ã€ŠFaux Vows, True Desiresã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1

    "Ms. Moore, what''s your monthly ie?"

    Lucinda Moore was stirring her coffee when she heard this. She paused for a moment, then looked

    up at the man sitting across from her. This guy was her participant in a blind date for the day. The

    matchmaker had told her he was a great catch, a supervisor at a bigpany with a sry close to

    ten grand a month.

    At only twenty-four, Lucinda was being pressured so much by her mother to get married that she

    was afraid to go home. Reluctantly, she had agreed to another blind date to meet this so-called

    ''great catch''. Unexpectedly, the first thing out of his mouth was a question about her ie.

    "I own this coffee shop," Lucinda answered, maintaining herposure. When he looked around

    and seemed satisfied, she added, "But it''s not making a profit yet."

    His face fell at this. "So you''re operating at a loss?" The man asked.

    Lucinda nodded.

    He frowned, "Did you invest your own money or did you borrow? How much is the loan?"

    "I invested with a friend and borrowed some. I owe tens of thousands," Lucinda answered honestly.

    His displeasure was clear, but she was not particrly fond of him either.

    "Ms. Moore, this is your pre-marital debt. I won''t be paying for it after we''re married. I assume since

    you''re in debt you don''t own any property? I own two houses, and they''re my pre-marital assets.

    You can live there after we''re married. We can pay the mortgage together but I won''t add you to the

    title.

    "Ms. Moore, I''m not getting any younger. My parents are waiting for grandchildren. After we''re

    married, I hope you can have kids soon. My parents had a hard time raising me and my siblings,

    they''re not going to babysit. You need to take care of the kid.

    "I can''t cook and I''m busy with work, so you''ll need to prepare all meals. I can''t help with housework

    but I like a clean environment. I don''t want toe home to a messy house. And also..."

    "Fabian." Lucinda interrupted him. He was clearly annoyed, but she no longer cared. "Sorry, you got

    the wrong person. I can''t meet your demands. Please find someone willing to be your unpaid

    housekeeper. This coffee is on me."

    She then gestured towards the door.

    His face turned beet red, probably because he didn''t expect Lucinda to be so direct. He always

    thought he was a catch, had a high sry, and meeting Lucinda was doing her a favor. He thought

    Lucinda was young and beautiful, so he was willing to marry her, but he didn''t expect Lucinda to

    turn him down.

    He stood up abruptly, took out his wallet, and mmed a bill on the table. "I can afford a cup of

    coffee. I don¡¯t need Ms. Moore to treat me."

    He put his wallet back in his pocket, pushed away his chair, and walked out. After a few steps, he

    turned around and said, "A woman like Ms. Moore who''s unwilling to sacrifice for the family and

    lacks manners will have a hard time having a husband."

    Lucinda picked up her coffee cup and threw it at Fabian, along with the coffee. "Get lost!"

    Fabian did not expect Lucinda to throw her coffee. He was hit square on, his white suit stained with

    coffee. Furious, he stomped his foot. The other customers were all looking over. He didn''t want to

    argue with Lucinda in public, so he said, "I don''t deal with unreasonable women," and hurriedly left.

    "What a jerk, thinks he''s some hotshot!"

    Lucinda felt like she had wasted her time. She would rather stay single for life than marry such a

    man.

    A few customers who were about to leave stopped to watch the scene.

    After everything was over, one of the men said something to the others and they left first. The man

    then approached Lucinda.

    "Lucinda."

    The gentle call entered Lucinda''s ears, and she instinctively looked at the man walking towards her.

    She immediately stood up and smiled brightly, "Stefan, what are you doing here?"

    Stefan Coleman answered with a smile, "I was meeting some friends here. You weren''t around

    when I came in." That''s why Lucinda, as the owner of Serendipity Cafe, didn''t see Stefane in.

    "May I sit down?" Stefan asked politely.

    Lucinda immediately invited him to sit down, called a waiter to clean the table, and said to Stefan,

    "Wait a moment, Stefan, I''ll make you a cup of coffee."

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    "It¡¯s okay, just a cup of water is fine." He had already had a cup of coffee. If he had another, he

    wouldn''t be able to sleep at night.

    Lucinda got Stefan a cup of water herself and asked the waiter to bring over some cakes.

    Stefan was a college friend of her older brother, Ike Moore. During Ike''s college years, he would

    return to Pinehurst from Harborville for the holidays every year. Stefan, though not particrly close

    to Ike, would go back with him since they were from the same ce.

    Lucinda was five years younger than Ike. She would always go with her father to the station to pick

    up Ike and would also see Stefan. Even though they only met briefly each time, and she didn''t even

    know where Stefan lived, they had known each other for eleven years. Even though she hadn''t

    seen Stefan in recent years, she recognized him instantly.

    "What happened just now?" Stefan asked gently.

    When the conversation turned to what just happened, Lucinda wore a helpless expression and

    comined to Stefan, "Stefan, I''m only 24, but my mom''s practically chasing me out of the house

    with her constant match-making. Whenever she bumps into anyone she knows, she''d ask them to

    introduce men to me and set up blind dates. I''ve been bombarded with daily phone calls and have

    been on dozens of blind dates recently."

    Stefan replied, "Your mom is just a bit anxious."

    When he first met her, she was only thirteen. Now, in the blink of an eye, she''s twenty-four.

    "Seriously, today''s blind date was supposed to be a ''top-notch'' guy, but I think he''s more of a

    weirdo. No wonder he''s still single in his thirties. He always expects others to give and he just sits

    back and reaps the benefits."

    Stefan looked at Lucinda, "With your qualities, you don''t need to be set up. There should be many

    men pursuing you."

    He watched the girl he knew since she was young grow into a mature and charming woman.

    Lucinda pouted, exining, "I had a boyfriend in college, we were together for four years. Half a

    year ago, he dumped me for a rich woman. My mom thinks I''ve been hurt by a bad guy and worries

    that I won''t want to get married again, so she''s always looking for a suitable man for me.¡±

    She''s in the process of starting her own business and doesn''t have the time to focus on

    rtionships. She admitted that the four-year rtionship couldn''t withstand the lure of money and

    status, which hurt her deeply.

    Hearing Lucinda talk about being dumped by her boyfriend, Stefan''s eyes flickered, bing deep

    andplex.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2

    Lucinda''s phone buzzed. Tugging it out, she saw her mom was calling. With a wry smile, she said to

    Stefan, "Mom''s about to give me another lecture. Must be that weirdo ratting me out."

    Ever since her mom started setting her up on blind dates, almost every one ended with the guy

    comining about her.

    It wasn''t like she was too picky, she just wasn''t willing to lower her standards. Marriage is a lifetime

    deal. If she ended up with a weirdo and had to bring home the bacon and be a full-time housemaid,

    she''d rather stay single.

    Stefan chuckled, "You can try exining it to her."

    Lucindained, "My mom doesn''t give a darn about my exnations."

    Still, she picked up the call.

    As soon as she answered, her mom started lecturing, "Lucinda, haven''t I told you countless times,

    you''re already 24! If you don''t act quickly, all the good guys will be snatched up by younger girls.

    Being so pick like this, you''ll end up regretting it.

    "Fabian is a good catch, why were you so rude to him? What happened to your manners? You''ve

    really embarrassed me. I never taught you to throw cups at people. Fabian said he''d forgive you if

    you apologize.

    "Olivia is two years younger than you and she''s already married into a wealthy family. I''m not asking

    you to marry a rich guy, just find a suitable man and settle down so I can stop worrying."

    Lucinda waited till her mom finished before responding helplessly, "Mom, I''m only 24, still in the

    prime of my youth. My brother is already 29, but why aren''t you nagging him?"

    Her mom snapped back, "He''s a tough nut to crack."

    Lucinda sighed, "So, I''m your punching bag? The scapegoat? It''s so unfair, mom. You have no idea

    how weird Fabian is, it''s a long story. I''ll tell you when I have time. And you want me to apologize to

    him? I''d rather stay single than be his wife.

    "And about Olivia, she didn''t marry, and she''s just someone''s mistress. You think I''m clueless? That

    guy is old enough to be her dad and he''s not even that rich, he just owns a couple of rental

    properties. The richest family is..."

    Stopping, she covered the phone to ask Stefan in a whisper, "Who''s the richest family in

    Pinehurst?"

    Keeping his voice low, Stefan answered, "The Andersons are the richest family in Pinehurst. They

    own Ascend Global, with businesses all over the country."

    Lucinda immediately told her mom, "If Olivia really has the ability, she''d marry into the Anderson

    family. You see her being someone''s mistress and you''re jealous? Do you want me to be a mistress

    too?"

    "Absolutely not! If you can''t get married, I''ll support you for life. I won''t allow you to be anyone''s

    mistress." After angrily retorting, her mom quickly added, "Tomorrow''s Saturday, close your shop

    ande home. There''s a new guy I want you to meet. I''ve seen his photo. He seems nice."

    Lucinda groaned, "Mom, you''re not giving me a break, are you?"

    "If you don''t want me to nag, find a boyfriend yourself. I had someone do a fortune telling for you.

    The fortune teller said if you don''t get married this year, you''ll never find true love, and you''ll be

    alone forever."

    Lucinda was shocked that her mom''s actually buying into fortune telling now.

    "Lucinda, are you listening? Don''t make me waste my breath."

    "Mom, I''m listening. How could I not take your calls seriously? But, most fortune tellers can only

    predict past events, the future''s hard to pin down. If he''s really that magical, ask him for tomorrow''s

    lottery numbers. I''d bet all my money on it."

    Stefan was chuckling at their conversation. When Lucinda nced at him, he quickly feigned a

    cough. After hanging up, Lucinda slumped onto the table, looking utterly dejected. "Stefan, how

    much longer do I have to endure this? Now every time the phone rings, it gives me the heebie-

    jeebies."

    She sat back up, ready to vent about her mom to Stefan. Seeing Stefan''s amused eyes, she blinked

    and gave him a once-over. Stefan was incredibly handsome, with a refined air and gentle

    personality. All things considered, Lucinda would give him a high evaluation. After a thought,

    Lucinda blurted out, "Stefan, are you the same age as my brother? Are you married?"

    Stefan responded gently, "I''m the same age as your brother, 29, single, no girlfriend."

    Lucinda asked, "Don''t your parents nag you about getting married? You''re already 29, howe

    you don''t have a girlfriend?"

    "I told my parents I''d consider getting married when I''m 30. As for not having a girlfriend..." He

    looked at Lucinda, and said softly, "Maybe I haven''t met the one I want to marry yet."

    Lucinda asked again, she studied Stefan for a while, hesitated a few minutes, then finally decided to

    test the waters, "Stefan, can... can I ask you to pretend to be my boyfriend?"

    Seeing Stefan''s surprised face, Lucinda quickly added, "Don''t worry, I''ll pay you a sufficient

    compensation. I won''t interfere with your personal life, we can sign a contract. When you turn 30,

    we''ll call it quits, no strings attached."

    Stefan was silent for two minutes, his eyes locked onto Lucinda as he asked gravely, "Are you sure

    you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend?"

    Lucinda nodded,pared to the guys her mom introduced, Stefan was undoubtedly a better

    choice. He''d definitely shut her mom up.

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    "And if your mom approves of me, and pushes us to get married?"

    Lucindaughed, "As soon as I have a boyfriend, my mom won''t nag me about getting married for a

    while."

    Even though her mom was always nagging about her marriage, once she actually has a boyfriend,

    her mom would definitely take some time to observe, to avoid her running into another bad guy.

    Stefan picked up his ss of warm water, took a couple of sips, and set it down. His slender fingers

    tapped the table as he contemted for a while and said, "Maybe we should just get married

    directly."

    Lucinda blinked, she was confused for a second.

    She asked in confusion, "You mean, Stefan, like a fake marriage? But without a marriage certificate,

    my mom won''t buy it."

    Stefan was straightforward, "I can go with you to the vital records office to get a marriage

    certificate."

    "If we get a marriage certificate, it''s not a fake marriage."

    Lucinda wasn''t a fool. Once they go to the vital records office and do the paperwork, they''d be

    legally married. This whole thing will be real.

    Stefan chuckled, "Didn''t you say you¡¯re willing to pay me? We can sign a contract."

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3

    Lucinda thought for a moment, then looked at Stefan, she had been friends with him for eleven

    years. She wouldn¡¯t be at a loss even if they became a real married couple.

    ¡°So, let¡¯s sign a contract shall we?¡±-

    Stefan¡¯s eyes sparkled, ¡°Okay, so should I draft up the contract or you?¡±

    Lucinda immediately responded, ¡°I¡¯ll do it. After it¡¯s done, you can check it out. If there¡¯s no issue,

    we¡¯ll sign it. This sham marriage can finally shut my mom up and give me some peace.¡±

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    Stefanughed, ¡°Alright then, start writing. Once it¡¯s done, I¡¯ll take a look. If there¡¯s no issue, we can

    head to the vital records office this afternoon. I happen to be free today.¡±

    Lucinda was a bit surprised. Why did she feel like Stefan was more anxious than she was? It must

    be her imagination. Stefan was just doing her a favor.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll start writing now. I¡¯ll print out two copiester. Stefan, just wait here for a bit.¡±

    As she spoke, Lucinda stood up. Stefan smiled and nodded, indicating for her to get on with it.

    Only after Lucinda stood up did she remember where they were. She nervously looked around. The

    other customers were either tasting their coffee or chatting with friends. No one was paying

    attention to her. It seemed that their conversation hadn¡¯t been overheard.

    Lucinda breathed a sigh of relief and quickly started to draft the marriage contract.

    After Lucinda left, Stefan took out his phone and made a call. Once connected, he whispered,¡°Iris,

    push back this afternoon¡¯s meeting to 9 a.m. next Monday.¡±

    Iris was a bit taken aback as the afternoon meeting was quite important, but she didn¡¯t question it

    and respectfully replied: ¡°Alright, Mr. Coleman.¡±

    Stefan ended the call.

    Half an hourter, Lucinda brought two copies of the marriage contract over. She handed one copy

    to Stefan, sat down, and quietly said to Stefan, ¡°Stefan, check out the agreement I¡¯ve written.¡±

    Stefan took the agreement and read it carefully.

    Lucinda listed four conditions.

    First, Stefan will act as Lucinda¡¯s boyfriend (or husband), with a monthly sry of $500, including

    board and clothing for all seasons.

    Second, during the contract period, if either party meets true love, they can break the contract

    withoutpensation.

    Third, during the contract period, both parties will not interfere with each other¡¯s private lives.

    Fourth, if neither party finds true love during the contract period, the contract will remain valid for

    one year.

    Lucinda, a bit awkward, exined, ¡°Stefan, the coffee shop I openedst year is still in the red.

    Although it¡¯s not losing money this year, it¡¯s not making any profit either. The sry I can offer you is

    only that much, but I can cover your living expenses.¡±

    Stefan casually replied, ¡°No worries, I have a job.¡±

    Then, he asked Lucinda, ¡°Can I make changes to this contract?¡±

    Lucinda quickly nodded, ¡°Of course, if you see anything inappropriate, just point it out.¡±

    Stefan borrowed a pen from Lucinda, crossed out the third condition, and handed the paper back to

    her. He told her, ¡°We only need three conditions. Print out another two copies and we can sign.¡±

    So, he was now being ¡°kept¡± by Lucinda.

    Lucinda looked at the crossed-out third condition and frowned thoughtfully for a while. In the end,

    sheplied with Stefan¡¯s request and printed out two new copies. They both signed them.

    Stefan checked his watch and said to Lucinda, ¡°It¡¯s still working hours for the vital records office,

    let''s go finish the paperwork now.¡±

    Lucinda hesitated, ¡°But, Stefan, I only have my ID. My birth certificate is with my mom.¡±

    If she had to go back and get her birth certificate, it would take several hours back and forth. By

    then, the vital records office might have already closed.

    Stefan smiled, ¡°You have your ID. We can go to the police station for a temporary certification and

    that will do it. Plus, I have friends working at both the police station and the vital records office.¡±

    Lucinda was once again puzzled. It seemed like Stefan really wanted to get it done by today.

    A few minutester, Stefan led Lucinda out of the caf¨¦. He walked her to a Mercedes, unlocked the

    door, and gentlemanly opened the door for her to get in.

    Lucinda stared at the luxury car. Thanks to her brother¡¯s influence, she knew this type of car was

    worth hundreds of thousands. Was Stefan rich?

    Stefan seemed to see Lucinda¡¯s confusion and took the initiative to exin, ¡°I bought this second-

    hand car from a friend for just a few tens of thousands. It helps to boost my image when I¡¯m out and

    about.¡±

    Lucinda silently looked at him. This car, even second-hand, was worth more than tens of thousands.

    Besides, it looked almost brand new.

    However, this was Stefan¡¯s business. She didn¡¯t ask further.

    Once Lucinda got in the car, Stefan closed the door for her and then took out his phone to make a

    call.

    Less than two minutester, Stefan got in the car. He buckled his seatbelt and told Lucinda, ¡°I¡¯ve

    already contacted my friend. We¡¯ll head to the police station for the certification now, and then we

    can go to the vital records office.¡±

    Lucinda nodded, ¡°Stefan, your friends are really impressive.¡±

    Stefan smiled. His friends were indeed very impressive.

    As the car started, Lucinda cautiously asked about Stefan¡¯s situation. Even though they had known

    each other for eleven years, they weren¡¯t close. Even her brother didn¡¯t know much about Stefan.

    ¡°Stefan, where do you live? Where do you work?¡±

    After asking, Lucinda quickly rified, "Hey, I''m not prying or anything, but we''ve known each other

    for quite a while now and I still have no clue where you live. Now that we''re getting married, I think I

    should know."

    Stefan replied in a good-natured manner, "I rent a ce in Diamond Ridge Estates. It''s a bit of a

    trek from where I work. I work at Ascend Global."

    Upon hearing that he was just renting, Lucinda let out a sigh of relief. She was worried that his

    family background might be messy and she couldnd herself in hot water. Like his folks might think

    she''s not good enough and give her a half-million dor check just to get lost and leave their son.

    "You must have a good job at Ascend Global. Those apartments in Diamond Ridge Estates don''t

    come cheap. The rent must be pretty steep each month."

    Not like she had that kind of dough to rent a ce in Diamond Ridge Estates anyway.

    Stefan patiently exined, "My work is indeed not bad. I''ve been there since I graduated college.

    Been there for quite a few years now and the pay is decent enough for me to get by."

    He nced sideways at Lucinda, adding, "Even after we''re married, I can still provide for my wife

    and kids."

    Lucinda gave him apliment, "That''s for certain, Stefan. You''re a real catch."

    Stefan grinned and epted herpliment.

    An hourter.

    The Vital Records Office.

    A man about Stefan''s age was waiting outside the Vital Records Office. Seeing Stefan''s car slowly

    approaching, he quickly walked over with a big grin. Once the car came to a stop, his smile could

    have outshone the sun.

    Stefan and Lucinda got out of the car, one after the other.

    The man looked at Lucinda and jokingly asked Stefan, "Stefan, is this your girlfriend?"

    Stefan turned to look at Lucinda. Lucinda, not at all shy considering they were just ying house,

    confidently extended her right hand towards the man and said, "Hi, I''m Lucinda."

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4

    The guy nced at Stefan, noticed that Stefan didn''t object to him shaking hands with Lucinda, so

    he extended his right hand to Lucinda and introduced himself, "Hello, my name is Gabriel Turner.

    I''m a good buddy of Stefan''s."

    Lucinda replied with a smile, "Mr. Turner, you can call me Lucinda."-

    As Gabriel weed them inside, he said to Stefan, "Never thought I''d get the chance to do this for

    you, I¡¯m so happy. I figured once Ruby Scott was out of the picture, you''d be a lone wolf."

    Lucinda tuned into their conversation. Ruby? Was that Stefan''s ex-girlfriend? Why hadn''t he ever

    mentioned having a girlfriend before?

    Before Stefan could say anything, Gabriel, aware of Lucinda''s presence, quickly exined, "Don''t

    get it twisted. Stefan and Ruby go way back. They grew up together, and Ruby moved abroad ten

    years ago and rarelyes back."

    Lucinda generouslyughed it off, "I don''t mind."

    She only hired Stefan to y her husband to dodge her mom''s constant matchmaking and hopefully

    restore her peaceful life. Whether Stefan had a girlfriend in the past or now, she didn''t care at all. If

    a catch like Stefan didn''t have any women falling for him, she''d find it weird.

    Seeing that Lucinda genuinely didn''t care, Gabriel breathed a sigh of relief, scolding himself for

    running his mouth about Ruby.

    In their circle, everyone knew Ruby and Stefan were childhood sweethearts. Ruby had been smitten

    with Stefan since they were kids, and everyone thought they''d end up together. But ten years ago,

    Ruby suddenly left the country, and no one knew why. They''d asked Ruby, who wouldn''t spill the

    beans, and Stefan, who only said that Ruby had her own life and it had nothing to do with him.

    When Gabriel mentioned Ruby, Stefan first looked at Lucinda, a bit of anxiety shing in his eyes.

    But Lucinda wasn''t focusing on him and missed his look. Seeing that Lucinda didn''t mind, Stefan

    also breathed a sigh of relief, then shot Gabriel a re, warning him with his eyes to shut his mouth.

    Gabriel gave an awkwardugh, knowing he had said something she shouldn¡¯t and hoping Stefan

    would let it slide. Afterwards, Gabriel, although curious about when Stefan and Lucinda had gotten

    together, didn''t pry further, afraid he might blurt out something he shouldn''t.

    Stefan was already 29 and hadn''t been in a serious rtionship. Ruby liked him, but Stefan never

    admitted to being in a rtionship with her. Their friends thought Stefan was emotionally

    unavable, and then out of the blue, he went and registered for marriage.

    He sure knew how to keep a secret!

    With Gabriel as their witness, Stefan and Lucinda sessfully got their marriage certificate.

    Gabriel wanted to see the newlyweds out, but Stefan declined his offer. So Gabriel could only say to

    Lucinda, "Lucinda, you should bring Stefan to visit sometime. My wife would be thrilled to meet with

    you."

    Lucinda politely responded, "Sure."

    "Well, I won''t keep you. See you around."

    Even though Gabriel said he wouldn''t see them off, he still walked with them for a bit. When Lucinda

    wasn''t looking, he sneakily punched Stefan and whispered, "You owe us dinner tomorrow night. You

    can''t keep something this big from us."

    Stefan whispered back, "I have to meet the parents tomorrow. I don''t have time."

    Gabriel asked, confused, "You guys got your marriage certificate without meeting the parents first?

    Was this a spur-of-the-moment decision?"

    He suddenly realized that the two hade in to get a marriage certificate, and Lucinda didn''t even

    bring her birth certificate. Even with a police station issued certificate, it was clear, they had decided

    to get their certificate at thest minute.

    Gabriel was surprised to find out Stefan had a rushed marriage!

    However, even though he had many questions, Stefan didn''t give him the chance to ask.

    Once in the car, Stefan gently asked Lucinda, "Do you want to grab something to eat? Or should I

    drop you off at the coffee shop?"

    Lucinda looked at her marriage certificate, at the photo of her and Stefan. After hearing Stefan''s

    question, she replied without looking up, "Just drop me off at my shop. They''ve got food there."

    Stefan smiled, "Sure."

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    Lucinda put away the marriage certificate, stuffing it into her pocket, and said with a smile, "Stefan, I

    never thought I''d be getting this certificate with you."

    Looking at her beautiful face, her smile natural and bright, Stefan couldn''t help but smile too, "I

    never thought my wife would be you."

    Despite their sudden marriage, Stefan didn''t regret it at all.

    "Stefan, we''re only y-acting. You can still call me Lucinda, you don''t need to call me ''wifey'' or

    ¡®honey¡¯."

    Stefan didn''t get upset, instead he asked, "Can I call you ''wifey'' or ¡®honey¡¯ in front of your family?"

    Lucinda replied, "Try not to. It sounds kind of weird."

    "Alright."

    Stefan started the car and a few minutester asked Lucinda, "Where do you live? I''ll move in with

    you tonight."

    "What?"

    Stefan reminded her, "You promised me five hundred dors a month, providing food, room, and

    clothing to me."

    Since it was all-inclusive, of course he was going to move in with her.

    Lucinda, "Aren''t you living in Diamond Ridge Estates? The environment there is awesome, my

    ce is definitely not as posh as Diamond Ridge Estates."

    "You also mentioned how the rent in Diamond Ridge Estates is a fortune. Even though I can afford

    it, I''m married now, gotta pinch some pennies, right? If I move in with you, it saves so much time

    and money - I can save on rent and it still falls within our agreement."

    Lucinda couldn''t argue because she was the one who drafted this agreement to have him pose as

    her boyfriend, she felt like she''s shot herself in the foot.

    "The ce I''m renting now is a one-bedroom apartment. It''s only a 2-3 minutes¡¯ walk from my

    coffee shop. I''m staying in the room, if you decide to move in, you''ll be crashing in the living room."

    While driving, Stefan chuckled and said, "If it helps me save some bucks. I don''t mind sleeping in

    the living room. Or I could just stay put, you can help me with the rent, it''s about five thousand

    including utilities."

    Hearing this, Lucinda promptly replied, "Drop me off at my coffee shop first, you can eat something

    there, then you can head back to cancel your lease and start packing."

    Stefan''s eyes sparkled, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He said, "Got it."

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5

    Lucinda heaved a sigh of relief. Now she wouldn''t have to pay for his rent.

    Stefan''s phone started ringing out of the blue. He was driving, so he couldn¡¯t pick up, but the caller

    was relentless, the phone kept ringing non-stop. He had no choice but to take out his phone from

    his pocket with one hand and handed it to Lucinda, who looked puzzled.

    "I''m driving, can''t answer the phone, can you check who it is?"

    Lucinda felt awkward about it, but she couldn''t say no. When she saw the caller ID was "Ike", she

    felt nervous.

    Ike had no idea that his sister Lucinda was the one holding Stefan''s phone, neither did he know that

    Stefan was driving when he called again. Stefan looked at Lucinda quizzically, "Who is it, Lucinda?

    Why didn''t you pick up for me?"

    "Stefan, I can''t take the call."

    Although Lucinda had prepared herself for how to face her family when she decided to rent Stefan,

    she still felt a bit flustered when her brother Ike called.

    Well, she needed some time topose herself.

    "It''s my brother." Lucinda added.

    Stefan was a bit surprised. He and Ike were college buddies, but they weren''t close. They just kept

    in touch sporadically over the years since graduation, and asionally met up for a few drinks. That

    was it.

    "I''ll take it." Stefan slowed down and pulled over, luckily, parking was allowed here.

    He took the phone from Lucinda and answered Ike''s call.

    "What''s up, Ike?" Stefan''s deep and sultry voice was music to Lucinda''s ears.

    Even without his good looks, just hearing him speak, Lucinda felt that renting him as a husband

    wasn''t a bad deal at all.

    "Nothing much, just got a call from Gabriel saying you got married. It¡¯s such big news. As your

    friend, I''ve got to congratte you right away."

    Ikeughed, "Stefan, who''s the girl? She''s incredible, even you couldn''t resist her. When are you

    introducing her to us? And remember, save a best man spot for me at your wedding."

    Stefan was quite popr at school, although he appeared to be amiable, he was actually quite

    aloof. Many girls had crushes on him, but he never paid them any attention, and there were no

    rumors about him. Upon hearing the news from Gabriel, Ike couldn''t resist his curiosity and

    immediately called Stefan, curious about what the girl who attracted Stefan looked like, she must be

    quite something to have tamed this lofty character.

    Stefan was speechless. He had forgotten that Gabriel was not only his friend but also his junior, so

    Ike also knew him.

    "Stefan, you''re married now, why hide it? Indulge me in my love for gossip, tell me."

    Stefan nced at his newlywed wife, Lucinda.

    Lucinda immediately got his drift. She took a couple of deep breaths, then took the phone from

    Stefan again.

    "Ike, it''s me."

    Ike, hearing his sister''s voice on the other end, was taken aback. He pulled the phone away from

    his ear and checked the screen, it was definitely Stefan''s number, and the call was still connected.

    Why was his sister answering the phone?

    "Lucinda? This is Stefan''s number."

    Lucinda had collected herself. She responded to her brother seriously, "Ike, Stefan and I are

    married."

    She had heard everything her brother said earlier, his voice was pretty loud.

    Ike was so startled he dropped his phone. He must have misheard, his little sister couldn''t possibly

    be Stefan''s wife!

    The next moment, Ike bent down to pick up his phone, and asked loudly, "Lucinda, say that again?

    Who did you marry to? Stefan? Do you know what he''s like? You actually dared to marry him, you

    have guts!"

    The thought of his sister marrying Stefan made Ike extremely upset. Even he, who had been

    ssmates with Stefan for four years, didn''t fully understand Stefan, let alone know where he lived.

    All Ike knew was that Stefan wasn''t as easy-going as he seemed, he was a scheming person.

    When he was smiling his brightest, he could be calcting everyone else''s downfall.

    His sister was straightforward and naive, how could she see through Stefan?

    "Ike, let''s talk about this tomorrow when we have time. Mom wants me toe home tomorrow, so

    I''ll bring Stefan home to meet our parents."

    As long as her mother saw Stefan, she wouldn''t set up any more blind dates for her. Otherwise,

    even if she told her mother she had a boyfriend over the phone, her mother wouldn''t believe her.

    Wasn''t the purpose of renting Stefan to shut her mom up and live a peaceful life?

    Lucinda hung up after saying that, to prevent her brother from asking a string of questions. Although

    she didn''t know Stefan very well, they had known each other for eleven years, she believed Stefan

    wasn''t a bad person.

    Ike, whose call was cut off by his sister, paced anxiously in his office, mumbling to himself, "Stefan

    you bastard, you tricked my sister. Lucinda, you''re bold, daring to marry Stefan, how ridiculous!

    When did they get together? How did they kept it a secret?"

    In short, Ike was in a state of agitation, wishing he could fly to his sister''s side immediately to get to

    the bottom of things.

    After the call with Ike, Lucinda and Stefan sat silently, neither of them spoke.

    When they returned to the Serendipity Cafe, as Lucinda was about to open the car door to get out,

    Stefan asked her softly, "Lucinda, will you regret it?"

    Lucinda turned her head to look at him. He was refined and courteous, his elegance couldn''t be

    hidden even in casual wear. The way he spoke was always so refined, clearly a real gentleman.

    Why did her brother make Stefan out to be a big bad wolf, like she''d be devoured if they were

    together?

    Lucinda felt her brother was seriously overreacting.

    "Stefan, we''re in a contractual rtionship, everything''s by the contract. How could I possibly regret

    it?"

    N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    Lucinda replied, then, after a brief pause, she added, "I don''t do things that I''ll regretter."

    She''d given it a lot of thought before she proposed the whole rent-a-boyfriend thing to Stefan.

    Stefan cracked a smile, "Alright, I got it."

    Lucinda blinked, feeling like there was a deeper meaning to his words, but try as she might, she

    couldn''t figure out what it was.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6

    "Lucinda."

    As Lucinda entered the coffee shop, her business partner and friend, Cecilia Yates, came up to

    greet her, pointing to the man sitting at the corner table and whispering, "Your ex-boyfriend is here,

    and he''s been waiting for a while."

    Ex-boyfriend?

    Lucinda looked over, and sure enough, it was her ex-boyfriend George Mitchell, with whom she had

    been together for four years before he left her for a rich girl.

    "What''s he doing here?" Lucinda murmured.

    They had broken up half a year ago, and she was slowly emerging from the shadow of that split, but

    that didn''t mean she wanted to see George.

    Cecilia frowned, "I dunno why he''s here. He asked for a ss of water when he came in and has

    been sitting there like a statue."

    Cecilia and Lucinda were friends, and she had witnessed the entire rtionship between Lucinda

    and George. She had no respect for men like George, who dumped their girlfriends for their

    careers.

    When they broke up, Lucinda was devastated, barely speaking, which worried Cecilia and made her

    resent George.

    "He''s a customer, so you should treat him well. But remember, we''re charging him for that water."

    Half a yearter, Lucinda was able to remain calm upon seeing George.

    As Cecilia had onceforted her, "If someone else can take him away, he''s not for you from the

    beginning. It''s better to see his true colors before marriage than being betrayed after tying the knot."

    Cecilia chuckled, "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure to charge him."

    Lucinda took a stride, heading into the store.

    "Lucy."

    George noticed Lucinda and immediately stood up, calling her affectionately as he used to.

    Stefan, who had followed Lucinda into the shop, just heard George''s affectionate call for his wife,

    "Lucy".

    His eyes suddenly turned icy cold.

    George''s eyes were only on Lucinda, and seeing her ignoring him, he quickly got up and headed

    towards Lucinda.

    "Lucy, can we talk?"

    George tried to grab Lucinda''s hand, but she dodged him.

    "Lucy," George said, his face full of plea, "It''s been a long time. We should catch up."

    Lucinda had matured and be more charming over the half year since theyst met.

    George, deep down, was reluctant to break up with Lucinda. After all, they had been together for

    four years and had a solid emotional foundation.

    However, both he and Lucinda came from average families. After suffering in the workce for a

    few years, he resolved to be sessful no matter what.

    As it happened, his boss''s niece fell for him and insisted on marrying him.

    The niece''s parents were both deceased, but her aunt and uncle treated her like their own daughter,

    even giving her shares in thepany.

    How could George resist such a woman? As soon as he secured a rtionship with her, he left

    Lucinda.

    Now, his position in thepany was rising, and those who once oppressed him now had to

    respect him, all thanks to his new girlfriend.

    "I have nothing to say to you, Mr. Mitchell."

    "Lucinda, are you still angry with me? I know I treated you poorly. I want to apologize."

    George apologized with a smile, but Lucinda could not sense his sincerity. Even if he was genuinely

    sorry, she had no intention of epting his apology.

    "Mr. Mitchell, I barely know you. Please stop calling me Lucy," Lucinda said, preparing to leave.

    George quickly reached out and grabbed her arm.

    N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    This time, Lucinda did not dodge his hand in time and was caught by him.

    Then, arge hand came over, grabbed George''s hand that was holding Lucinda. Perhaps the grip

    was strong, Lucinda noticed George''s face change, and then he let go of her.

    Stefan stood beside Lucinda, he was tall and towered over George. Although his handsome face

    showed no sign of anger, his deep gaze on George sent a chill down George''s spine.

    "Who are you? Mind your own business!" George tried to pull his hand free but couldn''t. He tugged

    hard but still couldn''t seed, his face turning red from the effort.

    Stefan looked at him with disgust. When George tried to pull his hand free again, Stefan let go.

    George lost bnce from the sudden release, stumbled backwards, hit a table and hurt his waist,

    causing him to gasp in pain.

    George quickly steadied himself by holding on to the table, then stood up straight, adjusted his

    expensive suit, straightened his tie, and red at Stefan, "Who the hell are you? I''m talking to my

    girlfriend, why are you butting in?"

    Stefan nced at Lucinda, then back at George, a smirk ying on his lips, "Your girlfriend? Sorry

    to break it to you, but she''s my wife."

    George was dumbstruck.

    Lucinda thought to herself: Stefan is quite the actor.

    George looked at Lucinda in disbelief, pointing at Stefan, questioning Lucinda, "Lucinda, is what

    he''s saying true? I thought all your blind dates failed because you''re still in love with me!¡±

    George swung by today because he heard Lucinda had been on a bunch of blind dates with zero

    luck. He figured Lucinda was still hung up on him. Now that he''s loaded and has some social status,

    and he thought he could make Lucinda his side chick to make up for the fact his current girlfriend is

    not as pretty as Lucinda.

    Stefan took two steps forward and grabbed George''s tie, yanking him closer. His words were filled

    with a warning, "Mr. Mitchell, let me say it one more time, Lucinda isn''t someone you can just have

    when you like. She''s my wife, and the only guy who gets to call her Lucy is me!"

    Lucinda felt like apuding. Stefan was killing it! Hiring him to y her husband was a brilliant idea.

    Not only did it shut her mum up, but it also humiliated George.

    But, hearing Stefan call her "wife"... it made her feel a bit uneasy.

    They only just got married and she was still adjusting to it.

    "Do you know why my Lucy didn''t hit it off with any of her blind dates?"

    Stefan turned to Lucinda, shing her a gentle smile. Lucinda''s heart skipped a beat, Stefan''s smile

    was bing more and more irresistible.

    When he faced George again, Stefan still wore that smile, his voice as calm as ever, as if the guy

    who just threatened George wasn''t him. He said, "Because Lucy was waiting for me, that''s why

    none of her blind dates worked out."

    George was left speechless.

    Lucinda wondered to herself, was that a love confession?

    Cecilia, on the other hand, was excited to watch the show.

    George took a moment to find his voice, then snapped at Stefan, "Besides your pretty face, what

    else can you offer Lucinda?"

 Chapter 7

    Chapter 7

    George wouldn''t dare to call Lucinda "Lucy" anymore. The man had a grip that made George''s wrist

    ache, and he could still feel it even now.

    Stefan chuckled coldly, and George''s face turned beet-red. Stefan¡¯s scornfulugh was even more

    unbearable than direct mockery.

    "Mr. Mitchell, you might wanna look in a mirror. Compared to me, your looks do fall a bit short. The

    term ''kept man'' seems quite suitable for you.¡±

    George was even more speechless.

    Lucinda couldn''t help but burst intoughter.

    Stefan shot her a nce and she quickly covered her mouth, stifling herughter.

    George couldn''t ept that Stefan had stolen his ex. He and Lucinda had four years of history

    together. He believed that Lucinda still had feelings for him. Standing tall, George challenged

    Stefan, "Can you provide a good life for Lucinda? Judging by your outfit, I doubt you even make 500

    bucks a month. I''ve heard Lucinda has tens of thousands of dors in debt. I can help her out right

    now. Can you?"

    Stefan didn¡¯t directly say how much he made, instead, he turned around and left.

    The intrigued onlookers were a bit disappointed to see Stefan leave without putting up a fight

    against George.

    Even Cecilia couldn''t help but ask Lucinda, "How much does he make a month?"

    Lucinda shook her head, whispering, "I don¡¯t know. He works at Ascend Global and lives in

    Diamond Ridge Estates. His rent and utilities alone are over five thousand dors a month."

    Who in their right mind would think that a resident of Diamond Ridge Estates makes only 500 bucks

    a month?

    Cecilia tilted her head and looked at Lucinda. Didn''t that gentleman say Lucinda was his wife? And

    Lucinda doesn''t even know how much her own husband makes?

    Cecilia fell silent when she realized that she spends every day with Lucinda and didn¡¯t even know

    she was married.

    "Lucinda, he can''t even help you pay off your debt, but I can. Can we start over? If you give me

    another chance, I''ll pay off your debt right now."

    Lucinda looked at George''s smug expression and retorted coldly, "Mr. Mitchell, aren''t you afraid

    your current girlfriend will find out you''re helping me pay off my debt and clean you out?"

    Lucinda thought to herself, this man, relying on the benefits gained from climbing socialdders,

    dares to show off in front of me.

    George nced nervously at the surrounding guests and whispered to Lucinda, "Lucinda, can we

    talk outside?" There were too many people here.

    Lucinda, expressionless, said, "Sorry, I don¡¯t have time. Please leave, Mr. Mitchell. I have a

    business to run."

    Just as George was about to say something, Stefan walked back in and whatever George was

    about to say got stuck in his throat.

    Stefan had been gone for about ten minutes and came back carrying a box. Everyone immediately

    focused their attention on him, eager for the drama to continue.

    Some people who were about to leave, quickly returned to their seats, ordered more coffee and

    cakes, and prepared to enjoy the show.

    Lucinda came over and quietly said, "Stefan, you don''t need to stoop to his level. It''s not worth

    ruining your mood."

    Stefan looked at her, his gaze deep, making it hard for Lucinda to read him.

    "I''m not upset, but I can''t let othersugh at you." If he didn''t stand up for Lucinda, people would

    ridicule her for choosing a husband who barely made 500 bucks a month.

    Lucinda quickly said, "I don''t care."

    Stefan whispered, "But I do."

    Lucinda replied, "¡­Okay, Stefan, go ahead. I''m watching."

    George watched Stefan walk in with the box, a smug and scornful smile on his face. "I knew it. You

    dare topete with me for Lucinda when you can''t even make 500 bucks a month. Do you know

    how much I make in a month..."

    Before he could finish, George was cut off as Stefan threw the box at his feet, startling George who

    jumped up in surprise.

    The people around couldn''t help butugh.

    George''s face turned red. He wanted to rush at Stefan, but he didn''t dare to actually do it. Stefan''s

    grip on his wrist had made it clear that George was no match for him.

    "Open it!"

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    Stefan ordered.

    George wanted to argue, but under Stefan''s intense gaze, he found himself unable toe up with

    a retort. He obediently squatted down and opened the box.

    The room fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

    It was a box full of cash. All new bills, bundled up. The sight was a punch in the gut for George.

    Lucinda was shocked too. She stared at the box of cash, wondering if it was a prop from a movie

    set.

    Stefan stood over the stunned George, his tone still gentle, but the words were like thorns, leaving

    George with nowhere to hide, "This is what I just took out of the bank."

    George wished he could find a hole and crawl into it to hide himself.

    He thought his wealth made him superior, but Stefan had just given his ego a brutal beating. He

    was mortified.

    Faced with such embarrassment, George hated Stefan more than ever. This man, whose name he

    didn''t even know, had made him look like a fool. He would make Stefan regret this!

    Stefan bent down, closed the box, picked it up, and asked George with a smile, "Mr. Mitchell, would

    you like to leave on your own, or do you want me to kick you out?"

    George rose to his feet, incapable of meeting Stefan''s gaze, his face flushed as he scurried out of

    the room.

    Everyone thought, what a show!

    Apuse erupted around the room, even Lucinda pped her hands.

    Stefan scanned the room, his eyes finallynding on Lucinda, who was enthusiastically apuding.

    He shifted the case to his other hand, then lightly tapped Lucinda''s forehead with the index finger of

    his right hand, "Lucinda, I did this all for you."

    "I know, Stefan. You''re amazing. I made the right choice choosing you. I''ve got such great taste!"

    Lucinda showered Stefan withpliments, all of which were heartfelt.

    Stefan silently watched her.

    Lucinda started to feel uneasy under his gaze.

    "I''m going to go return the money. I borrowed it from a friend who works at a nearby bank," Stefan

    said, picking up the case and walking past Lucinda.

    Lucinda and Cecilia exchanged surprised nces. So, the money was borrowed?

    The onlookers all chimed in, to borrow such arge sum of money in a mere ten minutes to prove

    himself, he¡¯s still impressive!

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8

    After Stefan left, Cecilia turned to her friend and asked, "Lucinda, is he really your husband? When

    did you guys get hitched? Howe I never heard anything about it?"

    "But, your hubby was such a badass just now. He¡¯s a whole lot better than that jerk George."

    Lucinda went back to the cash register and took a seat.

    Cecilia followed suit.

    "We just came from the City Hall, actually, he is..."

    Leaning close to her friend''s ear, Lucinda whispered, "My mom keeps setting me up for blind dates

    and it''s driving me nuts. So I hired Stefan to y my husband and fool my mom, just so I can get

    some peace."

    Cecilia was bbergasted, "Hired? You hired a husband and actually got married at City Hall?"

    "Stefan thought it was best to go all in. He''s a looker and an old college buddy of my brother''s. I''ve

    known him for 11 years, so it''s not like I''m losing anything by marrying him. So, off we went to City

    Hall."

    Cecilia poked Lucinda''s forehead a few times while whispering, "You''re out of your mind! Aren''t you

    afraid he''ll take advantage of you? Looks can be deceiving, you''ve known him for 11 years, but do

    you really know him?"

    "Not really, but he''s still a familiar face."

    Cecilia said, "I hope you won''t end up getting screwed over."

    She left the cash register area, "I need a moment to process. Your madness is giving me the

    creeps."

    Lucinda just shrugged.

    Was a rushed marriage really that scary?

    "Ding, ding, ding--"

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    A new message popped up on Lucinda''s phone.

    It was from Stefan, telling her he was on his way to terminate his lease and would be back before

    dinner to take her out and celebrate their ¡°marriage¡±.

    Lucinda chuckled.

    It''s not like they were really getting married. What was there to celebrate?

    But she didn''t reject Stefan''s arrangement.

    ......

    Diamond Ridge Estates was amunity featuring both high-rise buildings and vis, boasting a

    beautiful environment and convenient transportation.

    The vi that Stefan lived in was one of many he owned. Since it was close to hispany, he

    usually stayed there.

    His real home was the Anderson Manor, the most famous mansion in Pinehurst, also known as the

    Ascend Estate. Built to mirror the beauty of Norwegian forests, it was a sight for sore eyes.

    But it was far from the hustle and bustle of the city, requiring more than an hour''s drive from the city

    center.

    The security system at Ascend Estate was top-notch. Without the consent of an Anderson family

    member, no one could enter.

    It was said that the Ascend Estate was designed like a maze. Once inside, outsiders would get lost

    and be unable to find their way out.

    Stefan pulled up to his vi and honked. Soon, a middle-aged, chubby woman came out to greet

    him.

    "Young Master."

    As she opened the vi gate, she asked with a smile, "Young Master, what brings you back?"

    Stefan parked his car in the garage. After getting out, he replied to her question, "Emma, I''m back to

    grab some clothes. I won''t be back for a while."

    Emma took it in stride, "are you going on a business trip again?"

    Ascend Global had many subsidiaries. Even though each one was managed by other members of

    his family, there were times when Stefan had to handle issues personally.

    "No."

    "Then why are you leaving?"

    In light of his newly married status, Stefan was in high spirits and didn''t mind chatting, "Emma, I''ve

    been hired."

    Emma stopped in her tracks and burst outughing, "Young Master, don''t joke around. Who could

    afford to hire you? Would anyone dare?"

    Stefan just chuckled and didn''t borate.

    He went upstairs and into his room, browsing through his wardrobe but finding nothing suitable.

    Turning around, he walked out of his room.

    "Emma."

    Emma quickly appeared at the stairway.

    "Emma, get Laird for me."

    Laird was the gardener responsible for his garden, around the same age as Stefan.

    "Okay."

    Emma quickly went to find Laird. In less than two minutes, Laird was present.

    Stefan was already downstairs.

    "Young Master, you wanted me?"

    "Laird, do you have any new clothes?"

    Laird blinked, confused, but still answered honestly, "I bought a couple of new outfits online a few

    days ago."

    He spent his days surrounded by nts, often getting covered in dirt, so he didn''t need to wear

    anything too fancy.

    "Give me your new clothes. How much did they cost? I''ll wire you the money."

    "Huh?"

    Laird was stunned, seriously questioning his hearing.

    Even Emma was taken aback.

    "Young Master¡­my clothes are cheap stuff I bought online."

    Laird reminded the young master.

    "I know, but I need them right now. Don''t worry, I''ll pay you. Double the value."

    "But¡­"

    Laird looked at Emma. Emma didn''t know what the young master was thinking, but she was used to

    obeying him, so she told Laird, "If the young master wants you to get the clothes, just get them."

    "Alright then."

    In a few minutes, Laird handed over the two new outfits he''d bought online to Stefan.

    "Young Master, I''ve washed these clothes but never worn them."

    Stefan took the clothes and could tell they were of inferior qualitypared to his own.

    But he didn''t mind. He took out his wallet, pulled out a fewrge bills, and handed them to Laird.

    "Young Master, these clothes didn''t cost that much!"

    "Take it!"

    Stefan''s re made Laird shudder, and he quickly epted the hundreds of dors.

    The young master might seem gentle and refined, but that was all a facade.

    Who could run Ascend Global by being soft-hearted?

    "Emma, lend me that bicycle you use for exercise."

    Without giving a damn about whether she agreed or not, Stefan walked out of his fancy mansion, a

    ck travel bag slung over his shoulder.

    Snapping back to reality, Emma rushed out after him, calling, "Young master, what the hell are you

    doing?"

    Did he seriously have a sugar mama now?

    But if he did, shouldn''t he be dressing better, eating better, using better stuff?

    Why would the young master want to go out of his way to change his image, making people see

    him as an ordinary guy, or even worse, a poor one?

    "Give me the keys to the bike lock."

    Emma handed the keys to Stefan, " young master, you''ve got me all confused."

    Stefan got on the bike, grinning, "Emma, I''m getting married. Your futuredy boss, her name is

    Lucinda."

    Emma was shocked, "What?"

    The young master was getting married?

    Her futuredy boss was named Lucinda?

    Lucinda?

    Where had she heard that name before?

    Right, it was the girl in the photo album Stefan hid in the bookshelf.

    That album, Stefan cherished it like a treasure. If she hadn''t cleaned the study, she would never

    have found it.

