantly frowned. ¡®What¡¯s Queenie doing here?¡± The smile he had at the thought of seeing Becky soon disappeared as he thought of Queenie¡¯s recent entanglement with him. His expression darkened, and he walked toward the elevator without even looking at her. After getting her keycard, Queenie turned around and saw a familiar figure. Her eyes lit up, and she hurriedly chased after him with her suitcase in tow. Queenie nervously called, ¡°Hog¡­ Mr. Hoggard,¡± Although they were married before, Queenie and Hayden werent very familiar with each other. They seldom spoke, and when they did, they spoke in a distant yet polite tone. So, even now, Queenie didn¡¯t know how to address Hayden. ¡°Mr. Hoggard¡± was what she used to call Hayden. It was distant and polite, just like their marriage. Hayden frowned and was unhappy. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Queenie was rendered speechless. She took a deep breath and snd, ¡°Mr. Hoggard, I¨CI heard you¡¯re here for Eklonna¡¯s new productunch. I¨CI¡¯d like to go too.¡± Eklonna¡¯s products were mainly designed for the royal families of Epean countries. Ordinary people could hardly afford them. Plus, Eklonna rarely sold them to ordinary people, except for a handful of those who had a very good rtionship with Eklonna and were recognized by them. ording to Hayden¡¯s understanding, the Leavey family wasn¡¯t eligible to attend Eklonna¡¯s new productunch. However, that had nothing to do with him. It was her own business if Queenie managed to obtain an invitation for Eklonna¡¯s new productunch. He just had to do his own thing- The elevator door opened. Hayden directly stepped in, turned around, and pressed the button for the 24th floor. Queenie also hurriedly followed him in, but she looked at her own keycard and realized her room was on the seventh floor. She nervously asked, ¡°Are you staying on the 24th floor?¡± Hearing this, Hayden paused and asked, ¡°Are you concerned about my situation?¡± Queenie was rendered speechless. Hayden looked at Queenie, thought for a while, and finally said, I¡¯ll have a new girlfriend soon, and Jeremy likes her very much. She¡¯s also here for theunch. I just went to get some invitations for them. If possible¡­ Hayden looked at Queenie seriously. ¡°If possible, I hope you can remember that we¡¯re divorced. Don¡¯t do anything in front of my future girlfriend that may easily cause her to misunderstand.¡± Queenie¡¯s expression changed drastically when she heard this. She anxiously asked, ¡°Is it Becky?¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. Hayden¡¯s expression instantly turned cold as he asked, ¡°How much information have you looked up?¡± However, Queenie couldn¡¯t hear him anymore. She anxiously said, ¡°Mr. Hoggard¡­ I- I don¡¯t think she¡¯s suitable for you. Becky was married before and has two children. It¡¯s not suitable for you to be with her. If the family is blended, she¡¯ll definitely treat her own children better. She¡¯ll never treat Jeremy well.¡± ¡°Queenie, you wanted to abort Jeremy for your own selfish reasons when you were seven months pregnant. What qualifications do you have to say that others will treat him badly? Clear anger clouded Hayden¡¯s face when she mentioned treating Jeremy well. Queenie¡¯s face paled in an instant. After a long moment, she said seriously. ¡°It was my fault before, but now I know I was wrong.. Mr. Hoggard, believe me. I¡¯ll definitely treat Jeremy well in the future and never let him get hurt again.¡± ¡°No thanks,¡± Hayden said unhappily. The elevator was approaching the seventh floor, and Hayden reminded, ¡°Ms. Leavey, if your floor has arrived, please get out. I¡¯m going to find my girlfriend. Please don¡¯t follow me and humiliate yourself.¡± Hayden helped her press the button to the seventh floor. The elevator door opened, and he waited for Queenie to go out. Queenie held her suitcase close and refused to leave. Hayden was speechless. Hayden looked grim as he watched the elevator door close and continue to rise slowly to the 24th floor. He ignored Queenie, went directly to Stacey¡¯s room, and knocked on the door. The door quickly opened, and it was Becky. The ice on Hayden¡¯s face melted instantly. He looked at Becky with a gentle smile on his face. Stacey subconsciously smiled too when she saw Hayden. But soon, she saw the woman following behind him. She was stunned and found it weird. In the room, Lillian and Kevin noticed the movement at the door and were instantly happy. They ran over like small cannonballs and pounced on Hayden once they saw him Kevin eximed, ¡°Daddy!¡± Lillian called, ¡°Daddy!¡± Lillian and Kevin called out one after the other. The two kids were already skilled and hugged each of Hayden¡¯s thighs Behind Hayden, Queenie¡¯s expression instantly darkened. ¡®Becky¡¯s children are already calling Hayden ¡®Daddy?¡± she thought. Hayden took out the invitation and handed it to Becky. ¡°Becky, this is Eklonna¡¯s invitation. We¡¯ll go together tomorrow.¡± Stacey¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw the invitation. She happily said Thank you so much.¡± ¡°May Ie in?¡± Hayden asked Stacey Stacey came to her senses and quickly invited Hayden in. Chapter 184 Hayden led Lillian and Kevig into the room. Stacey subconsciously wanted to invite the woman next to Haj his hand to close the door, locking the woman outside. Stacey was speechless. She btedly realized, ¡°That woman¡­ I Aug Hayden led Lillian and Kevip into the room. Stacey subconsciously wanted to invite the woman next to Hayden. However, before she could say anything. Hayden raised his hand to close the door, locking the woman outside. Stacey w was speechless. She btedly realized, ¡°That woman¡­ Is he Hayden¡¯s ex¨Cwife? Is she Jeremy¡¯s birth mother? CHAPTER 185 ¡°Just ignore her,¡± Hayden said, turning to Stacey. Stacey was taken aback but nodded in agreement. Queenie stood at the door, gripping her bag tightly, tears streaming down her face. She had never felt so humiliated in her life. ¡®How could Hayden treat me like this? she thought. Finally, unable to hold back any longer, she fled the scene. She headed back to the seventh floor, found her room, and opened the door with her key card. As soon as she stepped inside, she broke down, sobbing uncontrobly. The pain felt overwhelming, and soon, she was crying so hard that she began to hup. Then, her phone buzzed in her bag With a tear¨Cstreaked face, Queenie took it out. The caller ID showed ¡°Mom.¡± Seeing her mother¡¯s name made her feel even more upset, and she cried even harder, but she answered anyway. ¡°Queenie?¡± Her mother. Florine, spoke gently from the other end. ¡°Mom¡­¡± Queenie could barely contain her tears as she listened to her mother¡¯s voice. ¡°Queenie, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying? Florine asked, her voice filled with concern. Queenie wanted to exin but couldn¡¯t form the words; all she could do was cry.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. ¡°Please, don¡¯t cry. Tell Mom what happened. Did you find Hayden?¡± Florine urged. Hearing Hayden¡¯s name somehow made Queenie feel even more hurt, and her sobs intensified. Florine felt helpless, wanting tofort her daughter. After several long moments, Queenie finally calmed down a bit. Her mother, patient as always, asked what had happened. After Queenie recounted her day, Florine¡¯s expression darkened She couldn¡¯t believe her daughter would be reced after only several years The thought of losing a good son¨Cinw like Hayden made Florine anxious. ¡°Queenie, remember, Hayden hasn¡¯t married Becky yet. There¡¯s still a chance for you,¡± Florine encouraged. ¡°Don¡¯t give up.¡± Queenie understood what her mother meant. Deep down, she didn¡¯t want to give up, but the thought of Hayden loving someone else, just like her ex¨Cboyfriend Elden Lindsey, was too much. ¡®Why does my life have to be so hard? Every man I met seemed to treat me poorly, she thought. ¡°Queenie? Did you hear me?¡± Florine asked, noticing her daughter had gone quiet. Queenie nodded, her eyes still glistening with tears. ¡°Yeah.¡± Florine took a deep breath and continued, ¡°You have a child with Hayden. Use that to help get back into the Hoggard family¡¯s good graces. They all adore the child. As his mother, you have every right to be involved in his life. If the Hoggard family really cares about the child, they might forgive you.¡± Queenie bit her lip, still silent. ¡°Listen, now¡¯s the time to change. Show them you¡¯remitted to being a good partner and mom. You¡¯ve made mistakes, but we all have. If they truly care about what¡¯s best for the child, they¡¯lle around,¡± Florine said, trying to encourage her daughter. As she spoke, she found that her daughter was absent¨Cminded again. She asked, ¡°Queenie?¡± Hearing her mother¡¯s words snapped Queenie back to reality. She nodded slowly, ¡°Okay, Mom. I get it,¡± Meanwhile, on the twenty¨Cfourth floor, Hayden walked in to find Lillian and Kevin clinging to him, chanting ¡°Daddy!¡± They absolutely adored him Hayden didn¡¯t look in a rush to leave. Instead, he seemed perfectly at home, ying with the kids as if they were his own. Stacey had no choice but to stay and keep himpany. Then, Hayden¡¯s phone rang. It was Jeremy. Stacey was surprised. Hayden shed a smile at her before picking up the call. As the video chat connected, Jeremy¡¯s face appeared on the screen. Hayden turned the camera so Stacey could join in. At their home in Hivalis, Jeremy was having a daily check¨Cin with his dad to update him on his activities. He kept a serious expression until he spotted Becky on the screen. His eyes widened in shock. Realizing Hayden wanted her on camera, Stacey smiled and waved. ¡°Hi, Jeremy!¡± Jeremy quickly grabbed his pad and wrote. [Hello, Becky.] Hayden passed the phone to Stacey. She was hesitant but took it, and for the next half hour, Stacey chatted away with Jeremy. Their connection felt just like a mother¨Cson bond, even though they weren¡¯t rted by blood. On Jeremy¡¯s side, his grandparents soon discovered that Becky was on the call with their grandson. Delighted, they crowded around to see the interaction. Stacey found herself chatting with Hayden¡¯s grandparents for a while longer. Then, Jeremy, wanting to remind everyone he was there too, lifted the tablet to get their attention. Seeing how happy Jeremy was to talk to Becky, Jason and Sharon quickly stepped out of view, allowing their grandson to continue his chat. Jeremy took back the phone, beaming with excitement as he chatted with Becky over the video call. They had a great connection, and he clearly enjoyed their time together. After a long conversation, Hayden finally walked over and reimed the phone. ¡°Jeremy, go y with Grandma and Grandpa for a while. Don¡¯t keep Becky too long,¡± he said as Jeremy reluctantly hung up. As the call ended, Hayden noticed the sun setting, signaling it was gettingte. He turned to Stacey and Debra, smiling brightly. ¡°Hey, Becky, Debra, it¡¯s almost dinner time. Are you hungry? How about we step out and have dinner together?¡± CHAPTER 186 Debra¡¯s eyes lit up at the idea. She eagerly asked. ¡°So, what are same special dishes here in Daprein?¡± Hayden smiled and replied, ¡°There are a few great restaurants. We should check them out.¡± ¡°I really want to try the food here! I don¡¯te to Daprein often so I haven¡¯t eaten much,¡± Debra said happily. ¡°What kind of food?¡± Lillian chimed in, clearly curious. ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± Kevin said, not knowing much but eager to join in Looking at Lillian and Kevin, Stacey felt helpless. They didn¡¯t know anything about the food, but they were good at joining the chat. Let¡¯s go together!¡± she suggested with a bright smile. Stacey went inside, grabbed some toddler leashes, and helped Lilian and Kevin strap them on to keep the kids from wandering off. After packing her bag, she led them outside. Lillian and Kevin were thrilled. They rushed ahead, their little legs moving as fast as they could. Without the toddler leashes, they surely would have sprinted away. They took the elevator down, left the hotel, and hopped in the car for a food adventure. The ingredients here were different from what they were used to back home in Zentiscape, and the restaurant decor was a whole new experience. Lillian and Kevin explored the ce, checking everything out with wide¨Ceyed curiosity. Stacey handed the toddler leashes to the maids, Gwen and Marie, so they could keep a watchful eye on the kids while Stacey could take a little breather. ¡°How long are you all staying in Daprein?¡± Hayden asked with a smile. There¡¯s a famous amusement park in Nostralis. If you¡¯re interested, you could take Lillian and Kevin there.¡± Debra nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes! I looked it up before we came. Everyone says you have to take the kids to that amusement park in Nostralis. They won¡¯t regret it!¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± Hayden agreed, grinning. ¡°Have you brought Jeremy here before?¡± Stacey asked, curious about their past experiences. Hayden nodded. ¡°Yes, I have. I actually have a lot of photos from our trip. Want to see?¡± He smiled, excited to share. Debra¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. ¡°Yes! Show me! Jeremy must have been adorable.¡± Hayden pulled out his phone, opened the album, and found all the photos from his trip to the amusement park with Jeremy. Lillian and Kevin, noticing the excitement, scampered back and climbed onto the sofa, their tiny hands iling in excitement. Marie and Gwen quickly hoisted the kids up so they could see better on the sofa. ¡°Grandma, I want to see too!¡± Lillian whined, trying to peek around Debra, who was blocking her view. Kevin, feeling the same urgency, tugged at Stacey to get closer. Both Debra and Stacey turned at the same time, each scooping up a little one, organizing them so all four could enjoy the photos of Jeremy at the amusement parkExclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Look, it¡¯s Jeremy!¡± Kevin shouted with glee when he saw Jeremy in one of the photos. Stacey squeezed Kevin¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Wow, this ce looks amazing!¡± Lillian marveled, her eyes wide ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Kevin asked, pointing at a photo featuring Jeremy by the Ferris wheel. ¡°I know! That¡¯s the Ferris wheel!¡± Lillian responded excitedly. Tve seen it on TV before. It looks beautiful!¡± As they waited for their food, the kids were glued to Jeremy¡¯s photos, gasping and giggling at every new sight. ¡°Do you both like the amusement park?¡± Hayden asked the kids with a warm smile. ¡°Yes!¡± Kevin shouted, bouncing in his seat. ¡°Me too!¡°¨CLillian added, her face lighting up. Debra smiled at the kids enthusiasm. ¡°If you like it, we can go there tomorrow! Or maybe the day after tomorrow!¡± ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t wait!¡± Lillian eximed. ¡°Me neither!¡± Kevin shouted eagerly. Just then, the waiter brought out the food along with child seats for the kids. Stacey carefully ced them into the seats. The moment they settled, Lillian and Kevin grabbed their spoons and dove into the feast. They attempted to serve their food to Hayden as if they were little waiters. Hayden was taken aback, surprised by their eagerness to share. He quickly grabbed his bowl and pushed it towards the two Stacey hesitated, ready to stop the children from making a mess. But seeing them serve Hayden, she held back and smiled instead. ¡°Thank you, Lillian. Thank you, Kevin,¡± Hayden said, grateful for their gesture. Lillian said, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Kevin shouted too, ¡°Well, you¡¯re wee!¡± Hayden smiled and said, ¡°They¡¯re well¨Cmannered and polite.¡± Stacey chuckled at the kids¡® antics and added, ¡°They learned how to share food from Jeremy. He¡¯s well¨Ceducated, smart, and polite too.¡± Hayden was pleasantly surprised. He hadn¡¯t realized that Lillian and Kevin would learn from Jeremy. ¡°It sounds like they have a great bond,¡± he noted. The thought made Hayden smile¨Cif the three kids got along well, they¡¯d be happier together. Debra agreed, saying, ¡°Definitely, When Lillian and Kevin y together, they often bicker. But with Jeremy around, it¡¯s different. They really like him and tend to listen to what he says! In yful tones, Lillian and Kevin cheered. ¡°Jeremy is awesome! Seeing their excitement for Jeremy made Hayden feel good. This trip was starting to feel less like a business trip and more like a mini vacation. Hayden suggested with a smile, ¡°We should let the three of them y together more often. Jeremy is older, so he can help teach them how to write.¡± Debra¡¯s eyes lit up at the idea. ¡°That¡¯s a great thought! How did you teach Jeremy to read? It¡¯s amazing that he can write so well at just three years old.¡± CHAPTER 187 Chapter 187 After an enjoyable dinner, everyone had some spare time to explore. Nostralis sparkled beautifully under the night sky. Hayden suggested a stroll to soak in the evening scenery, and Lillian and Kevin eagerly jumped on board with enthusiasm. Debra was also excited about the idea. With everyone eager to go, Stacey decided to join in. So, they stepped out into the enchanting streets of Nostralis. Daprein was a vibrant country, and its capital, Nostralis, was one of thergest cities in the world. At night, themercial district came alive, showcasing its beauty. Lillian and Kevin were overjoyed, running ahead and peering curiously at every new sight. Luckily, Gwen and Marie were with them, keeping an eye on the kids. Without their help, Stacey and Debra would have been worn out trying to catch up. The kids¡® happiness was contagious, especially when they found something interesting. They rushed back to share their discoveries. ¡°Mom, Dad, there¡¯s a bird over there!¡± Lillian squealed as she spotted a bird in a cage outside a shop. She dashed over, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she looked up at Stacey and Hayden. Meanwhile, Kevin had sprinted to the cage, gazing at the bird with wide, curious eyes. The parrot jumped from one perch to another, tilting its head at the treats. Suddenly, it chirped something in Dapreinish. Hayden chuckled and tranted for the kids. ¡°It¡¯s saying hello.¡± Curious, Lillian eximed, looking at the bird, ¡°It can talk!¡± Kevin turned to his ¡°dad¡°, his face filled with admiration. ¡®Dad, you can understand bird talk!¡± With a smile, Hayden picked up Kevin so he could get a better look at the parrot. Seeing her younger brother being lifted by their ¡°dad¡± made Lillen a bit jealous. She reached out, wanting some attention
  1. 100.
Stacey quickly bent down and picked Lillian up, allowing her to join in on the fun of watching the bird. They were in a craft shop, artistically decorated, and the kind shopkeeper stepped out to greet them with a warm smile, attracted by the adorable children. She started sharing information with Dapreinjshnguage, but Stacey didn¡¯t quite catch On Hayden hugged Kevin while chatting with the olddy, a cozy atmosphere surrounding them as they discussed. Just before they left, the olddy handed them two small gifts¨Cone for Lillian and one for Kevin. Hayden and Stacey both rushed to pay for the gifts, but the olddy smiled and declined, exining that she simply adored Lillian and Kevin and felt it was meant to be. After bidding farewell to the olddy, they continued their shopping adventure. However, after being held for a while, Lillian and Kevin soon grew restless. They kicked their little legs, eager to get down. ¡°Daddy¡± and mommy walked too slowly, and adults didn¡¯t go where they wanted to go. The two babies couldn¡¯t wait any longer, so they were anxious to explore the world with their own feet. Stacey had no choice but to put the baby down and give the toddler leash to the maid. Hayden also put down Kevin and let the maid run after him with a leash. The two kids zoomed around the street attracting the attention of passersby. Many stopped to watch the adorable dua, 09:03¡± FM, Aug 2 -N ? MIT JUS Lillian, the social butterfly, would stop and beam up at anyone who caught her eye, especially beautiful girls. Kevin, a bit shyer, preferred the toy store just ahead and was ready to sprint ward it. Stacey gently pulled Lillian away from the beautiful girl¡¯s reach, and everyone followed Kevin into the toy store. Upon stepping inside, Lillian was mesmerized by the array of beautiful dolls lining the shelves. Debra, fully embracing the moment, happily bought everything Lillian admired. A considerable haul of dolls were bought, much to the delight of the toy store owners. Seeing Lillian¡¯s new treasures, Kevin, with childlike excitement, asked for his own. Debra, ever generous, decided to duplicate everything she had bought for Lillian for Kevin as well They roamed the night market for a while longer, immersing themselves in the festive atmosphere before returning to the hotelte at night. Everyone still wore bright smiles, but those quickly faded as they stepped into the hotel lobby and were greeted by Queenie, who¡¯d been anxiously waiting. Seeing theme back, Queenie rushed over to Hayden with a hint of worry on her face. Hayden, still holding Kevin, tried to sidestep her, but Queenie reached out to grab his arm. He hugged Kevin close and dodged her grasp. Stacey and Debra remained silent, following Hayden toward the elevator. While they waited for the doors to open, Queenie nced nervously at Stacey several times. Her gaze eventuallynded on Hayden and the child he held. This wasn¡¯t Jeremy, and a nagging worry crept into her mind. ¡°Why is Hayden showing such warmth toward another woman¡¯s child? is he really moving on with Becky?¡® she thought. ¡°Hayden¡­ can w e talk in private?¡± Queenie asked when the elevator door opened, her voice a blend of urgency and desperation. Hayden frowned, clearly annoyed. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything left to discuss,¡± he replied coldly. Queenie felt a rush of anxiety. Not wanting to delve into sensitive topics in front of Stacey and Debra, she hesitated but finally blurted out, ¡°It¡¯s about Jeremy. I¡¯m his biological mother, and I want what¡¯s best for him. Can we talk alone?¡± Hayden remained silent, waiting until they dropped Stacey and the others off at their rooms on the twenty¨Cfourth floor. Then, he turned to Queenie, his expression stern. ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the lobby.¡± He wasn¡¯t interested in a private conversation. The bustling environment of the lobby provided ayer of protection against any misunderstandings, especially with Becky. He couldn¡¯t afford for her to think he still had anything going on with Queenie.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. CHAPTER 188 Chapter 188 As Hayden led Queenie out into the lobby, Stacey and Debra, still lingering by the door, caught the tail end of their conversation, Stacey, feeling like an outsider, had no interest in intruding further, so she gently closed the door behind her. Debra, picking up on the atmosphere, turned to her daughter with a knowing look. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Let¡¯s take a shower and prepare for tomorrow¡¯s new productunch event.¡± The mention of Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event sparked inmediate excitement in Stacey. ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s do that!¡± she eximed, her earlier worries casing away. Gwen and Marie took the kids to bathe, while Stacey headed to her own room to wash up. They had booked several rooms, each equipped with convenient bathrooms, making it easy for everyone to get ready. Once Gwen and Marie finished bathing Lillian and Kevin, the two kids emerged in adorable, fluffy nightgowns, running happily toward their mother¡¯s room. Despite having hired maternity matrons, Stacey believed it was important to be actively involved in her children¡¯s lives. She felt it was crucial for Lillian and Kevin to experience their mother¡¯s warmth as they grew, which was why she often chose to sleep with them at night. After her shower, Debra joined Stacey and the kids. Seeing her daughter surrounded by the two little ones made her heart swell. After saying goodnight, Debra left with a smile, having embraced the innocent joy radiating from her grandchildren. Stacey and the kids also said goodnight to Debra. At this moment, they looked cute with almost the same expression. Once alone, Lillian and Kevin turned to their mother with eager eyes, practically bouncing with excitement. ¡°Mom, tell us ¨¤ story!¡± Lillian chimed. ¡°I want to hear stories too!¡± Kevin added, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. Lillian and Kevin adored their mom¡¯s bedtime stories more than anything else. With a smile, Stacey invited them under the quilt, settled down alongside them, and retrieved the well¨Cloved storybook. As she read, Stacey felt the calming effect of her voice wash over the children. They cozied up, their eyelids growing heavy), until they were both sound asleep, lulled by the magic of the tales. Stacey continued softly, her voice gradually fading with their breaths. Eventually, she closed the book and ced it on the bedside table, scooting down to rest herself. Just as she began to drift off, Kevin bolted upright, his sleepy eyes wide open. Stacey was startled and sat up. ¡°Kevin?¡± she said, bewildered. Kevin¡¯s little lips curled in a frown. He nced at the storybook. ¡°Mom, your story hasn¡¯t been finished yet.¡± Stacey internally sighed, caught between exhaustion and responsibility. She gently coaxed Kevin back down, reaching for the storybook once more and promising to finish the tale. As she read, her own eyelids fought against sleep, dropping heavier with each word. But Kevin¡¯s eager gaze kept her going. and after what felt like an eternity, she finally finished the short story. With a relieved exhale, she tucked the book away. ¡°All done!¡± she announced, looking at Kevin expectantly. ¡°Okay,¡± he responded, snuggling deeper into the nkets. hapter 188 Stacey meticulously arranged the quilt around him, turning off the bedsidemp to invite the soothing darkness. Just as shey down again, Kevin¡¯s voice broke through the silence once more. ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t sleep¡± Stacey¡¯s patience was waning, ¡°I want to hear another story, Kevin insisted, his eyes sparkling. Stacey wanted to protest; she was too tired for more storytelling But looking into his earnest gaze, she relented. With at heavy heart, she pushed herself up again, retrieved the beloved storybook, and started another tale. After three stories in quick session, Stacey felt a surge of aplishment. Kevin finally seerned to embrace the idea of sleep, and she switched off the light, only to fall asleep within seconds. But peace was short¨Clived, for Lillian was up soon after, crying out, ¡°Mom, I wanna peel¡± After Stacey was woken up, she quickly came back to her senses and hurriedly took Lillian to the bathroom. The next morning. Stacey woke with dark circles under her eyes. Gwen and Marie arrived shortly thereafter, eager to help with the kids. Having extra hands around felt like a blessing. Once Lillian and Kevin hadpleted their morning routines, Stacey ventured to freshen up herself. The soft sounds of excited chatter from the living room told her the twins had already run off to see their grandma. In the next room, the twins knocked eagerly on Debra¡¯s door. Startled, she blinked awake and opened the door like a reluctant dawn. Grandma, it¡¯s time to get up!¡± Lillian announced, her eyes wide and determined. Looking at her grandmother in pajamas and sleepy face, Lillian knew that she hadn¡¯t gotten up yet.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Kevin observed his grandmother, still in her pajamas, and earnestly dered, ¡°It¡¯s good to go to bed early and get up early!¡± Debra chuckled, finding humor in his statement. She reached down to pinch Kevin¡¯s cheek. ¡°You¡¯re quite the little teacher, aren¡¯t you?¡± Not wanting to drag the morning out further, Debra slipped away to get dressed while Lillian and Kevin embarked on another day of discovery, exploring their grandma¡¯s room like little adventurers.j Their excitement led them back to Stacey¡¯s room, where they searched for Stacey but found only silence. Then, hearing noiseing from the bathroom, they rushed to the door, knocking and demanding. ¡°Mom, what are you doing?¡± Stacey, caught mid¨Ctask, could only chuckle at their curiosity. Kevin, brows furrowed in concentration, pushed against the door, eager for answers. ¡°Lillian, Kevin, don¡¯t push the door. Mom is doing something and will be out soon, she called, trying to maintain some semnce of order. ¡°What is Mom doing?¡± came Kevin¡¯s innocent inquiry. Stacey felt at a loss for words, not wanting to answer. ¡®Mom!¡± Lillian waited for a while, but before her mother could answer, she immediately shouted louder. Stacey was so startled that she woke up a lot. Before Stacey could reply. Lillian added with excitement, ¡°Grandma is up!¡± 19-03¡± FII, Aug 2 W N +96%%% Stacey paused, momentarily, bewildered before responding, ¡°Yes yes she is.¡± ¡°Grandma is still in her pajamas,¡± Kevinined. ¡°But she has gone to the fitting room to change her clothes,¡± Kevin added, looking cute, CHAPTER 189 Chapter 189 Hearing the two kids talking to her at the door, Stacey quickly finished up. Then she washed her hands and stepped outside. As soon as the bathroom door opened, Lillian and Kevin rushed over and hugged her legs like two small cannonballs. Stacey had no choice but to bend down and lift the two kids up ¡°Let¡¯s go. The bathroom stinks.¡± Stacey reminded them. Lillian and Kevin stayed close to their mother like two little followers. The hotel offered customized meal sets, but before cing an order, Stacey felt a bit unsure. ¡®Hayden is here. Should I invite him for breakfast? Is he awake? Since we are all there, it wouldn¡¯t be polite not to invite him after he has treated our whole family to dinner yesterday, right?¡± she pondered. ¡°Becky, call Hay and ask him if he wants to join us for breakfast. Since we are here, why don¡¯t we eat together? This meal is us today,¡± Debra said with a smile. Stacey didn¡¯t expect her mom to have already arranged it. She smiled and agreed, ¡°Okay¡± But before making the call, Stacey checked the time again. She worried a little that calling too early might disturb Hayden¡¯s sleep. ¡®It¡¯s after seven o¡¯clock, so it shouldn¡¯t be too early, she thought. After hesitating for a moment, she finally made the call. On the other side, Hayden was still sleeping in his hotel room. He heard his phone ring and, in a daze, picked it up. When he saw that the caller ID was Becky, his mind became a bit more clear. Hayden answered quickly, ¡°Becky?¡± Stacey noticed that there was still a hoarse quality in his voice. She paused for a moment and couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡®Did I wake him up? ¡°Did I wake you?¡± Stacey asked. Hayden quickly gathered himself and replied, ¡°No.¡± Stacey sighed in relief and continued, ¡°Do you have any ns for breakfast today? My mother wants to invite you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any ns. I¡¯ll be ready soon. Just give me a few minutes, and we can go together, Hayden said happily. Stacey could sense the cheerfulness in his voice and felt reassured that her call hadn¡¯t bothered him. She nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± After that, they hung up.. Lillian looked up at her mother with bright eyes and asked hopefully, ¡°Mom, was that Dad?¡± Stacey nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I miss Dad, too. Where is Dad?¡± Kevin asked in a childish voice. ¡°He¡¯s in the other room,¡± Debra said with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll see him soon.¡± ¡°Why should I wait?¡± Lillian asked, confused.. Kevin, not understanding, added, ¡°Why?¡± Stacey felt helpless and knew she had to patiently entertain the two children, who wanted to find their father but needed to be distracted.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ×Ô¶à496%ˆD Fortunately, Hayden didn¡¯t keep them waiting long. There was a knock at the door, and before Stacey and Debra could react, Lillian and Kevin dashed over. Gwen opened the door, and the moment the kids saw Hayden, they hugged his legs tightly. ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re so slow! We¡¯ve been waiting forever,¡± Lillian eximed, looking up at Hayden. ¡°Yeah, Lillian and I wanted to find Daddy, but Mommy wouldn¡¯t let us, Kevinined seriously. ¡°Mom said we¡¯d disturb Dad. Hearing what the twins said, Hayden smiled at Stacey. He bent down and gave each twin a kiss, saying, ¡°Good morning, Lillian! Good morning, Kevin!¡± Lillian quickly reacted, standing on tiptoe to hug Hayden¡¯s big head with her small hands. She kissed his cheek and said carnestly, ¡°Good morning, Dad.¡± Seeing that Hayden was finished greeting Lillian, Kevin also reached out to hug his father¡¯s head. Hayden leaned down to make it easier for him. Kevin gave his dad a kiss on the cheek, saying, ¡°Good morning, Dad.¡± Stacey and Debra stood in the room, enjoying the scene at the door andughing out loud. ¡°Everyone¡¯s ready! Let¡¯s go found a restaurantst night, and everyone said its breakfast is delicious. Let¡¯s try it.¡± Debra said happily, now. I Gwen and Marie came out with toddler leashes for Lillian and Kevin, who were both excited and full of energy. Without needing any encouragement from the adults, they raced outside Stacey and Debra grabbed their bags, locked the door, and left. Once in the elevator, Lillian couldn¡¯t hold back her curiosity. She began to ask, ¡°Grandma, what are we going to eat?¡± Debra looked down at Lillian and replied mysteriously. ¡°It¡¯s a very delicious food!¡± ¡°How delicious is it?¡± Kevin asked seriously. ¡°Super delicious!¡± Debra exaggerated. Lillian¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°I want to cat!¡± ¡°I want to eat it too!¡± Kevin chimed in. Debra gently touched their cheeks and smiled, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll buy it for youter!¡± It was rare toe to Daprein, so they should eat, drink, y, and enjoy themselves. After indulging in delicious food and fun, it would be a rewarding trip. ¡°Daddy also wants to eat!¡± Lillian shouted. Hearing this, everyone turned to look at her. Lillian paused for a moment and then added, ¡°And Mommy! Grandma! Everyone wants it!¡± the little one dered earnestly. Kevin echoed, ¡°Yeah! Mom, Dad, Grandma, and Kevin all want it ¡°Me too!¡± Lillian quickly added when she realized her brother hadn¡¯t mentioned her specifically. In the small elevator, everyoneughed, enjoying the children¡¯s cuteness. Hayden hadn¡¯t expected to hold such an important ce in the hearts of these two kids¨Cit felt nice. When the elevator reached the first floor, they all got out. There were still a lot of people around. Debra had arranged several cars, all waiting at the door. As soon as they stepped outside, they could hop right in. One car couldn¡¯t hold them all, so Debra called Gwen and Maric to take another car, leaving Stacey and Hayden to share one with their two kids. Hayden recognized that Debra was intentionally making space for him and Stacey to grow closer, which made him smile even more. 0 CHAPTER 190 When Queenie woke up in the morning, it was already seven¨Cthfety. Remembering her intent for this trip to Daprein, she quickly got dressed, washed up, and left her room with her bag. Without an invitation from Eklonna, her only chance to attend the new productunch event was to apany Hayden inside. She needed to find him fast. Last night, she had talked with Hayden, but their conversation had not gone well, and he had warned her to stop pursuing him. Yet, Queenie was determined; she refused to give up. Despite the absence of love, a man like Hayden was the top catch in the country. She aimed to remarry him and make Elden regret his decision. Queenie was set on proving that she could lead a better life without him.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Having secretly followed Haydenst night, she knew his room number and headed straight for the presidential suite on the thirty¨Cthird floor. Meanwhile, Stacey and the others had already arrived at their destination. As the car doors opened, Stacey and Hayden stepped out, each carrying a baby in their arms. Debra followed, helping Gwen and Marie attend to Lillian and Kevin, who were bubbling over with excitement. Stacey handed the toddler leash to Gwen, while Hayden passed a toddler leash to Marie. have With lively children in tow, they didn¡¯t have to run after them; the maids were there for that, allowing the adults to keep an eye on the kids from a distance. Debra grinned at the breakfast shop ahead. ¡°Let¡¯s go in and have a look!¡± she said excitedly. Stacey and Hayden nodded. while Lillian and Kevin darted ahead to the entrance. The restaurant was famous in Daprein, bustling with patrons even at 7:30 a.m. Debra had booked a private room on the second floor to escape the crowds. As they entered, Stacey noticed how packed the lobby was. ¡°I¡¯ve booked a private room on the second floor. It¡¯ll be much quieter,¡± Debra exined. Hayden smiled in approval, and they quickly made their way inside. With Lillian in her arms, Stacey felt the need to rush, while Marie bent down to scoop up Kevin. But before she could. Hayden had already lifted Kevin onto his shoulders, leaving Marie to step aside. ¡°Mom, there are so many people here!¡± Lillian eximed, looking around in awe. ¡°Well, the breakfast here must be delicious!¡± Stacey replied, trying to match her daughter¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°Okay!¡± Lillian nodded eagerly. Beside them, Kevin clung to Hayden¡¯s neck, fascinated by the fancy food disyed in the lobby. His eyesnded on a bird- shaped cake. ¡°I want that!¡± he pointed out. Hayden nced at the cake, then at Kevin, and replied, ¡°Okay, when we get to the private room, Daddy will order it for you. alright?¡± Kevin¡¯s face lit up with excitement. ¡°Okay!¡± he cheered. Stacey felt a moment of hesitation. ¡®How am going to exin to Hayden that the kids call him Daddy?¡® she pondered. She had thought about having him be their godfather, as her mother suggested, but now he had epted the title Daddy. 09:03 Fri, Aug 2 + 96:11 Stacey inevitably thought of what yden had said before about whether he could be the father of Lillian and Kevin. Her heartbeat somehow elerated. Not daring to think too much, Stacey hurriedly looked away and didn¡¯t look at Hayden. Hayden, however, noticed her reaction. Seeing her flushed cheeks made him feel good inside. After settling in on the second floor, Debra wasted no time. She asked for the menu and began ordering as soon as possible. There were many people in the private room. The waiter brought several menus, and each of them had one in their hand. Stacey nced at the menu and fell silent. Debra, experienced as she was, pulled out her phone and spoke into it, allowing the system to trante her words into Dapreinish. The waiter appeared shocked and shook his head in response. Debra had asked if there were any Zentiscapian waiters, but sadly, there were none. ¡°I¡¯ll trante, Hayden offered, gathering everyone¡¯s attention. So everyone gathered around and listened to Hayden¡¯s trantion. As he went through the menu, Debra looked at Hayden and Becky who were studying the menu carefully and quietly left. she ¡®It wasn¡¯t easy for me to find such a restaurant without an electronic menu, she thought. Debra opened some pictures found on the Inte, which were all photos of delicious food in this restaurant. She quietly motioned to the waiter and asked him to serve the dishes in the pictures. Although she didn¡¯t know thenguage, the pictures represented everything. The waiter quickly understood and immediately wrote down all the dishes Debra ordered. Even though ordering took longer than expected, everyone remained patient and cheerful, ultimately enjoying a delightful meal. Post¨Cbreakfast, everyone had to freshen up and get dressed for Ekl¨®nna¡¯s event. Since Hayden needed to attend to some business friends, he departed first. Debra took the opportunity to take Stacey and the kids to a styling shop, where they all received beautiful makeovers. Not only were the adults looking sharp, but Lillian and Kevin also stole the show with their adorable outfits. Lillian twinkled in her beautiful princess dress, while Kevin looked dashing in his handsome suit. However, Kevin couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of envy whenever he saw Lillian wearing her enchanting princess dress. His eyes were glued to that dress, filled with admiration. Stacey, noticing this longing in her son¡¯s gaze, couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him. But logic quickly took over. She reminded herself that she couldn¡¯t allow Kevin to wear a princess dress. What if he bes ustomed to it? What if he grows up thinking it¡¯s okay to wear girls¡® clothing?¡± she thought. While she had nothing against men who wore women¡¯s clothing, she hoped for Lillian and Kevin to have a clear sense of their genders. Boys could wear suits and girls. could wear pretty dresses. Kevin, meanwhile, was lost in his thoughts, feeling a little sad about the situation. Sensing his disappointment, Stacey came up with a n to cheer him up. She headed out and bought two small cakes¨Cone for Lillian and another for Kevin. ¡®A liule sweetness to lift his spirits!¡± she thought. As soon as Kevin spotted the delicious cakes, the sadness melted away. His face lit up with joy, eclipsing any earlier envy. CHAPTER 191 Chapter 191 In Sanders Hotel, Queenie waited at the door of Hayden¡¯s room for a long time until 8:30. It was veryte, and no one from the room came out. She was starting to feel hungry and wanted something to eat. Queenie didn¡¯t look well at that moment. ¡°How could Hayden still be asleep? Could it be¡­ that he has already gotten up and left the room? she wondered. Thinking about this possibility made Queenie very anxious. Besides meeting Hayden, she also had the task of attending Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event with him while she was in Daprein. A few years ago, her parents had broken up with her due to her stubbornness. Everyone felt that her parents had no heirs and she wasn¡¯t suitable to inherit the Leavey family business. Her uncle¡¯s family even seized the opportunity to stir up her grandfather¡¯s prejudice against her family, hoping to get him to give all the shares of thepany to her uncle and not leave anything for her family since they had no sessor. Her grandfather ced great importance on continuing the family live, and when her uncle encouraged her grandfather, thetter wavered. In the past two years, her grandfather had quietly asked her father to give some management rights of thepanies to her uncle. Her uncle openly used these management rights to create opportunities for his daughter, letting her gain experience. with thepany¡¯s operations. Now everyone in thepany knew that her uncle was grooming her cousin Edith Leavey as the future heir of the Leavey family. Now that Queenie had returned to the Leavey family, her first task was to prove herself as a legitimate heir. But she didn¡¯t Moreover, her uncle¡¯s family was always inside her grandfather¡¯s ear, speaking ill of her. They imed that if he handed all the family¡¯s wealth over to her, it would be ruined. Among the options avable to her, remarrying Hayden was the best one. If she could remarry him, the Hoggard family would be her support and also the backbone of the Leavey family. At that point, her grandfather would surely restore his trust in her and allow her to join thepany. But remarrying Hayden was a real challenge. Even though she and her mother had resolved to make it happen, they knew they had to try various ways to gain Hayden¡¯s consent. They understood that given the Hoggard family¡¯s position, it would be unrealistic for them to quickly win Hayden¡¯s agreement to remarry. Patience and time would be necessary to achieve this. The most important thing she needed to do right now was to strengthen her connection with Hayden, like attending the Eklonna productunch event. If she could be seen at the new productunch event with Hayden, everyone would know that a reconciliation was possible. Her grandfather wouldn¡¯t be as vignt or indifferent toward her then. Queenie initially thought she could easily attend the new productunch event with Hayden as long as she followed him. After all, as a man, Hayden wouldn¡¯t want to go physical with a woman. But now¡­ ¡®Has he really left? If Hayden has truly gone out early in the morning, where could he possibly be?¡® she wondered. Anxiety bubbled within her as she stared at Hayden¡¯s door for a moment before gritting her teeth and hurrying away. Although the Leavey family wasn¡¯t qualified to receive an invitation to Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to find out where the event was taking ce. Theunch was scheduled for 10 a.m., and it was only past 8 o¡¯clock now. It was still early, so Hayden likely wasn¡¯t there yet. As long as she waited at the entrance of the venue of the new productunch event, Hayden would surelye soon. When she and Hayden got married, they had invited many guests. Plenty of people in their social circle were aware of their previous rtionship, and someone like Hayden wouldn¡¯t embarrass her in public, as it would damage his reputation. 09:04 Fr Fri, Aug Áã+96%Á¿ This was just how society worked. If a man were openly disrespectful to a woman, he would be judged harshly by others, regardless of the context. The priority now was her makeup. Since she had to attend Eklona¡¯s new productunch event, she needed to look presentable and not embarrass the Hoggard family. With this thought in mind, Queenie rushed out to find a styling shop. ¡°Miss, help me out! I need the best makeup for Eklomma¡¯s new productunch event!¡± Queenie eximed as she barged in. The boss of Anna Style. Anna, was taken aback. ¡®Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event? she thought. In Daprein, Eklonna was known to be the most influential name in essories, something that ordinary people could only aspire to. Manymon brands imitated Eklonna¡¯s designs, but imitation was just that¨Cnothingpared to the real thing. ¡°Hello?¡± Queenie frowned when Anna seemed lost in thought. Anna Style¡¯s boss Anna snapped back to reality and quickly agreed, ¡°Yes! Of course!¡± She was thrilled. ¡°Miss, you¡­ are you attending Eklonna¡¯s new productunch?¡± Eklonna was exclusive to royalty. Anna had never imagined she would meet someone qualified to attend such an event in her lifetime¨Cit was exhrating Queenie paused for a moment and nodded. ¡°Yes¡± Anna was even more excited now. She hurried to prepare the best products in the store to do Queenie¡¯s makeup. ¡°Ms. Leavey, these are the finest items in our shop. I¡¯m lending them to you to create your perfect look. But I do have a small request. Would you mind?¡± Anna said, her excitement tempered with caution. Queenie nced at the clock, realizing time was running out. She urged, ¡°Hurry! The new productunch event will start soon. I won¡¯t waste your time; I¡¯ll definitely pay for everything!¡± With that, Anna began to work on Queenie¡¯s makeup as quickly as she could. While applying the makeup, Anna exined, ¡°Miss, today¡¯s makeup is on the house, but I hope you can wear it at Eklonna¡¯s event and send me some pictures from there, okay?¡± Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event was a high¨Cprofile event, and if someone attended it looking fabulous thanks to her work, Anna would be thrilled to share that aplishment with her friends in the industry. Queenie felt a pang of annoyance. She didn¡¯t like the feeling of being taken advantage of, but time was tight. ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed, though reluctantly. All she could hope for now was that the makeup artist could finish quickly. She needed to get to the event early; otherwise, she¡¯d risk beingte and missing Hayden.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. CHAPTER 192 Chapter 192 Upon hearing Queenie¡¯s agreement, Anna was ecstatic. ¡°Really? Okay, Miss, don¡¯t worry! I will make you the most beautiful makeup right now!¡± she eximed, practically glowing with enthusiasm. For the next hour, Anna poured all her skill into creating a stunning and elegant look for Queenie. She meticulously applied each radiant. Asime slipped away, Anna also carefully selected one of her treasured dresses for Queenie to wear. Time was running out. The new productunch event was set to start half an hourter, and Queenie could feel her anxiety mounting. Almost in a panic, she rushed out of the store, hopped into a waiting taxi, and instructed the driver to head straight for Eklonna¡¯sunch event. Anna, feeling the pressure of time, wanted nothing more than to take a photo of her masterpiece and post it on Twitter to showcase her work. Sadly, it was toote. Queenie was already in the taxi and disappearing from sight. However, Anna reassured herself that it wouldn¡¯t be the end. Surely, after the new productunch event, Queenie would have some time to snap a few photos together. What mattered most was that her best dress and makeup would soon grace Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event! With a rush of excitement flooding her senses, Anna took out her phone and posted on Twitter: [My makeup is about to appear at Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event. I am so excited!] As a lively and cheerful girl, Anna had many friends who were quick to notice her tweet. Thements started flooding in almost immediately, many of them puzzled and amused by her unrestrained enthusiasm. JAnna? Did you get too excited with your boyfriendst night? How could you have such a beautiful dream?] one friend joked. [LOL, Anna is so amazing. How dare you have this kind of dream? I didn¡¯t even dare to think about it in my sleep!] Seeing her friends¡® responses, Anna couldn¡¯t help but boast a little more. She quickly typed back. [It¡¯s not a dream! I¡¯m telling the truth. Just wait and see! I just did the most beautiful makeup for thatdy, using all the best things from my shop! I gave her my best dress!] Thements kept rolling in, filled with surprise and curiosity. [Really? How is this possible?] one friend asked incredulously. [Is the best dress you mentioned the one I think it is? Ahhh, I¡¯m looking forward to it! Do you have any photos?] another inquired. With her confidence soaring, Anna replied: [I don¡¯t have any photos yet, but the conference will start soon. Thatdy just promised me that she would wear my makeup and take some pictures at the venue. As soon as I get them. I¡¯ll share!] [Okay, I¡¯m looking forward to it!] [Ah, I really want to see the photos. Anna, remember to tell me as soon as you get them. I can¡¯t wait!] her friends responded, their excitement palpable as they eagerly anticipated whether the stunning makeup Anna had crafted would really make an appearance at Eklonna¡¯s prestigious event. At the same time, Stacey and Debra had just finished their makeup. With Gwen and Marie safely back at the hotel, they set off for Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event, along with their assistants and the two little ones. This was Stacey¡¯s first time attending sugh a prestigious new productunch event, and thenguage barrier made her a bit nervous. Thankfully. Debra was well¨Cacquainted with these kinds of events and reassured Stacey as they navigated through the busy venue, helping to ease her nerves, When they arrived at the doors of the new productunch even they were pleasantly spoke to them in Zentiscapian. They were stunned and then happy. The helpers provided by Eklonna enthusiastically guided them to their seats, ed when the receptionistAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Since they had been issued temporary invitations, their position were in the back. However, after seeing the royal members attending this new productunch event, they didn¡¯t think it was a problem at all. The official seating for the prominent figures was at the front, leaving Stacey and Debra happily satisfied with their experience. As Lillian and Kevin excitedly explored their surroundings, their curious eyes darting around thevish setting, Lillian¡¯s gazended on a striking boy with blonde hair and blue eyes. She reached out with her small hands, wanting to be held by the boy. Stacey, spotting Wendell, and recognizing him as the prince of Soltanis, quickly pulled Lillian close and whispered, ¡°Lillian, don¡¯t make trouble.¡± Wendell, noticing the lively little girl, was charmed by her innocence. He reached out to Lillian with a friendly smile, and she beamed back at him. At that moment, she happily jumped into Wendell¡¯s arms, leaving Stacey momentarily stunned, unable to intervene. A few secondster, Lillian was in Wendell¡¯s arms. Stacey had a tingling feeling. She was afraid that Lillian would identally annoy the prince. There was a big gap between their identities, and she was also worried that it would cause trouble for Hayden. After all, the reason why they coulde in was that Hayden helped them get invitations. ¡°You¡¯re pretty!¡± Lillian shouted with glee, nestledfortably in Wendell¡¯s hold. Wendell chuckled, finding her exuberance endearing. ¡°You¡¯re pretty too!¡± he eximed. ¡°I¡¯m also pretty!¡± Kevin chimed in from Debra¡¯s arms, eager to join the banter. Wendell then noticed Kevin beside them, a baby close in age, andplimented both children, ¡°Yes, you are both beautiful!¡± His smile radiated warmth, adding to the joyful atmosphere. Meanwhile, outside the conference venue, Queenie stood anxiously at the entrance, scanning the crowd for Hayden. Time was slipping away, and her nervousness grew. She feared she might miss him entirely and wouldn¡¯t want to enter without stopping him first. As anxiety began to w at her, a car pulled up. Hayden got out and immediately spotted Queenie. His expression darkened as he realized the upper¨Css elite were present; he had no desire to engage in a public dispute with her. The atmosphere felt too formal and dignified for any dram CHAPTER 193 Three secondster, Hayden took out his phone and made a call When Hugo received the call, he was stunned. But after hearing Hayden¡¯s words, he instantly smiled again and said in Zentiscupian, ¡°Bro, don¡¯t worry. I will handle it!¡± A few minutester, Hugo came out of the hall. He looked at the entrance and saw Queenie. He straightened his clothes and immediately walked towards her. In the car, Hayden calmly looked outside. When Queenie was led out by Hugo, he got out of the car. After sessfully entering the venue, Hayden sent Hugo a message to let him know he had arrived. Hugo intentionally used Hayden as an excuse, saying he was taking Queenie to find him. When he got a message from Hayden on his phone saying he had entered the venue, Hugo smiled, then quickly made another excuse, saying that he suddenly had something to do and had to go back, so he couldn apany Queenie any longer. Queenie was anxious. She needed to find Hayden right away. Hugo directed her to a mall near the venue and told her to look for Hayden on her own. Queenie had never been tricked by Hugo before, so she didn¡¯t suspect anything. Eager to find Hayden, she hurried towards the mall he mentioned. Seeing her leave, Hugo turned around and ran away. Stacey was unaware of what happened outside. At this moment, Wendell yed with Lillian and Kevin for a while before leaving. Although Lillian liked the good¨Clooking Wendell, she was not the kind of spoiled child who would never let go. Understanding that Wendell had something to take care of and couldn¡¯t be disturbed, Lillian obediently left him alone and followed her mother. Stacey and Debra both prepared snacks. Lillian and Kevin had a habit of being well¨Cbehaved when eating, so to avoid the two kids causing trouble at the party, she and her mother prepared snacks in advance. Now, as long as the kids could munch on a small snack from time to time, they would behave well.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. However, it didn¡¯tst long. Christopher had sharp eyes and spotted Hayden as soon as he entered! ¡°Dad!¡± ¡°Daddy is here!¡± Lillian and Kevin became excited almost immediately. The two little ones jumped out of their mother¡¯s and grandmother¡¯s arms and raced over to their dad! Stacey and Debra quickly looked over. As expected, they saw Hayden. The two kids dashed to him with excitement. They wrapped their arms around his legs, looking up at him with eager faces. ¡°Daddy!¡± Lillian and Kevin clung to his legs, raising their heads and gazing at him with delight. Wendell came to Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event this time because he wanted to buy thetest products from Eklonna as a birthday gift for his mother. He also hoped to take advantage of this opportunity to find someone here¨CHayden. He had liked the new robot released by Hoggard Group a while ago and wanted to customize one. However, ordering from Hoggard Group was too slow, and it would take a long time to get the finished product through the¨Cstandard process. Wendell couldn¡¯t wait. He wanted thetest robot from Hoggard Group as soon as possible. With this idea in mind, Wendell arrived at the new product event early today, eager to see Hayden and discuss a potential coboration. Unfortunately, when he arrived, Hayden hadn¡¯te yet. Wendell felt a bit regretful, but it didn¡¯t dampen his confidence. He knew that Hayden would definitely show up at Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event, so he kept his eyes on the doorway. As soon as Hayden walked in, Wendell spotted him. He almost immediately stood up from his seat and headed toward Aug 2 96 Hayden. However, when he reached the front, he was taken aback by the sight he saw. The adorable twins, who had been pestering him earlier, were clinging to Hayden¡¯s legs and calling but ¡°Dad¡± excitedly. Wendell was surprised. ¡®Are these two lovely kids Hayden¡¯s?¡® he thought. The idea thrilled him. If they were indeed Hayden¡¯s children and they liked him, he could leverage that rapport to persuade Hayden to prioritize his robot order. The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, Welell hurriedly approached and greeted Hayden with a smile. He even spoke in Zentiscapian, saying, ¡°Hello, Hayden, long time no see.¡± Hearing this. Hayden turned to look at Wendell. Lillian and Kevin also turned their heads toward the voice. Excited by the sight of the super handsome Wendell, Lillian immediately abandoned her father and dashed toward him. Wendell¡¯s smile widened. He squatted down, caught Lillian in his arms, and kissed her cheek. This little one truly was his lucky star Hayden was puzzled, thinking, ¡®Lillian¡­ Is familiar with Wendell Stacey and Debra, who stood nearby, were also surprised. They hadn¡¯t expected to run into Wendell again, especially since he seemed to know Hayden. Wendell held Lillian in his arms and approached them with a smile. He first nodded to Stacey and Debra, recalling that the two adorable kids were the children of the young woman in front of him. Wendell quickly greeted Stacey and Debra before looking at Hayden and saying cheerfully, ¡°Is this cute little girl your child? She¡¯s so adorable!¡± Lillian wasn¡¯t afraid of strangers at all. She was curious about Wendell¡¯s beautiful blonde hair, which was different from hers. She reached out to touch his hair curiously. Stacey quickly rushed over, took Christopher¡¯s hand, and reminded Lillian. ¡°Don¡¯t touch his hair. It¡¯s impolite.¡± Wendell didn¡¯t mind. He lowered his head and bowed yfully to Lillian, which made her giggle. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly fine. Kids should be curious. They¡¯re adorable,¡± Wendell exined to Stacey. Stacey could only reply with a nk look, not quite sure how to respond. CHAPTER 194 ut of the car with her friends and hurried toward Queenie. ¡°Ms. Leavey?¡± Anna asked in Dapreinish in confusion, ¡°The conference has already started. Why are you still at the entrance?¡± Queenie was speechless, her face flushed with embarrassment. She had promised to attend Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event, take photos, and send them to Anna. But now, since Hayden hadn¡¯t waited for lier at the door, she hadn¡¯t had a chance to follow him into the conference. Queenie had never felt so embarrassed in her life. After a moment, she replied in a somewhatme Dapreinish ent, ¡°Something came up. I missed the entrance time,¡± Then, Queenie turned to leave. Anna looked puzzled. Shirley and Monica, who apanied Anna, were also confused. Anna hurried to catch up with Queenie and asked, ¡°Ms. Leavey, where are you going?¡± Shirley looked back at the security guards at the entrance of the Eklonna venue and whispered to Monica, ¡°She can¡¯t go in without an invitation.¡± Although Shirley¡¯s voice was deliberately low, Queenie, walking in front of them, still heard it. Queenie froze for a moment before reaching out her hand to stop a taxi by the roadside. Anna quickly grabbed Queenie¡¯s arm, saying anxiously, ¡°Ms. Leavey, where are you going? I can take you there! ¡°No, thanks, Queenie replied coldly. Anna was speechless. Monica couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t need it, you should at least return Anna¡¯s dress to her, right?¡± Monica nced at the dress Queenie was wearing. She knew it was Anna¡¯s favorite dress and had wanted to borrow it before, but Anna had always been too protective of it. Unexpectedly, she lent it to someone else today. Queenie¡¯s face darkened at this. She turned to Anna and said sharply. ¡°How much is this dress? I¡¯ll buy it!¡±Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. This made Shirley¡¯s expression darken too. She looked at Queere, clearly upset, and said, ¡°This dress is not for sale. It¡¯s a limited edition. There are only five in the world. Anna was lucky to get it after trying for a long time.¡± Queenie didn¡¯t respond. Anna suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. She frowned at Queenie. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you really don¡¯t have an invitation from Eklonna?¡± Queenie¡¯s face fell, her frustration evident. ¡°Who says I don¡¯t? Eklonna invited my husband and me to the new productunch event, but I waste. My husband has already gone in with the invitation.¡± Monica smirked, looking Queenie up and down disdainfully. She finally remarked sarcastically, ¡°Your husband? How can you be married to someone like that? Are you hallucinating after eating too many poisonous mushrooms?¡± Shirley also mocked, ¡°Yeah. Your husband went in. Just call him and ask him toe out and pick you up. Why are you just standing at the entrance alone?¡± Queenie¡¯s face turned red. ¡°L¡­ I just had an argument with my husband. He was angry and didn¡¯t want to talk to me for a while. But once we reconcile, I can definitely go in!¡± she said angrily. Anna, Shirley, and Monica quickly picked up on the key words in Queenie¡¯s statement: ¡°remarry? ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re divorced? You still call him your husband? I bet he doesn¡¯t want to hear from you, Shirley sneered. Anna¡¯s irritation grew. She had been excited all morning, selecting her favorite dress and essories to make Queenie look perfect. Now, she was hit with the truth¨Cthis woman didn¡¯t have an invitation from Eklonna at all; she just wanted to shamelessly pester her ex¨Chusband because he had been invited! Anna, who had always been easy¨Cgoing, suddenly found herself disliking Queenie more and more. Her face darkened. She grabbed Queenie and started walking to her car. Seeing Anna¡¯s determination. Queenie panicked and struggled. ¡°What do you want? Let go of me!¡± Anna replied unhappily, ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything. I just want to take you back to the store and have Those essories you¡¯re wearing are mine too. You don¡¯t deserve them!¡± you return my dress. At this, Shirley and Monica couldn¡¯t help but smile sarcastically at Queenie. Queenie shook off Anna¡¯s hand and snapped back, ¡°It¡¯s just a dress. You can get something simr from a shop nearby!¡± Upset, Queenie stormed into a nearby shopping mall, randomly picked out a new outfit, and headed to the fitting room. Once inside, she took off all of Anna¡¯s items and put on the new clothes. When she emerged from the fitting room, Queenie tossed the dress back to Anna angrily. ¡°Here you go!¡± Anna loved her dress, and seeing it tossed at her made her even angrier. She caught it, handed it to Monica, and then marched up to Queenie. Without hesitating, she raised her hand and pped Queenie hard across the face. Queenie was stunned, her eyes wide in disbelief. Anna didn¡¯t want to exin herself any further. She reached for Queenie¡¯s earrings, ne, and headpiece¨Call of which were hers. Queenie had never been treated like this before and immediately tried to fight back. But seeing her friend¡¯s movement, Shirley quickly pressed Queenie d CHAPTER 195 Chapter 195All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Anna got out of the car with her friends and hurried toward Queenie. ¡°Ms. Leavey?¡± Anna asked in Dapreinish in confusion, ¡°The conference has already started. Why are you still at the entrance?¡± Queenie was speechless, her face flushed with embarrassment. She had promised to attend Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event, take photos, and send them to Anna. But now, since Hayden hadn¡¯t waited for lier at the door, she hadn¡¯t had a chance to follow him into the conference. Queenie had never felt so embarrassed in her life. After a moment, she replied in a somewhatme Dapreinish ent, ¡°Something came up. I missed the entrance time,¡± Then, Queenie turned to leave. Anna looked puzzled. Shirley and Monica, who apanied Anna, were also confused. Anna hurried to catch up with Queenie and asked, ¡°Ms. Leavey, where are you going?¡± Shirley looked back at the security guards at the entrance of the Eklonna venue and whispered to Monica, ¡°She can¡¯t go in without an invitation.¡± Although Shirley¡¯s voice was deliberately low, Queenie, walking in front of them, still heard it. Queenie froze for a moment before reaching out her hand to stop a taxi by the roadside. Anna quickly grabbed Queenie¡¯s arm, saying anxiously, ¡°Ms. Leavey, where are you going? I can take you there! ¡°No, thanks, Queenie replied coldly. Anna was speechless. Monica couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t need it, you should at least return Anna¡¯s dress to her, right?¡± Monica nced at the dress Queenie was wearing. She knew it was Anna¡¯s favorite dress and had wanted to borrow it before, but Anna had always been too protective of it. Unexpectedly, she lent it to someone else today. Queenie¡¯s face darkened at this. She turned to Anna and said sharply. ¡°How much is this dress? I¡¯ll buy it!¡± This made Shirley¡¯s expression darken too. She looked at Queere, clearly upset, and said, ¡°This dress is not for sale. It¡¯s a limited edition. There are only five in the world. Anna was lucky to get it after trying for a long time.¡± Queenie didn¡¯t respond. Anna suddenly realized the gravity of the situation. She frowned at Queenie. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you really don¡¯t have an invitation from Eklonna?¡± Queenie¡¯s face fell, her frustration evident. ¡°Who says I don¡¯t? Eklonna invited my husband and me to the new productunch event, but I waste. My husband has already gone in with the invitation.¡± Monica smirked, looking Queenie up and down disdainfully. She finally remarked sarcastically, ¡°Your husband? How can you be married to someone like that? Are you hallucinating after eating too many poisonous mushrooms?¡± Shirley also mocked, ¡°Yeah. Your husband went in. Just call him and ask him toe out and pick you up. Why are you just standing at the entrance alone?¡± Queenie¡¯s face turned red. ¡°L¡­ I just had an argument with my husband. He was angry and didn¡¯t want to talk to me for a while. But once we reconcile, I can definitely go in!¡± she said angrily. CHAPTER 196 Chapter 196 It was twelve o¡¯clock at noon. Theunch of Eklonna¡¯s new product came to an end after several hours. Eklonna¡¯s staff invited all the guests to dinner in the banquet hall. They left the meeting room together and headed to the banquet hall. Hayden held Lillian, Stacey held Kevin, and Debra, along with the assistant, followed them. As soon as they reached the door of the conference room, several familiar members of the Epean royal family were waiting for Hayden. When they saw him emerge from inside, they immediately approached him to chat. Debra hurried over and carefully took Lillian from Hayden¡¯s arms so as not to disturb him. As they talked, they walked on until they reached the banquet hall. Every table had the guest¡¯s name on it. Debra and Stacey hurried to find their tables and eventually located their seats in a slightly remoteer. In the middle of Debra and Stacey¡¯s seats, Eklonna¡¯s staff had specially arranged two child seats. The names of Lillian and Kevin were ced on the dining table.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Stacey remarked how considerate the Eklonna staff was. But considering the level of the new productunch event, she thought it was only normal; Eklonna had a strong reputation, being a special supplier for all the major royal families of Epean. Once the family sat down, they couldn¡¯t help but nce at Hayden in the hall. He was surrounded by many royals in the center of the crowd. What is Daddy doing over there?¡± Lillian asked, looking at her father with a group of unfamiliar uncles and feeling confused. Stacey nced at Lillian and exined, ¡°Daddy is working. Let¡¯s not disturb him, okay?¡± Lillian looked at her mother, still puzzled. Stacey then noticed the cakes, drinks, and other food ced at the center of the dining table. Finally, she carefully took a small piece of cake, dividing it into two portions¨Cone for Lillian and one for Kevin. ¡°How about you both have something to eat first?¡± Stacey suggested, changing the subject. When Lillian saw the food, she instantly forgot about her father. She replied very seriously, ¡°Yes!¡± Kevin was also a foodie; as soon as he had something to eat, he happily agreed, ¡°Okay!¡± Debra was curious about the tea on the table, so she carefully took a sip and her eyes lit up. It was delicious! Stacey looked around and noticed that many guests were already eating quietly, so she picked up a delicate, lovely cake from the center of the table and tasted it. She was amazed by how delicious it was in just one bite. After a while, the main course was served and everyone began to eat. When everyone was full, it was time for socializing. If one wanted to buy Eklonna¡¯s new products, they had to contact Eklonna¡¯s staff and ce an order. Debra naturally seized this opportunity. She told Stacey to keep an eye on the children, then stood up and walked toward Eklonna¡¯s staff to ce an order for some Eklonna essories. Only by participating in Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event could they purchase these items; otherwise, they were not avable for sale. Stacey waited for about half an hour before Debra finalized her order and came back happily. Some guests had already begun to leave. Stacey looked at the main table and noticed that Hayden was still engaged in conversation with others; he ×Ô¼Ò+96%”à must be busy with work ¡°Just a little longer. Don¡¯t worry, Debraforted her. Stacey thought for a moment and nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± However, they didn¡¯t foresee that Hayden would take several more hours. Fortunately, he finally wrapped up his discussions and came over to them. Eugene had already left. Hayden picked up Lillian and said, ¡°Let go back to the hotel first.¡± Stacey picked up Kevin, and they all left together. But upon their return to the hotel, Stacey was surprised to see Queenie again in the hall. Hayden merely nced at Queenie before pretending she didn¡¯t exist and walked away directly. Queenie rushed over anxiously. She stood in front of Hayden with her hands on her hips, first looking at Stacey and then at Hayden. Before she could speak, her eyes became red with emotion. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Hayden asked impatiently. Feeling the coldness in his tone, Queenie trembled slightly. Gathering her courage, she asked, ¡°Hayden, did you ask Hugo to distract me on purpose this morning?!¡± Initially, Queenie hadn¡¯t realized she was being set up. However, after being ver that humiliated by Anna and others, she returned to the hotel and reyed the events of the morning in her mind. The fact Hugo suddenly appeared, looking for her and leading her to Hayden just didn¡¯t feel right. It felt clearly like a trap. She realized Hayden must have seen that she was waiting for him at the door and intentionally sent Hugo to draw her away. you ¡°Or what? Do you want me to walk up and embarrass you in front of all the Epean royal guests?¡± Hayden replied coldly. ¡°If don¡¯t care about the reputation of the Leavey family, I can help you next time. He continued, ¡°Besides, I¡¯ll be giving some respect to the Leavey family now, but not because I like you or care about you. I just want to show my respect for Jeremy¡¯s legacy. I don¡¯t want anyone to mention Jeremy in the future and associate his name with a mother like you. It will just make Jeremy feel embarrassed¡°¡± Queenie¡¯s face went pale. She looked at Hayden in disbelief, unable toprehend how he could say such hurtful things. The painful reality hit her even harder when she nced at Stacey and then back at Hayden. The humiliation only deepened as she realized her standing in his life ¡°So you took another woman to the new productunch event without worrying about embarrassing Jeremy?¡± Queenie couldn¡¯t help but ask. Hayden sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve divorced you. Why shouldn¡¯t I start anew with someone else?¡± Queenie wanted to shake her head in denial. It shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­ Many arguments formed in her mind, but the words. wouldn¡¯te out. Shock and sorrow flooded her heart. Not wanting to engage further, Hayden held Lillian in his arms and walked toward the exit. Stacey, carrying Kevin, hurried to keep up with him. As Debra passed Queenie, she couldn¡¯t help but nce at the woman for a moment before continuing on her way. CHAPTER 197 Chapter 197 Everyone entered the elevator together. As the doors closed, Lillian¡¯s curiosity bubbled over. ¡°Dad, who was that aunt just Hayden took a moment to think before responding, ¡°She¡¯s just. stranger.¡± Lillian furrowed her brow in confusion. ¡°What is a stranger?¡± ¡°It means I just don¡¯t know her,¡± Hayden added.. Still perplexed, Lillian asked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Stacey couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to herself. She thought, ¡°Children can be so incredibly frustrating at times.¡± Hayden patiently exined, ¡°A stranger is someone you don¡¯t know. Just like you don¡¯t know who she is, Mommy and Daddy don¡¯t know her either.¡± Lillian¡¯s eyes widened as if a light bulb had gone off in her head. She nodded earnestly, ¡°I get it!¡± After holding Kevin for a while, Stacey¡¯s arms began to ache. She bent down and gently ced him on the ground. Hayden thought for a moment and then put Lillian down as well. ¡°Will you be staying in Nostralis for a few more days?¡± he asked. Stacey considered briefly before nodding. ¡°Yes, we n to take Lillian and Kevin to the amusement park tomorrow.¡± Recalling the fun amusement park he had rmended, Hayden smiled. ¡°Enjoy yourselves. The day after tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you to meet Mr. Fraley.¡± Stacey nodded and said, ¡°Okay¡± After escorting them back to their room, Hayden prepared to leave. Stacey wanted to invite him in, but he politely declined. ¡°I need to follow up on some business matters discussed at the new productunch event. I don¡¯t want to forget anything important,¡± he exined. As Hayden walked away, Stacey closed the door behind her, her mind racing with thoughts about Eugene. She hurried back¡® to herputer, eager to research more about him. As Stacey delved into her research about Mr. Fraley, major domestic tforms suddenly erupted with trending topics surrounding J, the once¨Crenowned actress. The headlines were shocking and relentless, painting a scandalous picture. ¡°J is not the daughter of the Mitchell family at all!¡± ¡°J and Becky are sisters!¡± ¡°Becky divorced because her sister seduced the rich brother¨Cinw!¡± ¡°Becky was abused by the Mitchell family! These hashtags were on the top list. Stacey, busy with her own career concerns, initially paid no attention to these until she received frantic calls from Lynn and Charlie, urging her not to care about thetest updates online. Concerned, Stacey opened the social tform and was immediately bombarded with articles and videos dissecting J¡¯s life like a subject of a public trial. Her heart raced with disbelief. What do they mean J isn¡¯t the daughter of the Mitchell family?¡® she wondered. Stacey clicked on the news and found a long essay filled with photos and reports. In the end, the story revealed that over 20 years ago, a test¨Ctube baby created by Gary and his wife didn¡¯t work. The doctor mistakenly identified the artificially created baby of another couple, Fraser and Goldie Levine, as Gary and Karen¡¯s and imnted it into Karen¡¯s body.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Nobody would have discovered this secret. However, after Fraser and Goldie had failed¡± with their test¨Ctube baby for the first time, they tried again and eventually seeded in having a on named Derek. A year ago, Derek was diagnosed with advanced renal failure and urgently needed a kidney transnt. Fraser and Goldie were desperate to find a suitable kidney. Suddenly, they remembered a joke their rtives often made about how the celebrity J looked like them, almost as if they were family. In their desperation, Fraser and Goldie wondered if J¡¯s kidney could match their son¡¯s. They even considered if the resemnce meant they were rted. After discovering this possibility, the couple began to inquire about J and attempted to get close to her. They disguised themselves as hotel cleaners to sneak in when J checked out collecting her toothbrush and hair for a paternity test. Many might think Fraser and Goldie¡¯s actions were crazy and a vition of privacy. However, the paternity test results showed they were indeed rted: J was their daughter. Initially shocked, Fraser and Goldie investigated further and learned that more than 20 years ago, they had gone to the same hospital as Gary and his wife for test¨Ctube babies. They had saved a lot of money to go to the best hospital, but it had ended in disappointment when their attempt failed. With this new discovery, they realized that the embryo they had sessfully cultivated was mistakenly imnted into someone else. This revtion led to intense conflict between Fraser, Goldie, and the Mitchell family. After much arguing, the Mitchell family conducted a paternity test that confirmed J¡¯s true identity. When the truth came to light, Gary and his wife were humiliated and became the subject of jokes among the wealthymunity. The jokes often involved Reba, the adopted daughter of the Mitchell family. Reba, also known as Becky, was a rising star in showbiz, and also Stacey, the daughter lost for over 20 years who had recently been found by the Carter family. After meeting the Carter family, she had changed her name from Reba to Stacey. So why did Becky change her name? Was she ungrateful to the family that adopted her? The bloggers began to dig into the story of the Mitchell family. The well¨Cknown blogger shared serialized essays, and Stacey opened the next short piece. In this essay, the blogger detailed how the Mitchell family adopted her andter bullied and mistreated her after having their biological daughter. The former nanny of the Mitchell family testified that they often beat and scolded young Becky, sometimes withholding food and even depriving her of a warm nket during winter, making her shiver and fall ill repeatedly. CHAPTER 198 When Becky was seven years old, she was tricked by J and left alone in the wilderness. The young Becky ran along the road for a long time until she was found by kind vigers who took her to the police station before she could go home. In school, J spread rumors about Becky to iste her from her ssmates. Becky¡¯s SAT score was excellent. However, the Mitchell family changed her ns, forbidding her from applying to a prestigious university, and forcing her to attend a subpar college in a remote area. The most absurd event urred during Becky¡¯s junior year when Theodore became a vegetable due to a car ident. The Mitchell family, anxious to find a girl for Theodore, pressured Becky to marry him to gain the high¨Cvalue gifts and project benefits from the Edwards family. Three yearster, after being in a vegetative state, Theodore woke up, and J fell in love with him at first sight. J knew Theodore was her brother¨Cinw, but she shamelessly pursued him and naturally asked Becky for a divorce so that she could be with him. Stacey nced at the news and quickly read through it. The painful memories buried deep in her heart seemed to have little effect on her now.. But her indifference didn¡¯t mean the majority ofizens felt the same way. These events were exposed by vignt inte users after J¡¯s downfall. They were brought to light, scrutinized by everyone, and dealt with by the hand of justice.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. All theizens were furious. The whole country¡¯sizens expressed concern for her, and many people privately reached out tofort her. Stacey¡¯s messages were filled with concem and love from her fans andizens. She read them for a long time until Hayden texted her, saying he had something to do that night and couldn¡¯t have dinner with them. He advised them to eat without waiting for him. Realizing it was already dinnertime, Stacey quickly turned off herputer, stood up, and walked out. She then called her mom for dinner. Lillian and Kevin were thrilled when they heard it was time to eat. The whole farpily gathered and headed out together, but as soon as they opened the door, they encountered a woman standing outside¨CQueenie. wasu Stacey was taken aback, and the smile on her face vanished. Queenie looked at Stacey and said seriously, ¡°Ms. Carter, can we have a moment alone?¡± Debra hurriedly stepped forward and said, ¡°Are we familiar with you? What is there to talk about?¡± Then, Debra urged Stacey, ¡°Becky, let¡¯s go. Lillian and Kevin are hungry. If you don¡¯t ear now, the babies will cry,¡± ¡°I drank milk already!¡± Kevin quickly shouted, feeling that his grandma was mistaken. Just a little while ago, the majd had prepared milk powder for the children, so they weren¡¯t very hungry. Debra looked helpless and pinched Kevin¡¯s cheek yfully. ¡°So, Kevin doesn¡¯t want to eat delicious foodter?¡± ¡°I want to eat it!¡± Kevin responded anxiously. ¡°I want to eat it too!¡± Lillian chimed in eagerly. Debra snorted lightly and urged, ¡°Since you want to eat, let¡¯s go quickly. Don¡¯t waste time here with irrelevant people.¡± ¡°You¡­ You know who I am right? I¡¯m Hayden¡¯s ex¨Cwife. My name is Queenie. I have a child with Hayden,¡± Queenie interrupted coldly. Debra sneered, ¡°So, Ms. Leavey, you stopped us to say something?¡± +961 Seeing their arrogant demeanor, Queenie felt anger rise within her and scolded, ¡°Is it so great to be a mistress? Your husband has a mistress, and you¡¯re here pretending to be superior¡­¡± Debra pped Queenie across the face. ¡°Who is seducing someone else¡¯s husband here? Please understand that Becky and her ex¨Chusband are divorced, and you and Hayden have been divorced for three years! How do you think she can be the ¡®mistress¡® you mentioned? On the contrary, when you were still married, you wanted to elope with your sweetheart. In fact, you even considered having an abortion after seven months of pregnancy! What? Now you can¡¯t stay with your so¨Ccalled true love? That man abandoned you and you¡¯re expecting your ex¨Chusband to ept you again? What kind of man do you think Hayden is? You really think he¡¯ll take in all kinds of rubbish Queenie was shocked; she couldn¡¯t believe it. She looked up at Debra, her anger boiling over. ¡®How dare they hit me? They¡¯ve crossed the line! Queenie thought and felt that as the original wife, she was in the right. Unable to contain herself, she rushed at Debra, attempting to pull her hair and hit her. But she underestimated Debra. Instead of backing down, Debra reached out and pulled Queenie aside. Queenie stumbled, nearly losing her bnce. Fortunately, it was just a little close; after all, Queenie didn¡¯t have any deep grievances with the Carter family, as she had already pped her back for insulting Becky. Debra felt there was no need to be too harsh on this woman now. After all, Queenie was also Jeremy¡¯s mother, and even for little Jeremy¡¯s sake, she felt some respect for Queenie. ¡°Don¡¯t mess with us; I¡¯m good atbat skills, Debra warned coldly, her alertness evident. Queenie blinked in shock, thinking. ¡®How could this woman possibly knowbat skills? She turned to look at Stacey, bewildered. Debra remained on guard and stated, ¡°Queenie, you¡¯d better not try to take advantage of my daughter. After Becky divorced, I arranged boxing sses for her. Although she may not be as good as me right now, she¡¯s definitely better than you.¡± Queenie¡¯s face changed dramatically, her expression extremely ugly. Debra was done talking. Becky was soft¨Chearted, and she feared that if Becky spoke any longer with Queenie, she might hesitate to ept Hayden¡¯s kindness. ¡°Becky, let¡¯s go,¡± Stacey said directly, ncing at her daughter. Stacey nodded and followed her mother. The maid had a hold of Lillian and Kevin. At that moment, both children couldn¡¯t help but gaze curiously at the strange woman in front of them. Finally, the family entered the elevator. As the doors closed, Lillian suddenly eximed, ¡°Mom, I remembered that aunt looks like Jeremy!¡± Stacey didn¡¯t say anything. Debra remained silent, quietly observing her daughter¡¯s expression. Though Becky didn¡¯t say anything, Debra could feel that Queenie¡¯s presence had stirred something within Becky, causing her heart to once again close off to Hayden, just when it finally seemed like it was starting to open up. CHAPTER 199 They left the hotel together and found a nice restaurant for dinner. During the meal, Debra quietly watched her daughter. Sure enough, she noticed that Stacey was much quieter than usual. Debra felt helpless. But they couldn¡¯t rush this kind of thing; they might as well make the best of it. Thinking this, Debra filled Stacey¡¯s te with a lot of food and urged her, ¡®Eat more. heard this kind of food is very nutritious and good for your skin. Stacey replied, ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Kevin chimed in eagerly, grabbing a small spoon and trying to scoop up the food that his grandmother had just served. Lillian got anxious seeing her little brother do that and raised her spoon to join in as well. Stacey quickly intervened, guiding the two children away to prevent them from knocking over the table. Debra didn¡¯t help. she just watched her daughter manage the kids. Sometimes, when she was busy, it was easier not to think about too much, and she would feel better. After dinner, Debra took Stacey shopping. The experience was enjoyable. Debra pushed Stacey into the fitting room to try on various outfits. Although Stacey liked shopping, she wasn¡¯t as enthusiastic as her mom. After an evening of fun, when they finally decided to head back, the entire family was clearly in a good mood but also very tired. They made a beeline for their rooms to shower and sleep. The e next day, the family nned to take the children to the amusement park.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Hayden was busy with work and had to negotiate several partnerships, so he couldn¡¯t join them. Instead, Stacey and Debra took the kids to the park. When they arrived, the car stopped at the entrance to the amusement park. Many children surrounded them, and Lillian and Kevin¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement at their surroundings. Stacey first took the children to buy balloons. The moment Lillian got a balloon, her happiness seemed to double! Suddenly, Lillian noticed a girl with white hair nearby. Mesmerized, she stared at her curiously. When Stacey realized this, she quickly squatted down and covered Lillian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Lillian, you can¡¯t stare at her like this. It¡¯s rude, okay?¡± ¡°Mom, that girl is so beautiful. She looks just like an angel!¡± Lillian eximed, not really paying attention to her mother¡¯s warning, taken aback by the girl¡¯s beauty. Stacey smiled. To many, albinism might be seen as a condition, but she found it beautiful. Whenever she encountered someone with albinism, she couldn¡¯t help but be captivated by their unique charm¨Cthe way Lillian described it: an angel from heaven wandering into the world. However, many albinos can be sensitive and may feel ufortable being stared at. Well, yes again. she is pretty. But Lillian, you can¡¯t stare at others like that; it is considered rude, okay?¡± Stacey reminded her ¡°Why?¡± Kevin asked, not quite understanding. ¡°She looks good, just like the girl in cartoons!¡± Kevin added excitedly. 09:05 Fri, Aug 2 WAN. Stacey thought for a moment and said, ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t like being stared at?¡± 0+ 95% ¡°I¡¯m okay with it.¡± A child¡¯s clear voice suddenly piped up nearby Stacey was stunned and turned to find the little albino girl, who had just been stared at by Lillian, had approached them and said this seriously. Stacey quickly looked up at the girl. She was adorable, with skin and hair as white as snow due to albinism. Her features were delicate and beautiful, almost angelic. The little girl turned to Lillian and smiled, then stretched out her hand and said earnestly, ¡°Hello, my name is Loretta Hoggard.¡± ¡°Loretta Hoggard?¡± Stacey was surprised. ¡°Are you Zentiscape too?¡± she asked out of curiosity. At that moment, a stunning woman rushed over. She grabbed Loretta¡¯s hand and scolded her gently, ¡°Loretta! You¡¯re running around again!¡± ¡°Marissa?¡± Debra eximed, recognizing the woman. Hearing her name, Marissa looked up and smiled at Debra. ¡°Debra, you¡¯re here! Hayden told me I¡¯d be apanying you to the amusement park today. I own this amusement park, so you can enjoy it for free!¡± Marissa turned to Stacey and added. with a smile, ¡®Are you Becky? Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Hayden¡¯s cousin, Marissa!¡± Stacey quickly reached out to shake hands with Marissa. ¡°Hello. Marissa kept looking at Stacey and, after a moment, smiled and said, ¡°Becky, we met when we were kids. We were great friends back then. You loved ying with me the most. Do you remember?¡± Stacey was speechless. She truly didn¡¯t remember any events that took ce before she was three years old. ¡°Becky was too young to remember, Debra said with a smile. She felt a pang of difort at the memory. If only Becky had been older when she got lost, she might have remembered her family and home and could have found her way back. Unfortunately, she was too little to recall anything back then. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­ I don¡¯t remember much about my childhood, Stacey admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed. However, hearing that they had been friends made her less anxious. ¡°Why are you in Daprein? You still live here¡­ Stacey remarked, admiring the amusement park. ¡°It¡¯s amazing that your opened such a big park!¡± Loretta quickly interjected, ¡°Hmph! I only opened this amusement park. There¡¯s nothing else!¡± Marissa was momentarily speechless. She looked down at her daughter and said, somewhat frustrated, ¡°Loretta, if you don¡¯t let me off the hook for one day, that would just be too much trouble for you, right?¡± Loretta scoffed yfully. ¡°Hit me! I¡¯ll tell Dad if you hit me!¡± Marissa sighed, exasperated. Loretta then turned her attention to Lillian and Kevin and beamed, ¡°You¡¯re Lillian and you¡¯re Kevin, right? My uncle showed me your photos. You look so cute, and I like you!¡± With that, she reached out to hold the hands of Lillian and Kevin. Taken by surprise, Lillian¨Cwho had initially admired the beautiful girl¨Cquickly reached out her little hand and eagerly grabbed Loretta¡¯s. ¡°Angel, you are so beautiful!¡± Lillian said sincerely, holding Loretta¡¯s hand. 10+95% Kevin nodded in agreement and added. ¡°Yeah, you look good!¡± Kevin spoke, he reached out his little hand, curious, wanting to touch the hair of this pretty girl with white hair. She really was beautiful. O CHAPTER 200 Loretta took the initiative to grab a handful of her hair and ced it gently in Kevin¡¯s hand. ¡°You can watch!¡± she said happily. Although she didn¡¯t appreciate the way some people locked at her, she felt a connection with Lillian and Kevin. Surprised by the softness and uniqueness of Loretta¡¯s hair, Kevin examined it closely, his eyes wide with curiosity. ¡°Shall we go y together? I¡¯m familiar with this ce. Let me take you there!¡± Loretta eximed enthusiastically, and before long, she led Lillian and Kevin deeper into the amusement park. Gwen and Marie hurriedly followed behind. Having had previous experiences with lost children, the Carter family was vignt, ensuring their kids were always within sight. Wherever the children went, there were adults close by, even maternity matrons. They needed to keep a close watch. ¨C ¡°Becky, Marissa, keep talking. I¡¯ll take care of the baby,¡± Debra said to Stacey and Marissa. Stacey felt a sense of relief. With Marissa around, she wouldn¡¯t be left alone. But worry creased her brow as she watched the kids leave her sight. It turned out that even in her own amusement park, Marissa felt the need to keep an eye on her children, leading her to quickly follow along. ¡°You were adorable when you were a child. Lillian is kind of like you,¡± Marissa said with a smile, her eyes sparkling with nostalgia. Stacey looked at Marissa and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°So, why did you decide to run an amusement park here?¡± Her curiosity piqued, she added, ¡°Your husband¨Che¡¯s from this side, right? Marissa nodded. ¡°Yeah, Joey and I met because of Hayden. He was so kind to me that I eventually married him.¡± Stacey admired the light in Marissa¡¯s eyes as she spoke. ¡°You must be really happy in your marriage, right?¡± Marissa chuckled, ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°Your eyes tell me everything,¡± Stacey replied, giving her an encouraging smile. Marissa¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Well, yes, Joey and I have been married for many years, and our love has only grown stronger. He¡¯s always been wonderful to me. She paused for a moment and continued, ¡°You know, I think my greatest luck was meeting Joey. I found someone who truly loves me. So¡­ even when I discovered he had albinism, I still married him without a second thought.¡± Stacey looked at Marissa with new admiration. Marissa smiled, her expression earnest. ¡°Albinism isn¡¯t an illness It¡¯s just ack of mnin. It¡¯s frustrating to see them discriminated against simply because they look different from others. Honestly, those whobel my husband and daughter as having a disease are the ones who truly have issues. Do they have any real shorings besides their beautiful white hair and fair skin?¡± Marissa asked confidently. ¡°No!¡± Marissa beamed with confidence, expressing her admiration for her family. ¡°Becky, you know what? I just adore my and daughter! They have snow¨Cwhite hair and fair skin like angels. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Stacey smiled, fully agreeing. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s really beautiful.¡± husband Marissa paused, turning to Stacey with an amused glint in her eye. ¡°Becky, I believe what you say is beautifules from your heart. You genuinely like it Stacey felt a blush creeping to her cheeks. ¡°Am I really that obvious?¡± Marissaughed. ¡°Quite!¡± Stacey found herself quite helpless about it. @ +95% ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go y together! Amusement parks aren¡¯t just for kids; we¡¯re big kids too!¡± Marissa said with a bright smile. Stacey was taken aback. Marissa then took her hand and led her forward. As they approached, Marissa yfully shouted to her daughter, ¡°Loretta! Becky and I are going to ride the merry¨Cgo¨Cround!¡± Loretta¡¯s attention was immediately caught, and she rushed over alongside Kevin, eager to join her mother and her new friend. Kevin quickly followed his sister. Young and still very attached to the adults, he wanted to y alongside his mother as well. Loretta found herself being dragged away by the little ones. While she was tired of the amusement park, she thought it would be more fun to y with them than alone. Ultimately, she conceded and let herself be led in front of the merry¨Cgo- round. At the entrance, Marissa shot her daughter a yful, challenging look. Loretta¡¯s expression shifted from annoyance to fury. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with wanting to y on the merry¨Cgo¨Cround? I bet I¡¯m better than you at this!¡± she retorted Marissaughed, ¡°Of course not! I¡¯m the most beautiful one here. You got your looks from me, Loretta! You inherited my genes! Loretta could only huff, exasperated, I¡¯m angry, but how do I even argue with you?¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Meanwhile, Lillian and Kevin, still too young to venture off alone, stuck close to the adults. Debra and Stacey both held at child in each arm, getting settled as everyone found their spots. Marissa turned to Loretta with a grin. ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡± ¡°No way!¡± Loretta dered, anger still lingering in her voice, before hopping onto the merry¨Cgo¨Cround. Stacey watched, a bit concerned. ¡°Will she fall ying by herself she wondered aloud. Loretta reassured her with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay! I have a seat belt.¡± After a moment¡¯s reflection, Stacey chose to let it go. However, watching Loretta and Marissa bicker so yfully made Stacey ponder about her own children. ¡®Will Lillian and Kevin grow up teasing and challenging me like that?¡® She pushed the thought away, reasoning that she had a different personality than Marissa. Even if Lillian had her moments of stubbornness, she wouldn¡¯t purposely provoke her like that. Meanwhile, Debra had arranged for a professional photographer to capture their memories. With Stacey holding Kevin and Debra with Lillian, they posed happily for photos. The merry¨Cgo¨Cround spun in the background as the photographer clicked away, freezing their joy in time. After the merry¨Cgo¨Cround, they explored many other attractions together. Given Lillian and Kevin¡¯s tender age, they were not suitable for some rides with too many participants. Marissa generously cleared the area for the kids, allowing them to have some solo ytime. Later, they gathered for lunch at one of the park¡¯s restaurants. 95% Loretta enthusiastically shared her knowledge of the delicacies avable, eagerly introducing Lillian and Kevin to all the treats. Both children were undeniably food lovers. When they heard about the menu from Loretta, their eyes lit up with excitement. Stacey, keen to let them sample the delights, ordered a variety of dishes, careful to limit how much they ate at once. She was cautious about how their little sto CHAPTER 201 There were many attractions in the amusement park. When Loretta woke up after a nap, she couldn¡¯t wait to take Lillian and Kevin outside for fun. The amusement park was full of staff dressed in doll costumes. llian and Kevin couldn¡¯t take their eyes off these cute. ¡°dolls, staring at them curiously. Seeing how much they enjoyed it. Loretta made a phone call and asked the housekeeper to bring three sets of doll costumes. Half an hourter, there were three cute doll characters in the amusement park. Many children were drawn to these adorable dolls and looked at them curiously, wanting to take photos with them. Loretta was very generous. She agreed with her younger brother and sister, so in the afternoon, Lillian and Kevin became part of the amusement park staff and took pictures with tourists for half the day. Marissa was speechless. She approached to rescue Lillian and Kevin, but the two kids seemed to be having too much fun together. They enjoyed wearing the doll outfits and basking in the attention of many children. ¡°Let them y. Stacey said with a smile. ¡°The important thing is that the kids are happy. They¡¯re having a great time.¡± Hearing this, Marissa smiled back. She secretly nced at Stacey for a long time, causing Stacey to feel a bit shy. Marissa said, ¡°Becky, my brother likes you. You know that?¡± Stacey was silent. Marissa then looked at the three kids ying and said seriously, Becky, don¡¯t let Queenie affect you. She doesn¡¯t really care about Hayden at all, and she doesn¡¯t have genuine feelings for Jeremy. Most mothers are wonderful and love their children, but a fewck that love. I think Queenie is one of those people. When she was seven months pregnant, the baby had already formed, and yet she didn¡¯t hesitate to say she wanted an abortion. That shows she didn¡¯t care for her child at all and was more concerned about herself.¡± ¡°After the baby was born, she didn¡¯te back to see him even qnce. That proves she has no feelings for Jeremy and wasn¡¯t missing him. I¡¯m worried that the reason she¡¯s pestering Hayden now is that Elden abandoned her. She feels resentful, so she wants to reconnect with Hayden to make Elden regret it. She just wants to show Elden that she can find a better man and lead a better life after their breakup. By the way, do you know who Elden is?¡± Marissa said, turning to look at Stacey and blinking- Stacey was confused and shook her head. Marissa smiled and said, ¡°He was the man Queenie loved so much before. He insisted on her having an abortion and then. divorced her to be with someone else. He¡¯s Queenie¡¯s ex¨Cboyfriend now.¡± Stacey still remained silent. Marissa looked at the three children not far away and said, ¡°Queenie will make excuses that she¡¯s Jeremy¡¯s biological mother. She¡¯ll say the kid can only be happy with his biological mother. But Becky¡­ Marissa stopped, gazing intently into Stacey¡¯s eyes and smiling. ¡°How about we make a bet? I bet Queenie can¡¯t give Jeremy more love and care than you can.¡± Stacey didn¡¯t expect Marissa to say this, leaving her momentarily speechless. ¡°Anyway, Queenie is Jeremy¡¯s biological mother, Stacey said, her feelings mixed. ¡°But a mother who can give up her child at any moment and use him as a tool for her own selfish desires? In my opinion, it¡¯s better to not have such a mother, Marissa replied seriously. ¡°Mom!¡± While Stacey was deep in thought, Kevin suddenly ran over, dressed as a baby dinosaur. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Stacey held him and asked with concern. ¡°I want to pee. Kevin whispered. Stacey and Marissa were taken aback. Then Marissa suggested, let¡¯s go to the office building. I have a private bathroom there that¡¯s much cleaner and doesn¡¯t distinguish between men and women.¡± Stacey nodded in agreement. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I want to go too!¡± Lillian, dressed in a baby duck costume, eximed as she ran over. The group left together as Loretta rushed over. They all stood up and prepared to head to the bathroom. The three little ones in their cute furry outfits were quite the sight as they walked down the path. Many children noticed them along the way and were drawn to Lillian and Kevin. Some even asked their parents to buy them the same dollContent from N?velDr(a)ma.Org. costumes. Lillian and Kevin had spent the entire day ying, especially enjoying the afternoon in their doll clothes. All the children passing by loved ying with them, which made Kevin even happier. After their bathroom break, Lillian¡¯s face still beamed with joy, making Kevin want to rush back to y again. Noticing the time, Debra realized it was gettingte. She crouched down and patiently reasoned with Kevin. Eventually, she convinced them to take off their costumes and change into their regr clothes before heading to the amusement park beach to y in the sand. Both Lillian and Kevin loved ying with sand. Upon seeing it, they immediately forgot the joy they had in their doll costumes and ran happily to finish making sand castles. After ying for a while, Lillian suddenly ran back and asked. ¡°Mom, where¡¯s Jeremy?¡± Stacey didn¡¯t expect Christopher to think of Jeremy so suddenly, Confused, she replied, ¡°What about Jeremy? Why are you looking for him all of a sudden?¡± Lillian pointed at the castle and said earnestly, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know how to build castles. Jeremy taught mest time, but I forgot.¡± ¡°I can help!¡± Loretta shouted as she ran over. She took Lillian¡¯s hand and said excitedly, ¡°I can build castles too! I¡¯ll teach you!¡± Marissa was surprised. ¡°Lillian and Jeremy know each other?¡± Stacey smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, Jeremy is a cute kid. He was at my house a few days ago. He gets along well with Lillian and Kevin Marissa smiled as she watched her daughter happily y with the two little ones. ¡°Kids are much happier when they¡¯re together,¡± she observed. Stacey agreed wholeheartedly. ¡°Yes, they really are.