    The album was filled with pictures of a girl from her youth to her young adult years, each one signed

    personally by the young master, clearly stating the date they were taken, the girl''s name, and her

    age.

    Before this, everyone thought the young master was into Ms. Scott, Emma included, until she found

    that album.

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9

    Emma just found out that the young master of her household has been secretly in love with a girl for

    a whole decade!

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "Emma, I''m leaving."

    Stefan pedaled off on his bike.

    Lucinda was an ordinary girl. Now that he had a chance to enter her world, he naturally wanted to

    get close to her as an ordinary guy first, then slowly win her heart.

    Emma stood dazed as she watched the young master disappear into the distance.

    By the time she snapped back to reality and wanted to chase after him for answers, he was already

    gone.

    "Why would the young master act so rashly?" Emma spun around anxiously on the spot.

    He didn''t leave any clues behind, which made her extremely anxious, but she couldn''t find any

    answers.

    "I need to tell the olddy. She''s always been concerned about the young master''s marital matters."

    Emma mumbled to herself, preparing to tell the olddy, but she hung up the phone as soon as it

    connected.

    "This is the young master''s private matter... I better not stick my nose in his business. Keeping my

    job is the most important thing!"

    Emma was afraid that if she spilled the beans, she would be fired by the young master.

    Where else could she find such an easy job with good pay?

    ......

    A ne flying back from Novarica slowlynded at Pinehurst International Airport.

    As the cabin door opened, the passengers began to disembark one by one, dispersing in different

    directions.

    Ruby, wearing a long light-colored dress, her wavy hair flowing, and sunsses on, looked around

    and smiled after getting off the ne.

    "Pinehurst, I''m back! Stefan, I''m back!"

    Ruby took out her phone from her bag, walking forward while dialing Owen Martinez.

    Owen, Stefan, and Ruby, all knew each other since childhood and were once close.

    But as they grew older, Owen and Stefan gradually became enemies.

    However, Ruby didn''t choose sides due to their conflict. Instead, she wanted to reconcile their

    differences.

    "Owen."

    Ruby said with a smile, "I''m back. I just got off the ne. Can you pick me up?"

    Owen was busy, but his face lit up with a smile when he heard Ruby was back, "You''re back? Why

    didn''t you tell me earlier? I could''ve waited for you at the airport. No problem, I''lle get you now."

    "I just wanted to surprise you guys."

    Owen didn''t pay attention to the word "you guys".

    "I''ll grab something to eat at the airport. Drive safely."

    Ruby didn''t eat on the ne and was now hungry.

    "Alright, have a bite to eat, but don''t get too full. I''ll take you to my hotel for dinnerter."

    Owen said as he got up from his desk.

    The piles of documents were nothingpared to Ruby.

    Ruby hesitated a bit, then tentatively asked Owen, "Owen, if you''reing to pick me up, can we

    go to the Anderson Hotel? I could invite Stefan."

    Owen''s face changed slightly, but he didn''t stop.

    "Stefan won''te. Even if we go to the Anderson Hotel, you won''t run into him."

    Stefan didn''t actually love Ruby. It was always Ruby''s one-sided feelings. The rumors about their

    rtionship were just misunderstandings within the industry.

    Not all boys and girls who grow up together end up as lovers or spouses.

    "Alright, let''s go to your hotel then."

    Ruby sensed Owen''s dissatisfaction, so she didn''t insist.

    She hadn''t been home for a long time, and the conflict between the two men seemed to be

    deepening.

    Only if she stayed with them for a long time could she possibly resolve their differences.

    "Ruby, how long are you nning to stay this time?" Owen''s mood improved, and he asked her with

    a smile.

    "I n to work here from now on, unless I have to travel for work, I''ll stay in Pinehurst." Ruby

    answered.

    Ruby had actually been living abroad for ten years.

    The Anderson family has a rule. Any descendants who emigrate abroad cannot share in the

    Anderson family''s inheritance.

    How could she emigrate abroad if she wanted to be the next mistress of the Anderson family?

    "Really?" Owen was really happy, "Wee back. There''s no ce like home."

    Ruby smiled.

    After ten years abroad, she indeed had a few rtionships, but none of those men couldpare

    to Stefan or Owen.

    Afterparing them with others, she realized that the one she got along with the longest was the

    best.

    That''s why Ruby transferred her work back home. She wanted to pursue Stefan again, and as long

    as she could marry into the Anderson family, she didn''t care what means she had to use.

    ......

    As the sun set and the evening glow was as fiery as a me.

    Stefan rode his bike back to the Serendipity Cafe.

    At this time, there were no other customers in the shop.

    Lucinda was sitting at the cashier''s desk. When she saw Stefan walk in with his luggage, she

    casually asked, "Stefan, did you move all your stuff?"

    "Yes."

    Upon hearing this, Lucinda immediately closed the file on herputer.

    She was writing a novel.

    Because the cafe wasn''t doing well, she, a bookworm, started trying writing novels to make a living.

    Unexpectedly, she was able to get a contract. Since she was a newbie without any previous

    sess, her contract was at a t rate, only earning 3 dors per thousand words. The publisher''s

    editor praised her novel''s opening as being excellent, so they made an exception and gave her 10

    dors for every thousand words.

    Lucinda valued this part-time job a lot.

    She got up at three in the morning every day to write, and would also write during the day whenever

    she had time, untilte at night because she had to update sixteen thousand words daily.

    After a month, her earnings from writing were enough to pay the cafe''s rent, with an extra two

    hundred dors left for living expenses.

    Her economic condition was very tight. Her boyfriend of four years dumped her for a new girlfriend

    because Lucinda couldn''t help him in his career or support him in life.

    "Cecilia, you stay here and watch the shop tonight. I''m gonna take Stefan to my ce." Lucinda

    said.

    Cecilia smiled at Stefan and replied, "Go ahead, there aren''t many customers right now. I got this."

    Lucinda tucked the cheapptop she bought online into her bag, swinging it over her shoulder as

    she walked out of the checkout area.

    "Stefan, let''s go."

    Stefan turned to Cecilia with a gentle smile, "Ms. Yates, sorry for leaving you alone working."

    Cecilia chuckled, "Lucinda and I are partners in this joint. I''ve got a stake in it, too. It''s no biggie to

    help out."

    But internally, she was thinking, ¡°what a stud! His smile is drop-dead gorgeous! He''s way hotter than

    most movie stars.¡±

    Lucinda sure hit the jackpot, having such a hot guy as her fake husband!

    The couple strolled out of the store.

    Lucinda scanned the surroundings, but Stefan''s second-hand car was nowhere in sight.

    "Let''s roll."

    Stefan hopped on his bike, patting the back seat, "My office is just around the corner. I left the car

    there and switched to cycling, so no more worries about traffic."

    Lucinda didn''t question him, hopping on the back of his bike, patting his backpack, "Is this all you''re

    carrying?"

    "If you''re gonna be my sugar mama, what else do I have to worry about?"

    Lucinda was speechless by his words.

 Chapter 10

    Chapter 10

    "How far is your ce from here?"

    "About 500 meters away."

    "To the left or the right?"

    "Just go straight ahead, I''ll let you know when we''re there."

    With that, Stefan hopped onto his bike, carrying Lucinda as they went.

    Upon reaching Lucinda''s apartment building, she instructed Stefan, "Just stop here, Stefan. You can

    leave your bike downstairs. Do you have a lock? Make sure to lock it up so it doesn''t get nicked."

    Stefan obediently locked his bike at the entrance of the building, taking in the sight of the apartment

    complex as he followed Lucinda.

    It was a nine-story building built in the 90s, without an elevator.

    Lucinda''s ce was on the sixth floor.

    They chatted and climbed the stairs, surprisingly not feeling tired.

    Once they reached the sixth floor, Lucinda led Stefan to the smallest apartment at the end of the

    corridor. "This is the ce I rent, at the very end. After dinner, I''ll get a copy of the key made for

    you."

    "Okay."

    Apartment 608 was Lucinda''s small apartment.

    After unlocking the door, Lucinda stepped aside to let Stefan in before closing the door.

    It was a one-bedroom apartment and to Stefan''s eyes, it was even smaller than his study.

    The living room had a small table and a few stools, with several boxes in the corner. It was a bit

    messy.

    N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    Lucinda''s ce was really simplistic!

    At least the floor was spotless.

    "Stefan, you can sleep in the living room for a few days. Once the moneye, I''ll get a bed for

    you."

    She would receive her payment on the tenth, while she needed to pay the shop rent on the fifteenth

    of every month.

    The money she earned from her writing would only stay in her bank ount for a few days before

    being transferred to thendlord.

    It felt like she was ving away at her writing just to pay herndlord.

    Fortunately, her business was getting better.

    Once she paid off her debts, things would be a lot easier.

    Stefan''s eyes twinkled as he nodded in response.

    Lucinda said somewhat awkwardly, "Stefan, my caf¨¦ isn''t profitable yet, and I''m in debt by tens of

    thousands. After subtracting the costs and paying my employees, there''s nothing left. My living

    conditions aren''t great right now, but don''t worry, I won''t owe you any money."

    She decided that starting tomorrow, she would update her novel by 20,000 words every day.

    Her editor said the data from her works'' trials were good, the more she updated, the better it sold.

    She could also check her daily earnings in the back-end.

    Once her royalties surpassed the minimum guaranteed payment, she wouldn''t need to update so

    many chapters every day, and her earnings would increase significantly, and her financial difficulties

    will be alleviated.

    "It''s okay, if you''re really strapped for cash, you can owe me for a while. I have a job and my sry

    isn''t low, I''m not in a hurry for money."

    Stefan didn''t care about the $500 rent at all.

    He was loaded.

    In fact, he could buy the bed himself.

    But he¡¯d rather sleeping on the same bed with Lucinda¡­

    Stefan ced his bag on one of the stools and said to Lucinda, "Let''s go grab a bite first."

    He added, "I¡¯ll pay for dinner this time ."

    Lucindaughed and agreed, "Alright then, I''ll thank you in advance."

    They left the apartment together.

    "Lucinda, I''m going to meet your parents with you tomorrow, so you''ll have to be more affectionate

    with me."

    Stefan said this calmly, as if he was really fulfilling his ''husbandly'' duties.

    Lucinda looked at him sideways.

    He said, "Even though we''re pretending to be married, we can''t let your parents know that. Normal

    newlyweds are very affectionate, if you keep your distance from me like you are now, do you think

    your parents will believe us?"

    Lucinda was speechless.

    Just then, arge hand suddenly gripped hers.

    Lucinda instinctively tried to shake it off.

    "You see, I try to hold your hand and you want to shake it off. How will your mother believe you? If

    she finds out that you hired me to be your husband, she''ll be angry and scold you, then continue

    setting you up on blind dates."

    Lucinda opened her mouth to say something, but couldn''t.

    Because Stefan was right. Even if they were pretending to be a couple, they needed to act like one.

    Her mother was very perceptive.

    "We need to practice now, so you can get used to me. That way, it''ll be more convincing. Even if

    your mom has a keen eye, we need to make sure she can''t tell."

    Stefan¡¯s words made a lot of sense, leaving the usually eloquent Lucinda speechless.

    Her hand was held tightly by him, and she didn''t dare to pull away.

    Even though they had known each other for eleven years, Lucinda didn''t know him very well.

    His hand was warm against hers, making her face burning hot.

    She said helplessly, "It''s getting hotter these days."

    Stefan tilted his head and looked at her deeply. Her face was flushed, her eyes sparkled like stars in

    the night. He was most attracted to her red lips.

    They must be soft.

    "It is quite hot."

    Stefan replied gently, pulling his gaze away so as not to make her ufortable.

    She was shy.

    Even though Lucinda had dated George for many years, it was only a campus romance, and she

    was very stubborn in love. George never received any concessions from her.

    "Lucinda."

    When they reached the first floor, they ran into someone they knew.

    A middle-ageddy greeted Lucinda with a grin. Her gaze quicklynded on Stefan, and seeing

    them holding hands, she joked, "Lucinda, is this your new boyfriend?"

    "Yes."

    Lucinda answered confidently.

    "He''s a good-looking fellow. No wonder you''re not interested in anyone else."

    Lucindaughed, "Abbey, do you think I''m the kind of person who only cares about looks? I care

    more about character, that''s what really matters."

    "Looks are important too, at least it''s pleasant to look at every day." Abbey clearly ced a lot of

    importance on looks.

    Among all the residents of the apartment, Lucinda was the most attractive. Abbey would always

    share some good food with her because she was so pretty.

    "Where are you guys off to?"

    "My boyfriend is nning to treat me to a meal."

    "Well, off you go then, enjoy your evening."

    Abbey left with a spring in her step.

    Stefan maintained a smile, not uttering a word.

    Once Abbey was out of sight, he casually asked, "Lucinda, do a lot of guys have a thing for you?"

    "No, not really, no one''s into me. If anyone did like me, I wouldn''t be avoiding going home because

    of my mom''s nagging about marriage."

    When it came to ''no one being into me'', Lucinda felt pretty annoyed.

    Ever since she turned fourteen, even though she was getting prettier and prettier and lots of boys

    would gush over her, no one ever pursued her.

    During college, she started dating George, but this was all because she was the one who made the

    first move, leading to them bing a couple.

    However, while most people in rtionships hope to be together all the time, she and George

    maintained their rtionship mainly through texting.

 Chapter 11

    Chapter 11

    Honestly, she dated George for four years, and all they ever did was hold hands and hug. As for

    kissing? Only pecks on the cheeks.

    Yeah, lip-to-lip kissing kinda... made her feel uneasy.

    So, she never really kissed George.

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    Her college roommates were convinced she had some intimate issues.

    Stefanughed, "With what you''ve got going for you, and still being pushed to marry by your family

    to the point where you''re scared to go home, that''s something you don''t see every day."

    Lucindained, "Tell me about it. But maybe, just maybe, I haven''t met the right person yet. I

    dated George for four years, there were feelings there. I thought I was going to marry him, but he

    picked another woman over me for his future."

    Her mom thought she didn''t want to get married because George hurt her, which made sense.

    "Once you''re hurt, you''re more hesitant to take a chance."

    When she thought of George, Lucinda naturally remembered their four years of dating, and felt

    George had been acting weird when they were together, that was something she didn''t notice

    before. But after they broke up, it hit her.

    He must have started flirting with other girls, that''s why he was a bit weird when they were together.

    That heartless man, he even had the nerve toe back to her!

    There''s no way she can forgive someone who betrayed her. Even if she can''t get married, she won''t

    get back together with George.

    "Stefan, let''s not talk about this, as long as my mom stops pushing me, I can live in peace."

    Stefanughed, "With me around, I guarantee your mom won''t arrange any more blind dates for

    you. Don''t worry. We''ve known each other for eleven years, we understand each other, I think, your

    mom will be very satisfied with me."

    His only worry was that Ike would badmouth him in front of his future mother-inw.

    Ike considered him a friend, but he married Ike''s sister...

    Ike always talked about his sister, and out of curiosity, he went to school with Ike.

    The first time he saw Lucinda, she was a shy 13-year-old girl, very polite, with a sweet smile, indeed

    a very cute girl.

    The more they met, the more he gradually liked her... This was his secret, something he couldn''t tell

    anyone, at least not at the time.

    "Hehe." Lucinda chuckled.

    They understand each other?

    All she knew was his name, and that he was her brother''s college ssmate. She didn''t know

    anything else.

    His bike was still there, Lucinda sighed in relief, "Thank God the bike''s still there. You''ll have to put it

    in first floor when we get back, otherwise, your bike might be gone by tomorrow morning."

    "Are thieves that rampant?"

    "There''s always someone ready to snatch and grab."

    Stefan unlocked the bike, hopped on, and Lucinda naturally sat on the rear rack.

    "Hug me!" Stefan requested.

    Lucinda was stunned.

    "Practice."

    Lucinda suddenly realized, and gently wrapped her arms around his waist.

    "Lucinda, you''re going to fall easily like this, hug me tighter."

    "I, I can just hold onto your clothes."

    Stefan turned his head, smiled and said, "If we identally fall, I might damage my clothes, I only

    have two suits, I wear them for work."

    Lucinda closed her mouth gently and helplessly hugged his waist tighter.

    Stefan, having achieved his goal, happily rode his bike, taking his wife for a ride, no, out for dinner,

    to celebrate the end of their single lives.

    ...

    The Moore family.

    "Mom, mom."

    As soon as Ike got out of the taxi, he ran inside the house, calling out for his mother.

    The taxi driverughed and mumbled to himself, "This is the first time I''ve seen a grown man in

    such a hurry to get home, calling out for his mom before even entering the house."

    The driver thought this man was a mama''s boy, overly dependent on his mom.

    Ike, being suspected of being overly dependent on his mother by the taxi driver, didn''t care at all.

    He was away on a business trip, his work wasn''t finished yet, and he found out his sister was

    marrying Stefan, but his sister wouldn''t exin clearly on the phone, so he was anxious.

    He immediately handed over his work to his colleagues, bought a ne ticket, and flew back after

    few hours.

    "Mom, mom, mom, are you home? Mom!"

    Ike rushed into the house, calling out loudly.

    Fiona Lewis Moore, wearing an apron, holding a spat in her hand, came out from the kitchen.

    When she saw her son, she scolded, "Why are you in such a hurry? Is there a ghost chasing you?

    Stop shouting. Weren''t you on a business trip? Is your work finished? You''ve been away for so long,

    and you didn''t even bring back a girlfriend. Do you still think you''re young? You''ll be thirty next

    year."

    In the living room watching TV, Vincent Moore, just nced at his wife and son, then continued

    watching his TV.

    He was used to it.

    As for Ike''s grandparents, they pretended not to hear anything, didn''t even look at their grandson.

    He can''t even bring back a wife, so what''s there to look at?

    They''ve been looking at their grandson''s face for twenty-nine years.

    Ike was probably used to being scolded, he put his travel bag on the sofa, went to get a ss of

    water for himself first.

    After drinking water, he said to his mother, "Mom, you''re always pushing for me to get married, I''m

    not even thirty yet, right? You think I don''t want to find a wife to shut you up, but the problem is, I

    haven''t met the woman I like, how am I supposed to get married? Because you''re always pushing,

    you pushed Lucinda into trouble."

    Fiona dropped her spat on the floor.

    The three people sitting in front of the TV, all stood up, and looked at Ike, anxiously asking, "What

    happened to Lucinda?"

    Fiona, even more impulsively grabbed her son''s tie, pulling him closer, anxiously asked, "Ike, speak

    up, what happened to your sister? Did you rush back because you heard something happened to

    your sister?"

    Ike, "...Mom, can you let me go first? I''m almost choked by you."

    The whole family, all treated Lucinda like a treasure.

    When he was a kid, if he fell, no one would help him up, they would let him get up by himself.

    His father had always told him, you have to get up where you fell.

    But when his sister fell, everyone in the family was heartbroken, rushing to help her up, to hold her.

    The treatment he received was really different from his sister''s.

    He also liked taking care of his sister.

    "What I meant by Lucinda getting into trouble, was actually Lucinda getting married."

    His mom let him go, bent down to pick up the spat that had fallen on the floor, and then gently

    tapped it on his shoulder.

    "You little rascal!"

    Fiona scolded her son, then turned around and went back to the kitchen to continue preparing

    dinner for the whole family.

    The three people who had been watching TV also let out a sigh of relief, sat back down, and

    continued watching TV with rapt attention.

    As if the person who had been anxious and worried a moment ago wasn''t them.

    "Dad, mom, grandpa, grandma, I''m telling you, Lucinda is really getting married."

    Not being trusted sucks!

    While watching TV, Vincent said something indifferent, "Your sister just failed a blind date today, and

    was evenined about on the phone. They said your sister''s standards are too high, she might

    never get married in this lifetime, and we should be prepared to support her for the rest of her life."

    Hearing Ike say that Lucinda was getting married, everyone was skeptical. Who would she marry?

 Chapter 12

    Chapter 12

    Ike was totally floored.

    He turned and went into the kitchen.

    His mom was the boss of the house.

    "Mom, I''m telling the truth."

    Hot on his mom''s heels, Ike said anxiously, "Why won''t you guys believe me?"

    Fiona pointed at her son and said, "These veggies aren''t washed yet. Go wash them for me. Then

    chop them up for the sd."

    Ike looked at the vegetables in the basket, quickly took them to the sink, filled a basin with water,

    and started washing them.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    While washing, he continued, "Mom, I''m not making any of this up. Do you remember my ssmate

    from Silverbrook University, Stefan? He and I have a mutual junior, Gabriel, who works in the

    registration office. It was Gabriel who told me. He said Stefan got married today. I wanted to confirm

    it, so I called Stefan. Guess who answered his phone? It was my sister Lucinda. She told me herself

    that she was the one who registered marriage with Stefan."

    "This scared the crap out of me. I dropped everything, rushed back to tell you guys."

    Fiona seemed to not hear him, continuing her chores.

    Ike finished washing the veggies, chopped them up, put them in a dish, and handed it to his mother.

    "Mom, are you listening?"

    "I''m listening."

    "Then why aren''t you reacting?"

    "Talk is cheap. Unless Lucinda brings your ssmate home and shows me some evidences of their

    marriage, I won''t believe she''s married."

    Ike replied, "They''ll definitely be back tomorrow. Stefan said he wanted to meet you guys."

    Ike''s words sounded reasonable. Fiona had just finished cooking a dish when she asked her son,

    "Is everything you''ve said true?"

    "Mom, would I joke about something like this? It''s about my sister''s marriage."

    Ike continued to stress that he was telling the truth.

    "I dropped everything and rushed back. Would I be this urgent if it wasn''t true?"

    Fiona was half-skeptical, "Lucinda was heartbroken after breaking up with George, and she hasn''t

    started a new rtionship since then. I know that she knows your ssmate, but I didn''t hear about

    them dating, how could they get married?"

    "Isn''t this the result of your constant nagging? Lucinda was scared by your nagging, so she just

    found a guy to marry."

    Ike wasining about his mother''s nagging.

    If his sister was married, then his mother would start nagging him to get married soon.

    Ike thought, ¡°Oh god! To keep the peace, I decided to apply for a business trip to the farthest ce

    possible. If possible, I even wanted to stay away for a year or two.¡±

    Fiona was about to whack him with the spat, Ike quickly backed off.

    "Mom, I''m talking about my sister. When Lucindaes back, tell her to leave Stefan immediately

    and get a divorce."

    Stefan''s worry was not unfounded.

    Ike was really badmouthing him in front of his future mother-inw.

    "Why? Is there something wrong with Stefan?"

    Fiona was always pushing her daughter to get married and arranging blind dates for her. Partly

    because her daughter was of marriageable age, partly because she wanted her daughter to forget

    the pain caused by George, a man who only cared about status and wealth.

    However, she would never let her daughter marry a man she didn''t know.

    "Stefan is a very cunning person. He seems gentle and polite on the surface, his smile makes

    people feelfortable, but in reality, he''s a hidden beast, he can trap people in a dilemma during

    casual chats."

    Ike told his mother what he knew about Stefan, "In school, he never dated any girls, but he didn''t

    have a good rtionship with the guys either. There were countless girls chasing him, but he wasn''t

    interested in any of them. Mom, I suspect Stefan has some kind of problem."

    Fiona recalled the polite young man. Each time they met, he greeted them with a smile. He was tall,

    good-looking, and seemed healthy. Could he be as her son said?

    "Maybe Stefan was focused on his studies and didn''t want to date. You''re saying he has a problem,

    Ike, is it right for you to badmouth your ssmate?"

    "Mom, I''m not badmouthing him, it''s our ssmates who say this behind his back. A normal man,

    faced with so many pursuers, how could he be indifferent? He must have a physical or

    psychological problem."

    Ike was telling the truth.

    During university, everyone discussed Stefan''s behavior, thinking he had a problem, not that he was

    really indifferent.

    Ike had a rtionship in high school, but it didn''tst. After college, he broke up with his girlfriend.

    Although he doesn''t have a formal girlfriend now, it doesn''t mean that he was single throughout

    university.

    Everyone around him had dating experiences, except for Stefan.

    "Some people developte in terms of rtionships, that''s normal too."

    Fiona didn''t quite believe that Stefan had a physical problem.

    "Gabriel said, Stefan had a female friend he''d known since childhood, they grew up together and

    were always close. But ten years ago, that friend suddenly went abroad. Since then, Stefan became

    indifferent. I suspect that his female friend wanted to take their rtionship further, found out that

    Stefan was not suitable, and left him heartbroken. Because of his own problems, Stefan appeared

    indifferent on the surface, but he was actually inferior. So, in university, he never dated women, no

    matter who pursued him, no one could get him."

    Fiona stayed silent.

    "Mom, if Lucinda marries Stefan, she''s asking for trouble. She must have been scared by your

    nagging, so she thought about finding a man to marry, to stop you from worrying about her future."

    Fiona said incredulously, "Marriage is not a game, Lucinda is not the type topromise. If she

    was willing topromise, would she need to go on dozens of blind dates? You said she''s already

    registered for marriage, but I haven''t seen her prepare any materials needed for registration. How

    could they be married?"

    "They got a certificate. Gabriel was there, their registration process went very smoothly."

    Fiona went silent.

    "Mom, can you just call Lucinda right now, tell her to get her ass back here, and bring Stefan with

    her? We can grill them until they spill the beans!"

    Fiona stayed silent for a moment, then actually pulled out her cell and dialed her daughter.

    At that moment, Lucinda and Stefan were holed up in a fancy room at the Anderson Hotel, getting

    ready for dinner.

    Stefan said he wanted to celebrate, so he invited her out. She figured he''d just pick some fast food

    joint, order a couple of dishes, have a few drinks and call it a night.

    But she didn''t expect him to take her to the Anderson Hotel.

    Even though she was a local from Pinehurst, even a small-town girl like Lucinda knew about the

    Anderson Hotel.

    This was the hotel of Ascend Global, also one of the most luxurious and upscale hotels in

    Pinehurst.

    Due to its expensive price, Lucinda ha never set foot in the Anderson Hotel.

    After all, she was still burdened with debt.

 Chapter 13

    Chapter 13

    "Lucinda, just order whatever you want," Stefan whispered in her ear, leaning in close. "Don''t worry,

    I can cover the bill." He even gave a yful puff of breath.

    Lucinda instinctively edged away, looking at him. He seemed serious, so she didn''t realize he was

    flirting with her.

    "Stefan, I can''t decide what to eat. You pick," Lucinda handed the menu to Stefan.

    Stefan knew she was intimidated by the prices, so he dropped the gentleman act and ordered a few

    signature dishes from the Anderson Hotel.

    Lucinda was the futuredy of the Anderson Hotel, so naturally, she should sample their star dishes.

    Suddenly, Lucinda''s phone rang.

    Pulling it out of her pocket, she saw the caller ID and couldn''t help but gripe to her husband, "It''s my

    mom again. She''s definitely reminding me about the blind date tomorrow. I''ve been on blind dates

    every day, I''ve practically met all the young guys around here! My mom won''t give me a break!"

    Despite her grumbling, Lucinda picked up the call.

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    "Mom," Lucinda sweetly said before her mom could even speak, "I''ll definitelye home

    tomorrow, you don''t need to remind me."

    "Well, at least you know your own situation."

    "But mom, could you tell the matchmaker to call off the date tomorrow? I don''t want to go on a date

    with him!"

    After hearing her daughter out, Fiona asked directly, "Lucinda, your brother is back. He says you''re

    already married. Is that true? To that young man who''s your brother''s ssmate, Stefan?"

    Lucinda was unsurprised by her brother spilling the beans early to their parents.

    Earlier today, she was still on a blind date, and now she''s suddenly saying she''s married. Such

    shocking news, of course her brother would tell their parents.

    "Yeah," Lucinda admitted honestly.

    She thought to herself: If it wasn''t for my mom setting up dozens of blind dates for me each month,

    driving me mad, I wouldn''t have paid Stefan to pretend to be my husband.

    "What are you doing now?"

    "About to have dinner."

    "In a restaurant or at home?"

    "Stefan''s treating me to dinner. We''re at the hotel."

    Fiona went quiet for a moment, thenmanded, "Come home as soon as you finish eating!"

    "Do I bring Stefan along?"

    "Of course!"

    With that, Fiona hung up.

    Lucinda breathed a sigh of relief and cheekily stuck out her tongue.

    Even over the phone, she could feel her mom''s suppressed anger.

    She was really afraid her mom might explode in anger.

    "Stefan, my mom wants us toe home after dinner. My brother is back and told my parents

    about us getting married. We might be interrogated tonight. You need to stick to the story and not

    spill the beans, otherwise, my mom will give me hell."

    Her family doted on her, but when she did something wrong, her mom would unleash her

    argumentative side and wouldn¡¯t leave her alone.

    Stefan smiled slightly and said, "Whether we go home tonight or tomorrow, it''s inevitable. Don''t

    worry, I''ll keep the secret. Won''t spill the beans that I''m a fake husband."

    Lucinda reminded him of a few things, and only when he agreed did she feel at ease.

    "There''s probably no buses now. I''ll call a cab in advance."

    Stefan said and picked up his phone from the table, sending a message to his chauffeur to bring a

    cheaper car and wait at the entrance of the Anderson Hotel.

    After arranging for the car, Stefan said, "I''m going to meet your parents, and I can''te empty-

    handed. I''ll message my friend now to buy some gifts. Once we finish dinner, we can just grab the

    stuff and go."

    This way, they wouldn''t waste more time.

    Lucinda quickly said, "Stefan, I''ll pay for the gifts."

    He was rented by her, and only charged her $500 a month. Given his status, this price was far too

    low.

    Lucinda knew this.

    Stefan was willing to be rented by her mainly because her brother and him were college

    ssmates.

    With all the help he had given her, she couldn''t let him bear the cost of the gifts too.

    Stefan looked at her deeply for a moment. When she looked puzzled, heughed, aforting

    laughter. Lucinda thought to herself: A one-year contract might be too long. Perhaps it should be

    shortened to three months.

    Because Stefan was doing too well, she was afraid she might fall in love with him after a year.

    "Okay, you can pay me back when you have the money," he messaged Emma.

    Instructing Emma to follow his requests and no need to reply.

    He was to meet Lucinda''s parents in an hour, so he asked Emma to prepare the gifts for the parents

    as soon as possible. They couldn''t be too expensive or too cheap.

    If the gifts were too pricey, he worried Lucinda''s mother would return them.

    If the gifts were too cheap, he feared Lucinda''s mother would think him stingy.

    Upon receiving Stefan''s message, Emma immediately drove to prepare the gifts.

    As Stefan''s housekeeper, Emma was incredibly efficient.

    By the time Stefan and Lucinda finished dinner and exited the hotel, Emma was already waiting at

    the entrance.

    She wasden with various bags, looking eye-catching and drawing a lot of attention.

    When Stefan saw Emma carrying a bunch of stuff, he couldn''t help but rub his forehead, almost

    wanting to pretend he didn''t recognize her.

    "Stefan, I bought all the stuff you asked me to," Emma almost called Stefan ''young master''.

    After being red at by Stefan, she quickly corrected her address.

    She thought to herself, ¡°So thisdy doesn''t know Mr. Coleman''s real identity. No wonder thisdy

    dared to rent Mr. Coleman!¡±

    Mr. Coleman was truly cunning, quietly winning over the girl he had been eyeing for so long.

    Stefan calmly introduced Emma to Lucinda, "Lucinda, this is my mom''s friend. Her house is nearby,

    so I asked her to buy some gifts for me."

    Lucinda shed a friendly grin at Emma, "Hey there, nice to meet you. Thank you so much."

    Stefan imed he only bought a few little gifts, but does this look like a few?

    Thedy here has a ton of shopping bags.

    Emma responded with a smile, "nice to meet you too, miss."

    "Ma''am, my name is Lucinda, you can call me Lucy."

    Emma took a quick nce at her boss, seeing no reaction, she mustered the courage to address

    Mr. Coleman by his name.

    She had just called Mr. Coleman by his name, didn''t seem to be a problem at all.

    She did all this just to y along with Mr. Coleman.

    Thinking so, Emma felt the pressure lifted.

    Stefan''s chauffeur rolled up in a BMW, which was his personal ride, not one from Stefan''s garage.

    In their boss''s garage, even the cheapest car costs a small fortune.

    This isn''t suitable for the boss to pretend to be poor!

 Chapter 14

    Chapter 14

    Driver Noah almost called Stefan "young master" as he got out of the car. He was about to slip, but

    a gentle nudge from Emma reminded him of Stefan''s previous warning, and he quickly corrected

    himself.

    "Sir, can we get going now?"

    Noah tried his best to sound like an ordinary driver, devoid of any formal reverence, fearing that

    Lucinda might notice something.

    "Sure thing."

    Stefan was quite pleased with Emma and the driver''s cooperation. He nned to give them a raise

    after meeting Lucinda''s parents.

    As Stefan tried to take the gifts from Emma, she and the driver quickly loaded all the presents into

    the car, filling the vehicle with all sorts of gifts.

    Lucinda thought Emma had bought too many things but did not voice it out in front of Stefan to save

    Emma from embarrassment.

    After all, Emma was the one who had done the shopping on their behalf.

    "Stefan, Lucy, it''s gettingte. You guys should head out. Drop me a text when you get there."

    After sorting out the stuff, Emma turned to the couple and said.

    "Emma, could you look after my bike?"

    "Sure thing."

    This was the Anderson Hotel, no one would darey a finger on Stefan''s bike even if it was left

    here.

    Stefan said this to avoid any suspicion from Lucinda.

    He helped Lucinda into the car. Lucinda waved goodbye to Emma.

    Once the car was on the move, Lucinda turned to Stefan, "Emma is so sweet, she must be really

    close with your mom, right? She treats you like her own nephew."

    Emma had worked for the Anderson family for over a decade, taking care of Stefan since he was

    small.

    "Yep, we''re pretty close."

    Stefan replied smoothly without exposing any ws.

    Whatever he said, even if it was a lie, was convincing.

    "You let Emma buy too much stuff."

    Stefan smiled slightly, "I''m meeting your parents for the first time, I want to make a good

    impression."

    Looking at him, Lucinda praised, "Stefan, with your hardworking attitude, you''ll surely make it big in

    thepany."

    Noah almost burst intoughter at Lucinda''s words.

    Mr. Coleman was already the CEO of Ascend Global, how much higher could he possibly go?

    "As long as I''m getting your money, I''m gonna do my job. That''s the principle."

    Lucinda nodded in agreement.

    "Lucinda, if you''re tired, you can rest on my shoulder. I''ll wake you up when we get there."

    "Do you know where my house is?"

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "Have you forgotten that I was ssmates with your brother for four years. Even though we were

    just ssmates, I obviously know where you guys live."

    Stefan had thought about establishing a good rtionship with Ike.

    But their personalities were too different, they could only be ordinary ssmates.

    However, Stefan was very clear about the Moore family''s situation.

    All these years, he never actively disturbed Lucinda, but everything about her was in his control...

    Lucindaughed, "I totally forgot about that."

    Stefan noticed her hair was scattered and gently used his fingers to tidy it up, then ced it lightly

    behind her ear.

    His actions were natural and gentle, his eyes never leaving Lucinda.

    At such close proximity, face to face, Lucinda once again sighed, "Stefan, you''re really handsome."

    A man like Stefan was the real deal. The blind date her mom chose for her was nowhere close to

    Stefan.

    Stefan lowered his head, subtly closing their gap, his lips curling into a warm smile that almost

    made Lucinda lose herself.

    His voice was gentle and charming, "Apart from handsome, what do you think about me?"

    Lucinda, oblivious to Stefan closing the gap,ughed, "You''re awesome, Stefan. You''re the real

    catch. I''m so lucky to have you as my husband for just $500."

    Noah was so shocked he almost hit the brakes.

    Holy moly!

    She got Stefan for just $500?

    That''s not the point.

    The point is, Stefan and Lucinda aren''t actually married?

    Then why was Emma so happy, even telling them that they had a new boss named Lucinda and

    they should respect her like they respect Stefan?

    Did the olddy not inform the household?

    Turns out, Stefan was actually rented by Lucinda to be her husband.

    Luckily, Noah managed to hold himself together without reacting, not daring to turn back, speak, or

    attract any attention.

    He was a bit nervous because he had inadvertently overheard Stefan''s secret.

    Would Stefan fire him to keep the secret?

    Stefan''s eyes deepened.

    This girl had no guards against him.

    He had a lifetime to make her fall for him.

    Now, it was just the beginning, he didn''t need to rush.

    "I''m really tired, I''ll take a small nap. Stefan, wake me up when we get there."

    Lucinda leaned against the seat and closed her eyes.

    Before she knew it, she was asleep.

    After she fell asleep, her body started to lose control, slowly leaning towards Stefan.

    Stefan was more than ready to ept.

    He carefully pulled her into his arms, letting her sleep against his chest.

    "Noah."

    Stefan called out softly.

    Noah immediately responded, "Mr. Stefan, I didn''t hear anything."

    Stefan smiled slightly, Noah was quite smart.

    "No one is to speak about me and Lucinda. When the time is right, I will bring Lucinda home

    myself."

    Lucinda had no clue about his real identity, he didn''t want to freak her out.

    He had to y it cool.

    Once they got real close, he would spill the beans about his true identity to Lucinda.

    "No worries, Mr. Coleman, we''ll keep your secret for as long as you need."

    Only a handful knew that Lucinda had rented Stefan.

    As the housekeeper, Emma didn''t leak any info to the old house, so they wouldn''t stick their noses

    in.

    "You guys did a good job just now, once I get back, I''ll give you a raise."

    Noah''s face lit up instantly. Who wouldn''t love more sry?

    He said with a smile, "Mr. Coleman, it''s all part of the job."

    "From now on, whenever I''m with Lucinda, don''t call me Mr. Coleman. She doesn''t know my real

    identity yet, I don''t want to scare her."

    If she found out he was the big shot of the Anderson family, she would definitely ask for a divorce on

    the spot.

    And he didn''t want a divorce.

    He won''t ever get a divorce in his lifetime!

    Noah assured him, "Yes, I promise not to drop the ball."

    After a slight pause, Noah still asked, "Mr. Coleman, are you and Ms. Moore officially hitched?"

    "Yup, but... this is none of your business, knowing too much mighte back to bite you."

    Stefan didn''t go into detail about his situation with Lucinda.

 Chapter 15

    Chapter 15

    The Pinehurst Hotel was owned by the Martinez family and was one of the ritziest hotels in

    Pinehurst.

    Owen said he wanted to wee Ruby, so naturally, it was held at their family''s hotel.

    This was his own ce where he could move freely and do what he wanted. Ruby had a few drinks,

    her beautiful face flushed under the light, exuding a mature woman''s charm.

    From the moment Owen saw her, his eyes were glued to her.

    "Ruby, where are you nning to stay?" Owen asked, handing her a full ss of wine, "Why not

    stay at my ce? It''s big, with plenty of rooms. You can pick any. My mom adores you, she''d be

    thrilled if you moved in."

    Owen''s mother and Ruby''s mother used to be friends and were very close privately.

    Owen and Ruby knew each other since they were kids, all because their moms were close.

    Ruby swirled her wine ss, watching the liquid draw beautiful curves in the ss.

    "Owen, thanks for the offer, but I still have a house in Pinehurst. I didn''t sell the vi. I woulde

    back asionally over the years, and most of the time I stayed there, the maid is still looking after

    it."

    Ruby declined Owen''s offer.

    Her main reason foring back was to marry Stefan, to be the next matriarch of the

    Anderson family.

    How could she possibly move into the Martinez family?

    Owen and Stefan were enemies.

    Even if they weren''t enemies, how could she move into the Martinez family? Stefan would definitely

    suspect she was with Owen.

    Ruby wouldn''t do anything that could potentially harm her reputation.

    Owen said, a little annoyed, "Last summer when you came back, you stayed at the Anderson

    family''s vacation vi until you left."

    N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    Rubyughed, "That vi of the Anderson family is open to the public. Lots of people vacation there

    every year, I''m not the only one. Owen, let''s make a toast."

    Owen lifted his ss, clinked it with hers, and took a small sip, his eyes never leaving her as she

    downed her drink.

    "Owen."

    Ruby put down her ss, reached out, and took Owen''s hand, "You and Stefan have known each

    other since you were kids, you used to be friends, why do you have to fight to the death? It''s hard

    for me, being stuck in the middle."

    Owen looked down at her delicate hand.

    She took the initiative to hold his hand, which made him happy.

    But her words stopped him from being happy.

    Owen withdrew his hand and said coldly, "Why don''t you go persuade Stefan to stop being my

    enemy? Ruby, you''re obviously biased towards Stefan."

    "I... I treat you both the same." Ruby denied favoring Stefan.

    Owen looked at Ruby quietly, his voice tinged with bitterness and resentment, "Ruby, in the high

    society of Pinehurst, who doesn''t know about your deep feelings for Stefan? But what about him?

    Have you forgotten how he treated you ten years ago?"

    "Who made you leave your hometown and go abroad ten years ago? Are you still going to continue

    loving him?"

    He suddenly grabbed Ruby''s hand, held it tightly, letting her feel his unwillingness and anger.

    "Ruby, we''ve known each other since we were kids, and I''m not inferior to Stefan, but I''ve never

    been in your eyes. Haven''t you felt my feelings for you all these years? I''ve been waiting for you,

    waiting for you to let go of Stefan, willing toe back. Ruby, let go of Stefan, that man may seem

    kind on the outside, but he''s cold-hearted. You can''t touch his cold heart, he doesn''t know how to

    love. Have you ever seen a woman by his side over the years? I''ve never heard of him dating or

    flirting with other women. He''s almost thirty, and he doesn''t even have a girlfriend. People in our

    circle may not be in a hurry to get married, but this is not normal for him, right? I suspect he has

    some kind of sexual dysfunction!"

    Ruby was silent for a moment.

    Owen''s suspicion about Stefan triggered Ruby''s memories.

    Stefan''s birthday was in July, a romantic season when weddings were often held. People often say

    that those born during this period are romantic and affectionate.

    But Ruby only saw cold-heartedness in Stefan.

    Ten years ago, on Stefan''s neenth birthday.

    Ruby, who was only half a year younger than him, made a bold decision, to give herself as a

    birthday present to Stefan that night.

    But Stefan was unmoved...

    He also told her that he had never loved her, that they were only ymates when they were kids,

    not even close to liking each other.

    Ruby didn''t expect her bold attempt to end up like this.

    Unable to bear the emotional blow, she chose to go abroad.

    Only she, Stefan, and Owen knew about this.

    At that time, Ruby considered Owen her best friend, she didn''t hide her attempts to get close to

    Stefan from Owen, she even asked Owen for help.

    "Ruby, I don''t want to be just your friend, I want to be your boyfriend, and future husband, Ruby,

    can''t you see my feelings for you?"

    Ruby looked at him and didn''t speak.

    She understood.

    As she grew older, she gradually realized that Owen''s kindness towards her was out of love, he was

    so good to her, so tolerant of her, all because he loved her!

    Owen wasn''t bad either, but Ruby wanted to conquer Stefan.

    "Owen, you''re drunk."

    "I''m not drunk."

    Owen replied quietly, "Don''t change the subject, I know what I''m saying."

    Ruby paused for a beat, yanked her hand back, picked up her bag, and got up. "It''ste, and after a

    long flight today, I''m beat," she told Owen. "I''m heading home to take a load off. Thanks for the

    hospitality, Owen. Once I''ve recharged, I''ll treat you to a meal."

    With that, she split.

    "Ruby, Ruby!"

    Owen hollered her name twice, but couldn''t keep her from leaving.

    He smacked the table hard in frustration and anger.

    "Stefan," he seethed, "I swear on my life, I won''t let you off the hook!"

    His prejudice against Stefan wasrgely due to Ruby, but business interests also yed a part.

    There ain''t enough room in this town for two big shots.

    Their businesses were virtually identical, so it was only natural that the two would butt heads in the

    same industry.

    Ruby walked out of the Pinehurst Hotel, took out her cell phone and called her driver, telling him to

    come pick her up. After hanging up, she couldn''t help but send Stefan a text.

    The message was brief, ¡°Stefan, I''m back.¡±

    Once she sent the message, Ruby sat there, waiting for Stefan''s reply.

 Chapter 16

    Chapter 16

    Stefan got a text from Ruby. He read it, but didn''t reply.

    He never had feelings for Ruby. They just knew each other from their families being close since they

    were kids.

    They practically grew up together, but Stefan wouldn''t agree with the idea that they''ve liked each

    other since childhood. Stefan looked down at the girl sleeping sweetly against his chest, his gaze

    softening. He gently touched Lucinda''s face with his hand.

    Seeing that she didn''t wake up, he nced at the driver, who was focused on the road. He nudged

    Lucinda a little, then quickly nted a kiss on her cheek.

    Stealing a kiss from a girl was both nerve-wracking and chaotic, but also sweet.

    After the stolen kiss, Stefan hugged Lucinda tight again, looking ahead as if nothing had happened.

    N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "We''re almost there, young master."

    "Alright, remember not to call me that when Lucinda and I are together."

    "Got it, young master, oh, Mr. Coleman."

    The driver immediately changed his way of addressing Stefan.

    Suddenly, Lucinda''s phone rang.

    Stefan wanted to answer it for her, but she woke up.

    Realizing she was in Stefan''s arms, she quickly moved away.

    She gave Stefan an embarrassed smile. She just wanted to take a quick nap, but ended up falling

    asleep in his arms.

    Even though they were legally married, they had an agreement. She was renting him to y her

    husband, he wasn''t her real husband.

    ording to their agreement, they should avoid physical contact as much as possible.

    Lucinda pulled out her phone, checked the caller ID and said to Stefan, "It''s Ike." He was definitely

    calling to check on her.

    Lucinda picked up her brother''s call.

    "Ike."

    "Mom wants you guys toe home tonight. Are you back yet?"

    "We''re on our way. Let me see where we are." Lucinda looked out the window. The driver said,

    "We''re about five minutes away."

    Hearing the driver''s words, Ike said, "We''ll wait for you at home."

    Lucinda thought to herself, ¡°If you''re not waiting for me at home, where else would you be?¡±

    But she didn''t dare to voice herints for fear of being scolded by Ike.

    Her marriage to Stefan was a big deal to her family.

    She got married without her parents'' approval!

    After hanging up, Lucinda yawned and muttered, "I was woken up by Ike''s call before I had enough

    sleep."

    It was almost time for them to get home, so she couldn''t go back to sleep.

    "Stefan, let''s go over our lines."

    Stefan raised an eyebrow, "Lines?"

    What lines?

    "If my family asks us why we got married, what are you going to say?"

    Stefan''s deep gaze made her feel like he was inscrutable. When he looked at her quietly, it was as if

    she was the woman he loved most in the world.

    In fact, they were just a little more than strangers.

    "What do you want me to say?"

    Lucinda thought for a moment, then said, "You can say that you''ve liked me for a long time. Today,

    you bumped into me and found out I wanted to get married, so you married me."

    She couldn''t say Stefan was her rented husband. So, she had toe up with a usible reason to

    convince her family.

    It was mainly to convince her mother. If her mother believed her, she wouldn''t have to go on blind

    dates anymore. She could live a peaceful life.

    They could divorce in less than a month.

    Trading $500 for a few years of peace and quiet was a good deal to Lucinda.

    "Okay."

    Stefan replied with a smile, "Sure, I''ll answer your parents'' questions ording to your instructions."

    "Besides asking us why we got married, my mom will definitely check your family background.

    Stefan, you can answer however you like. If you don''t want my mom to know the real situation of

    your family, you can make up some lies."

    She didn''t mind.

    Stefan lightly touched her nose, thenughed, "Your mom would be angry if she heard you say

    that."

    Teaching others to lie to her mother was definitely something Lucinda woulde up with.

    "I have no choice. My mom keeps urging me to get married. She calls me so many times a day

    asking the same question. I''m about to go crazy."

    It''s like she was going to be single for the rest of her life. But she didn''t think that being single for life

    was a big deal.

    Afterining about her mom, she began to admire Stefan, "Stefan, your parents are so open-

    minded. They never interfere with your marriage."

    Stefan smiled, "Yes, they''re very open-minded. They don''t interfere with my romantic life. My

    grandma always says that marriage is important. You should marry someone you love and who

    loves you back. That''s the key to happiness."

    The elders of the Anderson family were indeed forward-thinking.

    They were wealthy and powerful, and had many talented young people. Grandma said, there was

    no need for the Andersons to establish business ties through marriage. They could marry whoever

    they liked, and the family would not interfere.

    Maybe because he was almost 30 and never had a girlfriend, the elders were worried that he might

    have some issues that he was too embarrassed to talk about.

    So, they were eager for him to find a girl he liked and get married.

    Grandma almost said that as long as he liked a woman, she would agree to the marriage.

    "That''s great! My mom just worries about me a lot. My dad and grandparents won''t say anything.

    My grandma even said she didn''t want me to get married so soon."

    "But in the end, my mom has the final say. My grandparents won''t interfere."

    Stefan held her hand and could tell she tensed up a bit.

    Clearly, this girl wasn''t used to them being all touchy-feely.

    "Don''t worry, I promise I''ll get the job done."

    Looking at his ridiculously handsome face, Lucinda sighed. "Stefan, if you were a woman, you''d

    definitely be a stunning beauty who would make millions of men fall for you."

    Stefan was speechless.

    When they pulled up to the front gate of the Moore family''s residence, the driver stopped the car.

    He didn''t really want to interrupt Stefan and Lucinda''s chit-chat, but they had arrived at the

    destination and he had no choice but to butt in.

    "Mr. Coleman, we''re here."

    Suddenly feeling nervous again, Lucinda held Stefan''s hand tightly, whispering in his ear, "Stefan,

    whether I can live a peaceful life or not, it''s all on you now."

    Stefan nodded solemnly.

    Before they even had a chance to get out of the car, Ike had alreadye out of the house to greet

    them.

    "Ike." Lucinda called his name after stepping out of the car.

    Ignoring her, Ike waited for Stefan to get out of the car andnded a punch on his shoulder.

    Lucinda gasped.

    "Ike!" she shouted.

    Grabbing Stefan by the cor, Ike shouted angrily, "Stefan, you damn sneak, you married my sister

    without a peep! Tell me, when did you start fancying Lucinda? I treated you like a friend, a bro, an

    old pal, and this is how you repay me? You didn''t say a word and whisked away my only sister!"

 Chapter 17

    Chapter 17

    Stefan had just got off the car when he was suddenly punched by Ike out of nowhere, but he didn¡¯t

    lose his cool. He grabbed the hand Ike used to yank his cor and said in a low voice, ¡°Ike, can you

    let go?¡±

    Lucinda rushed over, pulling Ike away, ¡°Ike, is this how you treat guests? It''s Stefan''s first time at

    our ce, he''s been on the road for so long, hasn''t even stepped foot in the door and you''ve

    already punched him. Do you hate him that much?¡±

    Ike said, ¡°...Lucinda, you''re defending him so much. What has Stefan done to you that you''d even

    marry him? Do you really know him? Do you know his past?¡±

    His own sister was marrying his college buddy.

    Ike felt very ufortable. ¡°We''ve known each other for eleven years, how could I not know him?

    Plus, he was your ssmate, right? What secrets could he have?¡±

    Ike said, ¡°...You''ve grown up, you''re all grown up. Why have you be so stubborn?¡±

    Lucinda went silent.

    Her brother''s reaction was a bit over the top.

    In the past, Ike and Stefan were on good terms. Every time school was out, they''d go home

    together.

    ¡°Ike!¡±

    Lucinda''s mom, Fiona, also came out.

    With her booming voice, Ike involuntarily cringed, but still managed to shoot Stefan a nasty look

    before turning around to go inside.

    Following Fiona was Vincent, Lucinda''s dad.

    Fiona turned to Stefan.

    She hadn¡¯t seen Stefan since he graduated from university.

    After a few years, meeting again, the once shy and polite boy had suddenly be her son-inw.

    Fiona took a good look at Stefan.

    Then, she put on a polite smile and said to Stefan, ¡°Stefan, long time no see, you must be tired from

    the long ride. Come inside and rest.¡±

    She nudged her husband subtly, signaling him to lead Stefan inside.

    ¡°Mom, Dad, sorry to bother you sote.¡±

    As soon as Stefan spoke, he directly addressed Lucinda''s parents as mom and dad, catching

    everyone off guard.

    Vincent furrowed his eyebrows, not saying a word.

    Fiona was taken aback for a second and thenughed, ¡°I''m the one who called you guys back, no

    need to apologize.¡±

    Seeing Stefan unload many gifts from the car, Fiona said, ¡°Why did you bring so much stuff, it''s not

    necessary, we''re not short of anything.¡±

    Lucinda chimed in, ¡°Mom, you always say we''re not short of anything except a son-inw or

    daughter-inw. Now I''ve brought you a son-inw, we''re just short of a daughter-inw.¡±

    Fiona gave her a stern look.

    Lucinda cheekily stuck out her tongue.

    Vincent stepped forward to help Stefan with the stuff.

    They went inside first.

    Lucinda was held back by her mother.

    ¡°Mom, what''s up?¡±

    Lucinda pretended to be clueless.

    ¡°You dare to ask, did you really register to marry Stefan?¡±

    ¡°Didn''t Ike already tell you guys? Would I trick you?¡±

    Fiona was stunned.

    Although she kept pushing her daughter to get married, she didn''t expect her to get married at such

    a fast pace.

    "Mom, look, Stefan is far better than those so-called high-quality men you arranged for me. He''s the

    real deal." Lucinda bragged about her good taste.

    "You and Stefan were ssmates in college, and you''ve known him for a long time. But you guys

    didn''t interact privately, do you know him?"

    Lucinda said, "Stefan works at Ascend Global and lived in Diamond Ridge Estates before we got

    married. The rent there is crazy high. He must have a good sry to afford it. Ascend Global is the

    biggest corporation in Pinehurst, involved in all sorts of industries, a huge and profitablepany."

    "I bet his position is not low, his family is very open-minded, not like my mom always nagging me

    about getting married. I''m really envious of him." And with that, Fiona gave her a light smack on the

    head.

    Fiona said unhappily, "Women age fast. I just want you to find a better man while you''re still young

    and beautiful. What''s wrong with that?"

    "Stefan works at Ascend Global and can afford to live in Diamond Ridge Estates. Looks like he''s

    quite eligible. By the way, where does his family live? How many are there in his family?"

    Lucinda was taken aback by the question.

    She only thought about how Stefan would answer her mom''s questions and forgot her mom would

    also ask her.

    "They also live in Pinehurst. He¡¯s living with his parents and grandparents."

    Lucinda''s dismissive answer left Fiona unsatisfied.

    "Mom, let''s go inside. We can''t keep Stefan waiting for too long. It''s not polite."

    Worried that Fiona would keep asking, Lucinda quickly grabbed her hand and led her inside.

    Inside, Stefan was sitting on a single sofa, facing four people sitting on the couch.

    All eyes were on Stefan.

    The coffee table was empty, not even a ss of water.

    "Ike, why didn''t you get Stefan a ss of water?"

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    Lucinda startedining about her brother as soon as she entered.

    She naturally sat next to Stefan. Stefan immediately made room for her.

    To make the act more convincing, Lucinda sat next to Stefan. The couple squeezed onto the single-

    seater sofa.

    The Moore family was infuriated by the scene.

    Their sweet daughter, so easily won over by someone like Stefan.

    "Ike, go make some tea for Stefan and bring some fruit."

    Despite the questions in her mind, Fiona knew how to be a gracious host.

    After all, this was their son-inw.

    Even if they weren''t happy about it, there was nothing they could do. They were already married.

    What else could they do?

    Fiona was at her wit''s end, constantly nagging her daughter to get hitched, but her daughter kept

    striking out in the dating game.

    She thought Lucinda would never get over George, but lo and behold, Lucinda got hitched at

    lightning speed out of the blue.

    Fiona was pretty sure Lucinda got married in a sh. Aside from George, Lucinda didn''t have any

    other male friends. Fiona was pretty bummed out thinking her beautiful, top-notch daughter didn''t

    have any guys chasing after her.

    What on earth are these guys looking at!

    "Alright then."

    Fiona gave the orders and Ike didn''t dare to disobey.

    He grudgingly went to brew some tea and cut up some fruit.

    "Lucinda, you lend a hand as well."

    Fiona wanted to split them up so she could get the lowdown on this guy named Stefan, oh, her

    "son-inw".

    Lucinda subtly nudged Stefan''s thigh, and Stefan subtly nudged her back.

    They both understood what the other meant.

    Lucinda stood up and left.

    "Stefan."

    Fiona cut to the chase and asked straight up, "Did Lucinda rope you in to y the role of her

    husband, just to get me off her back about getting married?"

    Earlier, when she asked her daughter where Stefan''s family lived, how many people were in his

    family, her daughter couldn''t answer.

    Fiona began to suspect that their marriage was just a show for her.

 Chapter 18

    Chapter 18

    Stefan slowly pulled out their marriage certificate and ced it on the small coffee table in the living

    room. He said to Fiona, "Mom, Lucinda and I are legally married, this certificate is real, we''re not

    faking it."

    Fiona picked up the certificate on the table and examined it.

    All the information on the certificate was real, indicating that it wasn''t a fake document to deceive

    her. Moreover, the apanying wedding photo had been included. The two people in the photo

    were smiling sweetly, like a couple that had been dating for many years. This showed that when

    they registered for marriage, they truly loved each other, and there was no deception or coercion.

    Recalling what Ike had said, Fiona handed the document back to her husband for a second look.

    She asked Stefan, "You and Lucinda have known each other for many years, but you didn''t have

    much contact privately. How did you suddenly think of getting married?"

    This happened after their daughter had failed in matchmaking many times.

    Fiona didn''t want to suspect that her daughter and Stefan were pretending to be a married couple to

    deceive her, but she couldn''t help but doubt it because it was too coincidental.

    Stefan showed a gentle expression on his face and exined, "Mom, I fell in love with Lucinda a

    long time ago. But since she is younger, I needed to wait patiently for her to grow up and wanted to

    have a stable job before confessing to her.

    "I didn''t expect that while I was working hard, Lucinda already had a boyfriend and their rtionship

    was going well. Although I was upset, I respected Lucinda''s choice. As long as Lucinda is happy,

    even if she is not with me, I hope she can be happy."

    Stefan spoke very sincerely.

    If his friends heard this, they would say that he was a very affectionate man.

    "Because mypany is close to Serendipity Cafe that she opened, I was meeting clients and

    conducting business there today when I found out about Lucinda''s failed matchmaking attempt. I

    found out that she and her boyfriend had broken up.

    "At that time, Lucinda was still upset about the matchmaking. I felt sorry for her and thought this was

    my chance to confess, so I expressed my feelings to her and asked her to marry me. Lucinda

    agreed, and we went straight to register for marriage.

    "Mom, that''s how things are. There''s no pretending to be a married couple. After some twists and

    turns, Lucinda came back into my life. This time, I seized the opportunity because I didn''t want to

    miss such a good girl again. I want to make her truly happy with my own efforts."

    The Moore family was speechless.

    It felt like they were listening to a story.

    Lucinda, who was helping her brother cut fruit, also heard Stefan''s words and secretly praised him,

    ¡°Stefan really has a knack for acting, it''s a pity he didn''t be an actor.¡±

    He''s handsome, charming, and can act. It''s a waste not to be an actor.

    If it weren''t for the fact that she was the female lead in his fabricated story, Lucinda would have

    believed the words Stefan said.

    "Mom, although Lucinda and I got married a bit quickly, we''ve actually thought it through and won''t

    regret it. I promise, from now on, I''ll love Lucinda, pamper her, spoil her, and never let her suffer."

    The Moore family was still silent for a long time.

    They didn''t know what to say.

    Stefan''s condition was the bestpared to those Lucinda had met in matchmaking.

    And they have known each other for a long time.

    "Stefan,e, have some tea."

    "Stefan, have some fruit."

    Ike and Lucinda came over one after the other.

    Lucinda secretly gave Stefan a thumbs up.

    Stefan looked at Lucinda lovingly. His action in the eyes of the Moore family looked like a heartfelt

    confession.

    His eyes were full of tenderness.

    Lucinda couldn''t help but exim in her heart, ¡°... Oh my God! Stefan, your acting is too convincing!

    I almost thought you really loved me.¡±

    "Since you two have made this decision after careful consideration, we can''t say anything. Stefan,

    where do you live? We need to visit."

    Fiona held back her reluctance.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    The little girl they had brought home years ago, who had grown into a beautiful young woman with

    their care, was now married.

    Although she was always urging marriage and arranging matchmaking for Lucinda, she was the

    one who was most reluctant to let Lucinda go.

    Stefan smiled, "I live in the suburbs, the address is quite remote. It''s a bit difficult to get there and

    easy to get lost. So, I''ll tell my parents toe here and visit you."

    Fiona nodded, "Since you and Lucinda are legally married, we as parents definitely need to meet."

    Even if Stefan''s parents came over, the Moore family would still have to find time to visit Stefan''s

    family.

    After all, their daughter was going to spend her life in their home, they had to know where their

    daughter lived.

    "It might be inconvenient recently." Stefan said apologetically, "My parents are traveling abroad and

    haven''t returned home yet. They probably won''t be back for another month or two."

    Fiona asked, "So, you and Lucinda are not in a rush to hold a wedding?"

    Stefan looked at Lucinda, still with that affectionate look. He said with a pampering tone, "This

    matter is up to Lucinda. Whenever she wants to hold the wedding, that''s when we''ll hold it."

    "Dad, Mom, if you have any requirements for the wedding, just mention them. I''ll do everything I

    can."

    Lucinda picked up an apple and ate it while listening.

    Even the wedding was mentioned.

    Stefan was really a dedicated actor, the world owed him an Oscar for best actor.

    "We don''t have any requirements. As long as Lucinda is happy, we''re happy."

    This was Vincent''s attitude as the head of the family.

    "Mom." Ike called softly, mumbling inside, ¡°Shouldn''t we be interrogating the suspect? How did we

    jump straight to nning a wedding?¡±

    Fiona shot her son a look, then said to Stefan, "Stefan, Ike here has a few questions for you, you

    better answer them honestly."

    Ike didn''t know what to say, he was totally baffled.

    A few minutester.

    On the rooftop of the Moore family''s building.

    Ike leaned against the railing, facing Stefan.

    The breeze of the night was incredibly refreshing.

    "Ike, what do you want to ask?"

    "Got a cigarette?"

    "You know I don''t smoke."

    He remembered that Lucinda didn''t like men who smoked.

    "Lucinda doesn''t like men who smoke, does anyone in your family smoke?"

    Ike said a bit impatiently, "That doesn''t mean I don''t smoke."

    "If you want to ask something, just ask, I''ll tell you."

    Ike took a deep breath, then asked straight out, "Are you up for it?"

    Stefan replied, "...Ike, can you be more specific?"

    Are you up for it?

    In what sense?

    "I mean are you a real man, or are you just trying to deceive Lucinda because you''re actually

    impotent? For all these years, there hasn''t been any woman around you, I, no, our male ssmates

    think you might be sexually dysfunctional, or have some psychological issues."

 Chapter 19

    Chapter 19

    Stefan''s face turned sour.

    What''s wrong with Ike? Did he have some mental problems?

    With a threatening tone, Stefan asked Ike, "Do you want to try?"

    And then, Ike''s face turned just as sour. He almost threw a punch again.

    Annoyed, he said, "Stefan, I ain''t hinting anything, alright?"

    Stefan sneered, "If you doubt me again, I can prove to you..."

    "Alright, alright, I believe you, I believe you!"

    Ike cut him off.

    "Stefan, you''re engaged to Lucinda. You can''t go after me. I''m a handsome dude, but I''m only

    interested in women." Stefan replied, "I didn''t ask you to validate me. I have a fianc¨¦e. Whether I

    can do it or not, my fianc¨¦e would know best."

    Ike: "...You and Lucinda aren''t married yet. You guys can''t do that!"

    Ah, his precious little sister was going to be taken by this jerk!

    Ike was in low spirits, feeling more and more annoyed by his old ssmate and Lucinda''s fianc¨¦.

    Stefan didn''t give a damn about what Ike said.

    His target was Lucinda.

    As long as Lucinda was willing, he, as a ready-to-be husband, could marry her anytime.

    On the rooftop, two men were ring at each other.

    Downstairs, Lucinda was sitting in front of herputer, hands tapping away on the keyboard,

    words popping up on the screen.

    Fiona opened the door, saw her daughter busy writing, then quietly retreated and closed the door.

    Lucinda knew her mother had been there. She intended to chat with her after finishing a section, but

    Fiona left, not disturbing her writing.

    It was already 10 PM. She was still short of her daily updates. She had to finish them before

    midnight.

    She had no choice, because her coffee shop wasn''t making a profit yet.

    So giving up was out of the question. After all, with hope ahead, persistence would pay off.

    Her editor told her she could level up by the end of the month. If she was willing, she could switch to

    a sharing model next month. If not, the original base price could be raised a bit. This way, her

    ie would be higher, and she wouldn''t have to work so hard to get the same amount of

    payment.

    When she was not disturbed, Lucinda wrote really fast.

    "You''re writing a novel?"

    Stefan''s voice suddenly came from behind.

    Lucinda didn''t have time to close the file, so she admitted, "Yeah, a novel, a web novel. It''s

    published online, not the kind for printing."N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    As a newbie, she just started writing web novels recently to earn a little more. She was still an

    unknown, so publishing was far away for her.

    Stefanughed, "I didn''t expect to marry a great writer."

    "Stefan, quit kidding. What great writer? I''m just writing web novels to make a living. Instead, you

    surprised me, Stefan."

    Lucinda turned her head in his direction, noticing the door was not closed. She teased, "Stefan,

    have you ever thought about being a star? You''re really good at acting. Seriously, you''re wasting

    your talent if you don''t. Or, wanna consider it? I can be your agent."

    Stefan chuckled and flicked her forehead lightly.

    "When I can''t survive in the business world, I''ll consider your suggestion, to be a star."

    "When you''re famous, Stefan, remember to give me more autographs."

    "You''re my agent, do you need my autograph?"

    Everything of his was hers.

    "Which website is your novel published on?"

    Lucinda told Stefan the website she signed with and her pen name.

    "How''s the ie from writing?"

    "I''m a newbie, so I signed the minimum guarantee contract. I have to keep updating to make money.

    I need to write for more than 10 hours a day to make enough for rent and living expenses."

    With an extra rent from him, her financial burden was heavier.

    Keep going, Lucinda! Stick to the path you choose, no matter what.

    Stefan''s eyes were filled with sympathy.

    "Stefan, what did Ike ask you about?"

    Stefan chose to keep quiet.

    "Can''t you tell me?" Curiosity filled Lucinda''s eyes.

    Stefan pursed his lips and said softly, "Your brother asked me if I could do it."

    "Can you?"

    Lucinda hadn''t quite understood him, so she asked.

    After asking, she saw his serious face, his deep gaze at her, a spark seemed to be dancing in his

    eyes.

    Such a heart-fluttering gaze.

    Her heartbeat involuntarily sped up.

    Stefan''s gaze was irresistible!

    Lucinda turned away, facing theputer screen, not looking at Stefan, so she wouldn''t be

    captivated.

    "Lucinda, in the future, no matter who says I have a problem, if you have any doubts, you cane

    to me for verification. I''m more than willing to cooperate with your inspection."

    Lucinda didn¡¯t know what to say.

    She didn¡¯t understand what he meant?!

    What problem he had?! What inspection?!

    "Go on with your work. I won''t bother you. I''ll go rest in the guest room next door."

    Of course, Stefan couldn''t share a room with Lucinda yet, even if they were married.

    Lucinda rented him to be her shield, and the Moore family couldn''t ept letting this wolf live with

    their daughter.

    So, they arranged for him to sleep in the guest room.

    "Goodnight, Stefan."

    "Goodnight."

    After Stefan left, Lucinda started writing again.

    As she was writing, she thought about what Stefan just said. Ike asked him if he could do it.

    Could he do what?...

    Huh?

    Got it!

    Do intimate things!

    She actually asked him again!

    Lucinda was so embarrassed that she wanted to crawl into a hole to hide herself.

    Oh, no need to blush. He left a while ago.

    Half an hourter, Lucinda finally finished today''s update, uploaded the finished chapter to her

    author backend, then logged out.

    She picked up her phone, habitually opened the website''s app, opened her bookshelf, then opened

    her own book.

    Sometimes when hertest updates didn''t get approved, they won''t show up. After she updated,

    she would open her own book to see if the new chapters were visible. If they were, she wouldn''t

    have to worry.

    If the updates didn''t appear, she''d be able to spot the problem sooner rather thanter. This way,

    she wouldn''t be left in the dark, not knowing why her new chapters got rejected and unable to make

    updates.

    "Huh? Wow! So many gifts! My goodness!"

    On the tform where Lucinda had signed a contract, readers could send gifts. A flower was worth

    one-tenth of a cent while a diamond was worth almost a buck. They could also send any amount of

    in-app currency. Some of the gifts'' value would go to the website, but as a hardworking author, she

    would get a hefty cut too.

    At that moment, she realized her book had received a ton of diamonds.

    She remembered vividly that her past work had only received five diamonds in total.

    Readers usually sent her a few flowers as encouragement as diamonds were pricier and less likely

    to be gifted.

    But now, she had received tens of thousands of diamonds.

    After splitting the profits with the website, she would still make almost twenty grand.

    Just from the gifts alone, she was making more than her monthly writing ie.

    "Did I just attract some filthy rich reader?"

    Lucinda had a satisfied grin on her face. The reader who ranked first on the gift leaderboard was

    named "WaitingForHer".

    It was this loaded reader who had gifted her tens of thousands of diamonds!

    That''s so rich! She was so thrilled she was flipping and flopping on her bed!

 Chapter 20

    Chapter 20

    Lucinda and her contract hubby had a chill weekend at home, with Ike driving them back to the city

    on Sunday afternoon.

    Ike''spany had rented an apartment for him, and he initially nned to take the couple back

    with him, but Lucinda rejected the offer.

    The ce was too far from her shop and wouldn''t be convenient for work the next day.

    So Ike ended up dropping them off at their rented house.

    Knowing that the two of them were living together made Ike a bit ufortable, but he couldn''t

    really say anything.

    After all, both of their parents had epted Stefan, so there was no point in Ike opposing it.

    "Lucinda, you go ahead, I need a word with Stefan."

    Lucinda nced at Stefan and got out of the car, she still had to take the stuff from the car to the

    house.

    These were home-cooked foods her mom had brought for her, including Fiona''s homemade chili

    sauce.

    There were also some vegetables and fruits grown in their home garden.

    Every time she went back home, her parents would prepare a lot of stuff for her to bring back to the

    city.

    "Lucinda, I''ll take care of this stuffter."

    Stefan stopped her, not wanting her to carry such heavy things.

    The stuff was plentiful and quite heavy.

    "I''ll take some of the fragile stuff first, and you can bring the rest inter. And bro, don''t forget to lend

    a hand."

    Lucinda reminded Ike that he should help out and not just stand by.

    "Yeah, yeah."

    Ike responded dismissively.

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    He didn''t really n to help, he wanted Stefan to do it all by himself, to tire him out!

    He still couldn''t ept that his ssmate had be his sister''s husband.

    Lucinda took some stuff and headed for the house.

    Once she walked away, Ike turned to Stefan who was sitting in the back seat of the car and warned

    him, "Stefan, just because my parents and grandparents don''t hate you, don''t get cocky. If you treat

    Lucinda badly, I won''t let you off the hook. If you think Lucinda is doing something wrong, you are

    not to hit her, and you are not to yell at her. Call me, and I will take her back home immediately. I''ll

    take care of her for the rest of her life!"

    Lucinda was their family''s treasure, and they couldn''t bear to hurt her in any way.

    Stefan responded seriously, "Ike, we might not have been close, but we were ssmates for four

    years, and we''ve kept in touch since graduation. Don''t you know me at all? I..."

    Ike interrupted him, "I don''t know you. When we were in school, a lot of ssmates and I thought

    you were not easy to get along with. All I know about you is your name, your age, and that you were

    single before you met Lucinda. That''s it."

    "I work at Ascend Global, don''t you know that?"

    "...That''s all I know."

    "Ike, since you have such a view of me, no matter how nicely I speak, you won''t believe me. I can

    only prove my love for Lucinda through time and actions."

    Ike red at Stefan for a while before reluctantly saying, "I''ll take your word for it this time. Get out

    and carry the stuff in."

    Stefan smiled and said, "I didn''t n to bother you with this in the first ce, brother."

    "Don''t call me brother. Every time I hear you call me that, it hurts even more. My beloved little sister

    was taken away by you, and now every time I see you, I get pissed."

    Stefan just smiled, not saying anything.

    He carried several bags of stuff prepared by Lucinda''s mom out of the car.

    Ike seemed afraid he might change his mind. As soon as Stefan got the stuff out of the car, he

    drove off.

    Stefan carried several bags of stuff, without a singleint, and headed for the house.

    When he got to the door of Lucinda''s room, Lucinda came to open the door for him, her eyes curved

    into crescents from smiling.

    "Stefan." Lucinda reached out to help.

    "I can handle it." Stefan refused her help.

    He had married her and he was going to spoil her for a lifetime.

    He would do all the heavy and tiring work.

    All she needed to do was to be his happy wife.

    "Stefan, I have some good news."

    Lucinda closed the door, turned around and smiled at Stefan, "I''m going to make a fortune!"

    Stefan put all the bags in one corner of the room, turned around and asked with a smile, "How so?

    Did you win the lottery?"

    "I''ve never bought a lottery ticket. It''s my book! I received a lot of gifts today. Apart from the wealthy

    reader who gave me a lot of diamondsst night, more readers gave me gifts today. I suspect those

    readers are falling in love with me."

    Stefanughed, "How much money can you make from the gifts they sent you?"

    "Probably more than half, the website takes a cut."

    After saying this, Lucinda cried out in pain, "Ah, I lost so much money!"

    If someone tipped her a diamond, she and the website would split the money, she wouldn''t mind.

    But when the base amount of money increased, she began to begrudge the money that was taken

    away.

    "If they gave me so many gifts and coins on my birthday, it would be perfect, because all the tips

    received by the author on their birthday go 100% to the author, no need to split with the website."

    Stefan didn''t know how to answer.

    The fact that Lucinda''s book could receive so many gifts, apart from Stefan himself generously

    investing money to make his wife happy, also had a lot to do with him posting the link of Lucinda''s

    book published on the website as a post. Those who could see his status were basically his good

    friends and some important clients, all of whom were wealthy. He chose not to let his family see this

    message, fearing that they would be too enthusiastic or curious and scare Lucinda.

    He told them it was a novel written by his wife.

    Those bored bosses immediately showed great interest. They downloaded the app, recharged, and

    then gave gifts and coins to Lucinda''s book.

    Stefan''s initial intention was to help Lucinda increase some poprity and let more people read her

    book, but he didn''t expect those people to start throwing money!

    Anyway, it wasn''t him who forced them to throw money, it had nothing to do with him!

    "Ah, can''t do much about it, can we? The tform gave me the chance to publish my novel, so of

    course there¡¯s gonna be some costs. They take a bit of my money, they take a bit of my money, it is

    what it is." Lucinda quickly came to terms with this.

    Stefan smiled, "That''s the spirit. After all, running a website isn¡¯t free, they gotta make a profit. They

    can¡¯t be running at a loss, right? Your birthday''s passed, hasn''t it?"

    "Yep, half a year ago."

    As Lucinda replied, she thought of her brother and then asked, "Has Ike left already? Didn''t he

    come with you?"

    "He¡¯s got work tomorrow, and he lives quite a distance away from here, so he left earlier."

    "Stefan, I can tell that Ike might not be the friendliest to you, don¡¯t take it to heart, he just needs time

    to ept the situation."

    Lucinda gave Stefan a thumbs-up, "But Stefan, your acting skills are top-notch! My mum had her

    suspicions, but you managed to pull the wool over her eyes. Now she totally believes in our

    marriage, and I can live in peace."

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21

    Now, Lucinda had a lot of money and also won over a lot of readers, who''ve showered her with

    gifts. So her ie next month would surprise her.

    Lucinda said to Stefan, all generous-like, ¡°Stefan, I''ve decided to give you a bit of a bonus. When I

    get all this cash from the readers next month, I''ll give you a bonus, get you some new threads, a

    bed, some good grub. Then, I''ll rent a bigger ce, one room each, so even if we''re not ying

    house anymore, we can still be roomies.¡±

    Stefan''s eyes were all mysterious, which Lucinda had gotten used to. He said, ¡°Cool, I''ll look

    forward to the bonus, and the new clothes.¡±

    They''re not ying house anymore?

    She thought she could just marry him and then leave him?

    Dream on!

    But Stefan wouldn''t say that, of course.

    That night, Lucinda was all smiles, even in her dreams.

    No, she thought she was dreaming, that''s why so many readers were tipping her.

    When she woke up, the first thing she did was to log onto the website, open her own article, and

    found out that the number on the gift leaderboard had increased from the night before. But it wasn''t

    skyrocketing like before, so it didn''t give her such a shock.

    She nibbled her finger gently.

    She could feel the pain.

    "Turns out I''m not dreaming, I really did struck gold!¡±

    In no time, her article dominated all the gift leaderboards on the website.

    By then, Stefan had prepared breakfast.

    When he saw Lucinda came out, he took off his apron and greeted her, ¡°Honey, breakfast is ready,

    all your favourite foods.¡±

    ¡°Stefan, stop calling me like that. My parents aren''t here now, we don''t need to put on a show.¡±

    Lucinda went over to check out the breakfast Stefan had made. There was a variety of food, all stuff

    she liked.

    Just by going home to meet his parents once, Stefan had already figured out her preferences.

    He really was a considerate and caring guy.

    She took a bite of the sandwich.

    ¡°Are the veggies fresh?¡±

    Lucinda ran a coffee shop, so she knew about food. She could taste the freshness of the

    ingredients.

    ¡°Yes, they''re fresh. I bought them from the market this morning.¡±

    ¡°Stefan, did you get up early?¡±

    Thinking about how she had made him sleep on the living room floorst night, Lucinda said

    apologetically, ¡°Stefan, I''ll buy you a bed today.¡±

    She could borrow some money from her brother for now and then pay him back next month. After

    all, she was rich!

    She could even pay off all her debts with the tip money.

    ¡°I just woke up naturally. If you''re short on cash, don''t rush to buy a bed. It''s hot now anyway,

    sleeping on the floor is pretty cool.¡±

    Lucinda nodded, ¡°It is pretty cool.¡±

    But she still needed to buy a bed.

    After breakfast, Lucinda wasn''t in a hurry to open the shop. Her coffee shop usually didn''t open until

    9 am.

    Stefan had an important meeting in the morning. It was a meeting that he had postponed yesterday

    in order to get the certificate with Lucinda, but he couldn''t postpone it again today.

    Even though he was reluctant to leave her, he still left for work under Lucinda''s watchful eyes.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡­¡­

    Ascend Global was thergest corporate group in Pinehurst, with a wide range of industries. As

    long as the industry was profitable, Ascend Global would be involved. Even if the industries it

    invested in might initially make a loss, they would eventually turn a profit.

    This was thanks to the leadership of Ascend Global, their management methods were very

    effective.

    The 88-story office building stood in the bustlingmercial center of Pinehurst.

    As a leader of Ascend Global, everyone was surprised when Stefan from the Anderson family

    showed up at thepany on a bicycle.

    Stefan was in a good mood, smiling, and even humming a song. Hepletely ignored everyone''s

    surprised looks, and rode his bicycle into thepany.

    ¡°Is that Mr. Coleman?¡±

    "Is something wrong with my eyes?" ¡°Oh my God! Mr. Coleman is cycling to work? Is the traffic in

    Pinehurst really that bad?¡±

    Traffic jams often urred here during peak hours.

    During traffic jams, cyclists and electric vehicle riders became the envy of car drivers.

    No matter how expensive your car was, when in a traffic jam, it was not as good as a bicycle!

    ¡°I''ve decided, I''m going to cycle to work tomorrow, it''ll also help me keep fit and lose weight.¡±

    ¡°I don''t have a bicycle.¡±

    ¡°Go buy one!¡±

    After all, even Mr. Coleman was cycling to work.

    On the other hand, Stefan had no idea that his decision to cycle to work, in order to keep up his

    poor image in front of Lucinda, would spark a cycling trend among Ascend Global employees.

    Back in his office, Stefan''s expression became serious and cold.

    Edgar knocked and came in.

    He was Stefan''s chief assistant and also his friend.

    ¡°There really is a difference between married and unmarried people.¡±

    Edgar came over with the documents, put them on Stefan''s desk, and joked, ¡°Mr. Coleman, what''s it

    like dating a female writer?¡±

    Stefan looked at the documents and answered calmly, ¡°You should try it yourself, instead of asking

    me.¡±

    Edgarughed, ¡°I don''t know any writers. Why don''t you have the firstdy introduce me to one?¡±

    ¡°Ascend Global has a subsidiary that specializes in online literature, go find the person in charge of

    that department, and ask him to introduce you to a young female writer, he''ll be more than happy to

    help you.¡±

    The person in charge of the subsidiary, whenever he came to the headquarters and saw Edgar, the

    chief assistant, would always try to please him as much as possible.

    But Edgar was very loyal to Stefan and was also very fair in his work, so no one could bribe him.

    Edgarughed, ¡°Never mind, someone like me shouldn''t disturb those cultured people.¡±

    ¡°Howe you suddenly got married? And you won''t let us announce it publicly, is this a secret

    marriage?¡±

    Considering the many women who were openly or secretly pursuing Stefan, Edgar seemed to

    understand why Stefan chose to get married in secret.

    He''s probably worried about those annoying women bothering his author wife.

    "You''re awfully chatty today."

    Stefan finished reading the documents, signed them, stamped them, and then handed them over to

    Edgar, "Off you go, I''ve got a meeting."

    Edgar took the documents, checked they were all good, and said with a grin, "You''re really

    protective of your wife, huh? You won''t even let me ask about her. You''ve got a meeting, well, I''ve

    got one too. You make it sound like I''ve got time on my hands."

    As Stefan''s chief assistant, if Stefan was busy, Edgar was equally swamped.

    Sure, a lot of people were green with envy over the deep trust Stefan had in him and the hefty

    paycheque he got. His annual wage was even more than some middle-sizedpany bosses. But

    they didn''t know that all of this came from hard graft and constant work.

    Edgar was a year younger than Stefan. The year he graduated, he was brought over to Ascend

    Global by Stefan, a fellow alumnus, and gradually climbed up to the lofty position of chief assistant.

    Nowadays, he''s very busy, still single at 28, watching his boss walk down the aisle.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22

    "I worked hard to marry her. Who else would I spoil if not her?"

    Stefan''s words had Edgar staring at him.

    Edgar stood up, leaning on the table with his hands, leaning forward slightly, and said with a grin,

    "Mr. Coleman, Stefan, we''re not just boss and employee, we''re friends, and old schoolmates. You

    were the one who strongly rmended me to join Ascend Global. I''ve worked here for several

    years, and there are many people willing to offer me higher pay to headhunt me, even your

    competitor Owen has approached me multiple times. Yet, look at me, still faithfully working for you.

    You can''t keep things from me, right? Is your wife that woman you love? The one you had a crush

    on for many years and finally won her over? Is it that girl named Ruby?"

    Edgar had heard about Stefan and Ruby''s story.

    Other than Ruby, he couldn''t think of any other woman.

    His boss was a cold man, never involved with any woman in any scandal.

    Ascend Global''s entertainmentpany has signed many celebrities and models, anyone who has

    met Stefan would fall for him, of course, it could be because of his status and wealth.

    But besides all that, Stefan himself was quite remarkable.

    In the past, some tried to create scandals, hoping to hype things up using Stefan, but that once

    famous actress was now forgotten, fallen from grace to working at a supermarket.

    So, besides those wealthy youngdies, stars, and models, no one else dared to have any ideas

    about him, afraid of ruining their own careers.

    Stefan stood up, pushed Edgar away, and walked around the desk.

    "Edgar, remember, my wife is Lucinda Moore."

    Lucinda?

    Edgar immediately recalled the rich youngdies of Pinehurst, but couldn''t remember the Moore

    family.

    Which family''s rich daughter was this Lucinda?

    Edgar''s curiosity was piqued.

    He picked up the file, quickly catching up to Stefan''s pace, curiously asked, "Stefan, what does your

    wife''s family do? How did you meet? Did you get married right after you met?"

    Edgar never thought Stefan would have a shotgun wedding.

    If it wasn''t for Stefan''s social media updatest night, Edgar wouldn''t have known his boss was

    already married.

    Oh right, the Lady Boss was also a writer.

    "Let me tell you, my wife can only be Lucinda. Besides her, no other woman could possibly be the

    Lady Boss. Don''t lump me together with Ruby or anyone else, to prevent my wife from

    misunderstanding that I''m cheating."

    Edgar was helpless.

    "Meeting!"

    Stefan''s tone was very serious.

    Edgar knew he couldn''t ask anymore.

    "Okay."

    Iris walked over, following behind Stefan and Edgar, heading towards the conference room.

    This meeting was held on the 86th floor''s conference room.

    At this moment, all the senior management staff had arrived early, waiting for their CEO, Stefan.

    In front of Lucinda, Stefan usually appeared elegant and kind, a perfect gentleman.

    However, in thepany, his image was cold and ruthless.

    Other than Edgar, this chief assistant, who dared to be a little more frivolous in front of Stefan, no

    one else dared to act rashly.

    "Boss."

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    Iris pushed open the door of the conference room, behind her, Stefan and Edgar entered one after

    another.

    All the senior management staff present stood up, unanimously calling out "Boss".

    Stefan acknowledged, signaling everyone to sit down.

    He walked to his seat, pulled the chair, just about to sit down, his phone rang.

    His eyebrows furrowed.

    During meetings, Stefan didn''t like to answer calls, and didn''t allow others to answer calls, so

    everyone would mute their phones when entering the conference room.

    Stefan took out his phone, intending to hang up the call, but seeing that it was Lucinda calling, he

    immediately answered the call.

    "Lucy."

    Not only did Stefan answer the call, but his tone was also gentle, that "Lucy" surprised everyone

    present.

    Their CEO actually used such a gentle tone to call a woman''s name.

    Stefan usually used two phones, one for contacting senior management and partners, and the other

    for contacting friends and family.

    So, even though he posted an update on social media, the senior management of thepany

    didn''t know their CEO was already married.

    Even though Edgar already knew the inside story, he was still startled by Stefan''s gentleness.

    He even doubted if the Stefan in front of him was real.

    "Stefan, are you busy?" Lucinda asked with augh.

    Hearing herughter, Stefan''s expression softened even more.

    Everyone present remembered a woman named Lucy, she was the apple of their CEO''s eye,

    someone they needed to respect.

    They absolutely couldn''t offend this woman named Lucy.

    However, it appeared that no one named Lucy had evere looking for their CEO.

    "I''m not busy, what''s up? Do you need my help?"

    Despite the fact that he was about to start a meeting, he was obviously very busy, but he said he

    wasn''t.

    Edgar silentlyined in his heart: Indeed, a man in love can''t be seen as normal.

    "No need for you toe over, I''m in a furniture store now, helping you pick a bed. I''ll send you

    some pictures, you tell me which one you like, and I''ll buy it."

    There weren''t many people in the store in the morning, and there were two sales assistants,

    Lucinda simply borrowed two thousand dors from her brother.

    The gifts and tips she received, even after splitting it with the website and deducting taxes, she still

    had several tens of thousands of dors on hand.

    Even though the money hasn''t arrived yet, Lucinda was already very happy, borrowing two

    thousand dors from her brother to take care of her husband.

    "Okay, send me the pictures of the beds you like."

    Even though he said so, he felt regretful in his heart: The chance to mooch off her bed was getting

    lesser and lesser.

    And it was all his own doing.

    "Okay, then I won''t disturb you. I''ll send you the picturester. What time are you finishing work at

    noon? I cane pick you up and treat you to a meal. We can also stroll around the pedestrian

    street, I''ll buy some clothes for you."

    She would definitely fulfill the conditions she had promised.

    After all, the peace she could enjoy now was all thanks to Stefan''s help.

    Without him, she''d probably still be dealing with her mom''s daily naggings about marriage, hell,

    she''d even be too chicken to go home.

    Hearing this, a grin spread across Stefan''s face, "I don''t knock off till noon. It''s gonna be zing hot

    by then, no need for you toe. I''m afraid you''ll get sunburned. Just wait for me in the shop."

    Lucinda chuckled, "Alright, I''ll wait for you in the shop."

    Before hanging up, Lucinda added, "Stefan, you''re seriously thoughtful."

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23

    Stefan unwillingly pped his phone onto the table.

    As he lifted his gaze, all the senior executives of the room were silently watching him.

    Lucinda quickly sent the pictures to his phone.

    After carefully selecting for a while, Stefan picked out a bed and replied to Lucinda. Only then did he

    calmly address everyone, "Let''s get this meeting started!"

    His face was serious, his voice deep and cold. This was the Mr. Coleman they were familiar with.

    The Mr. Coleman just now was really scary.

    Had they not seen it for themselves, they would have never believed that Mr. Coleman could be so

    gentle towards a woman.

    Meanwhile, at Ascend Estate, an unexpected guest arrived - Ruby.

    Before her arrival, Ruby had called Savannah Blue Anderson, who was Stefan''s grandmother.

    In Ascend Estate, Stefan was the one in charge, but Savannah''s status was higher than Stefan. Her

    favorite was her grandson Stefan, and Stefan was very filial to his grandmother. Their rtionship

    was very close.

    Ruby wanted to pursue Stefan again, but she needed someone to help her.

    Savannah was the helper Ruby had chosen.

    As long as Savannah was willing to help her, she believed that one day, she could make Stefan fall

    in love with her and want to marry her.

    After all, they grew up together and liked each other.

    In the past, she was too young and naive. After being rejected by Stefan, she went abroad out of

    embarrassment, wasting ten years of her life.

    Now, Ruby regretted it very much.

    She thought that if she knew to be close to his family, she might have been his wife by now, and

    perhaps they might even have had a child.

    In the garden, Savannah was wielding a pair ofrge scissors, trimming the branches in the flower

    bed.

    Not far away, her husband Patrick Anderson was crouching in the flower bed, loosening the soil and

    fertilizing the flowers.

    A maid led Ruby over.

    "Sir, ma''am, Ms. Scott is here."

    Savannah looked at Ruby and smiled, "Ruby, it''s been a while. You''re still as beautiful and charming

    as ever, even more mature and capable than thest time you came back. It seems you''ve been

    doing well these past years."

    Ruby came over, naturally took the watering can from Savannah''s hand, and took over watering the

    nts.

    Sheughed and said, "You haven''t changed a bit either. Life abroad is stressful, but I have to work

    hard, right?"

    Ruby was sessful in her career. She was in the fashion industry, and her designs were selling

    like hot cakes.

    She worked so hard because she wanted to be worthy of Stefan.

    Stefan was the CEO of Ascend Global. If she didn''t have the ability, she couldn''t help Stefan in his

    business.

    She wanted to be Stefan''s woman and also wanted to fight alongside Stefan.

    This required a lot of effort from her.

    Ruby turned to the old man tending to the soil and greeted, "Patrick."

    Patrick seemed not to hear, still focused on his task.

    "Ruby, Patrick''s getting on in years, his hearing''s not what it used to be. You have to speak up for

    him to hear."

    Ruby quickly said, "I bought Patrick a hearing aid."

    "He doesn''t like wearing that device, and we have a lot of children at home, he doesn''t need it."

    They had five sons and one daughter.

    The five sons gave them ten grandsons. Their daughter who married into another family also gave

    birth to a son, but no daughters.

    Maybe because theycked granddaughters, Savannah adored young girls. She had always liked

    Ruby since Ruby was young and treated her like her own granddaughter.

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    "But, if it''s from you, he might wear it."

    Savannah changed the subject and said with a smile, "You can give it a try."

    "My dear, are you gossiping about me with Ruby again?"

    Patrick straightened up after tidying up the garden, mumbling to himself, "I''m getting old, my back

    hurts after squatting for a while."

    "Patrick, we have gardeners at home, you and Savannah don''t need to do this yourself."

    "I''m just idle, taking care of the flowers kills the time and is also a pleasure. Savannah and I both

    love gardening."

    "Ruby, when did you get back?"

    "I just got back. As soon as I finished unpacking, I came right over to see you and Savannah."

    After watering the flowers, Ruby put the watering can back in its ce.

    She came back, wanted to support Savannah, but was rejected.

    "I''m not so old that I need someone to support me when I walk."

    Savannah said spiritedly, "If Stefan could give me a great-grandchild, I could even help take care of

    the baby."

    The old couple were both seventy-nine this year, and next year they could celebrate their eightieth

    birthday.

    Ruby''s eyes sparkled, and she still supported Savannah, the two of them going into the house

    together.

    The old man didn''t follow them in, but continued to busy himself in the garden, enjoying the

    pleasure of gardening.

    "Savannah, does Stefan not have a girlfriend yet?" Ruby gently asked.

    They sat down in front of the sofa. A servant quietly served tea and snacks.

    Savannah looked at Ruby andughed, "Stefan doesn''t have a girlfriend, you know."

    Ruby blushed slightly.

    "Savannah..."

    "What''s there to be shy about? Everyone knows that you and Stefan grew up together. If you hadn''t

    gone abroad for further studies and to develop your career, maybe your kids would be running

    around by now."

    Ruby blushed even more, but Savannah''s words gave her a sense of reassurance.

    So everyone considered her and Stefan a couple.

    Only Owen knew that Stefan didn''t like her.

    "Ruby, how long do you n to stay this time before leaving?"

    "Savannah, I''m not nning to leave this time, I''ve transferred my work back home. I''ve been

    drifting abroad for ten years, it''s better to be home."

    Savannah said with a smile, "They say home is where the heart is, no matter how good it is outside,

    it''s not your real home. How nice it is to return to your own home."

    In Savannah''s view, staying within the country is just as good as going abroad.

    No matter what, the Anderson family would never choose to immigrate.

    The Anderson family has this ancient rule, if any of the descendants choose to immigrate, they

    would no longer be entitled to the Anderson family''s inheritance.

    That''s all money!

    ¡°Who doesn''t love money? And who wouldin about having too much of it?¡±

    "Savannah was right. I feel the same way, that''s why I came back."

    Savannah nodded, "Does Stefan know you''re back? He''d be thrilled if he knew."

    Ruby''s smile was a bit stiff.

    Stefan still hasn''t responded to her messages.

    He couldn''t have possibly missed her messages, if he hadn''t replied, there was only one possibility -

    he didn''t want to deal with her.

    Ruby told a little white lie, "I haven''t told Stefan yet, I wanted to surprise him."

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24

    Savannah burst intoughter, "You young people always love to spring surprises."

    She then asked with concern, "Are you staying at your ce?"

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    Ruby hesitated before she answered, "I nned to stay at my ce, but nobody''s home most of the

    time and the house is getting a bit old. I want to renovate it. It''s not so convenient staying in a hotel

    all the time, so I was thinking..."

    Savannah chuckled and watched her without interrupting.

    "Savannah, could I stay at your ce temporarily? I¡¯ll move back once the renovation is done. I''ll

    pay the rent."

    "Why should you pay rent? This isn''t a hostel," Savannah refused the rent but didn''t give Ruby a

    straight answer. "Ruby, I''m old and retired. I don''t bother withpany or household matters

    anymore, it''s all Stefan''s job now. He''s the decision maker at home."

    "You need to negotiate with Stefan if you want to stay at our ce. If he agrees, you''re wee to

    move in anytime. Patrick and I would be delighted to have you."

    Ruby was taken aback, she didn''t expect Savannah to say that.

    Go to Stefan?

    Ruby knew very well that Stefan would never let her stay at the Anderson Manor. Despite the

    numerous guest rooms, he still held a grudge against her due to past incidents. It would be difficult

    for her to move in.

    "I''ll go surprise Stefan at his officeter."

    Besides herself, Stefan and Owen, Ruby hadn''t let anyone else know about her real rtionship

    with Stefan.

    Let everyone believe she''s the girl Stefan has liked since childhood.

    Savannah agreed.

    After a bit more chatting with Savannah, Ruby made an excuse and left the Ascend Estate.

    An hourter.

    Ascend Global.

    Stefan and Edgar talked about work as they walked from a meeting. Edgar nodded from time to

    time, asionally offering his opinion.

    "Stefan."

    A voice that was both strange and familiar rang out.

    The voice was delicate, if it wasn''t so crisp, Stefan might not have noticed someone was calling

    him.

    He stopped in his tracks to see Ruby clutching a limited-edition luxury handbag, carrying two bags.

    As he looked at her, she came over with a sweet smile.

    Edgar felt like whistling, but he dared not. He feared if he did whistle, there would be trouble.

    "Stefan, are you busy?"

    Ruby asked with a smile, ncing at Edgar.

    Edgar got the hint. Did she think he was intruding?

    "Mr. Coleman, I''ll get back to work."

    After Edgar left, Stefan asked dryly, "What is it?"

    Ruby felt a pang in her heart.

    She looked at Stefan''s still handsome face. In fact, she had thought about giving up on him. But this

    man was too exceptional, she just couldn''t let him go.

    If she couldn''t let go, then she would fight for him.

    "Can''t Ie see you?"

    Stefan turned and headed for his office.

    When he passed Iris, he shot her a re.