¡± ¡°Mom, I want to see your photo,¡± Loretta called out momentster, addressing Marissa in an authoritative tone. Marissa looked at her daughter, curious, ¡°Which photo?¡± 09:05 Fri, Aug 2 WN. ¡°The castle my father built when we went to the beachst time Loretta rified. +94% Marissa was momentarily speechless. ¡°That¡¯s something your failer made. You can¡¯t expect to make it thatplicated!¡± ¡°I can learn!¡± Loretta insisted, not backing down. ¡°What kind of castle is it?¡± Lillian asked curiously as she came over. ¡°Is it beautiful?¡± Kevin chimed in, eyes wide with expectation. 0 CHAPTER 202 8+ 94% Loretta suddenly had the idea to recreate the castle her father led built before, and soon everyone was curious, Stacey couldn¡¯t help but look at it a few more times and felt amazed herself. However, thisplicated castle was definitely not something that ordinary children could easily build. Seeing the curious eyes of Lillian and Kevin, Stacey walked over She decided to try building a castle herself. Eventually, even the tidy Debra joined in, and Loretta unintentionally got involved as well. They shared ideas and worked hard together. The three children surrounded them, watching curiously as their parents tackled the big castle. Time flew by while they were building, and before they knew it, evening had arrived. It was dark, and suppertime was approaching. Their castle was only partially finished, but with strong encouragement from Lillian and Kevin, Stacey took photo of them with the castle. After the photos were taken, Stacey took the two kids to wash their hands in the nearby pool. It was time for dinner after they cleaned up. ¡°How abouting to my house for dinner tonight?¡± Marissa suggested with a smile. Stacey was taken aback. Debra smiled and replied, ¡°Okay. Thank you for the invitation.¡± Marissa continued happily. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. My husband is cooking anyway.¡± Her family was well¨Coff, but they didn¡¯t hire servants because her husband enjoyed cooking for her, and she loved the meals he prepared. They all found joy in this daily life ¡°Your husband does it himself?¡± Debra asked, surprised. Loretta chimed in, ¡°My dad cooks every day. He can make lots of different dishes, and they look great! Sometimes they : flowers, sometimes animals. They¡¯re super cute!¡± ¡°Wow, your father is amazing!¡± Kevin praised. ¡°I want a dad like that too. Can you let your dad be my dad?¡± Lillian asked Loretta excitedly. Loretta looked confused. Stacey, overhearing the conversation, felt speechless. She quickly reminded Lillian. ¡°You can¡¯t just call anyone dad.¡± Marissa burst intoughter, holding her belly as she stepped aside. Stacey felt embarrassed, but Kevin added, ¡°Why not?¡± Marissa nced over and quickly took out her phone to message Hayden. [Hayden, if you don¡¯te to my house for dinner tonight, Becky¡¯s kids will call Joey ¡°Dad¡°! On the golf course, Hayden had just finished his business social activities for the day when he received Marissa¡¯s message. He was confused and sent back a question mark Seeing the question mark in Hayden¡¯s message, Marissa quickly exined what Loretta, Kevin, and Lillian just said. Hayden paused, silent for a moment, before he walked out decisively. Marissa waited a long time for Hayden to reply, but he didn¡¯t. She wasn¡¯t worried, though; she was sure he had seen the message. The thought of what his expression would be made her want tough. She was so happy. are 09:05 Fri, Aug 2 N. +94% Stacey exined for a long time, but Lillian and Kevin didn¡¯t understand why Loretta¡¯s father couldn¡¯t be their father. After all, Jeremy¡¯s father could be their father. Stacey felt a bit weak in her reasoning and had to turn around to apologize to Marissa first. Marissa¡¯s facial muscles twitched withughter. She was so happy today. Hearing Becky¡¯s exnation, she quickly reassured her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just a small matter. Kids are like this when they¡¯re young: they don¡¯t fully understand yet. I get it¡± Ten minutester, Marissa took Stacey and the others back to her house. Twenty minutes after that, Hayden arrived.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. In the yard, Lillian and Kevin were stunned to see ¡°Daddy¡®ing. They ran toward him excitedly, shouting in surprise, ¡°Dad!¡± They both hugged his legs. Loretta was shocked, wondering why her uncle became the father of Lillian and Kevin. She didn¡¯t know about this before.. Stacey felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°We also have a dad!¡± Lillian said proudly. ¡°Yes, Jeremy said that his dad can also be our dad!¡± Kevin added. Marissa and her husband Joey chuckled at the kids¡® excitement. Hayden naturally bent down to pick up Lillian and Kevin. Stacey was startled and rushed over, worried that the children might fall. Feeling awkward, she hesitated for a moment and finally managed to exin, L¡­ actually, I want Lillian and Kevin to ept you as their godfather and for Jeremy to ept me as his godmother if it feels right. Then our kids will have more parental figures. ¡°What are you doing, Becky? I¡¯ve heard Hayden has a good character andes from a nice family. You two were engaged when you were little. I think you¡¯re a perfect match. If you like him, we can n a wedding anytime, so why do you need to do this?¡± ¡°Lillian, Kevin, are you both okay with that?¡± Marissa then turned to the twins and joked. ¡°Marissa!¡± Hayden eximed, feeling speechless. Joey quickly interjected, ¡°Marissa, stop teasing them! Hayden hasn¡¯t even caught up with Becky yet Stacey was at a loss for words. They eventually all went into the kitchen together. Marissa made sure to serve everyone a lot of delicious food while Joey continued cooking Stacey sat in the dining area for a while. Seeing Hayden holding Lillian and Kevin, who seemed to like him very much, left her unsure of what to do. Finally, she stood up and walked towards the kitchen to help with the cooking. Seeing Stacey head to the kitchen, Marissa immediately followed her. A momentter, Hayden entered with the two kids. When Lillian and Kevin saw Joey cooking, their curiosity peaked but they were too short to see what was happening. ¡°I can do that too,¡± Hayden said suddenly. In the kitchen, everyone stopped and stared at him, including Joey, who was preparing dinner. But Hayden took off his coat and began to roll up his sleeves. ¡°Yiju guys go rx today. I¡¯ll handle dinner,¡± he dered. Joey looked confused. Marissa was shocked but quickly pieced things together. She looked from Hayden to Becky and nodded in agreement, ¡°Yeah! I know how to cook. Hayden is just as good as Joey!¡± Marissa went to the dining area, grabbed her husband Joey, and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the other day that the tree in the garden needed pruning? Let¡¯s go trim that tree and leave the kitchen to Hayden.¡± CHAPTER 203 Seeing this, Debra couldn¡¯t help but snicker. She immediately went to pull Lillian and Kevin, saying happily, ¡°Lillian, Kevin, let¡¯s watch them trim the tree together!¡± Lillian and Kevin had never seen a tree being pruned before. When they heard about something new, they became curious and ran off happily with their grandma. Only Hayden and Stacey were left in the kitchen. Stacey felt a bit embarrassed. After a moment of hesitation, she asked, ¡°What are you going to do? Would you like me to help you? I¡­ I can also cook some food¡± ¡°But it¡¯s just ordinary food,¡± Stacey added quickly. Hayden nced at her with a faint, affectionate smile. He handed her a handful of vegetables and said, ¡°Help me chop these up Stacey hurriedly agreed. ¡°Sure!¡± She went to chop the vegetables, but couldn¡¯t help wondering why a man like Hayden could cook. Hayden, busy at work, suddenly exined, ¡°When Jeremy was in his mother¡¯s womb, his body was harmed by an abortive drug. After he was born, his health was much worse than that of ordinary children, so he needed extra care. ¡°So you learned how to cook?¡± Stacey asked, unable to hold back her curiosity. Hayden nodded and said. ¡°Yes.¡± He hesitated for a moment before adding, ¡°Jeremy was very insecure when he was young. He didn¡¯t trust food prepared or cooked by anyone else.¡± Hearing this, Stacey felt sympathy for Hayden, It must have been tiring to care for such a child. But now Jeremy seemed healthy. Aside from being unable to speak, he showed no other differencespared to ordinary children, which indicated that the Hoggard family took good care of him. ¡°You are a good father,¡± Stacey thought to herself. After saying this, she added, ¡°I will work hard to be a better mother in the future.¡± Hayden smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯ve done well.¡± The Carter family hired a maternity nurse, but Stacey had always taken on many responsibilities herself, which he had noticed. ¡°What are you nning to make tonight?¡± Stacey couldn¡¯t help but ask out of curiosity. Hayden nced at the ingredients and then turned to her, asking. ¡°Is there anything in particr you want?¡± ¡°If you need more ingredients, just let me know,¡± he added. Stacey quickly shook her head, saying, ¡°No need. These¡­ Looking at the ingredients, she realized most of them were her favorites. ¡°These are my favorite dishes, she remarked. After saying that, Stacey felt a bit puzzled again. ¡°Did your cousin buy all these dishes?¡± she wondered. Their preferences seemed very simr. Hayden paused and nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± He had asked Catherine to buy these dishes for her. Hayden was indeed skilled at cooking, and the dishes looked beautiful with exquisite shapes. Stacey was stunned. Thinking of what Loretta had said, she couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Is this how you guys cook?¡± ¡°What?¡± Hayden looked confused. Stacey pointed to a te of vegetables artistically carved into a ferest theme on the table. These aren¡¯t even regr 11, Aug + 91% vegetables, are they? The vegetables were arranged to resemble forest,plete with a deer¨Clike shape made of meat. The entire dish looked like a scene from a dreamy forest. Hayden nced at the dish and said, ¡°Most kids would like this. Stacey was speechless, thinking, ¡®So, Hayden prepared this for Jeremy?¡± ¡°Did you learn to do this for Jeremy?¡± she asked, unable to hide her admiration. Hayden was truly impressive. Hayden nodded, replying, ¡°Yes.¡± They used to create such dishes to coax Jeremy, but now they could do the same for Lillian and Kevin, hoping the two kids wouldn¡¯t end up fathers at such a young age. So, it was indeed useful for men to learn how to cook! The food was delicious and beautiful, but the only downside was that it took a long time to prepare. Meanwhile, Lillian and Kevin, along with Debra and Marissa¡¯s family, were visiting the little garden. Captivated by the exotic nts, Lillian, Kevin, and Debrapletely forgot about the two people working in the kitchen. Lillian and Kevin¡¯s curiosity peaked further when Loretta pulled them along, and they eximed ¡°Wow!¡± at the sight of another flower.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Hearing this, Loretta racked her brain to share everything she knew about those flowers. Debra, a flower lover, cultivated many flowers at Hivalis¡® family home as well as in her hometown of gua City. Due to regional differences, the nts grown in each ce varied. She adored many flowers from Daprein¡¯s hometown, so she couldn¡¯t resist taking pictures and sending them to her husband, who was still in his hometown. When Patrick received the photos from his wife, he examined them closely, studying the varieties,nguage, growth habits, and blooming characteristics of each flower. He knew that his wife would want to discuss her experiences when she returned. If he couldn¡¯t engage in the conversation, he would surely be in trouble! While he admired the flowers, Adrian received a message from friend. Adrian had previously asked him to investigate Jenny¡¯s case. Although there was no conclusive evidence yet, he had a vague sense that something was off. It seemed likely that Jenny was not the only one involved; her mother might be significant too. His friend had sent Adrian several documents detailing findings from private detectives. ording to the records, Edwin¡¯s current wife, Dorothy, and Jenny¡¯s adoptive mother, was actually her biological mother. Jenny was born to Dorothy while she was in college and dating her ex¨Cboyfriend. Due to their student status at the time, the baby was abandoned shortly after birth. After graduation, Dorothy moved to Menterra and became a secretary for Edwin. However, the story behind was less than morous. Dorothy became Edwin¡¯s secret lover, aware that he was married. Their rtionship was a well¨Ckept secret known only to a few. When Edwin and his wife eventually divorced, Dorothy became his legitimate spouse. It was notable that Edwin and his ex¨Cwife had a son and a daughter, but tragically, both children died in a car ident a year after Dorothy and Edwin married. Losing his children deeply affected Edwin, causing him immense grief. Throughout this time, Dorothy remained patient with him, and eventually, she suggested that they adopt a child, leading to the arrival of Jenny 0 Love And CHAPTER 204 Is there any clear evidence that Edwin¡¯s ex¨Cwife¡¯s two children were killed by Dorothy? And I asked you to look into the cause of death of Jenny¡¯s ex¨Chusband¡¯s daughter and find solid proof. After reading the message, Adrian sent a reply to hisContent bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. friend. The person on the other side was silent for a while, and then finally spoke up, feeling it was somewhat difficult. [I had someone investigate it for a long time and found some vague information, but it¡¯s almost impossible to get exact evidence since so many years have passed.] [I can pay more.] Adrian replied without hesitation. Then I¡¯ll talk to them again. His friend replied. [Thank you.] Adrian replied. As soon as he sent the message, the door to his room creaked open slightly, and a small, fluffy head peeked in from behind the door. Hearing the sound, Adrian turned around and saw the little boy¡¯s face, which looked almost identical to his own¨Cjust in miniature form. He mediately softened. ¡°Damian Adrian stood up and walked toward the little boy. When he reached the door, Adrian squatted down, one hand gently resting on the boy¡¯s shoulder while he pushed the door open with the other. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I want to eat ice cream!¡± the little boy said, his voice bright and cheerful. Adrian took a breath and hesitated for a moment. Then he responded, ¡°But your mother doesn¡¯t allow you to have any.¡± ¡°I want ice cream!¡± the little boy insisted. After a moment of thought, Adrian picked him up. ¡°Are you thirsty? Daddy will get you some water.¡± Adrian carried the little boy into the living room, carefully cing him on the sofa before turning to pour water. He poured a ss of water for the child and deliberately used two cups to cool the water before turning back and handing it to the boy. Isabe taught him this method. Isabe is the mother of his son. Six months ago, he had a strange encounter when he found a lost child on his way home. The child was only three years and standing alone in the street. Inexplicably, he thought of Becky¡¯s two ildren, and somehow he feltpelled to walk out of the store and bring the child back from the street before taking him to the police station. When he arrived at the police station, he exined that this was a lost child. old. However, he was met with suspicion from the police. They all stared at him and the child¡¯s face repeatedly. Ultimately, they educated both him and the child about safety, making sure not to scare such young kids. Adrian felt confused at that moment. It took him a while to realize that the little boy looked almost exactly like him. The police then coaxed him to answer many questions. Only after listening to his story did they understand that he had been with his mother since childhood and had never known his father. One policeman held back for a long time before suggesting that they do a paternity test because the resemnce was too striking. To convince Adrian, the man even took pictures of them standing next to each other. Looking at the photo, Adrian felt a rush of realization. This child looked so much like him. The police asked the child¡¯s age, and when he replied ¡°three years old,¡± they inquired if Adrian had done anything significant three years ago: Sat, Aug Initially, Adrian wanted to say no¨Che had never been in a rtionship. But just as the words were about to escape his lips, a sudden memory shed in his mind. Three years ago, while gathering evidence for a case, something unexpected had happened. ¡°Could that child be from that night?¡± Adrian¡¯s heart raced at the thought. Now in his thirties, his parents had been pushing him to get married and start a family. He had always thought it didn¡¯t matter¨Cliving alone was fine for him. But when he saw his child standing there in front of him, he felt an overwhelming mix of happiness and surprise. The child was too young to remember his mother¡¯s contact information, making it hard to find her right away. So, Adrian decided to take a sample of the child¡¯s hair and do a paternity test. He asked his friend for help, and soon the results came back: the child was his biological son. This child, who had suddenly appeared in his life, was truly his own. The police quickly learned the news and everyone was shocked, though it felt like a normal oue since the father and son looked so much alike. Adrian¡¯s mother must have been very worried about the missing child. In the days that followed, he kept a close watch on the situation at the police station, eager to learn more about the child¡¯s mother. They waited all day until midnight, and finally, she arrived at the station in a panic. The mother had been searching for her child for a long time without sess; he had been missing for over twenty¨Cfour hours. After Isabe reported her missing child, she broke down and sobbed in the police station. This was the anguish of a mother who had lost her child. She was scared and desperate, not knowing what to do. Every part of her was trembling¨Cher voice, her hands, her feet. She was terrified because her baby was gone ¡°Mom!¡± The child, still by Adrian¡¯s side at that moment, spotted the woman and immediately ran over. Seeing her lost child, Isabe was taken aback. She clutched him tightly, almost squeezing him in her embrace. Later, Adrian pestered them. Now that they had a child, he believed it was his responsibility to work hard and provide for them aplete family. But when he first saw Isabe again, memories of that night flooded back, and he realized he didn¡¯t care as less about love as he thought he did. Unfortunately, winning over a girl isn¡¯t easy, especially one whose heart has been broken. But he was determined. After spending more than half a year getting to know Isabe, she began to trust him more and more. Sometimes, when life got busy, she would let him take care of the child, even teaching him some parenting tips, like how to cool baby water. At the start, he was inexperienced and made plenty of mistakes. But now he felt much more confident. Christopher took the water Adrian handed him, drank a few sips, and then made his way back to his room. In the past six months, Adrian had adjusted to this routine, but he still followed him in. He took out some Lego and began to y with Damian. Isabe had always been the sole caretaker of the child. With her busy work schedule, she barely had time to y with him. During these months, Adrian noticed signs that Damian might be struggling psychologically, appearing quite withdrawn. Aside from eating, drinking, and using the bathroom, he spent most of his time alone in his room, avoiding conversation and ignoring anyone who tried to engage with him. After discussing his concerns with Isabe, they decided to take Damian to the hospital together. The doctor reassured them that the issues weren¡¯t too severe but rmended that adults needed to pay more attention to the kid. Spending quality time with him would help his personality slowly develop in a positive way. CHAPTER 205 91% In Daprein. Stacey and Hayden had been busy in the kitchen for long time before dinner was finally ready. Lillian and Kevin were called in for dinner. Seeing the delicious dishes on the table, their eyes lit up with excitement. Even Loretta was shocked. ¡®Is this really cooked by my uncle? Wow! It looks delicious tool It looks even better than what Dad madel she thought. At that moment, Loretta suddenly felt a little bit jealous. She nced at Lillian and Kevin and then couldn¡¯t help but look at her uncle. ¡®Could L¡­ make Uncle Hayden my dad?¡® she thought. However, this thought quickly passed through Loretta¡¯s mind. She shook her head and pushed that dangerous idea away. No. I¡¯d better not. Although Daddy¡¯s cooking isn¡¯t as good as Uncle Hayden¡¯s, she makes cakes for me and Mom every day Besides, Daddy builds beautiful castles and takes me and Mom on trips every year. Daddy is also very nice, and I don¡¯t need to have a new one! she thought. Debra was also amazed. When Hayden said he could cook, she was actually a bit shocked, but at that time, she thought Hayden would just make ordinary home¨Ccooked dishes¨Cnothing too surprising. Even people from wealthy families sometimes liked to cook for themselves. But Debra didn¡¯t expect that the dishes Hayden could make were anything but simple home¨Ccooked meals; they were simply amazing. ¡°Hay, these dishes¡­ thank you,¡± Debra said. Being a smart person, she quickly realized that Hayden was trying to impress Becky with all this. Hayden looked at Debra and smiled, ¡°Becky helped too. We made this together.¡± Debraughed broadly and nodded repeatedly. ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and eat together.¡± Hayden invited them with a smile. Marissa and Joey were still staring at Hayden, the couple was also amazed by the spread. They knew that Hayden wanted to show off in front of Becky and her two kids, but they didn¡¯t expect him to have such skills. ¡°Daddy, I want to eat that bird!¡± After sitting down, Kevin said excitedly while pointing at a dish. Hayden smiled and agreed, ¡°Okay¡± ¡°Daddy, I want to eat that flower! The red one is so beautiful!¡± Lillian eximed, looking at the red flowers decorated on another te. Hayden looked at Lillian and nodded with a smile, ¡°Okay!¡± Loretta felt anxious as she watched her younger brother and sister make their choices. She looked around the table and finally spotted the deer dish. She quickly shouted, ¡°Uncle, I want that deer!¡± Hayden responded as usual, ¡°Okay.¡± He then started serving the three children their chosen dishes: Kevin wanted the bird, Lillian wanted the red flower, and Loretta wanted the deer. ¡°Wait a minute!¡± Just as Hayden¡¯s spoon was about to go down, Debra rushed to stop him. Hayden halted and looked up at Debra.. Debra quickly grabbed her phone, saying anxiously, ¡°Wait a minute! I need to take a photo first!¡± Everyoneughed at this. Hayden couldn¡¯t help but chuckle, and Stacey also took out her phone, secretly snapping many photos of the beautifully arranged dishes on the table. While cooking in the kitchen, she had already taken several photos because the dishes looked stunning. She didn¡¯t dare to believe that such beautiful meals could be made with those familiar ingredients.. She wanted to capture all the dishes so she could practice at home. Cooking such cute and beautiful food should help with getting children to eat, especially Jeremy. Since Lillian and Kevin grew up, she hadn¡¯t noticed that the two kids were picky eaters. They almost ate whatever was served. But Hayden had put in the effort because Jeremy was a picky eater. When Jeremy was at her house, he was very well¨Cbehaved. He would eat whatever was presented to him and never caused a fuss. However, this kind of obedience made Stacey feel a bit distressed now. Jeremy is also a child who should be as carefree as Lillian and Kevin. There¡¯s no need for him to be so obedient and sensible in front of other people. He doesn¡¯t have to please others; he could be favored!¡® She thought. After taking photos, everyone began to eat dinner. Hayden first served all the dishes that the three children had requested into their bowls, and then the adults joined in. But facing such a beautiful spread, Stacey didn¡¯t know how to start. Every dish was perfect; it felt like a shame to eat it. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Hayden¡¯s voice suddenly came from beside her. Stacey was startled. Her body reacted faster than her brain, and she immediately shook her head. ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Hayden frowned slightly, worried that she didn¡¯t like the food he had prepared. Stacey was speechless. Everyone was secretly observing Stacey¡¯s expression. Marissa felt excited to see Hayden in a rtionship up close, while Joey was also curious about the situation. Debra was a bit intrigued, thinking. This table of dishes really reflects his feelings. Becky is not someone whocks senses: she should be able to discern good food from bad, right? Just¡­ I think these dishes are so beautiful that it would be a pity to eat them,¡± Stacey admitted, noting that everyone was watching her. Her ears turned red with embarrassment.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Hearing this. Hayden smiled. He picked up the serving fork and ced a dish he knew Stacey liked into her bowl. ¡°Enjoy it Marissa held her bowl and felt a twinge of envy. She thought, ¡®A Hayden is so good at this. Why didn¡¯t I see it before? Joey watched as Marissa stared at Hayden and felt a little sad in his heart. Though he knew Hayden was just his wife¡¯s cousin, seeing their connection stirred something in him. He picked up his fork and said to Marissa, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Stacey noticed the interaction between Joey and Marissa, which made her feel less embarrassed. She sighed with relief. ¡°Everyone, on. You don¡¯t have to pick up food for me. L¡­ can serve myself, Stacey mumbled. But Hayden didn¡¯t seem to hear her; he kept serving dishes for Stacey throughout dinner. When she finished one dish, he¡¯d offer her another. Marissa also had her husband serve her food. Although Lillian and Kevin were young, they had developed the habit of serving each other at home. From time to time, they would pass food not only to each other but also to Loretta. Seeing her younger siblings picking food for one another made Loretta proactive too. She grabbed her small fork and carefully picked up food for them. As a result, Debra found herself alone at the table. Fortunately, even though Lillian and Kevin were busy serving each other, they asionally remembered their grandma and turned to pick some food for her. Debra finally felt included; she felt her love for the kids paid off. Sat, Au CHAPTER 206 As Hayden kept scooping food onto her te, Stacey ate much faster. Quickly, she felt full and put down the silverware, thinking, ¡°If I put down the silverware, surely Hayden won¡¯t put food on my te again, and I wouldn¡¯t feel so embarrassed and awkward. However, when she was done eating, she realized that others still weren¡¯t done. Thus, she sat there awkwardly. not knowing what to do. Hayden gave Stacey a knowing look, causing her to feel her hair and on end. Despite that, she maintained herposure and stayed calm. After a while, Lillian and Kevin were finally full Kevin put down the silverware and turned to Stacey. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m full. I want to wash my hands now.¡± Lillian and Kevin had the habit of washing their hands after eating Hearing Kevin¡¯s words, Stacey hurriedly stood up and took them to wash their hands. First, she brought Kevin, followed by Lillian. Once everyone was done eating. Joey helped to clean up the table before Stacey could. Once again, she was at a loss. After a while, Stacey and Hayden went to the yard together. He smiled and reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t be so jittery. Marissa and Joey aren¡¯t outsiders.¡± Stacey¡¯s mouth opened and closed again. She wanted to say something but didn¡¯t know what to say. I¡¯ve asked someone to gather some information on Mr. Fraley. It¡¯s already been sent to your mailbox. You can have a look at it after you get back to the hotel. We¡¯ll visit him tomorrow,¡± Hayden added at the next moment, Stacey was surprised. ¡°You gathered information?¡± Then, she quickly returned to her senses and thanked him, ¡°Thank you At Stacey¡¯s gratitude, Hayden nced at her, making her apprehensive. ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hayden suddenlyughed and shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to tell you that I won¡¯t force you, so don¡¯t be too nervous.¡± Stacey¡¯s mind went nk. It took her a while to realize what he meant by not pushing her, and her ears reddened instantly With the information Hayden provided on Eugene, Stacey felt like she couldn¡¯t wait any longer. She couldn¡¯t stay at Marissa¡¯s home anymore. She wanted to return to the hotel as soon as possible, open those documents, and study them thoroughly. After careful consideration, she finally said goodbye to Marissa. Marissa didn¡¯t seem surprised at Stacey¡¯s goodbye. She and Joey even happily offered to send Stacey, Lillian, and Kevin back to the hotel. Not knowing how to refuse their kindness, Stacey had no choice but to ept it. There were still two cars. Marissa drove one car which Debra, Gwen, and Marie rode in. Meanwhile, Joey drove another car which Stacey, Hayden, Lillian, and Kevin got on. In the narrow space, Stacey and Hayden sat very close to one another again. They were so close they could catch whiffs of each other¡¯s scents whenever they took a breath. Fortunately, Lillian and Kevin were also in the car, so Stacey didn¡¯t feel as awkward since she had to take care of them. The cars soon arrived at the hotel and stopped at the entrance. Debra exited the car with Gwen and Marie. Subsequently, after the car was parked, Stacey also brought Lillian and Kevin out of the car with her. Then, Hayden also got out and stood with them. Marissa and Joey smiled, said their goodbyes, and then left. Stacey sighed in relief after watching them leave. However, when she looked back, she found Hayden watching her. She inexplicably became skittish again. ¡°What?¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. @ +91%%% Hayden hesitated momentarily and then questioned, ¡°Are you is nervous when facing clients at work too?¡± Stacey was confused, while Debra stood beside her, watching their conversation unfold quietly. Hayden said seriously, ¡°If you are that nervous in front of clients too.¡± ¡°Till try my best to get used to it,¡± Stacey quickly promised. Hayden chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s hard to get used to that alone. How about practice with you if you don¡¯t mind?¡± Hearing this, Debra¡¯s eyes lit up as she watched them silently. However, Stacey was befuddled. ¡°How do we practice?¡± Lillian and Kevin were also curious. They looked up at Hayden, who they already took as their father, and Stacey. When they were just about to ask more, Debra fortunately reacted instantaneously. She immediately covered their mouths before they could. ¡°When adults are talking, children shouldn¡¯t simply interrupt. Yes, indeed, that¡¯s right,¡® she thought. Hayden peered at Stacey with a smile and didn¡¯t answer her immediately. Debra then spoke to Stacey. ¡°Becky, why don¡¯t you talk with Hayalone? Gwen, Marie, and I will bring the kids back first. Without waiting for a response from Stacey, Debra immediately called Gwen and Marie to take Lillian and Kevin away. They left so speedily that Stacey couldn¡¯t even react in time. Hmm¡­ I really want to know what kind of practice method Hayden was talking about though. He¡¯s right. I don¡¯t have much work experience, so I get nervous easily, which is a big taboo in the business world,¡® she analyzed mentally. ¡°You¡­ Do you have a way to practice this?¡± Stacey couldn¡¯t help but ask. Hayden smiled and reached out to hold her hands, but Stacey immediately grew shy and tried withdrawing them. Despite that, he didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Becky, look into my eyes¡± Stunned, she looked up nkly into his eyes. Hayden continued insisting, ¡°Look at me. Don¡¯t think about anything. Just look at me like this¡± Stacey froze in a stupor. After a while, she tried doing as he said and gazed at hiru with her mind left nk, Hayden also watched her but stayed still and waited for her to adapt gradually. After a long while, Hayden asked, ¡°Do you still feel as nervous as before?¡± Stacey was speechless. be Hayden looked at her and said seriously, ¡°Becky, start with me. I practice with you. What do you think? If you canfortable around me and not feel nervous, I believe you¡¯ll also be much more rxed and less nervous when facing other people. She remained speechless. Hayden smiled but added, ¡°We¡¯re going to meet Mr. Fraley tomorrow. If you can¡¯t control your emotions and act nervous, do you think you can persuade him to join Carter¡¯s Jewel?¡± .. Stacey hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s not just Mr. Fraley. You¡¯ll have to face a lot of people in the fature, Becky. If you really want to inherit Mr. Carter¡¯spany, you must first gain courage and confidence, Hayden advised. Stacey still hesitated. ¡°But It¡¯s not good for us to mingle like thi Hayden lifted their hands. Earlier, they were only holding hands but right then, he deliberately interlocked their fingers É« 91% together. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything bad about this. We¡¯re both unmarried and single. Additionally, our children like each other very much. I think it¡¯s best if we are together.¡± ¡®Here he goes again, Stacey thought as her cheeks flushed red, and her cars burned up with warmth. Love And CHAPTER 207 hapter 207 Hayden looked at Stacey¡¯s red cars and smiled. He gently lowered his head, kissed her on the lips, and asked, ¡°Trust me, okay!¡± Her heart was pounding. Stacey could hardly look at him anymore. She wanted to break free, but her hands and feet wouldn¡¯t budge, as if they were controlled by something. ¡°We¡¯ll be very happy together, as well as Lillian and Kevin, Jeremy, and the other children,¡± Hayden promised. Stacey finally broke free from his grasp. She turned around and ran away quickly. Hayden was stunned for a while before holding his hands together, a smile curling at his lips. Stacey didn¡¯t reject him. Thus, his efforts these days hadn¡¯t been in vain. At least, she wouldn¡¯t have directly told him they were ipatible like before. At that, Hayden decided to work hard, While thinking that, a person suddenly appeared from the corner. It was Queenie. Hayden frowned instantly, turning around and walking in the direction Stacey left. Queenie ran over anxiously and tried to grab Hayden¡¯s arm, but Hayden turned around and avoided her. ¡°Queenie, you¡¯re an adult now. You should be more mature,¡± Hayden said indifferently. Queenie paled, croaking, ¡°H¨CHayden¡­. Do you really like Becky? His bad mood suddenly brightened when he heard her question. He smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes¡± Queenie suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart. She demanded, ¡°What about Jeremy? If we get back together, Jeremy can have aplete family. We¡¯re his parents. The smile on Hayden¡¯s face slowly disappeared. He looked at Queenie and sneered. ¡°You keep repeating the same thing. Is that the only thing you know? Who taught you to say that! Your mom or your dad?¡± Queenie¡¯s face darkened even more as Hayden continued. Hayden stood straight before Queenie. He gave off a domineering air as he was a head taller than her. ¡°Queenie, let me repeat. We have divorced, so stop pestering me. If you refuse to listen, I don¡¯t mind asking your grandfather to discipline you.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Your¡± Queenie gasped, staring at Hayden with a gloomy face. Hayden turned around and left expressionlessly. Queenie anxiously wanted to catch up with Hayden. However, she paused after recalling his words. She couldn¡¯t keep pestering him anymore. By how afraid his grandfather was of the Hoggard family, he would stop her from pestering Hayden if thetterined to him. The most important thing was the family¡¯s shares. Queenie¡¯s grandfather was more biased toward her cousins, so he might end up giving all thepany¡¯s shares to them. 09:11 Sat, Aug 3 Debra took the children back to their room and asked the maid to take them to bathe. After ying outside for a whole day, their body was covered in sweat and sand. It felt sticky and ufortable. Stacey headed back before they finished their shower. As the door was locked, Stacey rang the doorbell several times. Seeing there was no response, she felt a little confused. After waiting for a long time, Debra came out of the shower and vaguely heard the doorbell. Thus, she hurried out and opened the door. ¡°Why are you back?¡± Debra was surprised. Stacey was rendered speechless. Not wanting to exin to Debra, Stacey went in without answering. Looking at her daughter¡¯s red ears, Debra soon understood and smiled meaningfully. Debra closed the door after seeing that Hayden wasn¡¯t outside. ¡°Lily and Kev are taking a shower, Debra exined to Stacey after returning to the room. The hotel room they booked was simr to a suite. There were several rooms in it, each with an attached bathroom, so everyone could take a shower at the same time just now, Stacey paused for a moment before nodding. ¡°Okay, Stacey quickly entered the room and closed the door. Her heart was still thumping when she recalled Hayden¡¯s words. She took several deep breaths before heading to the shower with a set of clothes. After taking a shower, she decided she wasn¡¯t in the mood to think about what happened. Thus, she took out herputer and opened her mailbox. As expected, Hayden sent her a new email. It was information about Eugene. Stacey quickly scanned through the information and tried to memorize it. However, she couldn¡¯t help but think about Hayden¡¯s words when looking at the information. Stacey felt nervous. It was easy for her to get nervous when faced with an unfamiliar client. This was unless she could treat her life like a television show. Acting was what she was good at. Thinking of this, she came to the mirror and tried to adjust her expression. When she suppressed her emotions and tried to control herself to act like a confident businesswoman, it seemed to be working. However, life wasn¡¯t like what they acted in dramas. She couldn¡¯t overexpress herself. If she did that, it would give others a bad feeling. Thinking about that, Stacey looked at herself in the mirror and tried to readjust her expression. She tried hard for a time. It took her half an hour to feel good in her skin. However, Stacey wasn¡¯t sure if she could pull it off. long Stacey pulled up Eugene¡¯s profile and read through it twice. After that, she returned to the mirror to train her expression. Someone suddenly knocked on the door, and Lillian¡¯s childish voice sounded. ¡°Mommy! Mommy!¡± ¡°Open the door, Mommy!¡± Kevin also shouted outside. Stacey returned to her senses at once. She hurried over and opened the door. I When the door opened, Lillian and Kevin immediately poked their heads into the room curiously. Stacey was confused by their actions and couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°What are you guys looking at?¡± Kevin turned to look at Stacey and asked in a childish voice, ¡°Where¡¯s Daddy?¡± Lillian was also confused. ¡°Yeah. Where did Daddy go? Didn¡¯t he return with you?¡± Stacey was speechless. ¡°I guess he had already returned home,¡± Stacey answered carefully. Her ears reddened when she thought about how she had dumped him and left. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Daddy live with us?¡± Lillian asked a difficult question again. Kevin said seriously, ¡°Loretta¡¯s parents live together!¡± Lillian nodded firmly. ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Stacey was frightened and hurriedly covered their mouths. She was d that Hayden wasn¡¯t here. Otherwise, she would be embarrassed to death! Pondering about it, Stacey squatted down and decided to exin to them, ¡°Lillian, Kevin, my rtionship with Hayden is different from Loretta¡¯s parents. We¡¯re not married, so we can¡¯t live together. In the future, don¡¯t say such things before Mr. Hoggard¡­ Hayden. Okay?¡± CHAPTER 208 Hearing their mother¡¯s words, Lillian and Kevin were confused. Why aren¡¯t you husband and wife?¡± Lillian asked. Stacey didn¡¯t know how to answer. She remained silent for a while and finally seriously told Lillian, ¡°We¡¯re just¡­ not yet¡± ¡°Then when?¡± Kevin asked. Stacey was speechless. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Can I tell you a bedtime story? Stacey changed the subject. Lillian and Kevin were still children, after all. They¡¯ve always liked listening to their mother¡¯s stories. So when they heard that her mother was going to tell a story, they immediately forgot about their questions just now and agreed happily. ¡°Okay!¡± Lillian agreed. ¡°Yeah, I want to hear the story of the pigs!¡± Kevin said excitedly. ¡°I want to hear the story of dragons!¡± Lillian shouted. Lillian and Kevin quarreled about which story to pick After carrying the two children to the bed, Stacey sat with them. Then, she took out a storybook and started telling them a story. In Hivalis, Adrian cared for Damian alone in their small house for the whole day. It was dark, and Isabe hadn¡¯t returned yet, so he was worried. ¡°Damian, do you miss Mommy?¡± Adrian asked carefully, looking at the miniature version of himself before him. Three¨Cyear¨Cold Damian raised his head slightly and stared at Adrian without saying anything. Adrian weighed his words and said, ¡°It¡¯ste now. Your mother hasn¡¯te back yet. I¡¯m a little worried about her safety. Shall we pick her up together?¡± When Damian heard that Adrian would pick up his mother, his eyes lit up. He immediately nodded and took the initiative to stretch out his little hand toward his father to be carried. Adrian was moved and immediately picked up Damian, as thetter usually wouldn¡¯t let Adrian hold him!Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Damian put his arms around Adrian¡¯s neck, making Adrian happy. He walked to the door with Damian in his arms, changed his shoes, and went out directly. They arrived downstairs and approached a somewhat old Volkswagen. Adrian opened the car door, ced Damian inside, fastened the seatbelt for the child, and then circled to the driver¡¯s seat. After starting the car, they departed. Some time ago, he had specifically asked a friend to buy this car at a second¨Chand car market. The reason was simple. Isabe deeply resented rich second¨Cgeneration scions due to her sister¡¯s experience. Isabe¡¯s sister, Carly Graham, originally had a happy family with a loving husband and adorable children. However, an ident forever shattered this happiness. One evening five years ago, while Carly was apanying clients to negotiate contracts, a despicable scion drugged her and assaulted her. After being vited, she was undoubtedly in pain and filled with resentment¨CIsabelle apanied her sister, and they went to sue that scion. But the scion was rich and easily bribed all the witnesses, getting them to change their testimonies. In court, not only did the witnesses fail to rify the truth, but they also ndered Carly, daiming she seduced the rich scion and used her of being a hooker. They even falsely imed that Carly and Isabelle were involved in fraudulent activities to extort money. Even the surveince evidence Carly and Isabelle had carefully stored was secretly reced without their knowledge. When they were asked to present the evidence in court, the video that yed was not what they intended. It was a shameless adult film instead! That trial caused immense psychological damage to the sisters of the Graham family. As a result of this ordeal, Isabelle 09:11/ Sat, Aug 3 developed a deep¨Cseated resentment toward wealthy people, especially rich second¨Cgeneration scions. 1 @ +91% Because of this, Adrian hadn¡¯t dared to reveal his true identity to Isabelle yet. He continued to pretend to be just an ordinary worker, living modestly and appearing somewhat poor. In front of Isabelle, he dressed, ate, and used things ording to ordinary standards. He dared not use anything bought from home before, fearing Isabelle might discover it and kick him out! He was also fortunate that he had been low profile in the past and not as famous on the inte as his siblings. Otherwise, if Isabelle had casually checked, she would have known his identity, and he would have been finished. He wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance of getting her as his wife for the rest of his life. Carly¡¯s life now was very difficult. After the incident, her husband, Connor Zane, who used to love her dearly,pletely changed. He couldn¡¯t ept that his beloved wife had been vited by someone else. He felt she was no longer pure and often verbally abused her and subjected her to various forms of emotional abuse and sometimes even physical violence. it This situation could have been resolved with a divorce, but the two of them kept arguing about it for years without bringing up. Even when they argued and talked about divorce, it was limited to verbal disputes. They never actually went to the Courthouse to get a divorce. Human emotions wereplex. Even Isabelle couldn¡¯t force her way into her sister¡¯s feelings and marriage, let alone Adrian. Early this morning, Carly¡¯s son, Ronald Zane, called Isabelle, saying his father hadn¡¯te home all night. His mother waited in the living room all night without sleeping. In the morning, she didn¡¯t speak and identally cut her hand while cooking, causing it to bleed. Ronald asked Isabelle to check on his mother. Concerned, Isabelle hurried to her sister¡¯s house upon receiving this call. Adrian wanted to go with her, but Isabelle refused, leaving Damian with him. Adrian obediently stayed home to take care of the child. But a whole day passed by, and Isabelle still hadn¡¯t returned. Adrian became increasingly worried. Finally, heforted Damian and decided to go to Carly¡¯s house together to check on the situation. He drove for about 20 minutes until he finally arrived at the residential area where Carly lived. After parking the car, Damian recognized the familiar surroundings. His little hands immediately tried to unbuckle the seatbelt, eager to get of the car. Adrian quickly went over and unbuckled Damian¡¯s seatbelt, then carried him out of the car. Once on the ground, Damian¡¯s little short legs immediately started running into the building and quickly up the stairs. Worried about losing the child, Adrian hurried after him. They ran up quickly and soon arrived at the fifth floor, where Carly¡¯s apartment was. Damian was already familiar with Carly¡¯s home, and upon seeing the familiar door, he raised his little hand and knocked. Adrian followed closely behind, standing beside Damian. out Inside the house, Isabelle and Carly sat on the couch. The two sisters had been talking all day. Isabelle was hesitating whether to go home when suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The two of them were stunned and looked at the door almost at the same time. They wondered who it was and whether Connor hade home. CHAPTER 209 Carly¡¯s son, Ronald, immediately jumped off the couch on his short legs and ran to the door. He tiptoed, grabbed the doorknob, tried to pull it down, and the door was opened. Damian immediately ran inside. Seeing his mother, the child instantly ran over, hugged her mother, and shouted in a baby voice, ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Isabe hurriedly reached out and picked Damian up. She had taken care of her son since he was a baby, so she rarely separated from him. They had been separated for a whole day by then. As soon as they met, Isabe could feel how much Damian missed her. Carly also noticed Adrianing in. A trace of disappointment shed across her amber eyes, but soon she smiled again. ¡°Adrian, it¡¯s you. Come in and have a seat.¡± Carly hurriedly stood up and went to make coffee for Adrian. Isabe held Damian in her arms, frowned at Adrian, and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Adrian felt a little guilty, but he still replied honestly, ¡°You¡¯ve stayed at Carly¡¯s house for a day: ¡­ Damian and I are worried about you.¡± Carly picked up the kettle and felt relieved after hearing Adrian¡¯s words. Half a year ago, Adrian, looking almost identical to Damian, showed up at Isabe¡¯s house. Thereafter, he followed Isabe and Damian around every day. Carly was really worried that Adrian would be a bad person and that Isabe and Damian would get hurt. At that time, Carly was afraid that Adrian harm Isabe and Damian, so she deliberately moved into Isabe¡¯s house for a period of time and stayed with Isabe. They had known each other for more than half a year, and she finally got to know Adrian a little better. Adrian was a good person. Carly thought that if Isabe was willing, it would be good to marry this man. Isabe would be happy, and Damian would have aplete family with his mother and father who loved him. However, Carly couldn¡¯t help but wonder what Adrian¡¯s family was like. They had known each for more than half a year now, yet they knew nothing about Adrian¡¯s family. If Isabe wanted to get together with Adrian, Carly reckoned they had to find out the situation of his family first. She had to make sure that Isabe wouldn¡¯t be troubled byplicated family matters or rtionships. ¡°Carly, it¡¯s gettingte. Damian and Lare going home now. Don¡¯t worry about your husband. He is an adult and will know how to take care of himself,¡± Isabeforted her sister. Carly nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Adrian didn¡¯t say anything and just watched them talk. Carly saw them out, but when they arrived at the door, she finally couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Isabe, don¡¯t worry about me all the time. You really should¡­ Carly looked at Adrian and added, solve your own problems first.¡± Adrian felt nervous and said in a hurry, ¡°Carly, I will be good to sabe and Damian.¡± Carly nodded. She looked at Adrian, hesitated for a moment, and then said, ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for more than half a year, so we know about your character, but your family background¡­ Chapter 209. ¡°My family is very simple. They are ordinary working¨Css people. Adrian hurriedly said. Carly nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Adrian breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had prepared himself in advance. +90% Carly looked at Adrian and said. ¡°Adrian, if you have time, could you arrange for us to meet up with your familyter on?¡± Adrian was stunned, but he quickly reacted and nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± Carly smiled and nodded. ¡°Great¡± They left the house and went downstairs together. Carly asked again, ¡°Is your family a native of Hivalis?¡± Adrian shook his head and said, ¡°No. Our hometown is in gua City, but we have always lived in Hivalis. Our family has a house in Hivalis. It¡¯s a school district house. It¡¯ll be good for Danianter when he goes to school, but that house was bought any years ago, and it is now very shabby. The price of the house in Hivalis used to be very low, so our family could afford it. If it¡¯s now, we certainly won¡¯t be able to afford it. Lucky that we bought it years ago.¡± Hearing Adrian¡¯s words, Carly and Isabe were shocked that Adrian¡¯s family had a house in Hivalis. But when they heard Adrian exin that the house was bought many years ago, they were not so shocked. The previous house price was indeed not as horrendous as it was now. Adrian¡¯s family was really lucky ¡°So are you going to live with your parents after getting married Carly asked. Hearing this, Adrian was cautious. After thinking for a while, he replied, ¡°Probably not. My parents have retired now. They prefer to go back to their hometown and live there. I don¡¯t think they will stay in Hivalis.¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. ¡°So your mother won¡¯t help you take care of the baby?¡± Carly asked. Adrian found himself at a loss for a moment. After thinking for a while, he said cautiously, ¡°Damian is more than three years old and can go to school. I can send Damian to school in the morning and take him to thepany after school. When I get off work, I will take Damian home with me. At other times, I can take care of Damian and Isabe at home without my mother.¡± Hearing this, Isabe was surprised. ¡°Yourpany actually allows you to bring children along?¡± Hearing this, Adrian nodded and exined, ¡°Yes. My boss is a nice person. I asked him before, and he said it¡¯s okay.¡± Hearing this, Carly and Isabe looked at him with envy. They were envious that he had such an understanding boss. Carly nodded. ¡°That works.¡± Most importantly, she felt that Isabe¡¯s life would be morefortable without the participation of her mother¨Cinw. After all, it was usually difficult for inws to get along. Then again, Carly thought of another point. ¡°Why can¡¯t your mother take care of the baby? Does she have a bad temper?¡± Carly asked tentatively. Although Adrian had a good personality and could take care of the child, what if his mother was difficult to get along with? Would she deliberately make things difficult for Isabe in the future? Carly was worried. Hearing this, Adrian shook his head and said, ¡°No. My mother is very nice. She¡¯s. My father and my mother got married for love. They¡¯ve loved each other all their lives. My father has always spoiled my mother and never asked her to do any housework, so she doesn¡¯t know how to ake care of children.¡± Hearing this, Carly and Isabe were surprised again. Then, they became envious of Adrian¡¯s mother, 18+ 90% Carly was even more pleased with Adrian after hearing that. Since Adrian¡¯s father was so kind to his mother, his family should be good. If Adrian¡¯s personality was simr to that of his father, he would also be nice to Isabe and Damian in the future. Love And CHAPTER 210 Chapter 210 ¡°I¡¯ll have a word with them and arrange a suitable time for us all to get together, Adrian dered. Upon hearing this, Carly nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Good, let us know once you¡¯ve arranged it.¡± Adrian acknowledged her request with a nod, ¡°Sure.¡± As they continued their conversation, they unknowingly arrived at the ground floor of the building. Upon reaching the lobby, Adrian promptly moved ahead to open the car¡¯s door, elegantly helping Isabe and Damian into the vehicle. Carly. observing Adrian¡¯s courteous actions from a short distance, found herself admiring him. Despite his undeniable charm and striking looks that naturally drew people¡¯s attention, she harbored reservations about his loyalty to Isabe. Nevertheless, she firmly decided that should he ever betray Isabe, she would confront him directly. ¡°You should head out now. Drive carefully, and remember, no running through red lights,¡± Carly instructed Adrian with a cautious tone. I¡¯ve got it, Carly. No running red lights,¡± Adrian assured her. With a nod, Carly stepped aside. Then, Adrian started the car and they headed home with Isabe and Damian. After a short drive, Damian, nestled next to Isabe,mented, ¡°Mommy, Daddy¡¯s cooking is horrible. Despite his usual reticence and reserve around others, Damian felt at ease expressing himself around Isabe, which initially masked any underlying issues for her. Adrian, feeling a bit anxious from the driver¡¯s seat, quickly responded, ¡°I¡¯m working on it. Believe me, the cooking has gotten better and it¡¯s not dangerous anymore.¡± Isabe, sitting in the back, gave Adrian a look that made him even more nervous. He quickly added, ¡°I promise it¡¯ll be tasty from now on ¡°Were you frightened staying at home alone today?¡± Isabe inquired softly, turning toward Damian. He initially nodded, then rethought and shook his head. Puzzled by his mixed signals, Isabe pressed, ¡°What¡¯s with the nod first and then the shake?¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Damian took a moment to organize his thoughts before exining. ¡°I missed you when you were gone and felt scared when I couldn¡¯t find you. But then Daddy came home and we yed games together, which made me feel much better.¡± Isabe gave his tiny hand aforting squeeze. With Carly having started her own family, Isabe found she could no longer rely on her as she had in the past. At times, she felt a profound loneliness and uncertainty about her ce in the world. However, everything transformed when she unexpectedly became pregnant with Damian, who then became her new focus and anchor in life. Together, she felt they could make any ce feel like home. away from Adrian¡¯s entry into their life had been unexpected and initially, Isabe feared he might attempt to take Damian her. Over time, however, her fears subsided as Adrian proved his intentions were genuine. He didn¡¯t try to separate Damian from her; instead, he expressed a desire to marry her and build a regr, wholesome family; it was a prospect Isabe had once thought impossible, particrly as she was unaware of who Damian¡¯s biological father was. His birth had been a result of an unnned event. After living together for six months, Isabe realized she did not love Adrian, but neither did she dislike him. Maybe she was simply guarded emotionally, but she acknowledged that if Adrian wasmitted to helping raise Damian and forging a life together, it was an opportunity worth considering. This realization led her to consent to Carly¡¯s suggestion of arranging a meeting with his parents, However, despite her pragmatic approach, the notion of spending her life with Adrian, sharing a bed night after night, still unnerved her. ¡°I don¡¯t love you,¡± she stated bluntly to Adrian. ¡°But if you remain faithful, avoid rtionships with other women, and concentrate on our family and Damian, I¡¯ll consider marrying you. Let¡¯s raise him together,¡± she proposed calmly. Through the rearview mirror, Adrian nodded, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. Besides my mom and Stacey, there aren¡¯t any other women in my life,¡± he assured her earnestly, Isabe, skeptical of his im, wondered how a man as good¨Clooking as Adrian had no other admirers. ¡°I¡¯ve been too busy with work to get involved with anyone,¡± Adrian exined further, hoping to ease her worries. T YURT Isabe¡¯s face hardened as she warned, ¡°You better not be lying can¡¯t stand being deceived. Adrian remained silent, taking a moment to fully absorb the gravity of her words. ¡°Remember, I may only have Carly, but I¡¯m not someone you can dismiss lightly. If you ever hurt me, don¡¯t think I¡¯ll just sit back and ept it, she continued, her tone firm and resolute, As Adrian nced at Isabe through the rearview mirror, despite her evident anger, he found her expression, with cheeks puffed like a pufferfish, strangely endearing. A small smile crept across his face. ¡°All right, if I ever deceive you¡­.¡± he began, his tone lightening. However, his voice trailed off abruptly. The truth was, although he had never been romantically involved with anyone else, he had omitted to tell her a significant detail about his life ¨C his family background. Isabe¡¯s piercing gaze sent a shiver down his spine. Realizing his hesitation might have betrayed him, he quickly added in a rush, ¡°If I ever deceive you, I promise I¡¯ll take care of you for life.¡± Isabe, now visibly upset and suspicious, pressed him further, ¡°How many women have you been involved with before?¡± Realizing the potential implication of her question, she quickly rephrased, ¡°I mean, are you currently seeing someone else?¡± Her suspicion intensified, casting doubt on his suitability as a lifelong partner. Overwhelmed with frustration, she abruptly dered, ¡°Forget it. It seems we won¡¯t be getting married after all. I¡¯m capable of raising Damian on my own. Stop the car. I¡¯ll get a taxi home with Damian.¡± Adrian¡¯s mind reeled. ¡®Why is her intuition so spot¨Con? I only hesitated for a mere second! Desperate to rify the misunderstanding, he pleaded, ¡°I swear, I¡¯m not involved with any other women. If I were unfaithful to you or ever caused you harm, may lightning strike me down? CHAPTER 211 Chapter 211 As Isabe listened to Adrian¡¯s urgent assurances, a nagging doubt lingered in her mind. Though she wanted to press him further, she realized that with Adrian driving, it was not the mothent for a confrontation. She tightened her grip on Damian¡¯s hand, her silence heavy with unspoken frustrations. Adrian, aware of the tension, continued to steal nces at Isabe and Damian in the rearview mirror. Isabe, catching his divided attention, snapped sharply. ¡°Just focus on driving.¡± Her icy tone underscored her concern for their safety, particrly with Damian in the vehicle. ¡°Okay,¡± Adrian replied, nodding solemnly. He understood the importance of focusing on the road and redirected his full attention to navigating through the heavy traffic. The journey home, usually brief, dragged on for an agonizing 40 minutes due to the congestion. Once they arrived, Damian hurried to open the door, but Isabe had already unbuckled herself and exited the car with Damian by her side. Her face showed clear signs of distress from their earlier exchange. ¡°Isabe, please believe me. If I am involved with another woman, may I suffer a miserable death, Adrian implored with earnest sincerity. ¡°Why did you hesitate earlier then?¡± Isabe demanded, her re sharp and using. ¡°I was just remembering how stunning you looked the day we first met. Believe me, I wasn¡¯t thinking of anyone else,¡± Adrian exined, his voice filled with a desperate plea for understanding. Isabe maintained a long, silent stare before turning away and heading toward the stairwell, Damian in tow. Adrian felt a whirlwind of confusion and distress as he followed them to their doorstep. Just as they were about to enter, Isabe suddenly spun around, and the door mmed shut with a resounding bang, narrowly missing hitting Adrian. He instinctively stepped back, standing at the entrance, his hand raised to knock but then hesitated, ultimately lowering it. He was torn over whether to confess his true identity to Isabe. His heart was heavy with turmoil, knowing full well that Isabe and Carly had a deep¨Cseated disdain for the wealthy elite. The thought of revealing his background as one of those wealthy scions filled him with dread, and he vigorously shook his head, thinking, ¡°No, I can¡¯t handle the repercussions just yet. But what do I do for now? Adrian remained conflicted for a considerable time before finally pulling out his phone and searching the inte for advice: [What to do when you¡¯ve identally upset your wife?] He scrolled through various suggestions, ultimately choosing a low¨Ckey approach that wouldn¡¯t overly disturb Isabe and Damian. He ordered a bouquet online and settled to wait patiently outside her door, hoping this small gesture might begin to mend the rift between them. As time seemed to crawl by, the wait felt interminable, but finally, after what felt like an eternity, the flower delivery arrived. Adrian quickly signed for it and, upon the deliveryman¡¯s hopeful look, he generously awarded a five¨Cstar rating, Squatting at the doorstep, Adrian clutched the bouquet of flowers, arranging his features into an expression of profound remorse. Inside, after firmly closing the door, Isabe led Damian further into the depths of their home. Damian frequently turned to look back at the door and then up at Isabe with a puzzled expression. Despite his closer bond with Isabe and a tendency to often overlook Adrian, Damian had, over the past six months,e to appreciate Adrian due to his consistent affection and presence in their lives. ¡°Daddy didn¡¯te inside,¡± Damian observed quietly after a moment. Isabe¡¯s face grew stern as she nced toward the door. She was indeed seething with anger, and after shutting the door with force, she found herself straining to hear any sounds from outside. She half¨Cexpected Adrian to knock, to make some gesture toe in and exin, but the silence was absolute. Isabe wondered, ¡®Has he left?¡® She couldn¡¯t help but feel a wave of disappointment and disillusionment. Over the recent months, she had gradually started to view Adrian as a potential dependable partner. She thought ruefully, Men as expected, I can only truly depend on myself: Resolutely, she turned to Damian and instructed¨Csharply. ¡°Ignore him.¡± Damian gave the door a lingering, hesitant look but eventually turned away, deciding to follow his mother¡¯s directive. ¡°Have you had anything to eat yet?¡± Isabe then asked, changing the subject to distract both Damian and herself.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Damian shook his head and answered, ¡°No.¡± He had previously expressed his displeasure with Adrian¡¯s subpar culinary efforts, especially criticizing the lunch he had prepared earlier that day. Seizing this opportunity to shift her focus, Isabe headed to the kitchen to prepare a meal for Damian. That evening was spent in a flurry of activity; she cooked dinner cleaned up Damian¡¯s scattered toys, gave him a bath, and then took a shower herself, all the while pushing thoughts of Adrian to the back of her mind. The next morning, driven by routine, Isabe went to open the door, only to be startled when Adrian, who had been slumped against it, toppled forward as it swung open Startled, Isabe instinctively reached out to catch him. Meanwhile, Adrian, groggy and disoriented, woke up abruptly. As his senses returned, he quickly stood up and, in his haste, handel the bouquet he had held all night to her. Isabe, taken aback, stared at him. Observing Adrian, who was still in the clothes from the previous day, with dark circles under his eyes and his hair disheveled from spending the night leaning against the door, she hesitated before asking, ¡°You¡­ slept outside all night?¡± Adrian earnestly replied, ¡°Isabe, I¡¯m not lying to you. I don¡¯t have another woman. I swear, it¡¯s only you.¡± Desperate to reassure her, he added, ¡°And I promise, after we get married, I will be faithful to you. I¡¯ll never get involved with anyone else. Despite his heartfelt assurances, Isabe remained silent, her expression stern, but she did not push him away as she had the previous day. Instead, she turned and walked toward the kitchen without a word, her expression neutral. Adrian, seeing a slight softening in her demeanor, felt his spirits lift. ¡°Isabe, I¡¯ll make breakfast today. Why don¡¯t you go back to sleep for a bit? I¡¯ll wake you when it¡¯s ready,¡± he suggested, though she continued ignoring him, reaching for the pasta in the cupboard. Unsure of how else to contribute, Adrian busied himself by re¨Cwashing the dishes. After finishing, he checked the time and realized it was about time to wake Damian. T¡¯ll go wake Damian,¡± he announced. All the while, Isabe remained silent, only sparing a nce at his retreating figure. She was convinced he was hiding something from her. Her intuition was rarely wrong, and his evident guilt from the day before was a clear sign. Yet, given his persistent assurances, she was convinced it wasn¡¯t rted to another woman. However, something else was troubling him. Isabe pondered over this as she watched the water in the pot begin to boil, ready for the pasta. As breakfast was finally ready, a sudden thought struck her. She wondered, ¡®Could he be in debt? Is that why he¡¯s so afraid of me discovering his past? CHAPTER 212 In Daprein, Stacey had specially set aside a day to apany Hayden to meet Eugene. Initially, she was quite nervous about this visit, but once they arrived, she realized that with Hayden by her side, there was nothing to worry about. Instead of introducing her to Eugene under a business pretext, Hayden posed as a suitor, requesting Eugene to design amemorative ring for them. He recounted their story to Eugene, from their childhood to getting separated, to their respective marriages and divorces, and finally, their reunion after many hardships. Originally distant and formal, Eugene became deeply moved by their story. The rtionship between them quickly transformed from formal and distant to warm and friendly. To help Eugene create a ring that truly represented them, Hayden invited him to visit Zentiscape, to see the ce where he and Stacey had grown up and currently lived. Delighted. Eugene epted the invitation with enthusiasm. As they lefi Eugene¡¯s ce. Stacey was still in a daze. She wondered if she was anxious over nothing as it seemed to be something really simple. Back at the hotel, Hayden chuckled upon seeing her dazed expression. ¡°Still in shock?¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Huh?¡± Stacey snapped out of her thoughts, looking at Hayden. Unable to resist, Hayden reached out and pinched her cheek. Just as he had imagined, it was soft and pleasant to the touch. His action, however, surprised Stacey. Hayden quickly withdrew his hand and smiled. ¡°We can¡¯t rush in negotiation. It needs to be done step by step. We¡¯ve invited him to Zentiscape to understand us better. Once our rtionship with him deepens, we can seize the opportunity to invite him to work with Carter¡¯s Jewel. Okay?¡± Stacey nodded hurriedly. ¡°Okay, I see. Hayden, you¡¯re amazing! She couldn¡¯t help but praise him sincerely. Pleased with herpliment, Hayden couldn¡¯t help but reach out and gently hold her hand. His action caused Stacey to tense up again. In the hallway, Hayden pulled Stacey into a corner and kissed her. Stacey¡¯s eyes widened in shock, her mind nk. Hayden observed her reaction and noticed she neither resisted nor struggled. A slight smile yed at the corners of his mouth as he embraced her, deepening the kiss. Finally snapping out of her daze, Stacey pushed him away. Upon sensing her resistance, Hayden slowly released her, though still lingering with a hint of desire. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I couldn¡¯t help myself,¡± Hayden apologized solemnly after their lips parted. Blushing deeply, Stacey was at a loss for words. ¡°I¨CL¡­ Stacey stammered nervously, Hayden patted her head,ughing softly. ¡°All right, don¡¯t think too much about it, When are you nning to return to the country? As expected, Stacey was distracted by the question. She answered after pondering for a moment, ¡°We should be leaving soon. There¡¯s not much left to do here. If there¡¯s nothing else, we¡¯ll head back.¡± Hayden nodded. ¡°Okay¡± He tilted his head, looked at her, and said seriously, ¡®Once we return, we need to n a detailed itinerary for Mr. Fraley¡¯s visit. We have to include the ces from our childhood and the experiences we¡¯ve had, both past and present. Make our story as appealing as possible, so he not only enjoys ourpany but also falls in love with Zentiscape. This will greatly increase the chances of him agreeing to coborate with Carter¡¯s Jewel.¡± Stacey nodded eagerly. ¡°Okay, I will.¡± Hayden smiled. ¡°Remember to include me in those ns.¡± Upon hearing this, Stacey was confused and dazed. Soon, she returned to her senses and asked worriedly. ¡°Include you?¡± Hayden nodded and exined, ¡°Of course. We invited him to Zentiscape under the guise of me pursuing you. If you¡¯re the only one showing him around ces of our memories, my feelings for you might seem disingenuous.¡± A fake romance wouldn¡¯t impress a top designer like Eugene, who had seen it all. ¡°But won¡¯t this affect your work? You must be very busy. Stacey was hesitant. Hayden chuckled at her words. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My life isn¡¯t all about work.¡± While his responsibilities and career at Hoggard Group were important, making money was just a means to an end. The true purpose was to improve life, to have enough 09.12 Sat, Auy a 19+90% wealth and status to enjoy it In other words, a wonderful life was the essence of existence, not endless work. He had toiled for so many years, and now that he had finally met a girl he liked, he wanted to take a step back, pursue her earnestly, and savor their life together. To him, this was the true meaning of life. ¡°But what about your responsibilities at Hoggard Technologies? Stacey asked, concerned. ¡°I¡¯ll have my dad take over for a while,¡± Hayden replied casually. He had taken the reins at 18, giving his parents a long respite. Now it was time for them to return to the helm for a bit and for him to enjoy life. While Stacey was rendered speechless, Hayden added with a smile, ¡°Rx, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Stacey stared nkly for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Besides, I¡¯m entitled to a vacation. I¡¯ve been working continuously for years without taking any breaks. It¡¯s only reasonable. to take all my umted leave at once,¡± Hayden said. Stacey thought about it and agreed, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± People weren¡¯t machines. Hence, working non¨Cstop would make life meaningless. ¡°All right, once I finish drafting the n, I¡¯ll send it to you for review. If there¡¯s anything amiss, let me know, and I¡¯ll make the necessary changes,¡± she said. Hayden nodded with a smile. ¡°Sure.¡± After escorting Stacey back to her room, Hayden finally left. As soon as he was gone, Debra hurried over and asked anxiously ¡°How did it go? Did you settle everything?¡± Stacey nodded in a hurry. ¡°Yeah, almost. Then, the two of them sat on the couch, and Stacey earnestly recounted the day¡¯s events to Debra. As Debra listened, her eyes brightened and appeared visibly delighted. ¡°I knew it, Hay is a clever boy. Becky, make sure you n well. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand, I¡¯m here to help, Debra said joyfully. Stacey smiled as she looked at Debra and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± CHAPTER 213 Chapter 213 Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else to do here, let¡¯s buy flight tickets for tomorrow and head back. We¡¯ve been here for several days already,¡± Debra suggested. Stacey nodded in response. ¡°Sure.¡± As Debra spoke, she reminded Stacey, ¡°By the way, why don¡¯t you ask Hay when he¡¯s nning to leave? If it works out, we can travel together.¡± Upon hearing this, Stacey was hesitant. ¡°He¡¯s probably going straight back to Strico, isn¡¯t he?¡± Strico and Hivalis had their respective airports. Since they were heading back to Hivalis, Stacey assumed Hayden would head straight to Strico as well. Debra sighed, realizing the practicality. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask him anyway, Stacey said. Regardless, it was only polite to inform Hayden about their departure and check if their ns could align. Debra nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good idea.¡± As it was gettingte, Stacey returned to her room and pulled out her phone to send a message to Hayden. On the other side, Hayden had just stepped into the bathroom with his robe when his phone rang with a special notification. his phone to tone he had set just for Becky. As soon as he heard the ring, he immediately put down his robe and picked up check the message. Stacey texted: [Going back tomorrow?] It was what he had expected, as he also had ns to leave tomorrow. He quickly replied to Becky: [I¡¯m nning to go back tomorrow too, but I need to make a stop in Strico first. Jeremy has been causing a fuss at home, insisting on seeing you. I need to go back and calm him down.] Jeremy¡¯s fondness for Becky had surpassed even Hayden¡¯s expectations. However, it was a good thing. At least, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about Jeremy not liking her when they were together. After reading his message, Stacey smiled warmly at the thought of Jeremy. She quickly replied: [I¡¯ve missed Jeremy too. It¡¯s been a while since I saw him.] Hayden responded: [Tll bring him to see you next time.]] Stacey asked: [By the way, when is Jeremy¡¯s surgery? If possible, I¡¯d like to be there with him.] Hayden replied: [In 20 days, we¡¯ll have to be in Menterra for it.] Stacey thought, ¡°Menterra?¡± She soon understood, given the advanced medical technology there. Before long, she replied: [All right, I¡¯lle to your ce a day earlier, and we can travel to Menterra together with Jeremy.] Hayden agreed: [Sounds good] Having settled the matter, Stacey lingered over their chat for a while, feeling a mix of concern and hope for Jeremy¡¯s surgery. She wanted it to go smoothly so he could be healthy and live like any other child, able to speak. She thought perhaps she should visit a church and pray for Jeremy¡¯s safety as soon as she returned to the country. With that thought, she finally put down her phone and picked up her robe to take a shower. ¡°Mommy! Mommy, where are you?¡± Halfway through her shower, Lillian and Kevin burst into Stacey¡¯s room, calling our her. Upon hearing their voices, Stacey sighed. However, she was already ustomed to such interruptions after caring for the children all this time. ¡°I¡¯m in the shower she quickly responded ¡°Why are you still in the shower? We¡¯ve already finished and want to go to bed now. Before that, we want to hear a bedtime story, Mommy, Lillian demanded with a sweet voice. for ¡°I want to hear one too,-Kevin chimed in. +90% The bathroom door creaked as the two children pushed against, trying to get in. Meanwhile, Stacey continued her shower, pretending not to hear. ¡°Mommy, how much longer are you going to be in there?¡± Lillian asked impatiently. ¡°I¡¯m almost done.¡± Stacey replied quickly. ¡°Are you going to open the door soon?¡± Kevin asked. Maintaining a calm facade, Stacey answered her eager children while finishing her shower. When she finally wrapped herself in her robe and opened the door, Lillian and Kevin immediately clung to her, with one on each side. ¡°Mommy, you took forever! It felt like ages,¡± Lillianined. ¡°Yeah, we almost lost our patience, Kevin added, with a surprisingly serious tone for his age. Stacey¡¯s eyelid twitched as she carried Lillian and Kevin to the bed, removing their shoes and tucking them in. Once they were settled, she took out a storybook and began reading to them. Fortunately, Lillian and Kevin were unusually calm that night and fell asleep after just After breathing a sigh of relief, Stacey gently ced the book on the bedside table, turned off the light, and went one story.. to bed. The next morning. Stacey was jolted awake by a nightmare. In her dream, a massive boulder had fallen from the sky, terrifying her until she woke up. Opening her eyes, she realized the ¡°boulder¡± was Kevin, who had crawled onto her again. At almost two years old, they were solid little weights, and having them climb on her was no joke. Sighing, Stacey rolled over and gently pushed him off. Kevin, undeterred, immediately climbed back up, tugging at her hand. ¡°Mommy, wake up! The sun¡¯s up!¡± ¡°No, it hasn¡¯t. Let me sleep in a bit longer,¡± Stacey mumbled, keeping her eyes shut tight. However, Lillian soon joined in, mbering onto Stacey¡¯s body, adding her weight to the mix. That was enough to force Stacey¡¯s eyes open. Looking down, she saw Lillian and Kevin, now wide awake and full of energy, bouncing on the bed. Resigned and left without a choice, she was forced to wake up. She lifted Lillian and ced her to the side, then sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s time to get dressed!¡± Lillian, the little smarty¨Cpants, reminded her in a sweet, sing¨Csong voice, already reaching for her clothes. Kevin joined in, scrambling to find his outfit. They were still so young, their small hands clumsily grappling with the task. Only after Stacey had dressed herself did she step in to help. She first dressed Kevin in his tiny clothing, then lifted him, and set him down gently on the floor. Lillian was next to get dressed up in her equally tiny clothing before being ced on the floor beside Kevin. ¡°Don¡¯t forget tob our hair, Kevin piped up, his voice filled with insistence. In fact, Kevin¡¯s hair was short and didn¡¯t needbing. However, he would feel left out if only Lillian got her hair done. To prevent any feelings of neglect and to ensure he felt equally loved, Stacey always pretended tob Kevin¡¯s hair too. With a few perfunctory strokes with theb, Kevin beamed with satisfaction. Lillian, with her hair slightly longer but still too short to tie up, received the same gentle attention. A few more strokes and she too was content. CHAPTER 214 Chapter 214 After Lillian and Kevin finished cleaning up, they had to wait in line to brush their teeth and wash their faces. Fortunately, Gwen and Marie came and took over the two children, so Stacey could finally wash herself. When the three of them were done washing up, Debra still hadn¡¯t gotten up yet. Lillian pouted and snorted. ¡°Granny is sleeping in again.¡± Kevin said seriously, ¡°The early bird catches the worm.¡± Stacey was amused as she listened to the children talk. ¡°Well, don¡¯t speak ill of her,¡± she said. The two children were so young. She didn¡¯t know where they learned so many words from Kevin raised his head, looked at his mother, and asked again, ¡°Mom, when will Granny get up?¡± Lillian was also curious. ¡°Yeah, is Granny getting up soon?¡± Stacey didn¡¯t know. She pinched Lillian¡¯s and Kevin¡¯s faces, saying helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Let¡¯s y games for a while, okay?¡± When Lillian and Kevin heard the word ¡°games,¡± their eyes lit up immediately. They eximed eagerly, ¡°Qkay!¡± Stacey asked Marie to bring the puzzles over and then she yed with the two children on the couch. When Debra got up, they had already finished several puzzles. It had to be said that Debra slept in particrlyte that day. When Kevin saw Debrae out, he immediately ran over happily. ¡°Granny!¡± Debra was also happy. She bent down to pick Kevin up andforted him, ¡°Wow, Kev, you got up so early?¡± Lillian ran over and said seriously, ¡°Granny, we didn¡¯t get up early. You got up toote.¡± Debra was amused and pinched Lillian¡¯s chubby cheek, saying, ¡°Yeah, yeah, it¡¯s Granny who got upte. You two are very well¨Cbehaved¨Cgoing to bed early and getting up early. That¡¯s great!¡± ¡°Have you washed up, Mom? It¡¯s gettingte, so I ordered breakfast,¡± Stacey said. The hotel also had catering services. They just wanted to taste Daprein¡¯s delicious food a few days ago, so they went out to eat. After having fun for a few days, however they had enough of it, so today, they ordered from the hotel¡¯s catering service. Debra was stunned and nodded. ¡°All right.¡± It was veryte now, and there was no time to eat out. They had a flight to catchter, so it was better to eat in the hotel. They waited for a few minutes before breakfast was served. After breakfast, they began to pack their things. They didn¡¯t realize how much they had until they packed up, and it was shocking. When they came here, the suitcases were empty. Now they were all stuffed full, not to mention some things they bought a few days ago had to be mailed back. Luckily, they managed to pack everything in. Once everything was ready, it was gettingte. They hurried downstairs with their luggage and took a taxi to the airport. It felt like they were far away abroad from home, but in truth, it was only a few hours away by ne. Patrick picked them up outside the airport, right on time. Lillian and Kevin hadn¡¯t seen their grandfather for days, so as soon as they saw him, they ran over excitedly. Patrick was also overjoyed. He bent down and hugged the two cute children. After kissing them, Patrick looked up at Debra and Stacey and said happily, ¡°The car is outside. Let¡¯s get in first.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Debra was happy too. Patrick had brought his assistant along, and the assistant took the initiative to take the luggage Debra and Stacey were pulling. They quickly left the airport and got in the car. After sitting in the car, Patrick asked with a smile, ¡°How was it? Did you have a good time?¡± Aug + GAll text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Debra¡¯s eyes lit up, and she nodded, ¡°Of course. Have you seen all the photos I sent you?¡± Patrick smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, I have.¡± Ãü+62%µÄ 5 The couple began to discuss happily. Stacey watched them and felt a little envious. She thought, ¡®Dad is really good to Mom. She¡¯s so happy.¡¯ Back home, Lillian and Kevin began to run around again. Fortunately, Marie was following them, so Stacey and the others didn¡¯t have to worry too much. It took her a whole day to pack things up. After she was done, she finally calmed down. Stacey thought of inviting Eugene to visit Zentiscape, so she quickly turned on herputer and got busy. She opened a file, only to freeze up again. Hayden talked about her childhood. But she hardly remembered anything about it. How was she going toe up with a n? After thinking for a long time, Stacey had no choice but to shut down theputer. ¡®Why don¡¯t I ask Mom and Dad? They should remember my childhood, Stacey thought. She imthediately left her room and returned to the first floor. Her parents were both in the living room. Stacey hurried over and asked them seriously. While Stacey was upstairs, Debra told Patrick about their encounter with Hayden in Daprein and how he had helped them, especially the invitation to Eklonna¡¯s new productunch event. After that, Hayden took Stacey to meet Eugene. No matter which incident she was talking about, Debra felt sweet. Hayden was so kind to them, which showed he truly cared about Stacey. In her opinion, this sincerity made her the happiest. Patrick was d to know these things. When they heard their daughter ask about her childhood, Patrick and Debra immediately spilled the beans, as if they wanted to talk about everything that happened when she was a child. Stacey also listened carefully. After a while, she pulled out her phone and began to take notes. A few hourster, Patrick and Debra finally finished reminiscing. Their mouths were a little dry, so they hurried to drink some water. When Adrian came back, he felt that the atmosphere at home was strange. ¡®Why is it so quiet?¡® he thought confused. Lillian and Kevin had different personalities from Damian. He remembered that those two were rather lively. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t it be more lively here?¡® Lillian and Kevin were still young. Seeing their uncleing in from outside, they suddenly felt a little confused. After a while, it was Kevin who recognized Adrian first. He immediately put down the toys and ran toward Adrian, shouting softly ¡°Uncle Adrian!¡± Seeing Kevin, Adrian was also overjoyed and bent down to pick him up. Lillian finally remembered who the man was. She got excited and ran happily toward Adrian with her favorite doll calling in a childish voice, ¡°Uncle Adrian!¡± Adrian squatted down and hugged Lillian too, giving her a quick kiss. Looking at the two kids running toward him, his doubt was cleared up. A doting smile spread across his face. Patrick, Debra, and Stacey finally found Adrian. They all looked at Adrian with surprised expressions. CHAPTER 215 Chapter 215 ¡°Adrian.¡± Stacey smiled and walked toward Adrian, surprised that he hade back. Debra also said happily, ¡°Why are you back today? Where¡¯s your girlfriend?¡± As Debra spoke, she sneaked a nce behind him. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t see her future daughter¨Cin¨C, and she was disappointed. When Isabe was mentioned, Adrian became serious. ¡°Isabe didn¡¯te back with me. Her situation is a littleplicated, but her older sister wants to meet you all.¡± ¡°Sister?¡± Debra was confused. Patrick was also surprised. ¡°Her sister wants to meet us? Does that mean this is like a meeting between family? Have you two progressed that far already?¡± When Debra heard this, a thought crossed her mind. She instantly snapped back to her senses and realized this had to be a meeting between family! Her already cheerful mood became even more so. What could be more important than her son¡¯s future? Nothing! Thinking of this, Debra pulled Adrian to the couch and thoughtfully poured him a ss of water. She hurriedly asked, ¡°Adrian, tell us. What¡¯s going on with you and that girl? How far have you two progressed? When are you nning to get married officially?¡± As Debra spoke, she suddenly became anxious and excited. ¡°Right, shouldn¡¯t we start preparing? After our meeting would be the engagement and then the official wedding, right?¡± Debra then added excitedly, ¡°We can¡¯t let the girl feel slighted. Whether it¡¯s the engagement or the wedding, we have to make it grand!¡± Adrian was at a loss. He then carefully confessed, ¡°Dad, Mom¡­ Isabe and I¡­ already have a child, a son, who is three years old.¡± What? Patrick and Debra were confused. Their minds went nk, and they stared at him in a daze. Stacey was also shocked and looked at Adrian in surprise. They already had a child, and the child was three years old? So, how long had Adrian been with t girl?Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. As Adrian thought about it, he began to recount everything that had happened. Debra waspletely unable to react. She stared nkly at Patrick before turning to Stacey, trying to find resonance with her family. emotional After a long time, it was Stacey who spoke first. ¡°So Isabe, who will be my sister¨Cinw, still doesn¡¯t know about our family¡¯s status?¡± Adrian turned to Stacey and nodded seriously. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already bought an old house near the best school in Hivalis and had it cleaned up. You just need to disguise yourselves a bit and asionally stay there for a few days.¡± The anxious Debra turned to Adrian and asked in a serious tone, Adrian, isn¡¯t it wrong to hide this from her?¡± Adrian sighed. ¡°I have no choice. If she finds out about my identity now, she definitely won¡¯t agree to marry me.¡± 18 Debra frowned. ¡°But what you¡¯re doing is deceiving her into marriage. Adrian, I don¡¯t support you doing this.¡± Stacey thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t either. I wouldn¡¯t like being lied to either.¡± 3 Ãü62%•þ Looking at Debra and Stacey, Adrian inexplicably thought of the time Isabe said she didn¡¯t like being lied to. Was it true that all women were like this? Adrian hesitated. ¡°But they really hate rich people¡­¡± Patrick said seriously, ¡°What about the rich guy who assaulted her sister? Adrian, we can¡¯t let this go. Since you want to be with Isabe, we have to stand up for her sister and make sure they¡¯re not bullied.¡± Hearing this, Debra and Stacey also agreed. Adrian said earnestly, ¡°I¡¯m already investigating, but this happened many years ago, and much of the evidence was destroyed by that rich guy back then. I¡¯ve found some thifigs and sent them abroad to be restored. I don¡¯t know if the evidence can be recovered.¡± Patrick breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Dad, Mom¡­ So, can I trouble you to pretend to be ordinary people for now?¡± Adrian requested cautiously. Patrick, Debra, and Stacey didn¡¯t know what to say. Debra could only helplessly say, ¡°Adrian, it¡¯s not that easy for us to pretend. Your father, Bryce, and I rarely appear in public in front of the media, so it¡¯s easy to get someone to delete our information, but Charlie and Becky¡­¡± Adrian looked at Stacey, who looked back at him. They exchanged looks but stayed silent. ¡°How about Becky and Charlie not attend the meeting for now? After some time, I¡¯ll definitely tell Isabe the truth. After that, I¡¯ll formally introduce everyone to her and her family,¡± Adrian suggested. Patrick looked at Adrian disapprovingly. Debra also frowned and asked, ¡°When do you n to tell her the truth?¡± Adrian looked troubled. He hesitated for a long time and finally said, ¡°I¡¯m investigating her sister¡¯s case. If I find concrete evidence, we can help her with the case and send that rich guy to prison. Then, I¡¯ll tell Isabe the truth.¡± By then, Isabe and Carly probably wouldn¡¯t hate rich people as much anymore. After all, not all the rich people were bad. The living room fell silent, and no one spoke. After a long time, Patrick said, ¡°Since you¡¯re nning to tell her the truth after helping them with the case, then hurry and get the case overturned as soon as possible. Don¡¯t keep hiding it from them.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Adrian immediately agreed. up Thinking of the child Adrian just mentioned, Debra couldn¡¯t help but get excited and hurriedly asked, ¡°Adrian, you just said that you and Isabe¡­ Her name is Isabe, right? The two of you have a three¨Cyear¨Cold child? Where is he now? What does he look like? Is he super cute?¡± Adrian had a gentle look in his eyes when he thought about Damian. He took out his phone and showed them Damian¡¯s photo. Debra, Patrick, and Stacey immediately leaned in, curious to see Damian¡¯s photo. With just one look, all three were stunned. Stacey was even more surprised. ¡°He looks like Adrian.¡± Debra nodded fervently as she looked at Damian. Even just from the photo, she became emotional. She loved her cute grandson already. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± Debra asked after a while, unable to contain her excitement and curiosity. 62% ¡°His name is Damian Graham. His mother and aunt gave him that name in hopes that he will be a strong person when he grows up,¡± Adrian exined. ¡°Damian? That¡¯s a good name.¡± Patrick also smiled. Looking at the child in the photo, who looked almost identical to Adrian, Patrick continued happily, ¡°When are we going to meet them? When we do, we¡¯ll get to see the child, too, right?¡± CHAPTER 216 Chapter 216 ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a problem,¡± Adrian said with a smile. Patrick and Debra got excited instantly. Stacey was also happy, but when she thought about her situation, she felt depressed. How could Isabe like this? She wanted to see them as well! Stacey looked at Adrian with an impatient expression. she approach Damian and Adrian felt inexplicably guilty under her gaze. He hesitated for a moment and then exined, ¡°Well¡­ Becky, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to go. After some time, when I tell Isabe and her family the truth about our identities, I¡¯ll introduce you to them as soon as possible.¡± Stacey felt both sad and envious, but in the end, she could only agree with tears in her eyes. After that, Patrick and Debra became nervous. They were so used to a wealthy lifestyle that they realized they didn¡¯t know much about ordinary living. To avoid being noticed as unusual when they met, they decided to learn about ordinary people¡¯s lifestyles and habits and work hard to control their actions and expressions. Not only that, but they also had to pick out gifts for Damian, Isabe, Carly, and Ronald. By their usual standards, they would have simply chosen the best, but now, because of the need to keep their identities hidden, they couldn¡¯t give anything too conspicuous. Yet, when Patrick and Debra considered more ordinary things, they felt they weren¡¯t good enough for their grandson and future daughter¨Cinw, which made them very worried. Stacey originally wanted to help pick out gifts, but as she started nning, Patrick and Debra stopped her. Debra asked her not to worry about these things and to arrange Eugene¡¯s affairs as soon Stacey should stay in touch with Hayden andmunicate with him more. possible. She also mentioned that Perhaps bymunicating more, they could discover more childhood stories they didn¡¯t know about, like certain ces or little stories only Hayden remembered. In the eyes of Patrick and Debra, Adrian¡¯s marriage was important, but Stacey¡¯s future was equally important; both needed attention. While they arranged Adrian¡¯s affairs, they also had to urge Stacey. They couldn¡¯t let this carefree woman forget about her arrangements with Hayden. What if that rtionship faded after a long time? The thought of it broke Debra¡¯s heart. Stacey was not a fool. She could sense that her parents were trying to set her up with Hayden, and she was actually very confused now. From their time together, Hayden seemed like a really good man. She understood her mother¡¯s concerns. If she were to miss the chance to be with such an excellent man, she might never have another opportunity like this in her life. But was it really necessary to ept another person so soon? Every time Stacey thought about this, she still felt uneasy and couldn¡¯t understand her feelings. She undoubtedly didn¡¯t dislike Hayden; she even¡­ kind of liked him. Q 62%1 When Hayden approached her and kissed her, her heart would beat faster. She wasn¡¯t stupid; she knew what that feeling was, but after a failed marriage, she was terrified of entering another one.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. ¡°Dad, Mom, no matter what, I still want to pick out the most suitable gift for Isabe and Damian. Even though I can¡¯t go to the first meeting, I have to prepare gifts. Those gifts can also be kept forter. After Adrian confesses his identity to Isabe, we can give them to her, just like the ones you prepared for me before.¡± Stacey looked at her parents and spoke firmly. She would never forget the feeling she had when she reunited with Patrick and Debra and saw the gifts they had prepared for her year after year. Even though the gifts were very precious, it didn¡¯t matter if they were just ordinary gifts. Just knowing that her family had been preparing something for her year after year, never forgetting or neglecting her, the feeling of being touched wouldn¡¯t change.. Now, preparing gifts for Isabe and Damian was the same. Even though she couldn¡¯t attend their first meeting due to special circumstances, she couldn¡¯t skip preparing gifts for them This was her way of showing her feelings for Isabe and Damian. After hearing Stacey¡¯s words, Patrick and Debra thought she made a lot of sense, so they agreed with her arrangement. Debra said seriously, ¡°Okay, go ahead and prepare. But don¡¯t forget about Hay. You promised a few days ago that you would apany Jeremy for the operation. Make sure you remember that.¡± Stacey replied, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°By the way, have you informed Bryce and Charlie? Since we¡¯re preparing gifts, let¡¯s let everyone know so they can get ready.¡± Patrick turned to Adrian. Adrian answered, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll tell themter.¡± ¡°No need to wait. It¡¯s after work hours now; why don¡¯t you call them now and share the good news? Get Bryce to take two days off ande back. His identity is not as sensitive as that of Charlie and Becky. He can join the meeting,¡± Patrick replied. Adrian agreed, ¡°Sure.¡± As such, Adrian called Bryce and Charlie immediately in front of everyone. To be precise, he used his phone to call Bryce and Debra¡¯s phone to make a video call to Charlie. With both phones together, he could talk to both brothers simultaneously, avoiding repeating the same thing several times. Once the calls connected, Adrian told them what he had said to his parents and Stacey. Bryce and Charlie reacted the same way as the others; they were stunned. Charlie was especially shocked. He couldn¡¯t believe it and even questioned, ¡°You have a wife? And your child is already three years old?¡± Adrian turned to look at the phone with Charlie¡¯s video call and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Charlie blinked and joked, ¡°Did you recently go to a random country and eat some poisonous mushrooms? Are you hallucinating?¡± Adrian¡¯s face darkened at once, and he snapped, ¡°I¡¯m not hallucinating; it¡¯s real!¡± ¡°Then I must be hearing things! I must be dreaming now! What is this? I¡¯m crazy to have such a dream!¡± The next Charlie muttered to himself. Suddenly, the screen went ck because Charlie ended the call unterally. ment, 12:05 Sun, Aug 4 G ti Adrian was perplexed. Ãü62% Stacey was also stunned. She wondered what Charlie meant by that. But then she soon figured it out and found it amusing. Charlie must be in denial about Adrian having a girlfriend and a three¨Cyear¨Cold child. Since Charlie thought it was absurd and unreal, he must have thought this was all just a dream! That was too funny! CHAPTER 217 Chapter 217 On the other side, Adrian was rendered speechless by Bryce¡¯s words. But, the most important thing now was about Adrian. What Adrian just said was incredibly shocking. ¡°Adrian, everything you said is true, and I haven¡¯t heard it wrong? You have a girlfriend and a three¨Cyear¨Cold child?¡± Bryce asked again to confirm. Adrian agreed, ¡°Yes.¡± Bryce couldn¡¯t help but think of what Charlie had just said. He was now feeling uneasy and wondered, ¡®Could it be that not only was Charlie dreaming, but I was also dreaming?¡® ¡°Adrian, please wait for a moment. Let me calm down first. I¡¯ll call you back,¡± Bryce finally said cautiously. Adrian was speechless. Bryce hung up the phone soon. He was obviously unable to react and couldn¡¯t ept the reality. But, it was understandable, as it happened so suddenly and shocked everyone. A few minutester, Charlie called back with excited chatter. He double¨Cconfirmed that what he had just heard was true. Overwhelmed with excitement, he immediately shouted that he wanted to see his sister¨Cinw and nephew. However, he was soon turned down by Adrian. Adrian told him that due to his prominent identity and that of Becky, they couldn¡¯t be introduced to Isabe and Carly for the time being. Thus, they couldn¡¯t meet Isabe and Damian yet. Charlie waspletely stunned. After understanding the whole situation, he couldn¡¯t help but unleash a tirade against Adrian. But, despite his outburst, Charlie finally agreed reluctantly. At the end of the call, Debra reminded Charlie to take some time to prepare a gift for his future sister¨Cinw and nephew. Although due to special circumstances, he and Becky couldn¡¯t meet Isabe and Damian, the gift should not be forgotten. Hearing that, Charlie nodded and thought, ¡®Of course. They are my future sister¨Cinw and nephew, after all.¡® Afterforting Charlie, Bryce called back again. Adrian patiently exined it to him. Stacey watched as Adrian exined the same thing repeatedly to Bryce and Charlie. ¡®No matter how many times he had to exin, the smile on his face remained radiant. Since having his wife and son, Adrian has indeed changed from how he used to be,¡® she thought. In the next few days, Stacey got busy. While preparing meeting gifts for her future sister¨Cinw and nephew, she was thinking about entertaining Eugene.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Thinking that she would apany Jeremy for surgery in a few days, Stacey picked a cute little gift for Jeremy when she was buying gifts for Isabe and Damian. And of course, she also prepared gifts for Lillian and Kevin. However, Stacey didn¡¯t expect that she would run into J in the mall when she was focusing on choosing gifts. The moment they looked at each other, the two were stunned. To be honest, since her identity was made public, Stacey hadn¡¯t met with J privately. ¡°This seems to be the first time in while. After such a long time apart, J seems to have changed a lot, Stacey thought. The clothes J used to wear were always thetest ones in the season, fashionable and beautiful. But now, Stacey could tell at a nce that J¡¯s clothes were from a long time ago. J didn¡¯t have thetest clothes anymore. After her real identity was exposed, Gary and Karen kicked her out of the Mitchell family and froze all the bank cards given to her. Not only that, but they also sued her, demanding repayment of 12:05 Sun, Aug 4 G
Chapter 217 over 20 years¡® worth of support. + 62% Also, everything she did in the past was dug up byizens. After being cklisted online, major brands started withdrawing their endorsements of her. Not only that, but she also had to pay sky¨Chigh breach¨Cof¨Ccontract penalties to these brands. Although she did quite well in the entertainment industry in the past, she used to spend money extravagantly and ended up spending all her earnings. She didn¡¯t have any money left to pay the penalties. Recently, she had been in an extremely desperate situation. The worst part was that if she couldn¡¯t pay the penalties in time, she might even face restrictions on travel and spending. At that point, she might not be able to buy train or ne tickets. Thepany even reced her manager, Lisa, directly after the incident. She used to disdain Lisa for being useless and not bringing any resources to her, but now thepany had assigned her a new manager. The new manager, Flynn, was notorious in thepany for being a pimp. He liked to use unspoken rules to exploit the artists under his management and then use them to make dirty money. Thepany¡¯s sudden decision to have Flynn manage her was obvious to even a fool. J had been harassed several times in the days when she was managed by Flynn. If she hadn¡¯t been mentally prepared in advance and remained vignt, doing her best to avoid any chance of being alone with Flynn, she might have already been defiled. However, that kind of avoidance could onlyst for a while. As long as her contract with thepany had not ended and she was still in Flynn¡¯s hands, something would eventually happen sooner orter. These days, J had been struggling. She must find a way to break free from this predicament. But what could she do? The Mitchell family had abandoned her and even wanted her to repay the previous support costs. Her biological parents were even more relentless,
  • it.