    Ms. Scott always visited Mr. Coleman when she returned home every year. Everyone said she was

    his childhood sweetheart and that he had stayed single waiting for her to settle down in the country.

    So, when Ms. Scott showed up this time, Iris didn''t stop her.

    And now, trouble.

    Mr. Coleman was angry.

    Ruby bit her lip. Stefan''s attitude made her want to turn and leave. She had her pride too.

    In fact, if she was willing, Owen would marry her instantly.

    In the end, Ruby followed Stefan.

    Stefan''s face was grim.

    Anyone looking at him now would know he was angry and that he detested this woman.

    Sitting down at his desk, Stefan didn''t look at Ruby, he just busied himself with his work.

    Ruby poured herself a ss of water and one for Stefan too.

    She put the two bags she was holding on the desk, then sat across from Stefan.

    "Stefan, do you dislike me that much? I''ve been away for some time."

    Ruby sighed as she looked at him.

    "Even if you don''t love me, we grew up together. There''s friendship if not love. After not seeing each

    other for so long, you don''t have to treat me like this."

    Ever since her failed attempt to seduce him into bed, he had never looked at her kindly.

    Everyone thought they were a couple because she kept up the facade, making everyone believe

    that Stefan was staying single to wait for her to settle down.

    Stefan didn''t look up, he said coolly, "If there''s something, say it. If not, the door''s over there,

    please."

    Ruby was lost for words.

    His attitude towards her was getting worse.

    This meant her actions were bing more and more disgusting.

    Looking at his handsome face, Ruby swallowed her anger.

    "Stefan, I''m not leaving this time."

    "What''s that got to do with me?"

    Where she wanted to go or whether she wanted to return was none of his business.

    Ruby was silent for a moment before saying, "I''m nning to renovate my house. It was built twenty

    years ago, it''s too old and needs renovation."

    "No money? I don''t have any to lend."

    Ruby was once again at a loss for words.

    He had no money? Nobody would believe that!

    As the CEO of Ascend Global, he was the richest.

    "I didn''t n on borrowing money from you for the renovation."

    "Even if you wanted to, I couldn''t lend it."

    He now had a family. If she wanted to borrow money, she had to get his wife''s approval first.

    Ruby was so furious with Stefan she wanted to explode.

    She held her tongue for a bit, then finally got it all out, "Look, I''m not short of cash, alright? I got a

    pretty good job, and I''m earning more than I can spend. What I''m saying is, my house is being

    renovated and I got no ce to stay, so I thought I could crash at the Ascend Estate. Savannah told

    me to run it by you, said you''re the boss around here."

    And then, she added, "I''ll pay rent, of course."

    "Sorry, but the Ascend Estate isn''t up for rent, and we don''t need your money. There are plenty of

    hotels out there, loads of five-star ones too, you''re free to take your pick. If you''re not a fan of

    hotels, the Martinez family is more than willing to put you up."

    "I can''t really stay with the Martinez family."

    "So you''re cool with staying at my ce then? Maybe you''re cool, but I''m definitely not."

    He''s a married man now, and if his wife finds out that Ruby''s crashing at their ce, he''d be in a

    whole heap of trouble.

    Ruby took a few deep breaths, but she didn''t blow her top. She found that when dealing with Stefan,

    she could be very calm, very quickly.

    "Stefan, I got you a tie and a watch."

    Ruby picked up two bags and handed them over to Stefan.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25

    "I received your kindness." Stefan didn''t take the two bags, he said simply, "But I ain''t short on ties

    and watches."

    He never overlooked his needs.

    N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    He had so many ties at home that he couldn¡¯t even keep track.

    As for watches, he only had two hands, how many could he wear?

    But, he couldn''t ept gifts from any woman other than Lucinda.

    "Ruby, I''m busy right now."

    Stefan''s words were like shooing her away.

    Ruby''s face changed, she hurriedly picked up the two bags, picked up her limited edition designer

    bag, held her head high, strutted away in her high heels.

    Even if Stefan didn''t ept her gifts, there were plenty of people who would love to have them.

    Ruby stormed out of Ascend Global and saw Lucinda at the entrance. These two strangers couldn''t

    help but size each other up.

    She''s such a beauty. Rubyplimented Lucinda in her mind.

    But Lucinda thought Ruby¡¯s makeup was too thick to not look good.

    She usually wore light makeup, most of the time no makeup.

    She''s young, with tender skin, even without makeup, she looked better than those with makeup.

    Since she was a child, people had said that her beauty didn''t resemble the Moore family.

    The Moore family wasn''t ugly, but they couldn''t be said to be very attractive. In short, Lucinda''s

    beauty wasn''t inherited from the Moore family because she didn''t resemble them.

    Her mother said her beauty was inherited from her grandmother, who was also very beautiful in her

    youth.

    Lucinda never met her grandmother, as she passed away early, leaving no photos behind.

    At this moment, these two strangers, even if they met, had no intersection.

    Ruby headed for her red Ferrari.

    While Lucinda sat on her electric scooter, took out her phone and called Stefan.

    When Stefan answered the phone, Lucindaughed and said, "Stefan, you''re knocking off soon

    right? I''m at your office entrance waiting for you, let''s grab a bite together."

    Ruby, who was about to drive off, heard Lucinda calling Stefan''s name, paused for a moment, and

    listened attentively to Lucinda.

    "I finished my morning work early, can knock off ten minutes early. I''ll be right out."

    Seeing the intense sunlight outside, Stefan felt bad for his newlywed wife waiting for him under the

    hot sun, so he unusually wrapped up his work early and hurried out of the office.

    Iris wanted to look for him, seeing hime out, she called out, "Mr. Coleman."

    Stefan had already breezed past her.

    Lucinda put her phone back in her pocket.

    She felt the sun was too intense, but looking around, there was nowhere to shelter, she could only

    wait for Stefan.

    Fortunately, Stefan could knock off ten minutes early, otherwise, if she had to wait here for ten more

    minutes, she''d really get roasted.

    "Excuse me."

    Ruby got out of the car, walked over, and politely said to Lucinda.

    Lucinda looked at her and instinctively said, "Haven''t you left yet?"

    She looked at Ruby''s convertible again.

    Riding an electric scooter, you''d get sunburned.

    People driving convertibles also get sunburned.

    It''s just that the convertible drives much faster than her electric scooter, you wouldn''t feel the heat.

    "Do you know me?" Ruby asked curiously.

    She had no recollection of the beauty in front of her.

    "I don''t know you, I was just passing by. I saw you get in the car, thought you had left. Need any

    help?" Lucinda asked, her voice full of concern.

    "What''s your rtionship with Stefan?" Ruby asked, expressionless.

    Lucinda was taken aback, she looked Ruby up and down.

    "What''s your rtionship with Stefan? Why do you want to know our rtionship, do you fancy

    Stefan?" Lucinda retorted.

    Stefan was an outstanding man. If no one fancied him, that would be weird.

    It''s just that Stefan had always been picky, that''s why he''d been single. She felt very lucky, only had

    to rent Stefan for five hundred dors to be her husband.

    Ruby admitted openly, "Yes, I like Stefan, we''ve known each other since we were little, liked each

    other and grew up together."

    "Oh, you''re that Ruby." Lucinda suddenly remembered Gabriel mentioning a Ruby.

    "You''re Ruby, right? I heard Mr. Turner mention, you''re the girl Stefan has fancied since childhood,

    why aren''t you two together?" Lucinda asked.

    Ruby saw Lucinda suddenly be enthusiastic. Mentioning Stefan, Lucinda had no other

    intentions.

    Ruby was surprised. Could she have misunderstood? The girl in front of her isn''t the one Stefan

    fancies?

    "Gabriel mentioned me to you?" Ruby asked.

    "Yes, he said Stefan has been waiting for you." Lucinda replied.

    At this moment if Gabriel was present, he might ask, did I really say that?

    Lucinda would reply, I remember you said it, anyway I know you mentioned Ruby.

    Gabriel would be helpless.

    Hearing this, Ruby showed a slight smile, she asked Lucinda, "Who are you? How do you know

    Stefan''s been waiting for me, did he tell you?"

    "He didn''t say, but when Mr. Turner said it, he didn''t deny it. My brother and Stefan are college

    buddies, Stefan recently did me a solid, I''m really grateful and want to treat him to a meal." Lucinda

    exined.

    Turns out she''s not a rival in love.

    Ruby breathed a sigh of relief.

    But Lucinda''s looks are too attractive, she must stay on alert.

    Therefore, she said, "Stefan''s always the kind to help without expecting anything in return, he

    helped you probably because of your brother, you don''t have to worry too much, he might not agree

    to have a meal with you. It''s too hot, you should go home, don''t wait anymore."

    Finally, she added, "I used to be overseas, but now I''ve moved my business back home. This time,

    I''m not nning on leaving again."

    Lucinda said with a grin, "I''m sure Stefan must be happy. He promised to grab lunch with me. Ms.

    Scott, if you''re free, you could join us, but I don''t have much moneytely, so we might not be able

    to hit up anywhere fancy."

    Eyeing Ruby''s Ferrari, Lucinda blushed, "Ms. Scott, just forget what I said, alright?"

    Stefan''s childhood sweetheart was clearly a wealthy heiress with a sessful career, a perfect

    match for Stefan.

    Considering he worked at Ascend Global and lived in Diamond Ridge Estates, Stefan might be

    some big shot at Ascend Global.

    ¡°People in top management at major corporations make more money in a year than most people do

    in their lifetime.¡±

    It''s not impossible for him to marry the daughter of a rich family. "Stefan agreed to have lunch with

    you?"

    "Yeah, I just called him. He said he''d be down in a jiffy. He''s done with his work for today and can

    clock out ten minutes early. He asked me to wait here for him."

    Suddenly, Ruby''s face fell.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26

    ¡°Lucinda.¡±

    Stefan pedaled his bicycle out from inside.

    On seeing Lucinda and Ruby chitchatting, Stefan felt uneasy, so he pedaled faster.

    Ruby was bbergasted when she saw him riding a bicycle out.

    Where was Stefan''s fancy car?

    She remembered Stefan loved luxury cars, and the garage was packed enough for a car show.

    ¡°Stefan, you''re out."

    Lucinda greeted him with a smile and whispered to Stefan, ¡°Stefan, when did Rubye back?

    She seems upset. Did you guys have a fight? I invited you to dinner and invited her too, but she

    said you wouldn''t eat with me."

    She subtly nudged Stefan''s arm, lowering her voice even more, "Don''t mind her. She just returned

    from abroad. All her family is overseas. You''re the only one she can rely on here."

    Upon hearing that Lucinda invited Ruby for dinner, Stefan felt heavy-hearted.

    However, he could not confess to Lucinda, for fear that he would scare her if she knew his real

    identity. Now Lucinda always thought that he was just a staff member working at Ascend Global,

    and did not know that he was the head of Ascend Global.

    ¡°Lucinda, get in, let''s go. We''ll talk during dinner."

    Stefan gestured for Lucinda to get on his bike, sending Ruby a re.

    Lucinda looked at Ruby, then at Stefan. Something felt off between the two, but as an outsider, she

    had no idea about their history, so she remained silent.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Just as Lucinda was about to sit on Stefan''s bike, she remembered she came here on a bike. So

    she told Stefan, ¡°Stefan, leave your bike in thepany and ride my e-bike. It''s faster. It''s too hot to

    cycle."

    She mumbled to herself, "After dinner, I''ll get a sunshade for the e-bike, so we can avoid the sun

    when going out."

    Stefan also wanted to leave as soon as possible, not wanting Ruby and Lucinda to chat more.

    N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    So, he told a security guard, "Can you help me put the bike inside?"

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Coleman."

    Stefan quickly nced at Lucinda, finding that Lucinda had no reaction.

    He breathed a sigh of relief.

    As they were about to leave, Ruby blocked the e-bike. She stared at Stefan and sarcastically

    laughed, "When did our Mr. Coleman start riding an e-bike? Where''s Mr. Coleman''s fancy car? Did

    Ascend Global hit a rough patch and you sold all your fancy cars?"

    Lucinda gawked at Ruby. Before Stefan could reply, she poked her head out from behind Stefan

    and said to Ruby, ¡°Ms. Scott, you just returned from abroad. You may not know the situation in

    Pinehurst, which is understandable. But there''s no way Ascend Global is having financial issues. If

    Ascend Global is in trouble, otherpanies in Pinehurst would have gone belly up.¡±

    Ascend Global offered arge number of job opportunities for residents in Pinehurst and was also

    the city''s major taxpayer.

    If Ascend Global was in trouble, other smallpanies'' survival would also be difficult.

    Lucinda didn''t want Ascend Global to have issues. If thesepanies copsed, her coffee shop

    would be hit, as many of her customers were Ascend Global employees.

    Only the white-cor workers liked the hand-ground coffee in her shop.

    Ordinary workers rarely patronized her shop.

    But the more important reason was that Stefan worked at Ascend Global, and she didn''t want him to

    be jobless.

    ¡°Lucinda, put on your helmet."

    Stefan put on a helmet and passed one to Lucinda. Once Lucinda put on the helmet, he rode the e-

    bike, carrying Lucinda past Ruby. He didn''t say a word to Ruby''s mockery.

    ¡°Stefan." Ruby reached out to stop the e-bike, but Stefan immediately sped up. The e-bike sped

    away, leaving Ruby behind quickly.

    ¡°Stefan...hey, you promised me a drink. Come back,e back!¡±

    Ruby''s words were directed at Lucinda.

    Lucinda had previously invited Ruby to dinner.

    But now, Lucinda and Stefan left.

    Lucinda looked back at the increasingly distant Ruby, feeling a bit sorry for her. She was the one

    who invited Ruby to dinner, but Stefan obviously didn''t want to deal with Ruby.

    It was quite awkward for her.

    She even felt like she might have done more harm than good.

    The rtionship between Stefan and his childhood ymate Ruby didn''t seem to be as Gabriel

    said.

    ¡°Hold me tight!¡±

    Stefan ordered in a deep voice.

    Lucinda responded, reaching her hands under Stefan''s arms and holding his waist.

    With her movement, Stefan''s tense face rxed a bit.

    He liked the intimate gesture she made towards him.

    ¡°Stefan, what''s going on with you and Ms. Scott? Didn''t Mr. Turner say you¡¯ve been sweet on each

    other since childhood? Now that she''s back from abroad, aren''t you nning to rekindle the old

    me? Is it because we signed a contract and it feels inconvenient? The contract says that it can be

    terminated once we find true love."

    Stefan initially wanted to stop, but seeing Ruby chasing them in the rearview mirror, his face

    hardened. He said in a deep voice: "Hold on tight, I''m going to speed up."

    Lucinda responded and held onto his waist tighter.

    Stefan hit the gas, but their e-scooter didn''t stand a chance against Ruby''s car. He took a hard right

    at the next intersection, weaving through the criss-cross of city streets and back alleys. The alley

    was a narrow one-way street, just wide enough for one car. Even if Ruby caught up, she couldn''t

    give chase like on a main road.

    Before long, they''d left Ruby eating their dust.

    Only when he was sure Ruby couldn''t catch up, did Stefan emerge from the alley, back onto the

    main street.

    Ruby was still stuck in the alley, a caring head-on. She hoped they''d give way, but they

    seemed to have the same idea. Too bad the alley was too narrow. Unless she backed out, even if

    they made room, she couldn''t squeeze through.

    Looking ahead, Stefan was gone without a trace.

    Ruby mmed her hand against the steering wheel in frustration.

    She sensed something off about Stefan''s attitude towards Lucinda.

    It wasn''t like Lucinda said, that they were just friends.

    Stefan wasn''t one for dining with girls. She and Stefan had grown up together, and the only reason

    they ate together was because their parents brought them along.

    In private, he wouldn''t have a meal with her alone.

    But he was willing to have a meal with that girl, which was really odd.

    What was that girl''s name again?

    Ruby never got her name, only that she was the sister of Stefan''s college mate.

    She needed Owen to do some digging. How many of Stefan''s college mates had a sister?

    She, Ruby''s target, could not be snatched away by someone else!

    Absolutely not!

    Stefan could only be hers!

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27

    "Honk honk--"

    The car across gave a couple of honks.

    Ruby decided to give up chasing Stefan and retreated.

    She reversed all the way to the end of the alley before she had enough space to turn the car

    around. Parking on the side, she grabbed her bag from the passenger seat, pulled out her mobile

    and dialed Owen.

    Owen picked up so quickly that Ruby wondered if he had been waiting for her call.

    "Ruby, what''s up? Wanna grab dinner? I can pick you up," Owen''s proposal took Ruby by surprise.

    Even though Ruby hadn''t given up on Stefan, Owen was over the moon that she reached out to

    him.

    He believed that one day, Ruby would choose him.

    He was the perfect match for her.

    He could give her the happiness she desired.

    He thought Stefan was nuts for still not having any romantic feelings at almost 30. Ruby wanted to

    develop a rtionship with Stefan, but he seemed unresponsive and distant.

    Owen thought to himself that if Ruby wanted to be with him, he would not reject her but would be

    extremely happy.

    "I..." Ruby was a bit confused.

    Was she taking advantage of Owen by asking for his help?

    "Ruby, do you need my help with something?" Owen guessed what Ruby was thinking.

    Ruby was always like this, reaching out when she needed him, but cold when she didn''t.

    Owen felt a bit bitter, but the fact that she thought of him first when she was in trouble meant he still

    had a ce in her heart.

    "Owen, let''s have dinner. You treated mest time, now it''s my turn," Ruby said.

    "Sounds good, where are you? I''lle pick you up," Owen replied joyfully.

    "No need, I''ll drive myself to your family''s hotel. Meet you there," Ruby replied.

    She intended to discuss the matter with him during dinner.

    She also hoped to bump into Stefan and that woman at the hotel.

    She knew it was wishful thinking as they were going to Pinehurst Hotel, a Martinez family property,

    which Stefan was unlikely to visit.

    Ascend Global owned a few five-star hotels. Stefan had no need to go to Pinehurst Hotel.

    "Alright, drive safe," Owen reminded her.

    After hanging up, Ruby took several deep breaths, trying to suppress her rage, and then took out a

    compact mirror to touch up her makeup.

    After fixing her makeup, she took out a small exquisite brocade box from her bag, inside was a

    ne Owen gave her when he treated her to dinner the day she returned.

    She needed to cheer him up since she was going to meet Owen and ask for his favor.

    Ruby removed her own ne and put on the one Owen gave her.

    The tie and watch she had intended to gift Stefan, which he rejected, could now be given to Owen.

    Unlike Stefan''s cold demeanor, Owen would treasure anything she gave him, regardless of its

    value.

    Once when she visited Owen''s house, she identally walked into his room and found several

    folders in his bedside drawer, filled not with photos, but her previous artwork, all failed pieces.

    Her exquisite works were all given to Stefan and the Anderson family. When Stefan was young and

    they were just innocent friends, he would ept her artwork.

    But as they grew older and realized the feelings between a man and a woman, Stefan stopped

    epting her gifts.

    Not only that, but she couldn''t find any of her gifts at Stefan''s ce. When she asked him about it,

    he said he threw them away, which infuriated her.

    In contrast, Owen cherished her gifts. Even a de of grass would be preserved as a specimen.

    For a moment, Ruby thought about giving up on Stefan and choosing Owen.

    But when she thought about Stefan''s higher status than Owen, and in Pinehurst, the Anderson

    family''s status also being above Owen''s, she had to choose the best if she were to get married.

    The title of the Anderson family''s mistress was something she craved!

    The slight guilt she felt towards Owen was once again suppressed by Ruby.

    ...

    N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    Lucinda and Stefan went to a fast-food restaurant. They parked the car right in front of the

    restaurant, and Lucinda said while leading him in, "Stefan, the food here is pretty good. Ie here

    a lot."

    She joked, "Stefan, isn''t it a bit out of character for a big shot like you toe to a ce like this?"

    Stefan gently tapped her forehead and said, "Don''t make me out to be some big wig. I''m just an

    ordinary worker."

    He was the head of Ascend Global, but Ascend Global was not solely his, but the Anderson

    family''s. He just had arger share as the leader.

    Ignoring his leadership position at Ascend Global, Stefan was also the CEO of severalpanies

    he founded himself, unrted to Ascend Global, his personal ventures.

    It was also something he had wanted to prove, even without Ascend Global, that he could create a

    world on his own. As it turned out, he seeded in creating his own world.

    "Stefan, what''s your position at Ascend Global? Everyone calls you Mr. Coleman respectfully,"

    Lucinda casually asked.

    Being a frequent diner, Lucinda was familiar with the couple who owned the restaurant. When she

    saw thedy owner, she greeted with a smile and said, "The usual, but make it a big one. I''m

    treating today."

    "Sure thing, I''ll make sure it''s enough!"

    The moment the shop ownerid eyes on Stefan, she was floored. Even though she was middle-

    aged and a mother of two, she was struck by his good looks.

    She joked to Lucinda, "Lucinda, is this your boyfriend? He''s such a handsome young man."

    He was neatly dressed in formal clothes and looked like a sessful professional. Did Lucinda set

    up a blind date? Or was she just on a blind date now? Lucinda mentioned something about treating

    him to a meal...

    "He''s my boyfriend."

    Stefan didn''t expect Lucinda to admit it without hesitation.

    The shop ownerughed, "You''ve a good eye."

    She leaned in towards Lucinda''s ear and whispered, "Lucinda, this guy looks very nice. You must

    cherish him and don''t miss him. . And keep an eye on him, he''s too handsome for his own good."

    Just as a pretty woman could stir up trouble, a too-good-looking guy could do the same.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28

    Lucinda chuckled, "I believe that if destiny decides he''s meant for me, then he will be. If not, no

    amount of effort will change that."

    Take her rtionship with George, for instance. They were in love for years, yet they still broke up.

    It was clear that they were not each other''s true love.

    "You''re right. You can''t force something that''s not yours, and if it is yours, no one can take it away."

    The shop owner smiled and started preparing their meal.

    Lucinda led Stefan to a table by the window and said, "Ie here a lot. I really like this spot."

    Stefan smiled back, "Since you enjoy eating here, that must mean the food is good. I can''t wait to

    try it."

    "As long as you''re okay with it. You''re a high-level executive, must be used to fancy restaurants."

    "Not really, I''m prettyid-back. I don''t fuss over food or ces."

    Lucinda remembered the day he brought clients to her caf¨¦. Despite having high rent and nice

    d¨¦cor, her ce wasn''t exactly high-end. But he still brought clients over, proving that he truly didn''t

    care about appearances.

    Of course, it could also mean his clients weren''t elite either.

    "Stefan, you haven''t told me what your position at Ascend Global is." Lucinda leaned in and

    whispered, "Tell me, I can use it to show off."

    She wanted to know how outstanding her hired man really was.

    Stefan chuckled, "There''s nothing to brag about being an employee. I''m the assistant to the CEO."

    If the real assistant Edgar heard that, he would probablyin, "Boss, you stole my job."

    And Stefan would just calmly reply, "Just borrowing it temporarily."

    Lucinda immediately gave him a thumbs up and praised, "Stefan, you''re really something. Ascend

    Global is thergestpany in our city, owned by the Anderson family, right?"

    She remembered Stefan saying the wealthiest family in their city was the Andersons. Such

    grandeur was unreachable for an ordinary citizen like Lucinda.

    "You''re already impressive for working at Ascend Global, let alone being the CEO''s assistant. I feel

    like I''ve struck gold. Considering the little fee I pay you, I feel kind of guilty."

    Hiring the assistant to the CEO of Ascend Global for just $500.

    "I''m helping you because of your brother, not for your money."

    They chatted for a while until their food arrived. They continued their conversation while eating.

    "Lucinda."

    Stefan poured Lucinda a drink and asked cautiously, "I''ve helped you out a lot and now you''re

    comfortable. If I need your help, would you..."

    "Stefan, stop being so formal. If you need anything, just say it. As long as I can help, I''ll definitely do

    my best," Lucinda interrupted, dering that she would help him unless it involved huge risks.

    "It''s nothing serious. Due to my position, I often have to attend social events at night. My secretary

    has a boyfriend, and I''m afraid he might misunderstand if I bring her along. Could you apany

    me instead? Don''t worry, you won''t have to entertain guests, just be there with me."

    He wanted to slowly bring her into his world, into his social circle.

    "Of course, I can have my employees watch the caf¨¦ at night. It''s not busy anyway. I can

    apany you whenever you need me to. I can handle my drinks well."

    Lucinda was more than willing to apany Stefan to social events. Little did she know she was

    slowly falling into the trap Stefan had set up for her. Once she realized something was off, it would

    be toote for her to escape.

    "And would you apany me to gatherings with friends?"

    Lucindaughed, "You''re asking so nervously as if it''s something very important. Sure, I can

    apany you to that too. Your friends probably already know about us, right? Mr. Turner even

    informed Ike, how could the others not know?"

    Stefan cursed inwardly, "¡­Gabriel, that big-mouthed jerk!"

    "Then, could you apany me to a business cocktail party tonight?" Stefan asked.

    Lucinda nearly choked on her food. She quickly swallowed her food, took a sip of her drink, and

    then said, "Are you setting a trap for me? A business cocktail party tonight, and I don''t have an

    evening dress. If you don''t mind my casual attire, I can go with you."

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    In summer, she usually wore a T-shirt and shorts. It was light and cool.

    Stefan served her more food andughed, "Don''t make me out to be a bad guy. I can take care of

    the evening dress. No worries."

    "Alright, as long as I show up, you handle the rest."

    Stefan nodded and said, "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of everything you need as long as you

    apany me to the party. If anyone asks about our rtionship, just ignore them and let them

    specte."

    "What if we run into your friend Ruby? She has a misunderstanding about our rtionship."

    The mention of Ruby made Stefan''s smile fade. He said calmly, "Just ignore her. And she''s just a

    friend I grew up with, not someone I''ve liked since childhood. The girl I''ve liked since childhood isn''t

    her."

    Lucinda was the one he had liked since childhood. It took him eleven years, watching her grow up,

    and an idental opportunity made him her legal husband.

    Upon hearing this, Lucinda''s eyes lit up. She asked curiously, "Who have you liked since childhood?

    Is she better than Ruby? Everyone says you''ve liked Ruby since childhood, but you say you like

    someone else. Have you been using Ruby as a decoy to distract everyone and protect your lover''s

    safety?"

    Hearing this, Stefan couldn''t help but flick her forehead lightly.

    Rubbing the spot he just flicked, Lucinda pouted and said coyly, "Ouch, that hurt."

    "I''ll blow on it for you."

    "No, it''s okay. I was just joking. You didn''t hit hard. It didn''t hurt, really."

    "You have such a wild imagination. No wonder you''re an outstanding novelist. Do you think I''m the

    kind of guy who can''t protect his woman?"

    Instinctively, Lucinda shook her head. Stefan had a very gentle nature, giving her a feeling of a

    gentleman. But she knew it was just the surface. At the age of twenty-nine, Stefan rose to the

    position of Executive Assistant to the CEO of Ascend Global. How could he possibly be a gentle

    person?

    "So, stop overthinking. When the time is right, I''ll tell you who I''ve really liked since I was a child."

    Lucindaughed happily. The more time she spent with Stefan, the more he felt like a thick book to

    her, each page full of surprises.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29

    Over in one ce, a young couple was getting along pretty well.

    But over in another, Ruby was restless. The dinner table was covered with all kinds of delicious

    food, most of which were her favorites.

    Owen saw her lost in thought and put down his fork and knife.

    "Owen, what''s up?" Ruby, seeing him put down his cutlery, couldn¡¯t help but ask, "You''re not a fan of

    the food, are you?"

    She nced over the dishes on the table. Owen had ordered mostly her favorites, but many of them

    were dishes Owen didn¡¯t particrly like.

    "Ruby, if something''s bothering you, spill it. I''ll help however I can, or at least find someone who

    can," he told her.

    After a moment of silence, Ruby grabbed two gift bags and put them in front of Owen. A smile crept

    onto her pretty face. "Owen, these are a tie and a watch I got for you. Do you like them?"

    Owen took the bags, checking out the tie and the watch. Both were high-end brands, but the color

    of the tie was one Stefan would prefer. He suspected these were meant for Stefan and only given to

    him because Stefan refused to ept them.

    Owen kept his suspicions to himself. Regardless of who they were initially intended for, the fact that

    they''d ended up in his hands meant they were gifts for him, a token of her affection. With this self-

    deception, Owenforted himself and said, "Ruby, I love both the tie and the watch."

    Seeing him happily ept her gifts, Ruby rxed and made her request. "Owen, could you look

    into something for me? How many of Stefan''s college friends have younger sisters? Around 23 or

    24 years old, pretty, with big, beautiful eyes, and a friendly demeanor?"

    The gifts he just received suddenly lost their charm. The smile on Owen''s face gradually

    disappeared. He didn¡¯t t out decline Ruby''s request, nor did he agree to it.

    Quietly, he poured a full ss of wine for Ruby, and then one for himself. Setting down the bottle, he

    picked up his ss and said, "Cheers."

    Ruby clinked sses with him.

    Owen downed his in one go.

    Ruby only took a couple of sips and didn¡¯t drink anymore. She was always on guard around Owen,

    afraid that if she got drunk, Owen might...

    After downing three sses in a row, Owen set his ss down heavily on the table.

    "Owen, if you don''t want to do this for me, it''s fine. I won''t me you. It was my fault for asking you

    to look into Stefan, given your tense rtionship with him."

    Ruby, looking guilty, apologized, "But I just got back, and I don''t know who else to ask. In Pinehurst,

    you''re my best friend. You''re the only one who can help me, and the only one capable of doing so."

    Most detective agencies wouldn''t ept a job involving Stefan, fearing they''d offend him, or even

    the Anderson family, and be unable to survive in Pinehurst.

    The Anderson family had ten young heirs in this generation. Although they were only cousins, they

    were very close and respected and loved each other, treating Stefan, the eldest cousin, as their

    leader.

    They held important positions in various fields. If anyone offended Stefan, his brothers would join

    forces and very few could withstand the retaliation from these ten young heirs of the Anderson

    family. Therefore, very few people were willing to investigate matters involving Stefan.

    Owen was one of the very few.

    "Ruby, I can help you, but I need to bepensated."

    Owen''s sharp gaze locked onto Ruby''s beautiful face. His voice was low, "Investigating matters

    involving Stefan requires a lot of resources and caution. The risks are also high. Without a reward, I

    feel like I''m getting the short end of the stick."

    Ruby breathed a sigh of relief, "Don''t worry, I won''t let you work for free. Name your price, and I''ll

    transfer the money to you right away."

    As she spoke, she grabbed her phone, ready to make the transfer at any moment.

    "I don''t need money, and I don''t want yours."

    Although the Martinez family wasn''t as powerful as the Anderson family, it was still one of the top

    five families and not to be underestimated.

    "So what do you want? I''ll buy it for you."

    Owen''s eyes were burning, focusing on Ruby''s red lips.

    Ruby, feeling a bit nervous under his gaze, guessed his intentions. Just as she was about to speak,

    he beat her to it, "I just want a kiss from you, a French kiss."

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    Ruby, "Owen, you''re drunk."

    "I''m not." Owen smiled. "What, not willing to pay the fee? Or are you shy? You can''t be that

    conservative."

    "I''m not asking you to sleep with me. I just want a deep kiss."

    He really wanted her, but he was not going to force her. He was waiting for her to offer herself

    willingly.

    But a kiss, he could press her for that.

    Whenever she needed something, she always came to him for help. Especially when she wanted to

    pursue Stefan, she often sought his help.

    She should have been aware of Owen¡¯s feelings for her; he''d told her already. But she still used

    him, turning to him first whenever she needed help.

    In the past, he''d helped her a lot for free. Now, he just wanted somepensation. That was not

    too much to ask, was it?

    "Owen, we''re just friends. I... I''m ufortable." Ruby looked for excuses.

    Owen''s voice was low, "Ruby, I don''t want to just be your friend!"

    He wanted to be her lover.

    "You''re ufortable, fine, I''ll do it. Just don''t resist."

    Owen poured himself another ss of wine. Leaning back and swirling his ss, he watched the

    liquid inside tracing a beautiful arc.

    "Did you notice a woman around Stefan recently that you don''t recognize?" Owen began to bait her.

    "You think she''s your love rival, but you don''t know who she is or where shees from."

    Ruby''s eyes lit up, "You knew?"

    "When I wanna know, I know. When I don''t wanna know, I don''t know a thing. It all depends on if the

    payoff''s worth it."

    Ruby''s cheeks flushed a bit. She looked at Owen.

    He was a looker, she had no feelings for him, but she didn''t dislike him either. She did, however,

    enjoy the benefits his affection brought her. Giving him a peck wouldn''t really be a loss.

    ording to him, after all her years gallivanting abroad, apart from not giving her virginity, her

    kissing game was on point.

    "Owen..."

    "I''ll only take a kiss, let''s leave it at that."

    Ruby''s breath hitched for a moment.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30

    "Owen, you really shouldn''t..."

    Owen cut her off, "Why shouldn''t I? You expect me to help you for free? I can do some things for

    free but for others, I need to be paid."

    N?velDrama.Org is the owner.

    She hurt him. Even though she knew he loved her, she was asking him to investigate her romantic

    rival. It was like stabbing him in the heart. If he didn''t love her, her coldness would be enough to piss

    him off.

    "Ruby, I''ll give you a minute to think it over. After that, even if you agree, I won''t help you anymore."

    Ruby bit her lower lip lightly. She quickly stood up, walked over to Owen, got him up, made him face

    her, and kissed him.

    But as soon as she touched Owen''s lips, he pushed her away. Ruby didn''t expect Owen to react like

    this. She lost her bnce and fell to the ground.

    She just stared at Owen. He had just said that if she kissed him, he would help her. She did what he

    asked, but he still pushed her away.

    Owen turned around and left.

    "Owen." Ruby called out to him. Had she done something wrong?

    "Don''t worry, I''ll do what I promised." Without turning around, Owen coldly said this and left Ruby

    behind.

    Ruby was willing to do anything for Stefan. This deeply hurt Owen''s heart and his pride.

    There was no difference between him and Stefan. They had known each other since childhood,

    growing up together. Why was he only her friend, but Stefan was the one she loved?

    Were there no other men in the world? Why did she have to choose Stefan?

    Owen was worried that if he didn''t leave, he might¡¯ve lost control due to jealousy and hurt Ruby.

    ......

    3 p.m.

    Regal Raiment.

    A bicycle stopped in front of the store.

    A handsome man in a suit got off the bike and walked into the store.

    "Oh my?" The staff in the store looked surprised when they saw the man. He rubbed his eyes and

    muttered, "I must be seeing things. Stefan cannot possibly be in my store at this hour."

    The man grabbed him by the cor, pulling him close to face the handsome face.

    He tried to kiss the man but was pushed away before their lips touched. "Ah, what a pity to miss

    such an opportunity."

    Holtmented.

    "Holt! Don''t look at me like that!"

    Stefan warned his friend, Holt, the fourth son of the Wilson family who didn''t need to take over the

    family business and could do what he liked. He loved designing evening gowns, so he opened

    Regal Raiment. The business was booming, and he had opened many branches in various ces.

    "Because you''re just too handsome." Holt acted as if it was all Stefan''s fault.

    Stefan chuckled, "Look at you now, who could tell you''re a man? You''re even more feminine than

    women."

    If they hadn''t yed a prank and pulled down Holt''s pants to confirm that he was a man, they would

    have thought he was a woman.

    "Please sit."

    Holt invited Stefan to sit, his gaze briefly scanning outside the store to a bicycle. He asked with a

    smile, "The CEO of Ascend Global, not only goes out without bodyguards, but he also doesn¡¯t even

    have a car? I saw you on the road and I couldn''t believe it was you."

    "Do you guys only identify me by my vehicle?"

    Holt, "... Well, I certainly wouldn''t expect you to be on a bicycle."

    "I like cycling. Is there a problem? Do you look down on me for biking? If you like, you can gift me a

    luxury car as a means of transport."

    Holt helplessly said, "Go away, your garage is like a car showroom. What type of car don''t you

    have? If I gave you another one, could your garage fit it?"

    "I could expand the garage."

    "Go away, I''m broke!"

    "I''ll bring you money right now. Help me choose some evening gowns. My wife needs them."

    Holt, "Was that post you made online real?"

    "Don''t think you can skip out on a wedding gift."

    Holtughed, "When you have your wedding, I''ll definitely give you a big gift. Remember to reserve

    a spot for me as a groomsmen. I want to borrow the great Mr. Coleman''s luck to see if I can find a

    suitable husband."

    Stefanughed, "Aren''t you nning to find a wife?"

    "My mom has always raised me as a daughter. Her wish for me was to find a suitable husband."

    As they joked around, Holt got up to select some evening gowns, not forgetting to ask Lucinda''s

    size.

    Stefan gave him an approximate size. Holt selected a few gowns and handed them to Stefan, "Take

    a look, these are new arrivals in my store. Your wife won''t have to worry about wearing the same

    dress as someone else."

    Finally, he curiously asked, "Who did you get married with? What''s her name?"

    "Lucinda."

    "Lucinda... Why does that name sound so familiar?"

    Stefan flipped through the gowns. He was very satisfied with Holt''s taste and craftsmanship. The

    gowns at Regal Raiment were all designed by Holt. Each gown took a lot of time to make, so they

    were very expensive. Despite the high prices, his gowns were very popr with thedies of

    Pinehurst''s high society.

    Stefan just smiled without answering.

    Holt tried to think hard. After a while, he muttered, "I remember my college neighbor Ike had a sister

    named Lucinda. He always doted on his sister and bragged about her."

    "Stefan, Ike was your ssmate, right?"

    "Mm-hmm."

    "Did you marry Ike''s sister?"

    Stefan just smiled.

    Holt understood. His eyes widened in surprise, "Aren''t you afraid Ike will beat you up?"

    Stefan answered confidently and narcissistically, "An excellent man like me bing his brother-in-

    law, will only make him feel happy for his sister. He wouldn''t dare toy a hand on me."

    Ike''s internal monologue would be, ¡°I''m biting my tongue here!!!¡±

    "Stefan, you absolute dog, do you only fancy much younger girls?"

    "I''m only five years older than Lucinda," Stefan replied grumpily, "I''m not even thirty yet, how am I

    old? Lucy and I are of the same generation."

    Holt eyed his friend for a while, then said, "You got hitched lightning fast, so willing and so fast, and

    you didn''t even announce your marriage to the world. Stefan, did you have your sights set on Ike''s

    sister a long time ago?"

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31

    Stefan was a unique dude. He was super particr about thedies, and even his grandparents

    couldn''t force him to marry a girl he didn¡¯t fancy. He was only going to tie the knot with a woman he

    truly loved.

    "Easy there, Holt. This is my business."

    Even though Stefan was still grinning, Holt got the hint and changed the subject as soon as those

    words left Stefan''s mouth.

    "I gotta split."

    Stefan gathered several bags with evening dresses, bid Holt farewell, and then took off.

    Holt watched as Stefan hopped on his bike and pedaled away.

    Stefan made a beeline for Serendipity Cafe. It was a busy afternoon at Serendipity. Lucinda, her

    business partner, and their staff were busting their asses.

    When Lucinda saw Stefan walk in, she greeted him with a smile, "Stefan, I''m mmed right now.

    Grab a seat and let me know what you want. I''ll have someone whip it up for you."

    After taking in the scene, Stefan walked up to the counter and set the bags down. He said to

    Lucinda who came over, "Lucinda, I''ve hired some evening dresses. About that thing you

    promised..."

    "I''ll keep my promise, Stefan. Where did you get these dresses?"

    Lucinda pulled out a dress, mesmerized by its beauty, and hastily put it back in the bag, worried she

    might dirty it. "When I get a chance, I''ll head back to my apartment and try them on."

    "A friend of mine runs a clothing store, and he''s got evening dresses. I got a few from him. When

    you get a chance, try them on. If they fit, change into one and wait for me at your door at seven. I''ll

    pick you up for the business cocktail party."

    "Sure thing." Lucinda agreed quickly. They needed to help each other out.

    Stefan locked eyes with her. His look softened and she couldn''t read him. "Lucinda, I gotta head

    back to work."

    "Okay."

    Lucinda packed the dresses away and prepared a box of pastries for Stefan. "Stefan, I''ve tried

    these pastries and they''re scrumptious. They''re the best we''ve got. Take them back to your office

    and give them a try. Let your coworkers try them too. If they like them, they cane here for a

    bite."

    If Lucinda knew her boyfriend was the CEO of Ascend Global, she wouldn''t have said or done that.

    "Thanks."

    Stefan wasn''t much of a sweets guy. But since they were from his girlfriend, he would give them a

    go.

    "We don''t need to be so formal," Stefan said,ughing. He pulled out a tissue and wiped the sweat

    off Lucinda''s forehead.

    It was scorching hot and she was already sweating, having just been a few minutes away from of

    the AC.

    Looking at the handsome man in front of her and feeling his gentle touch, Lucinda''s heart started

    racing. By the time she came back to her senses, Stefan had pocketed his hand, taken the box ofContent ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    pastries, bid her goodbye, and left.

    Lucinda stood at the entrance of the shop, watching Stefan until he disappeared from sight. Just as

    she was about to turn around and go back inside, she saw George.

    George had been standing next to her without her noticing. She didn''t know how much he had seen.

    "Lucy, were you two putting on a show the other day? He can''t have much money just zipping

    around on a bike. I bet you''re still single and still seeing people, right? You''ve been on a dozen

    dates and none of them worked out. Can''t forget about me, can you?"

    George looked at Lucinda''s beautiful face with a mix of vanity and greed. Once upon a time, he truly

    loved this girl. Being her boyfriend was a stroke of luck. But he couldn''t stand her traditional views

    and ended up choosing another girl over her.

    When he found out that Lucinda was still single, George, in his vanity, thought it was because she

    couldn''t forget him. After all, he was the only boyfriend Lucinda had ever had in her 24 years.

    With an unamed terrifying person pulling strings behind the scenes, no one dared to pursue

    Lucinda, no matter how excellent or beautiful she was. The only reason he was able to be Lucinda''s

    boyfriend was because she confessed her feelings to him.

    "Cecilia, hand me the broom." Lucinda called out loudly.

    Cecilia looked through the ss door, immediately dropped what she was doing, grabbed a broom,

    and handed it to Lucinda. After ncing at George, Cecilia yelled out to her friend, "Give him hell!"

    That made George seethe. "Lucy, don''t do anything rash. I came here to help you."

    George backed away, raising his hands to block any iing broom attack.

    "I don''t need your help, George. Get lost. If you don''t leave, I''m calling your wife toe pick you

    up and keep you on a shorter leash, so you stop pestering me."

    George quickly pulled a bank card out of his pocket and handed it to Lucinda, "Lucy, I''m serious

    about helping you. There''s 50 grand on this card. Use it to pay off your debt and buy a car with

    what''s left."

    "The PIN is my birthday. You still remember my birthday, right? You used to celebrate it with me."

    George didn''t set the PIN to Lucinda''s birthday, but his own, hoping she would remember it. He

    believed that in Lucinda''s heart, he was irreceable, second to none.

    Lucinda didn''t want to waste her breath on him anymore. She swung the broom, hitting his hand

    and sending the card flying. The strike also hurt George''s hand. He quickly pulled back his hand

    and jumped off the step. "Lucy, Lucy, listen up, you don''t have to pay back this fifty grand, nor do

    you have to do anything for me. I just purely wanna help you out, after all, we loved each other for a

    few years."

    His standard of living had gone through the roof, despite some difficulties in the past six months, his

    financial situation was way better than before.

    His wife trusted him big time, loved him to bits, and she was now a month pregnant.

    He''d been busting his ass to get the boss to give him a promotion and a raise. Nowadays, he''d got

    a luxury car to ride, maids in his house, and all he needed to do was take good care of his wife, and

    everything was peachy. The allowance he got from his wife even exceeded his sry.

    For the current George, coughing up fifty grand to pay off Lucinda''s debt was as easy as pie.

    "Buzz off!"

    Lucinda chased after him, hitting him. As he ran towards his fancy car, she picked up the dropped

    bank card, chased after him, threw the bank card in front of George, and fumed, "Take your bank

    card and get lost!"

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32

    "Lucy..."

    "Don''t you dare call me Lucy, you''ve got no right to call me Lucy. Piss off!"

    Lucinda made a move to smack him with a broom again.

    Scared, George quickly picked up his bank card and bolted for his car. Once in the car, he probably

    felt safe enough to roll down the window and say to Lucinda, "Lucy, your fake husband is a straight-

    up broke ass. I saw him earlier, riding a bike that''s worse than my old one. Apart from a pretty face,

    he''s got nothing on me. Lucy, I''m ready to help you pay off your debts, buy you a big house to live

    in, a car to drive, and give you¡­¡±

    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

    A broom came flying through the car window, smacking him square in the face.

    After a few hits, George squirmed out of his car, dodged Lucinda''s swings, and only when she

    pulled out the broom, he got back into the car, not daring to say anything. He drove off like the devil

    was after him.

    Lucinda was really showing some grit. He liked this fiery spirit!

    "Ptui!"

    Lucinda spat in the direction George had fled. Holding her broom, she stormed back into the shop.

    The customers in the shop all watched her, some even gave her a thumbs up, thinking she was a

    real badass.

    Lucinda didn''t want to be this fierce, but George was just asking for it. He had dumped her for his

    career, marrying his boss'' niece, and now that he had some change to his name, he wanted to keep

    Lucinda as a lover.

    What the hell did he take Lucinda for?

    "Did you chase him away?" Cecilia poured a ss of water and handed it to Lucinda.

    "Yeah, that jerk, if he dares to show up again, I''ll smack him every time."

    "After you''ve beaten him up, I doubt he''ll dare to show up anytime soon. Didn''t your contract

    husbande by earlier?"

    Lucinda sat at the cashier''s table, "Stefan brought me some evening gowns. He has a social event

    tonight and asked me to do him a favor and be his date."

    Cecilia felt something was off but couldn''t put her finger on it.

    "Cecilia, I''ve struck gold with this one. Stefan is a real catch, I never dreamed he would have such a

    high position at Ascend Global, second only to the CEO. I only pay him $500 a month in fees, and

    he''s willing to help me, I''ve hit the jackpot."

    Cecilia looked at her friend''s face, which seemed to be glowing with happiness, and couldn''t help

    but throw cold water on her, "You''ve got your marriage certificate. It''s not a hire, You''re legally

    married, for real!"

    "Lucy, y with fire, and you''ll get burned." Cecilia said and walked away.

    Lucinda opened her mouth to say something but didn''t know what to say.

    y with fire and you''ll get burned! But she wasn''t ying with fire. She and Stefan had an

    agreement. She was hiring him as a husband to fool her mother, so she wouldn''t be nagged to get

    married and be too scared to go home.

    They even had a contract. Hmm, it wouldn''t cause any trouble. Lucindaforted herself.

    The afternoon passed quickly. The sun sank into the sea, the dark of the sky spread out,

    signaling the arrival of night.

    The nightlife in Pinehurst was particrly colorful.

    Lucinda changed into her evening gown, deliberately put on her rarely worn high heels, put on a

    light makeup, and carried a delicate purse, which was quite expensive. It¡¯s a gift from her brother,

    and she rarely used it.

    Tonight she was going to apany Stefan to a business cocktail party, so she decided to use all

    her best stuff.

    Stefan yed the part of her husband with dedication and responsibility, and she also had to do her

    duty and y the role of his date well.

    Lucinda was already very beautiful. All dressed up, she stood on the street, a beautiful sight, and

    passers-by couldn''t help but take a second look. Someone even crashed into a streemp while

    looking at her. But she didn''t notice any of this.

    Stefan saw Lucinda from a distance. He sped up and soon his bike was parked in front of Lucinda.

    He looked at her with dark eyes. She was stunningly beautiful at the moment, ethereal; her manner

    was no less than that of the daughters of the wealthy families. For a moment, Stefan wanted to

    change his mind and not take her to the party.

    Lucinda moved quickly and elegantly sat on his bike.

    People were surprised to see a beautiful woman in an evening dress riding a bike. The scene was

    quite odd.

    "Shall we take a taxi?"

    "It doesn''t matter what kind of transportation we use, Stefan, I don''t mind people looking at me

    weirdly." Lucindaughed, "If we weren''t in a rush, we could leisurely bike there, enjoy the street

    view, feel the evening breeze, it would be a real joyride."

    Stefan alsoughed, "Okay, we''ll enjoy the evening breeze and the night view as we go."

    He rode his bike at a slow pace. It meant she had more time to hold onto his waist. This was his

    intentional move to increase the intimacy between them.

    "Lucy, hold me tight."

    Lucinda did as she had done that night, wrapping her arms around his waist. Stefan immediately

    pedaled his bike, carrying his picture-perfect new wife, heading for the Ascend Hotel.

    Ascend Global owns many hotels, just in Pinehurst there are several five-star hotels, the most

    famous being the Anderson Hotel and Ascend Hotel.

    Many people liked to hold banquets here, as it showcased their wealth and status. Tonight''s

    business cocktail party invited all the big shots in Pinehurst, of course, excluding Owen.

    It''s not that the host didn''t want to invite Owen, but because Stefan wasing. Two rivals couldn''t

    appear at the same time, otherwise, if the big shots started a fight, the small folks would suffer.

    The bosses in Pinehurst all understood this rule. If they invited Stefan, they wouldn''t invite Owen.

    They had to avoid having the two most formidable young CEOs at the same event.

    Of course, if some people insisted on crashing the party, the host would be in a difficult position.

    Owen arrived at the Ascend Hotel before Stefan. He was Stefan''s sworn enemy. He wouldn''t be

    caught dead in a hotel under Ascend Global, but for some reason, he showed up uninvited.

    Every time Owen stepped out, he was nked by seven or eight men in ck. With his posse in

    tow, he strutted his stuff like he owned the town, giving off a king-in-his-court vibe.

    A Rolls-Royce pulled up at the Ascend Hotel. Tonight''s host, Mr. Lambert, was taken aback when

    he saw Owen''s ride. He rubbed his eyes, thinking he must¡¯ve been seeing things. He squinted at

    the car, the license te.

    It was really Owen! What the hell was he doing here?

    Owen stepped out of the car, and took a moment to look up at the Ascend Hotel, his eyes

    unreadable.

    "Mr. Martinez." After mentally cursing a few times, Mr. Lambert put on a surprised and delighted

    face. He greeted him, all smiles, "Mr. Martinez, what an honor it is to have you here. Please,e

    this way."

    Owen gave a nonchnt smile and said, "No rush, I''m waiting for someone."

    He was waiting for his arch-nemesis, Stefan!

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33

    Owen promised to help Ruby find her love rival, and he sprang into action immediately. He had

    already picked up on Stefan and Lucinda''s rtionship, so it was easy for him to zero in on this

    couple.

    Stefan, on his bike, was taking Lucinda, dressed in her evening gown, to Ascend Hotel.

    How could Owen not know about this?

    "Who are you waiting for, Mr. Martinez?"

    Mr. Lambert asked with a smile. "Or maybe, would you prefer to go in and sit down?"

    "No need, he''ll be here soon."

    "Mr. Martinez..."

    Mr. Lambert wanted to say something, but when he saw Stefan carrying Lucinda, the words got

    stuck in his throat, unable toe out.

    What the hell was going on? Who was that girl riding pillion on Mr. Coleman''s bike?

    After parking his bike, Stefan helped Lucinda off in a graceful manner.

    Owen walked over. His gaze was sharp, staring at Lucinda.

    "Sir, have you no manners? Staring at a stranger like that is very rude." Lucinda didn''t like the look

    in this man''s eyes - too sharp, as if he wanted to see right through her.

    "Well, not exactly a stranger. I''ve known Stefan since we were kids. You could say we''re old

    friends."

    Owen gave a subtle smile. "This is the first time I''ve seen Stefan bring a woman in front of us. I''m

    curious, what''s your name?"

    Stefan walked over to Lucinda, looked Owen in the eye, gave a casual smile, and said, "Owen, why

    don''t you call me ''big brother''."

    Those words sessfully darkened Owen''s face.

    "You should call me big brother, you know. Owen,e on, be a good boy and say ''big brother''."

    Owen was visibly troubled.

    Stefan was an unpredictable man. Sometimes gentle, sometimes cold, sometimes cheerful. Owen

    considered himself cunning, but in front of Stefan, he always found himself provoked.

    "Lucinda, this is Mr. Owen Martinez, the heir of the Martinez family, my arch-nemesis."

    In front of a fuming Owen, Stefan generously introduced him to Lucinda. He wanted Lucinda to join

    his circle, and facing Owen was inevitable. So, he didn''t hold back.

    Lucinda extended her hand graciously, smiling, "Mr. Martinez, I''ve heard so much about you."

    Owen nced at the hand Lucinda extended, then at Stefan, and shook hands with Lucinda. It was

    more of a touch than a handshake, as he quickly retracted his hand.

    "This is the President of the Lambert Group, Mr. Lambert."

    Stefan introduced Mr. Lambert to Lucinda next.

    She nodded at Mr. Lambert, shaking hands with a smile. Mr. Lambert shook hands somewhat

    absent-mindedly. He wasn''t sure what the rtionship between Lucinda and Stefan was. But any

    woman that Stefan brought to a banquet must¡¯ve been someone he liked and valued.

    He couldn¡¯t afford to offend her!

    ¡°It¡¯s too hot outside, let¡¯s go in.¡± Mr. Lambert¡¯s face was stiff with a forced smile, inviting the two

    presidents into the hotel.

    In his heart, he was praying silently, hoping the two important presidents could keep their cool, give

    him some dignity, and not start a fight at the banquet.

    Seeing Stefan lead Lucinda into the hotel, Mr. Lambert began to feel that his prayers might not have

    been heard.

    As long as Lucinda was there, Owen would never quiet down. Stefan''s girlfriend had be

    Owen''s weapon to attack him.

    This was Lucinda''s first time attending such a high-end banquet. Despite her nerves, she wasn''t

    scared. Everyone was ttering and amodating to the man by her side, which made her feel

    blessed time and time again for having the chance to marry such an outstanding man like Stefan.

    Stefan took great care of Lucinda, never leaving her isted. With him by her side, Lucinda

    gradually rxed. As Stefan introduced her to the guests at the banquet one by one, she was

    amazed each time. Because they were all important figures in the city''s business circle.

    Owen remained silent. He did nothing but sit quietly in a corner, drinking. In fact, he was observing.

    After observing for a while, Owen saw the problem. There seemed to be some issues between the

    newlyweds Stefan and Lucinda.

    Lucinda might¡¯ve not known Stefan''s real identity. Hmm... interesting.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    The moment Stefan went to the washroom, Owen seized the opportunity to approach Lucinda.

    The girls who had eyes for Stefan and had been looking for a chance to cause trouble for Lucinda

    stopped when they saw Owen approaching. It looked like they were waiting for a show to start.

    "Mrs. Anderson."

    After reaching Lucinda, Owen offered her a ss of red wine. "You haven''t had a drink all night.

    How can you attend a cocktail party and not have a drink?"

    Lucinda looked around, then asked Owen, "Mr. Martinez, are you talking to me?"

    She hadn''t had a drink all night because Stefan wouldn''t let her. But he himself had drunk a lot.

    Lucinda was worried that he would get drunk and she wouldn''t be able to take him home.

    Owenughed, "You''re the only one in front of me. Of course, I''m talking to you."

    "Mr. Martinez, you must be mistaken. I''m not Mrs. Anderson."

    Even if she was to be referred to as Stefan''s wife, it should be Mrs. Coleman, not Mrs. Anderson.

    "I''ve known Stefan for more than twenty years, mate. I know who he is. How could I possibly not

    know?"

    Owen wanted to say that he and Stefan were old pals, but that would sound too phony. Their

    rtionship was known by everyone in Pinehurst. He couldn''t brazenly im that they were old

    buddies.

    "Don''t you know that Stefan shares the samest name with his mother? His dad''s from Pinehurst''s

    top filthy rich family, the Anderson family. He''s actually the heir to Ascend Global, the big shot of

    Pinehurst''s wealthiest n. So, me addressing you as Mrs. Anderson wasn''t wrong."

    Lucinda was gobsmacked! Her face turned as pale as a sheet. She asked Owen, "Mr. Martinez,

    what are you saying? Stefan is the main man at Ascend Global? I thought he was just an executive

    assistant. How did he turn out to be the heir of the Anderson family?"

    No way! Stefan had told her that he was just an ordinary worker. How could he possibly be the heir

    of the Anderson family?

    Owen chuckled, "He told you he''s just an executive assistant? His assistant''s name is Edgar. If you

    don''t believe me, you can ask himter. Do you even know who you''ve tied the knot with?"

    Lucinda thought she knew him. After all, she and Stefan had known each other for eleven years. In

    those eleven years, she had no clue that he actually shared the samest name with his mother. He

    was the heir of the Anderson family!

    He sure kept his cards close to his chest. The heir of the Anderson family! His status was way too

    high.

    She felt like she was punching above her weight. Could they call off their engagement now?

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34

    Stefan stepped out of the restroom and saw Owen chatting with Lucinda. He briskly walked over.

    "Owen, what do you think you''re doing?" Stefan pulled Lucinda behind him, eyeing Owen

    suspiciously.

    Owen chuckled, "Stefan, why so jumpy? Scared I''ll spill the beans? I''m just having a chat with her.

    You''re not being very honest, Stefan. You''ve already put a ring on her finger and you''re still keeping

    her in the dark? Look at her, she''s pale as a ghost. All thanks to you."

    After a heartyugh and a toast to Lucinda, Owen turned and left. He''d achieved his goal and didn''t

    want to stick around in case Stefan got mad and started a fight.

    Even though he wasn''t scared of Stefan, he didn''t want to fight him, mainly because he didn''t want

    to hurt Stefan and upset Ruby.

    Stefan turned around to look at Lucinda''s pale face. He wanted to caress her face, but she dodged

    him.

    "Stefan, is everything Mr. Martinez said true? Lucy, I didn''t mean to deceive you, I was just afraid..."

    Lucinda cut Stefan off, "Stefan, can I go home now?"

    This revtion was too much for her. She needed some time to cool off.

    Stefan was the eldest son of the Anderson family and the heir to Ascend Global, not some random

    assistant. Turned out, the person she had known for eleven years was still a stranger to her.

    "I''ll drive you home."Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Stefan grabbed Lucinda''s hand, not letting her leave by herself. Then, he pulled out his phone and

    called his chauffeur to pick them up from the Ascend Hotel.

    Now that Lucinda knew his true identity, there was no need to hide anymore.

    "Lucy."

    "Stefan, just save it for now. Once I''ve cooled down, we can talk properly."

    Their agreement was definitely going to be void. She couldn''t afford to hire the eldest son of the

    Anderson family.

    Stefan looked intensely at her, but in the end, he remained silent and gently stroked her hair.

    ...

    The Scott family mansion was brightly lit upstairs.

    Ruby was busy working in her study room. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

    "Come in."

    The butler walked in. "Miss, Mr. Owen is here. He''s waiting for you downstairs."

    Ruby acknowledged and said, "Tell him I''ll be right down."

    The butler left.

    Ruby put down her pen, got up, and went to her room. She picked out a in long dress from her

    closet, freshened up her makeup, made sure she looked fresh and beautiful, then leisurely

    descended the stairs.

    Owen was sitting on the sofa, a bouquet of roses and a big red box sat on the table. Hearing

    footsteps, he turned around, stood up, and looked at Ruby with adoring eyes.

    She was so beautiful. Even in a in dress, she was as beautiful as a painting, way more stunning

    than Stefan''s wife.

    Beauty was in the eye of the beholder. To Owen, Ruby was the most beautiful. To Stefan, Lucinda

    was the most beautiful and perfect woman in the world.

    "Owen."

    Ruby smiled and walked over, "What brings you here sote?"

    Owen nced at his watch and said, "It''s only ten, not thatte."

    He picked up the bouquet and handed it to Ruby, "Flowers for a beauty. I got these for you."

    Ruby epted the flowers. She had been worried that Owen was mad at her. Luckily, he wasn''t.

    Owen then picked up the big red box and handed it to Ruby, saying, "I passed by a jewelry store

    and saw a set that would look great on you. I bought it. Take a look, see if you like it."

    Ruby sat down. Upon opening the box, a set of jewelry instantly caught her eye. "So beautiful!"

    Rubyplimented with a smile, "Your taste is impable. Every gift from you is always a pleasant

    surprise."

    Many of her jewelry pieces were gifts from Owen. But Stefan... ever since they turned twelve, he

    had stopped giving her presents. He said they were grown-ups now, and that boys and girls were

    different. He couldn''t casually give her gifts anymore.

    Seeing her delighted, Owen felt much better. He took out a piece of paper. "Ruby, this is the result

    of the investigation you asked for."

    Upon hearing this, Ruby immediately put down the flowers and jewelry, took the paper, and

    commented, "That''s all?"

    Owen chuckled sarcastically, "An ordinary girl''s family history wouldn''t even fill two pages."

    Ruby started reading Lucinda''s profile. The details wereprehensive, but Lucinda''s background

    was so in that it didn''t even fill one page. "The Moores adopted her?"

    "Yeah, Lucinda is indeed an adopted child of the Moore family. Their biological daughter passed

    away from illness, so they treated Lucinda like their own. Everyone in the Moore family knew this,

    except Lucinda."

    Owen rified, "Even Ike knew."

    When they were in college, Owen heard that Ike was particrly fond of his sister. The Moores

    were kind-hearted people who loved even their adopted daughter like their own.

    "Was Lucinda abandoned as a baby?"

    "Well, the investigation wasn''t clear about that. She probably was. People back then preferred sons.

    If they had a daughter, they would either give her away or abandon her. So, it''s not surprising that

    she was an abandoned baby."

    Ruby nodded, reading Lucinda''s profile over and over again. She found nothing remarkable and

    couldn''t understand why Stefan was treating Lucinda differently.

    "There''s one more thing I need to tell you. It''s not in the report."

    "What is it?"

    Owen looked at her seriously, word by word, "Stefan and Lucinda got hitched. The day you got

    back, they were already legally married. At first, Lucinda just wanted Stefan to y pretend

    boyfriend to fool her folks. Then for whatever reason, they made it official. The night you returned,

    Stefan went with Lucinda to meet the Moore family."

    "No way!" Ruby eximed in surprise, "How can that be? Stefan really married Lucinda! He''s the

    eldest son of the Anderson n, yet he married a castoff like Lucinda. She''s nowhere near good

    enough for him, she doesn''t deserve to be an Anderson or thedy of Ascend Estate!"

    That was supposed to be her ce!

    Owen just quietly watched her shocked, angry, disbelieving expression. His eyes were dark and

    deep.

    For Owen, Stefan getting married was the best news ever! But when Ruby heard the news about

    Stefan''s marriage, she was absolutely floored.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35

    Escorted by Stefan, Lucinda returned to her rented ce. As soon as she stepped in, she started

    rummaging around.

    ¡°Lucy, whatcha looking for?¡± Stefan asked with concern, ¡°Tell me, I¡¯ll help you find it.¡±

    ¡°The contract, Stefan, your copy? Bring it out quick, we¡¯re ripping them together.¡±

    Lucinda found the contract in the drawer of herputer desk and immediately took it out, then

    turned to Stefan to demand his copy.

    ¡°Stefan, my crisis is over now, thanks for your help. Even though I only hired you to pretend to be

    my boyfriend for a few days, I¡¯ll still pay you for a month.¡± She said, taking out her phone and

    instantly transferring five hundred bucks to Stefan.

    Luckily, she had borrowed money from her brother to buy clothes, a bed, and daily necessities for

    Stefan; otherwise, she wouldn''t have the money to pay the rent.

    ¡°Stefan, our partnership is ending early. Thanks for your help.¡±

    Stefan looked at her and took her copy of the contract. After a nce, he ripped it. ¡°Hmm, void.¡±

    His remark made Lucinda a bit uneasy as if his ¡°void¡± meant something different than what she

    thought. ¡°Lucy, we¡¯re married, we don¡¯t need a contract. So, from now on, this contract is useless.¡±

    What was happening here! Was Stefan going back on his word? He didn¡¯t want to end the

    partnership!

    ¡°Stefan, we had a deal, I hired you to pose as my boyfriend so my mom would stop nagging me

    about dating. How could you¡­ go back on your word?¡±

    This was too sudden. Was this the same gentle Stefan she knew?

    ¡°What is our rtionship now?¡±

    Lucinda opened her mouth, and after a moment, she whispered, "Married."

    They had gone through the proper procedures for marriage, and the marriage certificate was official,

    which meant they were married. Even if they signed a contract, it couldn¡¯t change the fact that they

    were legally married.

    Stefan took out the marriage certificate. Seeing this, Lucinda was dumbfounded. He had been

    carrying the marriage certificate all along.

    Both copies of the marriage certificate were in his hands. The contract in her hands had also been

    torn by him, and she had no evidence to refute him now.

    Lucinda btedly realized that she had been led by Stefan. He seemed gentle, but he was actually

    a sneaky guy.

    Cecilia once told her that she was too casual about choosing someone to marry. She had even told

    Cecilia that Stefan was not a random person but someone she had known for eleven years. Now

    that she had thought about it, she had spoken too soon.

    ¡°Lucy, the marriage certificate is here, we¡¯re legally married, there¡¯s no such thing as pretend.¡±

    Stefan quickly put away the two marriage certificates, then tightly embraced the stunned Lucinda.

    His move made Lucinda¡¯s body stiff instantly, and she instinctively wanted to push him away.

    Stefan''s arms held her tightly, and she couldn¡¯t escape. She struggled to look up at him, and he also

    lowered his head, their eyes met. At this moment, his eyes were zing like fire, and these intense

    eyes made her heart race.

    ¡°Stefan...marriage is a lifelong matter. We have no foundation of love. This marriage can¡¯tst, so,

    I¡¯ve paid the money, and we should stick to the agreement, end the partnership, and then,

    tomorrow, yes, tomorrow, we¡¯ll go get the divorce certificate.¡±

    Stefan¡¯s eyes were bright, his gaze dark and muddled, trapping Lucinda. ¡°Lucy, we have a lifetime

    to fall in love, to cultivate feelings.¡±

    Lucinda, ¡°...but Stefan, let go of me first, let¡¯s sit down and talk, okay?¡±

    Stefan didn¡¯t want to let go. However, he eventually loosened his grip. He needed more patience in

    dealing with her; he couldn¡¯t push too hard, lest he scared her.

    They sat at the small table, one on each side, facing each other. Lucinda wanted a ss of water.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you a ss of water, you sit down.¡± Stefan held her back, not letting her get up, and he went

    to get her a ss of water.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Lucinda drank half a ss of water in one gulp, then held the cup, looking at Stefan. Her thoughts

    also cooled down with the tranquil water. She calmly said, ¡°Stefan, I didn¡¯t know your real identity at

    first, and considering you were my brother¡¯s college ssmate, and we¡¯ve known each other for

    eleven years, I thought of asking for your help.

    ¡°Now that I know your real identity, I think we should get the divorce certificate as soon as possible.

    Ms. Scott, who you grew up with, is back, and I can tell, that she really likes you. The gap between

    us is too big, we don¡¯t have a foundation of love, and we can¡¯t sincerely continue this marriage.

    ¡°I know, my sudden decision to terminate the partnership before the due date is my fault, I¡¯m willing

    to give youpensation, for the time you lost helping me for thest few days.¡±? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Lucinda said, sending a message to her brother, asking him to lend her some more money for

    Stefan¡¯spensation.

    Upon receiving the message from his sister, Ike felt something was off and immediately called.

    ¡°My brother is calling, Stefan, I¡¯ll go outside to answer it.¡± Lucinda said, picking up her phone and

    running out.

    Stefan was helpless. Was he that scary?

    When she didn''t know his real identity, she always called him Stefan and wasn''t afraid of him at all.

    As soon as his real identity was exposed, she became afraid. Shouldn''t she be over the moon?

    After all, she had easily married into the Anderson family, bing the daughter-inw of the

    Anderson family.

    Stefan chuckled softly, ¡°Lucy is different from others, she¡¯s not like those women.¡±

    She didn¡¯t seek higher social status. She only got identally married to him because of her

    mother''s nagging about marriage, and she was fed up. However, they were not a real couple yet.

    Lucinda went downstairs and stood outside the apartment building to answer the call from her

    brother.

    ¡°Ike, big things have happened.¡± As soon as the call was connected, Lucinda said to Ike on the

    other end of the line, ¡°How should I handle this?¡±

    Ike was so spooked by his sister''s words that he nearly dropped his phone, but tried to keep his

    cool on the surface, trying to soothe his sister''s emotions. He said with concern, "Lucinda, take it

    easy. Don''t freak out, okay? I''m here."

    Lucinda calmed down a bit and then started ranting, "You and Stefan were college buddies. How

    come you don''t even know his real identity? Do you know who he is?"

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36

    Ike instinctively asked, "Who is he? Isn''t he Stefan? Is his name fake or something?"

    Without waiting for Lucinda to continue, Ike said, "I told you before that Stefan is not someone you

    can control. He''s a deep guy, don''t be fooled by his current gentleness. Just by his aloof demeanor

    back in school, I knew his gentleness now is all an act. You should hurry up and divorce him. As

    long as our parents don''t find out, mom won''t keep bothering you about blind dates. You can still live

    your life freely.¡±

    Ike was getting really annoyed with Stefan. The guy had sneaked off with his beloved sister. How

    could he possibly be okay with that? His attempt to badmouth Stefan in front of their mom didn''t

    work. Instead, Stefan exined everything himself.

    "Lucinda, you and Stefan haven¡¯t consummate your marriage yet, right?"

    "No."

    "Good. Get a divorce, then when you meet a man you truly love, get married. By then, I promise I''ll

    prepare a generous gift for you. I only have one sister, and I can''t let your wedding be shabby."

    Ike had already decided to work overtime to earn extra money and prepare a wedding gift for his

    sister.

    "Let me exin."

    Lucinda finally had a chance to speak. "Stefan''s name isn''t fake. He is indeed called Stefan, but he

    took his mother''s surname. His father is from the Anderson family."

    "So he took his mother''s surname. I was his ssmate for several years, and I had no idea."

    "Stefan is also the CEO of Ascend Global and the heir to the Anderson family. He''s not ordinary at

    all. He''s the high and mighty heir to the Anderson family. I apparently hired a big shot as my

    husband."

    Oops, she just spilled the beans.

    Ike on the other side processed this information and immediately growled, "Lucinda, say that again?

    You''re saying Stefan is your hired husband? You two aren''t real? Lucinda, you''ve got guts!¡±

    After his outburst, Ike felt that since it was a fake marriage, his sister didn''t lose much. He suddenly

    thought his sister''s boldness wasn''t too bad.

    "Wait, you said Stefan is the CEO of Ascend Global and the heir to the Anderson family? That guy

    hid it so well!"

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Ike was also shocked. He wasn¡¯t surprised that Stefan worked at Ascend Global because Stefan

    was exceptional. But being the CEO of Ascend Global was a real surprise.

    The heir to the Anderson family? The heir of Pinehurst''s number one family! Damn!

    If Stefan was in front of Ike right now, he would definitely give Stefan a good punch.

    "Lucinda, it doesn''t matter what his status is. Since you two are just under a contract, dissolve it.

    Right, you two have registered, so even if it''s a contractual rtionship, you are now legally

    married. You need to go to get a divorce. Tomorrow, I''ll take a day off and go with you to find Stefan.

    I won''t rest easy until I see you twoplete the divorce procedure."

    Lucinda, "Bro, it''s not so easy to get off this pirate ship."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Stefan won''t divorce me!"

    Ike, "I''ming over right now!"

    "Don''t be impulsive. This is between me and Stefan. After all, I was the one who started it. I''ll handle

    it. You don''t have toe over."

    "How are you going to handle it? He won''t divorce you. He''s clearly got you in his grasp! Bastard, I

    considered him as a ssmate, a friend, a brother, and he stole my sister whom I cherished! "

    Lucinda was touched. It was great to have a brother who loved her so much! "Ike, even if we don''t

    divorce, I won''t lose out. Worstes to worst, I''ll just really marry him."

    Ike didn''t know what to say. Stefan, that bastard, was ruining his sister.

    Ah! His sister was taken away!

    Although Ike felt that Stefan was deep and uncontroble, he trusted Stefan very much. If Stefan

    truly loved his sister, then Lucinda would live a happy life with Stefan.

    As for practical problems like family conditions, Ike didn''t need to worry. Lucinda was excellent in all

    aspects. As long as Stefan was sincere, given some time, she could definitely stand firm by Stefan''s

    side.

    He had to work harder and harder. If his sister had a powerful brother to rely on, Lucinda would

    have a better time in the Anderson family.

    Lucinda and Ike talked for a while before she returned to her rented ce.

    Stefan had already prepared her clothes; even the bath water was ready. When she came back, he

    smiled and said, "Lucy, I''ve prepared the bath for you. You go take a bath first, the clothes you

    change out of, bring them out, and I''ll wash them together."

    Lucinda was a bit surprised. She couldn''t get herself to let the high and mighty heir of the Anderson

    family hand wash her clothes. However, she didn''t refuse Stefan''s thoughtfulness and quietly went

    to take a bath.

    Ten minutester.

    Lucinda came out of the bathroom and didn''t see Stefan. She thought he had left. When she

    returned to the room, she found Stefan lying on her bed.

    "Stefan!"

    Stefan rolled over on the bed, staring at her beautiful face with affection, his voice deep yet

    irresistible. "Lucy, I won''t divorce you. Our rtionship cannot be terminated. Since we''re legally

    married, I think it''s better if we sleep together."

    Lucinda, "I just bought you a new bed today."

    "The new bed has a smell."

    "Then you sleep here. I''ll go sleep on the new bed."

    Lucinda turned around and was about to leave.

    Stefan quickly got out of bed and in a few steps caught her. From behind, he hugged her waist, not

    letting her go. "Lucy."

    His chin rested on her shoulder, whispering her name with a softness that turned Lucinda¡¯s bones to

    jelly each time he said Lucy.

    She never knew a man''s voice could be so tender. Stefan was a real dark horse, full of surprises.

    "Lucy."

    His hot breath against her neck made her body soften involuntarily.

    Lucinda thought Stefan was a dangerous man. She was blind as a bat before, thinking Stefan was a

    straight arrow. Now she knew, he was dangerous, and nothing like the gentleman she thought he

    was.

    Stefan turned her around, using one hand to lift her chin, studying her with an intensity that grew

    stronger each second.

    Before she knew it, his lips were nearing, meeting hers. All Lucinda felt was a sudden warmth on

    her lips, then her mind went nk. Stefan was kissing her!

    For eleven years, Lucinda had always seen Stefan as a brother. It was because she never had any

    other feelings for Stefan that she boldly partnered with him to pretend to be married to trick her

    mother.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37

    "Stefan." That was all Lucinda managed to say before she had no chance to speak anymore.

    The night was still young.

    The next day.

    A heavy downpour had washed the earth clean. By the time the sky was fully lit, the rain had

    stopped. Lucinda felt a bit chilly and instinctively moved closer to the warmth next to her.

    A pair of strong arms held her tightly. She smelled a scent that was both familiar and strange.

    It was Stefan''s!

    Suddenly, Lucinda came to her senses, her eyes shot open to find herself warming up in Stefan''s

    arms. She was immediately panicked, pushing Stefan away and rolling under the bed.

    "Thump!"

    She identally fell onto the floor.

    "Lucy."

    Stefan awakened, quickly sat up, and saw her sitting on the floor. He jumped out of bed, picked her

    up and put her back on the bed, covering her with a thin nket.

    Lucinda''s face was pale. She had confirmed one thing. Last night, she and Stefan had had sex.

    "Lucy."

    Seeing her clutching the nket tightly, Stefan bent down, kissed her on the face, and gently said,

    "Lucy, I''m sorry, I was too careless."

    He clung to her like a child.

    Lucinda''s face turned from white to red, she was so shy that she wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

    "Stefan."

    His soft kiss fell on her lips, and Stefanforted her in a soft voice, "Call me hubby, Lucy, call me

    hubby."

    Lucinda pulled the nket up, covering herselfpletely. She still hadn''t recovered from the shock

    ofst night. What on earth was happening?

    "Lucy." Stefan tried to pull the nket away, "Don''t cover your head, you''ll feel stuffy."

    "Stefan, fetch me my clothes and then, you go out, I need to change." Lucinda said from under the

    nket.

    Stefan smiled, "Okay."

    Seemed like she was shy.

    He fetched her clothes, and as per her request, left the room to let her change. He went to prepare

    breakfast.

    "Knock, knock, knock."

    The sound of knocking on the door.

    Stefan, wearing an apron and holding a spat in his hand, rushed out, saying as he walked,

    "Who''s there?"

    Opening the door, he saw Ike''s face full of anger.

    "Ike, you''re here." Stefan was taken aback, then greeted him with a smile.

    Ike was provoked by his greeting. Furious, he grabbed Stefan''s cor and said sternly, "Stefan,

    what did you do to my sisterst night? You didn''t answer my calls, didn''t let me in, and made me

    wait outside all night. I was about to break in!"

    He had told his sister that he would be right over, but when he arrived, his sister''s door was tightly

    closed. He knocked and called, but she never opened the door.

    Lucinda had given him a key for free ess. But what was infuriating was that the door was locked

    from the inside.

    He had a key, but he couldn''t open the door.

    "Ike."

    Lucinda came out of the room, saw this scene, rushed over to protect Stefan, and let him hide

    behind her. She said to her brother, "We can talk, it''s not good to start fighting this early."

    When Ike saw the bruise below his sister''s neckline, he understood immediately.

    "Stefan!"

    This guy! After his sister discovered his true identity, he immediately became like a wolf, hurting his

    sister! Like a madman, Ike rushed up and hit Stefan.

    Stefan didn''t dodge.

    Lucinda wanted to stop it but was pushed away by her brother.

    "Lucy, don''t worry about me, I''ll be fine."Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Two big men started fighting in the small house. In the end, both of them were lying on the bed in

    the house, their faces covered in bruises.

    Lucinda brought some medicine and applied it on her brother for a while, then to Stefan.

    "Stefan, you bastard!" Ike, lying on the bed and gasping for breath, angrily kicked Stefan who was

    next to him.

    Stefan calmly responded, "Lucy and I are married, legally married."

    "Do you really have feelings for each other? What you''re doing is hurting Lucy."

    "Who said we don''t have feelings for each other? I''ve known Lucy for eleven years, and I''ve waited

    for her to grow up for eleven years. She''s my best friend. I''ve been waiting for her."

    Last night he finally got his wish. She was as sweet as a ripe fruit! The eleven years wait was not in

    vain.

    Ascend Estate.

    Under the shade of the trees, Patrick held his wife''s hand, and the two of them leisurely strolled in

    the backyard.

    "Savannah, Stefan hasn''t been home for a while."

    Savannah replied, "Thepany is so big and there''s so much to do. As the person in charge,

    Stefan must be very busy, maybe he doesn''t have time toe home."

    Patrick smiled, "You''re still so protective of him."

    "What do you want me to say, scold him?"

    "He got married secretly without telling us. If he hadn''t brought his wife to the partyst night, we

    would still be in the dark."

    Savannahughed, "I think, Stefan must have his difficulties. His wife probably doesn''t know

    Stefan''s real identity, right? Maybe that''s why Stefan kept it from us at first, afraid we would go find

    his wife and scare her."

    "Don''t you want to meet her?"

    "You old rascal, you want me to do this again. Every time it''s like this, you want to know Stefan''s

    private affairs, it''s always me who has to go. Do you think I don''t care about my dignity?"

    Patrickughed and said, "The person Stefan respects the most is you. Whatever you say to him,

    he will take it very seriously and aplish it. Just make a phone call, and we can wait at home for

    the couple toe."

    "Have you prepared a gift for the meeting?"

    "We have a lot of jewelry in our storeroom, we can pick out a few sets to give her as a gift for the

    meeting."

    Savannah replied, "Let''s pick out a few sets of jewelry to give her as a gift for the meeting then.

    After all, those jewels are meant for the wives of the Anderson family."

    "By the way, what''s her name?"

    The olddy pondered for a bit and replied, "Well, I heard that her name''s Lucinda, sister of Stefan''s

    college buddy, Ike. But she isn¡¯t a blood rtive of the Moore family. Rather she was an abandoned

    baby they took in. However, Lucinda herself hasn''t got a clue about this."

    Well, you know, folks like them, with a bit of dough, had already dug up part of Lucinda''s past.

    However, the full story about Lucinda''s background still wasn¡¯t clear. We couldn¡¯t be sure if Lucinda

    was dumped on purpose or by ident. Were her real parents still alive? And where were they?

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38

    Serendipity Cafe.

    Lucinda nkly stared at herputer screen, typing out a few lines here and there, only to delete

    them momentster.

    Cecilia was busy wiping down all the tables. Seeing her friend still in a sour mood, she walked over,

    pulling a chair to sit across from Lucinda.

    Lucinda seemed not to notice her presence, still staring nkly at herputer screen.

    "Lucy." Cecilia waved a hand in front of her.

    Lucinda snapped back to reality, forcing a smile upon seeing her friend. "Cecilia, what''s up?"

    She looked around the coffee shop, seeing no customers. "Why are there no customers today?"

    "We just opened, silly."

    Cecilia chuckled. "You''ve been so lost in yourputer screen since you got here, I thought you

    were in the middle of a writing spree."

    Lucinda shut herptop, looking troubled. "I''m not in the mood for writing."

    "What happened? You don¡¯t even want to write? You''ve always been so consistent with your

    updates ever since you started writing online unless something majores up."

    Cecilia was both worried and curious. To her, Lucy was one of the most dedicated writers. Always

    writing whenever she had spare time, always thinking about her next update, Lucinda had almost

    forgotten what it was like to hang out or attend gatherings with friends.

    "Cecilia, what would you do if you suddenly married into a super-rich family?"

    Ceciliaughed. "Lucy, have you been writing too much fiction? With my situation, how could I ever

    marry into a wealthy family?"

    She didn''t even know any rich kids. The most impressive person she knew was Lucy''s contracted

    husband, Stefan.

    "Lucy, we''re just ordinary people. We all dream, but don''t let those dreams cloud your reality. In

    stories, the female lead can capture the heart of a bigpany CEO because the plot requires it,

    not because it''s realistic. How many ordinary girls in reality can marry into a wealthy family? The

    threshold of a true wealthy family is high, and we ordinary people can''t cross it."

    Lucinda slumped onto the table, whispering, "I wish it was just a dream, but when I wake up, the

    reality is still there."

    "Why are you suddenly asking this?" Cecilia finally sensed something was off.

    "Cecilia, I made a huge mistake. I thought I knew someone I''ve known for eleven years, but I knew

    nothing."

    Cecilia, "You got conned? Did they take your money? How much? Did you report it?"

    "No, it''s about Stefan, he''s not an ordinary worker, we just misunderstood."

    Not only was Stefan not a worker, but he was also a big fraud. He took everything from her.

    Thinking about what happenedst night, Lucinda felt her headache worsen. Stefan even said she

    was his childhood friend, he watched her grow up every day.

    Lucinda felt her mind aplete mess at this moment. This agreement simply couldn¡¯t be carried

    out! From the moment they registered for marriage, he never thought about leaving her. She was so

    naive, even jumping into his trap herself.

    Cecilia was puzzled, and she looked at Lucy, waiting for her to exin.

    "Stefan is the eldest son of the Anderson family, the CEO of Ascend Global. He uses his mother''s

    surname, so I never connected him with the Anderson family. For eleven whole years, I never knew

    he was the eldest son of the Anderson family, even my brother didn''t know."

    Cecilia, "This is so dramatic! Sure enough, fictiones from life. So dramatic plots can happen in

    real life too. Lucinda, how did you find out about Stefan''s true identity? Tell me, I''m very interested

    in your story. Lucinda, you should turn your story into a novel. I''m sure it would be a hit, then you

    can publish it, sell the movie rights, adapt it into a game, aic, etc. You''ll make a fortune."

    Lucinda looked speechless, so this was her friend''s reaction.

    About fifteen minutester.

    After Cecilia listened to Lucinda''s story, she watched Lucinda for a while, then stood up, patting

    Lucinda on the shoulder, saying, "Lucy, you chose this path. Even if it''s hard, you have to stick to it.

    Why did you even decide to marry a man so impulsively? remember you were the one who first

    proposed to him to pretend to be your boyfriend, right? You should have woken up when he

    suggested you get married, but you still dived in head first. Who''s to me?"

    Cecilia finished, turning to walk away.

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Cecilia, tell me, what should I do?"

    "You said it yourself, he''s not willing to divorce you, and you two have even consummated the

    marriage, what else can you do? ept reality, and be a good daughter-inw of the Anderson

    family."

    Cecilia gave Lucinda''s shoulder two more pats, then walked away.

    From the moment Lucinda easily hired Stefan as her boyfriend and even rushed to get married,

    Cecilia had guessed that Lucy would one day fall into trouble. And here it was, she got herself in

    deep,pletely burned by the me that was Stefan.

    "Stefan isn''t bad, I don''t hate him, it''s just, our realities are too different. I feel like the moment he

    takes me to meet his parents, they''ll put a check for five hundred thousand in front of me, saying

    ''Take the money, and go!''"

    Cecilia was brewing coffee,ughing, "So would you take the five hundred thousand and leave?"

    "I want to take the money and leave, but Stefan won''t divorce me, so no matter how much money I

    take, I can''t leave."

    "What are you still thinking about then? The ball isn''t in your court, the person who can make the

    decision isn''t you, you''re just meat on Mr. Coleman''s chopping board, at his mercy. As for whether

    his family can ept you, leave it to him to deal with since he''s the one not letting go."

    Lucinda looked distressed. "Even if he''s willing to confront his parents for me, a marriage without

    blessings is unlikely to be happy."

    "Lucy, don''t overthink this, just go with the flow."

    "Ugh!" Lucinda let out a deep sigh, "I guess I''ll just have to go with the flow."

    Lucinda agreed to marry Stefan, even going as far as to agree to handle the paperwork. As long as

    everything was done by the book, whether it was getting married or divorced, it was all legit. There

    was no such thing as a fake marriage or divorce.

    "Eleven years and I still can''t see his true colors. He''s good at keeping things under wraps!"

    Lucinda couldn¡¯t help but vent about Stefan''s knack for concealing himself.

    Cecilia brewed two cups of coffee and handed one to Lucinda, "Have a sip, it''ll pick you up. You

    didn''t sleep wellst night, did you? You''ve got dark circles under your eyes."

    Lucinda blushed a little. He kept her up all night, like a whirlwind, leaving her exhausted.

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39

    A car pulled up in front of the coffee shop.

    Ruby stepped out, dressed in a stylish ck business suit, her hair in a bun, and big ck

    sunsses that covered half her face. With her chin up, she strutted into the coffee shop.

    "Ms. Scott?"

    Lucinda was taken aback as Ruby sauntered in, but only for a sec. She quickly left her spot behind

    the cash register to greet Ruby.

    "Ms. Scott, what can I get for you, we have..."

    "p!" Lucinda''s hospitable offer was cut short by a p.

    Cecilia, seeing this, rushed over.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    "p!"

    Another resounding smack. Again, the sound of a hand hitting flesh. This time, it was Lucinda

    pping Ruby.

    Ruby was taken aback, she didn''t expect Lucinda to hit her. Holding her pped cheek, she red

    at Lucinda, fuming, "Lucinda, how dare you hit me!"

    No one had ever dared toy a finger on Ruby. And here was Lucinda, smacking her in the face.

    "Ms. Scott, respect is mutual. I thought you were a customer, so I respected you. But you pped

    me without warning for no reason. I won''t just take it lying down. You hit me, so I hit you back."

    Ruby pped her, so she pped Ruby back. Fair trade! No extra punches were thrown.

    "You!"

    Ruby red at Lucinda, who stood tall, her gaze unwavering. "Lucinda, you''re not fit for Stefan!

    You''re just an average Jane, and Stefan is the heir to the Anderson family, the CEO of Ascend

    Global. His word isw in the Anderson family, in Ascend Global, and he can do whatever he wants

    in Pinehurst. What makes you think you''re worthy of marrying Stefan? What right do you have to be

    his wife? Do you think any woman can just be Stefan''s wife?"

    After Owen handed her Lucinda''s information, Ruby couldn''t sit still. The man she was interested in

    was stolen by another woman. If her rival was a woman more aplished than her, she could

    ept it. But in what way was Lucinda better than her?

    Cecilia moved closer, lightly nudging Lucinda, whispering, "Do you need my help?"

    She had some boxing training; she could help Lucinda. Listening to Ruby''s usations and

    mockery, Cecilia wanted to retort, but she didn''t want to steal Lucinda''s spotlight.

    Lucinda gently patted her hand, reassuring her, so Cecilia settled down at a table, ready for the

    drama to unfold.

    "Whether I''m fit for Stefan or not is not for you to decide. I might not be worthy, I might not have

    anything to show for, but I married Stefan, what are you going to do about it? Ms. Scott, if you''re

    really fit for Stefan, if you''re truly worthy of marrying him, why didn''t you make a move?"

    Ruby was so angry she was speechless. She had tried to get close to Stefan before, but Stefan had

    no interest in her. After her failure, she felt embarrassed and moved overseas, onlying back

    asionally.

    This time, she was determined toe back and win Stefan over, whether Stefan was interested in

    her or not, she was determined to be his wife. She wanted the status of the Anderson family''s

    daughter-inw, because this would make developing her career in Pinehurst easier.

    "You don''t need to meddle in my affairs," Ruby said angrily.

    Lucinda burst outughing, "Ms. Scott, you might be overestimating yourself, thinking you''re so

    important that I need to meddle in your affairs? How much are you paying me to meddle in your

    affairs? Do you know how troublesome it is to meddle in other people''s affairs?"

    Ruby, "Lucinda, don''t be too cocky!"

    This woman was so glib! Owen''s information didn''t mention she was so glib and eloquent, causing

    her to underestimate Lucinda, now she was at a disadvantage in this rival showdown.

    Ruby med Owen in her mind, then snapped at Lucinda, "Lucinda, don''t think just because you

    and Stefan went through the formalities, you can be his wife, the Anderson family won''t agree to

    you two being together. You won¡¯t rise to the top just because you won Stefan. Keep dreaming!"

    "Ms. Scott, you''re really funny, if the woman who has already gone through the marriage procedures

    with him isn''t his wife, then who is? What do you think the legal marriage procedures are? Fake? I

    might just be daydreaming, but my daydream came true, what can I do?"

    Ruby was so angry she was speechless, how infuriating! Even though Lucinda''s words weren''t

    exactly insulting her, they were extremely irritating to her.

    After a while, Ruby said angrily, "Lucinda, if you don''t want to be troubled by the matriarch of the

    Anderson family, I suggest you hurry up and go through the divorce procedures with Stefan, just

    pretend nothing happened. I can even help you keep it a secret, they won''t trouble you."

    "Ms. Scott, haven''t you realized, the decision is not up to me, you should go find Stefan. If you can

    convince him to divorce me, I''ll treat you to dinner, and transfer you twenty bucks. Don''t sneer at the

    amount, if you seed, I can give you a bit more."

    Ruby looked at Lucinda speechlessly. "Lucinda, you just wait and see!"

    Ruby was so angry that she turned around and left.

    Lucinda said, "My shop isn''t going anywhere. As long as the shop''s here, I''ll be here, waiting."

    Ruby stopped, turned around, and red at Lucinda.

    Lucinda was unfazed, not scared in the slightest, but as she was leaving, Lucinda said, "With those

    big sunsses on, I can''t even see your eyes clearly."

    Ruby was just about to lose her breath.

    What Lucinda meant was that she was hiding behind her big sunsses. Lucinda couldn''t see her

    death stare, so she wasn''t scared of her! Ugh, so annoying! Ruby really wanted to punch her. What

    on earth could she do?

    But in the end, Ruby chose to leave without throwing a punch. Because she was alone, but Lucinda

    had backup. She noticed another girl, ready to pounce, with a posture that assured she could take

    Ruby down any second.

    If a real fight broke out, she would be the one at a disadvantage. Ruby wasn''t the type to let herself

    be screwed over.

    Now that she knew Lucinda''s true identity and had located her shop, she could give Lucinda trouble

    anytime. There was no need to rush.

    Lucinda watched from inside the shop as Ruby walked out the door, got straight into her car, and

    quickly drove off.

    She gently touched her face where Ruby had hit her, feeling the swelling. No doubt, her face

    must¡¯ve been all red and swollen. Thankfully, her p back at Ruby was also strong, leaving Ruby''s

    face red and swollen as she left. Lucinda felt she didn''t lose out.

    "Lucy, who was that crazy woman? A suitor of Mr. Coleman''s?"

    "Ruby, she and Stefan have known each other since they were kids. She went abroad and just

    returned a few days ago. I think she came back for Stefan and caused me trouble when she figured

    out our rtionship."

    Cecilia, "Wow, another ssic drama plot!"

    Lucinda too was speechless. Thinking about her and Stefan''s situation, it did feel like something out

    of a TV drama.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40

    "Knock knock."

    Someone was at the door.

    Even though the Serendipity Cafe always had an open-door policy, upon seeing Lucinda and

    Cecilia deep in conversation, the visitor knocked gently on the door. "Hey there, which one of you is

    Miss Lucinda?"

    Cecilia nced at Lucinda, her eyes asking who this person could be.

    Lucinda took in the neer, a professionally dressed woman around herte twenties. She was

    attractive with a good aura about her. Clearly a savvy career woman, she was also carrying a

    bouquet of flowers.

    Stars of Baby''s Breath surrounding roses, it was a stunning arrangement.

    "That''s me, may I know who''s asking?" Lucinda admitted easily.

    Iris smiled, walked over with the flowers, and introduced herself, "Hi Ms. Moore, I am Mr. Coleman''s

    secretary. He ordered these flowers and asked me to deliver them to you."

    These were from Stefan.

    Lucinda epted the flowers, expressing her thanks to Iris.

    "No need for thanks, Ms. Moore, I have to get going," Iris hurriedly said. As the secretary to the

    CEO of Ascend Global, every second of Iris'' time was precious.

    "Iris, would you like to stay for a cup of coffee?"

    "Thank you, Ms. Moore, but I don''t have the time right now. I''ll definitelye by next time."

    Mr. Coleman had mentioned that his wife owned this coffee shop. She could let the others at the

    company know, so they coulde here whenever they wanted coffee.

    Iris left in a hurry.

    Lucinda held the bouquet, examining it closely.

    Cecilia joked, "Can you tell anything from the flowers?"

    "They''re just flowers, what else is there to see?"

    Cecilia was speechless.

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Beep, beep, beep."

    Lucinda''s phone rang. It was Stefan. After a moment''s hesitation, she answered it.

    "Lucy."

    His voice was gentle. Lucinda thought, not only was Stefan handsome, but his voice was also very

    pleasant to listen to. If their marriage was a sham, then she had lucked out. A catch like Stefan was

    rare.

    Unfortunately, he came from the Anderson family. The gap between them was too wide.

    After that party, Lucinda was certain word of her and Stefan would reach the Andersons soon. She

    was waiting for her future mother-inw to show up with a check for half a million, asking her to

    leave Stefan.

    "Lucy, did you receive the flowers I sent through my secretary? Do you like them?"

    "Yes, Iris just left. The bouquet is beautiful, I love it."

    Lucinda spoke the truth. Since she didn''t dislike Stefan, and they were already married, there was

    no need for pretense. As for whether the Andersons could ept her, Lucinda didn''t think too much

    about it, she''d let things take their course. Before her future mother-inw came knocking, she

    didn''t mind continuing to y wife with Stefan.

    Her words made Stefan very happy. His gaze fell on a photo frame in the corner of his desk. He had

    ced it there that day. It was a photo of Lucinda when she was 18. Of course, he had someone

    secretly take it.

    Lucinda had no idea he had many candid photos of her.

    From the moment he started noticing her, he had someone secretly take photos of her. Every

    month, he would receive many photos of her. He had filled several photo albums with them,

    carefully preserving his secret.

    "I''m d you like them. Let''s have lunch together when I finish work."

    "I''ll have lunch here at the shop. If you don''t mind, you can join us. But if you''d rather not, that''s fine

    too."

    This was her way of turning down an invitation to a fancy restaurant. Lucinda wasn''t afraid of high-

    end ces. She seemed to be able to adapt to such environments, but not being afraid didn''t mean

    she liked them.

    "Why wouldn''t I want to? Even if it''s simple fare, as long as I''m with you, I''ll enjoy it."

    Lucinda was silent for a moment, then asked, "Stefan, are you trying to sweet-talk me?"

    Stefanughed, "If you think it''s sweet talk, then it is."

    "Stefan, you''re changing too quickly."

    Because he had been waiting to marry her for too long.

    "Give me some time to adjust."

    "Lucy, we have a lifetime." Stefan spoke earnestly, "Slowly, you''ll understand."

    Lucinda smiled, "Right now my mind is a mess, and I''m drawing a nk. I haven''t written a single

    word this morning."

    "Then don''t write. I''ll take care of you." Stefan said generously. He had made so much money, who

    else should he spend it on if not his wife? With him around, how could he let his wife suffer? He had

    restrained himself for so many years, silently watching her grow up, start a business, and workte

    into the night for the cafe.

    God knew how many times he wanted to help her. Now, they were husband and wife, he could

    openly pamper her.