    • Why did Reba deserve such good parents, while hers were so terrible? If she could be with Ryan, if one day in the future she could rece Ryan¡¯s current wife as the real Mrs. Zane, she could turn her life around just like Reba and be a top¨Css socialite. With that belief, J sold several out¨Cof¨Cseason bags and used the money to buy thetest clothes She was reluctant to sell them. But at the same time, she knew clearly that to get close to Ryan, she had to wear thetest fashion. She had to dress beautifully and appear in front of Ryan to have any chance of catching his attention and advancing her position. However, J didn¡¯t expect to encounter Reba here. ¡®How unlucky!¡® she thought. CHAPTER 218 Chapter 218 Stacey and J didn¡¯t speak, nor did they have anything to say. Their gazes met briefly, and after a moment of stunned silence, they looked away. Stacey continued shopping. She bought Jeremy some cute furry clothes. She also bought the same for Lillian and Kevin but in different sizes. She bought these cute clothes because she found that many of Jeremy¡¯s clothes looked serious and formal. They even looked a little adult¨Clike sometimes, resembling Hayden¡¯s style. It was not surprising that Jeremy looked like his father, but he was still young. Stacey thought Jeremy could also wear some childlike clothes to make him look much more lively and joyful. After buying the clothes, Stacey continued shopping. But after shopping around for a long time, she still couldn¡¯t figure out what Jeremy actually liked. It seemed that despite spending so much time together, Jeremy had always been very well- behaved in front of her, appearing to like everything. But, she inexplicably wanted to choose something that Jeremy liked. At the thought of that, Stacey took out her phone and texted Hayden. ¡®Hayden raised Jeremy all by himself. He should know what Jeremy would like, right?¡® she wondered. Meanwhile, in Strico, at the CEO¡¯s office of Hoggard Group, Hayden and Jack stared at each other, both exuding a powerful aura. Despite the pressure from Jack, Hayden remained unflinching. He expressionlessly ced a thick stack of documents on the table and said, ¡°All the documents that need to be handed over are here. I¡¯ll give you three days to review them. If you have any questions, you cane and ask me. After three days, I¡¯m going on vacation.¡± Jack couldn¡¯t stay serious any longer upon hearing that. He said aggrievedly, ¡°Haydy, give me one more month, okay? Let me rest for another month, and I¡¯ll definitelye back.¡± Hayden¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change when Jack called him Haydy. He remained expressionless and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Jack was speechless. Just then, Hayden¡¯s phone rang. It was a special ringtone. Jack was caught off guard by that ringtone. Then, he widened his eyes and looked at Hayden¡¯s phone curiously. Hayden blocked the phone screen, looked at Jack, and said coldly, ¡°Read the documents. You only have three days. If you don¡¯t finish the handover within three days, I¡¯ll report you to Mom.¡± When Jack heard that, his pupils dted. He couldn¡¯t believe it and said, ¡°Hay! You¡¯re 29 years old, you¡¯re an adult now. Jeremy is three years old already, and you¡¯re still being a tattletale?¡± ¡°Why not? Mom is still alive. I¡¯m still a child in front of her,¡± Hayden retorted expressionlessly. Overwhelmed by anger and aggrievance, Jack eximed incredulously, ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have had children! Jack was as angry as a bull, but in the end, he walked over to his desk and started reading the documents. Hayden saw that Jack was finally obediently reading the documents, so he stopped watching Jack. Instead, he went to sit on the couch opposite and took out his phone to read the messages that Becky had sent him. Looking at the phone, Hayden¡¯s entire demeanor changed. He no longer had the cold and detached aura he disyed when confronting his father earlier. Instead, he exuded a gentle and refined charm, creating a very pleasant feeling. Jack secretly raised his head and nced at Hayden. He was stunned again. He disdainfully curled his lips and thought, ¡®Is this my son? Howe I barely recognize him? That warm smile of his is so ugly. He is acting like he is the only one in a Aug +62% rtionship. Who is he showing off to? It¡¯s impossible to win against Hayden. As long as this bastard is shameless and reports to his mother when something happens, I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. So, why do people have children? What a trouble!¡® While thinking, Jack started to read the documents. At first, he read slowly, but after a while, he gradually regained his rhythm, and his reading speed increased. After sending the message, Stacey felt a bit uneasy, worried that she might be interrupting Hayden¡¯s work. However, she was surprised to learn that Hayden wasn¡¯t working. Hayden mentioned that Jack had arrived, and he was currently handing over his tasks, so he wasn¡¯t busy at the moment. Stacey was quite astonished. Last time, when she heard Hayden say that he could have Jacke back to work, she was shocked. But after thinking about it, she understood. However, understanding it in principle and epting it emotionally were two different things. Hayden now told her, even if it was just through the inte, that Jack was back, and they were in the process of handing over the work, she still felt surreal. But, Stacey didn¡¯t say anything. She could vaguely sense that the family atmosphere in the Hoggard family should be quite good. Hayden¡¯s rtionship with his parents seemed to be pretty good too. Otherwise, Jack wouldn¡¯t go over immediately when Hayden asked him to do so. Hayden didn¡¯t need to rush about work, which made Stacey feel relieved. She began to discuss Jeremy¡¯s preferences with him and even sent him photos of a few sets of clothes she had bought for Jeremy. They chatted for a long time, and before they knew it, time had passed. Stacey had unconsciously browsed several shops. In the end, she also got to know Jeremy¡¯s preferences and habits.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Jeremy wasn¡¯t very fond of items that could be bought directly from outside. He preferred things that were handmade with care by loved ones. For instance, Jeremy didn¡¯t like eating food from outside and usually only ate the food his dad cooked. Even his clothes were handmade by Hayden. After understanding all that, Stacey was actually confused. Jeremy only ate the food cooked by his father, which was understandable, but wearing handmade clothes really shocked Stacey. She didn¡¯t expect that Hayden made Jeremy¡¯s clothes himself. ¡®Jeremy was too picky. Or should I say that Hayden is an amazing father? Is there anything else that Hayden couldn¡¯t do?¡® she thought. After realizing that, Stacey looked at the designer clothes she was holding and suddenly felt unsure if she should give them away. It suddenly urred to Stacey that Cynthia could make clothes. She thought, ¡®Why don¡¯t I go to Cynthia and ask her to teach me to make some clothes for Jeremy?¡® While thinking of that, another thought came to her mind. ¡®What if I¡¯m really interested? Kids¡® clothes are so small and cute. The process of making them would be enjoyable, right? After learning how to make them, I can make clothes for Kev and Lily too. They have never worn clothes made by myself yet!¡¯ CHAPTER 219 Chapter 219 After spending the entire day shopping, Stacey not only prepared wee gifts for Isabe and Damian but also ended up buying a mishmash of items. She had been contemting Eugene¡¯s trip n to Zentiscape and finally decided to discuss it with Hayden. Realizing that Hayden could have a vacation, she was much happier. Once Hayden didn¡¯t need to work, she didn¡¯t have to worry that her constant texting and chatting would dy his work. With that in mind, Stacey carefully sent a message to Hayden, asking him about their childhood. In Hoggard Vi, Hayden looked at the message from Becky with a doting smile on his face. Then, he typed slowly and earnestly told her about their childhood. ***** Meanwhile, in Leavey Vi, Queenie returned from Daprein only to discover that she had be the family¡¯sughingstock. Her unsessful attempts to pester Hayden in Daprein not only prevented her from attending Eklonna¡¯s productunch event with him but also led to her being mocked due to her dress. Someone even secretly recorded her embarrassing incident in the mall and uploaded it to the Leavey family¡¯s group chat. Her father, Gavin Leavey, was the first to see the video in the family group chat. With a darkened expression, Gavin called Queenie immediately to ask about the situation in detail. After Queenie received Gavin¡¯s call, she hurriedly checked the family group chat. As soon as she scrolled through the chat and saw the video sent by her cousin, Liam Leavey, her face instantly turned pale. The embarrassing incident captured in the video left her utterly mortified. Thoughts raced through her mind, ¡®No! How did this happen? How would someone record my embarrassing moment in Daprein? Who could it be?¡± Queenie¡¯s mind was overwhelmed with questions, desperately trying to unravel the person behind it. The first person who popped out of Queenie¡¯s mind was Hayden, but she dismissed that possibility in just a mere heartbeat. She believed in Hayden¡¯s character. Besides, she knew Hayden wouldn¡¯t resort to such furtive tactics if he wanted to deal with her. However, her thoughts quickly shifted to another person ¨C Becky! As that option came to her mind, Queenie was certain it was Becky. Considering that she and Hayden were previously married and she wanted to reconcile with Hayden, while Becky intended to hook up with Hayden, Queenie believed it must be Becky. ¡®Becky must be afraid that I¡¯ll get back together with Hayden, so she used such a dirty trick to deal with me. How shameless she is!¡® Queenie thought resentfully. Suddenly, the door was pushed open from the outside, interrupting Queenie¡¯s thoughts and startling her. But she was relieved to see that it was Florine who entered. ¡°Queenie, what happened with that video? H¨CHow could someone capture you in such an embarrassing situation?¡± Florine asked, her concern evident as she stepped inside. Queenie was irritated by the question and told Florine about her guess, Upon hearing her suspicion, Florine frowned and hesitated, ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s Becky?¡± Queenie was full of resentment. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anyone but her Florine agreed and nodded. After reconsidering, she hurriedly said, ¡°Queenie, Hayden is yours. You can¡¯t give up on him. If you hadn¡¯t thrown a tantrum before, you wouldn¡¯t have divorced¡­¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Queenie was frustrated. ¡°But Hayden doesn¡¯t seem to like me at all.¡± She hesitated, then told Florine what Hayden had said to her in Daprein Florine¡¯s face darkened when she heard that. ¡°Did he really say that?¡± Queenie nodded and confirmed, ¡°Yes.¡± Chapter 219 C 57% Florine was silent for a while before looking at Queenic and said seriously, ¡°Queenie, don¡¯t give up first. I¡¯ll think of another way. The Hoggard family can¡¯t be so heartless. You have a child with Hayden, and the Hoggard family must consider it for the child. How can the child live with a stepmother instead of his biological mother?¡± After a short ponder, she finally added calmly, ¡°Queenie, let¡¯s change our n. Don¡¯t pester Hayden directly. You look for Jeremy and ask him to say that he doesn¡¯t want Becky to be his stepmother. The Hoggard family cares about him very much. If Jeremy doesn¡¯t agree with Becky as his stepmother, the Hoggard family will surely not allow Becky to marry Hayden.¡± When Queenie heard Florine¡¯s words, she inexplicably thought of the time she secretly went to the kindergarten to visit Jeremy but found he wasn¡¯t particrly fond of her. ¡°Mom, Jeremy doesn¡¯t seem to like me very much,¡± Queenie said anxiously. Florine took Queenie¡¯s hand and said confidently, ¡°Queenie, you might not fully understand this, but no child in the world dislikes their biological mother, especially at such a young age. Thest time you visited Jeremy must have caught him off guard, leaving him scared. Let¡¯s find a way for you to spend more bonding time with Jeremy. I¡¯m sure Jeremy will definitelye around and support you afterward.¡± Queenie thought Florine¡¯s words were reasonable, so she nodded and agreed. While they were talking, Queenie¡¯s phone suddenly rang again. It was her grandmother, Chermaine Leavey. Looking at the caller ID, Queenie suddenly felt nervous. ¡°Pick up the call,¡± Florine reassured her. Queenie hesitated for a moment and then answered it. ¡°Grandma,¡± Queenie greeted on the phone. ¡°Queenie, are you busy recently?¡± Chermaine asked in a kind voice. Yet, Queenie had nothing to keep her busy. Hudson didn¡¯t let her go to thepany, so her sole focus at that moment was to find a way to reconcile with Hayden. She replied cautiously, ¡°I¨CI¡¯m not busy recently, Grandma. Is there anything I can do for you?¡± She couldn¡¯t admit to Chermaine that she was busy. After all, she still hoped to work in the family business. If Chermaine had informed Hudson of her busyness, Hudson would have been even less inclined to let her join. ¡°Nothing. I just haven¡¯t seen you for a long time. I miss you. Queenie,e back to see me if you have time. Let¡¯s have some talk. We haven¡¯t chatted for a long time,¡± Chermaine said in a regretful and upset tone. Chermaine truly missed Queenie. Queenie was the child of her eldest son and the first grandchild of the Leavey family. When Queenie was born, Hudson and Chermaine loved her very much and spoiled her as a treasure. However, they didn¡¯t expect her to be so disobedient when she grew up. Although Chermaine was angry, Queenie was still her grandchild after all. She would still feel distressed for her. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go back to Leavey Manor tomorrow,¡± Queenie promised. After finishing her words, Queenie knew clearly that the reason Chermaine would suddenly think of her was all because of the video in the family group chat. However, Queenie had to go back to the manor. ¡°Why do you wait until tomorrow? How about tonight? I¡¯ll have someone prepare your favorite dishes. If you are free tonight, juste over directly,¡± Chermainemanded. Queenie wanted to reject but didn¡¯t know how to say it. She hesitated for a while and finally agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± After promising Chermaine, Queenie said some polite words further and then hung up the phone. CHAPTER 220 After finishing the phone call, Queenie turned to face Florine. There was a seri look on Florine¡¯s face as she said, ¡°Queenie, the fact that your grandma is suddenly reaching out might be connected to that video in the group chat. Don¡¯t worry. When you get there, just admit to your grandparents that you realize your mistakes and are taking steps to correct them. That¡¯s why you went to see Hayden ¨C it¡¯s because you have a child with him, and you want to take responsibility for Jeremy.¡± Queenie gave a small nod of understanding. ¡°Okay.¡± Contemting this, Florine walked over, lifted her hand, and affectionately ruffled Queenie¡¯s hair. With a sigh, she said, ¡°Good luck, Queenie!¡± The warmth in her mother¡¯s words filled Queenie with a renewed sense of bravery. She nodded with determination. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± At this, Florine¡¯s face broke into a relieved smile. That evening, Queenie took some time to make a few preparations and grabbed her bag before heading out to Leavey Manor. It was a manageable drive from their home, taking just over an hour to reach the grand residence of her grandparents. As Queenie¡¯s car rolled through the gates and into the garden, the butler immediately noticed and went to inform Hudson and Chermaine. Hudson, still harboring some residual anger, wasn¡¯t in the mood to greet Queenie with his usual cheerful demeanor. On the other hand, Chermaine, less concerned about the business issues, was more distressed by the ordeals Queenie had endured over the past few years. ¡°Queenie,e here, let me see if you¡¯ve lost weight,¡± Chermaine eximed with a worried expression, pulling Queenie close as she approached. Looking at Chermaine, Queenie felt a twinge of sadness, thinking, ¡°The Leavey family is vast, yet it really cares about me besides my parents. Grandpa used to be kind to me as well, but now¡­ seems only Grandma As these thoughts crossed her mind, Chermaine led her into the living room and gestured for her to sit on the couch. Queenie sat down, facing Hudson, who was sitting across from her with an unyielding expression, not even ncing her way. Her heart pounded with nervousness, fear, and difort. After a long hesitation, she finally managed to utter, ¡°Grandpa.¡± Hudson slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers, his look cold and distant. Feeling a sharp pain in her heart from his cold demeanor, so unlike how he had been during her childhood, Queenie remembered Florine¡¯s advice. She faced Hudson and said earnestly, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m sorry for my actions over the past few years. I was ignorant and I now recognize my mistakes.¡± Hudson responded with a cold snort, though his demeanor softened slightly. Sensing a shift in his attitude, Queenie quickly moved to massage his shoulders, an act of filial respect. After a moment, Hudson gently pushed her away and questioned, ¡°Queenie, do you truly understand your mistakes this time?¡± Queenie quickly positioned herself directly in front of him, nodding emphatically. ¡°Yes, Grandpa. I¡¯m truly sorry. I¡­ I was too headstrong before and it brought shame to the Leavey family.¡± Hudson then asked, ¡°Do you still intend to get back together with that kid from the Hoggard family?¡± Queenie paused briefly before nodding again, looking Hudson in the eyes, ¡°Grandpa, Hayden and I have a child together. I now understand that as a parent, it¡¯s my duty to be responsible for my child.¡± Hudson scoffed, ¡°So now you recognize your responsibilities? You¡¯re not going to chase after that boyfriend of yours anymore?¡± A flecting expression of pain crossed Queenie¡¯s face at the mention of her ex¨Cboyfriend. After a brief pause, she shook her head firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve broken up with him.¡± Hudson mockingly replied, ¡°Breaking up is easy. Today you break up, but who¡¯s to say you won¡¯t want to reunite in a few 09:12 Mon, Aug 5 N. days?¡± The pain in Queenie¡¯s heart intensified when she heard her grandfather¡¯s words, but she shook her head resolutely. ¡°Grandpa, he and I are done for good. We will never reconcile in this lifetime.¡± 57% +5 Reflecting on Hudson¡¯s recent indifference, Queenie felt deeply saddened but remained earnest, ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯m truly sorry for my past ignorance, but I promise to do better. If I remarry Hayden and restore the rtionship between the Leavey and Hoggard families, I¡¯m sure it will benefit the Leavey family greatly in the future.¡± Hearing Queenie¡¯s words, Hudson slowly became serious. He stared at her and questioned, ¡°So you¡¯ve really made your decision to remarry andmit to a good life with the young man from the Hoggard family? You won¡¯t ever seek a divorce again or pursue another lover?¡± ¡®A lover?¡® Queenie thought. She almost wanted to rify that Elden wasn¡¯t just some lover, but considering his recent actions, she reconsidered. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter what Grandpa thinks of Elden now.¡¯ ¡°Grandpa, please stop teasing me. I won¡¯t make those foolish mistakes again,¡± Queenie quickly reassured him. At this point, Chermaine intervened, ¡°Hudson, that¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t frighten Queenie anymore.¡± Chermaine then added, looking at Queenie, ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea for Queenie to remarry Hayden.¡± Hudson nced at his wife, then said resignedly, ¡°Everyone knows the Hoggard family is decent. But do you think they¡¯re foolish enough to just take her back after everything she¡¯s done?¡±All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Chermaine frowned and said, ¡°Don¡¯t Queenie and Hayden share a child together? Let¡¯s talk to them. For the child¡¯s future happiness, it would be good for Queenie and Hayden to remarry.¡± She then sighed, looking at Queenie. ¡°I¡¯ve seen Jeremy at several parties. He¡¯s quite handsome. If things hadn¡¯t gone badly a few years ago, Jeremy would have visited us more often, right?¡± In Leavey Manor¡¯s living room, as Hudson listened to Chermaine¡¯s remarks, he remained silent for a while before finally speaking, ¡°Queenie, if you¡¯re sincere about remarrying, you should put in the effort. Hayden is a good man. You would not suffer by living with him.¡± Queenie nodded vigorously. ¡°I understand. Thank you, Grandpa.¡± Hudson observed her for a moment before saying seriously, ¡°Queenie, if you truly remarry Hayden, I¡¯ll allow you to work in thepany.¡± Queenie¡¯s eyes sparkled at this promise, and she asked excitedly. ¡°Really? Grandpa, you¡¯re not just saying that?¡± Hudson smiled at her enthusiasm. ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡± Ovee with emotion, Queenie rushed over and embraced him. Tears welled up in her eyes as she realized Hudson still cared deeply for her. Chermaine, watching the heartfelt reunion smiled. She checked the time and then invited Queenie to join them for dinner. That night, Chermaine had specifically instructed the housekeeper to prepare several of Queenie¡¯s favorite dishes, knowing she would enjoy them. CHAPTER 221 Chapter 221 Time flew by swiftly, and before they knew it, the day of Jeremy¡¯s surgery was approaching. Stacey, diligent as ever, managed to delegate her responsibilities at work, secured a few days off, and flew to Strico a day earlier than nned to be there for Jeremy. Having been informed in advance of her arrival, Jeremy was Ovee with excitement, he awoke at the crack of dawn, rousing Hayden from sleep with his eager inquiries about when Stacey would arrive. Hayden, though secretly sharing Jeremy¡¯s anticipation, was overwhelmed by ant questions. I¡¯m excited for boy¡¯s Becky¡¯s arrival too, but this kid is driving me nuts!¡® he thought. Hayden said, trying to temper Jeremy¡¯s expectations, ¡°She won¡¯t be here that soon. She¡¯s still got a flight to catch, and she won¡¯t be here until noon at the earliest.¡± After repeating this numerous times, Hayden pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. Meanwhile, Jason and Sharon found the entire scenario rather amusing. Sharon couldn¡¯t resist see: [I don¡¯t want to see her! I dont want to see that woman! I hate her!] tablet before holding it up for Hayden frowned deeply at this and turned to Joshua. ¡°What is she doing here?¡± Joshua sighed. ¡°Ms. Leavey heard about Jeremy¡¯s surgery and said she wanted to be here to support him.¡± ¡°How did she even find out about the surgery?¡± Jason asked, visibly upset. Sharon¡¯s expression was one of annoyance. ¡°Jeremy doesn¡¯t need her here. Tell her to leave.¡± At this, Joshua looked toward Hayden. Hayden remained silent for a moment before decisively instructing, ¡°Do what Grandma said. Let her leave. Jeremy doesn¡¯t need herpany¡± Relieved by Hayden¡¯s decision, Jeremy quickly wrote another message on his writing tablet: [I don¡¯t want her to apany
    1. me. I want Becky!]
    57% Hayden read Jeremy¡¯s words, nodded in agreement, and murmured, ¡°Okay.¡± Joshua promptly ryed the family¡¯s decision and went out to confront Queenie.. At the grand entrance of Hoggard Manor, Joshua faced Queenie with an icy demeanor and unequivocally stated, ¡°Ms. Leavey, neither Mr. Hoggard nor Jeremy wishes to see you. Jeremy has explicitly stated that he does not want yourpany. It would be best if you returned home.¡± Queenie had braced herself for a cool reception, aware that her previous visit had left a bitter taste, and understood that Jeremy might still be wary of her. Nheless, she clung to the advice given by Florine. She had never really spent quality time with Jeremy; his resistance was likely due to her sudden re¨Centry into his life. Queenie believed that children naturally gravitate toward their mothers and that if she remained present and attentive, Jeremy would inevitably gravitate toward her. With this thought, she addressed Joshua with a firm resolve, ¡°Mr. Oswald, I am not here to cause any trouble for Mr. Hoggard. Jeremy is my son, and I am here simply to perform my duties as his mother. Legally, as his mother, I have every right to visit him, and not even the Hoggard family can prevent me from doing so.¡± Joshua¡¯s face remained impassive as he responded tly, ¡°Ms. Leavey, please spare me these exnations. I am merely an employee here and it¡¯s not within my purview to address these issues. Mr. Hoggard and Jeremy have both made it clear they do not wish to see you. You should leave now.¡±Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Queenie was left without words as Joshua turned and walked away. The security guard promptly closed the gate, leaving Queenie isted on the other side. She stood there, a mix of unhappiness and confusion clouding her expression. She had anticipated some resistance, but the outright denial, even when she exined that her intentions were solely to see her son, left her deeply perplexed and unsure of her next move. She thought, ¡®What do I do now?¡® Queenie lingered at the gate of Hoggard Manor, hesitant to leave, yet finding no apparent way to gain entry. It was around H o¡¯clock in the morning when a sleek ck Phantom rolled out from the courtyard of the manor. Queenie immediately recognized it as Hayden¡¯s vehicle; he only used this car for special outings. A surge of nervousness washed over her as she watched the car approach. Her eyes locked onto the Phantom, tracking every movement. However, despite her anticipation, the luxury vehicle merely sped past her, disappearing down the road swiftly. A fleeting impulse to chase after it crossed Queenie¡¯s mind, and she even took a few hasty steps in pursuit before the reality set in that she could never catch up to such a fast¨Cmoving vehicle by foot. CHAPTER 222 Chapter 222 Sitting by the window in the car, Jeremy saw Queenie. Although it was just a fleeting nce, he was still unhappy, and his face was tense. Hayden also saw it. His face darkened slightly, and he was displeased. But he was more concerned about Jeremy and observed his expression calmly. Seeing Jeremy purse his lips and look angry, he took the initiative to speak. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her.¡± Hearing this, Jeremy turned to look at Hayden. After a while, he nodded and said, ¡°Okay!¡± He thought, ¡®I will not pay attention to that woman!¡® ¡°Becky should be at the airport soon,¡± Hayden added. Jeremy¡¯s attention was indeed diverted when he heard about Becky. His clear eyes lit up, and he eximed joyfully, ¡°Yeah, I am so happy!¡± Thinking of Becky, he cheered up with a bright smile. In fact, their departure time from home was a little early. After arriving at the airport, they waited for more than ten minutes before Stacey came out. When Jeremy saw Becky, his eyes lit up immediately. He ran over excitedly and threw himself into Becky¡¯s arms. Queenie had followed Hayden by taxi. When she saw Hayden waiting outside the airport with Jeremy, she found it strange and wondered, ¡®Whom would someone like Hayden personally pick up at the airport? And he even brought Jeremy along?¡± As time went by, she had wanted to go over and greet Hayden or Jeremy many times. But thinking of the Hoggard family¡¯s attitude toward her, she was a little scared and did not dare to go over immediately. Queenie did not expect that she would hesitate for more than ten minutes until Becky came out of the airport. She thought, ¡®So it is Becky! The person Hayden and Jeremy came to pick up in person turned out to be Becky!¡® She, who was calm at first, suddenly became shocked and agitated. When Jeremy happily threw himself into Becky¡¯s arms, she finally could not help but rush over. However, before Queenie approached them, two bodyguards suddenly came over to grab her and pull her away. When she saw the bodyguards who suddenly appeared, her mind seemed to be poured with cold water, and she suddenly sobered up. Queenie subconsciously wanted to run away, but before she turned around to leave, Hayden nced over. Hayden looked at her, and a hint of menace shed across his eyes. She suddenly felt her scalp tingling, and an indescribable fear rose from the bottom of her heart. She froze, unable to speak or move. After greeting Jeremy, Stacey looked up and unexpectedly saw Queenie. She was stunned for a moment, and then the smile on her face slowly disappeared. Queenie also looked at Becky, or rather, Stacey. A hint of pain shed in her eyes for a moment before it turned into hatred. She thought, ¡®Why did Becky take them away from me? Hayden is mine! And Jeremy is my son! Why was she so shameless as to steal someone else¡¯s man?¡® ¡°Ignore her.¡± Hayden¡¯s maic voice sounded above Stacey¡¯s head, and her hand was suddenly held by his. Startled, Stacey subconsciously looked up at Hayden and came back to her senses. Hayden then looked at Jeremy and uttered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They hade to the airport only to pick up Becky anyway. Stacey was a little confused and did not quite understand what was going on, but she would go with them since Hayden said So. t of the airport together. The Hoggard family¡¯s car was parked at the gate. They got in Stacey, Jeremy, and Hayden walked out of the airport together. The Hoggard family¡¯s car the car and left. After the car drove out, Stacey could not help but look back. She wondered, ¡®Didn¡¯t Queeniee with Hayden and Jeremy? So¡­ She is still bugging them?¡® She had mixed feelings. + 57% While Stacey was thinking, a small hand suddenly grabbed her hand. She snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Jeremy. Jeremy looked at her, then took out the writing tablet and wrote quickly. After finishing writing, he held the writing tablet up to show her. She saw that he had written: [Don¡¯t look at her.] She thought, ¡°The ¡°her¡± refers to Queenie, right?¡® When Stacey recalled thest time Jeremy had gone to Hivalis to find her with tears, she could not help but feel distressed. She thought, ¡®Jeremy is just a kid. She gently hugged Jeremy and agreed, ¡°Okay. You are a good boy, Jeremy.¡± Jeremy leaned gently in Becky¡¯s arms. He was reluctant to leave Becky and wished he could keep nestling in her embrace like this. Stacey held Jeremy with one hand until the car drove into Hoggard Vi. After the car was parked, she released her hand. Hayden and Jeremy got up, followed by Stacey. When they got out of the car together, Jason and Sharon came out of the vi with loving smiles. ¡°Becky, you are finally here. I have been thinking of you every day and looking forward to seeing you soon,¡± Sharon said and chuckled. Hearing this, Stacey felt warm in her heart and quickly greeted them, ¡°Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Hoggard. How are you?¡± ¡°Good, good. We are good,¡± Sharon replied with a smile. Jason also responded happily, ¡°Let¡¯s go inside first. Are you tired after such a long flight?¡± ¡°Kam fine,¡± Stacey answered and smiled. Then, everyone entered the vi together. Once inside, Stacey took out the gifts she had prepared in advance and gave them to Jason, Sharon, Hayden, and Jeremy one by one. Everyone was very happy to receive Becky¡¯s gift, but Jeremy was the most thrilled. He held the gift Becky gave and did not want to hand it to Joshua to put away. him tightly ¡°What is it?¡± Hayden nced at the box Jeremy cherished and asked Stacey curiously. He had told Stacey before that Jeremy liked handmade things, so he guessed that she had to have made the gift for Jeremy herself. Stacey was a little embarrassed, and her ears were slightly red. She answered in a soft voice, ¡°It¡¯s clothes. They are not well made, but I made them myself.¡± Hayden¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. Then, he looked at the box in Jeremy¡¯s arms with envy. Jeremy was more surprised. He held the box tighter and refused to let it go. He treasured it even more now.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Hearing that it was handmade clothes, Jason and Sharon were shocked. ¡°Becky, can you make clothes?¡± Sharon asked in surprise. Stacey¡¯s ears turned even redder when she heard this. She shook her head and replied, ¡°I am not really good at it. But I heard from Mr. Hayden Hoggard that Jeremy liked handmade things, so I learned a little from my aunt. This is all I can do.¡± CHAPTER 223 Chapter 223 Stacey exined awkwardly, ¡°Because I am not very good at making clothes, I only made one for Jeremy. The gifts for everyone else were prepared separately.¡± When Jeremy heard that his gift was unique and that only his gift was made by Becky, his eyes became brighter than before. He held the small package in his arms and looked overjoyed. Jason, Sharon, and Hayden were all a little amused and helpless when they noticed Jeremy¡¯s strange behavior. ¡°Well, let¡¯s stop talking about this. You must be tired after such a long journey, right? There is a vacant room upstairs. Would you like to take a nap in the room?¡± Sharon smiled and asked. Stacey quickly shook her head and replied, ¡°No. I am okay.¡± Although she did feel a little tired after flying for the whole morning, she could still take it at her age and did not need to take a nap right away. Jeremy suddenly realized something and immediately held Becky¡¯s hand. Stacey was startled and looked at him. He pulled her up, then turned around and walked upstairs. She hesitated for a moment and finally followed him upstairs. Jeremy pulled Becky into his room, then turned around and closed the door. Hayden, who was shut out of the room, was speechless. In the room, Stacey was also stunned. She didn¡¯t expect that Jeremy would shut Hayden out. She reminded him, ¡°Jeremy, your dad is still outside.¡± Jeremy did not care. He quickly ran inside, opened the package, and checked what gift Becky had prepared for him. Seeing that Jeremy wanted to check out the gift she gave him, Stacey smiled. She couldn¡¯t help but exin, ¡°Jeremy, what I made may not be as good as those your dad made. You don¡¯t have to wear it if you don¡¯t like it. It¡¯s okay.¡± When Jeremy heard this, his hand that had just picked up the clothes paused for a moment. Then, he turned to grab the writing tablet and wrote quickly: [I like it!] He wrote these few simple words big with great force. After writing, he hurriedly handed the writing tablet to Becky. Stacey¡¯s heart was instantly warmed when she saw it. ¡®Jeremy is so sweet, just like a little angel,¡¯ she thought. Smiling, she picked up the clothes, held them close to Jeremy, and thought the size should fit. ¡°Jeremy, do you want to try it on?¡± Her eyes lit up, and she asked with anticipation. Jeremy quickly nodded. Stacey smiled. She held the clothes, thought for a moment, and asked, ¡°Shall I help you change the clothes?¡± Jeremy paused and then shook his head. Stacey was puzzled.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Jeremy took the writing tablet, wrote something, and held it up to show Becky. Stacey saw Jeremy¡¯s writings: [I¡¯ll do it myself.] She wondered, ¡®Can Jeremy change clothes himself already? That¡¯s amazing!¡® Her eyes shed with surprise, and then she smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay, go ahead and change them yourself.¡± Hearing this, Jeremy quickly nodded. After putting down the writing tablet, he picked up the clothes and immediately ran into the fitting room. Knock! Knock! Finally, there was a knock on the bedroom door. +57% Stacey instantly thought of Hayden, who had just been shut out of the room by Jeremy. She hurriedly stood up and went to open the door. The door opened, and Hayden stood there. He was tall, wearing a white shirt. Because he was at home, his clothes were casual with a few buttons on the cor undone, revealing his tanned neck. Stacey¡¯s heartbeat suddenly raced. Fortunately, she quickly reacted and said, ¡°Jeremy is changing clothes.¡± Hayden stood at the door and asked curiously, ¡°Is it the clothes you made?¡± Stacey¡¯s cheeks burned again, and she was a little nervous. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to make clothes before, so I asked Cynthia for advice some time ago. The general design of these clothes was done by Cynthia. I just gave some suggestions on the design and then made the clothes with fabric.¡± Fashion design was the most difficult part. She dared not and could not take all the credit for herself. The most important part of these clothes was the design, and it was all done by Cynthia. She only cut the fabric Cynthia suggested ording to the design draft and then made it into a finished product stitch by stitch. Hayden looked at her, and a smile emerged on his handsome face. ¡°You¡¯ve done a good job.¡± They were talking at the door, and Hayden didn¡¯te into the room until the fitting room¡¯s door was opened, and Jeremy came out in new clothes. Stacey and Hayden looked toward Jeremy almost at the same time. It was a set of bear¨Cthemed clothes, which was very cute andpletely different from Jeremy¡¯s previous clothing style. The moment Jeremy came out, Stacey¡¯s eyes lit up, and Hayden was stunned. Stacey had long guessed that Jeremy¡¯s exquisite face would look great if he wore beautiful and cute animal¨Cthemed clothes, but she didn¡¯t expect him to look so handsome. Hayden was a little overwhelmed. Although he knew Becky made clothes for Jeremy, he thought they were of a of you in this suit? I think you look so cute, and I like it very much!¡± It was the first time Jeremy had seen Becky so happy, so he nodded joyfully. Stacey hurriedly took out her phone and snapped photos of Jeremy. ¡®He is so handsome, isn¡¯t he?¡® she thought. At this moment, she suddenly thought of Kevin, who had always wanted to wear nice clothes. She thought all kinds of animal- themed clothes would suit him since they could still be cute, even if they were not for girls. She reckoned that Tearning fashion design was necessary for her. Once she learned it, she could design clothes of any style she wanted. After a brief moment of shock, Hayden came to his senses and smiled slightly. He leaned against the door and looked at Stacey and Jeremy with a smile. CHAPTER 224 Chapter 224 Jeremy rarely got Becky¡¯s attention for such a long time. He whispered ¡®Becky pointed her phone at me and clicked on it for a long time. She must have taken a lot of photos!¡® Stacey took a lot of photos at once. Although she had taken photos of Jeremy from all angles, she still felt somewhat unsatisfied and eximed inwardly, ¡®How adorable Jeremy is!¡® Jeremy picked up the writing tablet and message read: [I want photos, too.]. e something on it before handing it to Becky. The Looking at Jeremy¡¯s writing tablet, Stacey agreed with a smile, ¡°No problem. Let¡¯s choose the photos together and send the nice ones to your daddy¡¯s phone. We¡¯ll ask him to keep the photos for you, okay?¡± Jeremy looked at Becky and nodded delightedly. Both of them gathered and chose photos happily after that.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Knock! Knock! Knock! Suddenly, knocks sounded on the door. Stacey, momentarily stunned, turned the door and saw Ie in now?¡± Hayden. Hayden looked at Jeremy with a faint smile and asked solemnly, It Jeremy pouted and turned to look at Becky. Then, he nodded reluctantly at Hayden in response. wasn¡¯t until then that Hayden entered the room, walked to their side, and leaned over to view the photos with them. Stacey was surprised by such a natural habit of Hayden and thought, ¡®Though Jeremy is only three years old, Hayden respects him. He wouldn¡¯t step into Jeremy¡¯s room without his permission. He¡¯s truly a good father!¡® ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± Hayden¡¯s voice suddenly sounded overhead. Stacey was startled and subconsciously turned around to look at him. However, they were so close for a that the moment she turned her head, her lips identally brushed his cheek. Shee so close moment before quickly leaning backward. Hayden¡¯s smile deepened as he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Feeling her ears burning, Stacey hurriedly turned around and replied, ¡°N¨CNothing.¡± She was so nervous that she stammered. A sweet smile crept on Hayden¡¯s face. Both of them soon lowered their heads in and continued to browse the photos. It was just that this time, Stacey dared not to be absent¨Cminded anymore and focused on the photos. Stacey and Jeremy took a long time browsing the photos. Finally, they picked out the best photos and sent them to Hayden¡¯s phone. Once Hayden received the photos on his phone, Jeremy immediately raised his head and stared at Hayden intently. Hayden nodded at him, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll keep them for you.¡± T Tue, Aug Chapter 224 Only then did Jeremy feel relieved. ¼Ò88%•þ +5 It was alreadyte after they had done all that. Sharon went up in person and asked them to go downstairs for dinner with a smile. The moment she entered the room, she happened to see Jeremy wearing new clothes. Her eyes immediately lit up in amazement. ¡°Wow! Is this the clothes Becky made for Jeremy? It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± Sharonplimented happily. Hearing Sharon¡¯spliment, Jeremy instantly became delighted again. He carefully touched his new clothes and eximed inwardly, ¡®Aww! I love it very much!¡® Sharon walked into the room and touched Jeremy¡¯s new clothes carefully, just as Jeremy had done. The more she looked at the clothes, the happier she was. ¡®Jeremy is only three years old. He grew up with his father, and his clothes were also prepared by his father. His father is good at everything. However, he¡¯s way too serious. Even the clothes he made for Jeremy were also too formal, she thought. ¡°Good, good. These clothes look nice and suit Jeremy,¡± Sharonplimented happily, thinking, ¡®Mother is the best, after all. Children will always cherished by their mothers. With a happy smile, she turned around and greeted Stacey enthusiastically, ¡°Becky,e. Let¡¯s go down to have lunch together. Grace has already prepared lunch.¡± Stacey hurriedly replied, ¡°Okay. Thank you, Mrs. Hoggard.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so formal, Becky. From now on, call me Grandma, just like Hay. You used to call me grandma, too, when you were a child. You don¡¯t have to be so courteous with me,¡± Sharon said with a smile. Momentarily stunned, Stacey remained silent for a while and agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± After taking a deep breath, she greeted, ¡°Grandma Sharon.¡± Sharon smiled upon hearing that and nodded happily. Hayde had been fixing his hint of tenderness lit up in his eyes as he smiled faintly. dze on Stacey. A Jeremy ran over and took the initiative to grab Becky¡¯s hand. Stacey looked at Jeremy and smiled. Sharon was delighted to see Jeremy like Becky so much and grinned ear to ear. They went downstairs together and finished their lunch happily. After having lunch, it was time to take a nap. Joshua took Stacey to the guest room. But when she was about to go to bed, Jeremy suddenly ran over and showed her his writing tablet. There was a line on it that read: [Becky, I want to sleep with you!] Stacey¡¯s heart immediately softened at the sight of the writing tablet. She agreed, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s sleep together this noon, Jeremy.¡± Jeremy was overjoyed. His clear eyes lit up in excitement. The next moment, he took off his shoes and went to bed without Stacey help, Stacey smiled upon seeing that. Then, she also took off her coat and down on the bed. Soon, their biological clocks overwhelmed them. Stacey let out a gentle breathing sound with Jeremy in her arms. Chapter 224 G 18+ 88% 0 Jeremy hadn¡¯t fallen asleep yet. He whispered inwardly, ¡®It feels so warm andfortable in Becky¡¯s embrace. Besides, Becky smells so good and makes me feel at ease. I truly like Becky and only want her to be my mommy. Not longter, Jeremy¡¯s biological clock overwhelmed him, and he dozed off in Becky¡¯s embrace. Unbeknownst to Stacey and Jeremy, who had fallen asleep, Hayden was standing in the corridor. He had seen Jeremy run into Stacey¡¯s room earlier, but Jeremy didn¡¯te out after a long time. He thought Jeremy must have clung to Becky and slept with her. Hayden pursed his lips and pondered. Suddenly, something shed across his mind. He mused, ¡®Jeremy is so clingy to Becky. If Becky and I got married in the future, would he steal Becky from me? There are indeed things we shouldn¡¯t think about. Once we think too much, we will be worried.¡¯ Hayden said nothing in the end, though. After he was ascertained that Jeremy was taking a in Becky¡¯s room, he also returned to his room to take a nap. nap CHAPTER 225 Chapter 225 Stacey spent a day with Jeremy in Hoggard Manor. The following day, she flew to Menterra together with the Hoggard family. Thinking that Jeremy might be able to talk after the operation, Stacey couldn¡¯t help but look forward to it and felt happy. Jeremy was delighted as well. His eyes were brimming. He had been very happy since Becky came. But at the same time, he felt somewhat annoyed because Queenie also went along with them and even bought a ticket on the same flight as them. Becky sat with Jeremy on the flight while Queenie was sitting across from them, watching them all the time. After a journey of several hours, they finally arrived in Menterra. Hayden had arranged everything beforehand. Someone picked them up once they had descended from the ne. After they hopped into the car, the car sped away immediately. Stacey couldn¡¯t help but look back. She found that Queenie had also hailed a taxi and followed behind them. ¡°Ignore her,¡± said Hayden. Momentarily stunned, Stacey nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Jeremy held Becky¡¯s hand tightly. Stacey noticed his nervousness and gently held him in her arms,forting him, ¡°Jeremy, don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Jeremy nestled in Becky¡¯s arms and nodded. They headed to the hotel first and settled in directly. Hayden had booked a presidential suite. There were several rooms inside, which was sufficient to cater to all of them. Although the operation was scheduled long ago, Hayden¡¯s mother was still worried when the day approached. Despite how worried they were, Jeremy still turned up at the hospital the next day. After a series of procedures, the little one was finally wheeled into the operating room. ¡°Everything will go well, right?¡± Audrey whispered to herself after the door of the operating room was closed. Jack looked at his wife and reassured her, ¡°I¡¯m sure it will go well.¡± Stacey couldn¡¯t help but look at Hayden, thinking, The operation will go well, right? With the Hoggard family¡¯s background, they must have found the best doctors for Jeremy and have high confidence before proceeding with the operation.¡® Hayden pursed his lips, saying nothing. In truth, he was worried, too. Queenie, on the other hand, arrivedte. She was still catching her breath when she showed up. It seemed that she ran all the way there. ¡°Jeremy¡­ Has the operation started?¡± she asked hesitantly, looking at the operating room. Everyone looked at Queenie. However, it was merely a nce. Everyone soon shifted their gaze away again. No one was interested in her. Queenie always knew that the Hoggard family did not like her. She felt aggrieved but put up with it in the end. Chapter 225 +88% After scanning around, she walked toward Stacey. Hayden frowned and pulled Stacey to his side. Queenie noticed that and immediately froze in her tracks. Her face turned pale, and she looked at Hayden in disbelief. Hayden merely cast her a cold nce before shifting his gaze away. The operation would take about four hours. During those four hours, all of them waited patiently, silently, anxiously, restlessly, and worriedly. Four hourster, the door of the operating room opened. Everyone almost stood up at once and rushed over anxiously. The attending doctor talked to Hayden in Menterran. Stacey could speak Menterran, too. Thus, she understood the doctor¡¯s words that the operation went well. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and smiled happily right then. Jeremy was soon wheeled out. The little oney on the gurney with his eyes closed, and his face slightly paled. It was the first time that Stacey had seen Jeremy so fragile, which made her feel distressed. Jeremy was transferred to the VIP wardter. Although it was a ward, the room was specially decorated and did not look like a ward at all. Instead, it was kind of like a cozy little home with a lot of love. There were still anesthetic drugs in Jeremy¡¯s body, so he would not wake up until the anesthesia wore off. It was gettingte and almost time for lunch. Stacey asked everyone for their preferences and went out to buy food. Queenie saw Stacey heading out and followed her. Hayden, noticing that, told her parents to apany Jeremy and went out with them. Queenie wanted to catch up with Becky at first. Little did she expect that Hayden would follow her. She felt so pissed off and wondered why Hayden cared about Becky so much. Nevertheless, she remained rational and kept that anger in her heart, knowing that it would be useless to fall out with them now, as it would only make her be eliminated. ¡®Mom was right. The only thing I can grab now is Jeremy. I¡¯m Jeremy¡¯s biological mother. He¡¯ll be closer to me, for sure. As long as I can get a chance to spend more time with him, he¡¯ll definitely listen to me,¡¯ Queenie thought. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but look forward to the future, wondering, ¡®I heard that Jeremy would be able to talk after this operation, which meant¡­ When Jeremy can talk, will he call me mommy?¡® Queenie disliked children in the past, especially since the child she had given birth to was not her loved one¡¯s. But now, she still couldn¡¯t help but look forward to it and imagine how adorable Jeremy would be when he called her mommy. After Hayden and Stacey left, Queenie pondered for a while and left. As it was already noon, she would like to have lunch, too. Audrey, who had witnessed the scene, told Jack to stay back to look after Jeremy and left. Jack wanted to stop her but soon realized what she was going to do and said nothing. Audrey followed Queenie out and caught up with her outside. In a calm voice, she said, ¡°Ms. Leavey, do you have time at noon? Or if you happen to be free now, let¡¯s find a ce and have a chat.¡± Queenie was surprised to hear that. Although she was nervous and uneasy, she nodded and agreed 242Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Chapter 225 in the end, ¡°I¡¯m free.¡± +88% n Audrey took Queenie to a nearby restaurant and booked a private room. Only she and Queenie were in the room. After a moment of silence, Queenie uttered cautiously and ingratiatingly, ¡°Audrey¡­¡± Audrey paused for a moment and exined, ¡°You and Hay have been divorced for more than three years. Please address me properly.¡± Queenie¡¯s face instantly turned pale when she heard that. When the waiter brought the menu over, Audrey ordered a few dishes. Queenie also took the menu, but she was not in the mood to order anything. ¡°Pick a few dishes. Don¡¯t waste time,¡± Audrey urged. Her words hit Queenie like a bucket of cold water. ¡°Okay.¡± She hurriedly nodded and ordered a few dishes quickly. CHAPTER 226 Chapter 226 After the waiter left, the private room fell into silence. Audrey wasn¡¯t in a hurry to speak. She uneasy Queenie became. simply sat there calmly. However, the quieter she was, the modsn¡¯t in a hurry to speak. She After a while, Queenie couldn¡¯t help but break the silence. She exined, ¡°Mom, I was wrong in the past. I was immature back then, but I realized my mistakes now. I swear, I won¡¯t make those mistakes again. I¡¯ll be a good wife to Hayden and a good mother.¡± As Queenie spoke, her tone grew increasingly anxious. Audrey, seated on the couch, watched her calmly. She waited until Queenie finished speaking before saying, ¡°Queenie, do you remember what you said three years ago?¡± Queenie¡¯s face turned pale upon hearing that. She hurriedly exined, ¡°Mom, I¨CI was young and immature back then.¡± Audrey nodded and hummed in response. Queenie, feeling even more nervous, added, ¡°Mom, I was wrong. From now on, I¡¯ll be a good wife. Jeremy is my child, too. If Hayden and I remarry, we¡¯ll treat Jeremy well. But if Hayden marries Becky, a stepmother can neverpare to a biological mother.¡± At that point, Queenie was desperate and continued, ¡°Maybe Becky is nice to Jeremy now because she wants to marry Hayden. She might just be pretending. After all, she has her own children. Once she marries Hayden, she could change and mistreat Jeremy.¡± Audrey looked at Queenie, wanting to say something, but she held back. Tears welled up in Queenie¡¯s eyes. She couldn¡¯t help but whisper, ¡°I¡¯ll be good to Jeremy. I truly understand my mistakes and will change.¡± ¡°Change is good,¡± Audrey finally responded. She gazed at Queenie and added, ¡°But once a rtionship ends, it¡¯s final. Hayden never really cared for you, and that¡¯s something everyone is aware of.¡± Queenie fidgeted, feeling a sense of dread.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Audrey went on, ¡°Back then, Mr. Hoggard was critically ill, on the brink of death. Hayden is a filial child. He didn¡¯t want his grandfather to pass away with regrets, so he hurriedly married you. Otherwise, with your tricks, marrying Hayden would have been impossible.¡± ¡°Mom, I¨CI¡­¡± Queenie stammered, trying to exin but not knowing what else to say. Audrey replied, ¡°If you two hadn¡¯t divorced, I might have felt upset. After all, I¡¯m a mother too. Now that you regret it, you should understand, right? As a mother, the greatest wish is for your child to be happy.¡± Suddenly, Audreyughed. She looked at Queenie and continued, ¡°When you kicked up a storm to leave three years ago, I was livid. Hayden is the apple of our eye and the sole heir of the Hoggard family. You were fortunate to marry him. But you didn¡¯t appreciate it. You caused such a scandal 09:12 Tue, Aug 6 ¨C G and turned Hayden into aughingstock in the circle.¡± +88% Audrey chuckled softly, her gaze steady on Queenie. ¡°But now, looking back, your divorce was the best thing that could have happened to him. If you two hadn¡¯t divorced, he wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to be with Becky. Do you know what it¡¯s like to live with someone you truly love?¡± ¡°Oh, my apologies, I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned this in front of you. After all, the man you were willing to risk everything for doesn¡¯t seem to be very decent,¡± Audrey added, with a deliberate pause. Queenie¡¯s expression grew sorrowful. ¡°Mom, Becky isn¡¯t right for Hayden. A second marriage can¡¯t bring happiness. After they get married, she wouldn¡¯t treat Jeremy well.¡± Audrey smirked, her eyes filled with sarcasm as she stared at Queenie. ¡°Queenie, if you didn¡¯t bring up Jeremy in every conversation, I might have some respect for you. But all you do is talk about him. Ask yourself honestly ¨C do you truly want to cherish and protect Jeremy, or is he just a tool for you to use?¡± Queenie¡¯s face went from pale to flushed, and she looked anxious. ¡°That¡¯s not it, Mom. You¡¯ve misunderstood. I¨CI really do want what¡¯s best for Jeremy. I¡¯ll be good to him from now on.¡± ¡°You keep saying you¡¯ll be good to Jeremy, but since you¡¯ve been back, what have you done for him?¡± Audrey sneered and continued, ¡°You used Jeremy to pester and guilt¨Ctrip Hay into forgiving you and getting back together. Is that what you call love for Jeremy?¡± Upon hearing those words, Queenie grew anxious and stammered, ¡°I¨CI didn¡¯t. I¡­¡± Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. The two people in the private room paused, their conversation abruptly stopping. ¡°Come in,¡± Audrey said in thenguage of Menterra As soon as she spoke, the door opened, and a waiter entered with dishes. Since it was mealtime, Audrey didn¡¯t utter a single word, eating quietly. Queenie tried several times to speak, but the words wouldn¡¯te out. She ate her meal absentmindedly. Once she was done eating, she couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not the person you think I am. I truly made a mistake. Jeremy,.. Jeremy hasn¡¯t lived with me since he was young. He¡¯s not close to me, which is why he doesn¡¯t like me. But I¡¯m his biological mother. If I live with him for a while, he¡¯ll surelye to like me, and I¡¯ll take good care of him!¡± Audrey shed a faint, mocking smile. ¡°Ms. Leavey, if you had paid more attention to Jeremy in the ward rather than fixating on Becky and trying to follow her, I might have believed you.¡± Queenie fell silent. Audrey looked at her and remarked sarcastically, ¡°Jeremy had just undergone surgery and needs care now. You keep saying you know you made a mistake, that you¡¯ll love and take care of him 88%f ? 45 properly. Yet, your attention is elsewhere.¡± A helpless smile yed on her lips as she uttered softly, ¡°Queenie, your words and actions seem to be expressing two different things.¡± Anxious, Queenie hastily exined, ¡°I¡¯m not. Mom, I¡¯m not like that. Earlier, I¡­ I saw that Jeremy was in good hands with you, Dad, and Hayden all there. With so many people taking care of him, I thought it was fine for me to step away. If I had been alone, I would have stayed to look after him.¡± CHAPTER 227 Chapter 227 +88% ¡°Queenie, I didn¡¯t ask you toe out today to listen to your excuses. I merely have something to remind you,¡± Audrey said, her expression indifferent. Queenie looked up at Audrey, stunned. Thetter continued coldly, ¡°If you have an ounce of self¨Cawareness, perhaps you can save some dignity for yourself. But if you continue harassing and lose all your dignity in the future, don¡¯t me the Hoggard family for not giving you a chance.¡± ¡°Audrey,¡± Queenie uttered, immediately panicking. She hurriedly stood and reached out to grab Audrey. However, thetter dodged it, standing and walking away. Meanwhile, Stacey and Hayden returned from buying food for the whole family, only to find that Audrey had gone out. They were slightly surprised. When Jack softly exined Audrey¡¯s whereabouts to them, Hayden instantly understood, as did Stacey. They spoke no more and had lunch quietly until Stacey noticed Jeremy¡¯s eyshes seemingly fluttering as they were nearly finished and stopped eating. Noticing her abrupt pause, Hayden asked confusedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Stacey put down the takeout box and approached the hospital bed, saying, ¡°Is Jeremy waking up?¡± As she spoke, she crouched beside the bed, calling out softly and gently, ¡°Jeremy?¡± Jack and Hayden immediately put down their takeout boxes and came over nervously. Everyone stared at the boy on the bed with anxiety and expectation. Jeremy¡¯s long eyshes trembled slightly. A momentter, he slowly opened his eyes with a trace of puzzlement in them. Jack and Hayden sighed in relief, and thetter quickly said to his father, ¡°Dad, go and call the doctor.¡± Jack naturally knew the importance of this matter and hurried to inform the doctor. Simrly overjoyed to see Jeremy awake, Stacey immediately asked softly, ¡°Jeremy, how do you feel? Does it hurt a lot?¡± The boy¡¯s vocal cords had been operated on, and with his throat wrapped in bandages, he couldn¡¯t -speak, much less move around. ¡°Don¡¯t talk or move. Blink once if you feel okay and three times if you¡¯re experiencing difort. That way, I¡¯ll know how you feel,¡± Stacey hurriedly added. After hearing that, Jeremy blinked once seriously. 09.12 Tue, Aug Chapter 227 88% Pleased, Stacey let out a relieved sigh, and Hayden followed suit while observing their interaction from the side. The doctor soon came and examined Jeremy. After he confirmed there was nothing wrong, everyone felt more at ease. For the next two weeks, Jeremy obediently remained in the hospital, waiting for recovery. After that period, he recovered very well. The doctor stated that Jeremy only needed to stay in the hospital for another two weeks to confirm there weren¡¯t any other problems. Then, he could be discharged and slowly try to practice his vocalization. With his condition improving, Stacey had to leave. She had been in Menterra for two weeks, and Lillian and Kevin were still waiting for her at home. She couldn¡¯t abandon her children for too long. Jeremy was reluctant to part with Becky. ¡®I only need to stay for another two weeks. Then, I can fly you when I return home and visit Becky,¡® he thought. Holding a writing tablet, he wrote: [I will visit home.] Stacey stared at the writing tablet before nodding happily at Jeremy, saying, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll await your visit at home.¡± She mentally calcted the time and suddenly added, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be almost Christmas in two weeks? We can go to gua City together. Our hometowns are both there, so it¡¯ll be very convenient!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Hayden nodded, replying with a smile. Jeremy¡¯s eyes also lit up with happiness. Stacey held Jeremy¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°You haven¡¯t been to my hometown, have you, Jeremy? When you are discharged from the hospital, I¡¯ll take you there for a visit, okay?¡± she suggested. Jeremy quickly nodded. She spent time talking to the boy to appease him before finally bidding Hayden farewell and preparing to leave. The day after Jeremy¡¯s surgery two weeks ago, Jack had already gone back. He couldn¡¯t stay away for long since he was still managing such arge corporation as Hoggard Group. Fortunately, after Stacey left, Hayden and Audrey stayed there to look after Jeremy, so the boy shouldn¡¯t be too lonely. hey Hayden drove Stacey to the airport. When they said their goodbyes, he took her hand, lowered his head, and gently kissed the back of it. Stacey¡¯s heart pounded, and she hurriedly withdrew her hand after the kiss. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡­ I¡¯ll head back first. See you in two weeks when Jeremy is discharged from the hospital and returns home,¡± she said, stuttering from nervousness. Nodding with a grin, Hayden replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Stacey felt her cheeks burning and hurriedly turned to pass through security before queuing for boarding. Only after boarding the ne did her heartbeat slowly stabilize. +88%1 Back in Hivalis, Lillian and Kevin missed their mother very much. It was the first time they had been apart from Stacey for so long in their entire lives, so they were very anxious. 1 woke Hence, when they finally received news of Stacey¡¯s return, the two up early and went around the house, pestering Debra to pick her up at the airport. Debra was rarely pestered by the two children. She endured until it took them out. as almost time and hurriedly Even so, it was still a little early when they arrived at the airport. Ther minutes before the ne finallynded. for more than tenContent is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Lillian and Kevin became even more excited and wanted to dash inside as the crowd flowed out. Debra had no choice but to instruct Gwen and Marie to pick up the children, as she was worried they might be trampled. Having lost their freedom after being picked up, Lillian and Kevin couldn¡¯t help but make a fuss, but itsted only a while. Soon, they discovered being carried made their line of sight higher, and they could see more people. Hence, the two children stopped fussing and nced anxiously at the emerging crowd to find their mother. When Stacey came out, Kevin was the first to spot her. He immediatel at her and shouting excitedly, ¡°Mommy!¡± began struggling, pointing At this point, Debra hadn¡¯t seen Stacey. Hearing Kevin¡¯s words, she looked over and instantly saw her daughter. Stacey also spotted Lillian and Kevin. After all, the children were in someone¡¯s arms, which was more conspicuous. Immediately, Debra walked over. Stacey also quickened her pace as she came toward them. ¡°Mommy!¡± Lillian and Kevin yelled in unison. Upon seeing Stacey approaching, the children reached out like fledglings, wanting to hug their mother. CHAPTER 228 Chapter 228 It was challenging for Gwen to continue carrying the children once they began struggling as they had grown considerably. Thus, Stacey restrained them, forbidding them from squirming at once. Debra chuckled as well. ¡°Let¡¯s head out for now. Well discuss this further in the car.¡± True enough, the car was parked at the entrance when their entire family headed out. Everyone felt instantly relieved once they got in. Debra had arranged for two vehicles to pick them up; one for Becky, the children, and herself while the other was for Gwen and Marie. Upon reaching home, Stacey couldn¡¯t help inquiring Debra at the thought of Adrian, Isabe, and Damian, ¡°Mom, how are Isabe and Damian? Have you visited them?¡± ¡°Oh yes, I have. You have no idea how incredibly adorable Damian is, Becky. He resembles Adrian when he was a child down to a tee. I can¡¯t believe a father and son can resemble each other so much!¡± Debra nodded hurriedly, visibly ecstatic. ¡°Here are the photos I took of them.¡± She excitedly whipped out her phone and showed Stacey the photos she¡¯d secretly taken of Damian and Isabe in her gallery. Stacey nced at them. The photos were much more natural than the ones taken by Adrian previously. Debra even intentionally disyed Adrian¡¯s childhood photos side by side as aparison. Stacey was overwhelmed with cuteness as she took them in. At the same time, Lillian and Kevin scooted closer, their curiosity piqued as they gazed intently at Damian¡¯s photos. The sense of fondness they had toward him was growing with each moment.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Damian is so cute!¡± Kevinmented sincerely. ¡°It¡¯s a shame he can¡¯t y with us yet. If only he could¡­¡± Lillianmented. The siblings had seen plenty of Damian¡¯s photos recently due to Debra¡¯s ted state ever since meeting him. She would frequently admire his photos and patiently introduce Damian to the siblings time and again. Lillian and Kevin were astonished at how much Damian resembled Adrian in the photos and would make a fuss to see him. s, the timing wasn¡¯t right yet. Debra would always be filled with regret whenever she recalled the incident. It waste by the time Stacey finished looking through the photos, and Debra hurriedly urged her to head upstairs and shower to catch up on some sleep once she came to. ¡°I¡¯m still not tired, Mom,¡± Stacey replied helplessly. ¡°Either way, you still need to rest. Do you know how important sufficient rest is for women? elerated aging, mood swings, and poor skin condition are just some of the symptoms of over- exhaustion,¡± Debra pointed out seriously. Isabe came to her mind then, and she thought, ¡®What a miserable life she¡¯s living. My heart breaks even further for the sisters the more Ie to understand them. Yet, I still can¡¯t openly donate money for them to have a better quality of life. It¡¯s especially so for Isabe¡¯s elder ister¡­ Carly¡¯s tragic state deeply saddened Debra, and she would have cast Carly¡¯s scum of a husband aside on her behalf if she could. If a couple couldn¡¯t maintain a healthy rtionship, they might as +88% well part ways. It was exhausting watching them torture one another as they refused to divorce and seek better options. Unfortunately, it wouldn¡¯t do for her to poke her nose in others¡® private affairs. Nheless, Debra couldn¡¯t help feeling relieved when her thoughts of them inevitably led to Stacey. She was immensely grateful that Stacey wasn¡¯t one to shortchange herself and had decisively split with her husband when their rtionship was at the end of the road. ¡®Aren¡¯t they much happier, their future so much brighter, now that they¡¯ve separated? Good thing they didn¡¯t remain together for the children¡¯s sake,¡® she mused, In Debra¡¯s opinion, a whole but unharmonious family with parents who argued and fought daily as they refused to put aside their grudges was more traumatizing to a child than being brought up by a single parent. Since Stacey couldn¡¯t refute her mother, she had no choice but to do as told and went upstairs to shower and rest. Although Lillian and Kevin subsequently nned to go with their mother, Debra held them back. ¡°Lily, Kev, your mom has just reached home and is exhausted. Let¡¯s not disturb her and let her rest for her bit, all right?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t bother Mommy,¡± Kevin promised instantly. ¡°Me too,¡± Lillian added. Debra was rendered speechless as she thought, ¡®Only fools would trust a child¡¯s words. Despite that, her attempt at keeping the children away from Stacey failed as they had been apart from her for too long and missed her dearly. Thus, they climbed into bed with Stacey once she was done, whining about wanting to sleep together. Since Stacey happened to be wide awake, she grabbed a storybook and read to them while teaching them to identify the animals in the illustrations. Debra crept upstairs to sneak a peek at them. Feelings of joy and powerlessness warred within her as she observed Stacey sharing a peaceful moment with her children. ¡®Perhaps she¡¯d be suffering through her marriage like Isabe¡¯s sister if she hadn¡¯t divorced that scumbag for good¡® Debra pondered, once again relieved at her daughter¡¯s choice to separate from her ex¨Chusband. ¡°Is something wrong, Mom?¡± Stacey ventured after a moment¡¯s hesitation, her hands still holding the storybook. The odd manner in which Debra regarded her the entire day hadn¡¯t gone unnoticed by Stacey. At once, Debra snapped back to herself and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Aren¡¯t you tired at all?¡± she queried. Nonplussed, Stacey uttered, ¡°Nope.¡± Ultimately, Debra decided to enter the room and sit at Stacey¡¯s bedside. She could no longer keep Carly¡¯s circumstances to herself and spilled the beans to Stacey. While Stacey had been vaguely aware of what happened in Isabe¡¯s household, she was never in on the details. Hence, it came as a surprise for her to hear about Carly¡¯s destitute state. Even so, she couldn¡¯t intervene when the married couple themselves refused to divorce. ¡°Becky, you can¡¯t possibly get back together with Theodore. Understand?¡± Debra voiced her ¡¸Ãü 88% concern after concluding her words. She then gazed toward Lillian and Kevin, regarding them with a hint of sympathy. ¡°I know.¡± Stacey nodded. Debra stared at her intently, then advised, ¡°Becky, I believe a loving environment filled with warmth is of more import than an irresponsible father¡¯s love. Imagine how much it would hurt a child if their parents stayed together in a loveless marriage, both unable to see past the other¡¯s shorings. Each day would be filled with arguments and fights as they begrudged one another. A toxic environment like that would be far worse than having a single parent.¡± CHAPTER 229 Chapter 229 ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying,¡± Stacey responded quickly sensing the underlying concern in her mother¡¯s voice. Debra nodded, her eyes slightly moist as she gazed at her daughter. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll let you be then. You and the kids need to rest up,¡± Debra said gently. Turning to Lillian and Kevin, she added, ¡°Lily, Kev, make sure you¡¯re both good and don¡¯t bother your mom too much. Let her get some good rest.¡± Lillian, with wide eyes full of seriousness, looked up at Debra and asked, ¡°Granny, does letting Mommy sleep mean she can really rest well?¡± Debra, caught slightly off guard by the question, smiled and nodded affirmatively. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± she exined. ¡°Sleeping is the best kind of beauty treatment. If you sleep well, you¡¯ll feel refreshed and energized.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s all go to sleep!¡± Kevin eximed enthusiastically.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. In no time, Lillian and Kevin were bubbling with excitement about going to bed, making it difficult for Stacey to finish their bedtime story. Under the cheerful insistence of her children, Stacey had no choice but to abandon the book and join them in rest. Observing how considerate her grandchildren were being, Debra departed with a sense of peace. Elsewhere, at the Edwards Vi in Maeloria, Theodore was wrestling with troubling developments concerning thepany¡¯s projects. It was deeply suspicious how several bids, which were almost guaranteed wins for the Edwards family, were now unexpectedly falling into other hands. Initially, Theodore had suspected interference from the Carter family. Yet, recently, he had observed some unusual behavior from Jenny. His suspicions were confirmed today when he discovered irrefutable evidence that Jenny was the real saboteur! She had been stealing information from hisputer, leading to a series of poor judgments and significant losses for Edwards Group. Theodore was left reeling. ¡®Why is this happening? I don¡¯t understand!¡® he mused. Throughout their six¨Cmonth marriage, Theodore hade to trust Jenny implicitly. She had always been there to support him, providingfort whenever he was stressed or feeling low. Despite her inability to cook, she had thoughtfully hired an excellent chef who prepared meals exactly to Theodore¡¯s liking. On particrly hectic days, she would even personally deliver meals to his office, a gesture that didn¡¯t go unnoticed by his colleagues, who often remarked on how blissful his married life appeared. This care had gradually diminished the pain of his previous divorce from Reba. ¡®All that troubled me were these unexined setbacks in my career,¡® Theodore reflected. He had been elevate the Edwards family¡¯s status above the Carter family¡¯s, partly to make determined to Reba regret leaving him. But now, to his dismay, he realized that the person undermining him was the one closest to him. Chapter 229 +42% +5 Jenny had just finished copying a file from Theodore¡¯sptop in his study. After shutting down theputer, she was preparing to leave when she unexpectedly came face¨Cto¨Cface with a tall figure in the doorway. Startled, her face momentarily lost color, but she quickly regained herposure, slipped her phone into her pocket, and greeted Theodore with a calm, sweet smile. ¡°Theodore, you¡¯re back early. I was just tidying up your office,¡± she said smoothly. ¡°Give me your phone!¡± Theodore demanded, his eyes piercing through her facade. Jenny, taken aback by his abruptness, managed a strained smile and responded, ¡°Theodore, why are you asking for my phone all of a sudden? I-¡± ¡°I said, give me your phone!¡± Theodore interrupted his voice firm andmanding. Tears welled up in Jenny¡¯s eyes as she looked at him, wounded. ¡°Theodore, do you suspect me of something?¡± she murmured, her voice quivering. Without indulging in further conversation, Theodore reached out, intent on grabbing her and retrieving the phone himself. Surprisingly, Jenny¡¯s demeanor shifted dramatically. She swiftly raised her leg and delivered a forceful kick to his abdomen. Theodore grunted in pain, caughtpletely off guard by her sudden aggressiveness. Seizing the moment, Jenny broke free from his grasp and fled from the room. Theodore, in a state of panic, leapt to his feet to chase after Jenny, but the acute pain from her blow to his abdomen significantly hindered his pace. Jenny¡¯s movements were unexpectedly precise and swift, almost as if she had received some form of training. By the time Theodore reached the stairwell, he caught a glimpse of Jenny already reaching the ground floor. He hurried down just in time to see her start the car and speed off, leaving him far behind before he could even approach her. With a darkened expression, Theodore dashed to the Edwards Vi¡¯s extensive garage. Faced with a selection of vehicles, he chose one at random and sped out, only to find that Jenny¡¯s car had already disappeared from view. Frustrated, he pulled over and slumped in the driver¡¯s seat, his face etched with a grim determination. He took out his phone and attempted to call Jenny multiple times, but to no avail, as each call was met with silence. Meanwhile, as Jenny drove away, she frequently checked her rearview mirror to ensure that Theodore was not in pursuit. Only when she was confident that she had lost him did she allow herself to rx. Assured of her escape, she then changed her direction and drove toward a predetermined destination with clear intent. After he failed to reach Jenny by phone, Theodore drove to the police station to report the incident. Coincidentally, the officer on duty was none other than Bryce, the brother of his ex¨Cwife. Theodore¡¯s face went through a gamut of emotions as he sat down, but heposed himself enough to formally file a report. Bryce, despite personally finding the situation slightly amusing given Jenny¡¯s clever maneuver against Theodore, remained stoically professional. He processed the paperwork and organized the investigation with a neutral demeanor. About an hourter, they located Theodore¡¯s car abandoned in a dpidated neighborhood of 11.10 weu, Auy 7 Chapter 229 Maeloria, devoid of any surveince cameras. Although the vehicle was found, Jenny was nowhere to be seen. With no further leads and the case not deemed critical enough to warrant overnight work, the investigation was paused until the next day. After his shift, Bryce couldn¡¯t resist sharing this ¡°exciting news¡± with his family in their Family of Eight group chat. Over at the Carter Vi, Stacey was roused from her afternoon nap and instinctively reached for her phone, only to be greeted by over 99 notifications from the family group chat. Perplexed, she opened the app and began scrolling through the barrage of messages. It took her some time to get to the beginning of the conversation, but it became clear that the discussion revolved around Theodore and Jenny. ¡®So, Jenny has left Theodore? And it seems everyone is quite pleased about it,¡¯ Stacey noted, her confusion mingling with realization. As she pieced together the events from the chat, Stacey recalled a previous conversation with Gifford that had prompted her to ask Adrian to look into Jenny¡¯s background. ¡®There was always something peculiar about Jenny. Maybe her interest in Theodore wasn¡¯t out of love but driven by some hidden agenda,¡® Stacey mused. Love And CHAPTER 230 Chapter 230 All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. t Stacey pondered for a while before finally setting her phone down. In truth, how Theodore was. doing now, whether he was doing well or not, and his situation with Jenny seemed not to affect her anymore. She felt indifferent about it all. Lillian and Kevin were still asleep, so she carefully got out of bed without waking them. After tidying up, Stacey went out of the room. As soon as she arrived downstairs, Debra eagerly pulled her aside to share thetest ¡°good news¡± about Theodore. Stacey was amused. ¡°Mom, I already know. However, how he¡¯s doing now has nothing to do with me. I¡¯m no longer interested in his life.¡± Hearing this, Debra was taken aback. She then looked at Stacey and beamed with joy. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s all in the past. We don¡¯t need to dwell on it.¡± Debra grew even happier as she said this. Stacey¡¯s indifference toward Theodore showed that she had truly moved on from him. ¡°By the way, Christmas ising soon. You mentioned it to Hay before. How¡¯s your n to invite Mr. Fraley to Zentiscapeing along? If the timing works, I think inviting Mr. Fraley to Zentiscape during Christmas would be great. It will be so lively then. I¡¯m sure he would fall in love with Zentiscape,¡± Debra said with a smile. Stacey nodded and answered, ¡°Yes, I think so too. But it depends on Mr. Fraley¡¯s schedule and also Hayden.¡± Thinking of Hayden, Stacey could not help but think of Jeremy. She wondered how he was doing and hoped he was not making a fuss now that she was gone. Debra seemed to have thought of something. Smiling, she inquired, ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t Jeremy due to be discharged from the hospital in about half a month?¡± Stacey nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Debra¡¯s face brightened as she said, ¡°So, when Jeremyes back, he¡¯ll be able to start practicing speaking and be like a normal child, won¡¯t he?¡± Speaking of this, Stacey felt happy as well. ¡°It should be. If his recovery goes well, the doctor said there shouldn¡¯t be any issues.¡± ¡°There definitely won¡¯t be any problems. Jeremy is such an adorable child. He¡¯s bound to be blessed with good luck,¡± Debra remarked cheerfully. Stacey nodded in agreement. Just as she finished speaking with Debra, Charlie called her on video. Excitedly, he shared how Theodore had been set up by Jenny. Stacey found it amusing and listened patiently until he finished, then told Charlie she no longer cared about Theodore¡¯s affairs. Charlie was momentarily stunned but then smiled with satisfaction. He pondered, ¡®Stacey not caring is a good thing. If she doesn¡¯t care about Theodore¡¯s situation or has no interest in the drama surrounding him, it means he no longer holds any ce in her heart, not even as a source of -hatred. That scumbag Theodore doesn¡¯t deserve Stacey¡¯s time or energy, not even for hatred.¡® Charlie asked, suddenly shifting to a serious tone as he spoke. ¡°By the way, Stacey, Christmas is approaching. The year¨Cend entertainment ceremony ising up. Given that you¡¯ve had two hit shows this year, you¡¯ll definitely be invited. If you¡¯re lucky, you might even win an award. Do you want to attend?¡± Wed, Aug +42% Hearing this, Stacey was stunned. She hadn¡¯t taken on any projects in the entertainment industry for over half a year, not because shecked offers, but because she had told Lynn that she wanted to focus on managing Hoggard Technologies. As a result, Lynn hadn¡¯t bothered her with matters rting to the entertainment industry during this time. With the year nearing its end, the annual entertainment ceremony was just around the corner. It was the most prestigious event in the industry, where artists were ranked and awarded, and winning an award was a major point of pride for many. Charlie was an award¨Cwinning actor, and J was an award¨Cwinning actress. Both of them had received their des from this event. ¡°Why don¡¯t you attend, Stacey? No matter what, you¡¯ve worked hard for so long, and your two shows were huge hits. If you win an award, you¡¯ll get to go on stage to ept it. Plus, you¡¯ll have the chance to promote the L&K Group as well,¡± Charlie said with enthusiasm. Stacey pondered, ¡°The L&K Group?¡® Thinking of Charlie¡¯s entertainmentpany, she felt her heart soften. She agreed, saying, ¡°All right, I¡¯ll make some time and attend.¡± ¡°Great! I¡¯ll ask Lynn to arrange it for you,¡± Charlie said immediately. ¡°Okay,¡± Stacey replied with a smile. After confirming with Charlie and hanging up, Stacey felt unreal. As she recalled the past year, it seemed like time had flown by. She hadn¡¯t anticipated the year passing so quickly and wondered, ¡®Could it be that happiness and a carefree life really make time seem to fly by?¡® As Stacey pondered this, her mood lifted once more. Half an hourter, Bryce called to update her on Theodore¡¯s situation. Adrian was thest to call. He didn¡¯t say much and simply wished her well. Hearing that she no longer cared about Theodore, Adrian felt genuinely happy. However, toward the end of the call, Stacey heard a child¡¯s voice. Adrian quickly lowered his voice and said a few brief words to Stacey before hastily ending the call. Stacey felt both amused and helpless. However, deep down, she couldn¡¯t help but secretly wish for Adrian¡¯s happiness, hoping that his and Isabe¡¯s rtionship would go smoothly and that he would win her affection. Stacey also hoped that Adrian would soon find evidence to clear Carly¡¯s name and overturn the case. After hearing Isabe and Carly¡¯s story, Stacey could not help but feel deep sympathy for them, knowing they had endured so much suffering. After hanging up the phone, Stacey realized the day was starting to break. She hurried back upstairs, remembering that Lillian and Kevin were still asleep. In the second¨Cfloor bedroom, Lillian and Kevin had woken up. The two were sticking out their bottoms and struggling to climb down from the bed. Seeing this, Stacey knew she had arrived just in time and quickly went over. Kevin saw her and was immediately overjoyed. ¡°Mommy! Hearing Kevin call Stacey, Lillian turned around immediately. She was in the process of climbing down the edge of the bed, but as she turned her head, she ended up tumbling down due to her weak strength. However, upon seeing Stacey, Lillian was not upset. She quickly got up and ran toward Stacey, calling, ¡°Mommy.¡± Stacey picked Lillian up and then pinched Kevin¡¯s cheek as he came over. ¡°When did you two wake up?¡± CHAPTER 231 Chapter 231 ¡°I just woke up!¡± answered Lillian. ¡°Yeah. Me too!¡± Kevin eximed. Stacey pinched their cheeks with a smile and said, ¡°The day is starting to break. Go wash up so we can head downstairs for breakfast.¡± Lillian and Kevin were still too young to take care of themselvespletely, but Stacey did notpletely deprive them of their ability to be hands¨Con. She patiently taught them how to brush their teeth and use toothpaste. Feeling good, Stacey wasn¡¯t in a hurry and took her time until Lillian and Kevin were all cleaned up. Stacey was quite busy over the next few days. She had left on vacation some time ago, so she needed to catch up onpany matters to get back on track. There were drafts from the design department that needed to be personally reviewed. It was necessary as the designers might ck off without random checks. Carter¡¯s Jewel did notpletely prohibit designers from cking off, but without regr inspections, ack of oversight could lead to azy attitude. Over time, this could degrade the quality of the design drafts and ultimately affect the reputation and quality of the entire Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s designs. During this round of checks, Stacey discovered a serious problem. One of the designers had copied anotherpany¡¯s work. Her expression darkened immediately. Fortunately, the giarized design had not been officially adopted yet, so no final product based on it had been produced. Stacey promptly called a meeting for all the designers at Carter¡¯s Jewel to address the giarism issue. After the meeting, she instructed that the offending designer should settle her wages with the finance department and Carter¡¯s Jewel would not hire her again. Stacey¡¯s decision was swift, but Nancy Dawson, the employee leaving due to the giarism, was discontented. Before leaving, she gave Stacey several hostile res. Stacey could not shake off Nancy¡¯s gaze even after work. She felt a chill running down her spine. Although she was just an employee, Stacey could not afford to be lenient with giarism. Carter¡¯s Jewel¡¯s longstanding reputation could not bepromised by someone like that. Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye, and it was time for Jeremy to be discharged and return to the country. Moreover, Christmas was approaching bringing excitement to everyone. To make it even better, Jeremy was not returning to Strico but wasing directly to Hivalis to see Stacey. Hayden mentioned that Jeremy had been eagerly counting the days until his return. Stacey was also excited by the thought of seeing Jeremy. She immediately cleared her schedule and set aside a day to pick him up from the airport. They hadn¡¯t seen each other for half a month. When Jeremy spotted her, he immediately ran into her arms, brimming with excitement. Lillian and Kevin also adored Jeremy very much. Seeing Jeremy, they also came over. They mimicked how Jeremy hugged Stacey, wrapping their arms around him. As a result, Stacey found herself surrounded by a circle of children. Fortunately, Gwen and Marie arrived shortly and separated Lillian and Kevin, easing the crowding around Stacey. Hayden arrived as well, holding a suitcase and looking pleased. ¡°How is Jeremy¡¯s recovery?¡± Stacey asked with a smile. Hayden nced at Jeremy and nodded with a smile. ¡°Everything went well.¡± Chapter 231 42% Stacey¡¯s face lit up with anticipation. She looked at Jeremy and said eagerly, ¡°So will Jeremy be able to learn to speak in the future?¡± Hayden nodded and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± Stacey mused, ¡®Oh my god!¡® Thrilled, she immediately squatted down. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation as she looked at Jeremy. ¡°Jeremy, can you say my name?¡± Jeremy said nothing. Hayden chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s practice slowly when we get back. Jeremy isn¡¯t quite ready yet.¡± Hearing this, Stacey nodded in a hurry. ¡°All right.¡± They headed directly to Carter Vi. On the other hand, after a month of ¡°cooling off,¡± Queenie was still unwilling to give up. Knowing that Jeremy would return home after being discharged from the hospital, she went to Hoggard Vi and waited for him. Unfortunately, despite waiting all day, she did not see any cars returning. Disappointed and exhausted from standing for hours, Queenie hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to leave. Unexpectedly, as Queenie approached her parked car, she noticed her cousin Edith¡¯s car parked next to it, with Edith sitting inside. Edith¡¯s gaze was filled with unwillingness and hatred, and she made no effort to conceal her emotions. ¡°Queenie, how shameless can you be? He clearly does not want you anymore, yet you are still hanging around his house. If word gets out, won¡¯t the Leavey family be aughingstock in high society?¡± Edith mocked in a harsh tone. She couldn¡¯t understand why her grandparents favored Queenie so much. Edith thought, ¡®Is it because Queenie is the first¨Cborn granddaughter of the Leavey family? She¡¯s such a fool and a hopeless romantic. How could someone like her inherit the Leavey family¡¯s assets?¡® Queenie¡¯s expression turned grim, and she fixed her cold, unyielding gaze on Edith. A glint of anger sparkled in her gaze. ¡°Get lost!¡± Edith chuckled derisively and said sarcastically, ¡°Queenie, your fury is trulyughable.¡± ¡°You!¡± Queenie trembled with rage. Edith stared into her eyes and uttered word by word seriously, ¡°Queenie, someone like you does not deserve to inherit the Leavey family¡¯s assets. If you did, the Leavey family would be doomed.¡± After finishing her harsh words, Edith ignored the fuming Queenie and drove away quickly. Queenie stood still, and her anger smoldered fiercely. She left Hoggard Vi and returned to her mansion, feelingpletely exhausted as she stepped through the door. Opening the refrigerator, Queenie grabbed a bottle of beer and copsed onto the couch. As she drank, her mind wandered aimlessly. Despite her foggy mind, memories from the past kept resurfacing. The times she spent with Elden during high school and university were so sweet that even now, they brought a smile to her face. However, as cherished as those memories were, the thought of Elden¡¯s infidelity only deepened her heartache. She was consumed with rage, thinking, ¡®Why is Elden like this? Why did I fall for someone like him?¡® Anger dominated her thoughts. After finishing the beer, Queenie threw the bottle against the floor, shattering it into pieces. A bit drunk, she stumbled to her feet and identally stepped on shards of broken ss. The sharp, searing pain made her cry out, instantly clearing her mind. Queenie came 11:19 Wed, Aug /All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. +42% to a stark realization that she could not give up. She had to remarry Hayden and ensure that Elden regretted his actions. 