    "I can''t do that. My editor said my novel could be a hit. I''m counting on it to make big money. I''m

    waiting to publish it, sell the film rights, and turn it into aic."

    A writer who didn¡¯t dream of publishing, selling film rights, and turning their work into aic wasn¡¯t

    a good writer. Lucinda was a good one. She dreamed of everything, hoping that one day her

    dreams woulde true.

    Stefan kept her words in mind.

    "You can''t help me!" Lucinda seemed to have a sixth sense. She guessed that Stefan would use his

    position as CEO of Ascend Global to help her achieve her dreams and immediately stopped him.

    "Stefan, I want to achieve my dreams on my own. I don''t need your help."

    Before she knew it, she stopped seeing him as a big brother. Lucinda hadn''t noticed yet, but Stefan

    had and was over the moon.

    He never wanted to be her big brother in the first ce! What he wanted, was to be her husband,

    her man! Of course, he had to keep his feelings under wraps and give her some time to adjust.

    "Hey, were you the one tipping me for my novel?¡±

    When she received a big gift and tips, Lucinda was through the roof, thinking she had found a very

    generous reader, and she was going to hit the jackpot. But now that she knew Stefan''s real identity,

    she was no dummy. How could she not figure out who this generous reader was?

    This wasn''t hitting the jackpot at all. It was like taking money out of her left pocket and putting it in

    her right and losing half in the process. What a rip-off!

    Stefan, "Only one of them was me, the rest weren''t."

    "What a dork!"

    Stefanughed and said, "As long as you''re happy."

    "I thought I was going to strike it rich, but now it seems like I got the short end of the stick. We''re

    husband and wife, you took money from your pocket and stuffed it into mine, losing half in the

    process, how could I possibly be happy?"

    Stefan was at a loss for words.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41

    "You know what? Ruby Scott came looking for me."

    Stefan Coleman seemed rather pissed off; he said seriously, "Lucy, Ruby was not the girl I fancied

    when I was a kid! My rtionship with Ruby is not like what you guys think; they all got it wrong; it''s

    all a big misunderstanding."

    This was all Gabriel Turner''s fault! He needed to have a word with Gabriel.

    Gabriel, who was at work, seemed to feel like someone was gossiping about him and suddenly

    sneezed.

    "Did Ruby give you any trouble?"

    Though Stefan denied that Ruby was his childhood crush, he knew her quite well.

    Ruby had a lot of boys around her since she was a kid, spoiling her into thinking every man in the

    world would like her.

    But he didn''t like her.

    Knowing about the existence of Lucinda Moore, it would be unlike Ruby to not do anything.

    "She pped me as soon as she saw me."

    Stefan said angrily, "She dared to hit you; I will make her pay!"

    Lucinda was a bit scared and hurriedly said, "I''ve already avenged myself. I''m the type who must

    retaliate, and the p I returned was even more fierce than hers. When she left, her face was all

    swollen."

    Hearing that Lucinda had pped Ruby back, Stefan asked her worriedly, "Is your hand alright?"

    Lucinda felt helpless.

    The plot she wrote about in her novel was actually happening in real life.

    Did Stefan really read her novel and then learn the moves of the male lead from her story?

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Just thinking about it felt a bit strange to Lucinda.

    She regretted telling Stefan about her part-time job.

    "Ruby is shameless; if you hit her, it will hurt your hand. Let me handle this kind of thing in the

    future."

    Lucinda didn''t know how to respond.

    "I have a customer; I have to go."

    Lucinda made an excuse to end the call.

    Cecilia Yates looked at her,ughing uncontrobly.

    "Laugh if you want to."

    "I''m alreadyughing."

    Lucinda: "You! Taking pleasure in my misfortune!"

    "This is a smile of envy. Look, you effortlessly married a rich guy, something others wouldn''t even

    dare to dream of. I envy you; I''m jealous of you."

    Lucinda: "As if I''d believe what you say."

    Ceciliaughed out loud.

    Soon, both of them had no time tough as their shop''s phone was ringing off the hook with

    customer orders. They needed to pack coffee and pastries.

    Suddenly, everyone was busy.

    Almost all the orders were from Ascend Global.

    The one responsible for delivering the coffee and pastries was Lucinda.

    "Why am I the one delivering? I''m the boss." Lucinda grumbled.

    In the end, she got on her electric bike, filled a big basket with the packed coffee and pastries, and

    filled the whole basket.

    "Here''s your chance to see your boyfriend; you should be happy."

    Cecilia pushed her out the door and said, "Hurry up and deliver the orders; business is so good

    today."

    Even though most of the orders were deliveries, the volume was huge.

    And a small portion of the orders were picked up by customers themselves.

    The headquarters of Ascend Global were not far from Serendipity Cafe.

    Lucinda grumbled, but she moved quickly. She rode her electric bike, carrying a basket full of

    packed coffee and pastries, heading for Ascend Global.

    When she arrived at Ascend Global, the security guard on duty looked at Lucinda with admiration.

    This made Lucinda scared, worried that she was about to enter a dangerous environment.

    Even so, Lucinda still rode her electric bike under the security guard''s gaze, like a diligent delivery

    person.

    She delivered the coffee and pastries to each person ording to the orders.

    Thest coffee and pastry had Stefan''s name on it.

    Did Stefan also order coffee and pastries?

    Lucinda, who was busy in the shop, didn''t notice this.

    No wonder Cecilia insisted on her making the delivery.

    Since she was here and had delivered everything to everyone, she couldn''t just throw away

    Stefan''s coffee, right?

    So Lucinda plucked up the courage, took the elevator straight to the top floor, and delivered coffee

    to her man.

    "Ms. Moore."

    Iris saw Lucinda and quickly got up to greet her.

    Mr. Coleman hadn''t made his rtionship with Lucinda public yet, so Iris didn''t change the way she

    addressed her.

    She led Lucinda to the CEO''s office.

    "Ms. Moore, Mr. Coleman is inside; you can knock and go in."

    "Thank you, Iris."

    Lucinda felt nervous inside, but she kept herposure.

    After thanking Iris, she knocked on the door.

    "Come in."

    Iris made a gesture of invitation to her and said softly, "Ms. Moore, pleasee in."

    "Thank you."

    Lucinda, with a coffee and pastry in one hand, opened the office door with the other and walked in.

    Iris closed the door as soon as she went in.

    She couldn''t help butugh.

    Lucinda walked into the office and immediately saw Stefan sitting behind the half-moon-shaped

    desk.

    His desk was piled high with papers that needed his attention.

    He was carefully reviewing the documents, asionally using theputer or checking his mobile

    phone.

    He looked so handsome when he was focused on work!

    Lucinda was a bit dazed.

    A man like Stefan can easily capture a girl''s heart.

    It''s easy to fall in love with him.

    Lucinda tiptoed over, afraid to disturb Stefan.

    When she got to the desk, she gently put the coffee and the box of pastries on the table.

    This act finally caught Stefan''s attention.

    He looked up and saw her sneaking a peek at him.

    So they looked at each other.

    "Lucy, what brings you here?" Stefan asked, surprised.

    Lucinda understood what he meant; she wanted to ask him, but changed her words, saying, "I was

    delivering food to yourpany''s employees and brought you coffee and pastries on the way."

    Hearing this, Stefan was over the moon.

    He got up and walked around his desk, trying to grab Lucinda, saying, "Lucy, have a seat here."

    Lucinda tried to dodge but was quickly caught by him, and he guided her to sit down on the sofa.

    After making sure she was seated, Stefan left.

    A little whileter, Lucinda found herself surrounded by all kinds of snacks.

    She was gobsmacked.

    Wasn''t this supposed to be the CEO''s office of Ascend Global?

    Why did it feel like a mini-mart to her?

    She randomly nced at the snacks, shocked to find out they were all her favorites.

    Why on earth would he have all these snacks she loved in his office?

    How did he know she would end up in his office sooner orter?

    Suddenly, Lucinda felt like she knew nothing about Stefan.

    He wasn''t a book where she could just flip the page and find something new.

    He was like a deep pool, unfathomable.

    She was totally in the dark about him now.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42

    Stefan''s hand gently covered her face, right on the side that Ruby had pped.

    "Lucy, does it still hurt?" Stefan asked quietly, his eyes burning with rage.

    Ruby had the guts to hurt Lucy!

    Did she think Stefan wouldn''t hit a woman?

    Indeed, Stefan didn''t like to hit women, but if anyone messed with his Lucy, he wouldn''t mind

    breaking his own rule for her.

    Lucinda pulled his hand away, touched her cheek, and asked him, "Is it still swollen?"

    After Ruby left, Cecilia brought some ice to soothe her face, and she didn''t feel swollen anymore.

    "Even though the swelling has gone down, the fact that Ruby hit you can''t be changed." Stefan''s

    voice turned dark in the second half of his sentence, which confused Lucinda a bit.

    Soon, she got it.

    The Stefan she knew was always gentle and courteous, but after knowing Stefan''s true identity, she

    realized he couldn''t be a truly nice person.

    As the CEO of Ascend Global, he led thepany to its peak, which required extraordinary

    abilities. How could he be a nice guy?

    Lucinda had heard of Ascend Global but didn''t know much about it.

    After renting Stefan as her boyfriend, she specifically searched for the history of Ascend Global and

    found out that Ascend Global was like a brilliant pearl in Pinehurst.

    "Stefan, I hit her too," Lucinda casually mentioned as she grabbed a pack of snacks, tore open the

    package, and started munching away.

    She asked Stefan, "Stefan, how did Ruby find out about us? How did she find my shop?"

    "Owen Martinez."

    "Oh, right, Mr. Martinez and you are rivals; he''s never been a fan of you."

    Lucinda recalled Owen''s smirking face, nced at her boyfriend, and asked, "Stefan, how did you

    and Owen be rivals?"

    "He''s always had a bone to pick with me. We were on good terms at first, but then, because of

    Ruby, he started picking on me, and our rtionship has been sour since. Besides, the Martinez

    family''spany and the Anderson family''spany are in the same industry; we arepetitors,

    so our rtionship gradually became hostile."

    Lucinda grasped the meaning,"Owen has a thing for Ruby."

    "Not just a thing: he''s head over heels for her."

    "Ruby is into you; Owen is into Ruby; it''s a messy love triangle."

    Lucinda narrated it like a storyteller, which left Stefan helpless.

    He sat down next to her, pulled her into his arms the moment he sat down, and kissed her lips.

    Lucinda''s eyes widened.

    She still held half-eaten snacks in her hand.

    She intended to push him away, but suddenly felt a pang of pain on her lips.

    He bit her.

    Stefan gave her lips a light bite, then let her go. He gently touched her lips, gazing at the lips he''d

    just bitten. His eyes were passionate, his voice deep and intoxicating; "Lucy, I''ve never had any

    feelings for Ruby. I don''t love her at all. She''s not the girl I liked when I was a kid; you are. Will you

    come back to my ce in Diamond Ridge Estates tonight? I have something to show you."

    "Isn''t the house in Diamond Ridge Estates rented?"

    Stefan gave a chuckle.

    Lucinda suddenly felt that her question was rather redundant.

    Given Stefan''s status, why would he need to rent a house?

    She had believed his words before because she didn''t know him well enough.

    Even though she''d known him for eleven years and he was her brother''s college buddy, she

    realized she didn''t know him well enough, which surprised and even saddened her.

    What a pain!

    "Stefan, drink your coffee while it''s hot. I have to go; the shop is busy today." Lucinda stood up to

    leave after saying that.

    Stefan held her back, pleading slightly, "Aren''t there other staff in your shop? You''re the boss; no

    one would me you if you cked off once in a while. Stay a bit longer; keep mepany."

    Lucinda nced at the documents on his table and said, "Stefan, your time is precious. If I took up

    your time, you''d lose a lot."

    "It''s alright; I''m efficient at work. I promise I''ll get everything done before leaving work in the

    afternoon, and I can spend the entire evening with you."

    Lucinda blushed slightly. "I didn''t ask you to apany me. You go on with your work; I have to

    go."

    She broke free from his grip and turned to leave.

    "Lucy."

    He grabbed her from behind, his arms tightly wrapped around her, forcing her to lean on his chest.

    "Lucy, let me hold you for a bit longer."

    Stefan leaned in and gave her cheek a gentle kiss.

    He really wished he could hold her forever.

    She let him hold her quietly for a while, then broke free from his grip and scurried away, fearing that

    he''d keep her there again.

    Stefan watched her retreating figure andughed.

    He might have pushed her too hard.

    Things were moving too fast; she might need some time to adjust.

    But if he didn''t push her, she might want to divorce him.

    He could only make her quickly adjust to being his wife and to their new rtionship.

    When Lucinda returned to Serendipity Cafe, she saw an old couple in their eighties supporting each

    other and peeking into her shop from the entrance.

    "Grandpa, grandma, would you like toe in and have a seat?" Lucinda walked up to them and

    invited them in with a smile.

    Both of them turned to look at Lucinda.

    Lucinda felt their eyes light up when they saw her, but upon a closer look, they seemed normal, so

    she thought she must have seen it wrong.

    "Little girl, we don''t drink coffee. We''re old, and coffee keeps us awake," the olddy said timidly.

    "We''ll just stand here and watch." The old man also nodded.

    Lucinda swung the ss door open, grinning as she said, "Just because you''re in the shop doesn''t

    mean you have to drink coffee. It''s hot as hell out there; we''ve got air conditioning in here. Come in

    and take a load off. Have a ss of water; it won''t hurt."

    After speaking, she stepped forward to help the olddy into the shop.

    Seeing Lucinda''s warmth, the olddy let her assist her into the shop.

    When Lucinda wasn''t looking, the olddy gave her husband''s hand a quick squeeze, a sign for him

    to keep their identities under wraps.

    Little did Lucinda know, these two old folks were Stefan''s grandparents, big shots from Ascend

    Estate.

    When they found out that Stefan had secretly tied the knot, they were taken aback but mostly

    thrilled and overjoyed.

    Having done a little snooping on Lucinda''s background and found her to be an ordinary girl, the old

    couple were worried about spooking her, which was why they came incognito to meet their long-

    awaited granddaughter-inw.

    Everything about Lucinda, from the way she spoke to the way she carried herself, deeply satisfied

    the old couple.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    She was a looker, with a heart of gold and a generous spirit.

    She was indeed the type of woman Stefan would marry¡ªabsolutely perfect!

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43

    "Sit tight; I''ll fetch you two some water."

    Lucinda had the two elderly folks seated at a table and poured them each a ss of water, also

    dishing out some of the shop''s snacks for them.

    "Missy, how much for all these? We''ll pay now."

    With a smile, Lucinda answered, "These are just some small bites, hardly worth anything. Consider

    it on the house; take your time enjoying them. I''ve got some other business to attend to."

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Seeing these two always reminded her of her grandparents, who used to spoil her rotten.

    "Don''t mind us, dear; we''ll head out shortly," they said.

    Lucinda exchanged pleasantries before going about her business.

    She had deliveries to make, after all.

    Sales were through the roof today; the coffee and snacks were flying off the shelf. Everyone was

    swamped, but they were all buzzing with excitement.

    Cecilia sidled up to Lucinda, asking, "Lucinda, who are these oldies? Do you know them?"

    "I don''t. I caught sight of them hovering around our entrance when I came back and figured they

    might want toe in but were too shy to, so I invited them in."

    Judging by their humble attire, Lucinda guessed that they''d probably never set foot in a caf¨¦ before

    and were just intrigued.

    As she was saying this, Lucinda was packing the coffee and snacks into a basket, ready to be

    transported on the e-scooter with Cecilia''s help.

    Soon after, Lucinda was off on her delivery run again.

    Savannah Anderson nudged her husband gently, whispering for his opinion, "What do you make of

    her?"

    "She''s got your spunk when you were young; I like her as our daughter-inw."

    The elderlydy blushed, softly scolding her husband, "We''re getting on in years; you shouldn''t be

    saying such things; it''s a bit embarrassing."

    "All I''m saying is that I like you; what''s wrong with that? I''ve been crazy about you for decades;

    there''s no changing that, even if you ask me to."

    The olddy was left speechless.

    Every moment with him made her feel as though she were eighteen again.

    They''d been married for decades, but their love was still going strong.

    "I like Lucinda too; Stefan''s got good taste. But don''t you think our daughter-inw looks familiar?

    Have we met her before?"

    The first time Savannahid eyes on Lucinda, she felt a sense of familiarity.

    She kept her thoughts to herself, though, never voicing out her suspicions.

    Now that Lucinda was out delivering, the olddy finally shared her thoughts with her husband.

    "We''re meeting her for the first time; how could you feel a sense of familiarity? She''s not as pretty

    as you were when you were young, so I only gave her a quick nce. I didn¡¯t pay much attention,

    so I didn''t feel any familiarity."

    "You''re at it again; we''re not at home, you know." The olddy lightly rebuked her husband once

    more.

    She was certain that she''d never met Lucinda before, even though she felt a sense of familiarity.

    Stefan had married out of the blue, without letting the family know. If it weren''t for Stefan bringing

    Lucinda to a business cocktail party, they wouldn''t have known about the marriage.

    Lawrence Anderson had half a ss of water and two pieces of snack food. He found the snacks to

    be delicious and rmended them to his wife, saying, "Darling, give these a try; they taste great.

    I think they could give our personal chef a run for his money."

    At Lawrence''s rmendation, the olddy also tried a piece of the snack. She found it to be

    extremely delicious and helped herself to more, only stopping when her husband intervened.

    The elderly couple spent their time at the Serendipity Cafe sipping water and munching on snacks,

    asionally striking up casual conversations with Cecilia or other staff and indirectly finding out

    more about Lucinda.

    Meanwhile, Lucinda, busy until the evening, had finallypleted all her delivery orders.

    Though exhausted, the day''s earnings were phenomenal.

    Both Lucinda and Cecilia were ecstatic, and even the chef felt validated.

    As there usually weren''t many customers, his pastries often went unsold, which made him doubt his

    skills.

    The elderly couple left at around five in the afternoon.

    Stefan would knock off at half past five, and being newlywed, he would rush home once he was off

    work.

    The elderly couple didn''t want him to know that they''d been there.

    The caf¨¦ door was suddenly pushed open, and a few men in ck walked in.

    They were all tall and stern-faced, not to be trifled with.

    "Gentlemen, what can I get you?"

    Cecilia took the initiative to approach them with a warm wee.

    However, the man leading the pack shoved Cecilia aside, causing her to lose her bnce and fall.

    "Cecilia."

    Lucinda quickly moved in to help Cecilia, but the man blocked her way.

    He looked at Lucinda coldly, his gaze filled with threat, which took her by surprise.

    She was aw-abiding citizen; she never did anything wrong or crossed anyone. She thought of

    Ruby and thought of the times she''d retorted at Ruby. Did that count as offending Ruby?

    Did Ruby send these people?

    The man took out his phone,paring the photo on it with the woman in front of him.

    "Lucy."

    Suddenly, Stefan walked in, a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

    Seeing Stefan, the men in ck reacted swiftly, with the leader asking Lucinda, "Got any booze?"

    "Sorry, we don''t serve alcohol."

    "Alright, we''ll go elsewhere then."

    With that, he turned to leave, even apologizing to Cecilia, "Sorry about earlier."

    Cecilia wanted to say it was alright but couldn''t get the words out.

    Because they did it on purpose!

    Cecilia remained silent.

    The men in ck weren''t bothered by Cecilia''s attitude; they quickly left.

    As they walked past Stefan, he turned to look at their retreating figures, deep in thought.

    "Mr. Coleman, you''re here."

    Cecilia greeted Stefan with a smile, then told Lucinda, "I''ll go prepare dinner; you guys chat."

    "Ms. Yates, don''t sweat about dinner for Lucinda; I''ll take her home to eat."

    Stefan spoke, handing the bouquet of flowers he held to Lucinda. His deep gaze fixed on her, he

    gently said, "I just passed a flower shop and thought I''d pick up a bunch for you."

    "I got two bouquets today, both from you."

    Stefan chuckled. "If you like them, I can get you flowers every day."

    "But we don''t have any vases at home to put them in."

    "That''s an easy fix. I''ll call and have some vases delivered."

    With that, Stefan took out his phone and started dialing before Lucinda could even stop him.

    He was a man of action.

    After ordering the vases, Stefan took Lucinda''s hand and casually said, "Let''s head home, darling."

    "Stefan, don''t call me darling; I''m not used to it yet."

    "You''ll get used to it if you hear it enough. Let''s go, darling; let''s head home. I''ll have Emma tell the

    kitchen to whip up some of your favorite dishes."

    As he spoke, Stefan was already guiding Lucinda out of the coffee shop.

    Outside, a line of luxury cars approached, quickly pulling up in front of them.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44

    Stefan held onto Lucinda''s hand tight, his face stern.

    Lucinda turned to him, whispering, "Do you know them?"

    "They''re Owen''s fancy car entourage. He''s got a thing for luxury cars, so he always goes out with a

    fleet of them and a bunch of bodyguards. It''s his way of showing off his power; it makes him feel like

    a king."

    Stefan said this with a smirk on his face.

    Lucindaughed, saying, "That''s his insecurity showing."

    Stefanughed too, his eyes softening.

    Wasn''t Lucindaplimenting him for his confidence?

    Stefan always thought he was a confident guy.

    The bodyguards got out first, and then one of them opened the car door for Owen.

    And there was Owen, standing across from them with his entourage.

    "Stefan."

    Owen said calmly, "Your wife hit Ruby. So, do you punish her, or should I?"

    So he was there for Ruby.

    Lucinda thought, What took him so long?

    Looking at the man beside her, Lucinda understood why Owen chose this moment to show up. He

    did it on purpose, when Stefan was present.

    "So what if Lucy hits Ruby? Ruby started it. Lucy just fought back and even hurt her hand doing it.

    Owen, if you''re here to defend Ruby, how aboutpensating for Ruby? Ruby got Lucy so worked

    up that she can''t work now. Lucy is a businesswoman, and she loses a lot of money if she can''t

    work. Ruby shouldpensate for this loss."

    Owen was taken aback by Stefan''s words, staring at him in shock.

    Stefan had always been excellent in his studies and his business. He was often praised by people.

    His parents oftenpared him to Stefan, saying he was not as good as him.

    But Stefan was always reserved, rarely arguing with him. Stefan would always dismiss his

    provocations.

    Now, to protect Lucinda, Stefan said such words. It made Owen see him in a new light.

    Lucinda looked at Stefan with admiration in her eyes.

    Only Stefan could make such shameless words sound so elegant.

    "Stefan, can shepare with Ruby? Ruby grew up with us! Plus, Ruby loves you so much that

    she moved her business back to you. Do you know how much she lost because of this? Not only

    are you not taking Ruby''s side, but you''re also asking her forpensation. Stefan, you''re

    heartless! Ruby got the wrong man!"

    Owen deliberately brought up Stefan and Ruby''s past in front of Lucinda.

    He loved Ruby, but he didn''t want to see Stefan happy.

    After all, when he was deeply in love with Ruby, Stefan could end his bachelorhood and marry a

    young and beautiful wife. Even if Lucinda was a low-key beauty, standing next to Stefan, they

    looked perfect together.

    Owen was so jealous that he was losing his mind.

    "Lucinda is my wife. But what rtionship do Ruby and I have? How can shepare with my

    wife? All the losses Ruby suffered were her problems. She''s an adult and should take responsibility

    for her actions."

    "I only have feelings for my wife. Other women mean nothing to me."

    Lucinda thought Stefan''s sweet talk was really touching!

    Whether he was sincere or not, she felt very happy to hear this.

    Owen stared at Stefan for a while, thenughed coldly, saying, "Apparently, we can''t see eye to eye,

    so don''t me me for not being polite."

    He waved his hand at his bodyguards and said, "Go, smash the Serendipity Cafe!"

    "Cut off the hand this woman used to hit Ruby!"

    As the Martinez family''s bodyguards were about to grab Lucinda, Stefan kicked one of them, and he

    fell backward.

    Lucinda, on the other hand, lunged at Owen.

    Unprepared, Owen was knocked to the ground by Lucinda.

    Lucinda knelt on his chest, saying coldly, "Anyone who dares to smash my shop, I''ll break his

    sternum!"

    The bodyguards of the Martinez family didn''t dare move.

    Stefan turned to look at Lucinda, his eyes filled with pride and a hint of sourness.

    Owen instinctively tried to push Lucinda off, but she quickly pressed her elbow against his neck,

    making it hard for him to breathe.

    Oh my God!

    This woman hadbat training!

    He didn''t find this out when he was investigating her!

    "Mr. Martinez, I advise you not to move. I can really break your sternum. I forgot to tell you, I was

    born strong."

    To avoid trouble, she had long learned to control her strength. Besides her family, not even Cecilia

    knew she was naturally strong.

    "Stefan, call the police. These people want to make trouble; let the police handle it."

    Stefan smirked, pulling out his phone to call the police.

    "Stefan."

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Owen shouted at him, "I didn''t smash your wife''s shop, nor did I touch your wife. What are you

    calling the police for?"

    If Stefan called the police, he would have negative news. With the inte so developed, as the

    current head of the Martinez family, negative news would affect the image of the Martinez family''s

    business and possibly cause significant losses.

    Of course, if an ordinary person called the police, Owen wouldn''t worry.

    He had enough money and connections to solve any problem.

    But Stefan was different.

    In Pinehurst, Stefan''s status and reputation were above his own.

    "Mr. Martinez, you¡¯ve got to promise me that you won''t wreck my shop again after we leave. And if

    you break your word, Stefan, what do you reckon we should do with him? Strip him naked and

    parade him around town?"

    Owen was so mad he was about to spit nails.

    Stefan''s lips twitched.

    He had a sneaking suspicion that his wife was not satisfied with his physique and wanted to have a

    good look at Owen''s.

    Over his dead body! He''d show Lucy tonight!

    Stefan moved to stand by Lucinda, taking her ce. He held Owen in check, grabbed Owen''s tie,

    and pulled him up. He said coldly, "Owen, when there''s trouble betweendies, they should sort it

    out by themselves. You better not get involved. Besides, who are you to interfere?"

    "What does Ruby see you as? Do you even know? That woman ain''t worth your time."

    Ruby wanted to sleep with him while keeping Owen on a tight leash, making him adore and help her

    without any conditions.

    Faced with such a woman, Stefan couldn''t fathom why Owen was so loyal to Ruby.

    Owen shrugged off his tie, his face darkening. "Stefan, you don''t need to worry about Ruby and me.

    This time, since Ruby started it, I can forgive your wife. But if there''s a next time, even if your wife

    had superpowers, I''d still dare to smash her shop!"

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45

    Owen rocked up looking all confident, but then he skedaddled in a hurry.

    Lucinda gave a sarcastic apuse, saying, "He''s just wasting his time trying to stick up for Ruby.¡±

    The man beside her kept quiet.

    Lucinda turned her gaze to Stefan, whose handsome face was stormy. The next thing she knew, he

    was pulling her into his arms, holding her tight, and whisking her away.

    What the heck just happened?

    Lucinda waspletely bamboozled.

    Stefan took Lucinda back to his ce at Diamond Ridge Estates.

    ¡°Master, mistress!"

    Seeing them enter, Emma greeted cheerfully.

    Lucinda was taken aback. "Auntie, aren''t you Stefan''s mom''s friend?"

    Last time, she called Stefan her nephew, but now she was calling him master.

    How many times had he and his people hoodwinked her?

    Seeing the master''s sour face, Emma exined with a smile, "Mistress, I''m the housekeeper here.

    You can just call me Emma from now on.¡±

    Lucinda wanted to say something, but Stefan pulled her into the house.

    ¡°Stefan, what''s up with you? You look upset; did I do something wrong?¡±

    He''d been all quiet and holding her hand tight all the way, like he was afraid she''d bolt if he let go.

    Stefan still kept mum, leading Lucinda upstairs. Once in his room, he nudged her into the bathroom,

    making her stand in front of the sink. He squeezed some soap into her hand, then had her wash her

    hands.

    Lucinda turned to look at him; he was washing her hands with a serious look.

    He kept washing her hands over and over, like her hands were poisoned or something.

    Maybe because she kept staring at him, she found herself pinned between his chest and the sink.

    He couldn''t resist any longer and nted a kiss on her lips.

    It wasn''t like his usual tender kisses; this time it was more forceful, she could even say rough.

    After a few kisses, his face finally started to lighten up.

    "From now on, don''t lift a finger as long as I''m there. I won''t let anything hurt you.¡±

    Her lips were a bit swollen from his kiss, and his eyes were filled with concern.

    He gently touched her lips, whispering, "Don''t ever do what you did earlier again. Owen was just

    messing with you. Do you really think you could take him down with your strength? He''s a drama

    queen; he¡¯s hard to read. Try to keep your distance when you run into him.¡±

    Lucinda was staring at his lips as he said some bossy things that she found kind of cool.

    She was captivated.

    It turned out that the genteel Stefan can be really cool when he''s being bossy!

    He must have many different sides, always changing.

    ¡°Stefan, I do have a bit of strength.¡±

    Lucinda said softly, "I was thinking of taking down Owen first, so his guys wouldn¡¯t wreck my store

    or hurt me.¡±

    ¡°He is pretty handsome; those eyes are really seductive, and his lips are quite sexy, but it''s not

    because of his looks that I have a thing for him.¡±

    Stefan''s eyes narrowed, giving off a dangerous vibe. He asked her darkly, "Owen is handsome?

    More than me? His eyes are seductive. You don''t like my eyes? You think my lips aren''t sexy?"

    Lucinda might not be the brightest, but she knew she''d be in deep doo-doo if she said yes.

    Besides, she wasn''t stupid.

    What to do when her husband was angry and jealous

    Lucinda quickly threw her arms around Stefan''s neck.

    The novel she''s currently writing was about the heroine''s life after resurrection. The heroine

    betrayed her husband when she was alive, so she chose to make it up to him after her resurrection,

    but her past actions led to his distrust, so the heroine often had to appease her husband.

    So, she had a lot of tricks up her sleeve to appease her husband.

    Lucinda now applied the tricks from her novel to real life, dealing with the jealous Stefan.

    ¡°Darling.¡±

    Lucinda called softly.

    Her voice was naturally pleasant; she intentionally softened it and dragged out the end. Stefan felt

    his heart melt upon hearing it.

    Lucinda felt a chill run down her spine; she was getting goosebumps all over.

    She really wanted to live.

    To pacify this suddenly jealous man, she even started to act cutesy.

    ¡°Darling, you''re the handsomest, handsomest in my eyes; no one canpare! Your eyes are like

    zing fire; every time I look into them, my heart races, and I''m often at a loss, totally smitten.¡±

    ¡°Your lips might not be thin, but I heard that men with thin lips are fickle, and I know you''re definitely

    not that kind of man.¡±

    She went on and on with thesepliments.

    Thank God she''s a writer; her novel''s heroine always praised the hero like this.

    Every time the hero got angry, the heroine would praise him, and then he would calm down.

    She hoped this would work on Stefan too.

    ¡°Did you hear what I said earlier?¡± Stefan asked her.

    ¡°Not only did I hear it, I remembered it and thought about it all the time.¡±

    Stefanughed; all the unpleasantness vanished after her soft "darling".

    How could he stay mad at her?

    But clearly, she didn''t take his words to heart.

    He pinched her nose affectionately and said, "Now you really know how to sweet talk."

    ¡°It''s all because of you.¡±

    Stefanughed.

    He lightly poked her lips, then picked her up and left the bathroom.

    As he wasying her on the bed, she held onto his suit tightly, looking all pitiful. "Stefan, I''m hungry.¡±

    She waspletely exhausted from his pamperingst night; she should at least get some rest

    tonight.

    Lucinda started thinking about how to kick this man out of her room tonight.

    Of course, she wouldn''t say it out loud, in case he turned all bossy and dominant.

    She thought they''d known each other for eleven years and knew each other well.

    But now it seemed she didn''t know him at all.

    This was bad!

    Right now, she felt like she was stuck on a mountain with no way down and stuck being his wife on

    top of that!

    Stefan gently tapped her forehead, then pulled her up and said, "I know what you''re thinking. Lucy,

    I''ve watched you grow up, and I can guess what you''re up to from your slightest move."

    "Since you''ve watched me grow up, you should treat me like a sister, but you,"

    "It was you who said you''d sponsor me."N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    Lucinda gave a bitter smile: "I said rent!"

    What a mess!

    If she had known, she wouldn''t have impulsively agreed to marry him.

    If men could be trusted, pigs could climb trees!

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46

    "Tonight, I just want to curl up with you and sleep; that''s all I''m going to do," Stefan promised her.

    When loved someone, he had to respect her body.

    "Thank you, Stefan." Lucinda instantly thanked him for his understanding.

    As soon as she finished speaking, her lips were gently touched by Stefan''s.

    She touched her own lips, looking at him innocently.

    "Call me hubby, like you did just now. I really like hearing that."

    Lucinda''s face instantly turned red.

    She had just called him that to appease his jealousy and anger.

    "You can call me whatever," said Lucinda before trying to duck away.

    N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    "Oh, right, Stefan, something weird happened."

    "What''s up?"

    Stefan followed her downstairs to have dinner.

    Emma knew he would bring Lucinda back tonight, so she had the kitchen prepare lots of dishes that

    Lucinda liked.

    "Before you came to pick me up, there were several men in ck who looked like bodyguards. The

    way they looked at me, it felt like murder."

    Hearing this, Stefan''s expression immediately became serious and deep, but he tried to stay calm

    andforted Lucinda, saying, "You don''t know them, right? If you don''t, then maybe you''re just

    overthinking. I also find some people to look particrly fierce, always making one feel as if they''re

    murderers."

    "I don''t know them. I''ve never offended anyone. If I had to name someone I''ve pissed off, it''d just be

    Ruby. But she was the one who picked a fight with me first."

    "Ruby can only use Owen to pressure you. Her family is not in this country, and she doesn''t have

    much influence in Pinehurst anymore. Owen cameter, which indicates that the men in ck you

    saw probably weren''t sent by Owen."

    "Lucy, don''t worry yourself sick. I''m here to protect you; nothing''s going to happen."

    He must find someone to investigate who sent those men in ck and why they were secretly

    following Lucinda. Was it because of him or for some other reason?

    As the leader of Ascend Global, besides Owen, Stefan inevitably had many other enemies in the

    business world. After all, Ascend Global''s influence was so great that it naturally attracted a lot of

    jealousy.

    Before, Stefan seemed to have no weaknesses.

    Now with Lucinda, she''s be his Achilles'' heel, and someone might want to use Lucinda to

    attack him.

    Owen was his enemy, but Owen would not use a woman to achieve his own ends. Although he was

    unwilling to admit that he lost to Stefan, he publicly admitted his failure nheless.

    "Good evening, master, madam!"

    As soon as the couple reached the first floor, Emma and the rest greeted them.

    Stefan didn''t react unusually.

    But Lucinda was startled by this unfamiliar scene and wasn''t used to being addressed in such a

    way.

    In the luxurious hall, there were nearly twenty people; apart from Emma, Lucinda remembered

    another person, the driver.

    She nced at the driver, then looked at the man beside her and lightly chuckled.

    "That''s my chauffeur; you''ve met him before," said Stefan calmly.

    "I really thought he was a taxi driver."

    Stefan smiled slightly. "I just didn''t want to make you ufortable, so I told a little white lie."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    His attitude towards her was so frank that she didn''t know how to react.

    "Mr. Coleman, everyone is here," said Emma respectfully.

    "Let everyone introduce themselves and their roles to Lucy," said Stefan calmly.

    So, starting with Emma, everyone introduced themselves and their roles to Lucinda.

    Lucinda didn''t know what to say and could only respond with smiles, greeting everyone before

    falling silent.

    She thought to herself, So this was what it''s like to be rich?

    She heard Stefan patiently exin, "I originally bought this vi for the convenience of work. These

    people were all transferred from the old house, but I didn''t expect to transfer so many people over; I

    thought there were only a few."

    "Over at the old house, there are still many people working. When we go back, I''ll notify everyone to

    gather so you can meet them. Remember them if you can, but if you can''t, it''s fine as long as they

    know you''re my wife."

    Lucinda blinked and instinctively asked, "Just how many employees does your family have?"

    Stefan dismissed everyone, leading Lucinda into the dining room.

    The dining table was filled with a variety of delicious food; it was a feast for the eyes.

    "I hired a chef from outside at a high price; his cooking is really good, even better than the chefs at

    the Anderson Hotel and Ascend Hotel."

    Lucinda was once again dumbfounded by the extravagance of the wealthy lifestyle and stood there

    in awe.

    No wonder the dishes made by these chefs were so aromatic and delicious¡ªa feast for all the

    senses.

    She really had no concept of the world of the rich.

    Of course, she wasn''t used to it either.

    Was it toote to regret it and get a divorce now?

    The couple sat at the dining table. Emma wanted to serve them but was signaled to leave by Stefan

    .

    He could tell that Lucinda wasn''t used to having people waiting to be instructed nearby.

    Considering the gap in their realities, Stefan wasn''t in a rush to make her adapt to this lifestyle.

    Instead, he wanted her to take it one step at a time, slowly epting this way of life.

    He didn''t give her time to adjust, directly making her take on the role of a wife that she had never

    experienced before. He felt a little sorry, but he didn''t want to back down because once he gave up,

    she would leave him.

    Everything else, he can take it slow.

    "The name Anderson Manor is also known as Ascend Estate. Because we all live together, the

    Ascend Estate is pretty huge, with loads of houses; everyone''s got their own digs."

    "Actually, I was supposed to live in the central area of Ascend Estate, but I like my own space and

    don''t really want too many people around. So now, my grandparents and my parents live in the

    middle, and I''m off to the east. Each yard has its own butler and staff, all with clear job descriptions."

    Lucinda: "So, your family''s got a whole bunch of employees?"

    Stefan brought her some food from far away, stressing, "It''s our home, Lucy; we''re married; my

    house is your house; your house is mine; we''re in this together."

    "We''ve got a big family, so yeah, we''ve got a lot of workers, including the ones who look after the

    orchards and vegetable gardens; all in all, about a thousand-ish. Oh yeah, Ascend Estate is big;

    besides housing the family, we also grow fruit trees, vegetables, and the like on the nearby

    mountains, really making the most of thend. This way we''re self-sustaining, and the food we eat

    is all good."

    Lucinda kept her head down, eating in silence.

    Other than eating, she had no idea what to say, so she just gobbled down her food, avoiding having

    to respond to his description.

    Compared to the rich dude in front of her, she was truly dirt poor, and her poverty had limited her

    imagination.

    This was the real deal in terms of a wealthy family.

    Next time her mom brings up Olivia forparison, she¡¯ll mention the Anderson family''s business;

    she''s pretty sure the Andersons status would leave Olivia and her husband eating their dust, green

    with envy!

    "Lucy, eat up; these are all dishes you like. If you think the chef''s cooking isn''t up to par, I can have

    a word with the butlers and get the chef to learn some new dishes."

    "No, it''s delicious¡ªuh, really delicious."

    Lucinda quickly replied, "Stefan, I''m just overwhelmed by the size of your family''s estate; just the

    workers alone number over a thousand."

    Stefanughed, "Actually, we''re all prettyid back; the reason we have so many workers is

    because of the detailed division ofbor, and also because our orchards are huge and there are lots

    of ntations too; that''s why we need so many people to manage."

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47

    "You might not get what I''m saying right now, but this weekend, I''m taking you back to Ascend

    Estate for a firsthand experience."

    Lucinda was quick to shoot him down: "Stefan, can you give me a break? I''m really scared. I''ll be so

    frightened that my legs will turn to jelly and I won''t be able to stand! Let me have some peace; I''m

    not quite up to speed with this kind of life yet."

    "There''s no need to get so worked up; my family is super friendly, and they don''t have any biases.

    You might find it hard to believe, but that guy bustling around in the flower garden every day is my

    dad. He''s a garden enthusiast, and the vast flower field below the manor is his prized possession."

    "My mom is even more easy-going, and even my grandparents have mellowed out with age.

    They''re not as fierce as they were when they were young."

    Lucinda maintained her refusal: "Stefan, can you give me some time to adjust? If I can''t, can we get

    a divorce? I think our lifestyles are too different."

    Under his somewhat fierce and threatening gaze, Lucinda''s voice gradually faded until it was almost

    inaudible.

    "Stefan,e on, have a bite; this dish is delicious."

    Lucinda quickly served Stefan a te of food, worried that he would be angry due to her words.

    "Lucy, I''m not getting a divorce!"

    "Alright, alright, no divorce. We''re adults; we have to take responsibility for our decisions."

    Lucinda mentally noted that if she had known his true identity earlier, she would never have agreed

    to be with him.

    Man, with all the weird things in the world, why wasn''t there something that can turn back time?

    Skywatch.

    At the Blue family''s vi.

    "Sweetie, listen to mommy; don''t cry, don''t cry."

    In therge room, a middle-aged woman in her forties, with disheveled hair and disarrayed clothes,

    was barefoot, holding a doll, walking back and forth in the room, constantly soothing the doll in her

    arms not to cry.

    Another woman couldn''t help but walk over, snatch the doll from her arms, and exim, "Mrs. Blue,

    this is a doll, not your daughter. Your daughter is gone; she might not be in this world anymore."

    "Don''t take my daughter; give her back to me! My daughter!"

    The middle-aged woman frantically grabbed the doll back, screaming as she did, "This is my

    daughter; my daughter is still alive; she''s just asleep. She''s a good girl; she only eats and sleeps;

    she doesn''t cry."

    She was hysterical and very strong, and she quickly shoved the other woman to the ground, then

    grabbed the doll back, holding it tightly in her arms, endlessly soothing the toy.

    The woman who was shoved to the ground angrily pushed her away, stood up, and adjusted her

    clothes as she said, "Mrs. Blue, have you gone mad? If you keep this up, your husband will find a

    new wife, and then you won''t have a foothold in this house."

    "Your family can''t help you anymore; all you can rely on is your husband. Your daughter has been

    missing for over twenty years; if she could be found, she would have been found by now."

    "The Av family was jealous of you back then; they simply took your daughter away. In such a

    situation, do you think she would have a chance to survive? The Av family is now dead, and she

    is nowhere to be found, alive or dead. Anyway, Mrs. Blue, you need to live; you have more than one

    child; you have a son. Ethan Blue is 24 this year; you''ve been ignoring his existence for over twenty

    years."

    "In thispetitive family, many people want to take Ethan''s ce; he''s been fighting alone, and

    he''s tired!"

    As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.

    She felt sorry for Mrs. Blue, who lost her sanity over her missing daughter, and also for the young

    master''s lonely battle.

    The family''s attitude towards the wife and their son, Ethan, had be cold due to Mrs. Blue''s

    mental issues and the shock of losing their daughter.

    Everyone in the Blue family was eyeing Ethan''s position, hoping to im it for themselves one day.

    And Mrs. Blue was unmoved, only concerned with the doll in her arms.

    The middle-aged woman who had been trying to persuade her was called Shirley, the housekeeper.

    Seeing that her words were falling on deaf ears, she wiped her tears and left the room, shaking her

    head and sighing.

    Mrs. Blue was once the happiest woman in Skywatch. A year after her marriage, she gave birth to

    twins, securing her position as the Madam of the Blue family.

    Who would have thought that when the kids were just over half a year old, Mrs. Blue''s nemesis, the

    Av family, would take away the girl twin when no one was looking? The Blues sent people to

    search for the missing child, only to find the dead body of the Av family.

    The whereabouts of the missing daughter remained unknown.

    Mrs. Blue, who had lost her darling daughter, cried day and night. Gradually, her mental health

    deteriorated.

    This situation in the family had been going on for over twenty years.

    Shirley opened the door and saw a young man standing at the entrance. The man was about 1.9

    meters tall, with a serious face and deep eyes; his lips were tightly pursed.

    He exuded an aura of coldness.

    This was the young master of the Blue family, Ethan.

    "Sir."

    Shirley greeted him respectfully.

    Ethan''s gaze passed over Shirley andnded on the figure in the room.

    Since he could remember, he knew that this mentally unstable woman was his biological mother.

    Although she remembered his name, she could not recognize who he was.

    Every time she saw him, she would mistake him for his father.

    Everyone said he looked like his father when he was young.

    "Is she still the same? Messy hair, disheveled clothes¡ªdoes my dad still find her attractive?"

    Ethan''s deep voice was filled with pain as he asked Shirley about his mother''s condition.

    That was his mother; he naturally didn''t want to see her abandoned by his father.

    Because of the disappearance of his sister and his mother''s mental instability, his father''s affection

    for his mother gradually waned. Perhaps it was out of guilt because the disappearance of his sister

    was his father''s fault.

    Even if Dad once said that if they could find his sister, he''d split half of the Blue family fortune with

    her,

    But what''s the point?

    His sister''s gone. Even if Dad said he''d leave all the Blue family wealth to her, she wouldn''t be able

    to get it. Instead, it would just attract those greedy folks who''d probably love to dig up her bones just

    to get rid of her.

    Shirley let out a sigh. "Mrs. Blue is always holding that doll, saying it''s like the youngdy."

    "Sir, the youngdy hasn''t been found yet? With the DNAparison technology now, it should be

    easier to find her, right?"

    Ethan licked his lips, saying, "It''s been over twenty years. I don''t know if my sister is alive or dead.

    My people have been looking for her. That damned woman was found in Whiterun, but we''ve

    checked everyone her age in Whiterun and found nothing unusual."

    He''s not the only one looking for her. Some people with ulterior motives were also on the hunt.

    What were they after?

    They didn''t want his sister to return to the Blue family; they didn''t want Mom to regain

    consciousness; and they certainly didn''t want Dad to split the estate between him and his sister.

    That woman was able to take his sister away so easily back then; there must have been a mole in

    their house.

    For all these years, that mole had been hiding too well. Neither Ethan nor his father had been able

    to find them.

    Ethan felt a bit guilty that his abilities were still not up to par.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "Shirley, you go take a break. I''ll go chat with Mom."

    With that, Ethan bypassed Shirley and walked into the room.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48

    "Mom."

    Ethan walked up to Mrs. Blue and gently called out to her.

    Mrs. Blue turned her head to look at him, hushed him, and whispered, "Honey, speak softly. Don''t

    wake the baby. The baby just fell asleep."

    "Mom, I''m your son, Ethan."

    Ethan said helplessly, "Don''t mistake me for dad."

    He did look a lot like his father.

    "You''re joking again. Our Ethan is still so young. Don''t make noise. I need to put our daughter to

    sleep."

    Mrs. Blue red at Ethan in front of her, then went back to cuddling the doll in her arms.

    Ethan looked at his mother, who remembered him but couldn''t recognize him, and felt a deep

    sorrow in his heart.

    He silently swore to himself that he would find his sister, whether she was alive or dead.

    He believed his sister was still alive.

    Because he and his sister were twins, if she wasn''t around, he would be able to sense it.

    He didn''t feel any sharp pain, which meant his sister must still be alive. He just didn''t know where

    she was.

    After dinner, Stefan took Lucinda around to familiarize her with the environment.

    They casually strolled and chatted.

    Time flew by without them realizing it.

    As night fell, Lucinda had to face the reality of sharing a bed with him again.

    "I told you I wouldn¡¯t touch you tonight."

    Stefan handed Lucinda a set of clean clothes, pinched her face yfully, and said, "Lucy, don''t treat

    me like a hungry wolf."

    Even though he was indeed a hungry wolf.

    But he didn''t want her to be afraid of him.

    Lucinda was mumbling something to herself, but Stefan didn''t hear her clearly.

    "I''ve prepared the bath for you. You go bathe first. I''ll be busy in the study for a while. You go to bed

    early after your bath; you don''t have to wait for me."

    Hearing that he was going to the study, Lucinda felt a weight lifted off her chest. She took the

    clothes he handed her and went straight into the bathroom.

    Stefan watched as the bathroom door closed before leaving the room and entering the study next

    door.

    He didn''t read or deal with work.

    He was drawing.

    He remembered the things Lucinda told him.

    He still remembered what those men in ck looked like.

    He didn''t know how long it had been when he heard Lucinda''s praise: "Stefan, you''re really good at

    drawing. These people look so real."

    Stefan looked up to see her in the pajamas he had prepared for her. His eyes softened, and he

    couldn''t help but put down his brush, pull her closer, and sit her on hisp.

    Lucinda tensed up.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    She was not used to his actions.

    She didn''t dare to struggle. She was sitting in a sensitive area, afraid that her struggle might arouse

    his desire.

    "Lucy, rx; I''m not going to eat you."

    Stefan chuckled, leaned into her cheek, and blew a few breaths of warm air, noticing her shivering

    reaction.

    Such a sensitive girl.

    "Do these clothes fit well?"

    "They fit perfectly. But this is my first timeing home with you. Howe you have clothes that

    fit me?"

    Stefan was taken aback by her question.

    "Or did you prepare these clothes for someone else? Or were they left here by someone else?

    Could they be Ruby''s?"

    Lucinda asked these questions with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

    She didn''t even realize it herself.

    "Lucy, this vi was boughtter; Ruby has never been here; how could her clothes be here? These

    clothes are bought by my mom when we go shopping; she just forgot to take them back and left

    them here."

    "Howe your mom''s clothes fit me?"

    "My mom is about as tall as you, and she keeps her figure pretty well. Isn''t that a perfect fit?"

    Lucinda was half-convinced.

    But she didn''t want to argue with him over clothes. She tried to ignore the heat underneath her and

    asked him, "Why are you drawing these people? Aren''t they the ones who came into my shop this

    evening?"

    She even sensed murderous intent from one of them.

    She remembered that Stefan had simply passed by these men, and with just one nce, he

    remembered what they looked like and could even draw them.

    "I drew their faces to have someone check their background."

    There was no photo, and the surveince footage was not avable, so he drew them.

    "I''m worried they were after me, Lucy."

    Stefan turned her body to face him.

    This position was very intimate and made people''s imaginations run wild.

    "You, you go on."

    Lucinda was watched by him like this, and her nerves, which had just rxed a bit, tensed up again.

    She had been dating George Mitchell for many years, and they had never been this intimate.

    Meanwhile, she had just registered her marriage with Stefan for a few days, and it felt like they were

    an old married couple.

    It was his domineering nature.

    He dragged her into a real married life.

    In her heart, he had always been like an older brother. But in just a few days, they had be a

    genuine couple.

    Lucinda was not used to Stefan''s intimacy.

    "Are you afraid of facing the uncertain dangers that maye with being married to me?"

    "I am; I''m scared to death!"

    Lucinda answered quickly.

    "Stefan, I''m scared. Can you go with me to city hall to take care of something?"

    Stefan: "Shouldn''t you be like the female lead in your novel, sticking with the other person through

    thick and thin?"

    Lucinda giggled: "Novels are fiction; of course they''re different from real life. By the way, Stefan,

    have you read my novels?"

    "Of course I read the novels you wrote; I even rmended them to my friends. I always tell

    people my wife is a great writer!"

    Stefan looked proudly satisfied, which made Lucindaugh out loud, dispelling the awkward

    atmosphere.

    "Lucy, please don''t mention divorce again. Give me a chance to love you properly, and give yourself

    a chance. Trust me, I will be a good husband."

    Lucinda looked at him for a moment, then leaned into his chest and said, "Stefan, we''ve known

    each other for eleven years, but I''ve always seen you as an older brother and never had any

    improper thoughts. It''s hard for me to adjust to such a big change."

    "Okay, but since I''m already married to you, that''s a fact, and I should respect you. I will try to adapt

    to the change in our rtionship, and I will try to love you."

    He''s such a catch, it''s easy for her to fall for him.

    Stefan lowered his head, gently pecked her lips, and said, "Lucy, thank you for giving me a chance."

    "Didn''t you say you brought me back here to show me something?"

    Stefan chuckled, holding her tight with one arm while the other reached for a drawer. He pulled out

    a few photo albums he had been treasuring and handed them to Lucinda, saying, "Take these

    albums back to your room and have a look. I''ll continue working on those portraits. Once they''re

    done, I''ll have Edgar dig up some dirt on them."

    "Lucy, as long as I''m here, I''ve got your back. I won''t let anyoney a finger on you."

    Whoever dared to use Lucinda to get back at him, he''ll make them regret it!

    Lucinda was so engrossed in the photo albums that she seemed to miss Stefan''s bold and

    affectionate statement.

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49

    Lucinda, clutching several photo albums, made her way back to Stefan''s spacious room and

    plopped herself on the couch, her curiosity piqued as she opened the first album. Stefan had kept

    these albums locked away in his drawer, which meant they were something special, something he

    wanted her to see.

    Opening it, she was taken aback.

    Pictures of her? Photos from her teenage years?

    Breezing through the album, she found it full of pictures of her. She racked her brains but couldn''t

    remember ever taking so many pictures, let alone giving them to Stefan. She wasn''t a selfie queen;

    her social media posts and phone gallery mostly consisted of scenic shots.

    Next, she flipped through the second album. Slowly, she realized the pictures of her spanned from

    her early teens up to her current age of twenty-four.

    Holy cow! Ten years!

    Stefan had imed he had had a crush on her since childhood and had watched her grow up. It

    turned out he wasn''t bluffing. He really had watched her grow up. But wait, had he been taking

    sneaky snaps of her?

    Lost in the sea of photos and the flood of emotions they stirred, Lucinda was no fool. She could

    guess Stefan''s intentions. After all, she was a romance novelist, spending her days spinning tales of

    love and passion. She fancied herself quite the expert on matters of the heart.

    Stefan had set his sights on her when she had barely entered her teens, never interfering with her

    life, letting her grow up carefree, and only recentlyying a trap to lure her into his world. The truth

    left Lucinda in a whirl of emotions.

    Her phone rang, disrupting her thoughts. It was her brother, Ike.

    "Lucinda, where are you and Stefan? You''re not at the shop or your apartment. It''s prettyte; you

    should be home. That jerk Stefan is a bad influence, keeping you out all hours."

    Ike''s words were peppered with digs at Stefan.

    Who could me him? Stefan had stolen his beloved little sister, the apple of their family''s eye.

    "And you''re at Stefan''s ce? Late at night? You''re trapped with that wolf in sheep''s clothing! Send

    me your location; I''ming to get you."

    Lucinda responded quietly, "Ike, Stefan and I are married now. There''s no escape."

    Ike exploded, "I''d love to knock Stefan''s teeth out."

    "If you hurt Stefan, I''d be upset, Ike. He''s the one I''m relying on."

    Ike wailed, "Lucinda, it''s only been a few days, and you''re already smitten with that charmer, Stefan.

    But I guess it''s not surprising; he''s quite the looker and has women falling at his feet left and right."

    "Alright, Ike. It''ste. Go to bed and stop worrying about me. I''m hanging up now."

    Exhausted and emotionally drained, Lucinda was in no mood to entertain Ike''s ranting. She knew he

    was just upset about her moving out, not because he thought Stefan was bad news.

    In fact, Ike had always admired Stefan.

    He just wasn''t ready to ept that his idol was stealing his sister.

    "Ike, I''m hanging up."

    Despite Ike''s attempted to stop her, Lucinda ended the call and went back to looking at the albums.

    Each flip of the page was a testament to Stefan''s deep affection for her.

    The realization of his feelings made many things clear. That day Stefan had arranged a business

    meeting at her coffee shop was no coincidence. Except for not having a hand in her blind dates,

    everything else was his doing.

    No wonder no man had ever pursued her except for her ex, George. Stefan must''ve been scaring

    off her potential suitors. Taking discrete photos of her was one thing, but getting rid of love rivals?

    That was child''s y for him.

    Lucinda eventually dozed off, clutching the photo albums, sprawled on the couch. When Stefan

    returned and saw her, he was amused and touched. He gently removed the albums and carefully

    lifted her into his arms, carrying her to their bedroom. Whispering in her ear, he said, "Lucy, do you

    understand how much I love you now? Don''t ever think about leaving me again; I won''t let go of you

    in this lifetime."

    Lucinda, deep in sleep, didn''t hear a word.

    Meanwhile, in a different part of town, Owen was pulling up at the Scott family mansion. Jean, the

    Butler, who had known Owen and the Scott family for a long time, wasn''t surprised by histe-night

    visit.

    Upon seeing Owen''s swollen face, Jean asked, "What happened to your face? It''s all red and

    swollen. Did someone hit you?"

    Owen touched his face, wincing at the pain. "I went to confront Stefan for Miss Scott. We got into a

    fight, and I ended up on the losing end. Hence, the ck and blue."

    Who would dare hit Owen so hard? Oh, Stefan would!

    The housemaid immediately began to scold Stefan in front of him: "Ms. Scott treats him so well, but

    he always breaks her heart. Owen, did you ever teach Stefan a lesson?"

    Owen tugged at the corners of his mouth andughed at himself, saying, "I wouldn''t dare to hurt

    Stefan. She treats Stefan like a treasure. If I hurt Stefan, Ruby would be all over my case."

    Ruby had already had a go at him for Stefan''s sake more than once.

    At this moment, Owen''s bruised and swollen face hurt even more because of his bitter smile.

    Would Ruby worry about him when she saw he was injured?

    "Do you not understand what kind of woman she is? Is she worth all this sacrifice?"

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    The words Stefan had said to Owen popped up in his mind out of nowhere.

    Ruby had been smitten over Stefan for so many years, and he has been smitten over Ruby for just

    as long.

    Whether it''s worth it or not, it''s his business, and Stefan should keep his nose out of it!

    "Owen,e in. I''ll get you some ice for Ms. Scott to put on your face."

    Jean was hoping that Ms. Scott would choose Owen. From her experienced perspective, Owen was

    truly in love with theirdy. As for the young master, he never said he liked theirdy, nor had he

    made any promises. It was all theirdy''s wishful thinking.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50

    "Thanks, Jean."

    Owen expressed his thanks to the housekeeper and then, without pausing, headed straight for the

    main house.

    Jean followed, saying as she walked, "Ms. Scott is in the study upstairs; you can go straight up. I''ll

    get you an ice pack."

    Owen just nodded.

    The grand hall on the first floor was empty.

    The Scott family was all abroad; only Ruby was back for Stefan.

    This reality hit Owen right in the feels.

    "Mr. Owen, would you like something to eat?"

    Jean asked.

    "No need."

    Owen declined Jean''s offer and went upstairs on his own.

    He was a regr at the Scott family¡¯s mansion and knew the ce like the back of his hand.

    When he reached Ruby''s study, Owen stood silently for two minutes before knocking on the door.

    "Jean, I''m busy."

    Ruby assumed it was Jean.

    "Ruby, it''s me."

    Owen responded in a low voice.

    The room fell silent, and then the study door was opened, revealing Ruby in her nightgown.

    She had just taken a bath and removed her makeup. Her face was bare.

    Owen wasn''t sure if it was an illusion or due to the lighting, but he thought Ruby looked a bit old.

    Ruby was just a year younger than him, and Stefan was already twenty-eight.

    "Owen, what brings you here? What happened to your face?"

    Ruby asked Owen with concern, lightly touching his swollen face, "Does it hurt? Did Stefan do

    this?"

    There weren''t many people who could manhandle Owen.

    Ruby''s first guess was Stefan.

    After getting pped by Lucinda, Ruby bumped into Owen on purpose to let him know she had

    been bullied by Lucinda.

    Owen cared for her deeply and would definitely take it up with Lucinda.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    But with Stefan protecting Lucinda, there was a high chance of them shing.

    Ruby hadn''t expected Owen to get beaten up so badly; his face was all swollen and red.

    "Stefan did it. Because Lucinda hit you, I went to settle the score with her. Stefan was there, and we

    ended up fighting. You know Stefan''s good with his fists; I was no match for him and ended up like

    this."

    Even though she had guessed Stefan would protect Lucinda, hearing Owen say it like this still made

    Ruby''s heart ache.

    Stefan was a skilled fighter, but he didn''t throw punches easily.

    Ruby had grown up with him and had never seen him fight for anyone.

    Now he fought for Lucinda. Did he really like Lucinda that much?

    Ruby despised Lucinda; her eyes were filled with resentment.

    Anyone who dared to take Ruby''s man would regret it.

    "Owen, you knew Stefan was tough. You shouldn''t have lost your cool when he was around."

    Ruby looked at Owen''s pained face, touched it lightly again, and gave a helpless smile. "Stefan

    really crossed the line. He shouldn''t have hit your face. It breaks my heart just looking at it. Let''s go

    downstairs. I''ll get you an ice pack to soothe it."

    She led Owen downstairs as she spoke.

    Owen tried to hold her hand.

    But she immediately pulled away.

    This stung Owen.

    He had given so much for her and waited so long, hoping she would let go of Stefan and ept his

    feelings. Yet she pulled away just as he tried to hold her hand.

    But for Stefan, she had willingly kissed him.

    Stefan had once said that everything Owen did for Ruby was in vain.

    Ruby didn''t understand Owen''s feelings. She just continued to lead him downstairs.

    Jean, ready to go upstairs with an ice pack, stopped when she saw theming down.

    "Ms. Scott, Owen."

    "Jean, give me the ice pack."

    Ruby approached and took the ice pack from Jean. "Jean, you can go rest too."

    Jean understood her meaning and left.

    "Owen,e here and sit. I''ll apply the ice pack."

    Hearing Ruby''s words, Owen''s disappointment vanished. He obediently sat down on the couch and

    let Ruby apply the ice pack.

    "Owen, what did Stefan say when you confronted Lucinda? Did he me me?"

    She was worried Stefan would misunderstand and think she had spilled the beans about Lucinda to

    Owen, causing Owen to confront Lucinda.

    Even if she had done that, Stefan mustn''t know.

    "He said Lucinda is his wife, and anyone who dares to hurt Lucinda is his enemy. He also said that

    he was upset because Lucinda''s hand hurt from pping you. Ruby, Stefan does have feelings, just

    not for you."

    "Ten years ago, he was indifferent towards you. Now, he has a wife, and it''s even less likely he

    would ept your feelings."

    "Ruby, let it go. Don''t cling to Stefan anymore. It only causes you pain, and your pain hurts me too."

    Owen held Ruby''s hand, his eyes full of determination as he looked at her. "Ruby, there are more

    good guys in the world than just Stefan. Be my girlfriend, with marriage as our goal. Will you?"

    Ruby looked at him, then slowly pulled her hand back and said, "Owen, I''ve always seen you as a

    good friend."

    "I don''t want to be your friend; I want to be your boyfriend!"

    Owen suddenly hugged her, pulling her into his arms forcefully. One hand held hers while the other

    tightly supported her head as he fiercely kissed her.

    Ruby had once promised him a kiss to get him to investigate Stefan and Lucinda¡¯s affair, but he had

    given up on that opportunity.

    But now he wanted to reim that chance.

    "Owen."

    Ruby struggled but couldn''t break free from Owen''s hold. She bit down hard on Owen''s lips, and

    when he loosened his grip, she pushed him away with all her might.

    Without hesitation, she pped Owen.

    The sound echoed throughout the room.

    Owen''s already swollen face instantly sported her handprint, turning even redder and more swollen.

    "Owen, I''ve told you straight up, you''re my best bud; you can''t be feeling some type of way about

    me. I''m back for Stefan; he''s the only one in my heart. Even after ten years, I can''t shake him off."

    "Owen, what I want is to be Mrs. Stefan Anderson! If you''re down to help, I''d be super grateful.

    If not, I''d appreciate it if you didn''t throw a wrench in my ns."

    Owen just stared at her in silence.

    After a good while, he turned around and walked off.

    "Owen, Owen."

    "Owen, let''s just pretend what happened earlier didn''t happen, okay? We''re still pals don''t be mad,

    okay?"

    Her family was all abroad; the Scott family didn''t hold much clout in Pinehurst anymore.

    Her ambitions, her ns¡ªshe still needed Owen''s help to pull them off.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51

    Owen shook off Ruby''s hand and spoke in a t tone: "Ruby, do you know how people be

    disappointed? It starts with little things, umting over time.¡±

    Then he turned around and left.

    Ruby followed him to the door, but when she saw Owen getting into his car, she gave up.

    Owen loved her deeply; even if he was angry, it was only temporary. He would cool down soon.

    Tomorrow, she''d invite him for a meal and give him some gifts. As long as she cheered him up, he

    would forgive her.

    Through the rearview mirror, Owen saw Ruby stop at the front porch and didn''t chase after him. His

    face became even gloomier.

    He gripped the steering wheel tighter.

    The truth was, if Ruby had chased after him, he wouldn''t have stayed angry.

    She loved Stefan, and he was not blind to that.

    But she didn''t chase after him.

    It felt like Owen''s heart was being cut open with a knife.

    He brought this on himself.

    His enemies had warned him.

    Owen left the Scott family and went to a bar. He drank himself into a stupor and didn''t tell his

    bodyguard to pick him up. Wobbling out of the bar, he staggered to his car.

    Because he was drunk, his vision was blurry. He came to a car he thought was his. He fumbled for

    a long time to find his car keys but failed to unlock the car.

    "Damn car!"

    Frustrated at not being able to unlock the car, he kicked it a few times.

    He gave up on driving home and started walking aimlessly under the moonlight.

    Late at night, the streets were pretty much deserted, with very few vehicles.

    He wandered aimlessly, not knowing where he was. When he got tired, he copsed and fell asleep

    in an alley.

    In the early morning, a heavy rain washed over the earth and cooled down the high temperatures.

    People finally felt the coolness.

    Stefan''s biological clock was very precise. He woke up naturally at half past six every morning.

    He opened his eyes to see the woman in his arms.

    The air conditioning in the room was too cold. Lucinda, who had kicked off her nketst night,

    instinctively sought warmth and burrowed into Stefan''s embrace.

    Stefan, of course, wouldn''t push her away. He hugged her tightly.

    So theyy in each other''s arms until morning.

    He kissed her forehead.

    Carefully, he ced Lucinda on one side, freeing himself to get up.

    "Who are you?"

    Lucinda suddenly shouted.

    Stefan quickly turned his head, but there was no one else in the room.

    Lucinda''s eyes were still closed.

    Stefanughed, realizing she must be asking someone in her dream.

    "Don''t go; who are you?"

    N?velDrama.Org content rights.

    Lucinda shouted, iling her arms as if trying to grasp something.

    Then she suddenly opened her eyes, sat up in bed, and stared nkly.

    "Lucy, what''s wrong? Having a nightmare?"

    Stefan sat back down on the edge of the bed and asked her with concern.

    Seeing the sweat all over her forehead, he quickly grabbed a tissue to wipe it off, carefully wiping

    away her cold sweat.

    What kind of dream had scared her so much?

    "Lucy?"

    "Stefan."

    Lucinda came back to her senses. Looking at the handsome face close to hers, she breathed a sigh

    of relief and said, "It was just a dream, but it scared me."

    "What did you dream about?"

    "Actually, it wasn''t really a nightmare, just a strange dream. I dreamed of a woman with disheveled

    hair chasing me around, calling me her baby, and saying I was her baby. I asked her who she was,

    but she didn''t answer."

    "I''m twenty-four years old, and she still treats me like a baby and wants to hold me. In the dream,

    when I saw her, my heart hurt like crazy. It''s strange because I can definitely say I''ve never seen her

    in real life."

    Stefan listened to her exnation andforted her, saying, "It''s just a dream; don''t worry about it."

    "Stefan, my dream was very vivid, as if it really happened. I can see clearly what she looks like. She

    looked crazy, but her clothes were neat. It was just very strange."

    Stefan smiled and hugged her. "Could it be your past life?"

    Lucinda: "I may have written about rebirth stories, but do you really believe in reincarnation? If

    reincarnation is real, then everyone can be reborn after death; wouldn''t that cause chaos in the

    world?"

    Novels were fictional; of course, they can''t be taken seriously.

    In her novels, she wrote the male lead as a very good man who only had eyes for the female lead.

    Readers always said good men only existed in novels.

    She knew in her heart that it''s just a novel.

    So she never fantasized about being Cindere and marrying a prince.

    "Then just ignore it. Everyone has dreams. If you don''t dwell on it, it won''t affect you."

    "Stefan, do you think it could be a premonition?"

    Stefan asked her back, "A premonition of what? That woman called you her baby. If it really is a

    premonition, then it''s a premonition that you''re not the daughter of the Moore family. Do you believe

    that?"

    Lucinda paused. "I''m my mom''s biological child. The midwife who helped deliver me still remembers

    that I was born feet first, causing a difficult birth for my mom."

    "Why are you still thinking about the dream?"

    What a strange dream!

    "It''s still early; go back to sleep."

    "I can''t sleep once I wake up."

    Lying in his arms, Lucinda feltfortable and secure, which made her feel dependent on him.

    In just a few days, she had developed a sense of dependence on him.

    Thinking of the photo album she saw before going to sleepst night, Lucinda looked up at him, and

    he happened to be looking down at her; their eyes met.

    "Lucy, if you keep looking at me like that, I might want to do something."

    Stefan''s voice became husky, and then he kissed her lips.

    Lucinda tried to push him away. When she realized she couldn''t, she gave up.

    His kiss was very gentle.

    Lucinda couldn''t resist his allure and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, tentatively

    responding to him.

    Then her actions ignited his passion.

    He forcefully pushed her back onto the bed.

    After their intimate moment, Lucinda felt shy and wanted to push the man next to her off the bed.

    But Stefan moved away on his own.

    He filled the bathtub with water and then came back to carry her into it.

    Ten minutester, Lucindayzily on the bed, while Stefan had already changed into sportswear.

    "Lucy, are you sure you don''t want to go for a morning jog with me?"

    "My legs are weak; I can''t run."

    Stefan chuckled, gazing at her with affection for a moment before gently saying, "Then you just get

    some good rest, alright? I''ll join you for breakfast when I get back from my morning run."

    Lucinda nodded, watching him as he headed out.

    This was so freaking unfair.

    He was the one who had been giving it his all.

    But she was the one who felt exhausted.

    He could still head out for a morning run full of energy, while all she wanted to do was crash in bed

    for a good sleep.

    As Lucinda was about to drift off, that weird dream popped into her mind again.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52

    Lucinda found herself wide awake, lost in her thoughts.

    Since sleep eluded her, she decided to just get up.

    On her bedside tabley a set of clean new clothes, prepared for her by Stefan before he went out.

    All she had to do was reach out to get them; there was no need to even walk.

    During the summer, Lucinda liked to wear short-sleeved t-shirts paired with ck capris.

    The clothes Stefan had prepared for her were chosen based on her preferences.

    Lucinda got out of bed and took the clothes to his walk-in closet. Upon opening the doors, she

    found that half of the clothes inside were new women''s clothing, all t-shirts and capris.

    Clearly, they matched her taste.

    When did he prepare so much clothing for her to change into?

    How much preparation had he done while she was unaware?

    Seeing the new clothes in the closet, Lucinda couldn''t calm down for a long time.

    Anyone who found out they had been deeply loved by a great man for ten years couldn''t stay calm.

    She spent a few minutes changing and freshening up, then went downstairs without any makeup

    on.

    "Good morning, Miss Lucinda."

    Emma was busy setting up breakfast downstairs. Seeing Lucindae down, she greeted her with

    a smile, then went over to ask with concern, "How did you sleepst night, Miss Lucinda?"

    Stefan was deeply affectionate towards Lucinda, but she didn''t feel the same.

    Emma could tell that Lucinda was passive and at a loss.

    "Good morning, Emma."

    Lucinda replied with a smile.

    "Stefan is out for a morning run; he should be back soon. If you''re hungry, you can eat something

    first."

    As Emma said this, she led Lucinda into the dining room.

    The breakfast prepared by the kitchen was very hearty.

    "I''ll wait for Stefan toe back before eating."

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Lucinda said.

    Eating alone always felt a bit off to her.

    Emmaughed, saying, "Alright, would you like to look around? Stefan''s study is quite nice; you can

    go have a look."

    She didn''t know that Stefan had already left a photo album in the study, silently confessing his

    feelings to Lucinda.

    She wanted to lead Lucinda to the study to discover the photo album.

    Lucinda wasn''t stupid. Hearing Emma mention the study, she knew that Emma already knew about

    Stefan''s feelings for her.

    At this moment, Stefan returned from his run.

    He was holding a bouquet of vibrant flowers.

    "Mr. Stefan."

    Emma called out respectfully.

    Stefan handed the bouquet to Lucinda after he walked over. His eyes were gentle, and his lips

    curled into a smile. He looked affectionately at Lucinda, saying, "Our backyard has many flowers. I

    saw that they were blooming beautifully, so I picked some to make a bouquet for you. Lucinda,

    flowers suit beauty."

    Emma quickly left.

    She didn''t want to be the third wheel here.

    So Stefan could also say things like "flowers suit beauty".

    Indeed, romantic words came naturally when there were feelings involved.

    Stefan used to be very cold and taciturn, but that was because he wasn''t facing the one he loved.

    Lucinda epted the bouquet, mostly roses of different colors.

    "These flowers are beautiful."

    Seeing her ept the bouquet and express her liking, Stefan felt happy.

    "If you like these flowers, I can pick some for you every day."

    "If you do that, we won''t have any left to admire."

    "Then I can buy you a bouquet every day, and we can leave the ones at home for you to admire

    when you''re free."

    Lucinda could only nod in agreement.

    When she saw sweat beads on Stefan''s forehead, she put down the bouquet, took a packet of

    tissues from the dining table, took out a few, and went over to wipe the sweat off his forehead.

    Her actions made Stefan even happier, his eyes crinkling into smiles, but he didn''t dare to move,

    afraid to disturb her.

    He was taller than her, so he slightly squatted down to make it easier for her to wipe his sweat, so

    she didn''t need to look up.

    Emma watched this scene and murmured, "They''re so sweet!"

    She saw their Stefan smiling so happily.

    She had never seen Stefan smile so brightly before.

    Stefan was already over the moon just because Lucinda wiped his sweat.

    If Lucinda did something even more thoughtful for him, would he be so happy that he forgot his own

    name?

    "Stefan, sit for a while before you go to take a shower. Don''t go right after exercising; the sudden

    change in temperature might make you catch a cold."

    "I''ll go shower after breakfast."

    Stefan didn''t want to leave.

    He sat at the dining table in his sportswear.

    "Lucy, these are all your favorites. Give them a try; how do they taste?"

    Under his care, Lucinda could only keep eating.

    Stefan watched her eat, but he himself didn''t eat much.

    Seeing her enjoy the food made him feel full already.

    "Stefan, I made soup; it''s still hot. Who is she?"

    A strange female voice came from the entrance, and then the person walked in.

    Then Lucinda saw a strange girl around twenty years old holding a tray with a bowl on it, probably

    the soup she mentioned.

    When she saw Lucinda, she walked over like an arrow.

    She put the tray on the table, then questioned Lucinda, "Who are you? What''s your rtionship with

    Stefan? Howe I''ve never seen you before?"

    Emma had been stealthily observing Stefan and Lucinda. When she saw this girl, she murmured,

    "Who let her in?"

    How could they let Adrienne Dewey in when Stefan already had Lucinda?

    Before Lucinda could answer, Adrienne hurriedly sat next to Stefan, trying to affectionately hold his

    arm, but was avoided by Stefan.

    "Stefan, who is she? She dresses so tackily, like a country bumpkin. Does she even deserve to sit

    here and eat with you?"

    Stefan''s expression turned sour.

    "Emma, please escort Adrienne out."

    Adrienne immediatelyined, "Stefan, what did I do wrong? I just wanted to make you some

    nutritious soup. Emma said you''ve been very busytely. I haven''t seen youe home in several

    days; you must be too busy toe home. I felt bad for you, so I started making soup for you

    early."

    "Stefan, who''s this chick? Spill the beans."

    Lucinda, being Stefan''swfully wedded wife, was watching all this, not getting ticked off at all but

    rather finding it quite entertaining.

    Stefan''s admirer was even younger than her, making her wonder if the girl was even legal yet.

    Stefan was a real chick ma.

    One Ruby was already a big pain in the neck for Lucinda; now here came an Adrienne.

    However, considering Stefan''s awesomeness, if he didn''t have a bunch of girls chasing after him,

    Lucinda would find it fishy.

    "Adrienne, let''s step outside for a chat."

    Emma quickly strode over, grabbed Adrienne''s wrist, and whisked her away.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53

    "Who the hell are you? I don''t care who you are; Stefan is mine. You can''t take my Stefan."

    Adrienne was young and fiercely determined. She had feelings for Stefan, and regardless of how

    Stefan treated her, she saw him as her boyfriend.

    Emma quickly covered Adrienne''s mouth and dragged her out of the main house.

    Adrienne struggled fiercely.

    But she couldn''t resist Emma''s strong arms andrge hands.

    Muffled sounds were all Adrienne could make with Emma''s hand covering her mouth.

    "Lucinda."

    Stefan was desperate to exin to Lucinda, but he got a bit pissed off when he saw her seemingly

    enjoying the whole thing.

    He was her man, her husband, and he didn''t expect her to help him deal with the situation, but at

    least she shouldn''t be watching like it was a show.

    Stefan felt very frustrated.

    But then he figured that since Lucinda didn''t love him, he shouldn''t expect her to be jealous.

    "Stefan, Adrienne''s voice when she calls your name is so sweet and pleasant to the ear. I can''t help

    but find her voice quite alluring."

    Lucindaughed lightly. Her words sounded a bit jealous, no matter how he took them.

    She picked up the tray, stirred the soup with a spoon, then took a sip and praised, "This is so good!

    It seems Adrienne really knows her way around making soup; otherwise, she couldn''t make such a

    delicious soup."

    "Lucinda."

    Stefan reached out, snatched the soup bowl from her, and put it heavily on the table.

    Soup sshed out of the bowl.

    Stefan didn''t care. He started exining hurriedly and angrily, "Lucinda, there''s nothing going on

    between Adrienne and me. She''s our neighbor, the Dewey family''s daughter. She''s nine years

    younger than me. I can''t possibly have feelings for her. No, I like you."

    "Lucinda, if you don''t like hearing her call me Stefan, I won''t let her call me Stefan again."

    "Believe me, I have absolutely no feelings for Adrienne. Like with Ruby, even though we''ve known

    each other since we were kids and grew up together, I don''t have feelings for her."

    Lucinda couldn''t help butugh, seeing him so anxious.

    Stefan''s mouth twitched.

    He was so worried about her misunderstanding, and she wasughing.

    "She''s nine years younger than you; it''s normal for her to call you brother. It''s just a title; I won''t be

    petty enough to not let others call you by your name."

    Lucinda stood upughing and made Stefan sit down. "Alright, I won''t misunderstand you. It''s just

    that your charm is so strong, but that''s normal. If you didn''t have so many admirers, I would have to

    worry if you really were charming."

    "You know best whether I am charming."

    Lucinda blushed and rolled her eyes at him. "We are discussing serious matters here."

    Stefan gripped her hand, closely watching her expression. Seeing that she really didn''t

    misunderstand him and believed him about Adrienne, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    He would have Emma tell the Dewey family that, without his permission, Adrienne wasn''t allowed to

    step foot in his house again.

    They were peaceful neighbors, and the Deweys should keep a better eye on Adrienne.

    He was a married man now!

    "Stefan, since you don''t n on divorcing me, let''s sit down and have a serious talk. You need to tell

    me; how manypetitors do I have? Give me a heads up so I don''t have to suddenly deal with

    some random person and get the reputation of having a mistress."

    He spent ten years loving her and waiting for her to grow up. He also paved many roads for her to

    willingly fall into his trap.

    How could Lucinda not cherish and fall for such a devoted man?

    If she''s decided to live a good life with him, she needed to know how manypetitors she had and

    be prepared.

    "Besides you, I have no other women! You have nopetitors!"

    "Not just the ones who have a romantic entanglement with you are mypetitors. Anyone who

    likes you is mypetitor."

    Stefan, with a displeased look, said, "I don''t know how many."

    Too many to count!

    Lucinda: "You really do have a lot of female admirers."

    Stefan felt very embarrassed and didn''t know what to say.

    Then Adrienne was dragged out of the main house and the vi by Emma''s plump hand covering

    her mouth, and not until they were outside the vi did Emma let her go.

    Adrienne leaned against the wall, gasping for breath.

    She was almost suffocating!

    If Emma didn''t let go, she would really be suffocated by Emma''s plump hand.

    After a while, Adrienne finally caught her breath and felt like she was recovering.

    "Emma, you should lose some weight; you''re too fat, your hands are too meaty, and you could

    make someone pass out just by covering their mouth and nose."

    Afterining, Adrienne asked, "Emma, can you tell me who that woman was? How can she

    have breakfast with Stefan? I haven''t even spent two minutes with Stefan."

    Because their vis were next to each other, they became neighbors.

    When Adrienne first saw Stefan a few years ago, she was smitten.

    At that time, Adrienne was still a teenager.

    She tried to grow up just so she could marry Stefan after she turned twenty.

    Stefan was hers!

    Whoever dared to take her Stefan, she would fight them to the death!

    "Adrienne, this is not for you to ask. Go home; don''te here again; Stefan doesn''t like you."

    Emma didn''t reveal Lucinda''s true identity.

    Stefan had brought his wife home, but the people at Anderson Manor didn''t know yet.

    Emma ain''t got a clue what Stefan was nning to do next. She didn''t know whether he''s going to

    keep this under wraps or spill the beans and tell everyone that he''s hitched, and his wife was

    Lucinda!

    Because of all this uncertainty, Emma didn''t give Adrienne a straight answer.

    "Emma, spill it! Who is she? If she''s having dinner with Stefan, she must be a big deal, right? Is she

    the girl Stefan had a crush on when he was a kid?¡±

    People from upper ss in Pinehurst knew about Stefan''s situation.

    Nah, scratch that. Everyone in Pinehurst knew.

    "Adrienne, quit trying to sweet-talk your way into this. I ain''t falling for your tricks. You better scoot

    and head home. Mr. Stefan ain''t got time for girls like you."

    With that, Emma turned to go back in, ready to shut the vi doors.

    She needed to find out who let Adrienne in.

    Didn''t they know how much Stefan can''t stand clingy women?

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    "Emma, Emma!"

    Adrienne rushed forward, trying to stop Emma from shutting the door.

    Spoiled as she was, how could she possibly hold her own against Emma? The vi doors were

    finally shut by Emma and locked.

    "Emma!"

    Adrienne was so mad, she''s stomping her feet.

    "Is that the girl Stefan had a crush on when he was a kid? I''ve got her number now! She left for ten

    years; why the heck is she back? Stefan is mine!"

    Adrienne concluded that Lucinda must be Stefan''s childhood ymate.

    In Stefan''s heart, there was only one girl he ever cared about when he was a kid, and that was

    Lucinda.

    Everyone else was just background noise!

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54

    Emma rushed back.

    She was worried that Lucinda would misunderstand Stefan, and she felt the need to exin things

    on Stefan¡¯s behalf.

    When she got back to the room, she saw Stefan and Lucinda clearing the table.

    Emma was taken aback.

    Stefan wasn''t used to being waited on like other people because the Andersons raised their children

    to be capable of taking care of themselves. Once the children reached a certain age, they were sent

    to a private ind owned by the family. Then, the ind would be evacuated and handed over to

    the kids to fend for themselves. This ensured that the Anderson boys could handle any challenge in

    the real world.

    But in Emma''s eyes, Stefan was exceptional. Due to his busy work schedule, he rarely did chores.

    She med the other servants for not understanding the situation and letting Stefan and his wife

    clear the table. She quickly walked over, took the dishes that Lucinda had already cleaned up, and

    said to Lucinda, "Ma''am, let me handle this. You and Stefan just need to eat."

    Lucinda instinctively said, "Emma, I can do it. I also helped my mom with chores at home."

    When she was renting her ce, she also took care of herself. She was used to cleaning up after

    meals.

    Stefan spoiled her and let her do whatever she wanted, as long as it didn''t tire her out. Besides,

    cleaning up together made Stefan feel the ordinary yet sweet life of a married couple.

    Emma gave Stefan a look and said to Lucinda with a smile, "Ma''am, Stefan hasn''t even changed

    his clothes yet, and he''s about to go to work. You should apany him upstairs and help him pick

    out an outfit. Stefan has a hard time choosing clothes, and if he had to choose by himself, he might

    take a while."

    Stefan stared at Emma in surprise. When did he ever have trouble choosing clothes?

    Emma gave him another look.

    Just then, Lucinda looked over. Stefan put on an embarrassed expression and said to Lucinda,

    "Lucy, don''t listen to Emma''s nonsense. I can pick out my clothes. At most, it''ll take me till the

    afternoon."

    Without Emma saying anything, Lucinda couldn''t have imagined that Stefan would have trouble

    choosing clothes. She remembered the first time she apanied Stefan to a party. He brought

    her several dresses, and she didn''t know how long it took him to pick out the right one for her.

    "Emma, thank you."

    Lucinda knew that in wealthy families, the division ofbor among servants was very clear. If she

    took over the servants'' work, it could put a lot of pressure on them. They would worry about losing

    their jobs.

    She handed the task of cleaning the table over to Emma and said to Stefan, "Stefan, I''ll apany

    you upstairs to pick out clothes."

    Stefan agreed. He came over, put his arm around her shoulder, and led her out of the dining room.

    When Lucinda wasn''t paying attention, he gave Emma a thumbs up. He doubled Emma''s bonus for

    the month.

    Emma watched the young couple go upstairs and felt relieved.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Thankfully, Lucinda didn''t start an argument with Stefan because of Adrienne''s sudden appearance.

    Even if Adrienne had nine lives, she wouldn''t be able to redeem herself.

    Stefan had waited ten years, waiting for Lucinda to grow up, and finally married her. If anyone dared

    to ruin the rtionship between this young couple, Emma wouldn¡¯t let it go.

    Back in the room, Lucinda went to the wardrobe and brought Stefan an outfit. When she handed it

    to him, she asked, "Did it take you a long time to pick out the evening dress you got for me the other

    day?"

    "It wasn''t me who picked it out. I asked a friend to pick it out ording to your size and then

    brought it back."

    Stefan was telling the truth. When it came to choosing clothes, he was certainly no match for Holt.

    Holt was a top fashion designer. He could choose the most suitable clothes for everyone based on

    their figure, appearance,plexion, and personality.

    Lucinda understood after hearing this. Did he really have decision paralysis?

    "What''s there to choose from in your wardrobe besides suits and shirts? The colors are almost all

    the same."

    His suits were all ck, and his shirts were either white or light blue, with more white ones. It

    seemed he liked the ck and whitebination. His home clothes were also the same, ck, and

    white, with very few of any other color.

    "If there were more colors, I''d have an even harder time choosing. Even now, I don''t know what to

    wear every day."

    One lie needed a hundred more to cover it up. Stefan knew this all too well.

    After hearing this, Lucinda was stunned. He was telling the truth.

    Seeing him take off his tracksuit in front of her, Lucinda blushed and said, "Why don''t you go

    change in the bathroom? I''m still here."

    "Lucy, you''re twenty-four years old."

    Lucinda looked at him. Yes, she was twenty-four. So what?

    "You''re not a child. You can check out my body if you want to see whether it''s good or not. Don''t

    always think about letting Owen run naked. His body is definitely not as good as mine."

    After a while, sheughed. "I only said one thing yesterday, and you''re still holding it against me."

    He moved closer to her, his warm breath on her face as he whispered, "Every word you say, I

    remember. Lucy, remember, in Pinehurst, your husband is the most handsome, and your husband

    has the best body. If you want to see a handsome guy, just look at me."

    Lucinda couldn''t stand his heat, so she quickly pushed him away a bit, her face as red as a flower.

    She red at him. "Stefan, can you be a little more serious? If I hadn''t experienced it myself, I

    wouldn''t dare believe that the person in front of me is you."

    Where was the gentlemanly Stefan? Bring the gentlemanly Stefan back to her!

    Stefan stood up, smiling at Lucinda. "When I¡¯m outside, I have to put on a facade. When Ie

    home and face you, I act like myself. You wouldn''t want me to put on a facade for you, would you?"

    "Stefan, your eloquence is truly unmatched. I admit defeat. Hurry up and get dressed, or you''ll be

    late." After Lucinda spoke, she cheekily pinched him and quickly turned to scamper off.

    "Lucinda!" Stefan was taken aback by her sudden retaliation. He quickly reacted, scooping her up

    before she could dart out the door.

    Then they started kissing. Not until Lucinda was panting for breath did he let her go.

    As Stefan was getting dressed, he nced at Lucinda, who was leaning against the wall, seemingly

    drained of strength. His eyes were filled with warmth and amusement.

    Lucinda was panting. Damn, he was so tempting!

    She even started to suspect that Stefan was some kind of a professional tempter, specifically sent

    to seduce her. He had nearly turned her long-settled heart upside down.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55

    When a tie appeared in front of her, Lucinda immediately got the point. She reached out to take the

    tie, started to tie it for him, and said, "Good thing my brother sometimes asks me to tie his tie,

    otherwise I wouldn''t know how."

    Hearing this, Stefan''s eyes weighed down, and his face turned serious. He made a request to

    Lucinda, "Lucy, from now on, you can only tie ties for me."

    Lucinda replied, "That''s my brother, why are you so jealous of him?"

    Stefan answered, "Even if it''s your brother, I will be jealous. If we have a child in the future and you

    treat the child better than me, I will be jealous, too. I want you to always put me first in your heart."

    Lucinda asked, "Can I be honest with you?"

    Stefan weed her to speak the truth.

    Lucinda said, "Right now, my familyes first in my heart. I have parents, grandparents, and a

    brother, a total of five people. You are the seventh in my heart."

    Stefan''s face turned very pale. He asked, "Why am I the seventh? Even if I am behind your family, I

    should be the sixth. Who is the sixth?"

    Lucinda replied, "Cecilia, she''s my best friend and my business partner."

    Stefan didn''t say anything. Whatforted him was that at least this person was a woman.

    He called out, "Lucy."

    He reached out his hand and held Lucinda''s hand, which was tying his tie. Her fingers were long

    and soft; he didn''t want to let go once he held them. He lifted her hand to his mouth. His eyes were

    staring at her passionately, his lips gently kissing the back of her hand.

    Lucinda''s body shivered. This man really knew how to make her heart flutter.

    She whispered, "Stefan..."

    He said, "Call me hubby, we are husband and wife, legally married. I like hearing you call me hubby.

    Lucy, call me hubby, let me hear it."

    Lucinda yanked her hand hard, no longer letting him kiss the back of her hand. She wiped the back

    of her hand on his clothes, and said with a disgusted face, "You''ve made the back of my hand all

    wet with your saliva."

    Stefanughed; he liked seeing her shy but pretending to be nonchnt. So cute.

    Lucinda asked him, "What were you going to say?"

    Stefan said, "I wanted to ask if you could switch me and Cecilia''s ces? We''ve known each other

    longer, right?"

    Lucinda replied, "What''s the use of knowing you for eleven years? I don''t even know who you are."

    Stefan fell silent. He knew that he was wrong to always hide his real identity from her. He was just

    afraid that once his identity was revealed, she would stay away from him.

    People from the Moore family were honest. They didn¡¯t like to cling to the powerful and rich; they

    like to climb up the socialdder through their own efforts.

    Lucinda asked, "What time do you start work in the morning?"

    "I usually get to thepany before 8:10 in the morning, if somethinges up, I can be a little

    late, or even not go to thepany at all. Ascend Global has been established for several decades,

    the management team is very mature, all senior employees of thepany, even if I don''t

    personally manage it, Ascend Global can still operate normally."

    Ascend Global was involved in many industries, and all the managers in each industry were his

    friends. Some of them were his confidants. With them around, he could rx asionally.

    However, if he didn¡¯t manage it himself, his friends would start toin ande to him one by

    one to vent.

    "It''s already past seven o''clock, if you don''t leave now, you''re going to bete for work."

    Although thepany was not far from his ce, during rush hour, it was easy to get stuck in

    traffic, so it was necessary to leave home earlier.

    Stefan, "...I thought you were concerned about whether I''m busy or tired, turns out you were just

    afraid I''d bete."

    "You are the boss of one of these bigpanies. Time is precious, and doesn¡¯t every minute

    count? Cherish your money-making time."

    Lucinda pulled him out the door.

    Stefan let her drag him along. His work today was very loaded, he needed to hold several important

    meetings, and also meet with two important clients to discuss cooperation matters.

    Originally, he nned to go abroad in the next few days, but because he couldn''t bear to leave

    Lucinda, he had to delegate those tasks to Charles. Charles was the eldest son of his uncle, only

    two months younger than Stefan; they were born in the same year.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    That year, the olddy had two grandsons added to the family within a year, and she was overjoyed.

    "Lucy, let me take you back to your ce first."

    Stefan held Lucinda''s backhand, and they went downstairs hand in hand.

    "No need, I''ll take a cab back myself. My shop doesn''t need to open so early."

    "I''ll arrange for a car to take you."

    Lucinda thought about it and agreed. She didn''t want to refuse his kindness. If he was taking her

    home, she would make himte for work.

    "Stefan."

    When Emma saw the two of theming downstairs, she came up to meet them, nced at

    Lucinda, and hesitated whether to speak or not.

    Stefan said solemnly, "Emma, Lucy and I are husband and wife, so you don''t have to avoid Lucy

    when you talk to me."

    "Stefan, Adrienne is still standing at the door."

    Stefan said indifferently, "Then let her stand there, if she likes standing at the door so much, let her

    stand until the end of the world."

    It was hot, and when the sun was at its strongest, he didn''t believe Adrienne could still stand.

    Lucinda turned her head to look at the man next to her. With a brief assessment, she understood.

    His gentleness was only for her. He was very cold to others. Even to Ruby, the girl he once liked, he

    was uncaring toward her.

    Stefan repeatedly emphasized that he had never liked Ruby, but Lucinda still habitually considered

    them as a childhood couple.

    They had known each other since childhood and had grown up together until Stefan was neen

    and Ruby went abroad. Saying they were childhood sweethearts who grew up together really wasn''t

    an exaggeration. What Lucinda was curious about was what Ruby did to make Stefan so repulsed

    by her, so resolute in denying the youthful emotions.

    "Lucy, let''s go." Stefan hustled Lucinda along, at the same time, he instructed Emma, "Emma, get

    another car ready. Lucy and I are heading out, but we''re gonna need another ride for her."

    Adrienne was now posted up at the entrance of Stefan¡¯s swanky mansion. Stefan wasn''t

    comfortable letting Lucinda go alone, fearing she might cave in and get blocked by Adrienne.

    Although Adrienne wanted to stop his car, she didn''t dare. Adrienne once tried to stop his car, but

    Stefan, ruthless as he was, didn''t even hit the brakes and drove straight past, scaring the daylights

    out of her, who was left with no choice but to duck out of the way. If Stefan had hit her, Adrienne

    would¡¯ve been lucky to be alive, if not seriously injured.

    From then on, Adrienne never dared to stop Stefan''s car again.

    "Stefan, I''ll go organize one right away."

    Emma immediately called another driver, telling him to be on standby.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56

    As the couple stepped out of the main house, Stefan''s chauffeur, and Lucinda¡¯s driver were already

    waiting.

    Lucinda spotted the car Stefan was about to get into. It was the same Mercedes worth a fortune that

    he drove on their wedding registration day. Back then, he even imed it was a second-hand car he

    bought from a friend, just to show off.

    Shoot! He had the audacity to lie without a hint of shame. She really admired him!

    To Stefan, this kind of car was not considered expensive. Given his status, his car should at the

    very least be a Rolls Royce.

    Lucinda didn''t bother asking him about the car. She was certain that there was a Rolls Royce in his

    garage. Maybe he just wanted to keep a low profile.

    The gate of the vi was see-through.

    Adrienne was standing at the gate, clearly seeing what was happening inside. She saw Stefan

    gantly open the car door for that woman. When the woman got into the car, Mr. Stefan even gave

    her a hand.

    She had never seen such a considerate version of Stefan. She had been crushing on Stefan for so

    many years, yet she couldn''t even stay by his side for a minute.

    Why did that woman get the gentle care of Stefan? Just because she was the girl Stefan had a

    crush on when he was young?

    Adrienne watched everything with jealousy.

    When the car was leaving the vi, Adrienne couldn''t help but chase after the car, running and

    pounding on the window where Lucinda was sitting.

    ¡°Ruby, get out of the car, I have something to say!¡±

    ¡°Ruby, you''ve been away for ten years, why do you have toe back?¡±

    ¡°Ruby, let me tell you, Stefan is mine, and I won''t let go. We¡¯llpete fairly, don''t get cocky too

    soon, whoever deserves him has not yet been decided.¡±

    The driver stepped on the gas and the car sped up. Soon, the driver left Adrienne behind.

    Lucinda really wanted the driver to stop.

    Considering her current status, whether she had fallen in love with Stefan or not, she was now his

    wife and had to act like one. She couldn''t sympathize with her love rival.

    The man beside her was frowning all along, exuding a chilling aura, like a demon crawled out of

    hell, cold enough to make one shudder.

    Lucinda suddenly felt relieved, d that she was the one he fancied. If she was his enemy, she

    might¡¯ve been killed without warning. In other words, she was actually incredibly happy and lucky.

    Stefan liked her. He had waited for ten years, and spent ten years waiting for her to grow up, waiting

    for an opportunity to let her walk into his world willingly.

    As for her jumping into the trap and noting out, she couldn''t me him. She was naive,

    thinking that knowing each other for eleven years meant they were old friends.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Sigh, the past was heart-wrenching. Whenever Lucinda thought of hiring him for five hundred

    dors a month, she felt like poking out her own eyes. Were her eyes blind?