0 CHAPTER 232 Chapter 232 42% The whole family was buzzing with excitement ever since Hayden and Jeremy arrived at Carter, Vi. Everyone gathered around Jeremy, eagerly trying to teach him how to speak. Jeremy could now make some sounds, though his speech was still somewhat awkward and unclear. The usually brave Jeremy felt a little shy after speaking too much. He asionally spoke a few words, and his ears turned bright red. Embarrassed by the attention, he eventually sought refuge behind Becky, fallingpletely silent. Hayden secretly filmed a video and shared it in the Hoggard family¡¯s group chat. At Hoggard Manor, Jason was the first to see the video sent by Hayden, and he immediately got excited. He hurriedly called his wife over to watch the video of Jeremy speaking. Excitedly, Jason reyed it again and again. Meanwhile, Hayden¡¯s parents, Jack and Audrey, also saw the video and felt aplex mix of emotions. They were, overjoyed that Jeremy could finally speak and were relieved to know that his vocal cords were functioning normally. However, beneath their joy, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Jeremy had been moring to visit Becky at Carter Vi immediately after being discharged from the hospital instead of going to see them. This made them feel a bit sad. Despite their feelings, Jack and Audrey found themselves watching the video of Jeremy talking over and over again. No matter how many times they watched it, they never grew tired of it. In fact, it even gave them extra motivation at work. The group chat for the Hoggard family was unusually quiet. Everyone kept reying the video but chose not to message Hayden, wanting to avoid disturbing him. They had already been in touch with him during Jeremy¡¯s hospitalization and were well aware of Jeremy¡¯s sessful surgery and positive recovery progress. The family¡¯s primary concern now was Hayden and Becky¡¯s rtionship. Although they felt a twinge of jealousy over Jeremy¡¯s eagerness to visit Becky, they also felt genuinely happy. The Hoggard family had no concerns about Becky¡¯s family background. Based on their interactions, it was clear that Becky was very dependable. Both families would be thrilled to see theme together as soon as possible. After sending the video, Hayden didn¡¯t check the Hoggard family¡¯s group chat again. Jeremy had finally regained the ability to speak. Even though Hayden didn¡¯t disy much emotion on his face, inside he was overjoyed. Despite Jeremy being very close to Hayden and depending on him for almost everything, he consistently refused to speak when Hayden asked him to. In contrast, only Becky and the Carter family seemed to be able to coax Jeremy into talking regrly. Stacey noticed that Jeremy was growing increasingly shy and trying to hide from everyone. Although she was overjoyed by his progress, she could see that he was feeling overwhelmed. Stacey stepped in to shield him from additional pressure. All right, everyone. Let¡¯s not rush Jeremy to speak right away. He¡¯s just beginning his recovery and needs time to adjust. It¡¯s important that we allow him to take things at his own pace and learn gradually.¡± Jeremy, hiding behind Becky, nodded repeatedly. While the adultsplied, the children were a different story. Lillian and Kevin¡¯s eyes were sparkling with excitement. They watched Jeremy¡¯s mouth with fascination, captivated by his ability to.speak. ¡°Jeremy, you can talk now!¡± Lillian eximed eagerly. 11:19 Wed, Aug / Chapter 232 ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s amazing! Kevin added. +5 Jeremy would feel shy and embarrassed when facing the adults. However, when he looked at Lillian and Kevin, who were younger than him, he instantly assumed an older sibling role. Jeremy¡¯s shyness disappeared as he regarded them with a serious expression and nodded, saying, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yes¡± was fairly simple to pronounce, so Jeremy quickly picked up the word and could now use it easily. Stacey quickly reminded Lillian and Kevin, saying, Lily, Kev, Jeremy just had surgery and is still recovering. Let him rest and try not to disturb him too much.¡± Children could be quite bothersome, and Jeremy needed to rest right now. She had to remind them of this. When they heard this, Lillian and Kevin¡¯s eyes widened as they nodded quickly. Although they stopped talking to Jeremy, they continued to watch him with curiosity. It was a bit inconvenient, but fortunately, Jeremy liked Lillian and Kevin a lot and did not feel ufortable under their gaze. Carter Vi had numerous guest rooms, and the one Hayden had used before was still set up the same way and ready for use. Since Hayden and Jeremy came over again, they could move in directly without needing to clean up intensively. After a long and tiring day, Hayden, who had brought Jeremy back, was exhausted. Stacey quickly noticed this and promptly took them upstairs, helping to tidy up the room for them. As Jeremy watched Becky and Hayden clean up the room together, he couldn¡¯t help but keep his gaze fixed on Becky. He did not want to stay in the guest room. Instead, he wished to stay in the same room with Becky. Jeremy pondered, ¡®How do I say this?¡® He wanted to express something but found it difficult to articte. Feeling a bit nervous, he hesitated to speak. Habitually, Jeremy reached for his writing tablet, only to realize it was not by his side. Since his discharge from the hospital, Hayden had taken away his writing tablet to encourage him to practice vocalization and speaking slowly rather than relying on it constantly. Jeremy struggled and ultimately remained silent. Stacey cleaned the room meticulously and only felt at ease once she was certain it was spotless. After a moment of thought, she said, ¡°Well, just let me know if you need anything else, and I¡¯ll make arrangements.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Hayden said with a smile, nodding at her. Jeremy also beamed in response. ¡°Why don¡¯t you and Jeremy go get some rest first?¡± Stacey asked. Hayden looked at her and inquired, ¡°Do you have work today?¡± Stacey shook her head. Knowing that Hayden would bring Jeremy here today, Patrick had given her the day off to pick them up. Stacey thought of the uing entertainment ceremony and hurriedly added, ¡°By the way, the annual entertainment ceremony in Zentiscape is just a few days and I promised Charlie I would attend.¡± Stacey knew that Hayden and Jeremy hade to see her, so she wanted to exin the situation clearly. She was concerned that Hayden might be upset if she had to leave for an event in a few days. away, Hayden nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Jeremy and I have no ns. We¡¯ll apany you then.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Stacey was stunned.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. 11:19 Wed, Aug/ Hayden chuckled. ¡°Why? Do you not want me and Jeremy to go?¡± Stacey shook her head quickly. ¡°No, no. I am¡­ just a bit concerned that it might be too troublesome.¡± 3 Hayden chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s no trouble. I¡¯m on vacation, and it¡¯s good for Jeremy to get out.¡± CHAPTER 233 Chapter 233 Stacey was still a bit perplexed after leaving the guest room, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling delightful. With a cheerful expression, she went downstairs. Debra inquired with a smile, ¡°Are they resting in their room?¡± Stacey nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Debra noticed her cheerful expression and knew Stacey was fond of Hayden. She pondered, ¡®At this rate, Becky and Hay should be able to get together! Debra smiled and felt that she and Patrick shouldn¡¯t stay at home as third wheels. She thought ¡®We should give them some space and let the two spend time alone together, especially since Hay has deliberately put down time toe here and be with Becky.¡¯ Debra¡¯s thoughts drifted to the situation with Adrian. Feeling somewhat restless, she considered temporarily relocating to the house Adrian had bought rather than staying here as a third wheel. Although pretending to be an ordinary person might be a bit challenging, Debra would have the opportunity to see Isabe and Damian more frequently and help care for Damian. With this n in mind, Debra immediately pulled out her phone and messaged Adrian. Adrian was in the market with Damian, following behind Isabe. He was caught off guard by her text, replying worriedly: [Are you sure you guys won¡¯t get exposed?] Adrian wasn¡¯t overly concerned about Patrick. His main focus was Debra. Luckily, he had previously depicted her as a pampered and indulged woman spoiled by Patrick, so it wasn¡¯t too strange if she asionally behaved in a delicate or unusual manner. Debra, seeing his response, quickly responded: [Of course not! How could we possibly get exposed? Adrian, since your father and I have already met Isabe and her child, we should make an effort to visit them more often. Otherwise, it might appear unweing. You can consider this. If the future inws and grandparents of the child show no concern after learning their son has a child, wouldn¡¯t that be concerning? They might question our character for not caring about the child, don¡¯t you think?] Adrian was somewhat speechless. He texted: [Are you certain you won¡¯t get exposed?] Debra assured him: [I won¡¯t ruin things for you. I promise I¡¯ll be very careful.] Adrian replied: [I don¡¯t really believe it.] Debra texted: [You troublesome child. Do you really have such little trust in me?] Adrian replied: [I trust you with other things. But pretending to be an ordinary person? My trust level is at negative 100.] Stacey had just poured herself a ss of water and was about to take a sip when she saw Debra typing on her phone. As Debra continued to text, her expression suddenly grew quite fierce. Stacey was left puzzled, wondering, ¡®Why does Mom look so intense? Who is she texting?¡® Debra looked up in exasperation. Sheined, saying, ¡°Becky, can you believe Adrian? Isn¡¯t it hust pretending to be an ordinary person? It¡¯s a bit challenging for me, but I¡¯ll be careful. Everything 3 +42%Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. will be fine. Why doesn¡¯t he trust me at all? It¡¯s so frustrating!¡± Stacey was stunned, and she quickly came to her senses. ¡°Were you texting Adrian just now?¡± Debra nodded angrily. ¡°Yes! Look at the messages Adrian sent me. He¡¯s trying to drive me crazy.¡± Stacey nced at the chat log and found Adrian¡¯s concerns quite reasonable. ¡°Becky?¡± Debra¡¯s voice jolted her back to reality. Stacey came back to her senses and asked, ¡°Huh?¡± Debra eyed her warily and asked, ¡°What were you just thinking?¡± Stacey was at a loss for words. Debra, feeling aggrieved, continued, ¡°Even you don¡¯t believe in me? Do you also think I can¡¯t pull off pretending to be an ordinary person?¡± Stacey exined with a touch of helplessness, ¡°It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t trust you, Mom. It¡¯s just that your temperament is quite different from an ordinary person¡¯s.¡± Debra was momentarily at a loss for words. Stacey thought about it and added, ¡°But you¡¯re right. Since we know about Isabe and Damian, it would seem cold¨Chearted not to visit them.¡± Debra nodded hurriedly. ¡°Exactly! I think so too.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you practice being an ordinary person at home first? It¡¯s simr to how I used to practice acting. Once you¡¯re morefortable with it, then you can go visit Isabe and Damian,¡± Stacey suggested. Debra was initially puzzled but soon saw the merit in the idea and went to get ready right away. Lillian and Kevin, eager to see what was happening, trailed behind her. Stacey, curious by the idea of Debra dressing up as an ordinary person, also went upstairs with her. After Hayden had sessfully put Jeremy to sleep, he came out to see Debra¡¯s new look. He was clearly taken aback and somewhat confused. Stacey seeing Hayden, smiled and quietly exined the situation regarding Isabe and Damian. Hayden, upon hearing this, couldn¡¯t help but be amused as well. Debra, having practiced at home for a while, eventually pulled Patrick to practice with her. Patrick, eager to participate, quickly changed his clothes. The two of them practiced together for a bit before finally packing up their things and leaving with the suitcase. Meanwhile, Stacey and Hayden were left feeling confused. Hayden, quick on the uptake, soon grasped the reason for their departure and found it amusing. Stacey, concerned that Hayden might think her being unweing, hurriedly parents exined, ¡°Well¡­ my parents are also concerned about Adrian and Isabe. They didn¡¯t mean to neglect you, so please don¡¯t take it personally.¡± Hayden shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± It was true that Becky¡¯s parents were concerned about Adrian, but they were also making space for him and Becky. They deliberately avoided being a third wheel to allow the two of them to have more time together. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. How about we go to the supermarket and get some groceries? Why don¡¯t I cook dinner tonight?¡± Hayden suggested. Hearing this, Stacey was stunned again. She asked in surprise, ¡°You¡¯ll cook?¡± Hayden nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Gazing at Stacey, he said warmly, ¡°Sometimes, living as an ordinary person 11:19 wea, Aug / G = Chapter 233 can be quite enjoyable 42% Stacey immediately remembered Debra and Patrick¡¯s attempts at acting like ordinary people just now. She grinned and nodded. ¡°Yes. It can be quite nice.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, then. It won¡¯t take long to get groceries,¡± Hayden stated. Stacey thought it was a good idea, so she nodded and said, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll go upstairs and grab my bag.¡± Hayden agreed, saying, ¡°All right.¡± Stacey hurriedly turned to head upstairs, but as she did, both she and Hayden saw Jeremy standing at the top of the stairs. Hayden was stunned, thinking, ¡®I just spent so long soothing him to sleep, and now he¡¯s awake so quickly?¡® Jeremy then came running down and clung to their side. ? CHAPTER 234 Chapter 234 ¡°Jeremy, why are you awake? Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± Stacey asked with a smile. Jeremy shook his head, replying in an unnatural tone, ¡°No.¡± +93%1 Stacey crouched down to look into his eyes, and her smile was gentle. ¡°I¡¯m going to the supermarket with your dad. Do you want toe along?¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes lit up, and he nodded eagerly. Stacey beamed and looked at Hayden, saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go together then.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Hayden replied with a light chuckle. Stacey smiled too, then turned and went upstairs. She hurried to her room, grabbed her bag, and touched up her lipstick in front of the vanity. After making sure she looked fine, she went downstairs. Hayden stood with Jeremy, while Lillian and Kevin watched them with eyes shining with anticipation. The whole family was excited about going on this supermarket trip. Stacey looked at all the expectant eyes and felt a little amused. She thought, ¡®It¡¯s just a grocery run, and we¡¯re all going together. Isn¡¯t that a bit much?¡® Still, Stacey wasn¡¯tfortable leaving the kids at home, even with Gwen and Marie there to take care of them. After all, they weren¡¯t family. Stacey remembered the incident from her own childhood and didn¡¯t want the same thing to happen to her children or Hayden¡¯s child. Although it was a bit more troublesome, taking all the kids out together could be seen as a chance to go for a walk and get some fresh air. It was a good thing. They soon set out. Lillian and Kevin took out the toddler leash and obediently put them on themselves. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Jeremy have a leash?¡± Lillian asked curiously, noticing Jeremy wasn¡¯t wearing one. Hayden looked down at Jeremy and answered, ¡°Jeremy has one too, but I forgot to bring it. We¡¯ll buy one at the supermarket.¡± Jeremy immediately frowned in displeasure. ¡°I¡­¡± He wanted to object, but he struggled to find the right words. He thought, ¡®I don¡¯t need a toddler leash. I¡¯m a big kid now and very well¨Cbehaved. I wouldn¡¯t run around like Lily and Kev. Hayden nced down slightly, and his dark eyes fixed intently on Jeremy. Jeremy felt an unspoken warning in Hayden¡¯s gaze, making it clear that he was expected to wear the toddler leash without anyints. Stacey also looked at Jeremy with a serious expression. ¡°Even though you¡¯re three years old, you¡¯re still a child. You shouldn¡¯t run around recklessly. What if someone with ill intentions targets you?¡± At the mention of this, Stacey thought of her childhood experience. She sighed softly and said, ¡°I got lost when I was three years old. If only when I was young¡­¡± She gazed at Jeremy and said gently, ¡°Jeremy, it¡¯s important to always be aware of your safety. You can¡¯t take it lightly just because you¡¯re three years old and think you¡¯re a big kid. You need to listen to your dad.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Hayden thought about Becky getting lost at three years old, feeling a pang of sympathy as he looked at her. He knew, however, that the past couldn¡¯t be changed. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Hayden said, changing the subject. At first, Jeremy was unconvinced. However, he stopped being angry with Hayden after listening to Becky¡¯s words. Despite his young age, Jeremy understood that Becky had been taken by a bad person when she was three. He had known about Becky¡¯s disappearance from her family for as long as he could remember. Sharon had often mentioned that if Becky hadn¡¯t been taken away and lost from her family, she might have married Hayden and been with him. Thinking of this, Jeremy stayed quiet. When he arrived at the supermarket, he took a toddler leash and put it in the shopping cart without being told by Hayden. Stacey and Hayden noticed his actions and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Stacey reached out her hand to Jeremy. Jeremy looked at her hand. He tilted his head slightly and was a little confused. Stacey exined, ¡°I will hold your hand so you won¡¯t get lost.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes lit up, and he joyfully ced his hand in hers, nodding firmly. ¡°Yes!¡± He had be increasingly adept at saying ¡°Yes,¡± and his delivery had grown more fluent and natural. Stacey felt a warm glow inside. She eagerly anticipated the day when Jeremy could use more words like other kids andmunicate. ¡°I want to hold hands too!¡± Kevin saw this and immediately ran over. He raised his hand to hold Stacey¡¯s hand. Stacey was a bit exasperated. It was manageable to hold Jeremy¡¯s hand, given that he was three and much taller. Lillian and Kevin were only one year old and too short. She would have to constantly bend over to hold their hands. Lillian also eximed, ¡°I want to hold hands too!¡± Stacey stated, ¡°What should I do? It is both sweet and troublesome having too many children.¡± Hayden chuckled and told Gwen and Marie, saying, ¡°Please go get two shopping carts.¡± Stacey¡¯s eyes brightened at the mention. The supermarket¡¯s shopping carts all had child seats. While Jeremy, being three, was a bit too big for them, they would be perfect for Lillian and Kevin. Gwen and Marie also understood what Hayden meant, so they immediately brought two shopping carts over. Hayden bent down and ced Lillian and Kevin into the shopping carts. Since they had never been in a shopping cart before, their curiosity was piqued. They quickly forgot about asking Stacey to hold their hands. Jeremy was relieved to see that Lillian and Kevin were attracted by the shopping carts. He didn¡¯t care for the carts, as he preferred being with Becky. With the kids settled, Hayden pushed one cart, while Gwen pushed another. Stacey held Jeremy¡¯s hand as they shopped. Stacey looked down and said to Jeremy, ¡°Jeremy, is there anything you want? Just tell me, and we¡¯ll get it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jeremy nodded eagerly. The word ¡°Yes¡± was something Jeremy used often, which amused Stacey. As he had just begun to speak, it was one of the simplest words for him to say. As they walked, Jeremy observed curiously but didn¡¯t reach for anything. In contrast, Lillian and Kevin, seated in the shopping carts behind, were captivated by everything they saw. They eagerly stretched out their hands when they passed colorful packages and grabbed everything. Hayden and Gwen didn¡¯t stop them. Instead, after Lillian and Kevin ced items in the shopping cart, they quietly turned around and put all the unnecessary things back. They were busy but found it amusing. CHAPTER 235 Chapter 235 The supermarket was big, and they unknowingly shopped for over an hour. When they returned home, it was nearly dark. Grace seemed at a loss seeing them with groceries. Smiling, Hayden told her to take a rest. She wondered to herself, ¡®Will my job be at risk now that my employer has a son- inw?¡® Despite her unease, Grace left the kitchen. Hayden skillfully began preparing the ingredients, while Stacey followed closely and diligently learned. Even Jeremy, Lillian, and Kevin gathered around, eager to watch the process. An hour and a halfter, the dinner was ready. The meal was beautifully presented, leaving Grace astonished by Hayden¡¯s skill. She pondered, ¡®Mr. Hoggard is an exceptional cook. Am I really at risk of losing my job? Perhaps I should start practicing more and refine my ting skills. Her anxiety grew as she considered this. The job with the Carter family was wellpensated and involved less work, with the added benefit of having a kind employer. Having been with them for many years, she had always been treated well. Grace knew she couldn¡¯t afford to lose such a desirable position easily. When Lillian and Kevin saw the delicious food prepared by Hayden, they gasped in awe, having never seen anything like it before. ¡°How pretty!¡± ¡°The food Daddy made looks amazing!¡± Lillian and Kevin each said a sentence, praising Hayden. Jeremy stood to the side, listening. He nodded enthusiastically, saying, ¡°Yes!¡± He agreed with Lillian and Kevin¡¯s praise and took pride in the fact that Hayden¡¯s food was both appealing and delicious. Jeremy thought that Becky, Lillian, and Kevin would surely like them even more after seeing this. ¡°Let¡¯s all take our seats and eat,¡± Stacey stated with a smile. Turning to Hayden, she added thoughtfully, ¡°Thank you for all your hard work.¡± Hayden chuckled lightly. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard too.¡± After everyone had finished eating, Stacey left the dirty dishes to Grace. She asked Gwen and Marie to quickly tidy up the three children, then took them to the living room to watch cartoons with Hayden. Unfortunately, Lillian and Kevin had different tastes in cartoons and soon began to argue over which one to watch. Stacey, her head throbbing from themotion, nced at the well- behaved Jeremy before heading upstairs. She retrieved a piece of paper from her study and made it into three slips. Returning downstairs, she suggested, ¡°Lily, Kev, and Jeremy, let¡¯s draw lots. The one who picks the slip with the dot will choose what we watch tonight.¡± Lillian and Kevin, who were on the verge of fighting, immediately turned their attention to Stacey. Jeremy also watched with curiosity. Stacey pulled out a slip of paper, unfolded it, and showed it to them. ¡°This slip has a dot. The person who draws it gets to choose what we watch tonight.¡± Lillian and Kevin didn¡¯t fully grasp what this meant but Stacey wasn¡¯t worried. Children picked things up quickly. After ying the game a few times, they would soon grasp the concept. Staceybined all the slips and mixed them up, then had the three of them draw lots together. Jeremy, being three years old, was familiar with the rules of drawing lots. He looked at Becky as he reached for a slip of paper. Lillian and Kevin hurriedly stretched out their hands to take one each. Momentster, they opened their slips. Kevin had drawn the winning slip with the dot. ¡°I won!¡± Kevin immediately shouted, thrilled. 1/3 1033 Th?, Aug 8 Hayden chucked and stated, ¡°Yes. Kev won, so the remote control belongs to him tonight.¡± Lillian and Kevin did not fully grasp the meaning of winning the draw initially, but they were starting to understand it slowly. Lillian wanted to y shameless, and she said with a hint of defiance, ¡°No, I want to change the channel. I want to watch ¡°The Fairy Princess¡®!¡± ¡°No. I want to watch ¡°The Ugly Duckling!¡± Kevin shouted back. Stacey firmly handed the remote to Kevin. She then turned to Lillian and patiently exined the rules once more, emphasizing that the oue of the draw determined who would pick the show. Despite Stacey¡¯s efforts, Lillian didn¡¯t listen to her exnation. A momentter, she pouted and burst out crying. Jeremy, seeing Lillian¡¯s distress, became flustered. He stood up, hands at his sides, wanting tofort Lillian but unsure how to help. Hayden, though initially taken aback, understood that it was normal for young children to cry and fuss. He had encountered simr situations with Jeremy himself. There had been times when Jeremy had misbehaved, leading to him being hit and crying out loudly. Kevin¡¯s hand holding the remote suddenly wavered. After a moment of hesitation, he approached Lillian, still clutching the remote, and was about to hand it over to her. Stacey promptly stopped Kevin, resolutely cing the remote back in his hand. She understood that it was normal for young children to quarrel and fuss. However, Stacey was aware that giving in to a child¡¯s tantrums could lead to undesirable behavior. It would only spoil them, eaching them that they could get whatever they wanted simply by crying. Lillian continued to struggle, trying to grab the remote. Stacey immediately held Lillian and exined, ¡°Lily, we have scussed this before. You, Jeremy, and Kev all drew lots together. The one who wins the draw gets to choose their favorite TV show. Remember?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I want to watch ¡®The Fairy Princess!¡± Lillian cried heart¨Cwrenchingly. ¡°But there is only one TV,¡± Stacey stated. It was not that the Carter family could not afford to buy another TV or that they could not use other devices like tablets or smartphones to show Lillian ¡°The Fairy Princess.¡± The real issue was not about which channel Lillian should watch but about teaching her to respect rules. Once rules were established, it was important to follow them. This didn¡¯t only apply to Lillian. If Lillian won next time, Stacey wouldn¡¯t indulge Kevin if he threw a tantrum next time. Every child needed to learn to respect the rules they had all agreed upon. ¡°Let me talk to her,¡± Hayden uttered, seeing Stacey struggle to calm Lillian. Stacey was slightly surprised and turned to look at him. Hayden reached out and gently picked up Lillian. ¡°Stacey, you stay with Jeremy and Kev downstairs. I will take Lily upstairs to talk.¡± Stacey was stunned and then nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Hayden nodded and carried Lillian upstairs. She was still crying, and when she realized he was taking her out of the living room, she resisted. Lillian pushed and kicked, struggling to get down from his arms. She thought, ¡®I want to go back to the living room to watch ¡®The Fairy Princess¡®!¡® ¡°Lily,¡± Hayden called her name softly in a doting tone. When Lillian heard him calling her, she paused slightly. She looked at Hayden, feeling aggrieved, and her tears flowed even faster. She sobbed. ¡°Daddy, I want to watch ¡®The Fairy Princess¡®! I want to watch ¡®The Fairy Princess¡®!¡± ?Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. 1033 Thu, Aug 8 B¨¤ + 93% Hayden kissed her forehead gently and said, ¡°Yes. Lily, you¡¯re a good girl. Of course, you can watch ¡°The Fairy Princess,¡® but it¡¯s not right now.¡± Lillian¡¯s crying subsided somewhat after Hayden praised her for being a good girl and told her she could watch ¡°The Fairy Princess.¡± She mused, ¡®But Daddy said not right now?¡® Lillian looked at him in confusion and asked, ¡°When can I watch it then?¡± CHAPTER 236 Chapter 236 Hayden carried 1illian back to the children¡¯s room upstairs before gently setting her down. ¡°Daddy, when can I see ¡°The Fairy Princess¡°?¡± Lillian¡¯s eyes were still glistening with tears, but she could not hide her anticipation. Hayden took out a tissue and gently wiped away her tears. ¡°Next time we draw lots, if you win, you can watch it,¡± he said warmly. Lillian looked at Hayden. ¡°If I win next time, I can watch it?¡± she asked seriously. Hayden nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then I want to draw lots again. I am sure I will win this time!¡± Lillian dered confidently, trying to dash down the stairs, bypassing Hayden. Hayden chuckled softly and gently pulled her back. Not today.¡± Confusion flickered across Lillian¡¯s face. Hayden tried to exin gently, kneeling to her level. ¡°Do you remember what your mom said before we drew lots? You, Kevin, and Jeremy all drew lots together, and whoever won gets to watch their favorite show tonight.¡± He continued, ¡°So, ording to our agreement, tonight¡¯s draw is valid for the entire evening. You will have to wait until tonight is over. Then, when your mom lets you draw lots again next time, you can try for it again.¡± Lillian¡¯s eyes widened as she tried to process Hayden¡¯s exnation. Despite his patient tone, the rules were a bitplex for her young mind to fully grasp. After all, she was just over one year old, not even two yet. Hayden did not expect her to grasp all these rules immediately. Patience was key when taking care of kids, and fortunately, he had plenty of it. He picked her up again and carried her to the bathroom. He wet her towel and began gently wiping her face. ¡°Don¡¯t cry so easily, okay? Crying too much will make your face dirty, and it won¡¯t look as pretty.¡± Lillian remained silent. Meanwhile, downstairs, Jeremy had been sitting quietly on the couch, but curiosity got the better of him. He nced at Becky and then trotted upstairs to check on Lillian. He was worried about her. Stacey noticed Jeremy¡¯s departure and considered following him upstairs. However, she decided against it, reasoning that Hayden had likely taken Lillian upstairs for a private discussion or lesson. Going up now might interfere with the moment and be counterproductive. Even Kevin, intrigued by themotion, craned his neck to see what was happening upstairs before ncing back at Stacey. Stacey adjusted Kevin¡¯s cor and said, ¡°Just stay here and watch cartoons. There¡¯s no need to worry about them right now.¡± Stacey trusted Hayden¡¯s ability to educate kids. After all, Jeremy had turned out so well. 10 23 (33. Thu Aug 8 Chapter 938 Ba + 93% +5 Upstairs, as Jeremy reached the top, he heard Hayden telling Lillian a story. Curious, he stood at the door but did not go in. This was Lillian¡¯s room, and without her permission, Jeremy felt he should not enter. Inside, both Hayden and Lillian noticed the movement at the door and looked over. When Lillian saw Jeremy, her eyes lit up, and she eximed happily, ¡°Jeremy!¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes lit up too, and he smiled. ¡°Lily, can Jeremye into your room?¡± Hayden, understanding Jeremy well, asked for him. He knew that Jeremy was not very good at speaking yet Lillian was surprised but quickly nodded. ¡°Of course! Jeremy,e in,¡± she said. Jeremy¡¯s smile grew wider as he ran into the room. ¡°Daddy, let¡¯s continue the story,¡± Lillian urged Hayden as soon as Jeremy came in. Hayden nced at Jeremy, then continued the story for Lillian. This story was one Hayden made up on the spot. It was about a group of fairies living in the Fairy Forest. The beautiful Fairy Queen had a little princess and two little princes, named Lillian, Kyle, and Dn. When Lillian heard that the fairy princess in the story shared her name, she was overjoyed and immediately loved the story. She even forgot about her favorite movie, ¡°The Fairy Princess.¡± Now, all she wanted was to hear more about the fairy princess named Lillian. ¡°One day, the Fairy Queen went out and brought back a beautiful flower crown to give to her children. But there was only one crown, and she had three children. Who should she give it to?¡± Hayden looked at Lillian, his voice gentle as he continued the story. ¡°To Princess Lillian!¡± Lillian shouted eagerly. Hayden smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, the Fairy Queen wanted to give the crown to the adorable Princess Lillian.¡± Lillian¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement as she responded, ¡°Yes! That is so amazing.¡± Haydenughed and continued, ¡°But the Fairy Queen also loved Prince Kyle and Prince Dn very much. If she only gave the crown to Princess Lillian, Prince Kyle and Prince Dn would be sad too.¡± ¡°What should she do?¡± Lillian frowned, both worried and frustrated. She was deeply involved in the story and wanted the best oue for everyone. Hayden chuckled. ¡°Exactly, what should she do? The Fairy Queen thought and thought, trying toe up with a solution. She finally decided to seek the wisdom of the royal wizard, who was known for his clever ideas. The Fairy Queen summoned him to help with the dilemma. The wizard thought for a long time and finally came up with a brilliant idea ¨C drawing lots.¡± Lillian¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard this. ¡°I know about drawing lots! Mommy ys that game with us. We just yed it earlier.¡± ||| AugContent bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. + 93% 5 Hayden smiled as he continued the story. ¡°The Fairy Queen was puzzled and asked, ¡®What is drawing lots?¡® The wizard exined the rules to her in detail. After listening carefully for a long time, the Fairy Queen understood and thought it was a wonderful idea. So, she decided to use this method. She called Princess Lillian, Prince Kyle, and Prince Dn and prepared three lots. She told them that whoever drew the marked lot would be given the beautiful flower crown she had brought back.¡± Lillian, listening intently, nervously clutched at her clothes. Hayden noticed her anxiousness and continued, his voice soothing and encouraging, ¡°Princess Lillian, Prince Kyle, and Prince Dn each drew one of the lots. Can you guess who ended up with the marked one?¡± Lillian¡¯s brow furrowed with uncertainty, and she shook her head slowly, her face reflecting her hesitation. Her eyes were wide as she tried to figure out the oue, clearly caught up in the suspense of the story. Hayden smiled warmly and leaned in a bit, adding to the dramatic effect, ¡°Princess Lillian drew the marked lot Lillian¡¯s face lit up with pure joy as she pped her hands and shouted excitedly, ¡°Yeah!¡± ¡°But Prince Kyle and Prince Dn did not agree. They changed their minds and no longer wanted to honor the agreement. They wanted the flower crown and did not want the Fairy Queen to give it to Princess Lillian,¡± Hayden continued. CHAPTER 237 Chapter 237 ¡°No way!¡± Lillian said urgently. ¡°They can¡¯t do that. It was Princess Lillian who drew the lot. The flower crown belongs to her!¡± Hayden smiled, trying to ease her upset. ¡°Yes, Princess Lillian drew the lot, so the flower crown should be hers. Prince Kyle and Prince Dn need to keep their promise and not take it from her.¡± Lillian nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes.¡± Jeremy, who had been observing from a short distance, looked at Lillian and then turned to Hayden. He looked at Hayden with a look only a father and son would understand. When Jeremy was little, Hayden often used stories and situations like this to teach him important lessons. Now, he was employing the same approach with Lillian. Hayden noticed Jeremy almost rolling his eyes, but he maintained hisposure as he continued his gentle teaching with Lillian. ¡°Do you think it is important to keep promises?¡± ¤µ ¡°Yes,¡± Lillian responded with a serious nod, her little face earnest and intent. ¡°They can¡¯t break their promise. It was decided by drawing lots that¡­ that Princess Lillian won, so the¡­ the flower crown should go to her.¡± Although she spoke slowly, her determination shone through. Hayden¡¯s smile widened as he saw her understanding take shape. ¡°That¡¯s right. So, when you y games, you should be a child who keeps promises too, okay?¡± Jeremy gave Hayden a knowing look. Hayden felt difort at the intensity of Jeremy¡¯s gaze but held steady. Jeremy quickly looked away, focusing once more on Lillian. Despite his reservations about Hayden¡¯s somewhat sneaky methods, Jeremy could not argue with the importance of the lesson being taught. Keeping promises was crucial, and honoringmitments was a value they all needed to uphold. Lillian, now connecting the dots, thought to herself ¡®Is Daddy talking about me?¡® She realized that her recent attempts to back out after losing the draw had been untrustworthy. Hayden¡¯s exnation made her feel less upset, and she saw the sense in it. ¡°Next time I win the lot drawing, Kev has to keep his promise and not take it from me,¡± she stated firmly. Hayden nodded in agreement, his smile reassuring ¡°Of course, Kev has to keep his promise too. Everyone should keep their promises.¡±Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ¡°Okay,¡± Lillian said with a resolute nod. It took some time, but she finally calmed down and grasped the importance of keeping promises. How long she would remember this lesson was uncertain, as children often forgot things quickly. Today, they might be soothed and make promises, but by tomorrow, they could easily renege. It often required repeated teaching, using various methods and approaches, just like with Jeremy when he was little. The first time, he cried. The second time, he wailed. The third time, he threw a tantrum. By the fourth time, he was grounded, and the fifth time involved more serious discipline. Repetition had been key in his learning process. Stacey had waited downstairs for a long time before she could not resist sneaking upstairs to check 1/3 on thing When Kremowe Stacey sneaking upstairs, he jumped off the couch and followed her. Story hit men more reasoned that Kevin was willing toe with her. ¡°Let¡¯s go quietly so we don¡¯t disturb them, she whispered to him. ¡°Okay Kevin nodded, and they tiptoed pests together. When they reached the second floor, they caw Lillian and Jeremying out of the room, with Hayden following behind Jeremy¡¯s eyes brightened at the sight of Becky, and he eagerly rushed to her side. Stacey paused momentarily, her gaze wetting on Lillian. Despite her red eyes, Lillian no longer appeared upset or on the verge of tears. Stacey thought to herself, ¡®Did Hayden really calm her down? Hayden is incredible! She did not realize she was looking at Hayden with the same ?? admiration that Jeremy often directed toward her. Hayden¡¯s sonugh broke the silence, and he suggested, ¡®It is all right now. How about we go for a walk oupades ¡°Yes¡± Lillian shouted eagerly. Stacey noticed the newfound closeness between Lillian and Hayden, a bond strengthened by their carlier conversation. ¡°I want to go too,¡± Kevin chimed in eagerly. Turning to Jeremy, Stacey gave him a warm smile. Jeremy, do you want toe along?¡± Jeremy looked at Becky, his lips moving in an attempt to form words, but his nerves got the best of him. His ears flushed a deep red as he struggled to speak. Stacey knelt beside him, her voice gentle and encouraging as she said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Jeremy. Try saying, ¡®I want.¡± Jeremy nced nervously at Becky¡¯s lips, his small fists clenching at his sides. Stacey encouraged him with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Just say it out loud. It is perfectly fine if you make a mistake. No one willugh at you.¡± Hayden also watched Jeremy with a hopeful expression. Jeremy pursed his lips, holding his breath, and finally managed to whisper, ¡°Wa.¡± ¡°Want, Hayden corrected softly. Jeremy looked up at Hayden, meeting Hayden¡¯s serious gaze. With a determined breath, Jeremy tried again. ¡°Want!¡± This time, he pronounced it correctly. Stacey¡¯s face lit up with pride as she immediately opened her arms and enveloped Jeremy in a warm hug. ¡°Jeremy, you did it! You are amazing! You learned so quickly,¡± she praised. Jeremy¡¯s cheeks flushed bright red. Even though he had only said one word correctly and had made a mistake earlier, the hug and encouragement meant the world to him. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk together.¡± Stacey gently patted Jeremy¡¯s shoulder and smiled. This time, everyone was happy as they went out. They walked around the neighborhood for a long time and finally stopped at the yground to let Jeremy, Lillian, and Kevin y on their own. After the children had dashed on to enjoy themselves, Stacey and Hayden fell into silence. The silence between them grew, and Stacey, feeling a bit nervous, began to wonder how to start a conversation. 2/3 Mr. Fraley mentioned he wants to visit Zentiscape during Christmas,¡± Hayden finally said, bringing up a topic they had discussed previously, Stacey felt less nervous hearing this. She straightened up a bit, her expression turning more serious as she replied, ¡°I have already drafted the ns. I will send them to you shortly.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Hayden said with a smile. He then turned to look at her and sighed. ¡°But if Mr. Fraleyes here for Christmas, will it disrupt your family¡¯s celebration?¡± Stacey shook her head immediately and smiled. ¡°No, it won¡¯t. It is just one more person. It should make the celebrations even livelier.¡± Hayden¡¯s smile widened as he nodded in agreement ¡°True. Speaking of which, will youe to my ce then?¡± he asked, looking at her. Stacey was taken aback, her brows furrowing in confusion as she processed his question. Hayden chuckled and said, ¡°You have toe.¡± Staceyughed, thinking to herself, ¡®Was Hayden just teasing me?¡® She then said, ¡°Well, my parents and I did visit Hoggard Manor once before.¡± CHAPTER 238 Chapter 238 Hayden was stunned for a time before nodding and replying with a smile, ¡°Yes, my grandparent said so. But I wasn¡¯t homest time. Next time, we¡¯ll celebrate Christmas together. Come to my house, and I¡¯ll extend my wee.¡± Hayden¡¯s invitation made Stacey¡¯s heart race instinctively. After a while, she nodded, saying, ¡°Ok Hayden grinned, glowing with excitement when he heard her reply. They conversed in the dark was alreadyte before they realized it. He didn¡¯t ask her and the children to go home together until about nine o¡¯clock in the evening. Stacey unknowingly kept pace with Hayden. She couldn¡¯t even understand why someone like hi Stacey unknowingly kept pace with Hayden. She couldn¡¯t knew so much about the trivial stuff in life. She pondered, ¡®Don¡¯t housekeepers frequently manage the daily lives of wealthy CEOS and scio as portrayed in TV shows and novels? Apart from work, they take part in a variety of exquisite programs. Ordinary people¡¯s lifestyles should be vastly different from theirs, right? Like Mom a Dad, they rarely cook in person. Grace and other housekeepers are usually in charge of these tas As a result, they struggle to behave like ordinary people in front of Isabe. Adrian is always concerned that they will be exposed. But¡­ Stacey then couldn¡¯t help but swivel her head and steal a nce at Hayden, wondering, ¡®Althoug] he can aplish many small things in life, it should be difficult for him to y an ordinary individual.¡® Hayden exuded a noble aura that set him apart from others. As a result, she felt reflexively nervous every time she met him.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Stacey would asionally remember that he was only two years older than her, making them roughly the same age. Although they were about the same age, she had always thought there was significant difference between them. Because she thought about it too much, she began to doubt Hayden about what he liked about her and what she possessed that earned his liking. She left the residential area park unwittingly with a chaotic mind, and the bodyguards stationed nearby to protect them secretly also followed them. At the same time, Jenny slowly emerged from the spot where they had previously rested, unbeknownst to Stacey or the bodyguards. She looked at their backs, her gaze drawn to the three children who were following them. Carrying her purse, She stared at the three children¡¯s backs w loathing, her eyes narrowing slightly. She mused, ¡®Stacey¡­ She certainly keeps her close eyes on t two kids. I don¡¯t even have a chance of harming them. Even though Jenny wasn¡¯t fully prepared, she had to give it a try. Theodore the previous time were phony, causing her and Dorothy¡¯s scheme to fail and costing them a lot of money. However, she wouldn¡¯t give up so simply and had to get the Edwards family he documents she stole from project back because it was important for her and Dorothy¡¯s newpany. But Theodore was difficult to persuade and even contacted the cops, wanting her arrested. Fortunately, she was a Menterra citizen and could use several legal loopholes in Zentiscape to escape. However, if Jenny still intended to get that project from Theodore, her previous n wouldn¡¯t work. Some men had always upheld a sense of dignity in front of women. Many women would Ba c¨® l 103, Thu Aug 8 Chapter 238 admire him for his superiority. asionally, when a woman approached and lightly ttered them, they trusted everything. But once it was revealed, the man was also the cruelest, never trusting her at all. Yet. Jenny no longer considered these to be the most importat She didn¡¯t want to return years, she had been miserable to him anymore. For the past tw to please the pompous Theodore every day. She mused, ¡®He should look at himself in the mirror. What a psychopath. With his attitude, how could he expect many women to be to him and fall for him? Barf!¡± drawn From Jenny¡¯s observation over the past years, she had found out about Theodore¡¯s weakness, which was Reba. Men were scumbags. He didn¡¯t appreciate Reba¡¯s devotion to him and the lovely life they shared. When Reba was heartbroken and left him, he realized how much he loved her and couldn¡¯t let her go. Every time he got drunk, Theodore would mor for Reba to remarry him, which was the best proof of his feelings for her. Therefore, his care for Reba had be his weakness. As long as Jenny could find a way to catch Reba, or Lillian and Kevin, and threaten Theodore with the children, he would undoubtedly guarantee that he would let her off the hook for the past and provide her the project she desired. While Jenny was pondering, her mother, Dorothy, appeared out of the corner and called out, ¡°Jenny.¡± Looking back at Dorothy, Jenny was surprised and asked, ¡°Mom? Why are you here?¡± Dorothy stared at Jenny and lowered her voice, saying, ¡°Jenny, I¡¯ve asked someone to look into the man with Stacey. His name is Hayden. How about we give up on this project? It¡¯ll be the same if we switch to another project.¡± Frowned, Jenny replied unhappily, ¡°No way. I can¡¯t allow failure to happen to me.¡± Dorothy felt worried and added, ¡°But¡­ We can¡¯t afford to mess with the Hoggard family given their status. If Hayden is truly willing to defend Stacey, itll be difficult for us to flee even if we are Menterra citizens.¡± Jenny, annoyed by Dorothy¡¯s words, snapped, ¡°Mom, are you getting so old that you¡¯ve started to be timid? I¡¯ve never seen you be timid when Dad was powerful. It was due to your courage that you were able to be thedy of the Smith family and achieve the prominence you have today.¡± She then looked Dorothy in the eyes and continued seriously, ¡°Mom, I won¡¯t give up.¡± Then, she turned to gaze at Carter Vi. This time, she contemted for a long time before saying, ¡°I think it¡¯s fine if we have no choice but to give up on this project. I¡­¡± Dorothy knew Jenny so well that she could tell what she was thinking right away, and she quickly stopped her, saying solemnly, ¡°Jenny, you can¡¯t. Hayden won¡¯t like you. I looked into Hayden. Hecks emotion in a love connection. He took over thepany at the age of 18, and every year, innumerabledies wanted to sleep with him and marry him, but none of them were sessful.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Can¡¯t you see he has some feelings for Reba now?¡± Jenny retorted. As Dorothy heard it, she said anxiously, ¡°Jenny, you.¡± Jenny stared in the direction of Carter Vi and snorted. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I know what to do.¡± CHAPTER 239 Chapter 239 Stacey and Hayden had no idea Jenny had already set her sights on them, but they weren¡¯t afraid of it because the Carter family had long been well¨Cprepared for it.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Several children constantly followed Stacey¡¯s children. Ces chance to take action on her children. Furthermore, Adrian had requested that someone dig Jenny didn¡¯t have the ¡°o the information about Jenny 2 a dildren couldn¡¯t be and Dorothy. After such a long, time of investigation, he had gathered arge amount of information and evidence that could be presented However, the conclusive evidence of Dorothy¡¯s scheme against Edwin¡¯s discovered or submitted to the court because it had been much too long. After receiving the proof, Adrian checked and verified it before heading home. After arriving home, Adrian showed all of the evidence to Stacey and exined the findings of his investigation. While he was exining, Hayden sat alongside them. Hayden frowned slightly as if unsure about Jenny and Stacey¡¯s rtionship. Noticing Hayden¡¯s doubt, Adrian hesitated for a moment and took the initiative to exin it to Hayden. Hayden¡¯s eyes darkened after he heard that. He reviewed all the evidence brought back by Adrian and eventually returned it to Stacey, asking, ¡°Do you want to put her in jail?¡± Muttion of little children was a severe felony in Menterra, punished by at least 130 years in prison. They believed Jenny wouldn¡¯te out alive after 130 years of punishment in prison. Stacey had mixed feelings. Among the materials Adrian had collected, there were photos of Jenny¡¯s ex¨Chusband Jeffrey¡¯s daughter. That girl was very adorable, but she was killed by Jenny. ¡°Yes, I do,¡± she admitted, nodding without hesitation. Adrian said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll hand over the evidence to Jeffrey and arrange for the bestwyer for him. I promise to send Jenny to jail.¡± Hayden turned to gaze at Adrian, thinking for a moment before stating, ¡°I have some connections in Menterra. If you need my help, just let me know, and I¡¯ll assign someone to handle it.¡± Upon hearing this, Adrian shook his head and responded, ¡°No need. I¡¯m simply obeying the . With your connections, it¡¯s a waste of talent on such a case.¡± After saying that, everyone found it amusing and busted outughing. Although Stacey and Adrian had no idea what connections Hayden had, they could certainly surmise that it was truly pointless to ask someone with high authority to execute such a small task for them. 82% After deciding how to deal with Jenny, Adrian took away the evidence he had collected through hard work. A few dayster, the year¨Cend entertainment ceremony was due to take ce. Stacey had promised Charlie and Lynn that she would attend, and she had also received an invitation card, as did Hayden. Hayden was, however, invited as a special identity. His invitation card was substantially different from Stacey¡¯s. It was a gold¨Cembossed invitation card that appeared highly distinguished. When the invitation card was delivered to him, she even peeked at it several times, thinking that it looked very noble. He was amused and handed it to her so she could look over it. However, the invitation card was only a small episode. Soon, it was time for them to attend the event. There were still three children, but Stacey had no ns to keep them at home. She could only be secure if she kept them with her and could ess them at any time. Therefore, Charlie had made the necessary arrangements for her in advance. They had already discussed it with the entertainment ceremony organizer and were able to make arrangements. Hayden didn¡¯t even need Charlie¡¯s help. He easily addressed these issues on his own and could take Jeremy there as agreed with the organizer. Stacey had no doubts about his remarks as she recalled his gold¨Cembossed invitation card. Lillian and Kevin were ecstatic to learn that they could go out with Stacey and meet Charlie. Jeremy was also thrilled. He had never been to an entertainment ceremony before. He remembered Hayden telling him that it was where his mother used to receive the award for her efforts, so he wanted to go and see Becky stand on stage and ept the award for himself. Patrick knew they were heading out a few days before and had requested permission to use the helicopter ahead of time. So, this time, they could fly there in their private helicopter. Lillian and Kevin had taken helicopters before, but they were still quite attracted to them. When they saw the helicopter, their eyes shone with excitement, Stacey found them amusing. She reached out to pick up Lillian and load her into the helicopter. Hayden also picked up Kevin and loaded him into it. Jeremy was three years +5 09:12 Fri, Aug 9 N old, but he still struggled to get into the helicopter by himself. In the end, Hayden picked him up, and Jeremy climbed up. 82%1 The country had strict flight controls. Even if there were private nes and helicopters avable, they would have to apply ahead of time if they wished to fly. Lillian, Kevin, and Jeremy rarely took the helicopters, despite Stacey and Hayden having one at home. After stepping onboard the helicopter, the three children¡¯s excitement was evident as they looked around and touched things. Following Stacey and Hayden, Gwen and Marie boarded with some tiny items from Lillian and Kevin in their hands. Jeremy had a small backpack, but all of his belongings were with Hayden. Lillian and Kevin had their own special seats. Stacey buckled their seat belts after she had put them on, and that left Jeremy. When she turned around, she discovered that Jeremy had already taken a seat, and Hayden had helped him fasten his seat belt. ¡°My house¡­ has one, too,¡± Jeremy spoke in an odd tone, but he spoke it out. Stacey and Hayden were astonished when they heard that. Then, they bothughed. ¡°Next time when I go to your house, can I see the helicopter?¡± Stacey asked, smiling at Jeremy. Jeremy¡¯s eyes shone with delight, and he quickly nodded, adding, ¡°Hmm!¡± Hayden, giggling, turned to face Lillian and Kevin and smiled, inquiring, ¡°Lillian and Kevin, would you like to take my helicopter next time?¡± Upon hearing that, Lillian and Kevin looked at Hayden with excitement. Kevin asked, ¡°Is your helicopter different from ours?¡± Hayden, smiling, nodded and replied, ¡°There are some differences.¡± ¡°I want to see it!¡± Lillian eximed with excitement. ¡°Me, too!¡± Kevin also shouted excitedly. ¡°Okay. Why don¡¯t you and your mommy take my helicopter the next time we go back to gua City together?¡± Hayden suggested with a smile. ¡°Okay!¡± Kevin agreed loudly. ¡°Hmm!¡± Lillian also responded with tremendous excitement. CHAPTER 240 82% The helicopter was considerably more convenient and less crowded than the airliner, so they arrived in Jacaster with ease. On the other side, Jenny grew frustrated after realizing that they had left. She had made a lot of effort to gain ess to the residential area by knowing a scion who lived there. Her original n was to spend a few more days observing Stacey and her two children following her return to it. Moreover, after Dorothy reminded her, she decided that instead of targeting them, she should direct her efforts toward Hayden. If she could win him over, it would be a greater deal than obtaining Theodore. However, Jenny hadn¡¯t anticipated Stacey and Hayden to leave before she could keep an eye on them. Not only did they leave, but all of the children she had targeted followed them along. Most significantly, they still took the helicopter and flew away. If it was a flight, she could at least discover their destination. But she found it difficult to investigate because they were taking the helicopter. Dorothy was likewise startled that Stacey and Hayden had departed by helicopter. But in reality, she felt relieved after learning they had left. Hayden exuded an overwhelming sense of crisis, and she had always thought that he wasn¡¯t someone to mess with, but Jenny had lived afortable life since childhood and was spoiled to have such terrifying stubbornness. Dorothy felt at ease that he had departed in advance, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about Jenny being insensitive and insisting on getting close to him, which might have disastrous consequences. ¡°Jenny, they¡¯ve all left, and their whereabouts are unknown. Maybe we should go too,¡± Dorothy suggested, ncing at Jenny. She then sighed softly, adding, ¡°Let¡¯s just give up it from on Theodore¡¯s project. It¡¯s only worth up to 65 million dors. We can also get another direction.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll definitelye back,¡± Jenny insisted. She refused to leave and was determined to stay. However, even if they wished to stay, the reality of their situation wouldn¡¯t allow itpany owing to terrible news from theirpany. Something happened at the headquarters in Menterra, and their employees pleaded with them to return. Their expressions changed after they got the news. They had no time to focus on Theodore or Hayden at all. Jenny thought, ¡®A man I despise and another who I have yet to win over is nothingpared to thepany and money!¡® Jenny and Dorothy flew back to Menterra at the same time, but they were surprised to see a swarm of police officers rush in just as they stepped off the ne. They seized Jenny directly and handcuffed her. 82% Jenny asked, ¡°What¡¯s happening? What do you want to do?¡± She had a bad feeling and struggled immediately. While Jenny was battling, a man emerged from the corner. She recognized him and was even very familiar with him, as he was her ex¨Chusband, Jeffrey. His eyes were filled with hate and murderous intent. After the police in Menterra apprehended her, he said coldly, ¡°Irene, you¡¯re under arrest.¡± Jenny was known as Irene in Menterra. Jeffrey fixed his gaze on Jenny or, more specifically, Irene. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Irene, go to jail for the rest of your life as atonement for Jimena.¡± Upon hearing that, Jenny knew what was going on. She couldn¡¯t believe it, pondering, ¡®There¡¯s no way. How could Jeffrey find proof after so many years?¡® She then attempted to break free from the police¡¯s clutches, yelling, ¡°No! You can¡¯t arrest me before I see the evidence!¡± ¡°Shut up! I¡¯ll show you when we get back,¡± a policeman said, pulling out a gun and pointing at Jenny¡¯s neck. her expression Dorothy had intended to assist Jenny, but when she saw the gun, changed immediately. Menterra differed from Zentiscape. In Menterra, it was usual for police to fire. If they caused a scene, they could perish from gunfire. She loved Jenny very much, but she loved herself more. So, she abruptly stopped talking and even took a few steps back silently. Jenny was taken to the Menterra police station half an hourter and shown the proof she was looking for. At that point, her eyes became crimson, and she couldn¡¯t believe it, musing, ¡®I¡¯ve already taken care of these. How could they discover these? Jeffrey, that useless man. Why did he have to find out now, after all these years of failure?¡± Jeffrey walked over, raised his hand, and pped Jenny hard across the face. He rebuked, ¡°Irene, spend the rest of your life in jail!¡± Dorothy also saw the documents. She was shocked not because Jenny had murdered Jeffrey¡¯s child, but because Jeffrey had discovered the proof. She had done something simr many years ago. She was terrified for the first several years, but when nothing happened, she eventually forgot about it. Unexpectedly, this case reminded her of what had happened back then. She pondered, ¡®Jenny¡¯s case can be discovered after so many years. How about mine?¡® +82%All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org. Dorothy could only think of one thing right now, which was escape. She knew she couldn¡¯t stay in Menterra any longer and needed to find a means to change her nationality. After that, she had to flee to another nation to avoid being caught up in Menterra¡¯sws. At this moment, Dorothy had entirely forgotten about Jenny. She hurriedly left the police station but didn¡¯t return home The incident with Jenny terrified her and made her feel guilty. She was afraid that she might wind up like Jenny if the case of Edwin¡¯s children were exposed. Instead, she went to herpany. After contemting for half an hour, she soon made a new decision. She wanted to transfer the assets and sell thepany before changing her nationality and fleeing. ***** Stacey, who was attending the year¨Cend entertainment ceremony at the moment, was unaware of what had happened in Menterra. She was invited to the ceremony for two dramas, ¡°Love Princess¡± and ¡°The Empress.¡± However, she didn¡¯t anticipate being able to ept honors on stage, including the Best Actress award and Grand Prize award. The Best Actress award was given to her for her female lead in ¡°Love Princess,¡± whereas the Grand Prize award was for her female lead in ¡°The Empress.¡± She starred in only two ys and won awards for both. Stacey was confused when the host on stage announced her name. But as soon as she regained herposure, she rose and entrusted Hayden with the children for the time being. Then, she hurried up to ept the award. CHAPTER 241 Not only did Stacey win the award, but Charlie did, too, and the organizer even invited Charlie to present the award to him with her. The ceremony¡¯s atmosphere was elevated by the host¡¯s brilliant cooperation with the lighting. But after standing on stage, Stacey looked down and noticed a familiar figure in the crowd, which was J. She was surprised to find J there as well. She simply thought about it for a while, engaged with the host alongside Charlie, and finally delivered an eptance speech to the audience. After going through all of the procedures, their part was finallypleted. Stacey and Charlie descended from the stage with their awards. Not only them, but Malcolm also won the award. When he got on stage, he specifically mentioned Charlie and Stacey. He thanked Charlie for giving him the opportunity to perform and Becky, the lucky star, for bringing him good luck. He stated that after meeting and cooperating with Becky, his life seemed to get luckier. He also sincerely hoped that she would be happier and better in the future and that she would share some of her good fortune with him. Malcolm¡¯s speech made many peopleugh, and even the host teased him. In the end, the host inquired about Malcolm¡¯s willingness to work with Becky in the future. Malcolm stared squarely at the host, then turned to face Becky before returning his gaze to the host. He responded, ¡°Aren¡¯t you talking nonsense? Becky is my lucky star. If there is a chance to cooperate with her, I would say yes.¡± The host burst outughing instantaneously. He even got off the stage and ced the microphone before Stacey, asking, ¡°Becky, are you willing to cooperate with Malcolm?¡± Without realizing it, Stacey instinctively nced at Hayden sitting next to her before returning her gaze to the host. She smiled as she spoke to the microphone. ¡°In the future, I may devote more time to my familypany and family. I don¡¯t have much time to act. Therefore, cooperation may be contingent on chance.¡± The host deliberately made an exaggerated expression and quipped, ¡°Are you going to inherit a hundred million worth of family property?¡± After that, everyoneughed, and many people looked at Stacey with envy. Hayden also grinned and looked expectantly at her. Stacey chuckled and added, ¡°Not that much. I¡¯m going to return to my family business for training and assist my father with some of the job.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s just a matter of earning 20 million dors per day,¡± the host interrupted. Stacey grinned, slightly twitched her mouth, and nced helplessly at the host. The whole audience alsoughed, and everyone was amused by the host. The host soon withdrew, and she returned to the stage to preside over the following show. 82% Everyone¡¯s attention quickly shifted to the following show, particrly several actors who were nervously hoping and expecting to win the award. J, on the other hand, was the contrary, unable to forget what had happened a while ago. Stacey had also received the Best Actress award and the Grand Prize award, which she had been proud of. Stacey even wore a customized high¨Cend gown and went on the stage gorgeously to ept the awards. On the contrary, J hadn¡¯t received a good character for a long time because her public image had already been tarnished. Even if some lesser¨Cknown dramas were filmed and released, many anti¨Cfans would criticize her. J gritted her teeth and could only Comfort herself that she was about to hook up with Ryan and would soon settle down. So, she would undoubtedly receive greater resources in the future. As long as she worked hard, she would undoubtedly win the award again and silence Reba. However, her obsession was swiftly taken over by reality because Reba stated that she would return to manage her family¡¯s business in the future and would inherit the family industry chain. From that moment on, J¡¯s head began to hum, and memories of the preceding days rushed across her thoughts. Reba was a poor child when they were kids. Reba would be unable to eat properly as long as J remained unhappy. As long as J refused, the housekeepers dared not add quilts for Reba, leaving her to shiver in a cold winter. J could still remember vividly how pathetic Reba was when she tried to abandon Reba, causing her to cry while chasing their car. J pondered, ¡®Why did things turn out this way? Reba is just a pathetic wretch. She¡¯s just an unwee wretch!¡® She clutched her purse hard, but fortunately, she quickly regained herposure. She hurriedly loosened her grip and carefully checked whether the purse was damaged. She was different today since shecked enough money to buy any purses, thus she treasured each purse dearly.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org After ensuring that her purse wasn¡¯t damaged, J raised her head and returned her gaze to the stage. However, she would unconsciously turn her focus to Reba, who sat in the front row, or Stacey, as she was known now. She thought resentfully, ¡®What¡¯s so good about Reba instead of having a greater destiny than I do?¡® Soon, time passed unconsciously until the entertainment ceremony concluded. J grew nervous immediately following the ceremony. Her nce moved around the 09:12 Fri, Aug 9 N 82% 5 directors at the scene. She needed to appear in a popr drama to make aeback. She wasn¡¯t interested in the new directors. Instead, she attempted to locate famous directors, but after looking around, she soon identified those directors. There were numerous directors, all well¨Cknown in the entertainment industry. Now, they were all talking to Stacey and Charlie. J¡¯s expression clouded. However, she instantly changed her facial expressions and walked over with a smile. She had to make it, even if it meant lowering her dignity and shamelessly approaching the directors to speak. Even if it was just for a role, she needed the opportunity to turn the tables. More importantly, she had to have the opportunity to turn the tables so that she could continue to get along with Joe. When she became popr and everyone admired her, he adored her. On the contrary, he would regard her as a recement and could abandon her at any time. Her goal was to be Joe¡¯s wife. Thus, she needed to make herself more attractive, dazzling, and charming so that Joe would be more interested in her. J approached Stacey and greeted her with a smile, saying, ¡°Congrattions on winning two awards.¡± CHAPTER 242 Just a moment ago, everyone was smiling and talking happily, but upon hearing J¡¯s words, everyone fell silent. No one spoke, and the smiles on their faces disappeared. Stacey looked at J and was surprised. She thought she had already broken ties with her long ago and didn¡¯t expect J toe to her. Looking at the famous directors who were talking to them just now, she immediately understood J¡¯s ulterior motive. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte and you must be hungry. How about we go get dinner together?¡± Hayden suggested with a smile, noticing that Stacey didn¡¯t want to talk to J. Hearing Hayden¡¯s words, Stacey instantly smiled and agreed, ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Charlie was also happy. ¡°I want to have dinner with you guys too!¡± Not only them but also Jeremy, Lillian, and Kevin were very happy and looking forward to having dinner. While they were happy, the directors beside them became unhappy. They all gave J a sharp re. J¡¯s face suddenly darkened when she saw this. She was not dumb and naturally knew that she had done something wrong. She recalled the scene from just now and realized that she misunderstood those directors. They were trying to please Reba and Charlie. Because of her presence, Reba and Charlie had left immediately, which led to them resenting her. J immediately panicked. She hurriedly ran over, grabbed hold of Stacey, and asked, ¡°Stacey, where are you having dinner? Why don¡¯t we all go together? I know a specialty restaurant nearby, and the food is really good.¡± As J spoke, she hurriedly turned to look at a group of famous directors behind her and asked them, ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡± The directors, who had felt discouraged moments ago, immediately perked up when they realized that there was still hope. They hurried over and said with bright smiles, ¡°Yeah, Becky, Charlie, Mr. Hoggard, let¡¯s go together. It¡¯s on me today. I know a fantastic there.¡± restaurant in Jacaster. It would be a shame not to go Stacey was unhappy when she heard this, but they had no grudge against these directors. Especially since the L&K Group would develop in the entertainment industry in the future, Charlie also needed the connections. They couldn¡¯t offend these famous directors at will. ¡°Then let¡¯s all have dinner together,¡± Hayden agreed directly. Both Stacey and Charlie were unhappy about it, but there was no other option. They could only have dinner together. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± In just a second, Charlie adjusted his expression and smiled. Those who were familiar with him knew that his smile was fake, 09:13 Fri, Aug 9 NG. which showed that he was in a bad mood. 3 2% Jeremy was not happy either, but he remained silent. Lillian and Kevin were too young to understand what had happened. They just had dinner in mind, so they were very happy. 5 Stacey held back her temper and finished the dinner with the directors. It was not until Lillian and Kevin were sleepy and made a fuss that she had an excuse to leave. Hayden then carried Jeremy on his back. Although Jeremy was already three, he was still a child, and it waste. It was natural for him to get sleepy. After returning to the hotel from the restaurant, Stacey asked Gwen and Marie to take a bath for Lillian and Kevin. Then she took a bath herself and went to bed. This was the first time Lillian and Kevin fell asleep without listening to Stacey¡¯s bedtime story because they were too sleepy. Stacey was also tired, but she couldn¡¯t sleep. It had been a long time since she met J. Stacey felt J seemed to have changed, but maybe it was because she couldn¡¯t quite articte her feelings toward her. In the past, Stacey tolerated J as much as she could because she was the daughter of her adoptive parents. She did it out of respect for them raising her. However, now, everything had changed. Her identity had changed, and so did J¡¯s. J wasn¡¯t the biological daughter of her adoptive parents. This was something Stacey had never imagined of. However, after thinking about it carefully, it made sense. At that time, her adoptive parents adopted her because they were infertile. If the tests they had done before she was adopted were true, it meant they really couldn¡¯t have children. It would be abnormal for them to give birth to Jter. Stacey fell asleep after contemting for a while. On the other end, J was still awake and very anxious in the hotel. She tried her best to approach these famous directors and thought that they would be happy after she arranged a dinner with Reba and Charlie for them. However, she noticed that after Reba and Charlie left, the directors left one after another. No one paid attention to her. ¡°Ben!¡± J was anxious and hurriedly caught up with them to stop one of the directors. Ben paused and then looked back at J. After all, it was because of J that they had the meal arrangement. Ben looked back at J with a less impatient expression. J was nervous, but she knew this opportunity was rare. She hurriedly said, ¡°Ben, I heard that you are nning a drama recently and are looking for a female lead.¡± ga ¡°Ms. Mitchell, if I were you, I wouldn¡¯t waste time on meaningless things,¡± Ben advised, looking at J.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org J was stunned and looked at Ben in confusion. The other directors who hadn¡¯t far also looked back, but they only took a nce before leaving. 82% gone Ben looked at J and advised her, ¡°Ms. Mitchell, you know the current policy prohibits disgraced artists from appearing on screen. Even if we want to hire you, we couldn¡¯t.¡± As he spoke, he gazed toward J with pity in his eyes. ¡°You¡¯d better try something else instead of continuing to act.¡± ¡°Something else?¡± J was confused. Ben looked deeply at J, then turned around and left. J was anxious to catch up with him, but she stopped, not knowing what to say. Until Ben walked away, J stood in ce and was still thinking about what Ben had just said. She pondered, ¡®Try something else? What else could I possibly do?¡® J smiled bitterly. She had signed a five¨Cyear contract with herpany. So, she could only stay in the entertainment industry until the contract ended. Moreover, she wanted to marry Joe and be his legitimate wife, so she naturally couldn¡¯t leave the entertainment industry. It was said that Joe only liked women in the entertainment industry. CHAPTER 243 Chapter 243 Stacey knew nothing about what had happened to J but could probably guess, based on thetter¡¯s current reputation, that she couldn¡¯t continue working in the entertainment industry. However, J¡¯s life had nothing to do with her. She just needed to live a good life now. After the ceremony, Stacey didn¡¯t n to return immediately. Instead, she and Hayden took the three children to Jacaster for fun. All the local delicacies in Jacaster were worth a try. They also took the children to visit the famous spots to experience the local culture more. Lillian, Kevin, and Jeremy got along better. Thetter also learned many new words, and some of his pronunciations were more urate. As he pronounced words more correctly, he became less timid about speaking. His eyes brightened up a lot, and he looked confident and happy. ¨¢ However, the happiness didn¡¯tst long, as something bad happened to the Carter family. Isabe had found out about Adrian¡¯s secret identity. When Stacey saw the message, her brain went nk instantly, and a buzzing sound rang in her ears. After regaining her senses, she quickly called and asked why. Patrick was very helpless as he exined the whole matter to Stacey in a low voice. In short, Damian got sick and was finally sent to the hospital. However, ordinary patients had to wait hours before it was their turn after taking a number and queuing. Seeing Damian¡¯s foreheard heating up and suffering more, Debra couldn¡¯t bear to watch him suffer. Aside from Debra, Patrick also couldn¡¯t bear it, so they secretly went to Hivalis General Hospital and asked to meet the hospital director. The director treated Damian immediately after examining him and quickly administering intravenous therapy. After everything was taken care of, Debra and Patrick felt relieved. However, not long after, they heard Isabe apply for leave and hurried over, knowing Damian was sick and taken to the hospital. Later, their identities were exposed. To be exact, their identities were not exposed on this day. Their daily lives slowly aroused her suspicion for a long time. To this day, she finally exposed them. After their identities were blown, Patrick and Debra went frantic. They became anxious and panicked, so they quickly contacted Adrian. However, Adrian was kicked out of Damian¡¯s ward while Isabe got mad. ¡®What should I do?¡® Debra eximed inwardly. The whole Carter family panicked. However, despite the panic, she had to get to business as soon as possible. With that, she +82%1C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org called everyone toe home and asked them to visit Damian at the hospital. Then, they formally introduced themselves to Isabe and Damian to show their family¡¯s sincerity. If the rest of the family didn¡¯t visit them after their identities were exposed, they would look insincere and rude. Aside from Stacey, Charlic, who was resting and taking a short vacation, also received the news. However, unlike others, he gloated over it when he discovered what had happened. He was the most talkative in the group chat and kept sending messages. [Haha, I knew we would exposed one day. With your skills, you all still want to pretend to be ordinary?] [Haha, that¡¯s hrious. Now you know how difficult it is to act, right? You used to mock me for my bad acting skills. Serves you right!] [Well, I can finally return to see Isabe and Damian. What gifts should I buy for them?] [Hey, is there anyone here? Come and help me pick out the best gifts. It¡¯s my first time meeting them. I must make Damian like me and be friends with meter.] He rambled on and on, almost flooding the group chat with many annoying messages. In Hivalis, Debra looked at Charlie¡¯s messages so angrily that her eyelids throbbed. If it weren¡¯t for them living in different cities, she would have picked up the stick she used to teach her naughty children when they were young and pped him hard. She was utterly frustrated. However, whether Debra and Patrick were angry, Stacey and Charlie nned to return home. Hayden also followed them. Jeremy was confused and curious. ¡°Daddy, who are we going to meet?¡± Hearing Jeremy speak smoothly, Hayden was in a good mood. He smiled and exined, ¡°It¡¯s Becky¡¯s brother¡¯s wife and her son. Well, if you see them in the future, you should also address her politely and be friends with the boy.¡± Jeremy blinked and replied, ¡°Sure!¡± In fact, Jeremy still didn¡¯t know who they were, but he figured out one thing in his mind. ¡°That woman and boy must be Becky¡¯s family,¡® he thought. As he liked Becky, he thought Isabe and Damian should be nice, just like Debra to Lillian and Kevin. As the helicopter didn¡¯t leave, they went back using it. The flight was fast, and they enjoyed many scenic views. Debra and Patrick came out to wee them when they arrived at Carter Vi. Lillian and Kevin were so happy to see Debra. While still on the helicopter, they kept mentioning Debra and Patrick, who looked upset but soon smiled 09:13 Fri, Au + 82% again when they heard Lillian and Kevin calling out for them. After they helped the children out of the helicopter, they each jumped into their arms, feeling overjoyed. ¡°Becky, Hay, Jeremy. Are you tired after flying all day?¡± Debra hugged Lillian and asked them with a smile. Hayden smiled and shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡± Jeremy hurriedly replied, ¡°No!¡± Stacey asked worriedly, ¡°Mom, how are things going with Isabe? Is she still mad?¡± Debra¡¯s and Patrick¡¯s smiles disappeared when she mentioned that. Their faces were full of worry. ¡°Let¡¯s go back first,¡± Patrick said. Stacey also nodded, and they soon arrived home. When they arrived at the living room and sat down, Joshua had prepared hot coffee for them while they rested. Then, Debra and Patrick talked about what had happened. In short, they didn¡¯t manage the minor details well and got suspected by Isabe. ¡°Isabe seems really angry. Becky, I¡¯m worried. What if Adrian¡¯s marriage is ruined?¡± Debra asked worriedly. Patrick also sighed. CHAPTER 244 Chapter 244 ¡°If you¡¯re worried you can¡¯t change the fact, why not try being sincere? Just do your best,¡± Haydenforted. Patrick and Debra nodded.. They rested for most of the day. In the evening, Bryce also applied for leave and came home. When he got home, heforted his parents and reprimanded Charlie for gloating. However, Charlie was used to being shameless. In other words, he had long resented Adrian for not allowing him to visit Isabe and Damian back then. What went around came around. After being forced to hide, he could finally visit Isabe and Damian freely, so he was excited. The Carter family nned to visit Isabe and Damian tomorrow. Meanwhile, in front of Isabe¡¯s house, Adrian stood at the door for a long time. His legs were numb, but she had no intention of opening the door. Isabe was cooking dinner in the kitchen. Looking sullen, she was apparently in a bad mood. Damian yed alone in the living room but was not as focused as usual. The door seemed to catch his attention more than the toy. After ying with the toy for a while, he turned his head and looked at the door again. After a while, someone knocked on the door again. A series of knocks sounded. However, the house was silent, and there was no movement. No one opened the door for him. Adrian was quiet for a long time and finally sat at the door. Slightly lowering his head and staring at his chest, he didn¡¯t understand why his heart hurt so much and wondered, ¡®So this is love? Because I fell in love with Isabe, she is mad and doesn¡¯t want to talk to me. Maybe she doesn¡¯t want me anymore, so my heart is hurting like now. The tall man bore the pain for a long time, but finally, he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. He lowered his head and buried his face in his knees. Isabe had been busy for a long time in the house and finished making dinner. She realized that she subconsciously cooked for three people only after the meal was ready. wash Staring at the food, Isabe¡¯s face fell again. Finally, sheposed herself and took the food to the dining room. Then, she looked at Damian and smiled. ¡°Damian, go your hands. It¡¯s time for dinner.¡± Hearing this, Damian looked at her and hurriedly nodded. ¡°Sure!¡± He had been with Isabe since childhood, and he knew that her life was not easy, so he was very sensible. 0 Chapter 244 15% He ran to the bathroom, turned on the tap, quickly washed his hands, and returned to the dining room. Isabe filled a te of pasta for Damian and said, ¡°Eat.¡± He picked up the te, hesitated momentarily, and couldn¡¯t help saying, ¡°Mommy, Daddy is outside.¡± Upon hearing that, she froze before uttering, ¡°Ignore him.¡± Damian hesitated and still dwelled on it. After a long time, he got off the stool, ran to the kitchen, opened the cupboard, took out a te, and ran out with a fork. Damian put the te and fork for Adrian on the table and said, ¡°Mommy, I¡¯ll go ask Daddy to have dinner.¡± After saying that, Damian ran to the door. He had long legs as he took after Adrian. He was already very tall at three years old, so he could easily grab the doorknob, hold it with his tiny hands, and open the door. Adrian leaned against the door and suddenly felt the door behind him had opened. He was stunned for a moment, overjoyed, and quickly turned around to look inside the house. However, the scene where Isabe opened the door for him as he had imagined didn¡¯t happen. Instead, Damian was standing at the door with his hand on it. Apparently, Damian opened the door for him. Adrian was stunned. He looked at Damian and carefully raised his head to look inside the house. Isabe was sitting at the table, eating. ¡°Daddy, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡± Damian looked at Adrian and simply spoke. Then, he turned around, ran back to the dining table, climbed onto his seat, held the te, and began eating. Adrian looked at Isabe before carefully walking in. Damian opened the door for him, but Isabe didn¡¯t stop him, so he wondered, I guess she allows me toe in. After he entered, he closed the door softly. When he got inside, Adrian approached the dining table and saw enough food for three people, including his empty te and fork. He instantly lost control of his expressions and smiled like a fool. The next moment, Adrian wasn¡¯t bashful anymore. He immediately picked up the fork and offered Isabe and Damian some food. He had been with Isabe for almost a year, and now he knew what they both liked to eat. ¡°Eat more,¡± he said with a smile. However, Isabe blocked the food he picked up with her fork. The smile on Adrian¡¯s face froze slightly. After a while, he retreated his fork hesitantly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to lie to 09:19 Sat, Aug 10 @ G @+15% you.¡± He remained silent for a long time before finally exining nervously, ¡°Isabe, I didn¡¯t mean to lie to you. I just¡­ I know you and Carly don¡¯t like rich scions. I was worried it might scare you, so I hid my identity. But don¡¯t worry. Although I¡¯m one, not all of them are bad people. The Carter family is very nice, and we would never do those things.¡± He felt a little aggrieved when he said thest word. Isabe looked up at him. Holding his small te and spoon, Damian searched for some meat. Seeing this, she picked up a spoon and ced some meat on his te. Adrian didn¡¯t know what to say. After hesitating for a long time, he finally picked up the te and started eating carefully. Isabe cooked the meal. Although it was just an ordinary dish, he found it delicious. ¡®Could this be myst time eating her food?¡® he thought and felt uneasy, so he slowed his pace. Adrian exined, ¡°I¡¯m investigating Carly¡¯s case and have found some evidence, but someone has destroyed them. It¡¯ll take some time to recover them. The people I asked managed to restore most of it. If nothing goes wrong, they will be restoredter. Isabe, if you and Carly still want to overturn the case, I can help you. I¨CI¡¯ve been looking for the evidence back then and decided to reveal my identity after helping you overturn the case.¡± Isabe froze because he mentioned Carly¡¯s incident back then. Her face darkened and even became pale with a hint of hatred toward wealthy scions. ¡®You can really do whatever you want when you¡¯re rich! I hate all those rich people!¡® she eximed inwardly. At the thought of it, her phone rang. It was Carly. She froze again and felt a little confused.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. CHAPTER 245 Chapter 245 +15% +5 Isabe hesitated for a moment and finally answered the phone. ¡°Carly?¡± Isabe called out hesitantly. ¡°Isabe, are you still at home now?¡± Carly asked. Isabe nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What about Adrian?¡± Carly asked again. Isabe didn¡¯t say anything. After a long silence on the phone, Carly finally spoke again. ¡°Isabe, I¡¯ve checked it out. The Carter family doesn¡¯t seem to be the kind of people we thought they were. Do you know Becky and Charlie? There¡¯s a lot of news about them on the inte, especially about Becky. I think there should be no issue with the Carter family.¡± Isabe listened quietly to Carly¡¯s nagging. Eventually, she was in a trance and didn¡¯t know what Carly was saying. Isabe had also investigated the Carter family. After finding out Adrian was from that family, she researched and found a lot of information. She felt mixed emotions after learning about Adrian¡¯s younger sister, Becky. But what really made her angry was that Adrian had lied to her on purpose. She had told him she hated lies! She was so furious that it would take at least three days to calm down. And not only that, Isabe was also worried if someone like her could really be with someone of that status. If they were together, would the Carter family look down on her? After talking on the phone for a long time, Carly finally stopped. Isabe understood that Carly thought Adrian was a good person and that she was just trying to reassure her. ¡°Carly, I know,¡± Isabe said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± After a few more words, she hung up. After finishing the call, Isabe came out of her room and found that the dining table had already been cleared. Adrian was wearing an apron and washing dishes in the kitchen. Looking at Adrian¡¯s back, Isabe couldn¡¯t help but think back to when Adrian first came into her and Damian¡¯s life. At that time, Adrian didn¡¯t know anything and couldn¡¯t do anything well. He worked hard to learn how to do housework and take responsibility Chapter 245 15% for the family. Because she saw his efforts and changes with her own eyes, she gradually began to ept him. But she didn¡¯t expect Adrian to have such a distinguished background. Adrian washed the dishes and put them into the cab. When he turned around, he identally saw Isabe standing outside looking at him. He froze for a moment, then his eyes brightened with surprise. Isabe immediately looked away and left. After dinner, it was time to go out for a walk. Isabe called Damian and was ready to go out. Adrian took off his apron and followed them. Isabe still ignored him, but Adrian felt that he still had hope. Since she hadn¡¯t asked him to leave, it meant there was still a chance between them, and they wouldn¡¯tpletely part ways. Isabe naturally noticed Adrian. She ignored him and went downstairs with Damian. However, Damian would turn around to look at Adrian every few steps. Seeing Damian look back at him frequently, Adrian¡¯s heart softened. Damian was usually not very affectionate with him and was closer to Isabe. He hadn¡¯t expected Damian to show concern after the argument with Isabe. Remembering that it was Damian who had opened the door for him earlier, Adrian realized that Damian must have helped. With this in mind, Adrian smiled at Damian, who was walking ahead. When Damian looked back at Adrian again, he was surprised to see him smiling happily. Feeling uneasy, Damian quickly averted his gaze and stopped looking back at Adrian. ¡®So cute,¡® Adrian thought to himself as he looked at Damian. Although Damian didn¡¯t speak much, after spending a year together, it was clear that he cared about him. Thinking of this, Adrian went up and took Isabe¡¯s hand in his. No matter how much she struggled, he held on tightly and didn¡¯t let go. Looking down at her with a smile, he said, ¡°Isabe, let¡¯s take Damian to Celestial Park.¡± Isabe was angry and embarrassed when Adrian suddenly held her hand, and she was about to struggle. But when she heard him mention Celestial Park, she was taken aback and looked bewildered. Damian also raised his head and looked at Adrian in confusion. Adrian smiled and said, ¡°Damian is young. It¡¯s good for him to go out and see the Chapter 245 world.¡± Isabe was a good mother. If it was for the sake of Damian, she wouldn¡¯t refuse.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org In fact, Adrian was right. Isabe¡¯s lips moved, but in the end, she didn¡¯t refuse. Damian wasn¡¯t just her son but also Adrian¡¯s. She had heard of Celestial Park. It was beautiful, but the tickets were very expensive. One of her friends had taken their child there during vacation. She had also thought about it, but in the end, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to spend the money. But for Adrian, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem. ¡°Okay?¡± Adrian continued asking. Isabe¡¯s ears turned red inexplicably. Instead of answering Adrian, she looked down at Damian and asked, ¡°Do you want to go?¡± ¡°Where is that ce?¡± Damian was confused. Adrian looked at Damian and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a very interesting ce. There are many beautiful stars in it.¡± Although Damian was usually shy, he liked beautiful things just like other kids. Hearing Adrian¡¯s words, his eyes immediately lit up with excitement. ¡°Let¡¯s go back first and drive there together.¡± Holding Isabe¡¯s hand, Adrian looked at Damian and walked back. His car was still downstairs. He needed to get back to his car. Isabe looked at Damian and didn¡¯t refuse. She followed Adrian. The three of them went downstairs. Adrian thoughtfully opened the back door for Isabe and Damian. Then, he went to the driver¡¯s seat, started the car, and set off. On the way to the park, Adrian¡¯s eyes were sparkling, and he couldn¡¯t suppress the smile on his face. He was very happy! Forty minutester, they finally arrived at their destination. Adrian parked the car and immediately took Isabe and Damian to buy tickets. Damian was three years old, and because Isabe had always lived frugally, he had never been to such a beautiful ce. As soon as he entered the venue, Damian¡¯s eyes lit up. Isabe was also amazed, but she was more curious about Damian¡¯s reaction. Raising him, her biggest regret was not being able to provide a better living environment for him. ¡°Mommy, it¡¯s so beautiful here!¡± Damian said, looking around with excitement. His eyes had never been so bright. Isabe knew and nodded. ¡°Yes,¡± CHAPTER 246 Chapter 246 As Damian stepped into the stadium, a noticeable transformation urred. No longer the shy, reserved child he once was, he now radiated energy and enthusiasm. The artificial starry night sky captivated his attention, and for the first time in a year, a genuine, bright smile spread across his face. Isabe¡¯s heart ached at the sight of her son¡¯s delight. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of guilt, believing she had failed to provide him with a better life. As she watched Damian lose himself in the enchanting view, Adrian¡¯s focus was divided between the joyous child and the tearful mother. Noticing Isabe¡¯s tears, Adrian was seized with panic, his mind scrambling for the right words. ¡°W¨CWhat¡¯s wrong?¡± he eventually asked. Isabe swiftly wiped her tears away, her expression hardening into her usualposed demeanor. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied coolly. Adrian was left uncertain, struggling to find the right words. Isabe, however, shook off Adrian¡¯s hand and turned her attention back to the magnificent scene in the stadium. Adrian slowly clenched his own hand, recalling the fleeting warmth of her touch. He knew he couldn¡¯t rush things. Isabe¡¯s calm and poised nature meant that winning her heart would require patience and a measured approach. toward Isabe. He grabbed her hand, pulling her catement propelling him ¡°Mom, that star is so beautiful!¡± Damian eximed, his excitement propelling him to share the sight. Meanwhile, to capture the moment. He snapped several photos, choosing the best ones to share in the family group chat. As the Carter family members were preparing for bed, their phones buzzed A Jon Rappu behind, discreetly took out e with the new message. In the master bedroom, Patrick and Debra quickly reached for their phones, curious about thete¨Cnight notification. In another room, Stacey was midway through a bedtime story for Lillian and Kevin when her phone chimed. She paused, momentarily also startled, before checking the messages. Bryce and Charlie, in their separate rooms, reached for their phones, curious about the new messages. Within minutes, every member of the Carter family had viewed the photos. Relief washed over Patrick and Debra, their worry dissolving into smiles. Stacey¡¯s lips curved into a genuine smile, sharing in Adrian¡¯s happiness. Bryce mirrored this sentiment, while Charlie, initially disgruntled, muttered to himself, ¡®How can Isabe forgive Adrian so easily? That¡¯sme. She should¡¯ve used this chance to punish him properly for his deceitful behavior so he¡¯d learn his lesson forever. Despite his initial grumbling, even Charlie couldn¡¯t resist feeling happy for Adrian. That night, the photos in the group chat were revisited repeatedly, bringing joy to the +5 Chapter 246 Aug 10 ×Ô¼ÒÅ®15%•þ +5 entire family. Their concerns eased, they awoke early the next morning, gathered their gifts, and drove to Isabe¡¯s house. Isabe¡¯s home, usually unassuming, was now the center of attention as a procession of luxury cars arrived. The neighbors, curious about themotion, gathered around the cars, but the Carter family remained focused on their mission. They cheerfully carried their gifts upstairs, knocking carefully on Isabe¡¯s door once they reached it. Upon opening the door, Isabe was met with the sight of arge group of people standing outside, each radiating an air of elegance and affluence. An inexplicable wave of fear and tension washed over her. When Adrian appeared and saw the group of his family members, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. Despite his initial surprise, he took the initiative to introduce each person to Isabe. ¡°These are my parents, Bryce and Charlie, my younger brothers, Becky, my younger sister, Lillian, Kevin, and this is¡­¡± Adrian hesitated as he reached Hayden and Jeremy, unsure how to introduce them. Sensing his hesitation, Hayden stepped in with a cheerful grin. ¡°Hi, Isabe, I¡¯m Hayden your future Hoggard. I¡¯m currently trying to date Becky. If I seed, I could be brother-inw.¡± Jeremy, not to be outdone, chimed in enthusiastically, ¡°I¡¯m Jeremy. I want Ms. Becky to be my mom!¡± Isabe, feeling nervous and slightly confused by Hayden and Jeremy¡¯s words, pondered their implications. ¡®He¡¯s trying to date Becky? And he already has this cute little child?¡® she thought. Quickly regaining herposure, she greeted them, ¡°Hello, everyone. Please,e in and have a seat. The group entered the house with warm smiles, handing over their prepared gifts to Isabe and Damian. The sight of these seemingly expensive presents made Isabe hesitate, feeling anxious about epting them. However, Adrian stepped in to help collect the gifts, carefully cing them in Isabe¡¯s bedroom.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Despite his assistance, Isabe couldn¡¯t shake her nervousness about their unexpected visit. As she prepared hot coffee for everyone her hands trembled slightly, nearly spilling the liquid. Once the coffee was ready, she worried about the simplicity of her coffee set. ¡®Isn¡¯t it too cheap? Will they even drink it?¡® she wondered anxiously. Noticing her distress, Adrian, who was standing off to the side, took over the task of serving the coffee, doing so with a calm and courteous demeanor. Watching him manage the situation so effortlessly, Isabe felt her tension gradually ease. The guests epted the coffee and drank it without any signs of disdain or rejection, which further rxed Isabe. Chapter 246 ?¨^3415% * This visit marked the first time Lillian and Kevin met Damian in person. They had seen his photos on the phone and had eagerly anticipated meeting him. Now, at Isabe¡¯s home, their excitement was palpable as they followed Damian around the house. Damian, typically shy and introverted, felt overwhelmed by the enthusiastic attention he was receiving from the bunch of unfamiliar faces. He hesitated, then ran to hide behind Isabe forfort. Observing this interaction, Isabe couldn¡¯t help but scrutinize Becky¡¯s children. She had previously researched the Carter family¡¯s background and knew that Becky had endured a difficult life, including raising Lillian and Kevin with her ex¨Chusband. Becky had been adopted by the Mitchell family at a young age and had suffered through an abusive environment. Sometimes, Isabe thought Becky¡¯s life had been even more challenging than her own and even Carly¡¯s. Reflecting on this, Isabe instinctively observed Lillian and Kevin more closely. To her surprise, they appeared well¨Cadjusted and typical for their age. The two children were happy, confident, and curious, with no signs of introversion or fear. ¡®Is this even possible? After such hardships, can things really start over again?¡® Isabe mused. At that moment, Lillian and Kevin, undeterred by Damian¡¯s shyness, ran to Isabe¡¯s side, calling out to him with curiosity and warmth. ¡°Nice to meet you, Damian,¡± Lillian eximed. To this, Kevin added cheerfully, ¡°Hi, Damian. I¡¯m Kev, and from now on, we¡¯re going to be a family!¡± CHAPTER 247 =3 Startled by Lillian and Kevin¡¯s presence, Damian again retreated behind Isabe, concealing himself sopletely that his eyes remained hidden. When Adrian turned and noticed Damian¡¯s stealthy retreat, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the amusing scene. Nheless, Damian¡¯s current state was vastly improvedpared to a year ago. Back then, the sudden arrival of so many strangers would have sent him into hiding in his room without a second thought. The family had spent an entire day at Isabe¡¯s house, and as noon approached, it was time to prepare lunch. Isabe discreetly pulled Adrian aside, asking him to entertain the guests so she could head out to pick up groceries. Instead, Adrian announced to everyone to entertain themselves and join Isabe for the grocery run. Isabe was left speechless. Yet, as she observed the joyful Carter family, she began to realize they might not be as she had imagined. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving,¡± Adrian urged, pulling Isabe along without giving her a chance to hesitate. as they stepped outside. Adrian grinned and said, ¡°Rx. They¡¯ll be d we¡¯re out together. Besides, they¡¯d probably give me a tough time for making you do everything.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it rude to leave them like this?¡± Isabe voiced herContent bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. Isabe couldn¡¯t help but be amused by his words, though the moment was fleeting. She swiftlyposed herself, her expression returning to its usual calm. ¡°Enough with the ttery,¡± Isabe responded coolly. Seeing that she was no longer upset, Adrian nodded and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Isabe was at a loss for words. Together, they descended the stairs and made their way to the bustling market. Though Adrian had never been to such a ce before being with Isabe helped him quickly get ustomed to it. Still, there was one thing. Upon entering the market, Isabe paused and said, ¡°Hey¡­ Doesn¡¯t your family usually seem prefer more high¨Cend cuisine? Won¡¯t this ce a bit too ordinary?¡± Adrian shook his head, reassuring her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t mind at all.¡± ¡°If we prepare the food ourselves, they might really appreciate it,¡± Adrian remarked. He had never cooked before, and neither his parents nor siblings had ever tasted his 09:19 Sat, Aug 10 @ cooking. He added, ¡°Let¡¯s prepare the meal together when we return.¡± 15% Isabe felt out of her element handling a crowded living room. Adrian picked up on her unease and proposed they retreat to the kitchen, where she could avoid the crowd and feel more at ease. In any case, Isabe shouldn¡¯t have to manage everything by herself. Adrian saw that he could lend a hand and knew working together would undoubtedly make things go much smoother. Turning suddenly, Isabe looked at Adrian. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± he inquired. Shaking her head, Isabe replied, ¡°Nothing.¡± Adrian, seemingly understanding her unspoken thoughts, smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m being honest. I¡¯ve never cooked before, and my family hasn¡¯t tasted my homemade dishes. If they get to try them, they¡¯ll be thrilled. Plus, they like you a lot, too, so knowing you prepared the food will make them even happier.¡± Isabe¡¯s heart raced slightly. Rather, she felt a touch of unreality washing over her. She pondered, ¡®Would a distinguished family like the Carter family, with their aura of affluence and high status, look down on this in, almost rustic life?¡® Adrian trailed behind Isabe, carrying a hefty bag of groceries as they left the market. On their way back, he turned to her and couldn¡¯t resist asking, ¡°With Christmas just around the corner, would you and Damian consider spending the holiday with my family this year?¡± Isabe merely responded with silence, prompting Adrian to yfully feign distress. ¡°You know, I¡¯m 35 years old now,¡± he said. ¡°Everyone¡¯s been hounding me about getting married. Lately, they¡¯re even starting rumors about me being¡­ Asexual.¡± Isabe couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter at Adrian¡¯s plight. Once she managed to regain herposure, she said with a serious tone, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before. I don¡¯t appreciate smooth talk.¡± Adrian quickly reassured her, ¡°I promise I¡¯m telling the truth. If I¡¯m not-¡± He was interrupted by Isabe¡¯s warning re Recalling his previous fabrications, Adrian insisted, ¡°I truly haven¡¯t lied. If I did, you have every right to call me a mutt!¡± Isabe found his sincere demeanor quite entertaining. As they approached the bottom floor, Adrian broached the subject, ¡°What if we set a wedding date for sometime after Christmas?¡± Chapter 247 Isabe was stunned into silence. Adrian, his gaze fixed intently on driving, avoided looking at her, his heart thudding with anxiety over her possible refusal. 15%´´ Throughout the drive home, Isabe didn¡¯t utter a word. Though Adrian was slightly disheartened, he clung to the fact that she hadn¡¯t dismissed his proposal entirely. It gave him a glimmer of hope, and he resolved to keep trying. After swiftly reaching the lower floor and heading upstairs together, Isabe suddenly had a realization. She had left with Adrian earlier, leaving Damian alone with the guests. She thought, ¡®Doesn¡¯t that mean Damian is stuck handling all the guests on his own?¡® Although Adrian¡¯s family were technically Damian¡¯s rtives, he was entirely unfamiliar with them. Isabe¡¯s memory of Damian cowering behind her made her anxious. With a burst of urgency, she sped up the stairs. Upon reaching home, Isabe noticed the door was ajar and peered inside. From where she stood, she could see Damian happily immersed in a Lego game with a few children, who were Becky¡¯s little one and the child named Jeremy. To Isabe¡¯s surprise, Damian was not cowering in fear but rather engaged in y with the other kids. This was quite unexpected, given his typically introverted demeanor. Even in kindergarten, he had always been reluctant to interact with other children. She and Adrian had already consulted a doctor about Damian¡¯s behavior, and this year they had poured in great amounts of effort to spend more time with him in hopes of improving his social interactions. To their surprise, they hadn¡¯t expected to see him so willingly interacting with the Carter family¡¯s children. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Adrian asked, noticing Isabe¡¯s sudden halt at the door. Following her gaze, he peered inside and was equally astonished to see Damian ying alongside Jeremy, Lillian, and Kevin. ¡°Adrian and Isabe are back!¡± Stacey eximed from the couch, her enthusiasm palpable as she sprang to her feet. Damian, who had been absorbed in his y, perked up at the sound. As he spotted his parents, his face lit up with joy. He tossed aside his toy and dashed toward his mother with a beaming smile. CHAPTER 248 Damian rushed over to his mother and stood in front of her, a bright smile spreading across his face. In the living room, everyone had gathered. Charlie looked at Isabe and immediately began toin, ¡°Isabe, Damian is really attached to you all. As soon as you left, he started crying, and we didn¡¯t know what to do. Fortunately, I figured out he was upset because he was worried about you. So, I opened the door of the house and told him you and Adrian would be back soon and to keep an eye on the door. As soon as I said that, he stopped crying. See, I¡¯m pretty good at this babysitting thing, aren¡¯t I?¡± Isabe listened to Charlie¡¯s endless rambling, feeling a bit dizzy. She thought, ¡®Here¡¯s this famous celebrity I¡¯ve only ever seen on TV before, right in front of me, proudly bragging about such a minor achievement with the child. It¡¯s kind of funny. ¡°Yeah.¡± Isabe held back herughter and nodded. Charlie, thrilled by her response, nced at Adrian and then earnestly continued his plea to Isabe, ¡°So, Isabe, since I¡¯m so smart, can you teach Damian to call me Uncle Charlie? I¡¯d love it if he called me first, okay?¡± As he spoke, his bright smile revealed a row of white teeth, looking extremely hopeful. ¡°Dream on!¡± Bryce rushed over in a hurry and interrupted anxiously. ¡°Isabe, don¡¯t listen to Charlie¡¯s nonsense. If Damian is going to call anyone uncle, he should call me Uncle Bryce first, and then Uncle Charlie!¡± Charlie was angry and retorted, ¡°Bah, go away. You don¡¯t even know how to coax the child. Why should Damian call you first?¡± Charlie and Bryce quickly began bickering, and the argument soon intensified. Isabe was bewildered, unsure of whom to side with! Adrian watched them with a nk look, then turned to Isabe and said, ¡°Just ignore them. They can be pretty obnoxious sometimes.¡± Isabe was at a loss for words. Adrian then suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go make dinner together.¡± Isabe quickly nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Not only did they head to the kitchen, but Stacey also hurried over to help. Seeing Stacey join, Hayden followed as well. Isabe¡¯s kitchen wasn¡¯t very big, and with several people in it, it felt a bit cramped. However, none of them wanted to leave. +15% ¡°Adrian, Isabe, let me help with dinner,¡± Stacey offered with a smile as she entered the kitchen. Isabe, recalling Becky¡¯s difficult past, quickly refused, ¡°N¨CNo need, Becky. You should rest outside. Adrian and I will cook, and we¡¯ll call everyone when it¡¯s ready.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s all do it together. It¡¯ll be easier that way, Hayden suggested. His voice, calm and dignified, made it hard to refuse. In the end, they decided the four of them would cook together. Hayden nced at the ingredients and asked Isabe what dishes she wanted to make. After getting her input, he divided the ingredients, taking half for himself and Stacey to prepare, while Adrian and Isabe worked on the other half.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Hayden¡¯s actions were so natural that Isabe was stunned. His skilled movements as he cleaned the ingredients made it seem unreal to her. She thought, ¡®Wow, can someone from such a wealthy family really cook this well? After Becky¡¯s divorce, her new suitor seems awesome. She might be really happy with him.¡® While lost in thought, Isabe subconsciously looked at Adrian but quickly looked away when their eyes met, feeling her ears flush. Adrian might not have known how to cook before, but over the past year at her house, he had basically learned all kinds of household chores. As Isabe pondered, her thoughts became increasingly confused. ¡®Can a wealthy man really be like this? Would he learn to cook just for someone he cares about?¡® The idea made them seem like genuinely good people. Once the ingredients were prepped, Adrian and Isabe took over the cooking while Hayden and Stacey stepped back, respecting the fact that they were in someone else¡¯s home and didn¡¯t want to take over. While Adrian and Isabe cooked, Debra, Patrick, Bryce, Charlie, Lillian, Kevin, and Jeremy all quietly came in multiple times to watch, The children didn¡¯t understand much, but the adults were increasingly surprised, their gazes at Adrian growing more and more impressed. Isabe found herself bing anxious without even realizing it. But as she noticed everyone watching Adrian cook, she became more convinced of his earlier im that he had never cooked before. ¡®So¡­ did he learn to cook just for me?¡® she wondered. When the dishes were finally ready, they filled the entire table, and everyone could barely fit around it. T 10% After dinner, Adrian naturally began to clean up the dishes, and Stacey stood up to help as well. Isabe wanted to lend a hand, but Stacey stopped her, telling her to go rest for a while. Once the dishes were done, Lillian, Kevin, Jeremy, and Damian were ready for bed. Isabe quickly guided them to their rooms and tucked them in. The children had a ce to sleep, but the adults were less fortunate due to the limited space in Isabe¡¯s small home. Fortunately, no one seemed to mind much. On the contrary, Adrian¡¯s parents, Debra and Patrick, were very earnest in apologizing on behalf of their son for his previous actions toward her. Even Bryce apologized for his earlier deception. In the end, only Charlie remained dissatisfied, grumbling that they deserved it and suggesting that Isabe take the opportunity to properly punish Adrian for being a deceiver who deserved retribution. Isabe listened to everyone¡¯s words, and finally, Charlie¡¯s open usations made the underlying issue clear. Adrian had previously hidden his identity, preventing Charlie and Becky from meeting them, which had caused Charlie a lot of resentment. He was taking the chance to get back at Adrian. ¡°Isabe, really, I wanted toe and see you and Damian so badly before, but Adrian wouldn¡¯t allow it. He was afraid of revealing his identity. Don¡¯t you think he deserves a good scolding?¡± Charlie continued toin to Isabe. Isabe nced at Adrian, who immediately adopted a stern expression, ring at Charlie, and scolded, ¡°Charlie, are you looking for trouble?¡± Charlie wasn¡¯t intimidated in the slightest. He looked at Isabe and huffed, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of you? Just so you know, if you ever try to bully me in the future, I¡¯ll be sure toin to Isabe.¡± ¡°You!¡± Adrian eximed in disbelief and gritted his teeth. ¡°How old are you? Don¡¯t you see how childish you¡¯re acting?¡± ¡°Childish?¡± Charlie snorted disdainfully. ¡°What does that even mean? Is it edible?¡± CHAPTER 249 Chapter 249 Isabe had never seen Charlie like this, nor Adrian so embarrassed. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. Adrian wanted to teach Charlie a lesson, but when he saw Isabe smiling from the corner of his eye, he was stunned, and his anger dissipated. He looked at Isabe¡¯s smile and thought she was so beautiful. Isabe was also stunned when she saw Adrian looking at her. Then, she quickly controlled her expression and stoppedughing. Others also looked at them. Seeing the smile on Isabe¡¯s face, they knew that Adrian should have calmed down. Since there was no problem, Debra immediately came over happily. She took Isabe¡¯s hand and kindly invited her to visit the Carter family. If Isabe wanted, Debra even hoped that Isabe could bring Damian to move in with everyone. It happened that Lillian and Kevin also lived at home, and the children could have a ymate.. If she really wanted to be with Adrian, Isabe felt that she had to make a visit to his real home. However, Isabe didn¡¯t want to go along with Debra¡¯s suggestion. Although she knew that the Carter family must live in a nice ce, she had gotten used to her small family. Her ordinary life wasn¡¯t particrly bad, either. After moving there, Isabe felt ufortable living with Adrian¡¯s parents and other people. However, Debra said that there were many children, and they could keep each otherpany. She was stunned again, and she couldn¡¯t help thinking of the scene she just saw when she came back. Damian, who was usually introverted and autistic, actually had a good time with Lillian and Kevin. There were also many children in the kindergarten. She and Adrian had tried to take him to parks and ces with a lot of children before, hoping that she could y with other kids, but their attempts had been unsessful thus far. Isabe couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was because Damian was actually rted to Lillian and Kevin. Because they were a family, Damian felt close to Lillian and Kevin, so he would y with them. Debra saw the change in Isabe¡¯s expression. Having seen her fair share of things, she naturally understood Isabe¡¯s concerns. She took Isabe¡¯s hand and said seriously, ¡°Isabe, don¡¯t worry. Although I hope you can take Damian to live with us, Adrian has other mansions. Adrian owns his private properties, and they will also be your private properties in the future. You can go back any time you wish. As for our family, Patrick and I also like you and Damian so much that we want you to live with us. Don¡¯t worry, if we live together, his father and I will not be nosy people. We¡¯re not controlling people. Our family absolutely respects the personal space and freedom of thought of each individual member! You can also stay with us for a few days and then go back to your own house. It¡¯s just that¡­ Patrick and I have a wish. I hope you and Adrian can take Damian to us for a while from time to time when you guys are more free. Let¡¯s get together more, so that we can feel like a family. In the future, our beautiful family will be more united.¡± When Debra said these words, she was a little careful, afraid that the wrong word would make Isabe feel ufortable. However, those words came from her heart. If possible, she really hoped that Isabe and Damian coulde to live with them. ¡°Mom, Isabe and I can live in our own mansion. As for Damian¡­¡± Adrian grabbed Isabe¡¯s hand and looked at Damian. Finally, he said, ¡°Isabe and I will often take Damian back to live with you guys so that Damian can spend time with Lillian and Kevin. Everything will gradually genbetter.¡± Chapter 249 Aug ¿ÕÆø56%û} Hearing this, Isabe breathed a sigh of relief. To be honest, she felt ufortable about moving in with Adrian¡¯s parents and younger sister. Hearing this, Debra paused for a moment, but quickly reacted and nodded with some disappointment. ¡°That works too.¡± Looking at Debra¡¯s disappointed look, Isabe felt bad. Although they hadn¡¯t been together for long, she thought the Carter family was really quite decent. At least, Adrian¡¯s parents really liked Damian.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. Seeing his wife¡¯s disappointment, Patrick also took her hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much. The children have grown up. They will live separately sooner orter. How can they stay with us all the time?¡± Debra thought so, but she was a little sad. She sighed. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± Looking at them, Isabe didn¡¯t know what to say. Everyone stayed at Isabe¡¯s house for a whole day. At three or four o¡¯clock in the afternoon, they stood up and left reluctantly. Debra and Patrick were especially reluctant to part with Damian. Debra even deliberately coaxed Damian for a while, trying to let the little guy call her grandma. Unfortunately, they did not hear him say anything after coaxing for a long time. On the way back, Stacey looked at Hayden several times and asked worriedly, ¡°There was no lunch break just now. Are you tired?¡± Hearing her concerned tone, Hayden shook his head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± When you get home, go back to your room and have a rest,¡± Stacey said. Hayden chuckled and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Looking at his smile, Stacey was a little lost in thought. Jeremy listened to Becky and Hayden¡¯s conversation. He was a little curious, so he looked at them. Hayden noticed Jeremy¡¯s gaze and calmly stretched out his big hand to avert his gaze. Back in Carter Vi, not only Stacey but also Debra and Patrick asked Hayden to go back to his room for a rest. They were all ustomed to taking a nap. Since they hadn¡¯t taken a nap that afternoon, they were tired. Hayden thought for a while and agreed. When Hayden went back to his room, Jeremy followed him. In the guest room, Hayden looked back at Jeremy. Jeremy looked up at Hayden and asked anxiously, ¡°Daddy, how long will it take for Ms. Becky to fall in love with you?¡± Hearing this, Hayden was stunned. He stared at the child and reached out to close the door. Finally, he squatted down with his eyes on Jeremy. ¡°Why did you say this all of a sudden?¡± Hayden asked with concern. Jeremy was silent for a long time before he said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to call her Ms. Becky anymore. I¡­ I want to call her Mommy.¡± Jeremy looked at his father with tears in his eyes and said, ¡°When I introduce myself to others in the future, I want to tell CHAPTER 250 Chapter 250 Hayden was silent for a moment, then stretched out his hands to pick up the child. Hayden carried Jeremy to bed, squatted down, and took off his shoes. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be too long.¡± Hayden finally said. Jeremy looked at his father, slightly confused. Hayden thought for a while and said, ¡°I think Becky likes me.¡± Hearing this, Jeremy¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. ¡°Really?¡± Hayden nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, and this is thanks to you,¡± Hayden looked at Jeremy and said sincerely. Jeremy¡¯s pupils dted. Hayden smiled and took off his coat. Then, hey on the bed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will try my best. If nothing goes wrong, I n to propose to Becky next year. If she agrees, we can prepare for the wedding soon. After we get married, you can officially call her Mommy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a promise!¡± Jeremy said in a hurried tone. Hayden chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a promise, all right.¡± Jeremy¡¯s grievance and sadness were swept away, and his heart was brimming with happiness. Haydeny down and pulled Jeremy to lie down, saying, ¡°Take a nap.¡± When Jeremy was at Isabe¡¯s house, he didn¡¯t sleep well. Hayden could tell that, but the child was also obedient and did not make any noise until now. ¡°Daddy, when are you going to propose to Ms. Becky?¡± Jeremy turned his head and asked expectantly. Hayden¡¯s mind went nk for a moment, and then he thought about it seriously. After a while, he shook his head and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t made up my mind yet, but if everything goes smoothly, I will propose next year.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Jeremy nodded eagerly. Hayden smiled, looked at Jeremy, and said, ¡°So you have to practice speaking and learn more words. In case when I officially get married to Becky, you won¡¯t be able to call her Mommy if you¡¯re still stuttering.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Jeremy hurriedly retorted. ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Hayden deliberately said. ¡°Humph, I¡¯m sure I can do it. I¡¯m able to call her Mommy now! Jeremy said angrily. Hayden thought as he listened to Jeremy talk, ¡®Although he speaks rather freely now, there¡¯s still something off about his¡­ pronunciation.¡® ¡°There are seven or eight words in your sentence that are not pronounced correctly.¡± Hayden smiled and pointed out Jeremy¡¯s mistakes. Jeremy¡¯s words suddenly stopped. He red at his father angrily and his face turned beet red. Hayden looked at Jeremy and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. 50% Jeremy stared at his father. After a while, he was so angry that he got up. He pinched his father¡¯s mouth, and said fiercely, ¡°Don¡¯tugh!¡± Jeremy didn¡¯t have much strength, but Hayden yed along and acted as if Jeremy had pinched him hard. He looked at Jeremy with a hint of a smile in his eyes. Jeremy looked at his father and snorted. ¡°I will definitely learn it Hayden controlled his expression and stoppedughing. He moved, motioning for Jeremy to let him go. Jeremy hesitated for a while before letting go of him. ¡°Go to sleep. I¡¯ll teach you how to speak properly when you wake up.¡± Hayden chuckled. Jeremy went silent. Hayden took out a storybook from the bedside table, looked at Jeremy, and said, ¡°Let me read you a story. Listen carefully and remember my pronunciation. It¡¯s up to you on how much you¡¯re able to learn.¡± Jeremy was rendered speechless. Although he was speechless, Jeremy thought what Hayden said made sense. Hayden then began to read storybooks. Jeremy listened carefully. He wanted to remember the pronunciation of these words, but halfway through the story, he fell asleep. Hayden was relieved to see Jeremy asleep, then carefully put down the storybook and finallyy down beside him. It didn¡¯t take long for Hayden to fall asleep. After all, people who were used to taking a nap in the afternoon would be tired if they stayed upte. When he woke up, it was already dark outside. Hayden reached out, and he managed to feel Jeremy¡¯s little hand, he was relieved. Hayden turned to look at the child, and finally got up carefully, out of bed, and dressed. However, when he was putting on clothes, Jeremy also woke up in a daze. Hayden put on his clothes and turned around to find that Jeremy had got up. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Hayden asked, but he went over and helped Jeremy get his clothes. Jeremy felt a little ufortable. His cheeks were red, and he felt like he was burning. ¡°Daddy, I have a headache.¡± Hearing this, Hayden¡¯s face changed. He raised his hand and touched Jeremy¡¯s forehead. It was indeed burning.Exclusive ? content by N(?)ve/l/Drama.Org. ? Gwe. 11:27 Sun, Aug 11 G 8 Chapter 250 156% Jeremy had a fever. Hayden instantly became nervous. He quickly wrapped Jeremy in his clothes and then walked downstairs with his son in his arms. Hayden left in a hurry. Downstairs, Stacey happened to get up not long ago. Seeing that Hayden was holding Jeremy nervously, she asked anxiously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Jeremy is sick. I¡¯ll take him to the hospital,¡± Hayden said nervously. Hearing this, Stacey was also anxious. She hurriedly put down the things in her hands and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Charlie was also in the living room. Seeing this, he was very worried and kept up with both of them. Stacey followed Hayden two steps out. Thinking of something, she turned around and said to Charlie, ¡°Charlie, Lillian and Kevin are still sleeping in their room. Please keep an eye on them for me.¡± Charlie was stunned for a moment, and then he quickly nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Stacey followed Hayden out and hurriedly called the driver of the Carter family to drive to the hospital. When Stacey and Hayden were on their way, Charlie immediately called the hospital through the Carter family¡¯s connections. In the hospital, the director received a call from Charlie and quickly promised to go downstairs immediately. As soon as Jeremy arrived, he would be treated immediately. When Stacey and Hayden brought the child to the hospital, they found that the director of the hospital had been waiting at the door. Seeing their caring, the director came immediately. Hayden didn¡¯t know the director, but he could tell from his white coat that he was a doctor. The director gave the child a simple examination and checked his pulse. After a while, he was relieved and exined, ¡°It¡¯s just amon cold, not a big problem.¡± Stacey and Hayden were relieved when they heard this. Hayden said, ¡°Jeremy had surgery to repair his vocal cords a month ago. Does that have anything to do with it?¡± What worried him most was that the operation a month ago would go wrong and affect his health. The director was also stunned when he heard this, and then said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll have to check on it with an instrument.¡± CHAPTER 251 Chapter 251 They quickly took Jeremy inside to undergo numerous tests. When the results came back, they were anxious. Fortunately, the tests showed that Jeremy only had a cold, nothing more serious. Relieved by the test results, Stacey and Hayden breathed a sigh of relief. The director promptly arranged for Jeremy to receive an IV drip. As Jeremyy on the hospital bed with the IV in his hand, he still found the strength tofort Stacey, ¡°Ms. Becky, I¡® okay.¡± Stacey thought, ¡®How can he be so considerate?¡® Stacey felt her heart ache for Jeremy at the thought and nodded quickly. ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll be fine, Jeremy. You¡¯re a blessing. Heaven will bless you,¡± sheforted. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t need that. I only need your blessing, Ms. Becky,¡± Jeremy said seriously. Hayden, who was standing next to them, watched the interaction. When he heard Jeremy¡¯s words, he could not help but look at Stacey. Stacey was momentarily taken aback but chuckled and quickly agreed, ¡°All right, I¡¯ll definitely give you my blessing.¡± When Jeremy heard that, he smiled. His face lit up with a hint of joy. ¡°Ms. Becky, can I ask you something?¡± Jeremy asked the next second. Stacey looked at him indulgently and nodded, saying, ¡°Of course you can, Jeremy. What do you want to ask me?¡± Jeremy nced at Hayden before turning to Becky and quietly asking, ¡°Ms. Becky, will you marry my daddy and be my mommy?¡± Stacey was stunned when she heard that. Her mind went nk for a moment, and she instinctively looked at Hayden. Hayden looked at her with a hopeful expression without looking away. At that moment, Stacey¡¯s heart began to race. She looked at them both, unsure of how to respond. When Jeremy saw that Becky had not answered his question, he became concerned. ¡°Ms. Becky, do you hate my daddy?¡± As Jeremy spoke, he tried to sit up, even though he was still on the IV and was not supposed to move. Stacey quickly held him down, urging, ¡°Don¡¯t move. Stay still.¡± Jeremy looked at her anxiously, his eyes reddening with worry as he asked, ¡°Ms. Becky, don¡¯t you like welled up in his eyes, and his voice trembled. He was on the verge of crying. my daddy?¡± Tears Stacey panicked and hurriedly reassured him, ¡°I like him. I like your daddy. I swear I do. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t lie to you.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes instantly lit up at her statement. Across from them, Hayden¡¯s eyes also lit up with happiness. They shared the same surprise and joy expression, looking at Stacey expectantly, leaving her speechless.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Jeremy was overjoyed when he asked, ¡°Ms. Becky since you like my daddy, will you marry him? Then I can call you ¡®mommy¡®, right?¡± Jeremy desperately wanted to call someone his ¡°mommy.¡± Stacey felt awkward being put on the spot and turned to Hayden for help. After some time, Hayden raised his hand and gently ruffled Jeremy¡¯s hair. He chuckled before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t push her. Give me some time to prepare a proper proposal first. When I¡¯m ready, I¡¯ll propose to her. After that, she can decide whether to ept it or not.¡± Jeremy blinked in confusion while Stacey was taken aback. She turned to Hayden, surprised that he would say such a thing. Hayden, however, looked utterly pleased, his smile wide because of what she had said earlier. ¡°I¡­¡± Stacey was speechless, feeling that Hayden had taken her words too seriously. She wanted to exin, but she did not know where to start. Moreover, she was not sure how to exin. She had said she liked him earlier out of desperation to keep Jeremy from getting upset. But now, with Hayden¡¯s reaction, she did not know how to rify the situation. She thought, ¡®I can¡¯t possibly tell Jeremy I¡¯m just trying to appease him, can I? But on the other hand, if I don¡¯t like Hayden, what¡¯s the point of continuing this ambiguous rtionship? Why don¡¯t we get together then?¡® The sudden thought shed through Stacey¡¯s mind, making her feel dazed as she wondered if it would work. She nced at Hayden but quickly looked away. With just a nce, her ears burned. Meanwhile, Hayden noticed her reaction and felt a surge of hope. He realized his chances of a sessful proposal were high. So, Hayden decided to prepare it thoroughly. Perhaps he could ask Eugene again for a custom engagement ring. Once the ring was ready, he would formally propose to 150 11:27 Sun, Aug 11 Gue. Chapter 251 Becky. +56% As they were lost in their respective thoughts, they patiently waited until the IV drip was empty before calling the doctor to remove it. ¡°Do you still feel unwell?¡± Stacey asked, touching Jeremy¡¯s forehead with concern. Jeremy looked at Becky with a smile on his pale face. He shook his head slightly and replied, ¡°A little, but not as much as before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Stacey responded. She was happy to hear that. After that, Hayden fetched some medication andpleted the necessary paperwork. Once everything was settled, they left the hospital together. On the way home, Jeremy fell asleep again in Becky¡¯s arms. She held him carefully, not wanting to wake him. When they arrived at Carter Vi, Stacey gently carried him inside. Hayden offered to carry Jeremy, but Stacey shook her head to decline. Although she did not fully understand why Jeremy was so fond of her, she could tell that her presence made him feel safe. As Stacey carried Jeremy inside, everyone in the house rushed over, including Lillian and Kevin. ¡°Mommy, how¡¯s Jeremy?¡± they asked in unison. When Debra saw that Jeremy was asleep, she quickly covered the two children¡¯s mouths to keep them from waking Jeremy. Stacey quickly carried Jeremy upstairs. Before she did, she turned to Hayden and asked, ¡°Can Jeremy sleep with me tonight? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of him.¡± She was concerned Hayden might not befortable with the arrangement. Surprised by her request, Hayden nodded and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Relieved, Stacey carefully carried Jeremy into her room,id him gently on the bed, and covered him with a nket. Even though Jeremy was not her biological child, she realized that he had be as important to her as Lillian and Kevin over time. That adorable child was so attached to her and had unknowingly found a special ce in her heart. When Stacey saw him sick, she was worried, anxious, and uneasy. Stacey leaned down and kissed Jeremy¡¯s forehead softly after he had calmed down. ¡°Let him sleep for now. It¡¯s gettingte. We should have dinner,¡± Hayden suggested. Stacey nodded and replied, ¡°All right.¡± CHAPTER 252 Chapter 252 They quietly slipped out of the room, ready to walk down the stairs together. As they reached the stairwell, Stacey hesitated but could not stop herself from reaching out and grabbing Hayden¡¯s hand. He was taken aback by her action and turned to her. With a questioning look, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Stacey¡¯s heart began to race. She wrestled with her emotions for what felt like an eternity before finally blurting out, ¡°You¡­ You and Queenie are really never going to get back together, are you?¡± ? Hayden froze at her words, both surprised and confused. He wondered, ¡®Why is she asking such a question? Why is she still afraid I might reconcile with Queenie?¡® As a perceptive man, Hayden quickly connected the dots to his conversation with Jeremy earlier at the hospital. His eyes lit up with anticipation as he realized what Becky was about to say. ¡°Rest assured. Queenie and I never had much of a rtionship, and there¡¯s no chance of us getting back together. It¡¯s just not possible,¡± Hayden said earnestly. Stacey felt her heart race even faster, her cheeks flushing with heat. ¡°So¡­ Can we¡­¡± Stacey stammered, but even though the words were on the tip of her tongue, they were hard to say. He felt a surge of nervousness, his eyes gleaming with hope as he gazed at her. Just then, he noticed Jeremy anxiously emerging from the room behind them. for Becky, but after seeing Hayden¡¯s signal, he halted and stood still, staring ahead initially leremy had intended to look Hurriedly, Hayden made a discreet hand signal that only Jeremy would understand. Initially, Jeremy had intended to look In the meantime, Stacey,Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org. who was in the hallway, was unaware that Jeremy was watching them from behind. She had no idea that he had woken up shortly after she had left and had rushed out to find her. After wrestling with her thoughts, she finally mustered the courage to ask, ¡°Can we really be together?¡± Hayden smiled at her question and replied, ¡°Why can¡¯t we be together?¡± With that, he gently pulled Stacey closer and nted a soft kiss on her lips. ¡°We¡¯re perfect for each other, don¡¯t you think?¡± Hayden whispered. Aware that Jeremy was watching them, he only gave her a peck. Stacey¡¯s ears burned, and her face turned red. Meanwhile, Charlie noticed they had note down for quite a while. Worried, he decided to go upstairs to check on them, What he had not expected was to see Hayden and Becky kissing Charlie quickly covered his eyes with his hand. He muttered to himself, ¡®I didn¡¯t see anything.¡® Then, he turned to flee. However, Stacey had already noticed Charlie. Her expression suddenly changed as she panicked. On the other hand, Hayden was momentarily stunned and instinctively turned his head. He caught a glimpse of Charlie¡¯s retreating figure as thetter dashed down the stairs. Hayden froze for a moment, then heughed. He could not help it as he was in a good mood ¡°You think this is funny?¡± Stacey scolded softly, her embarrassment turning to irritation. She had not been ready to let her family know she was willing to be with Hayden. It was unnerving to be caught off guard like that. Hayden quickly held back hisughter and lowered his voice, saying, ¡°All right, I won¡¯tugh.¡± He gently coaxed Becky while discreetly signaling Jeremy to return to his room, making sure Becky did not notice. Although Jeremy was only three years old, he was a smart little boy. Thanks to the TV shows and videos he had watched, he understood when Hayden and Becky were kissing, it meant they were a couple and would get married someday. Overjoyed, Jeremy obediently sneaked back to his room as Hayden instructed. At first, Stacey wanted to go down the stairs, but suddenly, she hesitated because she could almost imagine the scene downstairs. She thought, ¡®Wait a minute! Charlie will tell everyone what he saw, won¡¯t he? ¡® At that thought, Stacey rushed downstairs to stop Charlie from telling others. She was not ready for everyone to know. Confused, Hayden followed her down the stairs, smiling. After everyone had left, Jeremy looked out of his room again. His face, though pale from sickness, now shone with joy. Despite his illness, he could not stop smiling. The more he thought about it, the happier he became. Eventually, he climbed back into bed, inhaling the scent of Becky on the nket and giggling. He thought to himself, ¡®I¡¯m going to have a mommy from now on. A mommy that I chose by myself! I like Ms. Becky! She¡¯s going to be a wonderful mommy, for sure! I don¡¯t want Queenie! I¡¯m not an unwanted child, and I¡¯m not unloved. I have a mommy. Ms. Becky will be my mommy. As for that Chapter 252 +56% +5 Carter Vi was filled with sweetness and happiness. Meanwhile, the Edwards Group was in chaos on the other side of the world in Maeloria. Theodore was on the verge of a breakdown when one of their major projects experienced serious problems. In his bold and risky efforts to bring the Edwards Group up to the level of the Carter family¡¯spany or even surpass it, Theodore had made bold investments, many of them in coboration with the Smith Group. However, a few days ago, news arrived from Menterra that Jenny had been arrested for murder. Theodore had been unaware of the information. He had been trying to track down Jenny to settle scores and recover the money she had swindled from the Edwards Group. However, before he could find her, news came from the Menterra that Jenny had been arrested for intentional homicide. The person she killed was her ex¨Chusband¡¯s daughter from his previous marriage, which further shattered Theodore¡¯s impression of her. Before discovering her betrayal, Theodore had seen Jenny as a perfect woman, gentle and understanding, always on his side, offeringfort and care no matter what. Unlike Reba, who constantly argued with him and frustrated him. Every time he thought of Reba, his mood soured. Therefore, when the truth about Jenny came out, Theodore was utterly shocked because he had such a positive impression of her. Not only was she guilty of financial fraud, but she had alsomitted murder. Theodore wondered how she could be so ruthless. At that moment, he suddenly thought of his two children with Reba. ¡®If Jenny feared that the two children I have with Reba might return to im the Edwards family fortune, would she have harmed them as well?¡® The thought sent a chill down his spine. CHAPTER 253 Chapter 253 Whether or not Jenny was a viin was not something Theodore wanted to concern himself with right now. His biggest headache was the coboration between the Edwards and Smith families. Jenny had originally arranged these projects, but now, with her in prison, the Smith family had changed their representative. The new person in charge discovered that most of the benefits from the coboration were not going to the Smith family. Instead, Jenny had secretly funneled them into a smallpany she and her mother, Dorothy, had started. When the new representative reported this to Edwin, he was initially shocked but then turned furious. t ger Edwin wanted to confront Dorothy, but he quickly realized he could in touch with her. The smallpany that had absorbed most of the benefits had been hastily sold by Dorothy at a very low price not long ago. Edwin was not stupid. He quickly realized something was fishy and was livid. However, finding Dorothy immediately was nearly impossible. The first thing Edwin did was to halt all coborations between the Smith family and the Edwards Group, even involving the courts to request a thorough investigation of the Edwards Group. Because of this, most of the Edwards Group¡¯s funds were frozen, making it impossible to continue major projects and even causing internal cash flow issues. leading to a massive strike. The workers Just a few days ago, one of the Edwards Group¡¯s projects could not pay its worke called in journalists to demand their wages at the Edwards Group¡¯s headquarters. Theodore was so anxious that he used his personal savings to barely pay the workers and prevent a major incident. If the media had caught wind of it and reported it, the Edwards Group would bepletely doomed. But even so, it was just a drop in the bucket. The Edwards Group had many projects, and whether they were halted or continued, the Edwards Group could not bear the burden. At Theodore¡¯s most difficult moment, his biological father, Michael, and Michael¡¯s illegitimate son, Gifford, suddenly returned, deliberately mocking him. Theodore was so angry he flipped a table, but no matter how much he lost his temper, it could not change the fact that the Edwards Group was about to copse under pressure and go bankrupt. ¨C Ian said the only way for the Edwards Group to get out of this mess was to seek help from Reba ¨C no, Stacey. If the Carter family was willing to help, the Edwards family might be able to ovee their difficulties. But now, how could he have the nerve to go to the Carter family, to go to Reba? In the club, Theodore drank himself into a stupor, feeling like his whole life was a joke. Even Taylor did not want to be friends with him anymore, and Ian¡¯s parents were urging Ian to stay away. Only Ian, out of friendship, dared to secretly remain friends with him. After a week of this torment, the Edwards Group finally could not hold on any longer. More and more projects were going wrong, and he could not contain the situation. Many workers took their grievances to TV stations, bringing journalists to demand their wages from him. The Edwards Group ended up on television, but not in the way Theodore had once imagined ¨C being invited to speak because of sess ¨C but as a cautionary tale of failure, as thepany that owed wages to migrant workers and became the example used by the media to advocate for their pay. In the end, Theodore filed for bankruptcy. Hispany was gone, and even his mansion was auctioned off by the court to pay the Edwards Group¡¯s debt to the workers. Not only that, but he also ended up 600 million dors in debt. ¡®Can I ever pay back this much money in my lifetime?¡® Theodore wondered. He walked down the street with his suitcase, looking at the people passing by, feeling lost. He did not know what his future held. Absentmindedly, he found himself at the airport. But because he could not repay his debts, the court had cklisted him, and he could not even buy a ne ticket. He stood at the airport for a long time, unable to hold back his emotions, and crouched in a corner with tears in his eyes. He regretted it all. He regretted being so arrogant back then, not trusting Reba even a little. If he had trusted her and investigated a bit, he would have easily seen through Jenny¡¯s clumsy schemes. But he did not believe her. Blinded by his self- 27 Sun, Aug 11 4 + 56% righteous hatred, he bullied and humiliated her, leading them to this point. Even after their divorce, he had not sincerely repented. Jenny¡¯s apparent kindness was so fake, but he believed it. Ultimately, he was too confident and too self¨Cassured. He thought he was so great, that being loved and cared for unconditionally was normal. He even spitefully thought Reba¡¯s unwillingness to remarry him was her loss. He dreamed of surpassing the Carter family quickly, making Reba regret the divorce and beg for reconciliation. Even though men rarely shed tears, at this moment, Theodore could not stop his tears from falling. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± a voice suddenly asked beside him. Theodore was startled. He slowly turned and saw Wyatt. It had been a long time. Wyatt looked much older and more mature. ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± Wyatt asked again as Theodore spaced out. Theodore snapped back to reality,ughing bitterly at himself. I can¡¯t go anywhere.¡± if ¡°I will take you,¡± Wyatt said. Theodore froze, staring at him. Wyatt¡¯s lips moved as speak, but he said nothing. He had no right to speak. It was his betrayal of Theodore¡¯s trust that had led to this.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After leaving the Edwards Group, Wyatt tried to stay away, not wanting to upset Theodore with his presence. But when he saw the news of the Edwards Group¡¯s bankruptcy, he could not help himself and rushed over, abandoning his work. He worried about not finding Theodore but spotted him in the airport lobby as soon as he arrived. Theodore¡¯s tears made Wyatt feel terrible. They had once been best friends, trusting each otherpletely. It was because Theodore had trusted him so much that Theodore ended up in this situation. He owed Theodore. So from now on, he had to repay it. Otherwise, he would never find peace. ¡°I want to go to Hivalis,¡± Theodore finally said, his voice hoarse with a hint of desperate hope. Wyatt looked at him and asked, ¡°To find Reba?¡± Theodore paused, then shook his head. Wyatt was silent for a long time before speaking again. ¡°I will take you there.¡± CHAPTER 254 The news of the Edwards Group¡¯s bankruptcy made headlines, causing quite a stir. Stacey was initially surprised when she saw it, but after delving into more detailed reports and realizing it was all connected to Jenny, the shock diminished. Nevertheless, Stacey felt a bit mncholic. After all, the Edwards Group had once been an impressivepany to her, and she found it hard to believe that under Theodore¡¯s management, it had gone bankrupt in less than two years. However, all Stacey could do was sigh. Every path in life was the result of one¡¯s choices ¨C hers and Theodore¡¯s included. No one had the right to judge another¡¯s life. After absorbing the news, Stacey turned it off and refocused on nning thepany¡¯s annual holiday break. Time had flown by, and another year had passed, bringing Christmas closer. The entire country was gearing up for the holiday season, and Carter¡¯s Jewel was no exception. All employees, except for those in frontline sales positions, were scheduled to take their usual holidays. However, before the official holiday, certain arrangements at Carter¡¯s Jewel had to be made to ensure smooth operations during the break. In the days leading up to the holiday, Stacey¡¯s workload increased significantly, leaving her with little time for Hayden and Jeremy. Fortunately, they were understanding and did not get upset or cause trouble. On the contrary, while she was working, Hayden would take the kids to the supermarket every day to buy groceries. Each evening, when Stacey returned home, she was greeted with meals lovingly prepared by Hayden. In just a few days, Hayden¡¯s culinary efforts raised Lillian and Kevin¡¯s expectations. Now, they insisted on having their meals beautifully ted and prepared to look exceptional. The housekeeper at Carter Vi found herself unintentionally caught up in the friendlypetition. Although she was not responsible for cooking during this period, she felt uneasy seeing how delicious and beautifully presented Hayden¡¯s dishes were. Eventually, after carefully asking for Hayden¡¯s permission, she began learning to cook and te dishes from him. Debbie and Patrick found the situation amusing and reassured the housekeeper that the Carter family would not fire her for not cooking as well as Hayden. But after a day of learning from him, the housekeeper felt inspired and happily embraced the challenge of improving her ting and cooking skills. Hayden, with his great temper and patience, never grew impatient with the housekeeper¡¯s questions. Whenever she sought his guidance, he would kindly exin everything he knew. Within a few days, the housekeeper¡¯s skills had noticeably improved. Her dishes were now not only beautifully ted but also tasted significantly better. After tasting the housekeeper¡¯s improved cooking, Debbie and Patrick could not help but joke with Hayden about how he had ¡°upgraded¡± the housekeeper¡¯s skills, making meals for the Carter family even better. The whole family, including the housekeeper, found this amusing. A few dayster, Isabe visited with Damian. Knowing Damian was the young master of the Carter family, the housekeeper put extra effort into making cute and attractive dishes for him. Damian, who usually clung to Isabe in unfamiliar environments, was so mesmerized by the beautiful food that he forgot all about his mother, staring wide¨Ceyed at the table in sheer fascination. Isabe was equally shocked. She knew the Carter family was wealthy and high¨Css, but seeing it firsthand, she realized that even the food prepared by the housekeeper at Carter Vi looked like gourmet cuisine from a top restaurant However, she soon discovered she had been mistaken. It was not just her who was surprised; even Adrian was astonished. After asking around, they learned the truth. When Isabe discovered that the housekeeper at Carter Vi had been inspired by Hayden to make the food look this good, she could not help but . The life of rich families seemed pretty interesting indeed. Meanwhile, Theodore and Wyatt drove to Hivalis themselves. The journey by car was much longer to flying, and It took them several days to finally arrive. They ended up outside the residential area of Carter Vi. 09:22 Mon, Aug 12 G GA 10 + 100% However, they only stopped at the entrance and did not go in. First, they could not get in without permission. Second, they did not want to. Theodore did not know how he could face Reba now, or maybe he just did not have the nerve to see her again in this lifetime. Yet, he could not help wanting to catch a glimpse of her and their children. Thinking of Lillian and Kevin brought another stab of pain to Theodore¡¯s heart. As he stood there, the security guard seemed to recognize him. After watching him stand at the gate for a while, the guard finally approached, but it was not to invite him in; it was to make him leave. Theodore had never been treated like this before. In the past, he would have been furious, but now, all he could do was smile bitterly at his situation. Wyatt, sensing the depth of Theodore¡¯s despair, silently took out 60 dors and discreetly handed it to the guard. The guard quickly refused, but Wyatt insisted, assuring the guard they would not enter, only stand at the gate for a while, and asked that they not be disturbed. The guard, after repeatedly confirming they would not enter, reluctantly epted the money and left them alone.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. They stood at the gate for a long time, until the afternoon, or rather, the evening, when the Carter family¡¯s car returned and went inside. Standing at the gate, they could not see what was happening inside or even be sure whether Reba was in that car. Their stomachs growled, and Wyatt finally suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Wyatt thought Theodore would not leave, but to his surprise, he got up after Wyatt spoke. Wyatt hesitated, then took Theodore to get something to eat. But during the meal, Theodore suddenly broke down, crying uncontrobly like a child having an emotional meltdown. Wyatt felt awful and silently ordered several bottles of alcohol. That night, he stayed with Theodore, drinking for a long time. When Theodore was drunk, Wyatt quietly returned the remaining bottles, paid the bill, and took Theodore to a hotel. In the following days, Theodore went to the entrance of Carter Vi almost every day. He watched the Carter family¡¯s car leave in the morning and then left himself, returning in the afternoon to wait for the car toe back home, Wyatt, observing Theodore¡¯s repetitive actions, was deeply worried but did not know how tofort him. Then, one evening, while Theodore and Wyatt were shopping at a supermarket near Carter Vi, they unexpectedly saw Reba with another man. To be precise, they were not alone but with three children, shopping together. The most shocking part was that Lillian and Kevin called the man ¡°Daddy¡± CHAPTER 255 Chapter 255 Theodore¡¯s face darkened immediately, and he instinctively wanted to move toward Reba. However, just as he started, Wyatt stopped him. Wyatt grabbed him and pointed to several bodyguards not far from Stacey. Seeing the bodyguards, Theodore regained his senses. He stopped and smiled bitterly. After a long time, Stacey and the man left. The man, woman, and three children appeared to be a happy family, and Theodore felt a pang in his heart. ¡°That man is Hayden Hoggard, the CEO of Hoggard Technologies,¡± Wyatt exined briefly. When Theodore heard that, he was stunned. His eyes were filled with confusion, and it took him a long time to process the information. Then, his eyes widened in disbelief. Wyatt looked into Theodore¡¯s eyes and saw shock in his expression. He sighed and continued, ¡°When Reb- Stacey¡¯s grandmother was alive, she was best friends with Hayden¡¯s grandmother. There was even talk of an engagement between Stacey and Hayden when they were very young.¡± ¡°Later, tragedy struck. Stacey was taken away by traffickers when she was three years old, and neither the Carter family nor the Hoggard family were able to locate her for more than 20 years. After some events, Hayden got married but soon divorced. He is now raising a child on his own. It¡¯s the one who was with Stacey just now. The child really likes Stacey and has always wanted her to be his mother,¡± Wyatt added. Theodore¡¯s eyes reddened again, and his hand trembled uncontrobly. He had always assumed that after he divorced Reba, no one would want her. He had always believed that she woulde to regret her decision. He thought that if he managed the Edwards Group well and surpassed the Carter family, Reba would regret it. While Theodore was pondering, Wyatt¡¯s phone suddenly rang. Wyatt paused and then took out his phone. Wyatt¡¯s expression softened as he realized it was his son who had called. He gave Theodore a quick nce before answering the video call. ¡°Daddy!¡± As soon as the call connected, a little boy appeared on the screen, excitedly calling out to him. Listening to the boy¡¯s voice, Wyatt felt warmth in his heart. He responded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡± The little boy, however, wasn¡¯t happy. He pouted and said, ¡°Daddy, you¡¯ve been gone for so long. When are youing back?¡± When Wyatt heard that, he was silent for a moment. After a pause, he gently coaxed, ¡°I have some things to deal with recently, so it may be a while before I can return. In the meantime, Alex, please stay with Ms. Young and be a good boy. Okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Alex¡¯s expression changed instantly, and he anxiously pleaded, ¡°Daddy, I want to be with back soon. I really miss you.¡± you. Pleasee Wyatt¡¯s expression softened after he heard that. He looked at Alex and said gently, ¡°I miss you too, but I really have something important to do right now. I¡¯m sorry. Can you forgive me?¡± Hearing his father¡¯s words, Alex paused for a long time, his stubborn expression gradually fading. Eventually, he nodded his head. Wyatt smiled and said gently, ¡°Be good and listen to Ms. Young, okay? When I back, I¡¯ll take you to your favorite KFC. Alex¡¯s eyes lit up instantly at the mention of KFC. He eagerly asked, ¡°Really?¡± Chapter 255 Wyatt nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You better not lie to me!¡± Alex huffed. 18+ 100% Wyatt smiled and promised, ¡°I¡¯ll never lie to you.¡± Afterforting Alex, Wyatt hung up the phone. However, he noticed Theodore was watching him after he finished the call. Wyatt remained silent for a moment before asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Theodore looked at him and was about to say something, but decided not to. After a long pause, he finally asked, ¡°You have a child too? That little boy seems to be about the same age as Lily and Kev, right?¡± Wyatt was silent again. After a while, he changed the subject and asked, ¡°Is there anything else you want to buy?¡± Theodore looked at him, then finally shook his head with a bitter smile. Wyatt thought that he would still need to stay with Theodore for a while longer, but he didn¡¯t expect that after that night, Theodore was no longer fixated on Stacey, or rather, Reba. At the very least, Theodore no longer appeared to be intent on following Stacey or standing guard outside the Carter family¡¯s residence on a daily basis. Wyatt wasn¡¯t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that Theodore seemed even more dejected. Theodore borrowed forty thousand dors from him. It was once a small sum for Theodore, but it was now a substantial sum for both of them. Wyatt hesitated for only a moment before agreeing because he felt he owed it to Theodore. After giving Theodore the money, Wyatt asked Theodore about his future ns. Theodore announced that he would start over. Despite Theodore¡¯s casual tone, only those who had been through it could truly understand the uing challenges. Moreover, for Theodore, it was not as simple as just starting over. After all, before this, he directly inherited the Edwards family business. Wyatt was not sure if Theodore could regain his sess, but as a friend, he hoped so. What happened in the past could not be changed anymore, but the future could still be strived for. As for Alex¡¯s background, Wyatt didn¡¯t tell Theodore and didn¡¯t n to. Alex was the most innocent person in the entire sequence of events, more so than Reba and her two children. Wyatt could not change Theodore and J¡¯s decisions, but since J had abandoned Alex, Wyatt decided to take care of him and make sure he grew up safely. If everything had a causal effect, Wyatt believed he owed Alex at least that much. Because he assisted J in deceiving Theodore, Theodore sought vengeance on Reba, while J harbored unrealistic expectations. One wrong step led to another, and Alex was born. Nheless, Alex was just a child. His life should not be tainted by adult grievances and condemned to a life of misery. Stacey didn¡¯t know about Alex, but she did know that Theodore and Wyatt had been appearing around the neighborhood for the past few days. Initially, she was worried that Theodore might cause trouble, but after a few days, they realized he was just watching from a distance without any intention of doing anything. Not only did she notice, but Hayden eventually noticed that Theodore was there too. However, Hayden didn¡¯t say anything. He simply arranged for a few more bodyguards to protect Stacey and the children. CHAPTER 256 100% That night, Stacey and Hayden brought the children with them to the supermarket, and they unexpectedly encountered Theodore again. She thought Theodore woulde over to bother them, but thankfully, he did not. After that night, they didn¡¯t see Theodore again. He had left. Perhaps he had finally moved on and wouldn¡¯t bother her and the children anymore. Stacey felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Time passed quickly, and soon it was time for Christmas. Everyone was preparing to go back to their hometowns. However, unlike most people, who simply packed their belongings and went back, Stacey and Hayden had to stop in Strico before returning to their hometowns. Hayden and Jeremy had many belongings there that needed to be sorted out. When Charlie saw Stacey kissing Hayden in the past, he quickly informed everyone in the family. Even though Stacey hurriedly chased after him, she couldn¡¯t stop him in time. As a result, everyone in the family was aware of her rtionship with Hayden. Knowing that Hayden and Jeremy needed to return to Strico first to pack things up, Debra agreed without hesitation, fully supporting Hayden. She strongly advised Stacey to apany Hayden and Jeremy to Strico. ¡®Hay has been staying with us for quite a while. It¡¯s only polite for Stacey to visit his parents. Otherwise, it would be impolite. More importantly, now that they¡¯re in a rtionship, it would be beneficial for them to spend time together and strengthen their bond. While family is important, nothing canpare to a couple¡¯s affection,¡® Debra thought. Patrick wholeheartedly agreed with Debra. Stacey noticed a look in her father¡¯s eyes that suggested she was a third wheel if she stayed at home. Feeling somewhat speechless, she quickly packed up. She then left with Hayden, apanied by Lillian and Kevin. As Christmas approached, Gwen and Marie returned home for the holidays. It meant they could not follow the family around and look after the children like they used to. Fortunately Lillian and Kevin had matured enough that they no longer required constant care. Otherwise, Stacey would have struggled to care for the three children alone now that she was also responsible for Jeremy. However, Stacey quickly noticed that, while Jeremy clung to her, Lillian and Kevin did not appear to be attached to her at all On the contrary, they seemed particrly fond of Hayden. Stacey secretly observed Hayden with the children and noticed that he seemed genuinely happy, not forced. He was very considerate and patient with them. Stacey turned her gaze toward Jeremy as she reflected on this. When Jeremy noticed she was looking at him, he smiled right back. Stacey was instantlyforted by Jeremy¡¯s sweet expression and bent down to gently kiss his forehead. ¡®He¡¯s way too adorable!¡® she eximed inwardly. They returned to Strico in good spirits, but to their surprise, shortly after they arrived, Queenie showed up as well. She brought awyer with her, iming to be Jeremy¡¯s mother and asserting her right to visit her child. She threatened to sue the Hoggard family and expose the situation to the media if they didn¡¯t allow her to meet with Jeremy. When Joshua reported it to Hayden, Hayden¡¯s face darkened instantly. Jeremy, too, was very upset, angrily saying, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her. Just ignore her.¡± Joshua looked helplessly at Hayden. With a gloomy expression, Hayden turned to Stacey and said, ¡°Stay here and watch the children. I¡¯ll go out and see what¡¯s going on.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Stacey immediately stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡± Hayden was dumbfounded, but Stacey didn¡¯t exin further. Hayden was momentarily puzzled, but then he understood and chuckled. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll go together,¡± he agreed with a smile. He did not have to handle the situation alone. He and Becky were in a rtionship, so she had the right to be involved. 09:22/ Mon, Aug 12 G GA 18+ 100% He realized it would be wrong to meet his ex¨Cwife behind Stacey¡¯s back. With that in mind, he said to Jeremy, ¡°Jeremy, you stay here and y with Lily and Kev. Becky and I will be back soon.¡± ¡°I want to go too. I have to make it clear to her that I do not want her to be my mommy. I want Becky to be my mommy. That woman is no longer my mommy!¡± Jeremy insisted in a solemn voice. When Stacey heard that, she felt nervous. Hayden hesitated for a moment before agreeing with a smile, ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°What about Lily and Kev?¡± Stacey asked, concerned. ¡°Let¡¯s bring them along,¡± Hayden suggested with a smile. Although it might not be ideal to argue with Queenie in front of the children, it would be better to address the issue head¨Con rather than let it linger unresolved. He knew they would be safe inside Hoggard Vi, but given Becky¡¯s previous trauma from being kidnapped, leaving the children alone might cause her anxiety. Because of that, it was best to bring them along. While Stacey thought it might not be best to involve the children, she agreed for safety¡¯s sake, and they all went out together. With two adults and three children, they looked very much like a family of five. 5 The moment Queenie saw them, she was stunned and then filled with hatred. She felt she had tried everything, including apologizing in all sorts of ways, just to save her marriage. ¡®Why did Becky have to take advantage of the situation and seduce my husband?¡® she mused. Queenie, feeling concerned, was forced to employ an underhanded strategy to persuade the Hoggard family to let her in. She knew that reconciling with Hayden was impossible, but she wanted to maintain some ties with the Hoggard family. As long as she could maintain contact with the Hoggard family, the Leavey family would benefit greatly from them. Of course, in order to maintain a positive rtionship with the Hoggard family, she had to negotiate with Hayden and achieve a satisfactory oue. After she betrayed Hayden two years ago, a lot of those in their social circle became wary of her family, which hurt her family¡¯s business. The Leavey family lost out on a lot of major projects because many prestigious families refused to work with them as soon as they learned of their involvement. Hayden finally walked over and stood in front of her. At that moment, Queenie realized that Hayden was incredibly handsome. It was at that moment that she realized that he was much more handsome than her ex¨Cboyfriend. CHAPTER 257 Chapter 257 ¡°I hate you! I don¡¯t want you to be my mommy, and I don¡¯t want to see you again!¡± Jeremy shouted angrily the moment he saw Queenie. Queenie was stunned when she heard Jeremy¡¯s words, and her expression darkened as she realized what he had said. Instinctively, she nced at Stacey, ming her for influencing Jeremy. ¡°Queenie, Jeremy doesn¡¯t like you,¡± Hayden stated bluntly, looking at Queenie. As he spoke, he nced at Jeremy before averting his gaze to Queenie again. ¡°If you insist on pursuing this and taking it to the media, the Hoggard family will have no choice but to reveal the truth about your actions over the years to the public. If you think those threats can intimidate the Hoggard family, go ahead and try.¡± ¡°By the way, just so you know, Becky and I are in a rtionship now. Jeremy wants Becky to be his mother, so it¡¯s best if you let go of any unnecessary fantasies. Otherwise, you¡¯ll only end up embarrassing yourself, and no one will help you,¡± Hayden added curtly. Queenie¡¯s face went pale. She stared at Hayden in shock. ¡®How could he be so blunt and direct with me? Most importantly, is it true that Hayden is going out with Becky? Even Jeremy had been won over by Becky!¡® she eximed to herself.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org can Thinking of that, Queenie turned to Jeremy and pleaded anxiously, ¡°Jeremy, she can¡¯t be your mother. A stepmother never be better than your biological mother. I¡¯m your biological mother, and I¡¯ll be good to you from now on.¡± Her voice trembled as she spoke. Hayden frowned in annoyance and snapped, ¡°Enough, Queenie! Jeremy, who was upset, said angrily, ¡°I know you¡¯re lying! You have never treated me nicely! You never wanted me. You just want to use me!¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not true,¡± Queenie quickly denied, her expression changing drastically. Desperately, she turned to Becky and used, ¡°Becky, did you teach Jeremy to say all these things? Did you badmouth me in front of him, telling him I¡¯m just using him? That¡¯s why he likes you and not me, right?¡± Tears welled up in Queenie¡¯s eyes as she stepped closer to Stacey. When Hayden saw that, he frowned and stepped forward to pull Queenie away. Jeremy also ran to stand protectively in front of Becky immediately, spreading his arms wide and shouting, ¡°Bad woman, I won¡¯t let you hurt Becky!¡± Stacey was momentarily startled by Queenie¡¯s sudden usation, but after seeing Hayden and Jeremy protecting her, she regained herposure. Realizing that she and Hayden were now in a rtionship and likely heading toward marriage, she took a deep breath and gathered her courage. ¡°Queenie, do you even realize what you have done wrong? Have you ever thought about why Hayden and Jeremy don¡¯t like you?¡± Stacey asked. Queenie¡¯s face turned pale as she heard Stacey¡¯s words. ¡°I¨CI was too immature back then. I made some mistakes, but I¡¯ve realized them now. I promise, I¡¯ll be a better person. I won¡¯t do those things again. Stacey, I¡¯m Hayden¡¯s ex¨Cwife and Jeremy¡¯s biological mother. If we reconcile, our family will finally be whole again. If you have any dignity, stop being a homewrecker and stop seducing my husband!¡± sound. Stacey was Just as Queenie finished her sentence, Stacey pped her hard across the face, causing a loud smacki furious and retorted, ¡°Queenie, you and Hayden divorced three years ago. My rtionship with him is legitimate. How dare you call me a homewrecker?¡± Queenie, stunned and enraged, raised her hand, about to hit Stacey. Hayden quickly intervened, grabbing her arm and pushing her away. ¡°Enough, Queenie. I¡¯m done talking to you. I¡¯ll have someone speak with your grandfatherter. We¡¯ve tolerated you out of respect for your status as Jeremy¡¯s biological mother, but if you continue to behave so shamelessly, don¡¯t me the Hoggard family for showing no mercy,¡± Hayden said coldly, staring at Queenie. Mon, When Jeremy heard that, he immediately looked up at his father and said, ¡°Daddy, there¡¯s no need for you to consider my feelings. After all, I don¡¯t like her!¡± He then turned to Queenie and yelled, ¡°I don¡¯t like her at all! I hate her so much!¡± Queenie panicked. She looked at Jeremy and said anxiously, ¡°Jeremy, don¡¯t listen to Becky¡¯s nonsense. I love you, and I¡¯ll treat you well from now on. I would never bring harm to you.¡± Jeremy looked at Queenie with a sullen face and said displeasingly, ¡°Don¡¯t speak ill of Becky anymore. She has never said anything bad about you!¡± The moment Queenie heard those words, she was stunned and incredulous. ¡°No way! Jeremy, if she had not purposefully spoken ill of me in front of you, how could you dislike me and prefer her? Jeremy, I¡¯m your biological mother!¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying! You don¡¯t like me at all! Don¡¯t think you can fool me simply because I¡¯m a child. Every time you visit Daddy, you don¡¯t even look at me. You are not here for me. The only reason you¡¯re here is to exploit Daddy and the Hoggard family. You don¡¯t care for me! I don¡¯t like you and don¡¯t wish to see you again. Stop using me as an excuse to enter Hoggard Vi!¡± Jeremy retorted. As Jeremy continued to speak, his words grew more emotional and intense. Stacey, who had initially been focused on Queenie, gradually realized that Jeremy had said a lot that day as she listened to hisints one after the other. She also observed that Jeremy was expressing himself clearly and artictely. Not only did Stacey notice that, but so did Hayden. They both looked at Jeremy. Indeed, Jeremy still cared about his mother. There was no child in the world who wouldn¡¯t care about their biological mother. It was just that Jeremy was too smart and sensitive. He could sense who genuinely cared about him and who didn¡¯t. Thinking of that, Hayden pulled Jeremy behind him and said to Queenie, ¡°I¡¯ve said everything that needs to be said. This is yourst chance to leave on your own. Stop causing problems for us. Otherwise, the Hoggard family will not hesitate to expose your past actions to the public.¡± The Hoggard family was never afraid to make it public. With that, Hayden picked up Jeremy and turned to Stacey. ¡°Let¡¯s go inside, Becky. We don¡¯t need to deal with her anymore.¡± Out of desperation, Queenie tried to reach out and stop Hayden, but before she could touch him, the Hoggard family¡¯s bodyguards intervened, blocking her path. She attempted to follow them into the house, but the bodyguards held her back Hayden returned to the house with Jeremy in his arms. Next, he turned around and said to Stacey, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will ask someone to handle this right away.¡± CHAPTER 258 Chapter 258 +100% Stacey opened her mouth, intending to say something, but ultimately said nothing. She nced at Jeremy, who was being held by Hayden. Jeremy¡¯s eyes were red, and even though he was holding back his tears, they were visible. ¡°Let me hold Jeremy,¡± Stacey suggested to Hayden. When Jeremy heard her words, he immediately reached out his arms, wanting a hug from her. Seeing Jeremy¡¯s eagerness, Hayden hesitated for a moment before passing Jeremy to Stacey and saying, ¡°He¡¯s quite heavy.¡± A three¨Cyear¨Cold was not light at all, and carrying andforting them for a long time could be exhausting even for an adult. ¡°Not at all,¡± Stacey replied, shaking her head slightly as she took Jeremy in her arms. She then walked over to the couch in the living room and sat down. Hayden watched them for a moment before saying, ¡°Please help mefort him. I need to take care of some things upstairs.¡± Hearing that, Stacey nodded quickly and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Meanwhile, Lillian and Kevin had gathered around their mother, curiously looking at Jeremy. ¡°Jeremy, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Kevin asked with concern. Lillian, also worried, chimed in, ¡°Are you not feeling well, Jeremy?¡± Stacey looked at Jeremy. Thinking that the child was in a bad mood, she lowered her gaze to look at Lillian and Kevin and said in a low voice, ¡°Lily and Kev, Jeremy is not in a good mood today. Please don¡¯t disturb him.¡± Not knowing how tofort Jeremy, Stacey could only hold him quietly, trying to provide silent reassurance. After all, she was in an awkward position to talk about Queenie. Fortunately, Jeremy began to calm down after a while. Nevertheless, he still clung to her, reluctant to lift his head. In the end, Stacey¡¯s arms went numb. After finishing his work, Hayden came downstairs and found that Stacey was still holding Jeremy. With a frown, he walked toward them. Seeing that Jeremy had calmed down and was not crying anymore, Hayden looked at Stacey and said, ¡°I¡¯ll hold him in your stead.¡± When Jeremy heard that, he immediately shook his head and snuggled closer into Stacey¡¯s embrace. Hayden, looking at his son, said sinctly, ¡°Becky has been holding you for such a long time. Her arms must be numb.¡± The moment Jeremy heard that, he froze in ce. Stacey, amused, gently chided Hayden, ¡°Please don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re scaring Jeremy.¡± After saying that, she then looked down at Jeremy and asked softly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Jeremy, are you still feeling upset?¡± Jeremy raised his head, looked at Becky carefully, and then reluctantly withdrew from her embrace. Stacey was still worried. She looked at Jeremy and said, ¡°Jeremy-¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Jeremy said in a low voice. He then looked up at her with determination and asked, ¡°Becky, you¡¯re going to marry Daddy and be my mommy, right?¡± Stacey was momentarily speechless. Hayden raised his eyebrows and couldn¡¯t help but look at Stacey expectantly, secretly observing her reaction. However, before Stacey could even respond to Jeremy¡¯s question, Hayden interjected with a smile, ¡°Of course! But I need to propose to her first.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement as he looked at his father. Hayden, ncing at Stacey, then back at Jeremy, continued, ¡°I¡¯ve already called to have an engagement ring made. Once it¡¯s ready, I¡¯ll propose to Becky, and she will be your mornmy.¡± Stacey found Hayden¡¯s reply amusing. Nheless, Hayden¡¯s words saved her from any awkwardness, as his statement was not far off the mark. ¡°What are you all talking about?¡± Lillian, who was nearby, inquired, her pretty eyes sparkling with curiosity. Kevin also appeared puzzled, stating earnestly, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what they are talking about at all.¡± 100 Stacey couldn¡¯t help butugh, amused by the two children. Hayden and Jeremy also couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the same time. Then, as Jeremy began to exin the meaning of marriage to Lillian and Kevin, he took a serious tone. He told them that once Hayden married Becky, they would all be a real family, with Becky bing his mother and his father bing Lillian and Kevin¡¯s father. Despite Jeremy¡¯s earnest exnation, Lillian and Kevin still didn¡¯t quite understand. They wondered why Hayden would only be considered their true father after the marriage. After all, they had been calling him ¡°Daddy¡± for quite some time. Besides that, they also couldn¡¯t understand why Jeremy referred to Stacey as Becky. ¡°Jeremy, you can call her ¡®Mommy¡® now!¡± Lillian suggested in a solemn tone as she looked at Jeremy. Kevin nodded in agreement, adding, ¡°Yes, you can call her ¡®Mommy¡® now!¡± The two children¡¯s innocent voices amused and bemused Stacey and Hayden. The kids were too young to grasp theplexities, but their earnestness was touching. Even though Jeremy already understood everything, he couldn¡¯t help but be moved by Lillian and Kevin¡¯s suggestions. Jeremy¡¯s heartbeat quickened, and he could not help but look at Becky with anticipation. When Stacey noticed that, she was momentarily stunned. ¡®Is he going to? Is it okay for him now?¡® she pondered. Subconsciously, she nced at Hayden. Hayden also looked at her with a smile. ¡°I think it¡¯s okay now.¡± Hearing that, Stacey felt resigned, but she realized there was no harm in it. After all, Lillian and Kevin had been calling Hayden ¡°Daddy¡± for quite some time. ¡°Okay. Feel free to call me Mommy if you want to,¡± Stacey said, smiling at Jeremy.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org ¡°Mommy!¡± Jeremy eximed joyfully, calling out loudly. Stacey was taken back for a moment before she nodded and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s my boy!¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Jeremy called her again, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at her. The moment Stacey noticed that Jeremy¡¯s eyes seemed to shine and heard him refer to her as ¡°Mommy¡± repeatedly, her heart softened. She reached out to hug Jeremy and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here for you.¡± While saying that, she didn¡¯t dare to look at Hayden. Her ears turned red because she knew that Hayden was watching as everything unfolded, Lillian, following Jeremy¡¯s lead, also started calling out, ¡°Mommy!¡± For her, it was just a game, and she found Jeremy eximing ¡°Mommy¡± funny. Kevin also thought it was funny and joined in, yelling, ¡°Mommy!¡± ¡°Mommy!¡± Lillian called again. ¡°Mommy!¡± Jeremy, eager not to be outdone, quickly echoed it, not wanting to say it any less than Lillian Stacey, overwhelmed but touched, kept responding to their calls. The three children were overjoyed that day. Meanwhile, Stacey nearly lost her voice as she continued to respond to their call. CHAPTER 259 Chapter 259 Stacey, Hayden, Jeremy, Lillian, and Kevin rested at Hoggard Vi for a day, then packed up the next day and flew back to g¨²a City on the Hoggard family¡¯s helicopter. To Stacey¡¯s surprise, the pilot of the helicopter was Hayden. She thought, ¡®Hayden can actually fly a helicopter!¡± Lillian and Kevin were also stunned and even wanted to check out the cab. Stacey hurriedly grabbed the two to stop them from making trouble. She could not let such young kids mess around in there. However, even though Stacey did not allow Lillian and Kevin to go over, Hayden spoiled them too much. He carried them in and showed them around. Stacey was worried and could only follow them in. Fortunately, when the helicopter took off, Hayden did not continue to indulge Lillian and Kevin unconditionally and arranged for them to sit together in the safety seats in the back. But even so, Lillian and Kevin were happy because the interior of the Hoggard family¡¯s helicopter was decorated with a fairy tale ocean theme in dark blue, which was very beautiful. Hayden said the helicopter was decorated like this for a reason. Because Jeremy was weaker than other children and cried more often when he was young, the family tried every means to make him happy, including decorating everything in the house to his liking. In the past, there was only one child safety seat on this helicopter. But now, three child safety seats were installed in it. These two seats were tailored for Lillian and Kevin, respectively, ording to their preferences. One was in the shape of a forest deer, and the other a big tree. Jeremy¡¯s seat had also been refurbished into the shape of a beautiful humpback whale. The helicopter took off soon, and they returned to their hometown together. It used to be quiet in the helicopter most of the time when they traveled back and forth in it, but today was different. Lillian and Kevin were older now and could speak more fluently. In addition, Jeremy was now in good health and could speak. they saw some scenery on the way. Therefore, the three children kept talking on the helicopter and asking questions who Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Listening to their questions, Stacey could only answer them all the way. Before she knew it, she had talked for a long time, and her throat was dry. At around five o¡¯clock in the after they finally arrived in gua City. The helicopternded at the Hoggard family¡¯s airport. Jason and Sharon knew that Hayden woulde back with Becky, and they were so happy that they could not stop smiling. They could not stay at home and insisted on waiting at the airport early in the morning. When the helicopter finally arrived, Jason and Sharon stood up happily. If it were not for the fact that they could not get too close to the helicopter, they would have wanted to go over immediately. After Hayden got off the helicopter and took Jeremy, Lillian, Kevin, and Becky down one after another, they were even more delighted. Sharon¡¯s eyes had not been so bright for a long time. She was very, very happy. Although she had been thinking about making Becky their granddaughter¨Cinw for many years, she did not dare to expect too much in reality, especially since many things had happened to Becky and Hayden, and they both had been through a hard time. But now, all this had be a reality. Becky and Hayden were really together. Her heart beat fast, and she was so happy. ¡°Great¨Cgrandma! Great¨Cgrandpa!¡± When Jeremy saw Jason and Sharon, he immediately ran over and hugged them joyfully. Sharon and Jason were even happier when they heard Jeremy calling them. The previous surgery had gone smoothly, and Hayden had kept them updated by phone. They had called Jeremy many times, and after Jeremy could speak, they had also chatted with him through video calls and heard him call them ¡°Great¨Cgrandpa¡± and ¡°Great¨Cgrandma.¡± But in real life, this was the first time they heard him talking and calling them face to face. They were very excited. Tue, Aug Chapter 259 ¡°Jeremy, you are speaking more and more fluently now,¡± Sharon praised cheerfully. Hearing this, Jeremy nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Great¨Cgrandma. I will be even better in the future.¡± Jason also smiled and nodded repeatedly, looking happy. The matter of Hayden and Jeremy had always been a knot in his heart. Back then, when he was sick and hospitalized, and his days were numbered, he had been crazily thinking about Hayden¡¯s marriage. Only after seeing Hayden get married could he leave this world peacefully. It was because of his wish that Hayden had married that bad woman. Over the years, he had always felt bad whenever he thought about Hayden. But now, Becky had been found, and Hayden and Becky were together. Besides, Jeremy¡¯s problem of not being able to speak had also been solved. It seemed that all of the Hoggard family¡¯s trouble would be over soon, and things would better in get the future. ¡°Let¡¯s go home first,¡± Hayden said with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± Jason nodded. Sharon also quickly echoed, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go home. Becky, when are you and Hay going to get married?¡± She turned to look at Stacey and asked expectantly. Stacey was dumbfounded. Hayden hurried over and exined, ¡°Grandma, I haven¡¯t proposed yet. We will set the wedding date after I formally propose to Becky.¡± Hearing this, Sharon nodded and continued asking, ¡°When will you propose? How about tonight-¡± Jason quickly chimed in, ¡°It¡¯s too rushed tonight. How about tomorrow? I¡¯ll ask someone to arrange it. Tomorrow is a good day.¡± Helpless, Hayden hurriedly said, ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, the ring for the proposal is not ready yet. Please wait for a few more days.¡± Speaking of this, he felt distressed. He had actually wanted to give Becky a surprise, but now, everyone knew that he was going to propose, so there was no more surprise, Stacey also felt a little embarrassed when she heard what Jason and Sharon said, but at the same time, she was very happy because she could feel that they really liked her and weed her to be their granddaughter¨Cinw. Thinking of this, Stacey could not help but recall the days when she had been in the Edwards family many years ago. At that time, although Theodore¡¯s grandparents had been nice to her, she could feel that their kindness was distant and that they liked her only because she was Theodore¡¯s wife. However, it was
  • Home
    • ?
  • Love
    • ?
  • Love CHAPTER 260
    • ¡°Hello dear reader¡­ I have some issues with my website, so I have shifted my novels to this new website ¡°.xyz¡±. Please bookmark this new website. Thank you.¡± Website Name: .xyz

    Love CHAPTER 260

    Love CHAPTER 260 Posted by AdminH, 767 Views, Released on August 13, 2024 Prev All Chapter Next Options Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Jason and Sharon liked Stacey very much, as well as Lillian and Kevin. They insisted that Stacey, Lillian, and Kevin stay at their house for a few days. Stacey could not resist their enthusiasm and could only agree in the end. As for the Carter family, Patrick and Debra did not mind at all when they knew that Stacey would be staying in Hoggard Manor for a few days with Lillian and Kevin. They were even happy about it and told Stacey not to worry. They said that she should rx and stay there for a few days since the Hoggard family weed her and that if it was not convenient for her to look after Lillian and Kevin, she could send them back earlier or ask the Carter family to pick them up. After hearing what Patrick and Debra said, Stacey was speechless. But she could also understand their feelings because Hayden was indeed a good man. In the next few days, Stacey settled down in Hoggard Manor. Jeremy had plenty of territories here. He used to forbid others to enter his territories in the past, but now, he happily showed Becky around and told her why he regarded these spots as his secret bases. Lillian and Kevin were also attracted by the story of Jeremy¡¯s secret bases. They liked to cling to Jeremy and ask him about it. While their life here was getting happier, Queenie¡¯s situation was not good on the other side. After being warned by Hayden that day, Queenie still did not want to give up. She was reluctant to leave the gate of Hoggard Vi until a few hourster when Hudson suddenly called and anxiously asked her to go home. When Queenie returned home, Hudson told her to stop pestering the Hoggard family. She was shocked and could not believe it, but Hudson quickly exined the reason to her. Hayden¡¯s assistant had just contacted Hudson and given him a final warning, asking him to keep an eye on Queenie and stop her from harassing the Hoggard family. Otherwise, the Hoggard family would use their connections to ban the Leavey family. The Leavey family was also a prominent family in Strico with extensive businesses, but their businesses were iparable to those of the Hoggard family. The Leavey family would likely be finished if the Hoggard family really used their connections to suppress them. Queenie¡¯s mind suddenly went nk after she heard Hudson¡¯s words. She was confused and lost, and she could not ept it She still wanted to go to Hoggard Vi again and even intended to go to gua City. Christmas wasing soon. She knew that the Hoggard family had a tradition of returning to their hometown in gua City for Christmas, and she had been there with Jeremy before. But this time, Queenie was stopped by Gavin before she could leave the house. She was no longer allowed to go to find Hayden, nor did she need to anymore. Everyone knew that the Hoggard family hadpletely abandoned her. Her pestering would not work. Instead, it wouldpletely offend the Hoggard family. The Leavey family could not afford to offend the Hoggard family now. That was why Hayden had only asked his assistant to pass a message to Hudson, and she was forbidden to pester him again. At this moment, Queenie suddenly thought of what Hayden had said to her several times. He had not made things difficult for her and had tried not to make her look bad before because she was Jeremy¡¯s mother, and her bad reputation might affect Jereiny in the future. However, she was foolish and ungrateful. She pretended not to understand his warning and kept pestering him until he was pissed off. As Queenie was thinking about it, she suddenly burst into tears. She returned to her room alone and cried loudly. After a while, Florine came in andforted her gingerly. Queenie felt that her heart and head hurt. She did not know what was wrong with her and why she could not do anything right. ¡®Am I really a loser as Edith said?¡® she wondered. ¡°Mom, am I useless? I can¡¯t do anything right,¡± she asked and sobbed. Florine quicklyforted Queenie, ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault. Queenie, what happened in the past is all over. Before¡­ it was my fault. I didn¡¯t expect the Hoggard family to be so heartless. It has nothing to do with you.¡± Queenieughed at herself. ¡°Mom, I am useless. I used to be wicked before. That¡¯s why they hate me so much.¡± Florine sighed. Then, she took a tissue and carefully wiped Queenie¡¯s tears. ¡°It is normal to make some mistakes when you are young. It is okay as long as you can correct your mistakes. Queenie, you are still young, and we can find another man for you even if you can¡¯t remarry Hayden. With our family¡¯s connections, it will not be difficult to find you a good man.¡± ¡°But nobody can be better than Hayden,¡± Queenie said. Hayden¡¯s family background, status, character, and ability were all the best. At least in Zentiscape, they would not be able to find anyone better. Florine fell silent when she heard this. After a long time, she sighed. ¡°Let bygones be bygones. Maybe¡­ you and he are really not meant for each other.¡± Queenie was silent for a long time before she spoke seriously. ¡°Mom, I hate Stacey!¡± Florine was at a loss for words. She kept quiet for a while and finally advised with mixed feelings, ¡°Queenie, although the Carter family is not a big deal, Stacey¡¯s grandmother and Hayden¡¯s grandmother are good friends, and Hayden is now in love with Stacey. Let¡¯s not mess with them unnecessarily.¡± She took Queenie¡¯s hand and continued cautiously and seriously, ¡°Queenie, be good. Take advantage of this incident to give in to your grandpa and then ask him to let you work in thepany. He adores you much. You can definitely inherit the Leavey family¡¯s business if you work hard and perform well in thepany.¡± ¡°But if I don¡¯t remarry Hayden, my uncle and his family will definitely not agree to let me join thepany,¡± said Queenie worriedly Florine¡¯s eyes shed with cruelty for a moment, but she quickly calmed down. She held Queenie¡¯s hand and uttered solemnly in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. Your grandpa is in charge of thepany now. There will be no problem as long as he lets you join thepany. Queenie, your grandpa is getting older. If he has Alzheimer¡¯s disease in a few years, his words will be useless. Be sensible. You should hurry and get into thepany while he still has a say and can control your uncle¡¯s family, then find a way to get the inheritance right of the Leavey family.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. CHAPTER 261 Chapter 261 At that moment, Stacey was unaware of the matters concerning the Leavey family. Hayden could likely surmise this, but he remained indifferent as long as Queenie ceased her incessant badgering. Stacey spent two days at Hoggard Manor with Lillian and Kevin. When Patrick and Debra arrived to pick them up, the atmosphere was noticeably warmerpared to their previous encounter. The two families shared a day filled with lively conversation andughter. As dusk approached, Stacey gathered Lillian and Kevin¡¯s belongings and departed with her parents. Upon their departure, Patrick and Debra warmly extended an invitation for the Hoggard family to visit their home. The Hoggard family was delighted, especially Jeremy. He was nearly tempted to leave with them but was held back by Hayden. It wasn¡¯t that Hayden opposed Jeremy joining the Carter family; he was simply concerned that if they grew too close, Stacey might feel overwhelmed, and he believed she needed her personal space. After departing from Hoggard Manor and returning to the Carter Vi, Patrick and Debra shared exhrating news with Stacey Adrian had proposed to Isabe, and she had epted. They had officially obtained their marriage certificate two days prior. In a few days, when Isabe¡¯spanymenced its holiday break, they would take Damian back to gua City to celebrate Christmas together. In other words, they would not only be celebrating Christmas but also preparing for the uing wedding. Marriage was a significant milestone, and obtaining the marriage certificate was only the beginning. The Carter family was resolute in their decision to give Isabe a grand wedding. Even if Isabe made no specific requests, they weremitted to ensuring nothing less than what she deserved. However, the suddenness of the wedding left them with a tight schedule. Numerous arrangements had to be made in just a few days. Despite the flurry of activity, everyone was filled with joy. Not only was Debra ted, but her parents ¨C Stacey¡¯s maternal grandparents ¨C Elijah and Deanna, also joined in to help prepare for Adrian¡¯s wedding. In the past few years, although the Carter family was affluent and free from material concerns, they remained perpetually unhappy due to the loss of their daughter. However, in recent times, the Carter family appeared to have finally shattered their misfortunes. Not only had their daughter, who had been missing for over 20 years, returned, but their sons ¨C who had remained single for years were also discovering their life partners. Now, everyone was barely able to contain their smiles. ¨C Elijah and Deanna were particrly fond of Lillian and Kevin and delighted to spend time with them. Lillian and Kevin, in turn, enjoyed theirpany immensely. Additionally, Dennis Phillips ¨C Debra¡¯s brother and Stacey¡¯s uncle ¨C was equally fond of Lillian and Kevin. With hispany on vacation, he gathered his belongings and returned from afar. Instead of heading home first, he chose to visit the Carter Vi to see Stacey, Lillian, and Kevin. Although Stacey hadn¡¯t spent much time with Dennis previously, she found that when they were together, there was no awkwardness at all. On the contrary, they enjoyed each other¡¯spany immensely. Dennis wanted to take Lillian and Kevin to his house, but Debra firmly refused. Having endured the anguish of losing her daughter, she was understandably anxious about the children. Given that Lillian and Kevin were still so young, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to trust anyone ¨C even her own brother ¨C who wished to take them home. Although Dennis was at a loss for words, he recognized that the loss of Becky remained a profound ache in Debra¡¯s heart. Even with Becky¡¯s return, it did not imply that Debra had forgotten the pain of the past. She was undoubtedly more vignt in her care for the children now.
    Dennis spent a day at the Carter Vi before driving back to his own home that evening. However, he didn¡¯t stay there for long. The following day, he returned to the Carter Vi with his wife and children, which Stacey and even Debra found amusing. Fortunately, Carter Manor had ample rooms, making it easy to amodate them. In the days that followed, Dennis became enamored with ying with the children. His own child, along with Lillian, Kevin, and Jeremy ¨C who asionally came to y ¨C got along splendidly with him. Later, Adrian and Isabe returned with Damian, apanied by Isabe¡¯s sister, Carly, who also brought Ronald along. Their arrival infused the house with even more vibrancy and liveliness. When Dennis saw Damian, his curiosity grew with each nce, as Damian bore an uncanny resemnce to Adrian! Having encountered many pairs of fathers and lons, this was the first time he had seen a child so remarkably like his father. It was adorable to witness Adrian¡¯s prominent features transformed into those of an endearing baby. Dennis instantly fell in love with Damian. Unfortunately, the boy was somewhat introverted and tended to shy away from him. However, this did not deter Dennis. He brought out one toy after another, employing various methods to coax Damian into engaging with him. +90% Initially, Damian always hid behind Isabe, but he soon became fascinated by the assortment of intriguing items Dennis brought out, which encouraged him to step out from behind his mother. Isabe observed this transformation with surprise; she was impressed by the Carter family¡¯s ability to engage him. However, what brought her even greater joy was witnessing Damian¡¯s change. It seemed that being around the Carter family had positively influenced him, making him increasingly optimistic. He was no longer as timid and introverted as he had once been. After Dennis coaxed Damian out, he lifted him up and began ying with him throughout Carter Vi. It was essential to mention the backyard garden of Carter Vi. When Stacey returned with Lillian and Kevin a year ago, the garden was quite simple, adorned with flowers and nts favored by adults. However, a yearter, upon their return, they found the garden transformed. While it still boasted a variety of vibrant flowers and nts, numerous children¡¯s facilities had been installed nearby. The small maze, charming slide, seesaw, and adorable little snail decoration transformed the entire garden into a whimsical haven for children. Damian was awestruck by the beauty of the garden. Lillian and Kevin joined him, along with Jeremy, Ronald, and Dennis¡® daughter, Mildred Phillips. The children were ecstatic as they yed in the garden, their joy radiating throughout the space.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. While the children were busy ying, the adults were equally upied. Adrian and Isabe, in particr, were not preupied with work but rather with trying on an array of wedding dresses and essories. Their primary goal was to create a beautiful wedding and ensure that Isabe experienced a memorable celebration. Carly was also drawn into the process, trying on several outfits. As Isabe¡¯s sister, she would undoubtedly need to wear a formal gown on Isabe¡¯s wedding day. Although Carly didn¡¯t ce much importance on her attire, witnessing the Carter family¡¯s appreciation for Isabe genuinely filled her with happiness. CHAPTER 262 Chapter 262 While everyone was getting ready for Adrian and Isabe¡¯s wedding, Eugene arrived in Zentiscape. Stacey and Adrian went to the airport to pick up Eugene and brought him to Carter Vi When Eugene saw the beautiful house and garden of the Carter family, he was immediately captivated. Eugene was curious about everything, and Stacey had prepared all the information he was curious about. The flowers, nts, and house design were all different from Daprein¡¯s and new to Eugene. But what captured his attention most was the childlike fairy garden. The design was full of childlike concepts. The cheerful Lillian and Kevin ran from one y area to another with bright smiles on their faces, radiating a happy vibe at every moment. That kind of happiness was exactly what Eugene longed for in his heart. During his childhood, he had the same fairy tale dream as most children, but his dream was just a dream. It was not that Eugene came from a bad background. In fact, he came from an excellent background. However, the problem was that his parents were too demanding of him and had forced him to concentrate on studying since childhood. He was not allowed to participate in anything that children yed. Eugene had achieved so much because his parents had been strict with him since childhood, but with achievements, his boring childhood left a wound in his heart.N?velDrama.Org ? content. When Eugene saw the yground built especially for Lillian and Kevin at the Garter Vi, where they were carefree and ying happily, Eugene found himselfpletely captivated without even realizing it. Soon, he even got an inspiration, not for adults, but for Lillian and Kevin, something wonderful and full of happiness and joy. Eugene suddenlyughed, took out his drawing board, set up his easel under the shade of the tree next to the garden, and began to draw. Lillian and Kevin were curious, so they immediately ran over to see what Eugene was drawing. Eugene was also happy to see Lillian and Kevin ran to him. He turned around and said a few words to them in Dapreinish with a smile on his face. Unfortunately, neither Lillian nor Kevin understood Dapreinish and could not understand Eugene immediately. However, it was not a big problem as Stacey had already prepared the interpreter because she knew Eugene would being. Now that the interpreter had been assigned a task, she immediately went to work interpreting for Eugene, Lillian, and Kevin. With an interpreter, Eugene couldmunicate more easily with Lillian and Kevin. At first, Stacey was worried that Lillian and Kevin would disturb Eugene and wanted to stop them, but Hayden stopped her. Stacey then realized that Eugene seemed even happier with Lillian and Kevin than when he was with her and Hayden, and his happiness seemed toe from the bottom of his heart. Once Stacey understood it, she could also understand Eugene¡¯s feeling that children were the most innocent people in the world. No matter how kind adults sometimes pretended to be, they would never be as pure as children. When adults interacted with other adults, they were subconsciously on guard, unable to open their hearts and be truly happy. However, the dynamic changed when they were with children. Most adults subconsciously let go of their guard and pretense when interacting with children. Consequently, adults were more genuine to themselves in theirmunication and interactions with children. The next afternoon, Eugene was ying with Lillian and Kevin. At first, Lillian and Kevin surrounded Eugene, then Jeremy came over, then Mildred, and finally Ronald and Damian. Eugene, who had not experienced any inspiration in a long time, was suddenly filled with inspiration after visiting Zentiscape. He created several drawings at once, and the more he looked at them, the more he liked them. A few dayster, Eugene attended Adrian and Isabe¡¯s wedding. The wedding was Clusian in style, with a bridal carriage. It was lively and beautiful, and Eugene was very captivated. The activities Stacey had arranged beforehand werepletely unnecessary. Various Clusian style dresses and makeup already attracted Eugene. Before the end of the year, Isabe and Adrian were to be married. Isabe¡¯s family was not from that area. ording to Isabe and Carly, they had nned to have the wedding at the hotel, but Adrian did not think it was a good idea. Adrian soon bought a small mansion in gua City. The house was registered in Isabe¡¯s name. That mansion was their home in gua City, and it would always be. Whenever Isabe returned the mansion would be her home. Isabe was a little ufortable at first. She always felt it was wrong for her to take so many things from others just for the wedding, but in the end, Carly persuaded her. Carly told Isabe that Adrian was nice to her and she did not have to feel bad about it. It would not be good if Isabe rejected everything. If she really cared, she should have treated Adrian well, lived a good life, and stayed together as husband and wife. That was all that mattered. Isabe and Adrian¡¯s wedding was much easier because they had their own home. A professional photographer captured the scene of Isabe being greeted by Adrian in the bridal carriage, along with her wedding gifts. Carly watched the video many times after the wedding. The more she watched it, the more she felt happy and relieved. +90% +5 Isabe finally had a happy ending after so many years of hardship. Carly could not help but post the video of Isabe¡¯s wedding on Twitter. On that day, Carly decided to divorce her husband. She had married Connor many years ago because she had loved him. Later, Connor had despised her after an incident. Carly had believed it had been her fault, so she had endured it and gave in. At first, she had been very much in love with Connor and had hopes for their marriage and their feelings. She had hoped that being patient and giving in a little would make things easier for Connor and help keep their marriage from falling apart. However, year after year, Connor¡¯s contempt for her had not diminished with time. Instead, their fights had gotten worse. Every day, they had argued and fought a cold war. Sometimes, they had even quarreled. In other words, Connor had been mean to her. In the daily struggle, Carly¡¯s love for Connor slowly disappeared. She had given up her expectations. She no longer hoped Connor could ept her again and no longer expected her rtionship with Connor to be as innocent as it used to be. Later, Carly had only put up with everything for Ronald¡¯s sake. She used to think aplete and perfect family had been good for Ronald. But after getting to know the Carter family, she realized a warm and happy home would have been more important for Ronald. In such a joyful environment, people¡¯s moods would involuntarily change for the better. Unlike her home with Connor, every time she returned to that home, she felt very depressed. It was pointless for Ronald to live in such an environment, to see his parents arguing, fighting, andining about each other every day. She could sense Ronald was happier those days when he came to the Carter family, and he smiled even more than he had in the past year CHAPTER 263 Chapter 263 That Christmas was more lively and joyful thanst year¡¯s. Stacey was initially worried about how to entertain Eugene, but after some time, she realized she did not need much effort. Eugene enjoyed Christmas in Zentiscape and liked the happy atmosphere of both the Carter and Hoggard families.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. After Christmas, Stacey found a suitable opportunity and invited Eugene to coborate with Carter¡¯s Jewel. Stacey felt nervous, afraid that Eugene might refuse. As expected, Eugene did not immediately agree but did not reject the offer outright. He said he needed time to consider it. Stacey was both surprised and delighted, asking, ¡°Are you really willing to consider it?¡± The difference between Carter¡¯s Jewel and Eklonna was truly vast. Eugene had worked at Eklonna for many years and had already be a top designer. It seemed unbelievable that he would be willing toe to apany like theirs. Eugene smiled and nodded. In somewhat broken Zentiscapian, he said, ¡°I¡­ really like¡­ your family.¡± He did not know Zentiscapian before, but during his stay there, he was influenced by the joyful atmosphere of the Carter family. He also felt happy, which sparked his interest in Zentiscapian. Whenever he had free time, he learned Zentiscapian with Jeremy, Lillian, and Kevin. Although Eugene had learned Zentiscapian from the children and enjoyed ying with them, thenguage barrier was still a significant problem. Fortunately, Jeremy soon brought the writing tablet he had been using. It had a trantion function, so the tablet could trante it into the other person¡¯snguage whenever Jeremy wrote something on it. That way, Eugene and the children used the writing tablet to y andmunicate. Over time, he learned a few simple Zentiscapian phrases. Although his pronunciation was not very urate, everyone could understand him. Stacey had not expected Eugene to like her family so much, but it was a good thing, and she was in a good mood. She quickly shared the news with her parents. Patrick was surprised to hear Eugene was willing to consider the offer, but he quickly calmed down and smiled. ¡®Becky¡¯s getting more and more impressive, isn¡¯t she?¡® he thought. Finally, someone was to inherit the family business, and he did not have to worry about those three brats not wanting to take over the family business. Time went by very quickly. Soon, Christmas was over, and everyone had to go back to work. Eugene also took his leave, wanting to visit other ces in Zentiscape. Stacey offered to arrange things for him, but he refused, saying that he preferred to explore on his own, unapanied. Stacey had no choice but to send Eugene to the airport herself and let him travel alone. Three monthster, Eugene returned. He made the jewelry Hayden had previously ordered and delivered to Hayden and Stacey. She felt a bit anxious. After such a long time, there was still no result from Eugene¡¯s consideration. She worried that Eugene would no longer want to stay at Carter¡¯s Jewel. The next day, when Hayden asked Stacey out on a date, she felt quite down. However, shepletely forgot about her unhappiness when she saw the amusement park filled with roses. Her confusion reced her initial shock as she looked at the roses and then turned to look at Hayden. Hayden smiled as he took out a brocade box and opened it. Inside was a ring. ¡°Becky¡­ Will you marry me?¡± he asked, kneeling on one knee as he looked at Stacey with a smile. Meanwhile, many people suddenly appeared around the amusement park that had been cleared out. Patrick, Debra, Adrian, Isabe, Carly, Ronald, Damian, Lillian, Kevin, Jeremy, Charlie, Bryce, Paul, Jason, Sharon, Hayden¡¯s parents, and even Eugene were there. Everyone smiled as they looked at her with anticipation, blessing, and happiness. Jeremy was the happiest. He could not help but smile as he excitedly watched Hayden and Becky¡¯s proposal scene. When Stacey looked at everyone, she suddenly realized what was happening. She felt touched and extremely happy. ¡°Becky, don¡¯t be stunned. Just say yes!¡± Debra urged anxiously when she saw Stacey standing there, dazed and not responding. Stacey came to her senses and turned to look at Hayden. With a smile, she nodded and replied, ¡°Yes!¡± Hayden smiled, took out the ring, and carefully ced it on Becky¡¯s finger. After the ring was ced on her finger, fireworks suddenly burst in the amusement park. Rows of fireworks were ignited almost simultaneously, shooting beautifully into the sky. It was beautiful. were ¡°Mommy!¡± Jeremy eximed as he ran over and hugged Stacey. She then bent down and hugged Jeremy, who had waited so long for that day, and finally got what he had hoped for when he saw Becky had said yes to Hayden¡¯s proposal. 0 1.44 Tue, Aug 13 GBW Debra nudged Lillian and Kevin, ordering them to go over too. They were thrilled and immediately ran over. + 90% When Charlie saw everyone in ce, he immediately took out a confetti popper and sprayed it wildly at Stacey, Hayden, and the three children. Caught off guard by the confetti, Stacey, Hayden, and the children werepletely covered in confetti, which was hrious. It was funny not only to them but to everyone around. After the ceremony, everyone shared the good news with Stacey Eugene had actually agreed to stay at Carter¡¯s Jewel a long time ago, but he kept it a secret to surprise her, so he waited until today to tell her the good news. Stacey was stunned. She turned to look at Hayden, then at everyone else, and finally at Eugene, who smiled and nodded. Her heart was racing. Unable to contain herself, she walked over and quickly said, ¡°Thank you!¡± Eugene spoke a few words in Dapreinish while Hayden tranted for him, saying, ¡°Mr. Fraley said that he stayed because he liked the Carter family, us, and our joyful atmosphere. He felt happy being here with us, so he¡¯s willing to stay. He said you don¡¯t have to thank him.¡± Stacey was thrilled. She also loved the atmosphere and the happiness of the Carter family. She was also delighted by the joy of everyone being together. After the proposal ceremony, Stacey and Hayden would need time to arrange the formal engagement and wedding dates. While arranging it, Adrian¡¯s friend finally recovered the evidence from Carly¡¯s previous case. With the evidence, they were sure they could get the case overturned for her. Adrian told Isabe everything and let the two sisters decide if they wanted to return to court to ensure the criminals faced justice. CHAPTER 264 ¡°Isabe was shocked when she received the recovered evidence. She could not believe that the evidence, which had been deliberately destroyed, could be recovered.. However, Isabe was not the one to decide whether to reopen the court and prosecute the criminal; she had to ask Carly. If Carly agreed, they could reopen the court. So, Isabe brought the evidence to Carly. When Isabe presented the evidence at Carly¡¯s home, Carly was also stunned. When Isabe asked whether they should go to court again and sue the criminal, Carly firmly said they should.¡± ¡°Why do you want to sue? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s embarrassing enough?¡± Connor asked. He suddenly came back and approached them somberly. He reached out to snatch the evidence from Carly¡¯s hand, but she instinctively gripped the sh drive and hid it behind her. Isabe also swiftly stretched her hands and protected Carly. ¡°Give it to me!¡± Connor yelled, staring at them unhappily. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Isabe asked, staring alertly at Connor. She was very nervous. Connor stared at the duo unhappily and ordered again, ¡°Carly, give me the drive!¡± Carly put the drive in her pocket, red at Connor, and retorted, ¡°This is none of your business. Stop interfering!¡± ¡°How is it none of my business? Do you have any idea of the embarrassment I have endured? I can¡¯t hold my head up at work or home with my rtives and friends. It¡¯s basically everyone I see!¡± Connor said with resentment. He stared at Carly with malice as if she were something filthy. ¡°Carly, have some shame and throw the drive away. And don¡¯t mention this incident again!¡± he snapped. Carly felt her heart pierced by the tant disgust in his eyes. Although her feelings had been numbed over time, and she had never expected him to let go of what had happened, she was still distressed to see him look at her like that. ¡°Why should I be ashamed? Connor, I was forced! I¡¯m a victim, too! Why should I be ashamed? Fine! If you¡¯re ashamed, let¡¯s get a divorce! After we divorce, I will have nothing to do with you. You don¡¯t have to worry about being ashamed anymore!¡± Carly shouted in disappointment. Isabe was distraught to see Carly crying. However, there was nothing she could do but protect her behind her back. Connor stood and stared at Carly. When he heard she wanted a divorce, his expression turned dark. He raised his hand and was about to hit her. 1/3 16:50 Wed, Au Isabe frowned and moved quickly forward. She was faster than him and pped Connor hard in the face. He had never been pped by Isabe before, so he did not take her seriously at that time. Connor could not believe Isabe had pped him. He was stunned as his mind went nk. He turned to Isabe, unable to grasp what had just happened. ¡°Isabe, did you just hit me?¡± Connor asked.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Isabe was also afraid. But thinking of her sister, she stood firm in front of him and did not budge. ¡°Why can¡¯t I? Connor, I have never beaten you before because you were my brother¨Cin-w. But ask yourself honestly if you¡¯re really qualified to be my brother¨Cinw after what you¡¯ve done over the past few years,¡± Isabe argued, her face pale as she stared at him while asking. ¡°Isabe, get out of here. Don¡¯t think you can interfere in my family¡¯s affairs after marrying into the Carter family. If you want to take control, go back home!¡± Connor snapped, reaching out to pull Isabe away from Carly. Carly could not stand it any longer. She lunged from behind and pped Connor. Connor was so angry that he wanted to fight back. However, the two sisters joined hands and fought together. One pped him in the face while the other kicked him, directly knocking him down. In the past, Connor would beat people up when angry at home. Carly was always the one who got hit, not the other way around. But that day, he was beaten up by the sisters. Carly was also furious. As they fought, she grabbed the vase beside her and was about to smash it at Connor. Isabe¡¯s expression changed immediately as she hastily stopped Carly. It was fine to hit Connor, but not with a vase. If he died, they might have to go to jail, which was not worth it. When Connor saw Isabell two sisters fearfully. pulling Carly way, Connor quickly dodged. He looked at the Isabe saw his frightened look and suddenly remembered what Adrian had told her, ¡®In this world, most people bully the weak and fear the strong. If you¡¯re weak, others will want to bully you. If you act tougher, people won¡¯t dare to bully you and may even fear you.¡¯ Isabe thought Connor¡¯s reaction confirmed Adrian¡¯s words. She and Carly had used to endure and give in to Connor, but instead of being thoughtful and understanding, Connor had even started to hate and bully them more. On the contrary, when she and Carly grew stronger and were no longer afraid of him, Connor was afraid of their retaliation. ¡°Carly, let¡¯s leave him alone and pack your things at home. You and Ronald can move into our house first. I can get Adrian to take care of your case, and when you move in, 2/3 16:50 Wed, Au it¡¯ll be convenient for all of you to discuss things,¡± Isabe said after some thought before turning to look at Carly solemnly. Carly was still staring at Connor. His anxious expression made her feel ridiculous and pathetic. They had once been very much in love. Before the incident, they had taken care of each other and lived a happy life. However, things had ended up like that, and it felt ridiculous. When Carly heard Isabe¡¯s words, she nodded tiredly and agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± She did not want to stay in that house anymore. The atmosphere in the family was filled with resentment and anger, which was not conducive to child development. So she had to leave with Ronald. Carly had not left or proposed a divorce to Connor in thest three months because she needed to gather evidence. Divorce in the society was troublesome. If Carly had not prepared and gathered enough evidence beforehand, her divorce might not have been approved. However, that did not matter now. In the past three months, she had collected enough evidence of Connor¡¯s domestic violence against her. Carly had discussed it with Adrian, who said that domestic violence was a major fault in a marriage. If there was evidence of Connor¡¯s domestic violence, she could file for divorce through the courts so the divorce would be quick and uncontested. CHAPTER 265 Chapter 265 After their discussion, Carly and Isabe returned to clean up their room. Charles¡® expression changed. He looked at Isabe and Carly vigntly. His eyes were filled with doubt. Then, he probed and finally turned angry. Noticing that Carly put all her things into a suitcase, Charles ran over and took her belongings out of the suitcase. Instead of cing them properly, he threw them around in the room. ¡°Carly, don¡¯t try to leave me. You are my wife. Don¡¯t you even think of leaving me your whole life!¡± Charles said viciously. Carly¡¯s face darkened. She went straight over and pulled Charles away forcefully. Charles, a big man, usually boasted that he was stronger than Carly. However, now when Carly pulled him away, he lost his bnce and was pulled away. Carly looked at Isabe and said, ¡°Isabe, help me pack my things.¡± Isabe was a little worried. Carly reassured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Seeing that the two sisters didn¡¯t take him seriously at all, Charles was also struggled violently. angry and Charles is a man, after all. Carly couldn¡¯t hold him when he struggled hard, and he quickly got rid of Carly. Carly turned around and picked up a vase from the side as a precaution. Charles also put his hand on the stool, ready to lift it at any time. ¡°Carly, tell her to stop,¡± Charles ordered coldly. Carly sneered, ¡°In your dream!¡± Charles trembled with anger. He looked aside and saw Ronald. He immediately ordered, ¡°Ronald, go to the room and take out all the things your aunt has put in the suitcase. We can¡¯t let them leave!¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°No way!¡± Ronald shouted angrily when he heard that. He stared at Charles with a firm expression. ¡°Mom wants to divorce you because you always beat Mom. You are not a good person, and I don¡¯t want you to be my dad!¡± Charles¡® expression dropped when he heard this. His eyes instantly became vicious. He stared at Ronald and thundered, ¡°Ronald, I am your father! Who taught you to talk like 10.5U yed, At that? Hurry! Listen to me. Go inside and take out all the things your aunt packed. Don¡¯t let your mother run away. If she leaves, you will have no mother!¡± Hearing that, Ronald was a little panicked and immediately looked at Carly. Seeing that Ronald was scared, Carly hurriedly exined, ¡°Ronald, don¡¯t be afraid. I will take you with me. Let¡¯s leave together. We won¡¯t live with Charles in the future. We can live on our own!¡± Ronald¡¯s uneasiness was calmed by Carly¡¯s words. He hurriedly ran behind Carly, stared at Charles defensively, and then shouted in a serious tone, ¡°I want to go with Mom, not stay with you!¡± ¡°You!¡± Charles was trembling with anger. At the same time, Adrian and several bodyguards quickly arrived at the residential area. They immediately went upstairs and knocked on the door. > At the first moment of the conflict, Isabe secretly sent a message to Adrian. Adrian put down was working in the office. When he received the message from Isabe, he the documents in his hand almost immediately and rushed over with his bodyguards as soon as possible. But even so, Adrian was very anxious. He rushed over as fast as he could, for fear that if he came a secondter, Isabe and Carly would be in trouble. Rushing upstairs, Adrian knocked on the door immediately. ¡°Isabe? Carly! Are you guys here?¡± Carly was surprised to hear Adrian¡¯s voice. Ronald¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately ran
    1. it. toward the door to open
    Charles panicked. He couldn¡¯t care less about Carly at the moment and immediately rushed over. He reached out to pull Ronald to stop thetter from opening the door. Carly reacted quickly by rushing up immediately. She grabbed and interjected Charles. Ronald managed to reach the door and opened it without obstruction. Smack! At the same time, Charles pped Carly. As soon as Adrian came in, he saw this scene. His face changed. He immediately rushed in, grabbed Charles, and pped thetter fiercely. The two bodyguards also acted fast and quickly restrained Charles. +5 Adrian rescued Carly from Charles. At the same time, Isabe, who heard something strange outside, also ran out of the room. Isabe¡¯s eyes lit up obviously when she saw Adrian. ¡°Adrian, you¡¯re here!¡± Isabe was surprised. She didn¡¯t know when it started, Adrian always gave Isabe a strong sense of security. In dangerous situations, as long as Adrian appeared, she would feel relieved as if everything would be fine. As a matter of fact, the situation did turn out fine. Adrian¡¯s two bodyguards held Charles so tightly that thetter couldn¡¯t even struggle, let alone do other things. But soon, Isabe noticed Carly¡¯s red cheeks. Recalling a loud p was sounded from the living room, Isabe instantly understood what had happened. She hurried over and asked anxiously, ¡°Carly, did he hit you again?¡± Carly¡¯s cheek hurt, but now she was not afraid at all. Sheforted Isabe, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Isabe turned around and walked toward Charles. She raised her hand and pped him without hesitation. A p wasn¡¯t enough. Isabe continued to p Charles several times in a row. Her hand hurt, but she still felt angry. She thought, ¡°Carly should have figured it out before. The sooner she gets divorced, the sooner she gets rid of the misery. There¡¯s nothing worth staying with this jerk.¡± Adrian was silent for a while. After Isabe finished beating Charles, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Isabe didn¡¯t speak for a moment. Carly hesitated before she exined what had happened to Adrian. Hearing this, Adrian looked at Charles displeased. Charles was suddenly scared when their eyes met, but he was unwilling to concede at the same time. Charles pondered, ¡®I didn¡¯t expect Isabe to marry such a powerful man. Carly and Isabe are so proud now because of this man, right? If I had known it earlier, I would have stopped Isabe from being with this man!¡® ¡°Go pack your things. Ignore him.¡± Adrian turned to Carly and Isabe. Hearing this, Carly nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± She knew that Charles was already ruined, and it was meaningless for her to continue to stay in this family. Leaving was the right choice. Carly returned to the room and quickly packed up her things. Isabe also rushed over to help. Not only that, even Ronald couldn¡¯t wait to leave. He was happy that Carly could be separated from Charles. Since he was a child, he had seen Charles hit Carly many times. Ronald hoped that Carly could stay away from Charles so that no one would hit her. There were a lot of things at home. Carly packed for a long time, but many things couldn¡¯t fit into the suitcase. CHAPTER 266 Isabe thought for a moment and then suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we call the movingpany?¡± Carly frowned. ¡°But there are so many things. Where should we put we put them?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s put them at our ce first. Adrian¡¯s mansion isrge, and there are plenty of rooms. We can put these things here,¡± Isabe said. Carly hesitated. ¡°But¡­ will this trouble you too much?¡± Hearing this, Isabe stopped and looked at her sister. She said angrily, ¡°Carly, do you see me as an outsider?¡± Upon realizing the situation, Carly hurriedly shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that. I- I¡¯m just worried that Adrian will be unhappy if I move so many things there.¡± ? Adrian happened toe over. Hearing her words, he said helplessly, ¡°Carly, do I look like such a mean person?¡± Hearing this, Carly was stunned for a moment. Then, she realized that she had overthought. She thought, ¡°The Carter family is indeed different from others. Their family members are very nice.¡® ¡°Well, then¡­ Ronald and I will move our things there first, and then I¡¯ll go and find a house. When we find one, we will move out immediately,¡± said Carly. Isabe knew what Carly was thinking. She nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Carly was relieved when Isabe agreed, so they packed the things with relief. They packed all the important things by themselves, while Isabe called someone from the movingpany directly for other things. In the house, the things that belonged to Carly and Ronald have been moved away, leaving Charles¡® things. Carly didn¡¯t want them either. Everything was packed, and they left together. Charles finally panicked. He anxiously caught up and begged Carly to go back. However, she firmly pushed him away. Charles still wanted to harass them, but the bodyguards immediately went over and pulled him away. Many residents in the area couldn¡¯t help but secretly watch themotion, Although there were many onlookers, only a few woulde to meddle in their business, especially those who knew about the situation of their family. Living in the same neighborhood, many of the residents knew about Isabe and Carly¡¯s situation, especially thetter. They saw her as a poor woman whose husband often lost his temper and inflicted domestic violence. Before this, many people did not understand why Carly didn¡¯t divorce and leave the scumbag. So, no one felt strange to see Carly leaving that day. On the contrary, everyone couldn¡¯t help but be happy for her. They thought, ¡®It¡¯s good that she can figure it out. She will get better and better after leaving him.¡®Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Although some people thought it was best, it was inevitable that there would be some with stubborn old¨Cschool mindsets who felt that Carly did wrong. These people criticized her inwardly, ¡®They are married and have a child. Why did they make such a ruckus? Nowadays, young people are selfish. They only care about theirfort and don¡¯t think about their child at all. That child is so young and still in kindergarten. His parents are getting divorced when he¡¯s at a young age. He will have no home after that. What a pity!¡® However, Carly didn¡¯t want to care about these people¡¯s thoughts anymore. She didn¡¯t want to be stopped by others¡® opinions. In the past few years, she was bound by those thoughts and always felt that she couldn¡¯t get a divorce. If she got a divorce, it would be bad for her child. However, the truth was that if the problem between her and Charles couldn¡¯t be solved, their conflicts would never stop. A home with no happiness but only resentment and distress was not good for a child at all! Charles wanted to catch up but was stopped by the bodyguards arranged by Adrian. Charles was scared and didn¡¯t dare to fight with those bodyguards. In the end, he could only helplessly watch Carly leave with Ronald. After seeing them leave, Adrian called his bodyguards and left together. Adrian didn¡¯t go to work today. He asked the driver to drive home directly when he left Carly¡¯s house. As Isabe, Carly, and Ronald left before him, they arrived home first. Adrian arrivedter, but he felt much happier when he arrived at his home. It was a small standalone mansion, which was Adrian¡¯s private property, not the house where Patrick and Debra lived for a long time. They were by themselves in the mansion, so Isabe and Carly felt morefortable. Isabe was so happy when Carly finally got rid of Charles and moved out. After getting out of the car, Isabe immediately began to move their things in. She wanted Carly and Ronald to move in as soon as possible and stay away from that jerk. Carly was also moving things. It was not the first time she hade to Adrian and Isabe¡¯s new home, but it was the first time that she came as a stay¨Cin guest bringing so many things, which made her nervous. There was no butler in the mansion, and there were not many housekeepers. There was only one cook. Adrian thought it was unnecessary to hire so many people before, butter Isabe moved in with him. Isabe didn¡¯t like being served by too many people. She felt that she could do a lot of work on her own, and there was no need to hire outsiders. Adrian respected Isabe¡¯s idea, so he didn¡¯t hire help. Now, they were alone. It was a little tiresome to tidy things up, but it made them happy. Adrian moved all the heavy things in. Some daily necessities that were used often were put into the guest room, and some seldom¨Cused things were put into the temporary warehouse. After unpacking, Ronald blinked and asked happily, ¡°Mom, do we really don¡¯t have to live with Dad anymore?¡± Carly looked down at Ronald and nodded. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t want to go back anymore.¡± Ronald was immediately in a good mood and nodded hurriedly. ¡°Uh¨Chuh. I don¡¯t want to go back either!¡± Although Ronald was Charles¡® son, Charles hardly fulfilled his responsibilities as a father. In the past few years, Charles treated them coldly when he came back home every day. He always lost his temper and became abusive. Charles looked down on Carly and didn¡¯t even treat Ronald nicely, let alone take care of him. Thinking of Charles¡® attitude toward Ronald in the past few years, Carly felt that she was stupid in the past. She wondered, ¡®Why should I be influenced by those traditional ideas and feel that only a plete¡® family is the best for our child? In fact, not having a father is better than an irresponsible one!¡® ¡°Carly, I¡¯ll give you some medicine.¡± Isabe brought some ointment and wanted to apply it on Carly. Just now, Charles¡® p onto Carly was not light at all. Her face was reddened before, but now it was visibly a little swollen. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t need those,¡± Carly suddenly stammered. 5 Although the person in front of her was Isabe, she didn¡¯t want Isabe ¨C her sister and her only family ¨C to know that she had a bad life. When she got beaten before, she hid everything from Isabe as much as possible. She only let Isabe know when she could no longer hide the truth. CHAPTER 267 In the end, the medicine was applied. Isabe wasn¡¯t a fo¨°l. She knew Carly just didn¡¯t want her to worry. Once everything was settled, Carly found Adrian at night and told him she wanted to refile thewsuit. Seeing her decision, Adrian promptly began making arrangements. All the evidence rted to this matter, including proof that the witnesses were bribed and turned against them, had been collected. So this time, thewsuit wouldn¡¯t only target the scion who assaulted Carly back then, but also the ¡°witnesses¡± who took money and falsely used her. Adrian took care of everything, so Isabe and Carly just had to wait. This made them a little dazed, and they felt an unspeakable sense of security. During thestwsuit, they had no idea what to do. With limited funds, they could only afford an averagewyer, while their opponent was overwhelmingly powerful. In the end, they lostpletely > and embarrassingly. The day of the trial soon came. As a intiff, Carly took her seat. She was very nervous and scared, but this unease onlysted a short while. She soon realized how good it was to have a top¨Cnotchwyer. She didn¡¯t have to worry about anything. Adrian handled all the arguments in court for her. All she had to do was listen and asionally answer a few questions from the judge. Last time, when she was in the intiff¡¯s seat, the defendant¡¯swyer and the betraying witnesses made her lose control and left her unable to speak. This time, she saw the scion, Leo Harrison, who had assaulted her before, trembling in the defendant¡¯s seat, Of course, Leo¡¯s fear wasn¡¯t just because he had assaulted Carly but also because Adrian few years. had found several other girls who had been assaulted by him over the past Two of them were only 16 this year. One was 15, and the youngest was 13, just under 14. Assaulting an underage girl was a serious felony! If nothing went wrong, Leo¡¯s life would be over. Not only that, Adrian also found evidence of Leo¡¯s drug abuse and trafficking, as well as forcing minors to use drugs. With this series of charges, Leo was ultimately sentenced to death. The death sentence was an oue that Isabe and Carly had never imagined. They certainly didn¡¯t expect Leo to be so guilty and evil. However, it was truly satisfying to see such a person get what they deserved. After leaving the courthouse, Isabe and Carly felt a sense of disbelief. It wasn¡¯t until they were home that they fully grasped that the burden they had carried for so many 178 years was finally lifted. Especially for Carly, who felt a huge sense of relief as if a great weight had finally been lifted from her. However, this joy didn¡¯tst long, as another issue soon made her smile fade. Connor unexpectedly showed up at the mansion. When Carly was out buying groceries, he seized the opportunity to grab her and demand her to go back! How could Carly possibly go back? In the struggle, Connor raised his hand and habitually wanted to give Carly a hard p. In the past, Carly might not have reacted at all. Perhaps her subconscious always made her feel that she was at fault and felt sorry for Connor so that she would endure his abuse. But this time, her mind was unusually clear. Her reaction was even faster than her thoughts, and she pushed Connor away hard. > Connor didn¡¯t expect Carly to have such strength this time. He was pushed off bnce and almost hit the passers¨Cby behind. The passerby, startled, stepped back and looked at them in confusion. Carly hadn¡¯t seen Connor for a while. Since moving out, she hadn¡¯t gone back. Even Ronald¡¯s school was changed under the arrangement of Adrian and Isabe from a regr kindergarten to an aristocratic one. It wasn¡¯t that she wanted Ronald to attend an aristocratic kindergarten, but Adrian and Isabe both said that if she divorced Connor, he might target Ronald or even use him against her. Keeping Ronald in a regr kindergarten would be too risky. After all, Connor was Ronald¡¯s biological father. If he tried to pick up Ronald from the kindergarten or cause trouble in other ways, a regr kindergarten wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him. However, an aristocratic kindergarten was different. They had strict management. As long as they gave advance notice, even though Connor was Ronald¡¯s biological father, the kindergarten wouldn¡¯t let him see the child without their permission, let alone allow him to get close to Ronald.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Besides, they didn¡¯t inform Connor about Ronald¡¯s transfer. Connor shouldn¡¯t know where Ronald went to school now, so there was no way for him to use Ronald to threaten Carly. ¡°Carly Graham, are you done? Do you n to live in someone else¡¯s home forever?¡± Connor lost his temper and scolded Carly with a gloomy expression. 50 Wed, Aug After scolding, he stared at Carly and asked, ¡°And where did you transfer Ronald to? He¡¯s no longer at Seahorse Kindergarten!¡± Upon hearing this, Carly immediately realized that Connor had already gone to the kindergarten. Indeed, Isabe and Adrian¡¯s concerns were not unwarranted. Connor was indeed causing trouble over the child. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business!¡± Carly said coldly. Connor was angry when he heard the words. He rushed over and wanted to grab Carly. Carly hurriedly dodged. ¡°Carly Graham! Ronald Zane is my son. I have the right to know where he goes to school!¡± Connor roared. Hearing this, Carly smiled and burst into tears, saying, ¡°Yes, Ronald is your son, but Connor Zane, ask yourself honestly. In the past few years, have you ever cared about Ronald? Have you ever been concerned about him even once?¡± Carly¡¯s anger suddenly red as she stared at Connor, her voice filled with disappointment and even despair. ¡°Connor, all you know is domestic violence! Not only did you hit me, but you also hit Ronald. Just ask yourself, over the past few years, how many times did you identally hurt Ronald while you were hitting me?¡± More and more people gathered around, and many began to sympathize with Carly after hearing about the domestic violence. Carly didn¡¯t want their sympathy and turned to leave. Connor immediately chased after her. Carly reacted quickly and ran away. CHAPTER 268 Carly exerted all her strength and ran like the wind into the residential area where Adrian and Isabe lived. They stayed in a high¨Cend mansion there where the security guards were very strict. Only those who were permitted could enter. Unverified persons weren¡¯t allowed. After entering, Carly finally rxed and looked back. As Carly had guessed, Connor chased after her. But, once he reached the entrance, Bryan, a security guard stopped him. Eagerly, Connor imed that Carly who just entered was his wife. He said he wanted to go in and take her out with him. Hearing that, Bryan turned to Carly. He recognized her because Adrian and Isabe had informed him earlier that she¡¯d be living with them for a while. ¡°Don¡¯t let him in!¡± Carly yelled to Bryan in a panic. Stunned, Bryan still replied, ¡°Alright.¡± The property management services of high¨Cend residential areas were the best. A good example of such was this incident. If the owner¡¯s friend asked the guards not to let certain people in, they wouldn¡¯t, just like how they didn¡¯t allow Connor in. When Carly heard Bryan¡¯s promise, she was still in a confused trance. It took her a while to understand what went on. ¡®Wow¡­ that¡¯s possible?¡® she thought, frozen in ce, before seeing Bryan stopping Connor. The shallow Connor loved his reputation. Thus, his expression soured when he was stuck outside. However, he didn¡¯t dare to rush in for fear of appearing uncouth. In any way, he¡¯d be unable to get in because the security guards there weren¡¯t like those in ordinary residential areas. All guards there were strong military veterans. Moreover, they were young. If Connor wanted to break in, he would only be thrown out. Carly watched the scene and finally felt relieved. Then, she carried the groceries she¡¯d just bought and went home. During her time living in Adrian and Isabe¡¯s house, Carly took the initiative to cook their meals. After all, she wasn¡¯t there as a guest. She was staying there for a while, so she had to contribute. Otherwise, she would feel bad about it. Adrian and Isabe were at work while Ronald and Damian were in kindergarten. Hence, now there was only her, and their housekeeper, Julie White, left at home. 5C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Considering that, Carly finally sighed in relief. She was worried Isabe would notice something was off about her. Isabe had always been very sensitive to changes in others¡® moods and temperaments. If Carly had not regted her mood in time, Isabe would surely have noticed that something was wrong. However, it didn¡¯t take Isabe to realize something was amiss with Carly as even Julie sensed something off. ¡°Ms. Graham, what¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so pale?¡± Julie asked concernedly upon realizing Carly¡¯s sicklyplexion. Carly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Julie still felt worried. ¡°Could you be getting sick? You¡¯d better have a good rest, then. Don¡¯t work yourself too much today. Let me do the cooking.¡± Carly shook her head again. ¡°No need. I can do it.¡± ? Hearing this, Julie sighed deeply and questioned, ¡°Why are you being courteous with me? I¡¯m getting paid for my work here. I don¡¯t work for free.¡± Hearing this, Carly was also stunned. Julie examined her and advised caringly, ¡°Ms. Graham, have a good rest. Mr. Carter is a very good person. He¡¯s kind and generous. You don¡¯t need to worry about him being unhappy with you staying here.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Carly was uncertain. Smiling, Julie borated, ¡°A few years ago, my son Jacob wasing to Hivalis for the SAT. Once Mr. Carter knew, he asked me to bring Jacob here for a few days so that he didn¡¯t need to stay in a hotel. Mr. Carter also specially told me to cook better food for him as a treat.¡± When Julie mentioned this story, her tone and gaze filled with warmth. She seemed content, grateful, and happy. After she finished, she turned to Carly smiling. ¡°Ms. Graham, Mr. Carter is already so kind to me. It¡¯s needless for me to mention how well he¡¯ll treat you. You are his wife¡¯s biological sister. I think he has been genuinely treating you as his biological sister too. You don¡¯t have to walk on eggshells all the time.¡± ¡®I don¡¯t have to be so careful?¡® Carly wondered as her heart pounded. ncing at Julie, she recalled everything about getting along with Adrian and the Carter family in a trance. After reying the memories in her mind, she suddenly realized that they seemed different from most families. ¡°Yeah,¡± she affirmed while nodding heavily. At this moment, Carly realized that she was actually very simr to Isabe. She had 16:50 wed, always been anxious and cautious in every aspect of her life. Both Carly and Isabe had always paid attention to keeping distance from others and tried hard not to overstep boundaries, take advantage of others, spend others¡® money, and owe others favors. Yet, this caution unexpectedly exposed their true nature. ¡®Our lives were truly uneasy, so we lived so carefully no matter where we went in fear that we¡¯d involve others and drag them down. However, it¡¯spletely different with the Carter family,¡® Carly thought, and she consciously inhaled deeply. ¡®Perhaps not only Connor needs changing. I do, too. I need to adjust my mentality to be braver and more confident in the future. I can set a good example for Ronny that way and make him brave and confident too. Then, he wouldn¡¯t live such a miserable life as we did on the sidelines.¡® ¡°I don¡¯t feel ufortable,¡± Carly told Julie the truth after some consideration. She then paused to ponder again before exining, ¡°My ex¨Chusband Connor came. I met him by coincidence while shopping earlier. He wants me to go back.¡± Before this, Carly didn¡¯t want to tell anyone about such things. Yet, now, after thinking it through, she suddenly felt that there was no need to hide. About an hourter, the kindergarten bus arrived. Ronald and Damian had finished school so Carly hurriedly exited the house to pick them up. ¡°Aunt Carly!¡± Damian yelled. ¡°Mom!¡± Ronald called out. Damian and Ronald were well¨Cmannered children who knew to greet her once they saw her. Carly smiled before inviting them, ¡°Damian, Ronny, let¡¯s go inside.¡± Then, she led them into the house, watched them put down their schoolbags, and then go look for Lego sets. Damian loved ying with Lego sets so Adrian bought a lot of them for him to y with. After Ronald moved in, Damian also graciously shared the sets with him. Since then, every day after school, they yed with Lego bricks together happily. Carly didn¡¯t disturb them. She simply stood aside and watched them y with Lego bricks. After watching them for a while, Carly noted that both Damian and Ronald were much better now than before. Before this, Damian was very introverted and didn¡¯t talk much. Even with Carly, he was somewhat reserved. However, now, anyone could sense that Damian was more cheerful than before. To boot, as Ronald had been ying with Damian daily, more smiles seemed to appear on his face too. It was unlike how he was in their previous home where he barely smiled. CHAPTER 269 An hourter, Isabe and Adrian came back from work. +51% The kindergarten that Damian and Ronald attended offered after¨Cschool care. If parents could not pick up their children immediately, the kindergarten would provide additional supervision for an extra hour or two until the parents finish work and could take their children home. Because Carly was in that mansion these days, she felt that it would be better to take Ronald home and care for him rather than leave him at the kindergarten. After that incident happened, Connor forced her to quit her job and forbade her from working outside. With no other options, she eventually taught herself to paint online. She was now a frence illustrator, taking orders and painting from home without needing to go out and socialize with clients, yet still earning enough to support her family. Most importantly, she could also take care of her child while working. Currently living at Isabe and Adrian¡¯s ce, Carly also consciously helped them take care of Damian. She told them taking the kids home and caring for them personally would be better than leaving them at the kindergarten. After thinking about it, Adrian and Isabe agreed to cancel the after¨Cschool care. Every day after school, Damian and Ronald would be sent home by school bus as soon as possible. It waste, and it was time for dinner. Everyone sat down and ate together. When dinner was over, Carly finally summoned the courage and said, ¡°Adrian, if I want to divorce Connor, can I file for it now?¡± Isabe was surprised because she didn¡¯t expect Carly to bring up the topic of divorce so quickly and proactively. In the past, Isabe had advised Carly that if she really could not continue with Connor, it would be better to get a divorce. However, every time Isabe tried to persuade her, she never listened. ¡®Has Carly figured it outpletely?¡® Isabe wondered. She was in a good mood, feeling happy for Carly. ¡°Anytime,¡± Adrian answered. Carly was stunned for a while, then she came to her senses and nodded hurriedly. ¡°Okay.¡± Adrian looked at her. He was silent for a moment and then said, ¡°Carly, I just heard that 1/4 Connor came to pester you outside the residential area today?¡± Isabe¡¯s expression changed when she heard that. She said anxiously, ¡°What did you say? Connor was here?¡± Adrian looked at Isabe and hurriedlyforted her, ¡°It¡¯s okay. The guards didn¡¯t let him in.¡± Then Adrian looked at Carly and said, ¡°Carly, I¡¯ll find two bodyguards for you tomorrow. It will be safer if you go out with them.¡± ¡®Bodyguards?¡® Carly shook her head quickly upon hearing that. She said, ¡°No, I don¡¯t need bodyguards. It will cost too much money.¡± Carly knew wealthy families often hired bodyguards, but she felt she didn¡¯t need one. She wanted to save the money she earned to buy a house. She and Ronald could not live with Isabe and Adrian forever. They needed their own ce, their own home. Once her divorce from Connor was finalized and everything settled down, they would move out. She was currently quite short on money. Adrianughed. ¡°Carly, you don¡¯t need to pay for it. They are all bodyguards of the Carter family. They get paid regrly but don¡¯t have much to do. I¡¯ll just temporarily assign them here to protect you for a few days. Once you divorce Connor and he stops bothering you and Ronald, they will leave.¡± Actually, hiring bodyguards would cost money, but Adrian understood Carly¡¯s concerns, so he deliberately said it wouldn¡¯t cost extra. Only this way would Carly possibly agree to let him arrange bodyguards for her. Isabe also suddenly recalled the situation from the previous visits to the Carter family. The Carter family had indeed hired many bodyguards, especially around Becky and her two children, with several bodyguards present. Adrian looked at the still hesitant Isabe and Carly, and said, ¡°When Becky got divorced before, the Edwards family was also restless. Our family hired some bodyguards to ensure the safety of Becky and the two children.¡± At the mention of Becky, Carly and Isabe also recalled the news they had seen before. Becky¡¯s life experience had been quite rough, but now her life was getting better and better. Witnessing that, they sincerely felt happy for her. ¡°Will transferring them over not dy things on the Carter family¡¯s side?¡± Carly asked with some hesitation. Isabe hurriedly said, ¡°Carly, it¡¯s okay. It won¡¯t affect them. You should take care of 14:35 Aug 15 +51%2 yourself first. After you get through this period and get divorced, everything will get better.¡± Carly was still somewhat conflicted. After hesitating for a while, she finally nodded and agreed solemnly, ¡°Alright. Thank you all.¡± She then thought for a moment and added, ¡°Adrian, what is their current sry? How about I hire them myself and cover their wages for this period?¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Carly!¡± Isabe put down her chopsticks, looked at Carly, and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you not to worry about the money. Why are you being so polite with us?¡± Isabe then turned to look at Damian and said, ¡°You help us take care of Damian every day, and you haven¡¯t asked us for any money. If you keep being so polite with us, I¡¯m gonna be mad, okay?¡± Adrian also smiled and said, ¡°Yeah, Carly, don¡¯t be so polite with us. If you keep being so polite, I would think that you treat me as an outsider.¡± Carly was stunned upon hearing that, and then she came back to her senses. She quickly shook her head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, I¡­¡± Only then did she realize that the Carter family was indeed different from others. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve all been so kind to me, I¡¯ll ept it all. If you ever need my help in the future, just let me know. As long as I can help, I definitely will,¡± she hurriedly said. Adrian smiled and agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± At this moment, Adrian never imagined, nor could he have imagined, that many yearster, the Carter family would really encounter major trouble. They would be schemed against bypetitors and nearly be used of giarism at the most important worldpetition, leading to a ruined reputation and bankruptcy. At the most critical moment, it was Carly, who had be a top¨Ctier artist, who worked tirelessly to urgently design a stunning new set of designs for the Carter family. It reced the giarized designs inserted by thepetitors¡® spies within the Carter family and amazed the world, resolving their crisis, and preserving the family¡¯s reputation umted over the years. The designs helped them win the internationalpetition, elevated the Carter family to a higher status, and opened up broader overseas markets. The things that would happen in the future are unknown to them now. At this moment, after reaching an agreement, they began discussing the matter of filing for divorce. In the past few months, Carly had collected a lot of information about Connor¡¯s domestic violence. That included videos of Connor hitting her and videos of him taking his frustration out on Ronald due to his bad mood. Keeping those pieces of 51% evidence not only facilitated the divorce but also helped her in the divorce proceedings to secure custody of the children. When ites to the issue of child custody, Carly was most grateful that after resigning from her job, she didn¡¯t remain idle at home. Although it was tough at first when she started learning to paint, she eventually became capable of taking orders and earning money, which provided her with a source of ie. Having money was crucial for securing child custody. Otherwise, the court might not grant her cu CHAPTER 270 Chapter 270 ¡°The other aspects are fine, but regarding work, if you don¡¯t mind, you can serve a temporary position at the Carter family¡¯spany,¡± Adrian thought and said to Carly. Carly was puzzled when she heard that. ¡°I¡­ I have an ie, is that not enough?¡± she asked. Adrian said seriously, ¡°Having an ie is indeed better than not having one. But, the profession of a frence illustrator has great uncertainty in terms of ie. If Connor clings to this, it might cause some trouble. To avoid unnecessary trouble and disputes, you should serve in a temporary position at the Carter family¡¯spany. Having a stable job will be much better.¡± As he spoke, Adrian¨Cturned to Carly and continued, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about the job. It¡¯s just a nominal position at the Carter family¡¯spany. If you don¡¯t want to go to work, just let them know. It¡¯s fine.¡± Isabe also hurriedly added, ¡°Carly, why don¡¯t you listen to Adrian? I think he is right.¡± Isabe was absolutely in favor of Carly divorcing Connor. However, if there were going to be a divorce, Ronald definitely had to stay with her sister and must not be taken by Connor. Carly asked worriedly, ¡°But if I go to work, will the court think that I don¡¯t have time to take care of Ronald?¡± Upon hearing that, Adrian smiled and said, draft a contract for you that allows you to matt The Carter family can home. This way, you will have aN?velDrama.Org ? content. stable job and a steady source of ie while ensuring you have enough time to take care of your child. With both of these in ce, along with some other evidence we have, there will be no doubt about winning the custody battle.¡± Carly was at a loss for words. Isabe took her hand and said in a deep voice, ¡°Carly, just agree to it. No matter what, Ronald¡¯s custody is the most important.¡± Carly said hesitantly, ¡°But¡­ What kind of work is it at the Carter family? Can I¡­ Can I handle it?¡± Isabe was amused and she said, ¡°It¡¯s not like you really have to do the job, you¡¯re just getting a title at their ce.¡± Adrian looked at Carly and said with a smile, If you really want to work with the Carter family, it¡¯s actually possible. The Carter family needs designers. Carly, you can draw, right? I¡¯ve seen your drawings, they¡¯re beautiful! If you¡¯re interested, you could consider 851% doing jewelry design. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for you.¡± When Isabe heard that, her eyes lit up and she asked in surprise, ¡°Really?¡± Carly was speechless. She looked at Isabe helplessly. ¡°Isabe, it¡¯s not that easy. I¡­ I was just casually drawing. I don¡¯t know anything about jewelry design,¡± she sighed, feeling a little embarrassed. Adrian smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing as long as you can draw. If you want to learn jewelry design, Becky will arrange for a few people to teach you when we get to thepany. You should be able to do it soon.¡± Carly felt that she was not capable, but after considering it for a while, she agreed to the position at the Carter family¡¯spany that Adrian had mentioned. The matter was crucial to whether she could win custody of Ronald, so she wanted to be cautious and avoid any idents. After everything was arranged, Adrian, in his capacity as Carly¡¯swyer, helped her file for divorce in court. Connor was in a particrly bad mood recently because Carly and Ronald had moved out. He thought that Carly was just out of her mind. ¡®Doesn¡¯t she know what kind of person she is? Just because Isabe married a wealthy man, she¡¯s be so arrogant that she even wants to get a divorce from me? Hmph! Connor would never agree to divorce. parents and sister. His parents The matter was known not only to Connor but also to his and sister were angry about Carly leaving with Ronald and wanting to divorce Connor. The whole family even wanted toe over to find Carly. They intended to scold her and tell her to behave and stop causing trouble. However, when they all arrived, they didn¡¯t see Carly at all. They wanted to go to Adrian¡¯s ce to cause trouble, but they didn¡¯t know where his vi was at all. They asked Connor, but he would not say anything because he was very concerned about his reputation. He felt that having the whole family go there and cause a scene would be extremely embarrassing for him. But not letting his family stir up trouble did not mean that Connor was not angry or annoyed. Recently, every day, when Connor returned home, he would stare at the empty house, which no longer had Carly and Ronald in it. The woman he once deeply loved and his biological son were no longer there. He truly 14:36 Thu, Aug 15R E 9 Chapter 270- +51%3 loved Carly before, because she was a beautiful, virtuous, and gentle woman. She waspletely his ideal type. When they got married, Connor felt incredibly lucky, as if he was one of the luckiest men in the world, to marry the woman of his dreams. However, that happiness faded after Carly was forced into apromising situation by a guest during a business event. She was forced and defiled by others. Every time he thought of that matter, he felt extremely angry, enraged, and then disgusted. He knew it was not Carly¡¯s fault. He also hated himself for not protecting her properly back then, which led to her being bullied by others. If time could be turned back, starting from the day they got married, he would have had Carly quit her job and focus on staying at home to take care of Ronald, avoiding the public eye. Unfortunately, there are no ifs. He also could not control his feelings. Every time he saw Carly, he could not help but think of how she was defiled. He could not help but feel disgusted and simply did not want to be intimate with her as a couple anymore. Yet, at the same time, he was unwilling to ept it. He could not forget the pure, gentle, virtuous, and beautiful Carly, who was his ideal type and perfect in every way. So, he did not want a divorce, and he did not want her to leave him. However, while he held on to Carly, he could not convince himself to ept her after what had happened to her. Eventually, their lives got worse before they knew it. Sometimes he would feel that the person he was now seemed very unfamiliar. He often lost his temper and hit Carly. He knew that he had unconsciously be a loathsome domestic abuser, but he just could not control himself. Sometimes he could not even control his thoughts. He believed it was all Carly¡¯s fault. Carly, knowing how attractive she was, still went out to socialize with clients. He thought she might be ying hard to get, deliberately trying to seduce that scion. Just like what the witnesses said in court, Carly was a bitch, trying to seduce the scion. But, when she was yed with and found out he was not interested in taking responsibility, she falsely used him of assaulting her. CHAPTER 271
    3 51% It had been several years since the incident, but Connor still could not let it go. Whenever he saw Carly, he could not help but feel that she was dirty and disgusting. He thought he might live the rest of his life that way, but he never expected that Carly would sue and want to divorce him.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. When he received the court notice, his mind went nk. Once he came to his senses, he thought Carly was crazy. ¡®She¡¯s really out of her mind! Does she really think that just because Isabe married a wealthy man, she can also rise to sess? Now she wants to leave me and not be with me anymore?¡® he mused. Connorughed in anger. However, his smile did notst long as the court notice was real. Carly had indeed sued him. Connor was educated, so he knew that his past actions of hitting Carly could be his biggest downfall. If she used him of domestic violence, her chances of winning the divorce case were very high. After Carly filed for divorce, they might really end up divorced. After realizing it, Connor was panicked. He began frantically researching, and to his surprise, he found quite a lot of useful information. Despite the domestic violence, as long as he insisted on not divorcing, there were many cases where the court did not grant a divorce, especially in the first trial, which often focused on mediation. But what Connor did not know was that Adrian was a topwyer. Ordinary people might have panicked during the first trial and mistakenly thought they could not get a divorce, leading them to withdraw the case. But domestic violence was a serious issue, and if the case was not withdrawn and mediation was refused, the court would have granted the divorce. Twenty dayster, Carly and Connor¡¯s divorce case started in court. the more Connor spoke, the more he Connor had prepared many star but they were useless against Adrian. Instead, evealed. Adrian uncovered Connor¡¯s true thoughts from various unexpected angles,ying them bare for the judge. the judge Connor felt his head buzzing. By the As Adrian listed each usation for time the trial ended, he still could not understand how things had turned out this way. When the judge announced the verdict and ordered his divorce from Carly, Connor was frozen. He could not believe it and was not willing to ept it. ¡°Divorce? That¡¯s impossible! Carly, don¡¯t even think about divorcing me. You¡¯ll never get a divorce from me in this lifetime!¡± Connor could no longer control his emotions G: 51%% and shouted. However, the court¡¯s ruling was final. His divorce from Carly was a done deal, and Connor could not change anything. gto Connor¡¯s parents quickly rushed over, trying to grab Ronald. They did not care if Carly wanted a divorce, but the child was theirs, and they insisted on keeping him in the Zane family. Unfortunately, before they could reach Carly and Ronald, they were stopped by bodyguards arranged in advance by the Carter family. Carly hurriedly bent down to pick up Ronald and rushed out. She walked quickly, fearing that the Zane family would catch up and take Ronald away from her. ¡°Carly, if you want to leave, go ahead. We don¡¯t need you. But Ronald is ours. You can¡¯t take him away. Leave the child here!¡± Connor¡¯s mother, Fiona Zane, was stopped by the bodyguards. Seeing Carly leaving with Ronald, she shouted anxiously. Hearing their words, Carly quickened her pace even more. She would not leave Ronald to the Zane family. Ronald was her child, and she had raised him herself. Connor never cared about Ronald, and the Zane family did not deserve to keep him. Besides, the court had already ruled that Ronald was hers, and the Zane family had no right to take him. After leaving the courthouse and returning to the Carter family¡¯s car, Carly¡¯s emotions finally broke down. Years of umted tears burst forth at that moment. Isabe quickly pulled Carly into her arms. She did not say anything butforted Carly silently. Seeing his mother cry, Ronald felt sad. He hugged Carly and began to cry as well. Isabe hurriedly stretched out her hand and held Ronald in her arms. They soon arrived at the mansion. The car stopped, but no one disturbed them. After a long time, Carly finally stopped crying. Isabe took out a tissue and carefully wiped Carly¡¯s tears. ¡°Carly, don¡¯t be sad.¡± Carly nodded and hummed in response. Ronald looked at his mother with concern. ¡°Mommy, are you very sad?¡± he asked. Carly looked down at Ronald. After a moment, she squatted down so that her eyes were at his level. She looked into his eyes and could not help but ask, ¡°Ronald, your father and I are divorced. From now on, you might not have aplete family. Will you me me?¡± Ronald looked at Carly. He shook his head without any hesitation and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy. I won¡¯t me you. Daddy isn¡¯t a good father. I just want you to be Aug 15 @+51% happy. After Mommy divorces Daddy, you won¡¯t be hurt by him again. I¡¯m happy for you, Mommy.¡± Carly listened to Ronald¡¯s words and felt a deep sadness. If she could, she would give him aplete family with a loving father and mother. But some things could not be changed by her alone. If Connor could not ept what had happened to her, then divorce was the only option. She did not want Ronald to grow up in a home filled with anger and violence. ¡°Carly, let¡¯s go inside,¡± Isabe looked at Carly and said distressedly. Hearing this, Carly nodded hurriedly. ¡°Okay.¡± Carly held Ronald¡¯s hand and went together into the mansion. After getting inside, Isabe turned around and looked at Carly. She said seriously, ¡°Carly, divorce isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. Look at Becky. Her life is getting better after she divorced that jerk. As long as we stay strong, life will definitely get better, and it will be better than staying with a terrible man.¡± Hearing this, Carly forced a smile and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Isabe noticed that Carly was in a bad mood, so she decided not to say more. She went to the couch and turned on the TV. CHAPTER 272 After Carly and Charles were officially divorced, everyone could not rx because the Carter family had something major to celebrate. Stacey and Hayden were getting married soon. ording to the original n from both families, they nned to get engaged first and then formally get married after some time. But the more they talked about their engagement, the more they felt that this engagement ceremony was unnecessary. Most importantly, a longer dy could cause more worries. The parents from both families were somewhat anxious, thinking that rtionships between youngsters now were too fickle. If they liked each other now, they could be together. But if something happened out of the blue, they could just break up. Sharon mulled over this briefly and finally ushered Debra into the room quietly. She then secretly discussed matters with thetter, wondering if the couple could be engaged sooner instead of dragging it on. Sharon couldn¡¯t wait to see the couple wed, and likely could not be at ease until the wedding was done with. Coincidentally, Debra and Sharon thought the same thing. It was hard to find an excellent man like Hayden. If Becky missed her chance, she would regret thister. Because of Debra and Sharon¡¯s thoughts, the two families finally came together. They reckoned that it was indeed troublesome to get engaged and wait for marriage because there were too many conflicts between the couple. If they got married sooner, both elders would feel at ease. Thus, the ¨¨ parents on both sides began to urge the couple. Jason and Sharon urged Hayden, and Debra and Patrick urged Becky. In the end, Hayden and Beckypromised. As a result, their engagement was very close to the official wedding date, with only one week between each event. Jeremy was the happiest, now that the wedding had been brought forward. Although he¡¯d addressed Becky as ¡°Mommy¡± in advance for some time, Jeremy was smart. He knew that Becky could only be his mother after marrying his dad. Thus, he¡¯d been waiting for this to happen. After the two families set a date for Stacey and Hayden¡¯s nuptials, Jeremy began marking his calendar daily to count down how many days Becky and Hayden left before the wedding. It was worth mentioning that several months had passed, and Jeremy could not speak very well. Half a month ago, Stacey and Hayden took Jeremy to Menterra for a reexamination. The results were good, with the doctor saying that Jeremy had effectively recoveredpletely with no other effects. As long as he practiced more in the future, he could be like a normal person. 1/3 < 14:36 Thu, Aug 15 R A +51% 5 Time flew by, and it was time for Stacey and Hayden to officially get married. Early that morning, Lillian and Kevin woke Stacey up excitedly, insisting on her getting out of bed. They were going back to their hometown because their mom and Dad were getting married soon. Stacey was dazed as she was woken up by the children, but when she heard them talking about the nuptials, she couldn¡¯t help but feel warm inside. ¡°Mom, get up!¡± While Stacey was distracted, Lillian tugged at her anxiously. Stacey quickly came back to her senses and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Stacey got out of bed, dressed herself, and then dressed Lillian and Kevin. A long time passed without them realizing it. When the three of them washed up and went out, it waste. Their meal was prepared a while ago, just waiting to be eaten. ¡°Becky, Lillian, Kevin,e down and have breakfast. We¡¯ll take a helicopter back to our hometown.¡± Debra spotted them and waved at them happily. Lillian immediately ran down excitedly. ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing his sister running away, Kevin hurriedly followed her. The two kids quickly reached the first floor, rushed toward Debra, and hugged her. After breakfast, Adrian and Isabe had also returned with Damian, while Carly had brought Ronald along. When everyone was there, they boarded the helicopter together and went home. It was not the first time that Damian and Ronny had taken a helicopter ride with the Carter family. Last year, when they returned to their hometown in gua City with their mother and the Carter family, they came and went back to Hivalis via helicopter too. Before this, Damian and Ronny were not well¨Cacquainted with the Carter family, so even if they rode their helicopter, they were rtively restrained and didn¡¯t dare to run or move around. Things were different now. After getting along with each other for a few months, Damian and Ronny were much more familiar with the Carter family, especially Damian. He knew that he was also a member of the Carter family, and this helicopter belonged to his father¡¯s family, which meant it belonged to his family and nobody else¡¯s. After understanding such matters, Damian and Ronald were more rxed this time. They began to be curious about the helicopter like normal children and wanted to explore. Lillian and Kevin had already ridden this helicopter. Seeing that Damian and Ronny were curious, they acted as ¡°guides¡± and exined things to the former. As the four children gathered and the more they chatted, the happier the atmosphere became. That kind of atmosphere made Carly believe that she was right to divorce her husband earlier. That kind of repressive environment was not good for children. Chapter 272 ¡®I must be strong in the future and strive to give Ronald a better, happier living environment,¡® thought Carly. +51% The helicopter flew for some time, and it was not until the afternoon that they finally arrived in gua City. Because of Stacey and Hayden¡¯s nuptials, the butler had already started to clean and decorate Carter Manor. Now that they¡¯d returned, they were happy to see how cheerful and festive the house looked. The butler came to greet them, happily invited them inside, and then asked the housekeeper to serve refreshments as they rested. After a short rest, everyone went back to their rooms. The adults were tired, but the children were still energetic. After all, a day¡¯s helicopter ride was tiring. As soon as they got home, they ran to the small yground in the garden and began to have fun again. Stacey, Isabe, and Annie went to observe the children for a while. Seeing them ying so happily, the three mothers weN?velDrama.Org ? content. CHAPTER 273 Because of the children, Stacey and Carly felt they had something inmon. The more they talked, the closer they felt. Debra originally wanted toe over and help watch the kids, but when she saw Stacey chatting happily with Grace, she stopped. For the next few days, the Carter family was busy and happy. When they kept busy, the Hoggard family was even busier. Because many of the banquet¡¯s guests at Hoggard Manor were high profile, every detail of the wedding had to be well managed, leaving no room for error. Not only were the adults busy, but even Jeremy had be very busytely. When the rest were decorating the wedding, Jeremy looked things over every so often. If he found something Becky didn¡¯t like, such as an unsuitable color, he immediately went to ask the person in charge to change it. Many people in charge found it funny to see how serious he was. After a few days of busy work, the wedding venue was finally decorated. The wedding outfits for Stacey and Hayden were also ready, with nearly a dozen sets of garments being prepared. The wedding was mainly a Clusian style wedding, and the wedding dress was also Clusian. But there were also many foreign wedding gowns, which were reserved for taking wedding photos after the formal wedding. Naturally, these could also serve as remembrance for their wedding. On the official wedding day, the Carter family and the Hoggard family were very lively. The Hoggard Manor prepared the most distinguished ceremony and invited the honor guards to wee Stacey in the most noble way possible, by ancient Zentiscape standards. This wedding of the century was also observed by some paparazzi who¡¯d been quietly paying attention to Becky. The paparazzi secretly took pictures and video clips of the wedding and posted them online. Soon, ¡°Becky¡¯s Remarriage¡°, once a simple topic, suddenly became a trending topic. As soon as the topic started trending, many people discussed it and retweeted it. Soon, many people tagged Charlie asking if this news was true. ording to the entertainment industry rules, news like this rarely warranted a response. But this time, Charlie wrote only two words on his ount before tweeting it: [It¡¯s true.] Charlie only sent two words, but thework almost copsed. Everyone was wondering who Becky was getting remarried to. Many people started digging and found out it was Hayden, the heir to Hoggard Technologies. In just a few 14:36 Thu, Aug 15 R& hours, all theizens were jealous, thinking of how Becky was so lucky to be marrying such a man. Due to the past incidents between Becky and Theodore, the once loftyizens who liked to pity Becky could no longer muster any pity for her. Instead, they only felt admiration. Who could then say that Becky was pitiful? Becky¡¯s life had been so beautiful since she left the jerk. From this day on, the things about Becky¡¯s past were finally put to rest. When people thought of Becky, they didn¡¯t think of Theodore immediately. Instead, they would think of Becky¡¯s improved life after her divorce. Some people could enjoy happiness, while some would endure pain. Although Theodore had known for a long time that Reba didn¡¯t have feelings for him, she found her real Prince Charming. Yet, when he heard that Reba was marrying Hayden, his heart still hurt and he couldn¡¯t breathe. Today, Theodore couldn¡¯t work at all. His irritable mood rendered him unable to deal with any documents. He finally put aside his work and went to the supermarket downstairs to buy a few cheap bottles of wine. He then returned to his rental home and got drunk. After getting drunk, Theodore took out his phone in a daze and dialed Reba¡¯s number, but he couldn¡¯t get through. Theodore didn¡¯t give up. He called again and again, but no one answered his phone no matter how many times he dialed. Theodore was anxious. He reasoned that his phone was broken since he couldn¡¯t get through to Reba. He was so anxious that his eyes reddened, and suddenly got up and ran downstairs in a hurry. It was only when he ran to the stairs that he remembered that Reba had blocked him. He could never get through to her again because she didn¡¯t want to take his call. Suddenly, Theodore sat down in the corridor and burst into tears.Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Soon after, his phone rang. Theodore was stunned for a moment. He thought it was Reba calling, so he quickly picked up. But when he looked at the phone, he found it was not Reba but Wyatt. ¡®Wyatt?¡® thought Theodore as he smiled bitterly and finally answered the phone. ¡°Theodore?¡± The line was connected, and soon Wyatt¡¯s voice was heard. He seemed to be worried. Theodore replied tiredly, ¡°Yes?¡± Hearing his words, Wyatt felt somewhat relieved. +51% After a while, Wyatt¡¯s voice came again. ¡°Theodore, have you looked at the trending topics?¡± Theodore said nothing. Wyatt reckoned Theodore would have seen it. After all, it was the news of Reba¡¯s remarriage. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Wyatt said with concern. Wyatt was silent for a while and then said, ¡°If you¡¯re not in a good mood, would you like toe and hang out with me?¡± Wyatt originally thought Theodore would not agree, but in fact, Theodore did not. Theodore soon came to his senses. In a frenzy, he immediately bought a ne ticket to gua City. But even though he bought the fastest ticket, it was already midnight when he arrived. ¡®Reba.. No, it¡¯s Stacey. The wedding between Stacey and Hayden is over. She¡¯s really married someone else,¡® thought Theodore. The Carter family and the Hoggard Manor were both big families in gua City, so it was not difficult to know their addresses. Theodore paid a few hundred dors and asked the driver to send him to Carter Vi. The driver heard that it was the trending Carter family, so he didn¡¯t ask about the address and took Theodore there immediately, The car finally stopped in front of Carter Vi. When Theodore got out of the car, he saw that the Carter family was dressed up morously with many traces of confetti on the ground. These were festive things. Because it was a big wedding, the Carter family instructed the staff not to clean them up for the time being, and to keep it there as a symbol of joy. They were to clean this up in two days. But now, the festivities felt like a knife in Theodore¡¯s heart. It truly hurt. Charlie had escorted Stacey to Hoggard Manor. Since he¡¯d drank a lot at the banquet, it waste by the time he arrived home. However, Charlie didn¡¯t expect that when he went home, he would see a certain someone at the entrance to his house. CHAPTER 274 Chapter 274 Thendere, too, saw the returning car. He fruze and stood there in a daze. After the driver parked the car, Charlie got on and went up to Theodore, anddenly lifting his hand as an urge to hit thetter surged within him. After taking only a dep, however, he sneered disdainfully and turned to leave, thinking. He¡¯s nothing more than a thing of the past. In be a waste of energy to bother myself with him. Theodore had been all tensed up, mentally preparing himself for the possibility that Charlie might hit him, yet unexpectedly, thetter left. Staring at the empty spot in front of him, Theodore felt a void in his heart, thinking, So, not only does Reba not care about me anymore, but the whole Carter family, too? They can¡¯t even be bothered to vent their anger on me.¡¯ While gued by that heartbreaking thought, Theodore spotted Charlie entering the house and hastily chased after him. ¡°Charlie!¡± Charlie paused and turned around to see Theodore looking his way. Thetter parted his lips but took some time to speak up, ¡°Reba¡­ I mean Stacey¡­ Is she really in love with Hayden?¡± Initially, Charlie was displeased. He had told himself not to waste time and energy on Theodore, but given how Theodore kept chasing after him, he thought he should teach thetter a lesson to stop him from pestering Becky. What he didn¡¯t imagine, though, was how Theodore followed after him just to ask that question. He suddenly broke into a euphoricugh. ¡°Yeah, Becky¡¯s in love with Hayden, and he loves her just as much. They¡¯re doing great and will be very happy for the rest of their lives.¡± As he spoke, he nced at Theodore with pity. ¡°Theodore, stay away from Becky if you still have some self respect. She¡¯ll never love you again.¡± Theodore stared at Charlie, seemingly wanting to say something but ultimately said nothing. Seeing Theodore like this, Charlie shook his head slightly and then turned around to continue his way toward the mansion. ¡°Can I see Lillian and Kevin?¡± Theodore suddenly shouted. It was obvious he was on tenterhooks. Charlie stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at Theodore coldly. ¡°You¡¯d better not get any ideas about the kids, or don¡¯t me us for being nasty.¡± Hearing that, Theodore felt his heart aching. But at the thought that Lillian and Kevin were the children Reba gave birth to for him and were his blood, he couldn¡¯t help feeling happy and grateful. ¡°I won¡¯t disturb her. I only want to see the kids,¡± said Theodore urgently. Charlie was about to lose his temper when another car drove in from outside. As the car door swung open, Adrian, Patrick, and Bryce cast their gazes toward Theodore in tandem, leaving thetter so nervous he felt his heart tighten. After some silence, Patrick uttered while looking at Theodore, ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± ¡°Dad!¡± Charlie looked at Patrick in disbelief, but thetter couldn¡¯t care less about him. Theodore was also stunned, but that emotion was quickly reced by joy. He supposed he still stood a chance, thinking, ¡®Maybe¡­ I can still see the kids¡­ Even if Reba has remarried someone else, the kids are still mine. I should still be able to visit them. Patrick led Theodore into the mansion and seated him in the living room. Having been Theodore¡¯s first time stepping into Carter Manor, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. Meanwhile, the visibly displeased Charlie followed by the side, constantly staring at Theodore as if he were monitoring thetter. Patrick had the butler pour Theodore a cup of coffee. Despite feeling uneasy, Theodore carefully finished the drink. ¡°Do you know why you¡¯re still sitting here and not in prison?¡± Patrick voiced as soon as he gulped down his cup of +61% 15.23 Fri, Aug 16 OR Chapter 97a coffer. Theodore froze and looked at Patrick with a bad feeling. Thetter, however, remainedposed and unhurriedly said, ¡®Calm down. You should know best what you¡¯ve done in the past. I didn¡¯t go find you before because I didn¡¯t think it was necessary, but if you continue pestering Becky, I wouldn¡¯t mind sending the evidence to the judicial department for them to deal with you.¡± Theodore¡¯s face grew ghastly pale, and his hands trembled slightly. ¡°Do you have to be so cruel?¡± Amused by those words, Patrick nced at Theodore and refuted, ¡°Did no one tell you how cruel you guys were when your family bullied Becky when she had no one to rely on back then?¡± Theodore¡¯s eyes suddenly reddened. ¡°Dad¡­ It was my fault. I¡­ I was too young and impulsive back then, but I now know I made a mistake. I was wrong before, but I won¡¯t do that again. Please give me a chance¡­ I won¡¯t disturb Becky and Hayden. I only want to see the kids, and can I also raise them? Regardless, I¡¯m still their father. It¡¯ll be better for them if they have mypany.¡± His tone grew increasingly anxious as he spoke. Coincidentally, Debra came down from upstairs. Having heard those words, she beganughing in exasperation. ¡°Father? So you finally remember that you¡¯re Lily and Kev¡¯s father? When Becky gave birth to them, why didn¡¯t you visit them at the hospital? Did it not cross your mind that the babies she was carrying were also yours? And what about when Becky had to take care of them after they were born? Have you ever considered that the two kids are your children and need your care, too? After you divorced Becky, did you ever consider that the kids needed your love and care?¡± Debra¡¯s eyes were filled with sarcasm as she looked at Theodore. ¡°When you married Jenny, have you ever thought how that ruthless woman might hurt Lily and Kev?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Theodore¡¯s face darkened. He wanted to exin, but he didn¡¯t know how. ¡®Yes, it was my fault, it was all my fault¡­ I failed to notice that the kids needed my care because Reba did such a great job taking care of them that there was nothing for me to worry about, he brooded. ¡°It was all my fault back then, but I finally understand. I¡¯ll change from now and take good care of the kids.¡± Theodore¡¯s anxiety was evident. Debra wore a scowl on her face. ¡°If you really care about the kids and hope they live a better life, then it¡¯s best not to disturb them again,¡± she snapped coldly. ¡°You know the Hoggard family. Hayden¡¯s a good man. Becky is happily married to him now, and they¡¯re living a blissful life Hearing that, Theodore said anxiously, ¡°It¡¯s exactly because they¡¯re married, so I¡­¡± CHAPTER 275 Chapter 275 +61% ¡°Hayden is not Lily and Key¡¯s biological father, so he won¡¯t treat them well, Reba. Lily and Kev are my biological children, and 1¡­ I will definitely be good to them. I promise to be a responsible father from now on,¡± Theodore said anxiously. Upon hearing this, Debra rolled her eyes. It was not out of surprise but rather a reaction to the sheer audacity of Theodore¡¯s words, reminiscent of a simr situation in the past. They had heard such shameless derations before, notably from Hayden¡¯s ex¨Cwife, Queenie. To hear it now from Theodore seemed almostughable. Suddenly, Debra looked at Theodore and asked, ¡°Theodore are you single right now? Because I actually think there is someone who would be perfect for you.¡± Theodore was bewildered upon hearing this. He looked at Debra with confusion, not understanding why she had shifted the conversation so abruptly. Not just him, but everyone in the Carter Vi living room ¨C Patrick, Adrian, Bryce, Charlie, Isabe, and Carly ¨C were all stunned by the sudden change in topic. ¡°Do you know Queenie? Your lines just now are identical to hers. From a certain perspective, I think you two are quitepatible. If you are single, you should try pursuing Queenie. I think you would get along great,¡± said Debra as she looked seriously at Theodore. He fell silent, unable to muster a response. ¡°Ha!¡± Charlie could not help but burst intoughter. He nced at Debra, admiration written clearly in his eyes. When ites to roasting someone, no one can beat my mom,¡¯ Charlie thought to himself. Then, he nced at Theodore again and suddenly felt a bit of sympathy. Theodore would not stand a chance when it came to arguing with Debra. But after theughter, the most important thing was still the matter at hand. Becky had endured so much hardship and finally met a good person, allowing her to start a new life. The Carter family certainly did not want Theodore¡¯s entanglement to ruin Becky¡¯s current happiness. ¡°Theodore, I won¡¯t waste words on pleasantries. I will be straight with you. We did not give you a hard time before because we were worried Becky might still have feelings for you. If she saw you mistreated by the Carter family, she might feel sorry for you,¡± Patrick said calmly, his voice firm and resolute. The worst part was that the Carter family would go out against the Edwards family, and Theodore, unable to win, would shamelessly return to Becky to admit his mistakes and seek reconciliation. In the end, Becky might relent, get back together with this scumbag, and end up in an on¨Cagain, off¨Cagain, entangled rtionship. Patrick continued, ¡°Luckily, you did not disappoint us. You havepletely destroyed any hope Becky had for you. Now, there¡¯s no ce for you in her heart, so we are no longer concerned. We have collected all the evidence of the things you have done. If you don¡¯t believe it, I can prepare a copy for you. For the rest of your life, you can either stay away from Becky and live your own life or continue to bother Becky and end up in jail. It is up to you. I have said all I needed to say. Think it over.¡± Patrick then stood up and instructed, ¡°Bryce, show him out As soon as those words were spoken, everyone understood Patrick was asking Theodore to leave. The Carter family did not wee him. Theodore¡¯s expression darkened with anger, and he could not help but exin, ¡°I¡­ I did not mean to bother Reba. I just want to take care of Lillian and Kevin. They are my children, and I have an obligation to raise them.¡± Patrick found this amusing. ¡°Theodore, if you truly care about Lily and Kev, then don¡¯t disturb them. Hayden treats Lily and Kev very well, and they see Hayden as their father. As long as you stay away, they will be just fine.¡± If Theodore insisted on getting involved, no one could predict how this blended family might turn out. Although the Carter family believed that Hayden was a good man and the Hoggard family had good values and character,Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. 1/2 v de hues n for, wed you to hopper had a constantly meddling ex¨Chusband. Jolie in the Tondly or dough they rendered there magnanimous if Queenie kept bothering then shit the Tread fly died is why worked noe buffer a good mand either. The Hoggard family efficiently deal with the 1ry family in wing Quered from z Hayden and Jeremy. The Carter family could do the a tem a Theutons boyheter with Breky, Lind Kevin cory Heth the Hageerd and Cartes f?rules would join forces to persect Reeky and Hayden¡¯s new family, eliminating any desshilib bosure rarh on Some roigte see their acis as heartless, but heartless or not, they only wished for Bets and Hayden¡¯s happines Theodore wat mickly ushered out. More urately, he was thrown out. The Carte famih did not wee him at all. we unaware of Theodore¡¯s reappearance. At that minent, she sat in the bridal chamber, her heart racing. Although this was her second marriage, it waspletely different from the first. When she first married, heodore was still in a vegetative state, and there were hardly any feelings involved. This time, she and Hayden were deeply in love and had been together for a long time before getting married. As time passed and right fell, the guests outside gradually left. Stacey sat in the room, anxiously waiting for Hayden to return. As she waited, she suddenly heard the door creak open cautiously. Stacey quickly covered her bridal well and looked up carefully toward the door. eremy? I told you before, you can¡¯te in tonight!¡± At the door, Jeremy was suddenly grabbed by a tall figure, and Hayden¡¯s slightly exasperated voice came from outside, Stacey froze for a moment, then quickly understood what had happened. ¡®So, that noise just now was Jeremy trying to sneak in? She thought to herself and found it amusing and thought Jeremy was just too cute. ¡°Why not? You are a liar! You just want to trick me so you can sleep with Mommy,¡± Jeremy¡¯s indignant voice came from outside. Hayden replied through gritted teeth, ¡°She is my wife. Of course, she will sleep with me.¡± ¡°No! I want to sleep with Mommy. Mommy is mine,¡± Jeremy loudly refused. Amidst themotion outside, there was another noise at the door as if someone tried to push it open but was quickly pulled away. Hayden¡¯s warning voice sounded again. ¡°Jeremy, tonight is my and Becky¡¯s wedding night. So, we must sleep together tonight. You can¡¯te in.¡± Love And CHAPTER 276 Chapter 276 ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to!¡± Jeremy yelled, his resistance fiercer than ever before. ¡°Let Jeremye in,¡± Stacey said with a touch of amusement in her voice. The room outside fell silent, and a momentter, the door creaked open. Jeremy, his eyes shining with determination, tried to rush toward Stacey like a rocket. However, after just one step, Hayden swiftly intervened, grabbing him by the cor. Jeremy shouted angrily, ¡°Bad¨CDaddy! Liar!¡± Hayden carried Jeremy over to Stacey. ¡°Tonight is supposed to be the most romantic night for Becky and me, and it is been ruined by this little troublemaker,¡® Hayden thought to himself. He set Jeremy down, sighed deeply, and then cast an apologetic nce at Stacey, who was wearing her elegant bridal veil. He apologized, ¡°I am really sorry. I should have kept a better eye on Jeremy.¡± ¡°Mommy, from today, you are my real mommy!¡± Jeremy eximed happily as he leaped into Stacey¡¯s arms.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Stacey, her eyes twinkling with amusement, ruffled Jeremy¡¯s hair. ¡°Yes, from now on, I am your mom, and you are my little one,¡± she replied warmly. ¡°Yeah, I am so happy!¡± Jeremy looked up at the white veil covering Stacey¡¯s face with a mix of curiosity and puzzlement. He reached out to lift it, intrigued by the unfamiliar fabric. But before he could touch it, Hayden swooped in and picked him up again. This time, Hayden carried Jeremy out of the room with a firm but gentle grip. Jeremy squirmed and iled his arms, his protest growing louder, but it was no use. Hayden took him straight to Audrey. He looked at Audrey and asked, ¡°Mom, could you please help me look after Jeremy tonight?¡± Audrey quickly agreed and took Jeremy into her arms. Jeremy, still upset, turned his back on Hayden in defiance. Hayden was silent for a moment, then exined, ¡°Tonight is special. If I am not with Ms. Becky, she will be very sad.¡± Jeremy, still fuming, retorted, ¡°I can also stay with Ms. Beck- No, I mean, Mommy!¡± He quickly corrected himself mid¨Csentence, realizing that Hayden had tricked hind into calling her Ms. Becky. Jeremy¡¯s eyes shed with a mix of anger and hurt as he looked up at Hayden. ¡°It is all your fault!¡± If it were not for Hayden, he would not have said ¡°Ms. Becky¡°. Hayden realized his mistake and quickly corrected himself, ¡°Yes, your mom, my wife. But Jeremy, tonight is a very special day, it is my wedding day with your mom. If I am not with her, it would be very disrespectful. You wouldn¡¯t want that, would you?¡± Jeremy was confused, not fully understanding, and looked at Hayden suspiciously. ¡°Are you tricking me?¡± Hayden promised earnestly, ¡°If I am lying to you, I may be a fool!¡± Jeremy fell silent, his anger gradually subsiding as he began to understand the situation. Hayden, relieved to see Jeremy calming down, hurried upstairs. Downstairs, Audrey held the disappointed Jeremy close and offered aforting smile. She could not help but exin on Hayden¡¯s behalf, ¡°Jeremy, your dad isn¡¯t lying to you this time. If you don¡¯t believe me, we can check online to see if it is true.¡± Jeremy¡¯s eyes brightened at the suggestion. ¡°I want to check Audrey chuckled softly and said, ¡°Alright, I will look it up for you right now.¡± While Audrey worked to calm Jeremy with the reassurance of a quick online search, Hayden finally returned to the 1/2 2/2 wat on the ente one being nervous. Hayden was nervous as well. After a long animent i alt wards, Hejeden carefully lifted the white veil. When it was removed, he was stunned by how ??? ??? ?? As a fare was burning, especially since he kept stating ather, making her even more ufortable. ¡°Do I¡­ do have somerling en my face? Nuscry instinctively thought there must be something dirty on her face for Hayden the staring in het lier that Haydenauuddenly smiled. He lowered his head and gently rushed his lips against her forehead. ¡°No, there¡¯s nothing dirty. You are just so beautiful I could not look away That night unfolded with a sense of romance and intimacy. After their wedding, they embarked on a blissful honeymoon Hayden left all the responsibilities at Hoggard Technologies to Jack and took Stacey on a trip. They traveled and took many beautiful, memorable photos. While they were enjoying their happiness, Carly and the others took a helicopter back to Hivalis to resume their normal lives. Carly did not want to keep living with Isabe and Adrian, but buying a house in Hivalis was too expensive and she could not afford it. After much consideration, she finally rented an apartment near Carter¡¯s Jewel The reason she chose to be near Carter¡¯s Jewel was that during herst divorce, Adrian had told her she could study jewelry design there. This was a rare opportunity, and Carly knew she needed it. So, she epted the Carter family¡¯s kindness without hesitation. Recently divorced, she needed a stable job. Although her artwork could earn money,missions were not always reliable. She needed a stable future to ensure a good life for herself and Ronald. Ronald was now in school, so while he was at kindergarten during the day, she could work. Once everything was settled, Carly adjusted her mindset and officially started working at Carter¡¯s Jewel. Initially, she was anxious, but once she got there, she realized she had nothing to worry about. The Carter family did not give her a hard time. On the contrary, Becky sent her a lot of study materials on jewelry design to help her learn. Life seemed to be getting better and better without her realizing it. However, this happiness was shattered a monthter. On a rainy day, after finishing work at Carter¡¯s Jewel, she rode her electric scooter back to her apartment. At first, she did not notice that she was being followed. It was not until she arrived at the residential area, parked her electric scooter, and happened to nce over that she noticed a familiar man on a nearby woman¡¯s motorcycle. It was Connor! CHAPTER 277 Chapter 277 b ON a the meni Tahi wulked up in Caly Carly pulled up the electric scooter Fler heart beat fast, and she After parking the plot are Carly and leave. Canoe grabbed her, breathed heavily, and snapped in a Carly Chm * Carly fire a moment and then pushed Connor away freefully. Arop it Comer was furious. He stared at Carly with a burning gaze, looking displeased. ¡°Carly, the Carter family isabe inws. Are you going to stay in their house like a parasite?¡± Connor knew Carly well, and his words hit her sore spot straight. But that was all. Carly did not want to talk to Connor, so she turned around and left. However, Connor followed her up the stairs. Annoyed, Carly turned around and red at Connor. ¡®Connor, we have divorced. Why are you following me?¡± Let¡¯s remarry, Connor said concisely and directly. Remarry Carly wondered. She seemed to have heard a big joke that could make herugh to tears. She looked at ormor and sneered, ¡°In your dreams!¡± Then, Carly turned around to continue up the stairs, but Connor followed her. She thought for a moment and then took out her phone. She turned back to warn Connor, Connor, I¡¯m telling you, stop following me, or I will call the police. ??? ? ¡°Go ahead!¡± Connor did not care at all and spoke sarcastically. I know her too well. She does not have the guts!¡® he thought Sering Connor like this, Carly knew that her tolerange over the years had made him take her lightly and that he did not believe she would really call the police. Carly did not want to go on. She stared at Connor and waited for three seconds. Finally, she made up her mind and called the police. Connor stared at Carly as she made the phone call. It was not until the call ended that he reacted. ¡°Are you crazy? Carly, do you really think that just because Isabe married Adrian and became the daughter¨Cinw of the Carter family, you are also considered their daughter¨Cinw?¡± Connor strode over and stretched out his hand to snatch Carly¡¯s phone. Carly instinctively wanted to hide her phone. But she was not as strong as Connor, and her phone was soon taken away. Thinking of some important files of Carter¡¯s Jewel, where she had been working these days, she hurried over and tried to grab the phone. Connor held the phone with his back to Carly and checked the call she had just made. Soon, he confirmed that Carly had indeed called the police instead of scaring him. His face suddenly became grim, and his eyes turned bloodshot. He turned around, raised his hand, and was about to hit Carly. ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± At this moment, a passerby rushed over and grabbed Connor¡¯s raised hand. When Connor saw the man who meddled in his affairs, he suddenly felt annoyed and said impatiently, ¡°She is my wife!¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. I¡¯m not!¡± ?arly immediately retorted. She red at Connor and roared angrily, ¡°Connor Zane, we are divorced! I 1/3 153 Fri, Aug 16 OR #5 have nothing to do with you!¡± Hearing this, the man who came to help her instantly knew what was going on. Carly did not know what to do for a moment. She looked the man and thanked him, ¡°Thank you.¡± The man let go of Connor, then stared at him and warned. No matter what your rtionship was before, you can¡¯t just hit anyone casually, especially a woman.¡± You don¡¯t know anything!¡± Connor looked at the man and shapped angrily. He seemed to have finally found a chance to vent his emotions. He pointed at Carly and suddenly yelled, ¡°Do you know why I divorced her? It¡¯s because she is shameless. She slept with another man and cuckolded me-¡± Carly pped Connor before he could finish his words. She had never hit anyone so hard, and this was the first time. She really hated him. ¡°Get lost! Connor, get out of here!¡± She burst into tears and cursed loudly. Connor looked at Carly, raised his hand, and tried to hit her again. The man beside them couldn¡¯t help but reach out and grab Connor¡¯s hand once more. Carly did not want to face Connor anymore, so she turned around and strode away. After returning home, Carly immediately closed the door, but even though the door was closed, it could not shut out the pain and despair in her heart. She thought, ¡®Why is this happening? We are divorced! Connor and I are divorced! Why won¡¯t he disappear? Why is he still pestering us?¡® She leaned against the door and slumped to the floor/She covered her face, and her tears rolled down. ¡®I am just trying to get over the past and start over. Is it so hard?¡® She suddenly thought of moving. ¡®I must go. I must go to a ce far away where Connor can¡¯t find me, and then everything will be fine!¡® Thinking of this, Carly immediately got up and returned to the room to pack up. But the moment she pulled out the suitcase, she suddenly thought of Becky, the bright smiles on Lillian and Kevin¡¯s faces, and the Carter family. The longer she stayed with the Carter family, the more she sensed the difference in mentality between herself and them. ¡®I can¡¯t run away with Ronald. Why should we escape: We didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡® she mused. While Carly was thinking, there was a knock on the door. She was nervous, but she soon heard the voice outside saying that they were the police. She had called the police just now, and she knew they were looking for her. She quickly got up and went to open the door. The door opened, and sure enough, the police stood there. She nced outside but did not see Connor and the man who had helped her earlier. ¡°Did you call the police just now?¡± the police asked. Carly nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Carly led the police into the house and then told them what had just happened. After listening to her ount, the police wanted to find Connor. But after looking around, they did not find him. Finally, they prepared to leave. Carly was very nervous and hurriedly saw them off. Then, Carly returned to the house with a wry smile. ¡°This time, the police came, but Connor had already left. What about next time? Will Connore again? Should I call the police next time? What if he runs away every time I call the police? Will the police think that I am making prank calls and wasting police resources?¡® she wondered. 2/3 CHAPTER 278 Chapter 278 N?velDrama.Org ? content. Carly was lost in thought when her phone suddenly rang. It was the notification tone she had set on Whatsapp for messages from those she particrly cared about. Hearing this sound, she was startled for a moment and then quickly snapped out of her thoughts. ¡®It¡¯s after work hours. The kindergarten is sending Ronald home, right?¡® she thought. After she had decided to work at thepany, she had discussed with Isabe and arranged for Damian and Ronald to stay in the school¡¯s daycare after school. After they got off work, the teacher would send the kids home. It was now the time for the school to send them home. Carly quickly took out her phone, replied to the teacher¡¯s message, and immediately went downstairs. When she reached downstairs, she saw the kindergarten¡¯s school bus. The teacher, inside the school bus, saw hering and opened the door. Carly quickened her pace. ¡°Goodbye, sir,¡± Ronald said before getting out of the bus. He waved goodbye to the teacher. The teacher smiled, waved, and replied, ¡°Goodbye, Ronald.¡± Then, Ronald immediately ran to Carly happily and yelled, ¡°Mommy!¡± Carly caught Ronald and sensed his joy. She felt veryplicated. Since moving out of that depressing home with Ronald after the divorce, she¨Cobviously felt that Ronald was a lot happier. She mused, ¡®But now¡­¡® Children were sensitive, and Ronald soon sensed that Carly was not in a good mood, confusing him slightly. ¡°Mommy, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± he asked. Carly quickly adjusted her emotions and shook her head. She replied, ¡°I¨CI am okay.¡± Ronald did not say anything and just looked at Carly. Carly stroked Ronald¡¯s head and said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡± Ronald quickly became happy and immediately nodded. ¡°Okay,¡± he agreed. However, when Carly and Ronald turned around and prepared to go upstairs, they saw Connor unexpectedly. It turned out that Connor had not left yet and had been hiding nearby. Ronald was shocked when he suddenly saw Connor and subconsciously wanted to hide. However, he quickly thought of Carly. He immediately spread his arms and stood bravely in front of her. He stared at Connor and warned loudly, ¡°Don¡¯te over!¡± Not long ago, Carly did not want to leave and admit defeat to Connor. But now, seeing Ronald standing in front of her, she suddenly did not want to be stubborn anymore. It did not matter whether she or Connor won. What mattered most to her was Ronald. She had to give him a stable and happy living environment. At this moment, she suddenly decided to leave. ¡®Leave! I will leave this city! I will go to a ce far away where Connor can¡¯t find us and start over with Ronald,¡® she thought. Carly pulled Ronald behind her and then looked at Connor She took out her phone and prepared to call the police again. Connor saw her making a phone call and immediately rushed over to snatch her phone. Carly clenched her teeth and grabbed Connor¡¯s hand, then lowered her head and bit his arm hard. She had never bitten anyone before, and this was the first time. She did it for Ronald and herself. Connor felt the pain and instinctively struggled, trying to pull his arm away. Carly tasted blood in her mouth; she had bitten Connor¡¯s arm until it bled. 1/3 ||| < Clipter 978 61% The next moment, Conne grabbed Carly¡¯s hair. A woman hair was always her biggest weakness. The terrible pain came from the top of Carly¡¯s head, and she subconsciously wanted to scream, so she opened her mouth and let go of Connors arm. Connor grabbed her hair and threw her aside. She lost her bnce and fell. But at this moment. Ronald rushed over and bit Connor¡¯s thigh hard. Connor grimaced in pain, and his face fell. He instantly raised his hand and pped Ronald hard. Ronald was still young, so with Connor¡¯s p, he fell to the side and hit his forehead on the flower bed. Carly¡¯s expression changed drastically, and she rushed overjo check on Ronald. Ronald, who had rarely cried since childhood, suddenly bawled. His cheek quickly turned red and swollen, and worst of all, blood flowed out of his forehead. Carly¡¯s eyes reddened, and she was panicked, fer hands holding Ronald trembled slightly. The hospital! Hurry and go to the hospital!¡® Carly thought she turned around and wanted to find a taxi to take Ronald to the hospital. She wondered where she could get a taxi and suddenly thought of calling an ambnce instead. Carly hurriedly looked for her phone. Her hands were shaking as she quickly dialed the emergency number. When the phone was picked up, she opened her mouth and tried to speak several times, but she couldn¡¯t say anything or make a sound out of anxiety. Her eyes were red, and tears rolled down. ¡°Hello? What can I do for you? Can I help you?¡± the personnel asked concernedly on the other end of the line. Carly struggled for a while before she could finally make a sound. She gave the personnel her location ?n a hoarse voice. After making the emergency call, Carly anxiously went to check Ronald¡¯s forehead. There was a lot of blood, and it was still bleeding. ¡®What should I do?¡® she thought. ¡°Ronald, d¨Cdon¡¯t scare me,¡± she stammered before getting choked up. Ronaldy in Carly¡¯s arms, feeling dizzy. Carly¡¯s voice sounded vague to him. He raised his hand and tried to wipe away her tears because he heard her crying. Connor stood nearby. He was full of anger just now but became somewhat panicked when he saw Ronald¡¯s forehead bleeding heavily. He subconsciously stepped back and turned around to escape. However, Carly did not want to let Connor run away. She saw a broken brick in the flower bed, picked it up, and rushed toward Connor. An enraged mother was scary. Carly, who was usually weak, burst out with great strength at this moment. She hit Connor¡¯s head hard with the brick, and Connor fell instantly. The next moment, the back of Connor¡¯s head started bleeding. Connor slowly turned around and looked at Carly in disbelief. Carly was horrified when she saw there was a lot of blood, but her fear suddenly disappeared when she looked at Connor¡¯s face. ¡®It serves him right! If something happens to Ronald today, I will make him pay for it even if it costs me my life!¡® she thought savagely. Some residents nearby were frightened when they saw the situation, especially elderly people with children. They hurriedly left with the children for fear of being implicated Not long after, an ambnce arrived. The doctor initially came to save one person, but when he arrived, he unexpectedly found two patients. The doctor finally took Connor and Ronald together, and both of them received emergency treatment for their injuries. CHAPTER 279 Chapter 279
    E +39% Isabe received a call from Carly, and when she arrived at the hospital, she saw thetter with tears streaming down her face. She had never seen Carly so sad. Even though Carly was bullied and falsely used in court a few years ago, she never looked so weak, helpless, and scared. At that moment, feeling heartbroken, Isabe rushed over and hugged her. Carly waited for Isabe¡¯s arrival. As soon as Isabe arrived, she stretched out her hands and hugged Isabe tightly; she couldn¡¯t control herself and burst into tears. Isabe didn¡¯t want to cry, but when hearing Carly¡¯s sobs, tears rolled down her face. Perhaps because they were sisters, her heart ached when she saw Carly so upset. ¡°Carly, how¡¯s Ronald?¡± asked Isabe worriedly. Carly wanted to answer, but she couldn¡¯t speak at all. The operating room door hadn¡¯t opened, and Carly didn¡¯t know how Ronald was. She could only hope he was safe and sound. A few minutester, Adrian also hurried over. After he found out what had happened, his expression turned grim. It was his negligence. He shouldn¡¯t have lowered his guard so soon and should have assigned bodyguards to protect them longer. Thinking of this, he apologized earnestly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Hearing this, Carly and Isabe were slightly stunned and wondered, ¡®What does Adrian have to do with this? Why is he apologizing?¡® Adrian looked at them and muttered apologetically, ¡°It was my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have asked the bodyguards to leave so quickly.¡± Hearing this, Carly shook her head. Adrian wasn¡¯t to me for dismissing the bodyguards because she told them not to follow her. After all, the bodyguards were all from the Carter family, and their daily pay was high. She had nothing and couldn¡¯t allow the bodyguards to protect her like this. However, she didn¡¯t expect such an ident to happen in such a short time. If she knew that things would turn out like this, she wouldn¡¯t have let the bodyguards leave early, even if she had to pay them herself. They waited outside the operating room for a long time. After about an hour, the door finally opened, and Ronald was wheeled out of the operating room. Carly wanted to ask about his condition but couldn¡¯t move as she was too nervous, and her legs were weak. Isabe also wanted to inquire, but she soon noticed Carly¡¯s state and had no choice but to hold her. Adrian was the first to walk up to the doctor and speak about what Carly and Isabe were most concerned about. He asked, ¡°Doctor, how is Ronald?¡± ¡°The surgery was sessful. He had five stitches and should be fine after rest,¡± the doctor stated. Everyone was relieved to hear that the operation went well, but Carly¡¯s heart ached again when she heard Ronald had five stitches. She thought it was all her fault because she never should have stayed at Hivalis in the first ce. After the divorce, she should have left with Ronald immediately, gone to a ce where the Zane family could not find them, and started over so that Ronald would not get hurt. This happened due to her negligence and self¨Crighteousness. She thought divorce would be enough but didn¡¯t expect this to happen. Carly cried again. After finally gaining strength in her legs, she hurriedly walked to the bed. After the operation, the doctors and nurses wheeled Ronald out and were about to transfer him to a ward. Adrian talked to the doctor for a while and asked them to transfer Ronald to the VIP ward. They quickly left the operating room and went to the ward. When they arrived at the VIP ward, Carly was still very worried and afraid that something terrible would happen to Ronald. Damian came with Adrian just now. At the moment, the former stayed beside Ronald¡¯s bed and stared at him solemnly, worrying about him. While the adults were concerned, Damian stretched out his hand, carefully held Ronald¡¯s, and silently stayed by his side. After a while, Carly¡¯s stomach suddenly rumbled because she hadn¡¯t eaten dinner yet. Adrian came to his senses and immediately said, ¡°I¡¯m going to buy some food.¡± Isabe looked at him and nodded slightly. After asking her to look after Damian, Adrian turned and left. +39% Isabe watched Adrian leave before looking at Carly and saying solemnly, ¡°Carly, after Ronald wakes up, why don¡¯t you move back to my ce?¡± Carly was silent for a long time before finally shaking her head, rendering Isabe speechless. Carly looked at Ronald and turned to Isabe before firmly stating, ¡°Isabe, I want to leave Hivalis.¡± ¡°What?¡± Isabe said, stunned. Then, she asked worriedly, ¡°But where do you want to go after leaving Hivalis?¡± They had lived in Hivalis for many years, and Isabe was concerned for Carly, who suddenly wanted to leave. ¡°Anywhere is fine, as long as Connor can¡¯t find us,¡± uttered Carly. Isabe suddenly understood Carly¡¯s intentions. However, if that were the case, they would be separated. Meeting up would be inconvenient after they lived in different cities, so she was somewhat reluctant. Thinking of this, she said thoughtfully, ¡°But no matter what, you have to make the arrangements before leaving.¡± Carly nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡±Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. Isabe looked at Carly and added, ¡°Before that, you and Ronald should live at our mansion. It¡¯s safer there.¡± Carly didn¡¯t refuse this time and agreed, ¡°Okay.¡± Looking at Carly, Isabe felt sad. Finally, she couldn¡¯t help crying again and reached out to hug her. Hugging her tight, she couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Carly, everything will be fine.¡± Carly was uncertain if everything would be okay. However, after the incident, she was more confident that it was right take Ronald away from Connor, who didn¡¯t deserve to be his father. She thought about it and said seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll try my The future was uncertain, but she would try her best to improve Ronald¡¯s life. best.¡± A few dayster, the Carter family learned about the matter and supported Carly, who wanted to leave Hivalis with Ronald Carly wanted to quit her job and terminate the cooperation with the Carter family because she thought after leavin Hivalis, she could no longer work at Carter¡¯s Jewel. However, the Carter family was amused and rejected her resignation without hesitation, leaving her in a daze. However, Patrick told her, ¡°Carter¡¯s Jewel is not only in Hivalis. We have many branches all over the country and some other cities. If you just want to move to another city, you can live in a city where there is a usual.¡± Carly was speechless. CHAPTER 280 Chapter 280* Isabe was worried about Carly moving away with Ronald. However, after hearing the Carter family¡¯s words, she was in a trance, just like Carly. They knew the Carter family was wealthy and owned many branches in major cities nationwide. However, they subconsciously overlooked that Carly could still work at Carter¡¯s Jewel despite leaving Hivalis. Isabe had to admit that because of the Carter family, she suddenly felt more relieved and even supported Carly¡¯s departure from Hivalis. With the Carter family providing Carly with a job, her life would be well¨Csecured. Without financial pressure, it was indeed an excellent choice for her to leave Hivalis with Ronald and stay away from Connor, Patrick thought for a while and said, ¡°Carly, if you allow us, we would like to give you a piece of advice on this matter.¡± Hearing this, Carly and Isabe both looked at Patrick. Debra also nced at Patrick and was slightly confused, wondering, What else does Patrick have in mind?¡® Patrick said with a smile, ¡°Becky and Hay got married. They will definitely live together in the future. Hoggard Technologies is located in Strico. If there¡¯s no problem, Becky will also move out. If you¡¯re not in a hurry, you should wait a while longer. After Becky returns from her honeymoon, I¡¯ll discuss with her about letting you work at Hoggard Technologies. Then you and Ronald can move out with Becky. You two can take care of each other, so we all can rest assured.¡± Adrian¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. He immediately came to his senses and said, ¡°That¡¯s possible.¡± Isabe and Carly remained silent. It was impossible to leave immediately. Ronald was injured and had several stitches, so they couldn¡¯t leave until he got better. Moreover, he also needed to attend school. At the least, Carly must let himplete the current semester before leaving. Otherwise, it would be difficult to settle the transfer procedures. They discussed it for a long time, and the final decision was to wait. As they waited, the Zane family showed up again. However, this time, Adrian assigned several bodyguards outside Ronald¡¯s ward. Even if the Zane family wanted to cause trouble, they could not enter the ward and only make a scene outside. Despite this, the Zane family still made quite a scene where they shouted outside, saying Carly was malicious and beat Connor up. They demandedpensation and even tried to sue her for intentional harm. The doctors and nurses in the hospital were displeased. After all, they would disturb other patients, especially the guests in the VIP ward, if they made such a scene. It was a hospital, after all. Even if the doctors and nurses wanted to, they couldn¡¯t chase the Zane family out, who was being unreasonable. Fortunately, the trouble didn¡¯tst long because the doctor secretly sent Adrian a message when the Zane family went to Ronald¡¯s ward to cause a scene. After receiving the message, he rushed over. As a professionalwyer, he exined the case to the Zane family on the spot and challenged them to sue. The Zane family, especially Connor, knew Adrian¡¯s identity and upation best. After listening to Adrian¡¯s exnation, Connor suddenly became scared. This time, Connor picked a fight first and identally pushed Ronald into the flower bed. ording to Adrian, Carly was only doing her responsibility as a mother to protect her child and defend herself, so it would not seem she was at fault. Connor thought about it, gathered his courage, and shouted, ¡°M¨CMind your own business. This is between Carly and me. It has nothing to do with you!¡± Isabe couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and growled, ¡°Why can¡¯t we care about Carly¡¯s problems?¡± When Connor¡¯s mother, Anastasia Schaupp, saw Isabe appear, she got annoyed immediately. She hurriedly walked over and snapped, ¡°Who cares about Carly? Connor doesn¡¯t even care about a woman who has been with many men! We only want Ronald. He is Connor¡¯s son and the Zane family¡¯s grandson. If you ask Carly to let him stay here, we¡¯ll never look for her again! Our family is so unlucky for us to have a trash like her¡± p! Before Anastasia could finish speaking, Carly, who suddenly walked out, pped her hard. She had justforted Ronald in the ward. After all, they used to be a family. She feared he would be scared when he saw the Zane family. However, what Anastasia said was so harsh that she couldn¡¯t stand it. Finally, she stepped out and tried her best to channel all the grievances she had suffered over the years into the p and hit her hard. The crisp and loud p suppressed all the noise. At this moment, almost everyone looked at Carly with confusion. Connor quickly regained his senses, rushed over, pulled Anastasia behind him, looked at Carly with dissatisfaction, and reprimanded her in a familiar tone, ¡°Carly! What are you trying to do?¡± Carly looked at Connor coldly and muttered unhappily, ¡°Connor, let me say it again. We are divorced. The court decided to let Ronald stay with me. He has nothing to do with your family from now on. Don¡¯t dream about taking him away!¡± Connor was so angry that he wanted to hit her again, but just as he raised his hand, the doctor grabbed him. A few minutester, Connor was dragged back to his general ward and warned to rest and not continue making trouble. Otherwise, he would have to bear all the consequences. Meanwhile, Carly watched the Zane family being taken away, but she still couldn¡¯t forgive them, especially at the thought that they caused a scene in front of Ronald¡¯s ward and that he saw them fighting again. Carly got angry because of the matter. The more she thought about it, the more she became more determined. After Ronald¡¯s injury healed, she would immediately leave Hivalis with him the next semester. It didn¡¯t matter where, as long as she could be far away from the Zane family. Adrian pondered for a while on how to prevent the Zane family from continuing to cause trouble. Thus, he discussed with Carly that he wanted to settle Ronald¡¯s discharge procedures and bring him back to the mansion for recovery. They were not afraid of the Zane family, but such a scene was unhealthy for a child¡¯s growth. If possible, they should try their best to avoid such a fierce quarrel in front of children. Otherwise, it would easily leave a psychological trauma during childhood. Although Carly thought it was inappropriate to stay with Isabe and Adrian again, she was sure the Zane family would pester her again if she kept living there. Ronald might even have an ident, just like what just happened. So, she finally nodded and agreed. Isabe breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Carly agree. She quicklyforted her, ¡°Carly, don¡¯t give yourself too much pressure. Adrian and I don¡¯t mind at all. We are happy to have you move in with us.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. CHAPTER 281 Carly smiled and nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± The Carter family was indeed kind, well¨Ceducated, and decent. Carly looked at Isabe and suddenly became happy again as she was d for thetter to meet such a kind family. That afternoon, theypleted the discharge procedures for Ronald. Then, they packed up their things at the rented house and moved back to Isabe and Adrian¡¯s mansion. When Damian saw Ronald was back, he rejoiced and immediately invited him to y with Lego. Isabe was a little worried about Ronald¡¯s injury. She repeatedly told the children to be careful, especially reminding Damian to take good care of Ronald and look out for the wound on his forehead so he wouldn¡¯t get hurt again. Damian nodded and promised not to fight with Ronald. After moving back to the mansion, Carly felt relieved. It was a prestigious residential area. Even if the Zane family were discharged from the hospital, they couldn¡¯t enter the area even if they knew they lived there. After settling Ronald¡¯s issue, Carly couldn¡¯t help worrying about work. She had previously wanted to quit her job, but after the Carter family spoke with her about it, she thought she could continue to work hard. ¡®But is it really okay to go to Strico with Becky?¡® she thought, still feeling concerned. She was different from Becky, who got divorced but still had a strong family backing her up and could rest assured of living the life she wanted. However, Carly was different. She was alone and had to take care of Ronald, so she needed to n her life. She had to think carefully about every step she and Ronald would take in the future to avoid making a mistake. elow Late at night, when Carly was absent¨Cminded, Isabe suddenly walked to her side and asked in a low voice, ¡°Carly, what are you thinking about?¡± Carly was silent for a while and said, ¡°I¡¯m thinking about the future.¡± At the mention of this, Isabe became serious and asked with concern, ¡°Have you made up your mind?¡± Carly shook her head. ¡°Not yet.¡± Isabe hesitated and added, ¡°Carly, why don¡¯t you go to Strico with Becky just like what Patrick said?¡± Isabe looked at Carly and advised thoughtfully, ¡°Carly, you don¡¯t have to think so much. The Carter family business is huge. It¡¯s not difficult for them to take you in. If you can follow them and learn, your future will definitely be brighter than instead of you wandering around.¡± Carly sighed. ¡°Of course, I know that, but Isabe, will it be too much trouble for the Carter family if we do this? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to always let someone take care of me.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. As Carly spoke, she couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°The Carter family is willing to help us because they are kind and well¨Ceducated. But we can¡¯t take advantage of them all the time. That¡¯s not nice. Hearing this, Isabe fell silent. In fact, she was as sensitive and thoughtful as Carly. Undoubtedly, she also had the same concern before. However, if Carly could stay with the Carter family and learn jewelry design from them, her future would be much brighter. ¡°Carly, I get what you¡¯re talking about.¡± After a long time, Isabe continued, looking at Carly, ¡°But it¡¯s really not troublesome for the Carter family to take you in. Besides, they are willing to. Carly, do you remember what you said to me before? When Adrian and I got married, he wanted to buy me a mansion. I didn¡¯t want it, but you told me the Carter family owns arge business, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal for them. Since they were willing to give it to us, let¡¯s ept it. We don¡¯t have to be too bothered by it. Anyway, after marriage, we are all family and live together. As long as we live well in the future and treat them wholeheartedly, that¡¯s good enough. Carly I¡¯m telling you the same thing now. I think we are the same. The Carter family is capable and willing to be kind to us. The help they give is really good for us, and it won¡¯t cause them too much trouble. I think we can ept such help. We just need to remember their kindness. If they need our help in the future, we should try our best to help them and repay them. Don¡¯t be ungrateful.¡± luna +39% Carly looked at Isabe. She suddenly felt thetter had grown up and was much more mature than before. ¡°Sure.¡± After a long time, Carly also smiled and agreed. She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it before. Perhaps her character from childhood made her not ustomed to epting others¡® kindness, but she thought Isabe was right. They really didn¡¯t need to feel pressured. As long as she remembered the Carter family¡¯s kindness, she would repay them when possible. After thinking it through, she felt relieved a lot, and suddenly, she wasn¡¯t so anxious. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go to bed and sleep early. Don¡¯t stay up all night After clearing the concern in her mind, Carly suddenly realized that it waste and that CHAPTER 282 After leaving Hivalis, Carly neither saw Connor again nor heard any news about the Zane family, which brought her a deep sense of peace and happiness. The most significant change in her life was that she could finally provide Ronald with a warm and stable environment to grow up in. Although she couldn¡¯t afford a house in Strico, she meticulously decorated their rented apartment, transforming it into a cozy and inviting home Every day after school, Ronald would quietly practice his writing and reading. Once he finished his homework, he would head outside to y for a while, enjoying the simple yet peaceful life they had created. Whenever Stacey had some free time, she would asionally bring her children over to visit Carly and Ronald. These visits were always filled with joy andughter. Sometimes, Carly would take Ronald to Hayden and Becky¡¯s ce for a ydate. Over time, Ronald and Jeremy developed a close friendship, and Carly and Becky became inseparable friends as well. After getting to know Becky better, Carly realized that, much like herself, Becky had started with little knowledge of jewelry design. Becky wasn¡¯t even proficient in drawing initially, but through hard work and determination, both women honed their skills. They shared a belief that perseverance and effort would lead to improvement over time. Isabe would asionally visit and teasinglyin that Carly was now closer to Becky than to her own sister. Carly often found herself reassuring Isabe, but fortunately, Isabe was only joking and was genuinely happy that Carly had found a good friend in Becky. Knowing Carly had friends and found joy in Strico made Isabe feel relieved and happy. Now, Carly¡¯s only lingering concern was her career. She didn¡¯t want to rely on the Carter family¡¯s support indefinitely and felt a strong sense of indebtedness to them. Fortunately, after a year of hard work, she began to find sess in her jewelry design endeavors. Her creations were finally market¨Cready and started generating realmercial value and profit. She hoped her designs would bring financial gains to the Carter family and repay the support they had given her. Carly¡¯s talent and hard work proved to be more than capable. Over the next few years, she designed numerous jewelry pieces that, onceunched, generated substantial profits for the Carter family. Despite receiving lucrative offers from other jewelrypanies, she turned them down without hesitation, always remembering the journey that had brought her to her current position. Seven yearster, her designs yed a crucial role in saving the Carter family from a major crisis at the World Jewelry Design Competition. Not only did her design win first ce in thatpetition, but it also caught the attention of Eklonna, a prestigious jewelry brand. Eklonna extended an invitation for her to join their team, but Carly chose to remain loyal to Carter¡¯s Jewel. She made it clear that as long as Carter¡¯s Jewel was in business and the Carter family was in charge, she would not consider switchingpanies. Many believed she missed out on significant opportunities by declining Eklonna¡¯s offer, but Carly felt content with her decision. Over time, people began to notice the jewelry pieces worn by royal families worldwide featured designs that were distinct from Eklonna¡¯s signature styles. These new pieces were unique, elegant, and luxurious. Only a select few with ess to the elite circles knew that these designs came from Carter¡¯s Jewel in Zentiscape. As a result, Eklonna ceased to be the sole exclusive supplier for royal families. Carter¡¯s Jewel gradually rose to prominence, with its designs bing increasingly popr among royalty worldwide. After many years of dominance, Eklonna¡¯s designs began to feel stale and uninspired to the elite clientele who craved something fresh yet still befitting their noble status. Carter¡¯s Jewel emerged as the perfect solution, offering jewelry pieces that were both luxurious and uniquely designed. The added prestige of the brand being led by Hayden¡¯s wife made Carter¡¯s Jewel even more appealing. The elite were eager to own pieces from this new brand, seeing it as a fresh, desirable addition to their collections. But that tale of sess would be one for another time. Carly could not have foreseen the future sess of Carter¡¯s Jews from the outset. She simply stayed true to her heart, driven by the kindness and support the Carter family had shown her. As she grew and achieved her own sess, she felt aN?velDrama.Org exclusive content. ¼t°üº¬39%•þ deep sense of loyalty and gratitude toward the Carter family. Leaving them or appearing ungrateful was never an option for her. Eight years after her divorce from Connor, Carly unexpectedly ran into him again. Ronald had just finished his middle school exams, proudly cing second in the city. It was Jeremy, Hayden¡¯s son, who had taken first ce. To celebrate their children¡¯s achievements, the families nned a trip together. It was during this trip that they encountered Connor. Connor appeared to have remarried. He was with a tall woman who had a rather fierce demeanor, and they were apanied by a little girl, around three years old, perched on Connor¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, look! The flowers over there are so pretty!¡± The little girl wriggled with excitement, her tiny feet kicking and bouncing up and down. Connor, struggling to keep his bnce, instinctively let go of her as she wriggled, causing the child to nearly fall off his shoulders. The woman beside him quickly caught the child and gently lifted her off Connor¡¯s shoulders. In a split second, she raised her hand and pped Connor across the face. ¡°What is wrong with you, Connor? Can¡¯t you even hold a child properly? You¡¯re useless!¡± she scolded him harshly. Connor appeared timid and remained silent, not daring to utter a word. Carly was not the only one who noticed themotion; Ronald saw it as well. After so many years, Ronald almost failed to recognize Connor. However, after a moment and a closer look, he managed to identify his father. As Ronald focused on the scene, Connor noticed him too. Initially, Connor did not recognize Ronald, but when he saw Carly standing next to him, he immediately realized who they were. Carly turned away, unwilling to engage with Connor. ¡°Let¡¯s go check out another ce,¡± she said to Ronald. He nodded slightly and followed her, both of them turning their backs on Connor. Watching their retreating figures, Connor began to panic. Realizing what was happening, he instinctively tried to follow them. However, just as he moved to run after them, his current wife noticed the situation and stopped him. ¡°Connor, what are you doing?¡± she asked, ring at him. Following his gaze, she saw Carly¡¯s retreating figure. Quickly, she handed their daughter to Connor and hurried after Carly. CHAPTER 283 The woman sped off. Connor came to his senses and panicked. He hurriedly caught up with the woman with his daughter in his arms. ¡°Jessic, what are you doing? I¡­ Aren¡¯t we here to travel? Let¡¯s go somewhere else!¡± His voice grew anxious as he spoke. However, Connor could not stop Jessica at all. Jessica quickly rushed to Carly. She was shocked when she saw Carly¡¯s face and then sneered. Connor quickly chased after her with his daughter in his arms, but the next moment, Jessica pped him hard across the face. ¡°I was wondering who had you so captivated just now. Turns out it was your first love,¡± Jessica said with a sneer. Carly and Ronald were dumbfounded. Stacey stood off to the side, watching Connor and the woman who seemed to be his wife. Her mood darkened. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Stacey said to Carly. She thought, ¡®It was so many years ago. There¡¯s no need to dwell on it anymore! ¡°Don¡¯t leave!¡± Jessica¡¯s voice turned fierce as she saw them getting ready to go. Ronald quickly stepped in front of Carly, eyeing the menacing Jessica with displeasure. ¡°What do you want?¡± Jessica looked at Ronald and then Connor. After a long time, she recognized the boy. ¡°Are you Ronald?¡± Ronald frowned and said unhappily, ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± Then, he turned to Carly and said, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go.¡± Wait a minute!¡± Jessica immediately shouted. ¡°Do you still carry the surname Zane?¡± Jessica asked. After saying that, she turned around and ordered Connor, ¡°Connor, since you have divorced Carly, let¡¯s change Ronald¡¯s surname. Let him take his mother¡¯s surname!¡± Connor was tired of hearing this. He could not help but retort, ¡°Jessica, don¡¯t be unreasonable!¡± Jessica was furious when she heard this. ¡°Am I being unreasonable? Don¡¯t you and your mother dislike me for giving birth to a daughter every day because of this child? Connor, let me tell you today. I want you to change Ronald¡¯s surname today. If he still uses your surname, I will leave. You and your mother can go screw yourselves.¡± Connor¡¯s face was extremely gloomy. He red at Jessica in disbelief and shouted, ¡°Jessica!¡± When the adults were quarreling, the little girl next to Jessica also stared at Ronald and shouted in disgust, ¡°I hate you!¡± Ronald instantly frowned and was unhappy. However, he was quite tempted by Jessica¡¯s suggestion. He had actually wanted to change his surname long ago. For many years, he had always wanted to follow his mother¡¯s surname. Hisst name constantly reminded him of his useless father. Ronald thought about it and said to Connor, ¡°Then let¡¯s go change my surname. It happens that I don¡¯t want to be a Zane either.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Connor¡¯s neck stiffened, and his face turned red. He refused immediately without a second thought. Connor looked at Ronald and took a deep breath before saying coldly, ¡°Ronald, don¡¯t think about changing your surname. You will be a Zane for the rest of your life!¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content. Hearing this, Ronald sneered. ¡°Are you dreaming? Stay a Zane for the rest of my life? If it weren¡¯t for needing both my parents¡® approval, I would have changed myst name long ago. Even if you don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll still change it once I¡¯m an adult.¡± ¡°You!¡± Connor flushed in anger again. Hearing what Ronald said, Jessica nced at Carly and Ronald with a pleased expression. However, since she didn¡¯t know Chapter 283 them well, she didn¡¯t say much. +38% Connor refused to let Ronald change his surname, but Jessica said she had a way to convince him. She exchanged contact information with Ronald and told him to wait, assuring hit that she would get Connor to agree. After they parted ways, Carly¡¯s mood remainedplicated. ¡°Will it affect Ronald¡¯s grades if he suddenly changes his surname after the examination?¡± Carly couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯ll ask someone to arrange it,¡± Hayden said. Hearing this, Carly was momentarily stunned. But she quickly realized that the task would be much easier with Becky and Hayden¡¯s help, considering their status. Then, when she thought about how Ronald could take her surname instead of Connor¡¯s in the future, her heart beat faster, and she was filled with joy. The remainder of the trip unexpectedly became enjoyable. They happily extended their stay for a few more days and finally took the Hoggard family¡¯s helicopter back to Strico. They had some fun, and life moved on. Ronald and Jeremy also became busy. They were nning to start a gamepany together. Although the two children had just graduated from junior high school, growing up in a prominent family like the Hoggard family had made them different from ordinary kids. Jeremy, in particr, showed a talent for business. He and Ronald had been close friends since childhood, and under Jeremy¡¯s influence, Ronald had been exposed to various experiences. Nowadays, even Carly, his mother, felt she didn¡¯t fully understand her son. The only thing Carly was certain of was that both children were good kids who would never do anything against thew. In that case, she wouldn¡¯t restrict them too much. to v Stacey and Hayden also knew that Jeremy used the summer vacation to start a gamepany with Ronald, so they didn¡¯t stop him. There was nothing wrong with children developing their own hobbies, as long as it didn¡¯t disrupt their learning. Stacey was quite curious whether Jeremy¡¯spany would really seed. Neither she nor Hayden interfered. They just watched the children move forward. A monthter, when Ronald and Jeremyunched the game they had developed together, Stacey and Hayden were surprised and immediately downloaded the game designed, nning to y it themselves. The game was simple, but its artistic style was appealing. Stacey couldn¡¯t help but y it for several days. A few dayster, Stacey eximed, ¡°Jeremy is too smart.¡± ¡°And Ronald,¡± Hayden added, feeling amused. Jeremy didn¡¯t design this game alone. Stacey also remembered and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes. And Ronald.¡± ¡°They¡¯re so smart,¡± Staceymented seriously. Hayden looked at her andughed. ¡°You¡¯re smart too.¡± Over the years, Carter¡¯s Jewel had flourished under her management. Stacey suddenly remembered and said, ¡°I wonder if Ronald can change his surname.¡± Hayden was silent for a moment and then said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. But it doesn¡¯t matter whether he changes his surname or not.¡± Stacey smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Ronald knew Connor¡¯s character well. Even if he had the Zane surname, the Zane family couldn¡¯t take advantage of him. When Stacey was thinking about it, Hayden hugged her and showered her with kisses. Even after many years of marriage, their feelings for each other hadn¡¯t faded at all. Every day when Hayden came back from work, he loved spending time close to her. CHAPTER 284 Chapter 284 When Charlie was 35, he had no intention of getting married, and no one could persuade him otherwise. He seemed destined to remain single. The Carter family felt helpless and anxious, worrying about him but unsure what to do. Everyone thought Charlie might live this way forever ¨C never marrying, having children, or findingpanionship. One day, Abigail Carter and Aaron Carter, who were ying hide¨Cand¨Cseek, sneaked into Charlie¡¯s private storage room and identally discovered his secret. By the way, Abigail and Aaron were the children of Stacey and Hayden. They were twins and very adorable kids. Abigail, the elder sister of the twins, resembled Hayden more, while Aaron, the younger brother, took after their mother. In the Carter family, adults generally respected each other¡¯s private spaces, such as rooms or personal storage areas. They had a mutual understanding to allow each family member their own independent space. The exception to this rule was the children. Children were young, didn¡¯t know much about many things, and were naturally curious about everything. Especially when a group of kids yed hide¨Cand¨Cseek together, they would explore everywhere, regardless of whose private space it was. That evening, Abigail and Aaron, along with Ynda Carter, the daughter of Adrian and Isabe, yed hide¨Cand¨Cseek with three other children. Abigail and Aaron were responsible for hiding, while Ynda was the seeker. Abigail and Aaron quietly hid in Charlie¡¯s personal storage room. While hiding, they identally opened Charlie¡¯s cab, causing photos and a diary to spill out. Charlie was a vivacious man. Since the birth of Abigail and Aaron, he had taken them on many adventures, so the two kids were very close to him. When the twins saw a photo of Charlie crying, their eyes widened with concern. They quickly took the photo and hurried to their mother. ¡°Mom, Uncle Charlie is crying!¡± Abigail handed the photo she had just picked up to her mother. Hearing this, Stacey was confused. But the moment she took the photo and saw it, she was stunned. ¡°And this!¡± Aaron added, holding up the diary that had identally fallen out earlier and handing it to Stacey. Stacey hesitantly took the diary from Aaron. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t peek into someone else¡¯s personal belongings, but the photo she had just seen worried her. After examining the photo and diary for a moment, she looked down at Abigail and Aaron and asked seriously, ¡°Abigail, Aaron, where did you find this photo and diary?¡± ¡°Over there in Uncle Charlie¡¯s room,¡± Aaron said immediately. Stacey took the diary but didn¡¯t open it, knowing it belonged to Charlie. Her conscience told her not to vite Charlie¡¯s privacy and that she should return the diary and photos immediately. But as Stacey looked at the photo and thought about how Charlie had never married all these years, she hesitated. After a long pause, she decided to take these things to Debra. Stacey didn¡¯t show them in the living room. Instead, she called her mother to her room and, after closing the door, carefully! took out the diary and the photo for her to see. ¡°What is this?¡± Debra asked, puzzled. But the next second, Debra saw the photo. Shocked, she asked, ¡°Is there someone Charlie likes?¡± Stacey thought for a while and couldn¡¯t help but add, ¡°Maybe someone he liked before. ¡°When?¡± Debra asked subconsciously. However, it was obvious that this question was unnecessary because Stacey didn¡¯t know the answer either. Debra held the photo and stared at Charlie in it. Although she didn¡¯t know when the photo was taken, she vaguely recalled her son¡¯s growth and recognized the shirt he was wearing in the picture. ¡°Did he take this when he was in college?¡± After a +107%Content is ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org. while, Debra muttered to herself. She looked at the girl in the photo again and couldn¡¯t help but be excited. ¡°I wonder if this girl is married or not. If she isn¡¯t¡­¡± Stacey was rendered speechless. She had mixed feelings about this. Charlie was 35 years old, and if the girl in the photo was around his age, she wouldn¡¯t be young either. She had probably gotten married by now. Despite this, Stacey and Debra were curious about the girl Charlie had liked. Debra wondered, ¡®What if the girl¡¯s not married yet? Maybe there¡¯s still a little chance? Will finding this girl change Charlie¡¯s attitude of not wanting to get married?¡® Debra thought and looked up to ask Stacey. ¡°Have you read this diary?¡± she asked. Stacey shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Debra nodded. She thought for a while, then stood up with her things and walked toward Charlie¡¯s room. Abigail and Aaron immediately followed behind Debra. The two kids were very happy. Ynda, who had been ying hide¨Cand¨Cseek and trying to find Abigail and Aaron, lit up when she saw them. She immediately ran over, holding them in her small hands, and eximed, ¡°I got you!¡± A bright smile instantly appeared on Abigail¡¯s face. Aaron also beamed at Ynda. Debra took the photo and diary to Charlie¡¯s room, where she carefully ced them on the table. Before leaving, she couldn¡¯t help but take out her phone and take a picture of the girl in the photo. In the photo, Charlie and a girl were sitting on the green grass, leaning against each other. The girl had a bright smile on her face as she looked toward the sun while Charlie was staring down at her, his eyes red and clearly crying. After Debra took a picture of the photo, she couldn¡¯t help but look at it for a long time. Charlie had always been a yful boy, and as his mother, she never knew he had once been in love and even cried. ¡°Granny, Uncle Charlie is crying.¡± Abigail tugged at Debra¡¯s clothes and emphasized again. ¡°His eyes are red,¡± Aaron described it vividly. Stacey looked at the photo and then at the two kids. Abigail and Aaron had a close rtionship with Charlie. Even just seeing a photo of him crying made the kids very worried, prompting them to quickly tell her and Debra about it. Thinking of this Staceyforted the two kids, ¡°It¡¯s okay. Uncle Charlie is fine now.¡± Abigail and Aaron didn¡¯t understand, nor did Ynda. ¡°Why is Uncle Charlie crying?¡± Ynda asked curiously and felt a little worried. The next moment, Ynda pursed her lips and said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s not good to cry.¡± Hearing this, Stacey was amused. She looked at Ynda and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not good to cry. But Uncle Charlie isn¡¯t crying now; that¡¯s just a photo.¡± CHAPTER 285 Chapter 285 Abigail, Aaron, and Ynda didn¡¯t understand, so Stacey had to take them outside and patiently exin everything to them. After a long exnation, they finally understood that Charlie wasn¡¯t sad anymore. However, he had cried in the past and had been very sad before. That evening, when Charlie returned home eager to see the children, he was immediately surrounded by a swarm of little ones. The three youngest, Abigail, Aaron, and Ynda, ran over and encircled him. Charlie gazed at the children before finally squatting down. He embraced each of them, nting kisses on their cheeks, and felt utterly blissful. Despite his happiness, he couldn¡¯t hold all three at once, especially the older ones. Lillian, Kevin, Jeremy, and Damian were older now and didn¡¯t cling to people as much as they used to, but Charlic still adored them. After attending to the younger children, he went to find the older children, giving each a hug to ensure no one felt left out. The number of children in the Carter family had grown significantly over time, makinging home a vibrant and lively experience. After the excitement settled, Debra called Charlie over. Initially, he was all smiles, but his expression stiffened when he heard that Abigail and Aaron had identally entered his room while ying hide and seek and had rummaged through his things. Charlie quickly stood up and rushed upstairs. Debra hadn¡¯t thought much of it at first. After all, who hadn¡¯t experienced rtionships in their youth? It was normal to have a broken heart now and then. She assumed that after all these years, that girl wouldn¡¯t hold much significance for Charlie. But as she witnessed his reaction now, a sudden realization hit her. Debra wondered, ¡®Does Charlie still love that girl? If he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t react so strongly to the children finding his things. Could it be that Charlie hasn¡¯t dated all these years because of her?¡® Stacey could clearly see that Charlie still cared about that girl. She hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll go upstairs to check on him.¡± She made her way upstairs quickly but instinctively softened her steps as she approached Charlie¡¯s room. Stacey did not enter and stood at the door. Charlie was inside, and she found it inappropriate to intrude into his private space without first receiving his permission. Debra soon arrived and, like Stacey, paused at the door. Lillian, Kevin, Jeremy, Damian, Abigail, Aaron, and Ynda joined them. Before long, a sizable group of children gathered around the door to Charlie¡¯s room. As Stacey and Debra had not entered, the children, following their lead, also refrained from going inside. They did not go in but waited outside obediently. Lillian, finding it a little strange, couldn¡¯t help asking ¡°Mommy, Granny, what happened to Uncle Charlie?¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Kevin, equally curious, chimed in, ¡°Yeah. What is Uncle Charlie doing?¡± ¡°Uncle Charlie is crying!¡± Abigail said in a voice she believed was discreet. ¡°Yeah. His eyes are red from crying. He¡¯s crying really sadly!¡± Aaron added seriously. ¡°No, Aunt Stacey said that Uncle Charlie isn¡¯t crying now. He cried in the past. The photo was taken before,¡± Ynda quickly and loudly corrected. It suddenly got noisy outside the room. Inside, Charlie¡¯s mood was already low, but hearing the children¡¯s chatter outside made him feel helpless. He thought that with some effort, he could suppress the sadness in his heart. Charlie swiftly stashed the diary and photos away, then turned to face the group of children gathered at the door, deliberately adopting a stern expression. Abigail, seeing Charlie looking at them, immediately brightened up. She ran in and eximed, ¡°Uncle Charlie!¡± Ynda also ran into the room. She was very curious. ¡°Uncle Charlie, why did you cry before?¡± Holding the two in his arms, Charlie was speechless. He tried to keep a straight face, saying, ¡°I didn¡¯t cry. Don¡¯t nder me.¡± ¡°You cried!¡± Aaron eximed, and he analyzed seriously. ¡°Your eyes are super red. You must have cried very loudly.¡± Charlie was unsure of what to respond next. Stacey found it amusing and promptly entered the room to remind the children, saying, ¡°Abigail, Aaron, stop bothering Charlie all the time.¡± Ynda nced at Stacey and then at Charlie. 14:39 Sun, Aug 18 RRC Chapter 285 + 67%1 Debra entered , sighing softly as she looked at Charlie. She then turned to Stacey and said, ¡°Becky, take the children downstairs.¡± Stacey understood that Debra wanted to have a serious conversation with Charlie, so she nodded in agreement. She gathered therge group of children and led them downstairs, ensuring they didn¡¯t stay to interrupt Debra and Charlie¡¯s discussion. In the room, Debra saw that all the children had gone out, and it was quiet. She then looked at Charlie. Feeling conflicted, she hesitated for a moment before trying to speak in a gentle voice. ¡°Charlie, these past years¡­¡± Charlie forced a smile and responded, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s all in the past. He then added quickly, ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, and it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Let¡¯s not dwell on it. Let¡¯s head downstairs. There¡¯s nothing more to say. I¡­ will go tidy up my things. Do you want to go downstairs and get some rest?¡± As Charlie said that, he wanted to send her away. How could Debra leave? Charlie had avoided marriage for so long, and she never understood why. She had almoste to believe that he simply preferred being single. Now, Debra realized he had been harboring unrequited love for a girl all these years. Thinking of this, Debra couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Chuck.¡± She called Charlie by his nickname, one she hadn¡¯t used in many years. Hearing Debra¡¯s words, Charlie instantly froze, unable to continue asking her to leave. ¡°Chuck, can I ask what her name is? When¡­ did it all start?¡± Debra inquired cautiously. As she spoke, she was overwhelmed with guilt and apologized. ¡°Chuck, I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault for not paying more attention to you in the past. I¨CI didn¡¯t know you were in a rtionship before.¡± Charlie hesitated for a while and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t you just call me Charlie? It¡¯s weird hearing my nickname after all these years. It gives me goosebumps.¡± Debra was currently overwhelmed with guilt, but Charlie¡¯s words left her feeling helpless and somewhat honplussed. She couldn¡¯t help but respond with a lecture, ¡°Stop joking around. I¡¯m serious.¡± Charlie/sighed and sat down. ¡°I¡¯m serious too. It¡¯s been so many years. There¡¯s no need to think about it anymore.¡± ¡°You still love her, don¡¯t you?¡± Debra asked. Charlie was unsure of what to respond next. CHAPTER 286 Chapter 286 ¡°It¡¯s all in the past,¡± Charlie murmured. Debra hesitated for a moment, then walked over and embraced him. Charlie, feeling sullen, nestled in her arms. He said nothing and did not attempt to resist. After a long silence, Debra asked softly, ¡°Can I go see that girl?¡± Charlie felt amused and said with a bitter smile, ¡°Mom, let it be she¡¯ll have her own life, and I¡¯ll have mine. We¡¯ll both be fine. There¡¯s no need to disturb her life.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. Debra¡¯s heart ached even more when she heard his words. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to disturb her life. I just want to discreetly take a look at her. After all, she¡¯s the girl you truly loved. I¡¯d like to know what she looks like in person. Is that okay?¡± said Debra. She then quickly rified and added, ¡°Chuck, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t go and disturb her life. If she¡¯s doing well now and you want to stay out of her way, I won¡¯t let her know we¡¯re there. We¡¯ll just observe her from a distance like a passerby and see how she¡¯s doing now. Is that okay?¡± Charlie¡¯s silence deepened Debra¡¯s heartache. She remembered Charlie¡¯s lively personality and had always thought he had a devil¨Cmay¨Ccare attitude, believing that everything was always fine for him. Debra never imagined he had been hiding such a deep wound for so many years. If Abigail and Aaron hadn¡¯t identally found the photos, they might never have known about the emotional scar Charlie carried. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t want us to see her,¡± Charlie said in a low voice after a long pause. Debra¡¯s heart ached further. The proud Charlie seemed so vulnerable when it came to that girl, and he even feared that she didn¡¯t want him to see her. ¡°We¡¯ll just take a look quietly. If she¡¯s doing well, we won¡¯t disturb her. But if¡­¡± As Debra spoke, she patted Charlie¡¯s back gently and added, ¡°Chuck, I might be a bit selfish, but I want to take a chance that she might still not be married.¡± Charlie was at a loss for words. Debra continued, ¡°What if she¡¯s married but not doing well?¡± Charlie, exasperated, replied, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t jinx her!¡± Debra looked at him helplessly. Feeling both amused and heartbroken, she quickly nodded. ¡°All right, I won¡¯t jinx her.¡± Despite this, Debra couldn¡¯t help but hope that if the girl was still unmarried, they might be able to y matchmaker and help them reconnect. Noticing that Charlie hadn¡¯t outright rejected the idea of discreetly checking on the girl¡¯s current situation, she sensed there was still room for negotiation. After a brief pause, Debra asked more about the girl. Charlie remained silent for a long time before finally sharing what he knew. However, the information was already 12 years old, and he wasn¡¯t sure if it would still be useful. Debra was delighted to receive the information. ¡°That¡¯s all right. With the Carter family¡¯s connections, we should be able to find her.¡± The girl¡¯s name was ire Sullivan, and she was a university ssmate of Charlie¡¯s, majoring in economics. Charlie had originally nned to introduce her to his family after graduation. Unexpectedly, in their final year of university, ire abruptly broke up with him just before graduation. Charlie had asked her many times for an exnation, desperate to understand what had gone wrong, but ire remained tight¨Clipped and refused to provide any reasons for her decision. After graduation, Charlie heard from ssmates that ire had gone abroad to Yowhayton. With so little information, Charlie felt lost. He wondered, ¡®Will it really be possible to find any news about ire?¡® Debra reassured him, saying, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this. I¡¯ll have someone look for her.¡± Charlie remained silent. Debra looked at him for a moment, then bent down to give him aforting hug. After leaving the room, she immediately contacted Patrick, Adrian, and Bryce, mobilizing the whole family to use theirworks to help find ire. Stacey also asked Debra for ire¡¯s information and quickly sent it to Hayden, asking him to assist in the search. Unexpectedly, as soon as Stacey sent the information, Hayden responded with a question. He texted: [Is her name ire Sullivan?] Without much thought, Stacey immediately replied: [Yeah.] Hayden sent an image and asked: [Do they look alike?] Stacey was stunned when she saw the photo. Instinctively, shepared ire¡¯s photo with the one Hayden had sent. They Chapter 286 21.07% +5 looked remarkably simr as if they were the same person but dressed differently. Charlie¡¯s photo of ire made her appear younger, like a university student. However, in the photo sent by Hayden, the girl appeared much more mature and dignified, suggesting her identity was far from simple. In fact, this was not just Stacey¡¯s imagination. With the Hoggard family¡¯s connections, the people Hayden knew were far from ordinary. Realizing this, Stacey suddenly felt that things might be moreplicated than they appeared. She quickly asked: [Who¡­ is she?] After ten minutes of silence, Hayden finally replied: [Her name is Kelly Jones. She¡¯s the daughter of the chairman of Jones Group in Yowhayton and the current sole heir.] Having been married to Hayden for the past few years, Stacey had gained some knowledge of royal families and top conglomerates worldwide. Jones Group was one of the most renowned conglomerates in Yowhayton. It was said that while Yowhayton appeared to be governed by their president, in reality, the president was merely a puppet controlled by the three major conglomerates, which controlled all the significant affairs of the country. Thinking of this, Stacey couldn¡¯t help shaking her head. She responded: [Maybe we¡¯ve got the wrong person. They shouldn¡¯t be the same person.] Hayden texted: [They do look somewhat alike.] Stacey was also in agreement. She examined the photos multiple times, finding the simrity increasingly convincing. She pondered, ¡®If she¡¯s the heir to a top conglomerate in Yowhayton, does that mean Charlie might not be able to match her status if he wants to be with her?¡® With that in mind, Stacey sent Hayden a new text: [I¡¯ll go and ask.] She then took her phone and went to find Patrick and Debra. Stacey thought, ¡®Maybe it¡¯s just a misunderstanding? Perhaps it¡¯s merely a case of looking simr? The person Charlie knew was clearly a university ssmate. How could she possibly be the heir of such a powerful family?¡® Debra had dispatched the task of finding ire and was currently feeling anxious. She was uncertain of how ire was doing now. Regardless, the family was overjoyed to learn that Charlie had once loved a girl. CHAPTER 287 Chapter 287 Holding the phone, Stacey hurried over to Patrick and Debra. She quickly clicked on the photo and showed it to them. Both Debra and Patrick were stunned when they saw the image. ¡°You found her so quickly?¡± Debra eximed, her surprise evident in her voice. However, her smile slowly faded because the girl in the photo was clearly no ordinary person. Patrick¡¯s smile also vanished, especially after he read the message sent by Hayden. After a moment, Debra couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just a resemnce?¡± She pondered, ¡®If that girl is from an ordinary family and not married, we¡¯ll do our utmost to help Charlie win her over. But if she¡¯s truly who we think she is¡­ she is out of our reach! Patrick added, ¡°Charlie and ire met during university. If she¡¯s studying here, she likely isn¡¯t the heir to Jones Group.¡± This exnation seemed reasonable. After all, why would the heir of Jones Groupe to study in Zentiscape? Stacey couldn¡¯t help but interject, ¡°But she is in Yowhayton.¡± At this, everyone fell silent again. The location indeed seemed a bit too coincidental. After a moment of thought, Patrick turned to Stacey and asked, ¡°Becky, could you reach out to Hay to see if he has more details on Kelly?¡± Stacey quickly agreed, replying, ¡°Okay.¡± She picked up her phone and texted Hayden. He received her request and promptly agreed to help. However, it would take some time to gather the information, so they had no choice but to wait. The news about Kelly left everyone uneasy. They wondered, ¡®If the girl Charlie likes is truly the heir to Jones Group, his chances of winning her heart seem slim. If that¡¯s the case, could Charlie end up single for the rest of his life?¡® Charlie had secluded himself in his room for several hours, eventually stepping out. The household was bustling with numerous children, with whom Charlie had developed a deep bond due to his affable and yful demeanor. As soon as he appeared, the children swarmed around him enthusiastically. Charlie, always quick to engage, crouched down and embraced several of them in his arms. Had there been only one child, he might have lifted them immediately. However, with the multitude of children around him, it was impossible for him to carry them all without causing amotion of disappointed cries; such was the conundrum of his poprity among them. Three dayster, the atmosphere turned somber as Hayden¡¯s message arrived. Kelly was not raised within the Jones family. She was the offspring of the Jones family¡¯s eldest son during a visit to Zentiscape with his then girlfriend. Typically, Kelly¡¯s background would preclude her from being a legitimate heir; however, a severe internal conflict had eradicated all direct descendants a few years prior, leaving no clear heir. Unexpectedly, the direct line introduced a girl from Zentiscape as thest remaining descendant. A paternity test confirmed her as the legitimate daughter of the eldest son, establishing her as Kelly Jones, the sole heir to the Jones empire. However, the final part of the file mentioned Kelly¡¯s current marital status. She was 34 years old, single, and unmarried. With the current precarious situation of the Jones family, it was imperative for Kelly to marry and produce heirs promptly. Nevertheless, she staunchly refused to marry, which exacerbated the tensions within the Jones family. The branches mocked the direct line, predicting their eventual downfall due to theck of heirs, while even openly supporting Kelly¡¯s decision to remain unmarried. Other supporting families expressed dismay and urged Kelly to fulfill her duties by marrying soon. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t she married yet?¡± Stacey queried, unable to contain her curiosity. The question lingered in the air as everyone¡¯s gaze shifted between Stacey and the file, pondering the implications, ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to Chuck,¡± dered Debra, picking up the file as she made her way toward the garden. The news had cast a shadow over their expectations, and Stacey, after a brief hesitation, decided to follow Debra. In Carter Vi¡¯s garden, where yground equipment had been installed for the children¡¯s entertainment, Charlie was thoroughly enjoying his time with the young ones. As Debra approached, carrying the important documents, she observed Charlie engaging with the children and sighed softly. ¡°Chuck, can we go upstairs to talk about this?¡± she requested. Charlie paused, turning to face her. As soon as he noticed the document in Debra¡¯s hand, Charlie realized it must be 39 Sun, Aug 18 RR @ +67%¡± +5 something connected to him, or more specifically, to ire. His thoughts immediately raced, ¡®Did they finally manage to track her down? Judging by Mom¡¯s expression, it doesn¡¯t look good. Could it be that ire gotten married?¡® These thoughts brought a wave of bitterness crashing over him. Despite this, he forced himself to sh a bright smile. Having spent years in the entertainment industry, Charlie had honed his acting skills to perfection. No one in the Carter family could prate his carefully constructed facade. He continued to ponder, ¡®Honestly, this isn¡¯t such a surprising turn of events, is it? I¡¯m 35 now, and ire is 34. Most people our age are already married, and many have children by now. ire¡­ she might be living a blissful life right now, right?¡® With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Charlie followed Debra back to the room, maintaining his smile. Meanwhile, out in the garden, the group of kids who had been watching Charlie couldn¡¯t help but want to follow him as he left. However, Stacey stepped in to stop them, staying behind to entertain the children and ensuring they wouldn¡¯t disrupt the conversation between Debra and Charlie. Debra led Charlie to the door of the room, and then turned to face him. Seeing his smiling face, she sighed deeply and said, ¡°Stop pretending.¡± Despite Charlie¡¯s wless acting, she was his mother, and she could see right through him. Charlie nced at her, and the carefree smile that had adorned his face slowly began to fade. It transformed first into an expression of bitterness before finally settling into a smile that attempted to convey his best wishes. ¡°Is she married?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± Debra replied bluntly, unwilling to leave Charlie in suspense any longer. Charlie opened his mouth to tell Debra to stop investigating and to leave ire¡¯s life undisturbed, but he caught himself before the words could escape. His eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°What did you say?¡±Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. É« CHAPTER 288 Chapter 288 Seeing Charlie¡¯s shocked expression, Debra realized he still hadift been able to let go of ire. Reflecting on this, she reiterated, ¡°She isn¡¯t married yet.¡± Charlie¡¯s eyes widened even more, and he tried to speak but found himself too choked up to form words. ¡°W¨CWhy?¡± he finally managed to ask, his voice hoarse and strained. 67% +5 Debra sighed and guided him into the room, handing him the file she had brought. Charlie took the documents and began reading them urgently. However, after only a short while, he found himself unable to continue. He looked up at Debra with a nk expression, his mind racing, ¡®Is there a mistake in the file? Did we get it wrong? The sole heir of Jones Group¡­ Is it the same Jones Group I know? No way. That¡¯s impossible! ire is just an ordinary girl, cheerful and adorable, with an ordinary background!¡® Seeing the confusion and turmoil on Charlie¡¯s face, Debra knew how much this was affecting him. Though she shared his concern, she said, ¡°Her true identity is a bit¡­ what if her family is beyond our reach? They¡¯re urgently trying to find her a husband so she can quickly provide heirs, but she¡¯s been unwilling to marry. I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a while and can¡¯t help but wonder if it¡¯s because there¡¯s still a ce for you in her heart.¡± Debra couldn¡¯t help but reach out to pat Charlie¡¯s head and added solemnly, ¡°Chuck, if that¡¯s the case, there might still be a chance for you. While marrying her might be unlikely, there could be an opportunity if you¡¯re willing to make some sacrifices and marry into her family.¡± Charlie was at a loss for words.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Seeing his dazed expression, Debra considered it for a moment before saying, ¡°If all else fails, the Carter family can offer a ten¨Cyear warranty. After you marry into her family, if any issues arise within ten years, you can be sent back to us for servicing. Of course, we have our limits. At most, it¡¯s a warranty with no returns. You must make it clear that our family isn¡¯t to be taken lightly, and the boundary cannot be crossed.¡± Charlie was left speechless upon hearing this. He wondered, ¡®Is she really my mom? Am I adopted?¡® Despite his incredulity, Debra¡¯s yful banter had significantly eased his sadness. After sending Debra out of the room, Charlie returned to his own space. He opened the file and carefully reviewed the information within. After thoroughly going through the materials, Charlie turned on hisputer to search for news about Jones Group. However, he couldn¡¯t find a single photo of ire. Feeling a pang of disappointment, he knew the information his family had gathered was urate. He wondered, ¡®Is ire really the sole heir of Jones Group?¡® His mind buzzed with questions, and he struggled to calm himself. After thinking for a long time, Charlie stood up and began pacing the room, repeating to himself, ¡®ire isn¡¯t married yet. Does that mean¡­ I still have a chance with her?¡® Despite his many years as an actor, Charlie couldn¡¯t control his emotions at this moment. After a prolonged period of thought, he couldn¡¯t help but copse onto his bed, pulling the nket over his head andughing maniacally. Charlieughed for a while, but eventually, theughter gave way to tears. Alone in his room, there was no need for pretense. He cried quietly, with tears flowing continuously. After his tears subsided, his mood began to lift. Charlie thought, ¡®I¡¯m going to find ire and ask her if there¡¯s still a chance for us, no matter the reason for our breakup or how small the possibility might be. I don¡¯t want to give up. Determined to act immediately, he couldn¡¯t wait a moment longer and quickly took out his phone to book a flight. The ne was set to depart in two hours. Charlie booked the ticket and packed his things immediately. He simply packed a few clothes, informed his family, and left in a hurry. Everyone was initially puzzled, but soon they understood what he was nning and silently wished him well. However, ire, or rather, Kelly¡¯s current identity was not someone Charlie could meet at will. After Stacey informed Hayden of Charlie¡¯s actions, he fell silent and then sent a message to Charlie. Uponnding, Charlie eagerly checked the file on his phone. He saved the information Debra had sent him and could see ire¡¯s current appearance whenever he checked his phone. ire had matured considerably and looked much colder and more serious than before. Despite this, Charlie¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t help but recall how sweet and cute she had been in university. As he reminisced, a silly smile spread across his face. After he was done, Charlie immediately turned off his phone, disregarding 14:40 Sun, Aug 18 RRO Chapter 288 the other notifications. He couldn¡¯t wait any longer and was eager to head straight to Jones Group to see ire again. + 67% The capital city of Yowhayton was vast. After leaving the airport, Charlie took a taxi for over 40 minutes before finally reaching his destination. Standing before the imposing gates of Jones Group, he took a deep breath and wheeled his suitcase forward. However, Charlie was stopped by the security guard at the entrance. He quickly tried tomunicate in Yowhaytonian, but his face showed signs of growing distress as the security guard refused to let him through. Charlie became increasingly worried, thinking, ¡®What should I do?¡® Back at Hoggard Vi, Hayden checked the time repeatedly and noticed that Charlie hadn¡¯t responded to his messages despite having been off the ne for a while. He wondered, ¡®Has he not seen my message?¡® After waiting for another hour with no response, Hayden decided to call Charlie directly. At the entrance of Jones Group, Charlie was still trying to figure out how to get in when his phone rang unexpectedly. He was momentarily stunned and irritated but stepped aside to check the call. Seeing that it was Hayden calling, Charlie was slightly surprised but quickly realized that Hayden¡¯s call was likely rted to his situation. After all, the Carter family¡¯s swift discovery that ire was Kelly was thanks to the Hoggard family¡¯s assistance. Without Hayden¡¯s help, it might have taken them much longer to uncover this information. With this realization, Charlie¡¯s impatience vanished. He stepped aside and answered the phone. CHAPTER 289 Chapter 289. However, Charlie was still reluctant to leave. He wanted to see ire again, even from afar. ¡®If I didn¡¯t see her in person, it somehow feels¡­ not quite real, he thought. Without realizing it, he sat down at the entrance of Jones Group. However, he merely sat for a while before standing up and forcing himself to leave. Charlie mused, I can¡¯t continue sitting here. Hayden wille over in a few days and take me to see Kelly for work¨Crted reasons. By sitting here, may damage Hoggard Technologies¡® image. I can¡¯t drag Hayden down. With that, he reluctantly left with his suitcase. A few minutester, Charlie checked into a hotel near Jones Group¡¯s headquarters. Unbeknownst to him, three ck luxury cars appeared at the entrance of the headquarters building just after he left. Among them, the middle vehicle looked the most luxurious and expensive. The doors of the three luxury cars opened almost simultaneously, with bodyguards rushing out from the front and rear vehicles. They moved quickly to the door of the middle luxury car to guard Kelly as she stepped out. After the 34¨Cyear¨Cold Kelly got out of the car, she walked straight into the headquarters building of Jones Group nked by the bodyguards. At the same time, Charlie also settled down in the hotel. However, after putting his luggage away, he couldn¡¯t resist opening the window of his room and looking toward Jones Group¡¯s headquarters. Anxiety, restlessness, uneasiness, and an indescribable worry and fear overwhelmed him. He was afraid the files he had previously seen were all fake and that he had rushed over only to be happy for nothing. Meanwhile, Hayden got his assistant to contact Jones Group for work¨Crted reasons. Given Hoggard Technologies¡® exceptional global standing, the result was as expected, and they soon secured an appointment. All Hayden had to do was swiftly aplish the tasks at hand, and he could head over to Yowhayton to meet Kelly. After arranging this, he immediately forwarded the good news to Charlie to dispel his worries. Charlie read Hayden¡¯s message, and seeing he could follow thetter to meet ire in two days, he was relieved yet worried. ¡®I¡¯m relieved because I¡¯ll surely meet ire with Hayden¡¯s help. What worries me is¡­ Could she have forgotten me after all these years?¡® he wondered. One should avoid dwelling on certain issues too much, as the thought of them would reduce confidence and increase anxiety. Even Charlie couldn¡¯t escape it, wondering, ¡®Why didn¡¯t ire exin to me back then? Why didn¡¯t shee looking for me if she still loved me? Even¡­ A message would be nice. I kept my previous phone number all these years, worried she might suddenly want to contact me one day but couldn¡¯t reach me. I¡¯ve also worked hard to maintain my poprity onscreen, to stand in the most conspicuous ce so she could easily locate ande to me whenever she desired. I waited so long, year after year, with no news at all¡­ While Charlie¡¯s mind wandered. Kelly put down her pen and began taking a break after handling a series of contract documents in the headquarters building of Jones Group However, the cooperation she just dealt with was always in her mind during the rest, an invitation from Zentiscape¡¯s Hoggard Technologies to meet for a pleasant cooperation. Given her assistant¡¯s presence earlier, she didn¡¯t dare to disy unusual emotions, merely agreeing to the meeting in her usual business¨Clike manner. However, after her assistant left and she was alone in the spacious office, her thoughts spiraled out of control. Hoggard Technologies is undoubtedly powerful, and Jones Group requires the various smart massage robots they developed. Hence, when they sent an appointment to meet and discuss cooperation, I didn¡¯t need to hesitate much and agreed directly. But that¡¯s not what I care about. I¡¯ve been secretly following certain matters in Zentiscape with my alternate ount. A few years ago, the trending news in Zentiscape reported that the award¨Cwinning actor, Charlie, had found his younger sister, she thought. She couldn¡¯t help feeling happy when she saw the good news, knowing Charlie must¡¯ve been overjoyed at finding his lost sister after thinking about her constantly. To be exact, she was genuinely happy. She also saw footage of Charlie joining variety shows and filming movies and TV seriester. The light in his eyes told her that he was genuinely ecstatic.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. His happiness also made her not want to and dare not disturb his life. Her world was tooplicated. She didn¡¯t want to get him involved in the deception and maniption of the Jones family. Years passed, and the only thing she couldn¡¯t let go of was his marriage. ¡®He¡¯s still not married. Why? Hasn¡¯t he found someone he truly loves over the years? But, he should get married soon. He¡¯s already 35 years old, an old bachelor, she mused. On countlesste nights, ire couldn¡¯t help but secretly pray to the heavens, asking the deities, if there were any, to bless Charlie so that he could find a girl who shared his love soon and then marry and live happily ever after. ¡°When we were together, Chuck often mentioned his three¨Cyear¨Cold lost sister to me. So, I couldn¡¯t help but pay more attention to Becky after she returned to the Carter family, hence my awareness that she¡¯s now with Hayden. Does this mean I¡¯ll meet Chuck¡¯s brother¨Cinw in two days?¡® As Kelly thought about it, her lips quirked up, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile happily. She was in a good mood today, despite knowing it was just the husband of Charlie¡¯s sister. ¡®But¡­ After Hayden and Becky married, they should see Chuck often,¡¯ she thought, her mood further lifting. ¡®Since Hayden meets Chuck often, and I¡¯m meeting Hayden, does this mean I¡¯m meeting Chuck indirectly? Besides¡­ If there¡¯s a chance, I might meet Chuck¡¯s sister in person someday! Just then, Kelly heard footsteps outside. The smile on her face instantly disappeared, returning to seriousness, and she sat down behind her desk. However, the person entering the office the next moment made Kelly rx again. ¡°Why are you bere?¡± she asked in Yowhaytonian, somewhat tired. ||| < Man AUIT 19 2+57%1 The woman in the Utpetress chuckled, replying in the samenguage, ¡°What? Are you disappointed feme Kelly was momentarily speechless before asking. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Anna came over, sat directly on the desk before Kelly, and said, ¡°Your mom has found another man for you to go on a blind date tomorrow.* CHAPTER 290 Chapter 290 Kelly instantly frowned, obviously unhappy. Anna took out her phone, dug out some photos, and passed her phone to Kelly to see. Kelly did not want to look at them, so she turned her head away and leaned back in her seat. Anna started seriously. ¡°Kelly, the person introduced this time is actually quite good. He¡¯s tall and gentle, and I hear he¡¯s quite decent, in private too. Lydia has tried her best to find the best match for you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like him.¡± Kelly opened her eyes and stated unhappily. She continued coldly, ¡°Tell her to stop trying so hard to find someone for me. No matter who it is, I don¡¯t want it.¡± The next moment, Kelly turned on theputer in front of her and continued to work. Anna was silent for a moment before concluding, ¡°Kelly, you just haven¡¯t seen Aiden right now. If you did, you would fall in love with him.¡± When Kelly heard his name, her mouth twitched. She blurted, ¡°In Zentiscape, Brayton sounds like beaten.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Anna was stunned, but then it dawned upon her. She did not understand at first, but once she did, she was surprised. She thought, ¡®Does the name Brayton sound that bad?¡® She really wanted tough. ¡°Okay, sure. If you want to beat him up in the future, you can do so any time. I¡¯ll probably be happy to see it happen,¡± Anna gloated. She smiled and teased, ¡°Kelly, seeing that you like Zentiscape so much, I heard that there¡¯s a saying in Zentiscape called ¡®tough love. If you can hit Brayton so often, it means you love him very much right?¡± Kelly was speechless and ignored Anna. Two days passed quickly, and Hayden arrived in the blink of an eye. Charlie rushed to the airport early in the morning to pick him up. He couldn¡¯t wait anymore. Looking at Charlie¡¯s anxious face, which he found a little funny, Hayden stillforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Charlie replied, ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Hayden said with a smile. Charlie took Hayden back to the hotel. He knew that Hayden would being back, so he booked a suite that had several rooms in it. Once Hayden arrived, he could just stay in one of the rooms. That was settled in the morning. In the afternoon, Hayden took Charlie to the headquarters of Jones Group. As they had made an appointment in advance, they went in smoothly this time. Kelly also arrived not long after. When she stepped into the conference room and saw the man 12.59 Mon, Aug 19 GG. Chapter 290 standing beside Hayden, she stopped in her tracks. Charlie was also excited. He almost wanted to go over immediately, but Hayden gently grabbed him. Charlie instantly realized that he could not be too obvious, as there were outsiders present. Hayden walked over and greeted politely, ¡°Ms. Jones.¡± ¡°Mr. Hoggard, please take a seat.¡± Kelly quickly reacted and immediately extended her hand to invite him. They soon arrived at the conference room. Hayden sat down and asked with a smile, ¡°Would you mind if we talked alone?¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Kelly¡¯s heart was beating quickly, but she appearedposed. She nced at Charlie calmly and suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go to my office.¡± The reception room hadpany surveince cameras that many people could ess. However, in her office, the surveince cameras could only be viewed by the direct lineage of the family, preventing monitoring by those with ill intentions. Hayden nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Charlie was anxious, but he knew that ire¡¯s current status was special, so he couldn¡¯t casually pull strings. Kelly quickly got up and led them to the office. Once they entered the office, Kelly closed the door. Almost immediately after closing the door, Kelly looked at Charlie. Charlie was also nervous, or rather, aggrieved. ¡°No one except my parents, grandparents, and me can check the surveince cameras here. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Kelly said the next moment. Charlie¡¯s eyes immediately turned red, and he went over and wanted to grab Kelly¡¯s hand. Kelly froze slightly and instinctively dodged. Charlie also knew that with Hayden here, he should not be too clingy with ire, especially since she had always been very sensitive about her image! Hayden fell silent for a moment and then said, ¡°I came here mainly because he wants to see you.¡± Kelly was speechless. ¡°If it¡¯s convenient, you can exchange contact information so that you can chat privately next time,¡± Hayden added. Hearing that, Charlie immediately looked at Kelly and asked anxiously, ¡°ire¡­ Can we?¡± Although she really wanted his contact information, she hesitated again after hearing him call out her name. Kelly replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°Chuck, we¡¯re not suitable for each other. Charlie was desperate. ¡°Why? I¡­¡± Charlie had a lot to say and he wanted to defend himself. Yet, when he looked at her, he did not know what to say Charlie¡¯s eyes were teary, and he begrudgingly uttered, ¡°Why not? At least give me a reason. You were like this before, and it¡¯s still the same now¡­ You¡¯re too much!¡± Kelly¡¯s eyes turned red too. She looked away, took a deep breath, and said, ¡°Go back. Don¡¯te and find me again next time.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Charlie got angry instead. He ran to Kelly and dered angrily, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving unless you can give me a good reason to convince me this time!¡± Hayden remained silent. Kelly did not say a word. She didn¡¯t want to talk. Hayden also knew that the conflict between the two was not something that could be resolved quickly, so he chose not to interfere. Knowing that Stacey was probably still worried about this at home, he took out his phone and sent message to Stacey, informing her that he had already brought Charlie to see Kelly. Kelly was indeed Charlie¡¯s first girlfriend, but there might still be some misunderstanding between hem now that needed time to resolve. The tense atmosphere persisted for a long time until there was a knock on the door outside. elly got up, went out, and opened the office door. Kelly, these documents need your urgent attention,¡± said the assistant as he handed Kelly some apers. elly took the file and acknowledged, ¡°Okay.¡± hen, Kelly closed the door, blocking the assistant¡¯s curious nces at Hayden and Charlie inside e office. utside, the assistant looked at the closed door and couldn¡¯t help but secretly lean against it and ek inside. st then, the door of the office opened again. ea, what are you doing?¡± Kelly asked coldly, ring at the assistant, who was clearly vesdropping by standing at the door. a panicked and quickly replied, ¡°Nothing¡­ Nothing, I¡¯m leaving right away.¡± After saying that, ? < Chapter 290 Zea hurried away. Kelly knew she couldn¡¯t dy any longer. She closed the door once again and went back to her office. Then, she walked up to Charlie and started, ¡°There is a fierce internal struggle in the Jones family. I don¡¯t want you to get involved.¡± Kelly said with a wry smile, ¡°Chuck, you don¡¯t have to be with me. You can marry another woman. In fact, no matter who she is, it should be better than being with me.¡± Mon, A CHAPTER 291 Chapter 291 At Kelly¡¯s words, the worry that had been gnawing Charlie¡¯s heart finally began to ease. The fear that she might reject him and dislike him had been his greatest terror. ¡°How terrifying?¡± Charlie muttered under his breath. Knowing that ire didn¡¯t break up with him because she hated him made him feel slightly petnt and somewhat proud. Kelly, however, remained silent. Meanwhile, Hayden tactfully stayed out of their conversation, sensing the delicate nature of the moment. ¡°How terrifying can it be? Do I look like someone who gets scared casily?¡± Charlie said defiantly.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. Kelly smiled wryly before she spoke, ¡°My grandpa had a wife and multiple lovers, fathering twelve children in total. In the end, only my dad survived. My dad, too, followed in his footsteps, taking many lovers besides his wife, who together bore him nine children. However, none of them survived. I¡­ was born when my dad traveled to Zentiscape before his marriage and had a fling. Since all the children of the Jones family had perished, they finally thought of me and decided to bring me back.¡± ¡°When I returned to join the Jones family, my mom officially became my dad¡¯s wife. Upon my return to the Jones family fold, my mom was formally married to my dad. His first wife was divorced, left with no room to object. Chuck, the Jones family¡­ it¡¯s tainted. It doesn¡¯t suit you,¡± Kelly added with a sigh. Charlie found himself rendered utterly speechless by her revtions, and Hayden was equally taken aback. ¡°Do you have to be the heir of their family?¡± Charlie asked, his voice filled with frustration and pain. He couldn¡¯t fathom why she would choose to remain in such a sordid, horrifying ce as she had described. ¡°Chuck, my mom is here,¡± Kelly exined with a bitter smile, looking deeply into Charlie¡¯s eyes, her expression grave. ¡°She loves my dad. She¡¯s a hopeless romantic. Despite how hard I¡¯ve tried to convince her, she refuses to leave him. I can¡¯t just abandon her. Besides, my dad is a very dark, sinister figure, and he¡¯s well aware of my fears for her. He maniptes this fact to control me, threatening my mom¡¯s safety to ensure mypliance. If I refuse to stay, he would torment her¡­ maybe even worse. Chuck, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate. They¡¯re capable of murder. Everyone in the Jones family, rted by blood or romance, they¡¯re all driven by their twisted desires. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve vowed never to marry or have children. I can¡¯t risk having my children suffer the same fates as the other unfortunate souls in the Jones family, murdered by their own kin at a tender age.¡± Charlie was left speechless, aghast at the revtion. Naturally, he didn¡¯t want his future children to end up murdering each other or suffer any harm. The realization that the members of the Jones family were indeed monstrous people hit him hard. ¡°But I do like you,¡± Charlie stated stubbornly. ¡°What if we just stay together and decide not to have children? That way, we don¡¯t have to worry about them being targets of internal family plots,¡± he proposed earnestly. Kelly, stunned by his suggestion, stared at Charlie, contemting his words. The more Charlie considered it, the more sensible it seemed to him. He believed they didn¡¯t need any more children, considering how the Carter family already had plenty. Stacey and Hayden had five children; Adrian had two; even Bryce, who seldom visited, had two sons. Carter Vi practically functioned like a childcare center, constantly bustling with children ying every time he visited. Thus, the idea of not having children didn¡¯t bother him. ¡°No,¡± Kelly replied sharply, without a moment¡¯s hesitation. She didn¡¯t want Charlie to sacrifice the chance to have his own children 1/3 ?? ??? because of her. You should leave. Don¡¯t try to find he again,¡± she added somberly Hayden, who had been quietly observing, could no longer keep his silence. ¡°Kelly, if you believe that distancing yourself from Charlie will improve his life, think about this. If you don¡¯t marry him. he might end up never marrying or having children. He could be alone forever,¡± Hayden inimised Kelly was visibly shaken by his words and turned to look at Charlie, who returned her gaze. ¡°Could you two at least exchange contact information? Hayden suggested. These two had been at odds since they met and had yet to even exchange phone numbers. Without contact details, maintaining any form of rtionship after they parted would be impossible. Prompted by Hayden¡¯s suggestion, Charlie quickly snapped out of his reverie and hastily pulled out his phone. ¡°What¡¯s your number?¡± he asked eagerly Initially, Kelly hadn¡¯t considered exchanging numbers, but Hayden¡¯s earlierment deeply affected her. After a brief hesitation, she finally gave Charlie her private number, saving his number in her phone in return. It was working hours, so she didn¡¯t have much time to chat with them. Moreover, they couldn¡¯t linger for too long either, lest the ever¨Cwatchful coteral rtives, eyeing the assets of Jones Group, grew suspicious. Kelly gently ushered Hayden and Charlie out, stating she needed time to process and reflect. Though anxious, Charlie had no choice but to respect Kelly¡¯s request for space. After they left the headquarters of Jones Group, Charlie followed Hayden back to the hotel, where he couldn¡¯t resist voicing his anxieties aloud. ¡°Hayden, do you think ire will refuse to be with me? What if she still doesn¡¯t want me?¡± Charlie¡¯s mind was overrun with turmoil. Hayden deliberated for a moment before responding, ¡°Instead of worrying about that, you should focus on honing your marksmanship andbat arts. If you have the time, it¡¯d be best to learn some medical skills as well.¡± Charlie looked perplexed as Hayden continued, ¡°There are many dangers within Jones Group. If you insist on being with Kelly, you¡¯ll likely face daily threats of assassination, ambush, and poisoning.¡± Charlie frowned deeply, musing aloud, ¡°Jones Group is too perilous. Maybe I should just run away with ire. And if she¡¯s concerned about her mom, we can take her with us.¡± Hayden remained silent, knowing Charlie was merely grappling with his thoughts. Deep down, Charlie was aware of the harsh realities that woulde with entangling himself with the Jones Group. After sharing his thoughts, Charliepsed into a long silence. He remained quiet for several hours until the sun had set and Hayden called him to dinner. As he stood up, Charlie murmured to himself, ¡°She¡¯s not cut out for this kind of life. ire was never like this before. She used to be such a simple, joyful girl. Hayden was at a loss for words. Although he wasn¡¯t familiar with what Kelly had been like previously, he had certainly heard about the daunting and fierce power struggles that gued Jones Group. ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time to eat,¡± he suggested, breaking the awkward silence. Charlie nodded in agreement and replied, ¡°Okay.¡± Together, they left their room and enjoyed a meal at the hotel¡¯s restaurant. After dinner, as they returned to their room, Charlie, driven by a sudden curiosity, inquired, ¡°Hayden, how did you manage to win over Becky¡¯s heart?¡± CHAPTER 292 Hayden briefly recounted the story of how he had pursued Becky, Charlle listened attentively at first, but after a few seconds, he became exasperated. He pushed Hayden away and snapped, ¡°All right all right, shut up already! Stop showing off. You can¡¯t wipe the smile off your face. Hayden churkled, knowing he wasn¡¯t exaggerating. His rtionship with Becky had indeed been sweet and Idyllie Later that evening, Hayden prepared to leave. Arranging the meeting between Charlie and Kelly had been a feat in his already packed schedule. Now that the two had met and exchanged contact information, his role as a mediator was essentiallyplete. Whether Kelly wanted to see Charlie again or whether Charlie wanted to pursue Kelly further was now up to their efforts and fate. On the flight back, Hayden reflected on theplexities of the Jones family. He couldn¡¯t help but worry about Charlie¡¯s love life. T The Jones family was notoriously intricate and perilous, a fact evident to anyone who knew them. Not only was it unsuitable for Charlie, but it also wasn¡¯t ideal for Kelly. However, her lineage bound her to that terrifying family, making escape impossible. Understanding this shed light on why Kelly had disappeared without a word all those years ago. However, Hayden wondered if Charlie could let go of his feelings for Kelly. At that thought, Hayden worried about the future. If Charlie were to get hurt because of the Jones family, Becky would undoubtedly be heartbroken. After several hours, the nended back home. Stepping off the aircraft, Hayden saw Becky, the love of his life, waiting at the airport with their children. His face lit up with a smile, and he quickened his pace toward them. ¡°Daddy!¡± Abigail and Aaron called out simultaneously as they ran toward Hayden, their faces beaming with excitement. Unable to resist, Hayden knelt to scoop up the kids in a big hug. It was a weekday, so Jeremy, Lillian, and Kevin were at school. Only Abigail and Aaron, being younger and not yet enrolled in kindergarten, coulde to the airport with Becky. Soon, she joined them, wrapping her arms around Hayden and the children in a warm embrace. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. Let¡¯s go home,¡± Becky said softly. Hayden nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go home.¡± Becky reached out to take Abigail from his arms, and the two of them, each carrying a child, walked toward the exit. They arrived at the underground parking and got into the car with their children. After getting into the car, Hayden finally spoke, his tone tinged withplexity. ¡°Charlie and Kelly¡¯s situation is quiteplicated.¡± He didn¡¯t want to keep anything from Becky. Although he knew it would worry her, he felt she had the right to know. As they drove toward Hoggard Manor, Hayden slowly exined the details of his meeting with Kelly to Stacey. Her face grew solemn after she heard about the whole situation. ¡°How did ite to this?¡± she asked, clearly distressed. Hayden sighed. ¡°You should discuss this with your parents, Adrian, and Bryce. They need to be prepared. If they decide to support him in pursuing his feelings, or if they choose to persuade him to give up, now is the time to act,¡± he said after a long pause. Is there no other way?¡± Stacey¡¯s voice trembled with concern. However, Hayden remained silent. The atmosphere in the car grew heavy with tension Once home. Stacey immediately pulled out her phone and added her parents. Adrian, and Bryce to a group chat before she made a video call. Everyone except for Bryce, who was likely upied with work and couldn¡¯t join, answered almost immediately. However, that didn¡¯t matter now. Since most of them had answered the call. Stacey hurriedly ryed everything that Hayden had just told her to her family. After listening to Stacey, Patrick, Debra, and Adrian fell into a deep silence. Debra even felt a twinge of regret. If she had known, she wouldn¡¯t have allowed anyone to dig into ire¡¯s past. Yet, to say she regretted it entirely. Debra couldn¡¯t quite articte her feelings. If she hadn¡¯t instructed someone to investigate ire, Charlie might never have known why he was dumped, perhaps spending his entire life pining for his first ¡°I got it Becky, don¡¯t overthink it. Just focus on your life with Hay. As for Chuck¡¯s matter, your dad and I will discuss it,¡± Debra said, quickly regaining herposure and trying tofort Stacey. Although it wasn¡¯t in Stacey¡¯s nature to overthink, she was deeply concerned about Charlie¡¯s safety. The Jones family was terrifyingly powerful and influential, and the thought of them finding out about Charlie¡¯s past rtionship with Kelly filled her with dread. She couldn¡¯t shake the fear that they might try to harm Charlie if they learned about his connection to Kelly. Hayden noticed the worry etched on Stacey¡¯s face and tried to reassure her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve arranged for people to protect him.¡± The Hoggard family specialized in robotics, you know, creating robots not only for daily use but also for security. Many household heads had custom- made robots from Hoggard Technologies as their bodyguards due to thepany¡¯s formidable reputation in security. However, Hayden knew that relying solely on robots wasn¡¯t practical, especially when Charlie was away from home alone. Robots needed human oversight. So, he had arranged for a few trusted individuals to be on standby. If Charlie encountered any danger, these people wouldmand the robots to protect him. Hearing this, Stacey was initially stunned, her mind racing with the implications of what Hayden had just said. But soon, she felt a wave of relief wash over her, knowing that steps had been taken to ensure Charlie¡¯s safety. Still, her worries didn¡¯t entirely vanish. As time flew by, half a month passed, during which the Carter family remained on edge, fearing that the Jones family might harm Charlie. The tension in the household was palpable. After two weeks, Patrick and Debra couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and decided to call Charlie. They realized that if there was no other solution, perhaps the engagement could be called off. Sometimes, remaining unmarried could also be a form of happiness. When Patrick and Debra made the call, they were far from confident. They knew Charlie well enough to anticipate his reactions. In the past, Charlie had never sought out Kelly because he didn¡¯t understand why she had broken up with him. He might have thought Kelly simply didn¡¯t love him anymore, which was why he never tried to find her. However, now, he knew the real reason behind heir separation. It wasn¡¯t ack of love but because Kelly didn¡¯t want to burden him with her family¡¯s troubles. Because of this newfound understanding, Charlie was never going to let go of her. In fact, over the past two weeks, he had been relentlessly messaging Kelly, pleading with her to see im just one more time. Unfortunately, Kelly hadn¡¯t agreed to a single meeting. Desperate, he had resorted to waiting for her at the entrance of Jones Group¡¯s headquarters. Yet, he couldn¡¯t even close. Each time, her bodyguards intercanted L:N?velDrama.Org ? content. Æø+57% Chapter 293 When his parents called him, Charli CHAPTER 293 Chapter 293 When his parents called him, Charlie was puzzled But answered swiftly, trusting his family Implicitly. However, by the end of the call, his eyes were red¨Crimmed with unshed tears. He couldn¡¯t believe even Debra was urging him to give up, as that was against his intention. Determined, he continued to linger at the entrance of Jones Group headquarters. Another two weeks flew by, and his persistent presence caught the attention of every employee at Jones Group. Initially, people were curious about his identity, but as time passed, they realized he was there for Kelly. The direct descendants of the Jones family quickly investigated Charlie and were pleasantly surprised by what they found. They couldn¡¯t believe that Charlie was the brother of Hayden¡¯s current wife and had even dated Kelly in the past. I Kelly and Charlie reunited, that would mean an indirect alliance between the Jones family and the Hoggard family. Given the advanced robots produced by Hoggard Technologies, if they sided with Jones Group and supplied their top¨Ctier robots exclusively to them, excluding the other two major conglomerates in. Yowhayton, that would make thepany stronger than ever. At that thought, the direct line of the Jones family was ecstatic. They immediately summoned Kelly home to question her about her rtionship with Charlie. The direct descendants of Jones Group weren¡¯t the only people who discovered Charlie¡¯s special status, as the coteral descendants also quickly learned about his pursuit of Kelly. As Kelly was the sole heir of Jones Group, they naturally took a keen interest and promptly investigated Charlie. They found out that he was a celebrity in Zentiscape, and that he had a past romantic rtionship with Kelly. Given the current situation, it was clear that Charlie still wanted to be with Kelly. The coteral kins were troubled by this information. A marriage alliance between Jones Group and Hoggard Technologies would undoubtedly benefit the former. However, that would also cement the direct line¡¯s dominance. If Kelly bore an heir with the backing of the Hoggard family, the position of the direct line would be unassable. The coteral branches were rmed. They had only one thought, and it was to make sure Charlie did not end up with Kelly. In a sudden twist, even the coteral branches had set their sights on Charlie. They sent their people to approach him. Of course, unless necessary, they had no intention of resorting to force against him. After all, they didn¡¯t want to offend Hoggard Technologies, as they still needed to buy robots from thetter in the future. If they angered Hoggard Technologies and were denied ess to the robots while others weren¡¯t, they¡¯d be at a significant disadvantage. However, soon, the coteral kins of the Jones family discovered that every time they sent someone to approach Charlie, their men would be intercepted halfway. For various reasons, they would be diverted and taken away. It became clear that Charlie had someone protecting him. The coteral factions had theirworks. Hence, it didn¡¯t take much for them to find out who was shielding Charlie. As expected, it was none other than the Hoggard family, but this made the situation even worse. If Kelly and Charlie got back together, there was a high possibility that the Hoggard family might protect Kelly too. 1/3 111 pter 299 It wasn¡¯t just the main and coteral branches of Jones Group that noticed Charlic. Soon, other conglomerates in Yowhayton also caught wind of Charlie¡¯s pursuit of Kelly. Given their rival status and with Kelly being the heir of Jones Group, these two conglomerates immediately started investigating Charlie¡¯s background. What they found made them uneasy. Under no circumstances could they allow Kelly and Charlie to be together. If the two got together, that would make Jones Group indirectly aligned with Hoggard Technologies through this union. It would be incredibly disadvantageous for the other two conglomerates if Hoggard Technologies began to favor Jones Group. The previously calm atmosphere among the conglomerates in Yowhayton became fraught with tension and danger, all because of Charlie¡¯s sudden appearance. Meanwhile, Kelly was furious. She had been waiting for Charlie to leave and wondered why he wasn¡¯t. After receiving the messages from her grandpa and father, Kelly didn¡¯t respond to them immediately. Instead, she went to find Charlie right away. She dragged Charlie to the airport and effortlessly got him onto a ne using her status as the heir of a conglomerate. Before they parted, Kelly couldn¡¯t control her tears. Her eyes reddened as tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°Chuck, you should leave. Don¡¯te looking for me anymore. We¡¯re not suitable for each other,¡± she said, her voice choked and hoarse. In response, Charlie hugged her tightly and then kissed her passionately. ¡°I will find a way,¡± he said firmly. ¡°ire, we will be together,¡± he repeated, his tone unwavering. Upon hearing that, Kelly stared at him, her heart aching. However, it onlysted for a second. She quickly shoved him into the ne and ordered it to take off immediately. Kelly was right to act quickly. No sooner had the ne departed than her grandpa and father, the most powerful members of Jones Group¡¯s main lineage, arrived. After realizing Kelly had sent Charlie away instead of keeping him, their faces darkened with fury. Kelly¡¯s father, Ronan Jones, immediately pped her hard across the face.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org In the next moment, Kelly was taken back to the family home. She was instructed to bring Charlie back and secure the marriage alliance with the Carter family by her grandpa and Ronan. However, to their dismay, Kelly refused toply. Then came the beating. This time, a brutal one. For the Jones family, there was no room for familial affection. To her grandpa and Ronan, Kelly was merely a tool with the bloodline of the main lineage. By inflicting pain, they believed they could break her spirit and force her into submission. They had used this method countless times before, and Kelly had yielded many times. However, she resolutely refused this time. Eventually, the punishments became so severe that she was covered in blood, barely clinging to life without treatment. The top¨Ctier doctors of the main lineage were summoned to treat her wounds. Kelly knew she wouldn¡¯t die, as her grandpa and Ronan wouldn¡¯t let her since she was the sole heir of the main lineage. While lying in bed receiving treatment, her mom finally appeared, offeringfort and persuasion. This was a familiar tactic of her grandpa and Ronan. In a sense, her mom was there to console her, but in reality, it was a threat. If Kelly didn¡¯tply, her mom would be the next to suffer. ¡°Kelly, just listen to your dad. Isn¡¯t Charlie the guy you like? Isn¡¯t it wonderful being with the one you love?¡± her mom said, sitting by the bedside, her tone earnest and heartfelt. CHAPTER 294 +5 Kelly hadpromised too many times, to the extent that Ronan and her grandpa thought this tactic worked well to deal with her. But this time, she was truly exhausted. Kelly turned away, not looking at her mother. ¡°Kelly,¡± her mom called from behind. ¡°ire.¡± Kelly suddenly spoke, or rather, it was ire speaking. To her, she wasn¡¯t Kelly Jones but ire Sullivan. If her mom hadn¡¯t insisted on being with her dad, she would never have stayed here. Now, she was truly exhausted. If it meant dragging Charlie into this mess and involving him, she suddenly thought that sometimes it was okay to give up. She felt it was fine to just end things once and for all. After all, she was a human with feelings too. From her 20s to her 30s, she had spent the best years of her life here. She was ready to make sacrifices and spend the rest of her life in this hellhole. Hence, she couldn¡¯t understand why they had to drag Charlie into this mess. She thought, ¡®I know mom¡¯s love is important. But what about mine?¡® At that thought, tears silently rolled down her cheeks. ¡°Kelly, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Kelly¡¯s mother, Lydia Sullivan, paused for a moment, then continued, her voice gentle. ire¡¯s heart ached as she heard Lydia¡¯s voice. Her moment of willfulness passed quickly, and she soon regained herposure. She shook her head in response. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Upon noticing how down ire felt, Lydia¡¯s heart ached for her. She bent down and gently gathered her into her arms. ¡°Go to Zentiscape,¡± Lydia urged softly, cradling ire close. ¡°Go find Charlie. ire, you and him truly love each other. You¡¯ll be happy together.¡± Kelly¡¯s eyes reddened at Lydia¡¯s words, and she desperately wanted to ask thetter if she was still the same loving mom who cherished her more than anything. When Kelly was little, Lydia always saved the best food for her. Even when she was sick, Lydia insisted on going to work, sometimes taking night shifts to save money for a trip to the amusement park, just to see Kelly smile. Those childhood memories seemed so distant now, and the thought made Kelly¡¯s heart ache even more. Lydia pulled out a tissue and gently wiped Kelly¡¯s tears. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± she asked tenderly. Kelly suddenly felt overwhelmed and reached out to embrace Lydia tightly. After a long while, the door to the room opened, and Ronan entered. He rarely wore a warm expression of fatherly love, but today, he tried. After he sat down on the edge of her bed, he said, ¡°Kelly, don¡¯t me me. I have no other choice. You are the only direct descendant left. Besides, you and Charlie admire each other. That makes you two a perfect match. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± In reality, Ronan and his father, Ryker Jones, had a n to breed a new heir, as Kelly was too disobedient. If she continued to refuse marriage and refused to produce an heir, they would have to resort to binding her and having a doctor forcibly retrieve her eggs to create a new heir. To them, Kelly¡¯s rebellion and resistance were like a child¡¯s silly games. However, raising a child from scratch would take an incredibly long time, and they couldn¡¯t even ensure that this newborn would grow up healthy. They feared that, despite their best efforts to protect the child, it might meet the same tragic fate as those before, falling victim to countless unforeseen idents. The lengthy process of nurturing a new heir left them vulnerable, giving the conniving rtives ample opportunity to seize power before the heir coulde of age. Faced with too many uncertainties, they had dyed raising another child, indulging Kelly in her childish whims. With Charlie¡¯s sudden appearance, they felt a wave of relief and vindication. It seemed their decision not to take the drastic step of extracting Kelly¡¯s eggs had been the right one. ¡°Are you worried he might be harmed?¡± Ronan asked, his eyes boring into Kelly¡¯s. Before long, Ronan added, ¡°Kelly, have you investigated Charlie¡¯s background? He¡¯s Hayden Hoggard¡¯s brother¨Cin¨C. If Charlie were to¡­ I mean, if he were to be with you, the Hoggard family would undoubtedly protect him. He¡¯d be safe. Besides, if the Hoggard family only supplies to us and stops supplying robots to the other two major families and our coteral rtives, we would monopolize the industry. We would dominate Yowhayton by then, and no one could harm us. You and Charlie would be the pride of the Jones family.¡± ¡°In your dreams,¡± Kelly retorted, ring at Ronan, her words with venom. Ronan¡¯s smile faded slowly. After a moment, he sighed, his tone earnest. ¡°Kelly, don¡¯t disappoint me. Please. If you marry Charlie and align the Hoggard family with us, the entire Yowhayton will be at our disposal. The Jones family will be in power of the country.¡± With a resounding sound, Kelly pped Ronan in the face. ¡°I will never agree to this. Don¡¯t you dare involve Chuck in your schemes,¡± Kelly dered coldly. Upon seeing Ronan¡¯s furious expression and the murderous glint in his eyes, Lydia hurriedly stepped in, grasping his arm. ¡°Ronan, don¡¯t be angry with ire. She¡¯s just a child. I¡¯ll talk to her. She¡¯lle around.¡± Ronan snorted and stormed off, clearly displeased. Only then did Lydia breathe a sigh of relief. Once he was gone, Lydia gently took Kelly¡¯s hand, pleading softly, ¡°ire, listen to me. Talk to Charlie. You won¡¯t regret it.¡±C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org As she spoke, Lydia discreetly traced a symbol in Kelly¡¯s palm. It was a secret code that only they knew from Kelly¡¯s childhood. Sinceing to Yowhayton, Lydia had never used this symbol. Kelly froze, staring at Lydia in astonishment. Lydia lowered her head and kissed Kelly on the cheek. ¡°Do it for me, please?¡± Kelly couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was amiss, but she couldn¡¯t pinpoint what. Maybe it was the symbol that tugged at her memories, but she found herself agreeing against her better judgment. Meanwhile, watching the room¡¯s surveince footage, Ryker and Ronan were pleased. They were already anticipating the future with glee. Once Kelly married Charlie and secured the Hoggard family¡¯s alliance, Yowhayton would be theirs. After Kelly agreed, Ronan and Ryker wasted no time packing her off to Zentiscape to find Charlie. ¡°Before her departure, Lydia filled a suitcase with items, assuring Kelly she¡¯d need them in Zentiscape. As Kelly watched Lydia pack with meticulous care, her heart ached. Lydia had always been like this, ever so attentive to her. If Lydia had treated Kelly any slightly worse, she would have chosen to be selfish and leave the former behind. ¡°Mom, I won¡¯t get back with Charlie,¡± Kelly said, despite agreeing to go to Zentiscape, as she had no intention of dragging Charlie into the Jones family¡¯s power struggles.¡± CHAPTER 295 Chapter 295 9 73%1 ¡°What a fool you are,¡± Lydia said helplessly. ¡°All right. I won¡¯t force you. But once you arrive in Zentiscape and found Charlie, think about it carefully. I actually think you and Charlie are truly a good match. Both of you are good children.¡± Kelly was irritated and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Although she was leaving, she was not alone. The Jones family had arranged many bodyguards to keep her safe openly and secretly. No matter what, Kelly was the sole heir of the Jones family. No one could afford it if someone took advantage of the situation and killed her. Soon, Kelly left. Meanwhile, the Jones family used their rtionship with Hoggard Technologies and sent a message to thetter, informing Hayden that Kelly was going to Zentiscape to find Charlie and imploring Hayden to protect her. Hayden, who was at work, was startled after reading the email from Jones Group. But soon, he realized Jones Group¡¯s motive and thought he would never help them. The reason why Hoggard Technologies could get to where it was at present and gain the trust of all nations was because it never favored anyone. Otherwise, no one would trust Hoggard Technologies in the future. No matter how advanced the products Hoggard Technologies developed were, nobody would dare to use them. After all, high¨Ctech products were weapons. If Hoggard Technologies sided with their enemy and bought the products of Hoggard Technologies, those robots might turn against them, and they would be doomed eventually Hayden refused Jones Group¡¯s request directly through e¨Cmail. In Yowhayton, Ronan and Ryker, who hadid out a n, were surprised when they saw the email. Meanwhile, the other two prominent plutocratic families in Yowhayton also paid close attention to Kelly¡¯s trip. They even arranged for someone to follow Kelly to Zentiscape secretly. Needless to say, they were truly worried about Hoggard Technologies favoring the Jones family. Little did they expect that something big would happen to the Jones family three dayster. Ryker and Ronan, as well as Ronan¡¯s wife, Lydia, were all dead. Three of them died in the mansion. Joshua noticed something was wrong and reported it to the police. The police went over to investigate it and found that the murderer was Lydia. The incident immediately became international news. Although Kelly listened to Lydia and went to Zentiscape, she didn¡¯t look for Charlie. She only wanted to walk around and get some fresh air before going back. When Kelly saw the news, she was stunned. She couldn¡¯t believe it and wanted to go back immediately. She wanted to know what had happened and wondered why Lydia killed Ronan and Ryker. Her sanity told her that such a thing would never happen. She couldn¡¯t control her emotions and copsed, though. The bodyguard following her stopped her and handed her a letter, saying it was from Lydia. It wasn¡¯t until ire took the letter and saw Lydia¡¯s handwriting that she believed it was Lydia¡¯s decision. It turned out that Lydia never loved Ronan. Over 30 years ago, Lydia had an older sister, Leni Sullivan, who was also ire¡¯s aunt. Leni had been very smart since she was a child and was a genius praised by many people. She had skipped grades and attended university earlier. After graduating from university, she went abroad to study. The country she went to was Yowhayton. Back then, everyone thought Leni would have a promising future and looked forward to the day she returned from studying abroad, earning a lot of money and making a name for herself. Little did they expect that they would receive the news of Leni¡¯s death from Yowhayton one yearter. Everyone felt sorry for that, but Lydia thought otherwise. When Leni was studying abroad, she had sent a message to Lydia. Thus, Lydia knew Leni had a boyfriend in Yowhayton, and that person was the president of the terrifying Jones Group, Ronan Jones. Before the ident happened, Leni had sent a message to Lydia, saying Ronan wanted to kill her and asking Lydia to save her. However, Lydia couldn¡¯t afford to go abroad to save Leni at that time. She didn¡¯t even know the formalities of going overseas. After such a dy, she received the news of Leni¡¯s death in the end. Lydia went to confront Ronan, but it was of no use. Later, Ronan had a crush on her and forced her to be his lover. During the period he imprisoned her, she thought of many ways to murder Ronan but failed in the end. She was tortured by Ronan in return and lived a life worse than death. The Jones family¡¯s personal physician was very skillful. Every time after Ronan had tortured Lydia viciously, the physician 11:41 Tue, Aug 20 ti RR. would save her life and let him continue to torture her. At that time, Lydia even thought she was going to die at Ronan¡¯s hands, just like Leni. Fortunately, someone plotted against the Jones family, and she seized the chance to escape. 73% In truth, she didn¡¯t escape by herself. When she fled, the people of the Zentiscape embassy saw her and saved her secretly. After all, she had stayed with Ronan for some time and knew some of his secrets, which she handed over to the government, whoter sent her back to Zentiscape. After she had returned to Zentiscape, she found that she was pregnant. Lydia had thought of all kinds of ways to get rid of the baby in her womb but failed. Later, when she felt fetal movements, she slowly epted the baby, which was ire. She thought ire was only a child and different from Ronan. Little did she expect their peaceful life to be disturbed again over 20 yearster. The reason was still because of ire, as she was the only surviving lineage of the Jones family, and Ronan needed her back as an heiress. Lydia knew Ronan very well and was aware of his tricks. Although she could lodge a report and seek help from the mothend, there was no way thetter would arrange for someone to protect her and ire every day.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Lydia understood the importance of being the only heir to the Jones family and knew that she and ire couldn¡¯t escape this time. It would only make her fall out with Ryan if she resisted stubbornly. She and ire might be forcibly separated and not have a chance to see each other in the future. In the end, Lydia pretended to be in love with Ronan, took the initiative to approach him, and returned to the Jones family with ire. Lydia had been very cautious for the next few years and finally realized that ire couldn¡¯t fit in the Jones family. In the past few years, ire resolutely refused to get married and give birth to an heir. Lydia was both gratified and distressed. She was d that ire was different from those scumbags of the Jones family. At the same time, she was distressed as to why ire would have to get involved with those scumbags. CHAPTER 296 At the same time, Charlie also learned about the news. Lydia had ordered the bodyguards in advance to send the letter to Charlie¡¯s hand. Besides, the bodyguards informed Charlie that ire was in Zentiscape. After reading the letter, Charlie rushed to the airport desperately, bought a ticket, and boarded the next flight to Strico. In the letter, Lydia said she would ask the bodyguards to send ire to Hoggard Vi when everything was over, and Charlie could go there for ire. Meanwhile, in Jacaster, ire wanted to return to Yowhayton but was stopped by the bodyguards. The bodyguards took her into a car and sent her directly to Hoggard Vi in Strico. It was Lydia¡¯s arrangement beforehand. She asked them to keep an eye on Kelly after everything was over and never allowed Kelly to return to Yowhayton to look for her. Moreover, Lydia evenmanded them to escort Kelly to Hoggard Vi in person. Although all the direct lines that once manipted them had died, no one could guarantee that the branch family wouldn¡¯t send someone to assassinate Kelly once they officially assumed authority. Therefore, Lydia believed Kelly should seek refuge within Hoggard Vi for her safety in the immediate future. As for other rtionships, Lydia had already made up her mind. As long as ire didn¡¯t want to regain her identity as Kelly Jones, didn¡¯t covet the power and authority of the Jones family, and didn¡¯tpete with the branch family for status, she would have no conflicting interests with the Jones family¡¯s branches. Moreover, ire could also receive protection from the Hoggard family after being with Charlie. If ire regained her identity as Kelly and stayed in the Jones family, it would be impossible for the Hoggard family to stand by their side and protect Kelly. After all, the Hoggard family had such a big family business. She believed Hayden wouldn¡¯t ruin the entire family¡¯s future for a woman ¨C especially who was his brother¨Cinw¡¯s wife. In contrast, if ire broke away from the Jones family, refrained from getting involved in their bid for power, and just lived as an ordinary woman ¨C particrly Hayden¡¯s brother¨Cinw¡¯s wife ¨C there would be no problem for the Hoggard family to grant ire some influence and provide her a measure of protection. Lydia had checked on the character of the Carter and Hoggard families and found they were both excellent families. Hence, she was willing to bet they would help her protect ire well. In Hoggard Vi, Hayden and Stacey also received a scheduled email from Lydia¡¯s alternative ount in advance. A whirlwind of emotions swept through them as they read the email ¨C surprise, suspicion, unease, worry, and expectant. Not only were they surprised to receive such an email, but they were also astonished that Lydia and Ronan¡¯s rtionship turned out to be a truth far moreplex than the mere infatuation they had assumed. The suddenness of the email left them doubting its authenticity. Meanwhile, the breaking news from Yowhayton had them on edge, fearing potential consequences. Lydia¡¯s mention in the email of sending ire to seek refuge in their home added to their concern, especially since ire hadn¡¯t arrived as promised. They couldn¡¯t help but worry about whether something might happen to ire along the way. Amidst the uncertainty, they awaited ire¡¯s arrival. But while they were swallowed by the mixed feelings, Stacey¡¯s phone suddenly rang. It was Charlie. Before she answered the phone, Stacey had anticipated what Charlie wanted to ask. She believed Charlie must have received the same news and called to inquire about ire. Despite her assumptions, Stacey quickly answered the phone.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. True to her suspicions, Charlie indeed called to ask about ire. Stacey could only be honest with Charlie, assuring him they would arrange to find ire and appease Charlie. Meanwhile, after knowing that ire hadn¡¯t arrived at Hoggard Vi, Charlie became extremely panicked and worried that something might happen to her. Suddenly, a doubtful thought came to his mind, ¡®Or did she return to Yowhayton? No! She can¡¯t go back now! Absolutely not! If ire returns at this critical time, the Jones family¡¯s branches surely won¡¯t spare her!¡± Charlie had called ire earlier but couldn¡¯t get through, and all the calls went unanswered. After finishing the call with Stacey, he couldn¡¯t restrain himself and continued to call ire At the same time, on the highway, ire was being watched by the bodyguards while traveling to Stri?o. To prevent Kelly 11:41 Tue, Aug 20 i R R. 13%1 from calling someone to ¡°rescue¡± her, the bodyguards had no choice but to put aside her phone and bag, ensuring she couldn¡¯t make any calls. After all, Kelly had been in the Jones family for a decade and learned quite a lot. If they handed her the phone, she might summon mercenaries, escape from them, and return to Yowhayton. As time passed, Charlie arrived at Hoggard Vi but didn¡¯t see Kelly. Plus, her phone remained frustratingly unreachable. Charlie¡¯s anxiety grew with each passing second. After an hour, he could no longer wait idly and picked up his clothes, intending to go to Yowhayton. Instantly, Hayden grabbed Charlie and reminded him, ¡°I¡¯ve asked my friends in Yowhayton to keep an eye on her. If Kelly goes back, they¡¯ll tell me. But for now, she may still be in Zentiscape.¡± ¡°But what if she goes back?¡± Charlie yelled out of control, tears welling up. Charlie insisted on leaving, and no one could stop him. Stacey was so anxious that she tried her best to pull Charlie, but it was futile. Finally, Hayden¡¯s bodyguards stepped in, forcibly restraining Charlie and preventing him from leaving. Regardless of whether Kelly had returned to Yowhayton, Charlie couldn¡¯t go there at such a critical time. The sudden deaths of both direct descendants of Jones Group overnight have surely thrown Yowhayton into chaos. Given Charlie¡¯s special identity, going there at the moment would be akin to walking straight into danger. Charlie struggled fiercely, leaving Stacey to watch with aching concern. Holding Charlie, she keptforting him. As he failed to break through the grip, Charlie finally broke down in tears and begged Becky to let him go. Stacey also cried, but she couldn¡¯t release him. She couldn¡¯t bear to watch Charlie walk willingly into danger. They cried from day to night, and even the children joined in, turning their home into a chaotic scene. At 8 p.m., Hayden¡¯s subordinate finally confirmed that Kelly hadn¡¯t returned to Yowhayton but was on the highway to Strico. Hayden hurriedly informed Charlie and Stacey. Hearing the news, Charlie, whose eyes were red from crying, immediately raised his head. Hayden then urged him, ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to pick her up!¡± Stacey was equally surprised but relieved by the news. However, with so many children in the house, Stacey could only stay behind and ensure their safety. Then, she watched Hayden take Charlie to pick ire up. After getting into the car, Charlie remained very uneasy. He tried to speak several times, but no words escaped his lips. Hayden handed him a piece of bread and advised, ¡°Eat something to fill your stomach. You¡¯ll need more strengthter.¡± CHAPTER 297 Chapter 297 Charlie looked at Hayden, then took the bread and bit into it. ¡°Is she really still in the country?¡± Charlie asked anxiously while eating. Hayden promised, ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you.¡± Charlie suddenlyughed happily, but after a while, his eyes turned somewhat sad. ¡°Her mother passed away; she must be very sad.¡± Hayden stated solemnly, ¡°Yes. So you must restrain yourself andfort her properlyter. Just keep herpany.¡± Charlie immediately nodded heavily in agreement. After finishing the bread, Charlie hurriedly took out his phone and searched online for the news of the Jones family. He spent quite some time reading, then turned to Hayden and whispered, ¡°Is there any chance¡­ to bring ire¡¯s mom¡¯s body back?¡± Hayden was silent for a long time and then said, ¡°It¡¯s a bit difficult.¡± Charlie sighed helplessly upon hearing his reply. But after a moment of hesitation, Hayden added, ¡°But it¡¯s not solely impossible.¡± ¡°What?¡± Charlie eximed, looking at Hayden with bright eyes. ¡°Is there a way? What¡¯s it?¡± Charlie asked expectantly. Hayden said cautiously, ¡°The entire direct descendants of Jones Group have died. If Kelly doesn¡¯t pursue it further, everyone in Yowhayton might consider it a win¨Cwin situation and arrange for a swift burial. When her body arrives at the funeral home, I can arrange for someone to secretly rece Mrs. Sullivan¡¯s ashes and bring them back.¡± Charlie thought about it carefully and nodded in surprise. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s feasible!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about it first. I¡¯ll send someone to have a try. If possible, we can bring Mrs. Sullivan¡¯s ashes back. You shouldfort Kellyter and never let her return to Yowhayton. Many people in Yowhayton want her dead now. If she goes back, she will die,¡± Hayden warned. Charlie immediately nodded and replied, ¡°I got it.¡± Hayden fell silent for a while and then said, ¡°For theing days, you¡¯d better stay at my house with Kelly. Don¡¯t venture outside. The family branch of Jones Group may hire mercenaries to assassinate Kelly. Only the Hoggard family can protect her.¡± Upon hearing Hayden¡¯s words, Charlie was so touched that his words turned into sincere gratitude. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said earnestly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to cause you trouble this time.¡± Charlie had never imagined burdening Hayden before, but at that time, only the Hoggard family could ensure ire¡¯s safety. ¡°Don¡¯t be polite. We are family,¡± Hayden said earnestly. Two hourster, they finally met in the service area with ire. As soon as the bodyguards saw Hayden, they immediately handed Kelly to Hayden without hesitation. Almost immediately, Charlie rushed forward and enveloped Kelly in his arms. Kelly had been on the verge of breaking but tried hard to hold it back. The moment she was embraced by Charlie and found someone she could rely on, she finally couldn¡¯t hold back any longer and burst into tears in Charlie¡¯s arms. As it was not safe outside, Hayden motioned Charlie to take Kelly back to the car. Charlie then swiftly picked ire up and returned to the car together. The cars of the Hoggard family were specially reinforced; even if someone fired shots from outside, the bullets would struggle to prate the windows. However, amidst all the potential threats outside, Hayden soon ordered the driver to leave and return to Strico. < 11:41 Tue, Aug 20 ti RR. 73%1 When they were on the way back, Hayden sent a message to Stacey, informing her that they had sessfully picked up Kelly so that Stacey wouldn¡¯t be so worried about them at home. In truth, Stacey had been worried about them. But as soon as holding Kelly, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.. as she saw the message from Hayden with a photo of Charlie Acknowledging the concern within the Carter family, Stacey promptly shared the messages in the family group chat to provide reassurance. When the Carter family received the news and learned that Charlie and Kelly were with Hayden, everyone instantly felt relieved. Having unwavering trust in the loggard family¡¯s security system, they were sure that Charlie and Kelly would be safe around Hayden. After calling Stacey and confirming that Charlie and Kelly would go to Hoggard Vi several times, Debra also packed her things up, intending to go over to take care of the children. Patrick was very helpless, but he didn¡¯t stop Debra in the end. He knew that Becky had her hands full with children, and with Debra¡¯s assistance in taking care of the kids for Becky, Becky could also spend time with Kelly. Becky and Kelly were about the same age, so they should get along better. When the rest of the family also wanted to go with Debra, Patrick firmly stopped them. After all, Kelly was currently going through a difficult time, and having too many people visit would only burden her and make her feel exhausted. After reconsidering it carefully, everyone agreed that Patrick¡¯s view was reasonable and finally suppressed their worries. However, they instructed Stacey to promptly inform them if anything happened so they could lend a hand if needed. It was almost dawn when Hayden and Charlie took Kelly back to Hoggard Vi. Kelly had enough crying and calmed down, but she still insisted on returning to Yowhayton. Both Charlie and Hayden then quickly showed her the letters or emails they had received from Lydia. Finally, Hayden added, ¡°I¡¯ll find a way to send your mother¡¯s body back. If you go back, you¡¯re simply sending your life to them. Your mom won¡¯t feel at ease even if she is down there.¡± His words instantly brought tears to Kelly again. ¡°Mom didn¡¯t tell me.¡± She choked and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°She has never told me about the before.¡± past Charlie hugged ire andforted earnestly, ¡°You hoped you could live a happy life.¡± mom probably just doesn¡¯t want you to worry about her. Perhaps she ¡°But I misunderstood her¡­ I¡¯ve misunderstood her for so many years. I thought she was just infatuated, that she genuinely liked that jerk, Ronan¡­¡± ire sobbed ufortably. ¡°If¡­ If I knew things would go to this point, I wouldn¡¯t have left. I wouldn¡¯t leave!¡± ire¡¯s eyes were red as she spoke through her tears. Holding her in his arms, Charlie nodded and coaxed her, ¡°I knew.¡± When Stacey saw theming, she hurriedly weed them. Come inside.¡± Then, they entered the living room of Hoggard Vi together and sat on the couch. In a short time, the children all ran over, eyeing them curiously, especially Abigail and Aaron, who couldn¡¯t resist their inquisitiveness. But they were all taken away by Jeremy in the end. Jeremy pulled all his younger siblings aside and warned seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb them.¡±N?velDrama.Org ? content. ¡°Why?¡± Abigail asked in confusion. Lillian looked at ire, who had juste to their house, in the living room, and said seriously, ¡°She is crying.¡± CHAPTER 298 Chapter 298 ¡°Why is she crying?¡± Aaron asked. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s upset,¡± Kevin guessed, looking equally puzzled. The group of little children were whispering amongst themselves nearby. They thought their voices weren¡¯t loud enough to be heard, but Stacey caught every word. Hayden also overheard the children¡¯s whispers and decided to take action. He immediately walked over and gently guided them out, leading them upstairs to y. Kelly, or rather ire, needed rest, and she shouldn¡¯t be disturbed right now. Once upstairs, Hayden asked the children to y quietly and not to go downstairs to disturb ire. Meanwhile, Stacey was busy preparing food and drinks for Charlie and ire downstairs. ire hadn¡¯t eaten in a long time, but she wasn¡¯t feeling hungry. She just felt miserable and drained. ¡°Do you want to rest for a while? We¡¯ve prepared a guest room upstairs,¡± Stacey offered gently. Then, turning to Charlie, she said, ¡°Charlie, take ire to the room to rest. If you¡¯re tired, just get some shut¨Ceye. Call me if you need anything to eat. I¡¯ll have someone prepare it right away.¡± Charlie nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± Without wasting a moment, he picked ire up. Stacey led the way, and Charlie followed her upstairs, carrying ire in his arms. Stacey opened the door to the guest room they had prepared in advance and stepped aside to let Charlie carry ire in. After they entered, Stacey hesitated for a moment before carefully leaving the room, not wanting to disturb them. She then went downstairs, prepared some fruits and milk, and brought them back upstairs. She thought they might want something to snack on or drinkter. After setting the tray down quietly in the room, Stacey stepped out and closed the door softly. As soon as she came out, she was met with five pairs of curious eyes ¨C Jeremy, Lillian, Kevin, Abigail, and Aaron ¨C all looking up at her with questions written all over their faces. All the children were curious about ire¡¯s sudden appearance Stacey thought for a moment and decided to bring them downstairs to talk. ¡°Mommy, who¡¯s thatdy?¡± Kevin asked curiously. Stacey pondered then said, ¡°She¡¯s the girl your Uncle Charlie likes the most.¡± The children¡¯s eyes lit up with surprise and excitement. Abigail eximed, ¡°Someone finally wants Uncle Charlie?¡± Stacey was taken aback by thisment butughed, nodding in agreement. ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°So, will she be our aunt in the future?¡± Lillian asked happily. ¡°But why is she crying?N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. id someone mistreat Aunt ire?¡± Jeremy asked with a concerned frown. Stacey struggled to exin the situation to the children as it was tooplicated for them to fully understand. ¡°No one- mistreated her. Aunt ire¡­ Something happened at home. Her mom¡­ just passed away, so she¡¯s very upset, Stacey said cautiously, choosing her words carefully. At this, Jeremy¡¯s eyes widened with understanding. He looked upstairs, worried about ire. The twins, Lillian and Kevin, along with Abigail and Aaron, were too young to fully grasp the gravity of death. They couldn¡¯tprehend how terrible and sad it could be. ire still wanted to return to Yowhayton, but Charlie kept holding her, staying by her side, and constantlyforting her to prevent her from leaving. In the first few days, ire couldn¡¯t even eat. It wasn¡¯t until a few days that Hayden informed them that Lydia¡¯s body had been brought here and would be transported back to the country through special channels soon. ire was stunned. She couldn¡¯t believe that Hayden could arrange all this. She thought, ¡®But¡­ this is the Hoggard family. With their connections, it doesn¡¯t seem all that impossible. Those people in Yowhayton are probably eager to close the case as soon as possible and bury Mom and the others. Then those coteral rtives can openlypete for the management of Jones Group.¡¯ In the end, ire decided she didn¡¯t care anymore. She didn¡¯t want to get involved in the chaos within Jones Group at all. All she wanted was to see Lydia¡¯s body onest time. Just as Hayden had said, Lydia¡¯s body was brought back two days . When ire saw Lydia¡¯s body with her own eyes, she couldn¡¯t control herself and broke down in tears. Charlie stayed by her side the entire time, and they prepared Lydia¡¯s funeral together. Given the circumstances, the burial had to be conducted quietly. Fortunately, after Lydia was rest, ire¡¯s emotions finally began to stabilize. For the next year, Charlie remained by ire¡¯s side, providing quiet year , ire finally emerged from her grief. With everyone¡¯s blessing, Charlie chose Valentine¡¯s Day to set up a romantic proposal. He proposed to ire, and she said yes. Charlie was so overjoyed that he immediately stood up, hugged her, and spun her around in sheer happiness. After the sessful proposal, ire took Charlie to the cemetery to visit Lydia¡¯s grave. ire sat in front of the tombstone for a long time until dusk before quietly leaving. Three monthster, the Carter family prepared a wedding for Charlie and ire in their hometown of gua City. Due to ire¡¯s special identity, the wedding couldn¡¯t be too high¨Cprofile, but the family still prepared and decorated the ce beautifully and festively. When Charlie was about to get married, all the children in the Carter family eagerly volunteered to be flower girls and boys. In the end, Charlie and ire couldn¡¯t stop smiling at these adorable little kids. ire decided to let all the children be flower girls and boys for their wedding, which made the children ecstatic. They huddled around ire, full of excitement and joy. On the wedding day, they didn¡¯t invite many guests; it was mostly family members. Although there weren¡¯t many outsiders, the celebration was incredibly lively, and everyone was in high spirits. The whole day was filled with happiness and joy. When the wedding was over and night fell, the Carter family set off fireworks that lit up the sky beautifully all night long. After that night, Charlie finally had his own partner, and their love story reached a new chapter. Due to their special status, Charlie and ire couldn¡¯t go on a honeymoon abroad. However, for the two lovers who had been separated for more than ten years, being together was their greatest happiness, and the idea of a honeymoon didn¡¯t matter much. A few monthster, ire began experiencing morning sickness After a visit to the doctor, they received the joyous news that ire was pregnant. Everyone was thrilled, but Charlie and ire were the happiest of all. They were both surprised and eagerly anticipated the arrival of their baby. Charlie decided to take a break from his work in the entertainment industry, turning down drama roles to focus on staying at home with ire. He devoted himself to taking care of her and learning all about parenting. Interestingly, as Charlie immersed himself in learning about infant care, he also invested in many baby products, which turned out to be a profitable venture. Charlie thought, ¡®I can only properly support my wife and child if I have money. I¡¯m about to be a man who needs to provide for his family! CHAPTER 299 Chapter 299 Ever since Charlie got married, he didn¡¯t have as much time to y with the children in the family. As a result, the children missed Charlie more and were very curious about the baby in ire¡¯s belly. During Christmas, all the children in the family came back. Even Bryce and Ramona brought their two sons back. So, a group of children all ran to ire, curiously observing the unborn baby still in its mother¡¯s womb. However, Charlie wouldn¡¯t allow the children to look for too long. After all, children were yful, and there were so many of them. What if they identally pushed ire? He only gave the children two minutes before chasing them away. He quickly isted all of them three feet away from ire and wouldn¡¯t allow them to get any closer. The rest of the family also understood Charlie¡¯s idea. They would call their children over and educate them seriously. Fortunately, the children in the Carter family loved all their siblings very much and knew that the baby in ire¡¯s belly was also their future younger sibling. They were careful whenever they approached ire and would even stop running and walk carefully around her. The adults had told them not to run around ire and not to push her. Pregnant women might miscarry if they fell down, and a miscarriage would kill the baby in ire¡¯s womb. ire felt very warm and happy when she saw how everyone was taking care of her and how many people in the Carter family were looking forward to the birth of her baby. The Carter family was really a warm and happy big family. The atmosphere here waspletely different from that of the Jones family. asionally, ire would still think of Lydia. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder that if Lydia was still alive, she¡¯d definitely be happy to see how well the Carter family treated her. On Christmas night, the chef prepared a sumptuous dinner, and Charlie also personally cooked her favorite dishes. After the meal, everyone went to watch the fireworks together. The Carter family prepared a lot of fireworks. After all, there were children in the family who liked lively activities and watching beautiful fireworks. But ire didn¡¯t expect that she would suddenly have contractions while setting off the fireworks. She was about to give birth. Almost the next second, Charlie noticed something was wrong with her and rushed over immediately. Then, the entire Carter family was in chaos. Nobody was in the mood for Christmas anymore. They were all anxious but were quick. They drove ire to the hospital immediately. Debra quickly called Stacey. Since getting married, Stacey and Hayden took turns going to Carter Vi and Hoggard Manor during Christmas. It was their turn to celebrate Christmas at Hoggard Manor this year, so they weren¡¯t at Carter Vi. At Hoggard Manor, Stacey suddenly received a call from Debra, She was surprised to learn that ire was about to give birth. Hayden, who was still setting off fireworks with the children, was stunned when he heard Stacey¡¯s surprised voice and then smiled. He stood up and approached Jack to ask him to take care of the five children. Jack was also a little surprised. He didn¡¯t expect that ire would give birth on Christmas. But this was a good thing, and he was also happy. So, he immediately agreed to help Hayden take care of the children. With Jack and Audrey helping to look after the children, Hayden was no longer worried. He immediately took Stacey outside and was about to catch a taxi to the hospital.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. +59% +5 ¡°Daddy, Mommy, is Aunt ire going to give birth? I want to go too!¡± Jeremy said seriously as he ran over immediately after hearing them. Over the past few years, Charlie often yed with Jeremy so Jeremy had a very good rtionship with him. He also wanted to go over, knowing ire was going to have a baby. ¡°I want to go too!¡± Lillian echoed. ¡°Me too!¡± Kevin followed. Lillian and Kevin soon ran over excitedly. Their eyes glowed with excitement. Abigail and Aaron were still young, so they didn¡¯t understand what their siblings were saying. But when they heard that their siblings wanted to go together, the two kids mored to go along as well. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all go together? It¡¯ll be more lively with more people. It¡¯s a happy asion anyway, so it won¡¯t be a problem,¡± Audrey said with a smile. Jack also said, ¡°Although there are a lot of kids, we¡¯re going together, so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for each of us to look after one or two of them.¡± Stacey smiled. She looked at her parents¨Cinw and nodded. ¡°Okay, then we¡¯ll go together.¡± In reality, when they just got married, Stacey was quite reserved in front of her parents¨Cinw. But after spending more time together, she found that Jack and Audrey were also easy to get along with. They had good family traditions like the Carter family. Now they got along very well and had a good rtionship. After they made up their minds, they went into the house together to tell Jason and Sharon about it. They were also very happy to hear that Charlie¡¯s wife was going to have a baby. So, they quickly told Stacey and the others to go and not to worry about the house. After discussing everything, they soon set off together. On the way to the hospital, Stacey was very happy. She couldn¡¯t help but fantasize about what Charlie and ire¡¯s baby would look like. Would it be a boy or a girl? Charlie had thought of many names for the baby, including names for boys and girls. All of them were decided after discussing with ire. It was just that there were too many names that they thought of, and each of them was good, so they couldn¡¯t decide which one to use. As she was thinking, they soon arrived at the hospital. Stacey led the family all the way to the outside of the delivery room. Upon arriving, Stacey realized that it wasn¡¯t only them who brought the whole family; Adrian and Isabe had brought their two children, and so did Bryce and Ramona, as well as their parents. The whole family was there. ¡°How¡¯s ire? How long has it been?¡± Stacey walked over and couldn¡¯t help asking her mother. Debra looked at Stacey and then the delivery room, unable to contain her happiness. ¡°She just went in. It may take a while.¡± As Debra spoke, she looked toward the group of people following behind Stacey, especially Hayden¡¯s parents. Debra and Patrick weren¡¯t expecting Jack and Audrey toe too. They immediately came over to greet them. Jack and Audrey were also very happy and chatted with them with a smile. When Ynda saw Abigail and Aaron hade, she immediately ran over to y with them. They were closer in met one another often, so they had a close rtionship. CHAPTER 300 Chapter 300 59% Bryce and Ramona¡¯s eldest son was Walter Carter, and the second was Timothy Carter. Their nicknames were Wally and Timmy, respectively. The two adorable kids hesitated for a moment, but in the end, they also ran to Abigail and Aaron with Ynda, and the kids gathered together in a group. Jeremy and Damian were the oldest, so they stood together. Lillian and Kevin had always been close to Jeremy since they were little, so they also stood alongside Jeremy. When the hospital staff saw they were all there, someone quickly came over and invited them to the office to rest. They didn¡¯t want to leave, so the nurse brought over some chairs for them to sit and wait. A woman¡¯s painful roar came from the operating room. Charlie stood at the door, anxious. Adrian and Bryce couldn¡¯t help but tease their younger brother when they saw him. The reason was simple. When their wives were giving birth, they were extremely nervous, but Charlie still mocked them from the outside. They had to revenge when the opportunity arose! get their Charlie felt speechless as his older brothers teased him. But no matter what, having family around to distract him made him feel less nervous. Two hours , a loud baby¡¯s cry was heard in the delivery room. Charlie¡¯s eyes lit up, and he eximed excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± Everyone waiting outside the delivery room also breathed a sigh of relief at almost the same time. They were happy that the baby was born. They didn¡¯t know whether it was a boy or a girl. But it should be very cute either way. Everyone stood up and waited for the delivery room door to open and for the nurse to bring the baby out. However, after waiting a while, there was still no movement from inside. Everyone became anxious, feeling both restless and eager. After waiting a few more minutes, the delivery room door finally opened. The nurse came out holding a baby. ¡°Where¡¯s ire? How¡¯s she?¡± Charlie rushed into the delivery room without even looking at the baby. Everyone was speechless. The nurse holding the baby was momentarily stunned and then amused. She quickly went back into the delivery room with the baby. ire was soon wheeled out, and everyone learned the baby was a daughter. Charlie carefully held his daughter and followed ire closely until they returned to the ward. Stacey quickly went over and, along with the nurse, helped transfer ire to the hospital bed. After seeing ire was taken care of, everyone went to look at the baby. However, after just a few minutes, Charlie pushed them all aside. Charlie held the baby and immediately brought it to ire, carefully handing the baby to her for a look. ire also gazed down at her baby. ¡®She¡¯s very tiny and a bit ugly. But, usually, newborns look like that, right?¡® ire thought to herself. As she continued to look at the baby, she found herself liking her more and more. This was her and Charlie¡¯s baby. She had only dared to secretly imagine it, never believing they could have a baby. Now, it had all be true. The baby¡¯s eyes were still closed and looked very quiet. ¡°ire, are you tired? Rest for a while. If you are thirsty, hungry, or want anything, just let us know, and we will get it for you,¡± Debra said happily to the exhausted daughter¨Cinw. ire shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± She really didn¡¯t want to eat right now, but she was indeed a bit tired.C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org Most people in the room had children, so they could tell ire was tired. ¡°Let¡¯s go out for now and let ire rest well,¡± Stacey said. Everyone nodded in agreement and went outside together. But the group of children was very curious about the newborn. baby. They were reluctant to leave and kept looking back, eager to see the baby. However, the adults did not indulge their curiosity at this time. They picked up the children and went out. Too many people hade, and it was not practical for everyone to crowd in the hospital. Once outside, everyone stood around until Charlie came out and told everyone to go home. They wanted to go home, but seeing Charlie and ire in the Chapter 300 hospital room, everyone felt genuinely happy but reluctant. Ig359%#! Fortunately, ire did not stay in the hospital for long. Due to her special status, no one knew if the Jones family had given up on assassination attempts, and waiting outside for a long time was very dangerous. They moved to their home the next day and had a doctor stay at the house to check on ire and the baby at any time. The next day, Carly brought Ronald to their house. She had heard ire giving birth the night before, and she and Ronald were very curious about the newborn. When Ronald arrived, Jeremy was very happy and immediately took Ronald upstairs so they could see his newborn sister! Although Damian was younger than Ronald, Ronald was too young to remember much from when Damian was born. Ronald had almost forgotten everything from his childhood. This time, he was extremely happy to see the baby. Charlie was in the room, taking care of his wife after childbirth while keeping an eye on the baby. Since his daughter was born, she had be the family¡¯s darling. From this morning onward, people kepting by to see the baby, one visit after another., When ire needed to rest, Charlie made sure not to let anyone disturb her. However, when ire was up and was in a good mood, he did not stop anyone froming in. He even bragged about his little baby to everyone, constantly telling the children that the baby was the cutest! ire couldn¡¯t help but smile secretly as she watched Charlie boast about their baby. Stacey, worried the children might cause trouble, also came in to keep irepany. Carly, Isabe¡¯s older sister, soon followed. When ire lived with the Hoggard family, Stacey often took time to keep herpany. After work, Carly would also bring Ronald to their house to spend time with ire. Over time, the women¡¯s mutualpanionship helped their rtionship improve, and they gradually became close friends without even realizing it. Stacey and Carly had both given birth and had a lot of experience with postnatal care and taking care of children. When the three of them sat together, they found themselves with countless topics to discuss. They were very happy and never felt bored. Seeing that ire was enjoying herself and was not feeling lonely, Charlie focused on entertaining the baby. The newborn baby couldn¡¯t turn over by herself and was very tiny. Charlie held the baby carefully, afraid of hurting her. However, he couldn¡¯t help himself and repeatedly picked up the little one gently, ying with her. This was his and ire¡¯s daughter, who looked as adorable as her mother! CHAPTER 301 Chapter 301 +5 Time flew by, and a month had passed. ire had finished her confinement period and no longer needed to be as cautious every day as before. After discussing with Charlie, ire decided to invite an an expert to teach herbat arts. She didn¡¯t want to live in constant fear and caution forever. One day, she wanted to go out and live a normal life like everyone else. Especially now that she had a daughter, she needed to protect her in the future. It wasn¡¯t just ire who wanted to learnbat arts. Charlie soon realized the responsibility resting on his shoulders. He needed to protect his wife and his daughter in the future. So, he decided to train alongside ire. ire and the baby had special identities as direct descendants of the Jones family. There was a possibility that even extended members of the Jones family might target them. They couldn¡¯t hire outsiders to care for the child, so only family members could take on that responsibility. Fortunately, after caring for so many babies, Debra had be skilled at looking after children. She no longer went out shopping with her friends every day. Instead, she preferred staying home and ying with Serena, her granddaughter. ¡°Rena¡± was the nickname of Charlie and ire¡¯s daughter, and the child¡¯s full name was Serena Carter. The name was chosen by ire. It doesn¡¯t carry aplex meaning. It was just a wish for her daughter¡¯s life to be serene and pure, unlike the darkness associated with the Jones family. In addition to learningbat arts, ire, like Charlie, also used the inte to invest in various ventures. Having been trained as an heir of the Jones family for many years, ire had a keen eye for investment. The projects she invested in quickly became profitable. Life was getting better, and time was passing quickly. asionally, Debra couldn¡¯t help but drag ire out for a walk. It had been a while since the incident with the Jones family, so they probably weren¡¯t being monitored every day. Most importantly, they brought extra bodyguards to ensure their safety when they went out. asionally, they would also visit the Carter family¡¯s mines. The mines were rich in high¨Cquality emeralds. When they came across something they liked, they would cut them and have them made into pieces of jewelry they fancied. As time passed, Serena grew up gradually. She learned to roll over, say ¡°Dad¡± and ¡°Mom,¡± and walked. Every milestone in the child¡¯s growth brought joy to the whole family. Especially Charlie, who would always pick up his daughter and spin her around, making Serena giggle with delight. To make it easier for ire to watch movies, Charlie built arge home theater in their house. This way, they could enjoy watching big movies without leaving home. When the little one was over a year old and walking steadily, ire had already selected several original novels online and bought the film adaptation rights. Charlie immediately sought out a professional editor to adapt these novels. It was worth mentioning that the entertainmentpany Charlie started, the L&K Group, had developed into a leadingpany in the entertainment industry over the years. Thepany had a wide range of actors, so they didn¡¯t need to look for actors outside if they wanted to produce a drama. They could use their own. Malcolm had already be an award¨Cwinning actor a few years ago, and his poprity had remained high. Over the years, he had be a well¨Cdeserved national idol. When he learned that the script Charlie was using was selected by his wife and intended for adaptation, Malcolm didn¡¯t hesitate at all. He immediately agreed to take on a major role and promised his best performance in the drama. With Malcolm¡¯s involvement, the drama¡¯s viewership was almost guaranteed. Many neers in thepany were eager to be cast in the show. Charlie directly arranged for thepany¡¯s internal director to interview thepany¡¯s employees. He then had them send the results to ire for review. Since these novels were ire¡¯s favorites, Charlie felt she would know what kind of actors she wanted. 14:16 Wed, Aug 21 RC G Ò»ÈÕ¼ÒÌ×59% ire indeed knew what she wanted. Although she wasn¡¯t experienced in this, she had thoroughly studied the characters personalities in the books before buying the adaptation rights. Based on her understanding, she selected suitable actors and consulted Charlie for his opinion. Charlie was undoubtedly a professional. With just a nce at the actors¡® performances, he could tell who was suitable and who wasn¡¯t. Together, the couple finalized several scripts. Once the scripts and actors were in ce, Charlie instructed the team to begin filming. The shooting process was quick, finishing in just a few months, followed by the release and broadcast. The first script became a hit! Charlie stayed in their home theater and watched the first drama with ire. As the following dramas were still in production, ire suddenly said she wanted to go out and have a look. Charlie hesitated, worried about potential dangers outside. However, in the end, they decided to go out together. They couldn¡¯t stay at home forever. Although their home was safe, living in a ce that felt like a prison was also frightening. The first outing went smoothly without any incidents. The only downside was that because Charlie was once an award- winning actor, too many people recognized him. Now, whenever he went out, he had to disguise himself. Otherwise, being recognized could lead to a lot of trouble. Charlie was not afraid of being recognized by others, but he was worried about paparazzi taking photos and identally exposing ire. What if someone from the Jones family saw ire and sent people to deal with her? They were still very cautious on their second outing, but it went smoothly without any incidents. After the first two outings, they went on a third, fourth, and so on. Gradually, their outings became more frequent, and they grew bolder over time. Perhaps since Kelly had not appeared for a long time and had not returned to im the Jones family¡¯s inheritance, the Jones family no longer wanted to target her. After all, she was now with Charlie, and the Hoggard family had made it clear that they would protect her. If the Jones family still wanted to take action against her, it would be an obvious offense against the Hoggard family. It would not be a wise move.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content. The robots manufactured by the Hoggard family had the world¡¯s best attack and defense capabilities. Royalty and leaders from various countries were using them. What would happen if the Jones family offended the Hoggard family and the Hoggard family refused to take on any more orders from the Jones family? At that point, all the top¨Ctier nobles worldwide would have high¨Ctech robots developed by the Hoggard family, and the Jones family would not have any. They would quickly face disaster. When Serena was two years old, the power struggle among the coteral branches of the Jones family finally ended. Through the Hoggard family, the new family head quietly sent regards to Charlie and Serena, or rather, Kelly, and expressed their intentions. The general message was that as long as Kelly did not intend to return to fight for their power, the Jones family would not take any action against her. They reassured her not to worry. Meanwhile, the Jones family proposed a truce to the Hoggard family, expressing their desire for long¨Cterm cooperation. CHAPTER 302 Chapter 302 Naturally, the Hoggard family did not agree to the demands of the Jones family and had no intention of doing so. After all, Kelly was now with. Charlie, and they had a child together. Both Kelly and their daughter, Serena, were considered lineal descendants of the Jones family. If the Hoggard family cooperated with the Jones family and the Jones family grew stronger, there was a chance they would eventually turn against the lineal descendants and try to kill Kelly and Serena. The Hoggard family¡¯s refusal irritated the current leaders of the Jones family¡¯s branch family, but that was the end of it. They didn¡¯t dare to offend the Hoggard family and left in frustration. The Hoggard family didn¡¯t keep their refusal to cooperate with the Jones family a secret. Instead, they discreetly let the news spread. When the two other major groups in Yowhayton, aside from the Jones family, learned the news, they were relieved and even pleased because it meant they could freely encroach on the Jones family¡¯s territory. Following the sudden and unexpected death of the Jones family¡¯s direct heir, the newly appointed branch family leader was unfamiliar with previous business operations. Furthermore, thepanies that had coborated with the Jones family favored the lineal descendant over the branch family. Now that the branch family was in charge, their rtionships naturally deteriorated, giving the other two major families ample opportunities to poach partners and sow discord. Over the next six months, the Jones family¡¯s global businesses suffered a significant decline, with many partners taken over by the other two families. The Jones family¡¯s influence and status in Yowhayton were significantly weakened. The Jones family had to concentrate on battling the other two major families. They were too busy trying to stabilize their power and status to engage in internal strife, leaving them with little time to trouble Kelly. Meanwhile, in Zentiscape, Kelly and Charlie gradually let their guard down. Initially wary, they breathed a sigh of relief when they discovered that the Jones family was under pressure from the other two major groups and was too preupied to bother them. Kelly and Charlie co¨Cinvested in several film projects. Some flopped, while others were unable to be released due to unforeseen circumstances, resulting in substantial losses. However, some projects were extremely sessful and produced excellent results, resulting in significant profits overall. As time passed, Kelly umted her own funds in Zentiscape. She then established a website, attracting many authors and screenwriters to write novels and scripts. Outstanding novels were quickly adapted, and excellent scripts were swiftly produced. Herpany and Charlie¡¯spany, the L&K Group, formed a strong alliance, facilitating bothpanies¡® growth. As Kelly and Charlie¡¯s careers progressed, Serena slowly grew up. She was a charming and mischievous child who was both adorable and fond of beauty. She enjoyed makeup from a young age and frequently attempted to use her mother¡¯s and grandmother¡¯s cosmetics in secret. Debra adored the child and, upon discovering Serena¡¯s love of makeup, immediately ordered a custom line of expensive children¡¯s cosmetics.N?velDrama.Org ? content. Those children¡¯s cosmetics were made from natural extracts of fruits, vegetables, and other nts and dyed with natural dyes to ensure that they did not irritate the children¡¯s skin. The only disadvantage was that the makeup did notst long. Once applied, it could quickly be a smudged mess, making the child look like a clown. Nevertheless, Serena isn¡¯t concerned about it at all. She simply enjoyed the vibrant colors and found them amusing. She enjoyed not only applying makeup to herself but also doing her father¡¯s makeup. When Charlie was tired and resting, she would bring over her small makeup kit and give him a makeover. Besides that, Serena had a collection of toy jewelry as well. She would often use those to adorn her father. Charlie once left the house without realizing that his daughter had painted his face, making him appear quiteical. Many of his fans recognized him as soon as he stepped outside. They were surprised, then astonished, and finally took out their phones to quickly snap his photos. Charlie, puzzled by the fans reactions, thought something was off that day. Nheless, his primary concern was to protect his child, so he held Serena close to him so she would not be photographed. As he shielded her, Serena giggled happily in his arms as she swung her feet. I wasn¡¯t until they returned to the car that Charlie¡¯s manager pointed out the situation. Realizing what had happened, 14:16 Wed, Aug 21 RG ¡¤ Chapter 302 1059% Charlie found it both amusing and exasperating. Photos of Charlie with funny makeup quickly went viral. Since getting together with ire, he hadn¡¯t appeared much on screen. Even after all those years, many fans still remembered him and found the incident amusing. +5 Most importantly, Charlie was married. For younger stars, news of dating or marriage often sparks bacsh, but Charlie¡¯s situation was unique. By the time he turned 35, many of his female fans had tied the knot and started families, so now they became fans who were worried about his dating life. Every year, fans would leavements online encouraging him to marry, hoping he would find a woman he liked and settle down, Despite years of encouragement, Charlie remained single, with no news of any rtionships, causing fans to worry that he would be single in his old age. He eventually starred in fewer films and never took on new roles. Years had passed, and suddenly, a big piece of news broke, and theizens were surprised. They started posting questions online. [Did Charlie get married?] [Did Chuck have a child?] [My goodness! Congrattions!] [Chuck has finally found his love!] The news immediately piquedizens¡® interest, with some attempting to discover Charlie¡¯s wife¡¯s identity. However, Charlie was prepared and had kept ire and their child¡¯s information hidden. Given their status in the entertainment industry/few media outlets dared to report on their private lives without permission. Despite the public¡¯s curiosity, details about ire and Serena remained undisclosed. After addressing a few troublemakers who were causing havoc, most fans remained rational and supported Charlie¡¯s efforts to protect his family. They did not care about Charlie¡¯s wife¡¯s identity. After all, they were content knowing that he was married, had a wife and daughter, and was living a happy life. ¡°Mommy!¡± While the inte was buzzing with excitement, Serena ran straight into her mother¡¯s arms as she arrived on set The child was now three years old and very mischievous. ire bent down to pick up her daughter, asking, ¡°Did you behave yourself today?¡± Seeing the photos of Charlie with funny makeup online, ire immediately knew it was Serena¡¯s doing. Serena immediately beamed with joy, looking incredibly adorable. ire, amused, pinched her daughter¡¯s cheek with one hand, yfully admonishing Serena, ¡°No more teasing Daddy like that, or I will have to teach you a lesson!¡± Serena, nestled in her mother¡¯s embrace, stuck her tongue out at her father yfully. Seeing that, Charlie was rendered speechless. ire had watched Serena grow up and knew her personality well. ire couldn¡¯t help but feel helpless as she thought about Serena¡¯s yful nature, which reminded her of Charlie. Serena¡¯s mischievous nature was undoubtedly inherited from her father. Now that he was being teased by their daughter, ire thought, ¡®He deserves it! Hmph!¡® CHAPTER 303 Chapter 303 Carly never considered marrying again after her divorce. Aside from her son, she did not want to spend her precious time loving someone else. She wished to pour all of her love into Ronald and herself alone. To love others required a significant sacrifice. Not everyone was as fortunate ¨¢s Becky, who had a powerful and supportive family. Not only that, but Becky met a wonderful man who loved her despite the ups and downs she had experienced. Carly saw herself as an ordinary person who understood what ordinary life was like. She did not want to risk her remaining years by marrying another man again. She could not afford to do so and did not want to. If her second marriage failed again, Ronald would end up having an even worse life than when they were with the Zane family. She wasn¡¯t just thinking of Ronald, but also of herself. In a remarriage, her future husband was likely to have children from his previous marriage as well, and it would increase the number of children in the family. If she became a stepmother, she would have to take care of someone else¡¯s children, which was a difficult task. In the past, Fiona had refused to help with child care after Carly gave birth to Ronald. To make matters worse, Fiona chastised Carly for not quitting her job to care for her family and Ronald. Carly did not mind at first because she agreed with Fiona¡¯s point of view. Even though she was reluctant, she eventually left her job to care for Ronald, believing Fiona had no obligation to help her take care of him. There was even a time when she thought the arrangement was fine. Connor worked hard to make money while she managed the household. They were content and lived in harmony. However, everything changed when Ronald was four months old. Without her ie, the household¡¯s financial burden doubled. They got by for the first few months on their savings, but when they ran out of savings, Connor felt the financial strain and became irritable. Regardless, they had to buy diapers and form, and Ronald frequently became ill, necessitating constant hospital visits that cost a lot. Left with no choice, she had to ask Connor for money because she was staying at home with Ronald and had no other source of ie. The first two times were fine, but by the third, Connor had lost his temper. She would never forget the look he gave her, one of impatience and contempt, as if she were a parasite.Belonging to N?velDrama.Org. Back then, she didn¡¯t take it to heart and chose to forgive Connor. Although she felt wronged, she considered Connor¡¯s point of view, believing that he was also stressed as the sole breadwinner. That day, instead of getting into an argument with him, she made a special effort to prepare a nice meal to cheer him up which did improve his mood. However, when Carly had to request money for the fifth and sixth times for household expenses, Connor became suspicious. He began double¨Cchecking the prices of all the items in the house. He only reluctantly gave her more money after confirming that it had all been spent on household expenses. Even so, Connor began giving her much less money than before, telling her to be more frugal and not buy unnecessary items. He also said that it was fine to buy slightly cheaper items as long as they were usable. However, she could not bear the thought of using lower¨Cquality items for her son. Every time Carly looked at Ronald, she was determined to provide him with the best possible care. When Ronald turned one, Carly decided to look for a job. It took her half a month on the job market to find a suitable position as a salesperson. The basic sry was only 1,500 dors, but there was a sales¨Crtedmission. After some consideration, Carly decided to ept the job offer. In the beginning, she brought Ronald with her to her workce. She viewed the job as a test to determine her suitability for the position. Surprisingly, by the second month, her sales had skyrocketed, and she had earned a total of 3,700 dors, includingmissions. That amount might appear insignificant to someone like Becky, but it was a significant amount for an average person. Over the next few months, she continued to work hard while caring for Ronald, consistently achieving good sales. Her lowest earnings were around 3,000 dors, and at her peak, she made as much as 6,000 dors in a month. As her financial situation improved, Carly decided to enroll Ronald in a childcare center so that he would not have to hear the burden of apanying her everywhere. 14:16 Wed, Aug 21 R G 59% +5 Reflecting on her previous experiences, Carly became even more convinced that remarriage was unnecessary. If she remained single, she would be free to spend all of her earnings as she saw fit, particrly on Ronald. If she remarried, she was concerned that her new family would try to control her finances, using her money for household expenses, medical bills for elderly family members, or to support her future husband¡¯s children. That would inevitably limit the amount she could spend on Ronald. Carly did not want to be foolish again after her previous marriage had failed. She made the decision to prioritize herself and Ronald¡¯s well¨Cbeing. After she made her decision, her studies in jewelry design went smoothly. With each design, she made significant improvements. When herpany started using her designs, her sry increased above the minimum wage, and she began to receive a fair share of the profits. It was entirely due to her efforts. After she earned her first significant ie, she was presented with additional opportunities. Before she knew it, she had be a well¨Cknown jewelry designer, something she had never imagined herself doing. As her designs improved, Carly began to earn more money and gain greater recognition in the industry. Her name started to be known even outside the jewelry design circle, establishing her reputation as a talented designer. Soon, herpany began to organize variouspetitions and even sent their designers to participate in contests organized by otherpanies as well. After being encouraged by Becky, Carly signed up for a lot ofpetitions. Initially, she doubted herself, thinking she couldn¡¯tpete with the many professional jewelry designers who also participated in thepetitions. However, hearing her name announced among the winners filled her with surprise and a deep sense of aplishment. Over time, she entered morepetitions and won more awards. Sometimes, Ronald woulde to see her at the award ceremony when he didn¡¯t have school. Carly felt a surge of pride as she stood on stage under the bright lights, holding trophy and meeting her son¡¯s proud gaze from the audience. In fact, it wasn¡¯t just her. Ronald was also proud of his mother¡¯s achievements. Every time she won an award, Ronny would take her to a celebratory meal, using the prize money he had earned from academic achievements orpetitions. Even though Carly hesitated to use her son¡¯s money, Ronald insisted that it was his way of rewarding his mother. Back at home, Ronald meticulously arranged his mother¡¯s trophies alongside his certificates and awards. Every month, he would carefully clean and organize them, ensuring they were spotless and neatly disyed. The wall of awards and trophies filled Carly with joy every time she looked at it because it represented the proud journey and achievements she shared with her son. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!