    ¡°Adrienne is really infatuated with you. She just mistook me for your childhood sweetheart.¡±

    Stefan frowned, ¡°What a delusion!¡±

    He would acquire the Dewey family''spany and buy their vi, so that Adrienne would have no

    chance to be his neighbor and also exclude her from the ranks of rich girls. Let''s see how

    Adrienne would continue to pester him.

    In the past, Stefan was also annoyed by Adrienne. His subordinates usually helped him fend off

    Adrienne, trying not to let her disturb him.

    He was always toozy to deal with Adrienne''s problem. But now that he had Lucinda, Adrienne''s

    pestering had a greater impact on him. He could no longer ignore her.

    Adrienne probably never thought that one day her family''spany would be acquired because of

    her infatuation with a man.

    ¡°Everyone has the right to love. She didn''t do anything wrong.¡± Lucinda said, putting a hand on his

    shoulder and the other on his face, smiling, ¡°You''re too handsome. If you were a woman, you would

    be extremely charming.¡±

    Stefan nced at her sideways, smiling indulgently, ¡°Seems like my wife is very satisfied with my

    appearance.¡±

    Lucinda stroked him a couple more times before retracting her hand and leaning against the back of

    the seat, ¡°Your facial expression changes too quickly.¡±

    One moment he was as stern as the king of hell, the next moment, he was as warm as a spring

    breeze, touching her heart.

    Stefan smiled and held her hand, ¡°No matter how my mood changes, it will never change towards

    you.¡±

    Noah was driving attentively, not daring to make a sound, trying not to be noticeable. They thought

    Stefan wouldn''t say sweet nothings, but Stefan''s sweet nothings were surprisingly good. Noah was

    sure that in less than three months, Stefan''s woman wouldpletely fall in love with him.

    After leaving the vi area, Lucinda got out of Stefan''s car and got into the other car driven by the

    driver.

    The young couple temporarily parted. Stefan headed for Ascend Global, while Lucinda returned to

    her rental. It was still early, she could make updates on some chapters when she got back to her

    rental.

    ¡­¡­

    Cecilia pushed the door and felt something blocking it. She had to use some force to push it open.

    She stepped out to see what was blocking her door. A person! He was lying at her doorstep,

    sleeping like a log.

    The smell of alcohol was strong. This was a boozy drunkard.

    She didn''t know when he hadin at her doorstep, but this person looked somewhat familiar.

    He was in a suit and tie. If it weren''t for the fact that he was lying on the ground and looking

    disgraceful, he would¡¯ve looked like a sessful man.

    Cecilia thought for a moment and suddenly remembered. ¡°Isn''t this the Mr. Martinez who brought

    people to trouble Lucinda yesterday?¡±

    Cecilia recognized the identity of the drunkard on the ground.

    Owen brought people to trouble Lucinda when Stefan was present. She didn''t step forward to help

    Lucinda, but she remembered Owen''s appearance and heard about him.

    Pinehurst had five major groups. Ascend Global had been at the top for a long time. Next was the

    Ike group, which was the familypany of the Martinez family.

    Cecilia''s cousin worked at the Ike group, so she knew that Owen from the Martinez family was the

    big boss there.

    "Hey, wake up."

    Cecilia gave Owen a kick. No matter who he was, anyone who messed with Lucinda was bad news!

    She was Lucinda''s ride or die. Anybody who was against Lucinda was an enemy in Cecilia''s book,

    and she wasn¡¯t nice to enemies.

    Owen woke up with a jolt from Cecilia''s kick. It hurt like hell. When he opened his eyes, he saw a

    strange girl looking down at him, and even though he was already awake, she gave him another

    harsh kick.

    This was too much! No one dared to treat him like this! Wait, why did he see this girl the moment he

    woke up?

    Did he get drunk, was he taken home by this little hellion, and then passed out?

    Thinking about this, Owen, ignoring his exhaustion, suddenly sat up and found his clothes were

    neat. He wasn''t in a bed but on the floor, looking like he was at someone else''s doorstep.

    He felt relieved, and theny back down on the ground.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57

    Having a hangover was a bitch.

    At the moment, his head was pounding like it was about to explode. No matter what the situation

    was, he felt like lying down.

    "Yo, why are youying down again? Get up and scram, you''re blocking my front door. You realize

    you''re blocking my house, right?"

    Cecilia didn''t expect Owen to flop back down on the ground. After a moment of surprise, she gave

    him another kick. Owen, once again was kicked by Cecilia. He got pissed off and grabbed Cecilia''s

    kicking leg. With a yank, Cecilia lost her bnce and fell t on her butt.

    The pain zinged through her backside, making her gasp.

    What a jerk! She swung her other leg towards Owen, swearing and kicking at him, "I''m gonna kick

    your ass, you jerk!"

    "You''re the jerk!"

    Owen''s head was killing him and his mood was sour. Cecilia kept kicking him without any regard

    and kept calling him a jerk. He wasn''t going to be polite anymore. Soon he had Cecilia sprawled on

    the ground.

    Cecilia felt dizzy, her vision blurred and the back of her head ached. It took her a while to recover.

    She didn''t dare to kick him anymore and rolled a few feet away before getting up. Cecilia dusted

    herself off while shooting him an evil re.

    "I have a headache. You better not annoy me. Let me lie down a bit. I''ll leave eventually."

    Owen said coldly.

    Then he pulled out his phone and wallet from his pocket. He took out all the cash from his wallet

    and tossed it in Cecilia''s direction, saying indifferently, "This money is for renting this little spot in

    front of your house."

    Then he called his bodyguard, asking his bodyguard to bring him some clean clothes and pick him

    up.

    But he didn''t know where he was, so he asked Cecilia, "Where am I?"

    "Pinehurst."

    "I know it''s Pinehurst, I''m asking for the exact address."

    "Why should I tell you? Are you an idiot, can''t you send a location?"

    Owen''s headache got worse because of Cecilia''s remarks. He was an intelligent man. It was only

    because he was in a bad mood and had a bit too much to drink. His head was still a bit dizzy and

    painful when he woke up, his thinking not fully recovered yet.

    Cecilia picked up the money and asked Owen, "Are you getting up or not? My mom is going to buy

    groceries in a bit. She''ll think you''re a corpse if she sees you lying here. Will you be responsible if

    you scare her? My mom has a minor heart condition. She couldn¡¯t be startled.¡±

    After Owen sent the location to his bodyguard, he nced at the money Cecilia picked up. He had

    already paid the fee to continueying there. This girl took his money and still wanted to kick him

    out, she was so greedy!

    He was a businessman; while many were shrewd, and Owen conceded that he had the ability to be

    a cunning businessman, she was even greedier than him. At least, when he took someone''s money,

    he wouldn''t immediately back off.

    Cecilia saw his intention, knowing that he was not nning to get up. She didn''t bother to rush him

    and turned around to walk back.

    Owen was speechless. She just gave up like that?

    God, his head hurt! Owen closed his eyes, rubbing his throbbing temples, while regretting drinking

    so much.

    The wound Ruby left in his heart was deep. He couldn''t control himself and ended up drinking so

    much.

    After sobering up, his feelings for Ruby still filled his heart. He couldn''t ept it! Compared to

    Stefan, where did he fall short?

    Ten years ago, Ruby tried to start a rtionship with Stefan but failed. Ten yearster, she still didn''t

    give up and wanted to try again. He waited for ten years, silently gave away ten years, and in the

    end, he became her tool to pursue Stefan.

    The more Owen thought about it, the angrier he became, and the more his headache intensified.

    The door was opened again. Cecilia came out with a basin of water.

    Seeing this, Owen had a bad feeling. He tried to get up quickly, but due to the hangover, his

    movements were much slower, and before he could get up, he was drenched from the basin of cold

    water Cecilia threw.

    So freaking cold! He felt like he had fallen into an icehouse. Cold to the bone!

    Owen, who hadn¡¯t fully woken up, was nowpletely awake after the cold water hit him.

    He immediately jumped up. Wiping the water off his face, he yelled, ¡°What the hell is that water? It''s

    fucking cold!"

    Just like ice water.

    Ceciliaughed. "You can get up now, can''t you?"

    Owen red at her, pissed.

    "This is cold water, I put ice packs in the basin and waited for the water to turn into ice water before

    sshing it on you. Cool, isn''t it?"

    Owen, "Tell me your nam. I''ll remember you!"

    "Why should I tell you my name? Don''t you know it''s easy to misunderstand when a man asks a

    woman''s name?"

    "I don''t want anyone to misunderstand that I have anything to do with someone like you."

    Owen felt like vomiting blood from Cecilia''s words. He''d seen shameless people, but never one so

    shameless.

    "I can find out your name. I can find out all your information. Wait and see, I''ll make you regret it."

    Owen walked up and kicked the door hard.

    The color drained from Cecilia''s face. She forgot, she was right in front of her house. If Owen really

    wanted to retaliate, none of her family could run away.

    Cecilia began to regret it, feeling sorry about her impulsiveness.

    "Ouch." Owen cried out in pain, then started hopping around.

    Mr. Martinez was really childish. Her front door was made of metal; it was no wonder his kick hurt.

    Served him right, let him suffer!

    Seeing Cecilia''s suppressedughter, Owen quickly put his foot down. He said with a dark face, "If

    you tell me your name, I won''t touch your family. You should be responsible for what you''ve done."

    "Why would I believe a jerk like you will keep his promise?"

    Owen''s face darkened even more, he couldn''t help but yell, "Stop calling me a jerk!"

    "Is Mr. Martinez a nice guy?"

    "You know who I am?"

    Cecilia blinked. "Do you think I would randomly ssh someone with cold water? This is special

    treatment only for you, Mr. Martinez."

    He was silent for a while, then said seriously, "Since you know who I am, you should know that

    when I say something, I mean it."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "But I heard you are a cunning and very insidious man, always plotting against Mr. Coleman."

    Owen''s face turned incredibly grim, "Are you one of Stefan¡¯s fangirls?"

    "Nah, I can''t handle a guy like Mr. Coleman, I don''t have the guts to fall for him."

    Cecilia just didn¡¯t have the balls like Lucinda, not realizing who Stefan was and daring to hire him as

    a husband, and then she even foolishly went and tied the knot with Mr. Coleman. Once they''d tied

    the knot, they were legally husband and wife.

    "Spit it out already, I don''t have time to go back and forth with you."

    Cecilia stayed silent for a bit, then asked him, "If I tell you, you really won''t hurt my family, right?

    What if you break your promise?"

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58

    Owen angrily said, "You know exactly who I am, and you still don''t trust me?"

    Cecilia scoffed. "It''s precisely because I know who you are that I don''t trust you. For people like you,

    who are wealthy and powerful, breaking promises is as easy as pie."

    "You don''t have any chips to negotiate with me now. Whether you speak or not, I can find the

    answers. Your family is right here, and it''s a piece of cake for me to threaten them."

    Cecilia was taken aback by his words. What Owen said was indeed true.

    "I... My name is Cecilia."

    Cecilia told him her name.

    Cecilia? Owen felt like he had heard the name before, but he had no impression of this woman at

    all.

    "How did you recognize me?"

    "I''ve seen you before."

    Owen frowned. "I don''t remember seeing you."

    "You''re Mr. Martinez, so high up in the world. I''m just a small fry. Even if we''ve met, you wouldn''t

    remember me."

    Owen wanted to say he had a good memory and could remember anyone he''d met once. But

    seeing Cecilia''s expression, he decided not to exin further.

    "Do you have a grudge against me? Did I offend you?"

    Even though Owen was in pain, his intelligence was still sharp. He could sense Cecilia''s hostility

    towards him. Recognizing him from the start and still daring to treat him like this, if that was not

    hostility, what was?

    Cecilia did not respond.

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Owen wanted to ask again, but suddenly sneezed twice. He was soaked in ice water because of

    Cecilia, and after sobering up, he felt cold all over. He red at her as if he was about to eat her

    alive.

    Cecilia was a bit scared, but she still defiantly said, "I woke you up and you still insisted on lying at

    my doorstep. I had to use ice water to wake you up. You should be grateful to me. If it wasn''t for the

    bucket of ice water I poured on you, you''d still be out cold."

    Owenughed in anger. "Grateful to you? You soaked me through, if I catch a cold, you just wait

    and see. I''ve seen shameless people, but someone like you is rare. You''re actually quite pretty and

    young, but so shameless, twisting right and wrong."

    Cecilia muttered. "If you catch a cold, I can give you some cold medicine."

    Owen was speechless. As if he couldn''t afford cold medicine.

    "Go inside and find me a change of clothes." Owen ordered.

    He sneezed twice again. He was sure his strong body was about to fall victim to Cecilia''s bucket of

    ice water.

    He didn''t normally hit women, unless they were unreasonable, then he would retaliate. Even so,

    Owen had been very patient. Otherwise, Cecilia would already be on the ground by now.

    He was both physically and mentally strong. Did she think her little bit of strength could subdue

    him? He just didn''t want to confront Stefan directly.

    "Didn''t you say someone ising to pick you up? My father''s clothes might not fit you, and I guess

    you wouldn''t want to wear them. My father works in construction, and his clothes might not be as

    clean as yours."

    Her father was actually in charge of a construction project, responsible forpleting work for

    others. Cecilia said this on purpose. She didn''t want to give Owen clothes, hoping he would feel

    cold, preferably catch a cold, to see if he could still be so arrogant.

    Owen didn''t want to deal with this woman anymore. But he remembered her. Once he left this

    ce, he would investigate her thoroughly, then gradually punish her, making her regret today''s

    actions.

    Owen''s phone rang. The caller ID showed it was Ruby. He seemed to hesitate. But it was only for a

    moment, and he quickly answered Ruby''s call.

    "Owen, where are you?" Ruby asked.

    "What''s the matter?" Owen''s voice was low.

    After asking Ruby, he sneezed several times in a row.

    Cecilia wanted tough, her bucket of cold water was really effective. But she didn''t. She was afraid

    of being silenced by Owen.

    "Owen, what''s wrong with you? Do you have a cold? Where are you now? I went to your house this

    morning, and I wanted to have breakfast with you. When I got to your house, the housekeeper told

    me you didn''te homest night. Are you at the hotel?"

    Ruby knew she had upset Owenst night. So this morning she went to the Martinez family and

    wanted to make breakfast for Owen to cheer him up.

    She had no rtives around, and she came back to Pinehurst to struggle on her own. She needed

    a strong support system, and Owen was her support. She couldn¡¯t really make Owen angry.

    But the housekeeper of the Martinez family said he didn''te homest night. That''s why Ruby

    called him.

    "I''m outside, you... go have breakfast."

    What Ruby said and didst night hurt Owen. He loved Ruby very much, even if she asked him to

    help her pursue Stefan, he was willing to do so to make her happy. But he was always giving

    without getting anything in return.

    Owen also felt disappointed and cold. He felt that he couldn''t always put Ruby first like before and

    needed to be a little indifferent to Ruby. Maybe if he was cold to Ruby, she would realize his

    importance to her, give up Stefan, and be willing to be with him.

    Ruby paused, then said apologetically, "Owen, are you mad at me? I know I... Owen, I''m sorry, can

    you stop being mad at me?"

    Her voice was very soft. "Owen, I know in this world, besides my parents, you''re the one who treats

    me best. I remember everything you''ve done for me."

    Owen held his phone without saying anything. She knew he treated her the best, but she wanted to

    marry Stefan. Did she know that a big reason he was always against Stefan was because of her?

    "Owen, where are you now, I''lle to you."

    Ruby whispered, and cooed, "Owen, don''t be angry, okay? You¡¯re my favorite person, Owen."

    "No need, you go do your thing, I... I''m going to hang up now."

    Owen immediately hung up after he finished talking, fearing that if he hung upter, he would be

    persuaded by Ruby.

    At this moment, he really didn''t want Ruby toe to him, because he was in a very embarrassing

    state right now. He hoped that in Ruby''s eyes, he was always that irresistible hunk, the wildly

    talented Owen. Not this current mess of a man, soaked to the bone, with a headache that had

    turned his face pale, shivering from the cold, and sneezing non-stop.

    This really did a number on his handsome image. His good reputation that he had always

    maintained, was now ruined by Cecilia!

    After hanging up the phone with Ruby, Owen lifted his head, his eyes giving Cecilia an icy stare.

    Feeling his gaze, Cecilia got a little nervous inside but still put on a brave face and said, "What are

    you staring at me for? I know I''m pretty, but if you keep looking at me like this, I''m gonna get shy."

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59

    Owen was ready to hurl.

    Cecilia was the type who exuded an air of freshness and refinement, quite soothing to the eyes. But

    he had seen all types of beauties, and he wasn''t particrly interested in the type that Cecilia

    represented. Especially when the one in his heart was Ruby. Cecilia didn''t even qualify to hold

    Ruby''s pedestal.

    The Martinez family''s bodyguards, following the tracker, found him quickly. They rushed over and

    upon seeing his disheveled state, nearly popped their eyeballs out of shock.

    "Mr. Owen, are you alright?"

    Owen, massaging his throbbing temples, shot Cecilia another re before turning to leave. The

    bodyguards quickly followed suit. After a few steps, he stopped and turned to Cecilia, "Cecilia, I''ll

    get back at you for today."

    He particrly emphasized "get back at you".

    Cecilia, pretending to be calm, retorted, "One must bear the consequences of their actions. If you

    have the guts, go ahead ande at me."

    "Don''t worry, I''ve got the guts!"

    When Owen was confronting Stefan, he was ruthless. That was because he was extremely jealous

    of him. In reality, he wasn''t a bad person. If Cecilia treated him like this, he would settle the score

    with her but wouldn''t vent his anger on the other members of the Yates family.

    The bodyguards'' car was parked outside the alley. After getting in, Owen instructed them to take

    him to the Pinehurst Hotel. He wanted to take a hot shower.

    The bodyguards, clueless about what happened to Owen throughout the night and why he was

    soaked, dared not ask.

    Owen pulled out his phone and dialed his assistant. After connecting, he said, "Walter, look up a girl

    named Cecilia for me. She''s about 23 or 24. Her name sounds familiar, but I can''t ce her."

    Walter, on his way to the office, replied while driving, "Boss, Cecilia is Lucinda''s best friend. They

    run a coffee shop together named Serendipity Cafe. You asked me to look into Lucinda a while back

    and I also looked into the people around her."

    So she was Lucinda''s friend. No wonder the name Cecilia sounded familiar. No wonder Cecilia had

    the guts to kick him and drench him in cold water after recognizing his identity.

    Perhaps she was standing up for Lucinda.

    When he went to see Lucinda, he didn''t do anything bad. He just acted a bit cocky. Maybe Cecilia

    saw his cocky attitude and pegged him as a bad guy.

    Well, as Lucinda''s friend, he really needed to teach her a proper lesson.

    Meanwhile, Stefan returned to Ascend Global. As he entered the office building, he happened to run

    into his assistant Edgar. They walked together.

    "Not biking to work today, boss?" Edgar''s words were clearlyced with jest.

    "My bike is at my wife''s ce. I came straight from home." Stefan wasn''t bothered by Edgar''s

    teasing. "After work, I n to take my wife to enjoy the scenery on the bike. I need to buy her some

    long dresses. It''ll be quite romantic when we''re biking."

    Edgar, ".Boss, I feel like you''re showing off that you have a wife."

    He felt as though he, as a single man, was being mocked.

    Stefan nced at him, "You already had your answer."

    Edgar had noeback.

    The employees following behind, upon hearing the conversation between the two top leaders of the

    company, couldn''t help but chuckle.

    Stefan and Edgar took the executive elevator. Once they stepped in and the doors closed, the

    gossipy ears of the employees were cut off.

    Stefan handed Edgar a few sketches.

    Edgar curiously asked as he took them, "What are these? Design drafts?"

    Stefan didn''t reply. He unfolded the sketches himself and saw portraits of several strangers.

    "Boss, your drawing skills are great. If you have time, draw some more. I guarantee many people

    would buy your artwork. How about we hold an exhibition?"

    "Help me find out who these people are, where they''re from, and why they''re getting close to

    Lucinda."

    Edgar jokingly asked Stefan, "Are they interested in your wife? Are they trying topete with you

    for Lucinda? But there''s malice in their eyes. Your wife doesn''t have enemies, does she?"

    "Lucy doesn''t have enemies. You can tell there''s malice in their eyes, too."

    "Boss, you drew them just like real people. I''m not blind, how could I not see it?"

    Stefan immediately made a phone call. Once the call was connected, he said seriously, "Nelson, get

    Zoey and Zack to see me asap."

    Nelson was the head steward of Ascend Estate. All workers at the estate were under his

    supervision. The deployment of bodyguards was always arranged by Nelson as per the master''s

    instructions.

    "Understood, sir." Nelson replied respectfully.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    After hanging up, the elevator took the two to the top floor of the office building.

    They walked out together.

    Iris was already waiting at the elevator entrance. As the two came out, she followed, reporting work

    matters to Stefan as they walked. Stefan listened and responded while walking.

    When they reached Stefan¡¯s office, Iris stopped. She knew that Mr. Coleman and Edgar had

    something to discuss.

    After the door to Stefan¡¯s office closed, Edgar said, "Boss, could they be causing trouble for your

    wife because of you?"

    Stefan, seated at his desk, pondered, and said, "That''s what I suspect as well. Help me find out

    more, and don''t go easy on them. Give them a good scare. Tell them to take the message back to

    their people. If they have the guts, they shoulde for me."

    Using a woman as a threat, what kind of man did that make them?

    Edgar kept looking at the portraits of those people, saying, "From the intel I''ve recently received, it

    seems the news about your shotgun wedding with Lucinda hasn''t spread. The only person in our

    circle with the inside scoop is Owen, the rest are probably still in the dark. So if they don''t know you

    are hitched, how could they possibly target her?"

    Pondering deeply, Stefan asked, "Edgar, are you suggesting that these guys are after Lucinda?"

    But she hadn''t pissed anyone off, and the Moore family was a bunch of straight shooters living out

    in the townships. How could they have rubbed anyone the wrong way? Why would Lucinda be in

    danger?

    "Boss, we can''t jump to conclusions right now. Let''s wait till we get the results of the investigation.

    From the intel I''ve gathered, it''s unlikely they''d harm your wife because of you."

    Lucinda¡¯s whereabouts over the past decade had been under the boss'' radar. If she had enemies,

    the boss would be the first to know.

    Upon finding out that Stefan was married, Edgar, out of curiosity, did a little snooping and found out

    that his boss had been secretly keeping tabs on a girl for a whole decade. You could say Stefan

    knew how many meals that girl had every day.

    Without doing his own digging, Edgar would never have believed that their seemingly cold and

    heartless boss was actually head over heels in love.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60

    Stefan said seriously, "I want you to look into this thoroughly. Don''t miss any clues. Whoever is

    trying to harm my Lucy, I won''t let them go."

    "I''ll handle the task you''ve given me. But boss, you keep bringing up the love you have for Lucy, it

    kinda stings for a lonely bachelor like me."

    Stefan nced at Edgar and scoffed, "I''m not meddling in your love life. If you''re feeling envious,

    you can totally find a nice girl and fall head over heels. There are plenty of beauties in thepany

    who adore you, need me to hook you up?"

    Upon hearing this, Edgar immediately waved the white g. "Forget it, I don''t want to deal with

    those troublesome women. Once theytch onto you, it''s near impossible to shake them off."

    "I feel like you''re talking about me."

    "If that''s how you interpret it, there''s not much I can do. Ms. Scott is back in the country. I think she''s

    here for you. You better handle this situation before it causes trouble for your wife."

    Stefan fell silent for a moment. "Lucy is not a damsel in distress, and I can''t be protecting her every

    second. By marrying me, she has to face many people and situations; some things she has to deal

    with herself. Lucy also doesn''t want me to be her constant guardian, she''s an independent woman."

    Edgar, aware of his boss'' status, understood the hidden meaning in Stefan''s words.

    "Is there anything else you need, boss? If not, I''ll get back to work."

    Stefan poured himself a ss of water and said to Edgar, "Nope, you''re not going anywhere. We

    have a meeting."

    Oh yeah, there were two important meetings this morning. As the CEO''s personal assistant, he

    couldn''t be absent.

    ......

    Ascend Estate.

    A security guard with a letter approached Patrick who was doing his morning workout.

    Every morning, Patrick would exercise in the yard, and Savannah would be nearby gardening,

    basically keeping himpany.

    This old couple had been in love since they got married. Even now, with their hair turned white, their

    affection for each other remained. Influenced by them, the men of the Anderson family were known

    to pamper their wives.

    The security guard stood aside, not daring to interrupt Patrick''s exercise.

    "What is it?" Savannah noticed the envelope in the guard''s hand, put down her trowel, and asked

    gently, "Is it a letter for him?"

    "Yes, it is."

    Savannah nced at Patrick and told the guard, "Give me the letter, you can go back to work."

    The guard quickly handed the envelope to Savannah and left.

    Savannah sat down at a table under the gazebo with the letter.

    The front of the envelope read, "To Patrick."

    She touched the envelope and felt photos inside. She didn''t open it as it was meant for Patrick. She

    would only see it if he was willing to show her after he had seen it. They had been husband and

    wife for decades; they respected each other and trusted each other, giving each other space.

    In less than two minutes, Patrick came in.

    "What''s this?" He sat next to his wife and asked casually.

    "I think it''s a photo, why don''t you open it and see if I''m right."

    Patrickughed, "Your guesses are usually spot on."

    He picked up the envelope, read the words on it, opened it, and said to his wife, "Dear, I''m guessing

    this is about one of our grandsons'' love affairs. Someone sent it to us, probably wanting us to do

    something."

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    "You have ten grandsons, which one of them would actively seek a rtionship? Let''s not talk about

    the youngest who just came of age, the oldest is Stefan who has quietly gotten married. But he

    hasn''t brought his wife, whom I have never met, back to see us."

    "We have seen her."

    Savannah was somewhat discontented, "It''s different to sneak a look and for him to bring her back

    to meet us. When we sneak a look, we can''t tell her that we are her inws."

    "He''s already married, are you still afraid he won''t bring her back? Just wait, it''s bound to happen.

    This photo...is our granddaughter-inw, who is the man in the photo?"

    Patrick handed the photo to his wife while talking, "There''s a note too."

    The words on the note were also printed; the sender probably did not want the Anderson family to

    find him through his handwriting.

    "Lucinda is an abandoned baby."

    That was the content of the note.

    Patrick frowned when he read the note. They knew that their granddaughter-inw was not of the

    Moore family''s bloodline, but few people knew about it. How did it get leaked and even used by

    someone with ulterior motives?

    "The man in the photo should be Lucinda''s ex-boyfriend, the one who dumped her a while ago,

    right?"

    Savannah had investigated her eldest grandson''s spouse thoroughly. Herwork was even wider

    than Edgar''s.

    "The purpose of sending you these things is clear as day. They want to use you to break up Lucinda

    and Stefan."

    After saying that, Savannah threw the photos on the table, her eyes full of delight when she looked

    at her husband. However, Patrick was fuming. "This bastard dares to use me. Do I look like a

    viin? Do I look like a bad guy who specializes in breaking up my children''s marriages?"

    "When ites to the people in our family, you value background the most, second to none."

    Savannah didn''t hesitate to rebuke her husband.

    Patrick was so angry that his beard twitched and his eyes bulged, his old face flushed. "I went to

    see our granddaughter-inw with you! Did you see me look down on her?"

    Savannahughed, "That''s because you found out that Lucinda was the girl your grandson had

    been pursuing for ten years. Knowing how much he takes after you, you were afraid that if you said

    no, your precious grandson would throw a fit."

    Patrick, "...It sounds like Stefan isn''t your grandson."

    "I''ve always loved Stefan very much, and I would never do anything to hinder him from being with

    Lucinda."

    Patrick was rendered speechless. Yep, he was not totally head over heels for Lucinda. The Moores

    were clearly not in the same league as the Andersons.

    But, the Moores had an impable pedigree, good family values, and they were tight-knit. A family

    like that was bound to raise a top-notch daughter.

    When picking a wife, you could forget about status, going for someone who was decent and

    virtuous. That was the Anderson''s family motto.

    "Who are you saying is using me?" Patrick changed the subject, not in the mood for his wife''s

    ribbing.

    "You''re no dummy, can''t you figure it out? And hey, wanna y bad guy for once?" Savannah had a

    teasing glint in her eyes, mixed with a hint of excitement.

    Patrick felt the hairs on his neck stand up. His wife was up to her old tricks again.

    How did he end up marrying a prankster like her, spoiling her for decades, and filling the house with

    their kids and grandkids!

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61

    The business at Serendipity Caf¨¦ had been going great, just like yesterday. The minute they opened

    the doors, the phone started ringing off the hook. Customers calling in for their coffee fix.

    The staff was running around like headless chickens. Cecilia was so swamped, she didn¡¯t even

    have time to gab about Owen with her friends.

    The majority of the coffee and pastry orders came from Ascend Global employees. The task of

    delivering these orders naturally fell on Lucinda, the caf¨¦ owner.

    There was no other option. Since their budget was tight, they couldn¡¯t afford to hire a bunch of

    employees. Even with just a pastry chef and a clerk, paying their sries brought Lucinda and

    Cecilia under great pressure.

    Thankfully, Lucinda''s book had been attracting quite a few tips, and there would be a hefty amount

    coming in next month. But that money wasing straight out of Stefan¡¯s pocket.

    When she stepped out, the sky was clear. Halfway through her delivery, the weather took a turn for

    the worse, the wind started howling, and heavy rain followed shortly.

    Lucinda quickly pulled over, grabbed a raincoat from the trunk of her car, and continued on her way.

    Delivering orders was just that. No matter how bad the weather got, you had to keep going, or else

    you¡¯d get bad reviews from customers.

    Lucinda was the caf¨¦ owner, delivering packed coffee and pastries to her customers. Even though it

    was different from a professional delivery service, she didn¡¯t want her customers to wait too long.

    But the rain was getting heavier and heavier, and the lower areas of the streets were starting to

    flood.

    Although Lucinda had a raincoat, the rain was so heavy that it hit her face, making it difficult for her

    to keep her eyes open. When she was near Ascend Global headquarters, she struggled to move

    forward in the storm and had to find a ce to stop and take shelter.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Despite all this, her hair, and clothes were already soaking wet.

    The rain didn¡¯t seem to let up, and the wind was strong. Lucinda was stuck between a rock and a

    hard ce.

    Watching time slip away, Lucinda reluctantly dialed her husband¡¯s number.

    "Lucy."

    Hearing the familiar voice, Lucinda hesitated, fearing her husband''s reproach.

    "Lucy, what''s up?"

    "Stefan, I''m sheltering from the rain near your office. The storm is too intense, I can¡¯t ride my bike.

    And the coffee and pastries your employees ordered, they¡¯ve been sitting too long, I..."

    "You went out in this weather!" Stefan cut Lucinda off, his low growl startled her. She was prepared

    to be reprimanded, but she didn''t expect him to be so angry.

    "When I left, it was all sunshine and rainbows. But the summer weather changes too fast, all of a

    sudden it started pouring down, and it¡¯s been going on for a while, doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s going to stop

    anytime soon."

    She wouldn¡¯t have left the caf¨¦ with such bad weather. A cup of coffee, a box of pastries, didn¡¯t earn

    much profit. Staying in the caf¨¦ in bad weather was the safest option.

    "Hold on, I''ming to get you!"

    Stefan hung up the phone, immediately stood up, and pulled out his chair, ready to leave. On his

    way out, he instructed Iris, "Iris, tell everyone in the work group chat, if they want coffee from

    Serendipity Caf¨¦, go there themselves, don¡¯t make Lucy deliver."

    Iris quickly agreed, then she said, "Mr. Coleman, you continue the meeting, I''m going to pick

    someone up."

    Everyone heard Stefan''s low growl. Many people didn¡¯t know who Lucy was, but when the president

    left a meeting because Lucy called several times. From his reaction, everyone present understood

    that Lucy must¡¯ve been a woman the president was fond of.

    Stefan didn¡¯t look back, he just left. He would personally go to pick his wife up.

    Stefan quickly arrived at the ce where Lucinda was taking shelter. When he saw Lucinda soaked

    from head to toe, his face turned as dark as a burnt piece of coal.

    Lucinda was a little scared. She didn''t do anything wrong.

    Twenty minutester.

    In the president''s office lounge, Lucinda, dressed in Stefan¡¯s clothes, came out of the bathroom.

    Stefan, holding a hairdryer, stood not far away. Seeing here out, he ordered, "Come here, dry

    your hair."

    Lucinda at the moment was like a meek rabbit. Whatever he told her to do, she did. She quickly

    walked over, trying to take the hairdryer from him, but he pushed her into the chair, and then helped

    her dry her hair himself.

    "Stefan, I can do it."

    "Shut up!"

    Lucinda immediately shut up, didn¡¯t dare to speak, or try to grab the hairdryer again, letting him

    blow dry her hair with a stern expression.

    After a sneeze, Lucinda quickly covered her mouth and nose, mumbling, "Stefan, I¡¯m not catching a

    cold."

    Stefan didn''t say a word. After helping her dry her hair, he put away the hairdryer.

    Lucinda took advantage of him turning away to take a sneaky peek at his lounge. The lounge was a

    bit smaller than his bedroom, but it had all the necessary amenities.

    Stefan put away the hairdryer and turned to look at her.

    Lucinda knew he was angry, and she felt hurt. Who could predict it would rain heavily halfway?

    Now, it was still raining heavily. The sky outside was gloomy, as if it was going to copse.

    Suddenly Lucinda''s phone rang. It was Cecilia calling.

    "Lucinda, where are you? With such heavy wind and rain, don¡¯t push yourself, find a ce to take

    shelter,e back when the rain stops, be careful on the road."

    "I know, I''m okay, I''m at Stefan''s."

    Knowing that Lucinda was safe and with Stefan, Cecilia was relieved. She hung up the phone, not

    wanting to disturb them.

    "Come here." Stefan said in a deep voice. His eyes were deep like an abyss.

    Even though Lucinda didn¡¯t think she was in the wrong, she felt uneasy under his gaze. It seemed

    he was very angry.

    How would one coax an angry husband? Showing off your charm, making love to him to make him

    get over his anger. His mood would then return to calm!

    "Stefan."

    Lucinda decided to use a method often used by female characters, and that was to act cute with a

    smile!

    She didn¡¯t walk over; she pounced.

    Straight into Stefan¡¯s arms.

    The force of her pounce was so strong, Stefan almost lost his bnce, took a step back, but he still

    held her steady.

    "Honey..."

    Lucinda snuggled up to her husband and cooed, "Sweetie, don''t be mad, okay? I didn''t mean to

    worry you. The weather just changed all of a sudden. It started raining out of nowhere, no warning

    at all."

    Stefan wanted tough, but then he remembered he was supposed to be angry, so he kept a

    straight face, unsmiling.

    "Honey."

    The woman in his arms called his name in a soft, sweet voice. It was so sweet, it made his bones

    go soft.

    He wanted to push her down and get a little cozy with her. And that''s exactly what Stefan did. He

    bent down, picked up the snuggly Lucinda, and carried her in a few strides back to the bed, gently

    laying her down.

    Lucinda was a bit dazed until she felt the bed against her back. She tried to sit up, but her man held

    her down.

    "Stefan, this is your office, your staff could pop in at any moment for work stuff."

    "I''m angry, and I''m fuming."

    Lucinda, ¡°... are you nning to use me to cool down your anger?¡±

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62

    The door to the lounge swung open and out came only Stefan. The man who just yed the role of

    a "peacemaker" was now lying in bed, half asleep.

    It was a rainy day and quite refreshing. A perfect day to be in bed.

    Lucinda thought about the crappy weather and how she couldn''t get back to the coffee shop, so she

    decided to catch some Z''s in Stefan''s lounge. Then she drifted off without a care in the world.

    She had no idea how long she had been sleeping when her stomach growled and woke her up. She

    grabbed her phone from the nightstand, nced at the time, and it was already past one in the

    afternoon. No wonder her tummy was rumbling.

    She jumped out of bed, ran her fingers through her hair, clipped her long hair at the back of her

    head, and dashed out.

    ¡°Stefan¡­ Ike, you''re here too?¡±

    She saw her own brother sitting across from Stefan, their conversation interrupted by her sudden

    appearance.

    Ike was here to discuss a partnership with Ascend Global on behalf of hispany. They were so

    engrossed in their discussion that they even forgot to eat until Lucinda barged in.

    Ike looked at his sister dressed in Stefan''s clothes, then at Stefan, and noticed how Stefan was

    looking at his sister with such gentleness. Stefan quickly got up and walked over to Lucinda.

    ¡°Lucy, you''re awake? Hungry, huh? I''ve asked the manager at Ascend Global Hotel to prepare

    some food. We can go eat now, no need to wait.¡±

    Ike suddenly realized Stefan didn''t forget about eating because of his work, but he was intentionally

    waiting for Lucinda to wake up.

    ¡°I was woken up by my hunger.¡±

    Lucinda whispered, then asked him, ¡°Why is my brother here?¡±

    ¡°Your brother''spany wants to work with mine, we''re in the middle of negotiations.¡±

    Lucinda just nodded. She didn''t understand the business operations of bigpanies, nor was she

    interested. She enjoyed writing stories or reading.

    Running a coffee shop, writing in her free time, making a little money, was enough for her. She felt

    that was the peaceful life she wanted.

    People couldugh at her for not being ambitious. But everyone had their own dreams, and hers

    was to be a great writer. She hoped her books could be published, adapted into movies,

    comics, audiobooks, games, etc. Of course, she mainly aimed to write a bestseller, so she could

    count money until her hands got tired.

    ¡°Because of you, I will¡­¡±

    Stefan was cut off by Lucinda. ¡°Stefan, let''s keep it professional.¡±

    She didn''t want Stefan to work with her brother just because of her. She wanted Stefan to be willing

    to cooperate because of her brother''s ability and sincerity.

    Stefanughed, ¡°Your brother is not only my old ssmate but also your brother. It''s only natural for

    me to help my wife''s brother.¡±

    ¡°Did you two forget that I''m sitting right here?¡±

    Ike knocked on the table, ¡°Stefan, Lucy is right. Let''s keep it professional. I don''t need your help to

    take shortcuts. As long as you approve of our cooperation n, we can work together. If not, don''t

    force it. We''re hoping for a win-win situation, not for anyone to suffer.¡±

    Stefan came over with his arm around Lucinda,ughing, ¡°I''ve seen your n, it''s very innovative.

    I''m somewhat fascinated. But let''s not talk about work now, Ike, let''s go eat.¡±

    Ike got up, ¡°Alright, let''s go eat.¡±

    Stefan was a bit taken aback by Ike''s reaction. Ike raised an eyebrow, and he then said with a

    smile, ¡°Let''s go.¡±

    He thought Ike would have the decency not to be a third wheel, but when he pretended to invite him

    to eat, Ike actually epted.

    ¡°Why is Lucy wearing your clothes?¡± Ike asked.

    ¡°I was out delivering coffee and pastries when it suddenly started to rain heavily. It wouldn''t stop, so

    I had no choice but to call Stefan for help. He brought me back to hispany. There were no

    clothes for me in his lounge, so I had to wear his temporarily.¡±

    Ike was silent for a moment, then said to Stefan, ¡°Stefan, I''ll take Lucy home to change, we''ll meet

    at Ascend Global Hotel.¡±

    Ike pulled Lucinda over and walked away with her. Stefan was speechless. What was he supposed

    to do with his wife being taken away by Ike?

    On the way home, Ike asked his sister, ¡°Lucy, have you made up your mind?¡±

    Lucinda was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Yes.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    ¡°His family is high up there, and you might not be able to adapt after marrying him. It could be very

    exhausting.¡± Ike reminded his sister.

    ¡°Marriage is not just between two people; it involves both families. You don''t have to worry about

    our family, but will his family ept you? He hasn''t taken you home to meet his parents yet, has

    he?¡±

    ¡°I''m not ready yet. I went to his house at Diamond Ridge Estates with himst night. He said he

    could take me home to meet his family anytime during the weekend as long as I''m willing.¡±

    Lucinda unconsciously defended Stefan, not wanting her brother to criticize him.

    ¡°He said his family is very easy to get along with and very open-minded.¡±

    Ikeughed, ¡°Who would say their family is bad and hard to get along with? Some people are very

    good to their family but very cold to outsiders. Different social sses, different social circles, what

    he can give you is a position as a high-status wife, but can you handle it? Not to mention his family''s

    attitude towards you, just his suitors alone would give you a headache. I know, his childhood

    sweetheart Ruby is back in the country.¡±

    Ike had been investigating Stefan''s affairs recently. He regretted, regretted that even though he and

    Stefan were college ssmates for four years and kept in touch after graduation, he still didn''t

    understand Stefan. He didn''t even know Stefan''s real identity.

    ¡°Lucy, like I said before, Stefan is a hard man to handle. You don''t have the schemes and tactics to

    compete with him¡­¡±

    ¡°Ike, Stefan and I are husband and wife, not enemies. We don''t need topete.¡±

    Ike, ¡°...I mean you can''t control him. You''ll be controlled by him. You like a simple life, but his life is

    destined to be anything but simple.¡±

    Lucinda kept calm.

    "I''ve spilled all these beans in the hope that you''d understand. If you decide to kick him to the curb,

    I''ve got your back. If not, I won''t twist your arm. But if you choose to stick around and y house,

    you gotta switch up your attitude and get with his program."

    After a brief pause, Ike added, "Honestly, I''d rather you give him the boot."

    "I''ve already told you, Stefan''s not up for a breakup. We''re the real deal now. He... actually has a lot

    of aspects you guys don''t know about. I think...I''m falling for Stefan."

    Ike was bummed out.

    After all the gabbing his sister wasn''t taking a blind bit of notice. Kids these days, they just didn¡¯t get

    it!

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63

    "Whether Stefan''s parents like me or not, it doesn''t faze me. After all, I''m not spending my life with

    them; as long as Stefan digs me, that''s all that matters. Besides, I''m not that bad a person."

    Lucinda didn''t think she was any less than Stefan.

    "Ah well, forget I said anything."

    Ike understood his beloved sister now belonged to Stefan. That guy swept her off her feet in no

    time.

    About ten minutester.

    Ike''s car stopped at the entrance of the apartmentplex.

    "Ike, you wait here, I''ll go in and change and be right back."

    Ike responded, "No rush, take your sweet time, let Stefan hang tight a bit. Lucinda, you gotta make

    Stefan follow the rules youid down in your novel about men respecting women."

    "He was your mate for four years at university, how can you not stand him?"

    Ike smirked, "He stole my sister without a peep, and I''ve yet to give him a piece of my mind, what

    else do you want me to do?"

    "It''s me who hired Stefan as my husband, I give him 500 bucks a month for rent, including food,

    amodation and clothing."

    Ike waved his hand, urging his sister, "Get out of the car and go change. You¡¯re about to drive me

    up the wall. Let me chill for a bit."

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Lucinda got out of the car on her own. She turned to leave.

    "Lucinda."

    A strange call came. Lucinda turned around to look for the source of the sound. She saw a strange

    womaning out of a BMW in front. The woman was dressed in famous brands from head to toe,

    strutting over arrogantly.

    Who was this? Could it be Stefan''s suitor?

    Ike had the same thought, he immediately got out of the car and stood beside his sister, watching

    the woman approach. He whispered to his sister, "Lucy, who is she?"

    "Don''t know her."

    "Lucinda."

    The woman came to the siblings, she first took a nce at Lucinda, then said in an emotionless

    tone, "Young and pretty. Even in men''s clothes your feminine grace isn¡¯t hidden, but rather, it adds

    some coolness. You really can catch one''s eye, even if you only meet once, it would be hard to

    forget you."

    Lucinda calmly asked, "Who are you?"

    "I am George''s wife."

    Lucinda''s eyes flickered, her expression unchanged, "So you''re looking for me for something?"

    Turns out, this was George''s boss'' niece. After George broke up with his wife, he married this

    woman.

    Mrs. Mitchell looked at Ike, then said to Lucinda, "Lucinda, can we talk privately?"

    Before Lucinda could answer, she continued, "I know your coffee shop is not far from here."

    "Mrs. Mitchell, if you have something to say, you can say it here. I haven''t eaten yet, so I''m really

    hungry, and my man is waiting for me to join him for lunch."

    Mrs. Mitchell didn''t expect Lucinda to reply like this, she asked Lucinda, "You have a new

    boyfriend?"

    "Do you think I would be silly enough to wait for George? He had chosen you long ago, I epted

    this reality, so I no longer like him."

    Mrs. Mitchell carefully scrutinized Lucinda''s expression; it seemed like she wasn''t lying. She opened

    her bag, took out an envelope from it, and handed it to Lucinda, "This is a letter someone sent me

    anonymously. It''s rted to you. You can take a look."

    Lucinda was puzzled. Why would a letter rted to her be sent to Mrs. Mitchell? She took the

    envelope, and what came out was a picture. Seeing the picture, she immediately understood why

    Mrs. Mitchell came to find her. The picture was of her and George, the two of them either holding

    hands, or hugging, or George kissing her forehead.It looked very sweet.

    George married his boss'' niece; since then he has been favored by the boss, promoted, and given a

    raise, living in a mansion, driving a luxury car, and with enough money to spend as he pleased.

    What he had to do was take good care of his wife.

    Mrs. Mitchell loved George very much, and seeing these pictures, she couldn''t stay calm.

    "Mrs. Mitchell, these pictures were taken when George and I had not broken up." Lucinda

    exined, "If you don''t believe me, you can take them back and ask George. They were originally

    dated, but the ones you received have no date, indicating that the pictures have been tampered

    with. The motive of the person sending you the pictures should be very clear."

    Before Mrs. Mitchell could speak, Lucinda continued, "You should be very clear why George and I

    broke up. You may think George is irreceable, but I have no feelings for him anymore. I won''t get

    back with him! He hase to find me twice because he heard that I have failed several blind

    dates and mistakenly thought that I couldn''t forget him, so he even proposed that I be his mistress,

    he is really shameless!"

    Mrs. Mitchell''s face immediately changed. Lucinda didn''t care, she just wanted to take this

    opportunity to expose George''s true face.

    Everything George had now was all thanks to Mrs. Mitchell, so only Mrs. Mitchell could give him his

    due retribution.

    "Mrs. Mitchell, there''s a saying ''men be bad once they get rich'', this has been proven time and

    time again through painful experiences. You can go back and ask George, if he still has these

    pictures, please ask him to cut out the part with him from the pictures, the part with just me can be

    returned to me, and remember to destroy the negatives, so as they are not used by people with ill

    intentions, as is the case now."

    Mrs. Mitchell was silent for a long time, she kept staring at Lucinda. After a while, she looked at Ike

    and asked Lucinda, "Is he your new boyfriend?"

    "He''s my brother."

    "Is it a blood-rted brother?"

    "What else?"

    Mrs. Mitchell blinked, saying, "You guys don''t look alike at all. Lucinda, I''ll take your word for it for

    now. I''ll go check this out and if I''ve got the wrong end of the stick, I''ll apologize. George chose me

    over you back then, I owe you an apology for that."

    Before their marriage, she had never met Lucinda, but she knew George had a girlfriend named

    Lucinda. She decided to tie the knot with George anyway, luring him away from Lucinda with

    tempting benefits, making him pick her in the end. So, she felt guilty towards Lucinda.

    "I should actually be thanking you. You helped me see George for who he really is. I should be

    grateful he chose to break up with me."

    That''s how she ended up finding a guy like Stefan to be her husband. No, Stefan had his eye on her

    since forever. Lucinda''s emotions were a roller coaster.

    "I should thank you for the heads up, too. Guys can turn rotten after they get rich. Don''t worry, I

    won''t let George bother you again."

    The nerve of George, using her money to find his ex, even saying he''d sponsor his ex. She gave

    George too much money, making him forget who helped him reach sess in the first ce.

    "Thank you."

    Lucinda expressed her gratitude sincerely.

    Mrs. Mitchell stared at Lucinda intently for a moment, "My apologies for the intrusion."

    With that, she turned and walked towards her BMW.

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64

    The whole time, Ike was basically a mute. Anything his little sis could handle, he didn''t need to butt

    in.

    Even though their family doted on her, they never spoiled her rotten. They were always there for

    her, trying to help her grow into a strong, independent woman. But just as she was starting to

    blossom, she got all starry-eyed for Stefan.

    "I''m gonna change."

    Ike gently tousled her hair and said softly, "Go ahead."

    Lucinda wasn''t bothered by Mrs. Mitchell''sment about her looking nothing like her brother.

    When Lucinda went into the apartmentplex, Ike fell into deep thought. The whole family knew

    Lucinda wasn''t their biological daughter. His real sister got sick when she was just a few months old

    and didn''t make it. Everyone was heartbroken, especially their mom, who cried every day.

    Dad''s attempts tofort her were useless. Then one day, Dad brought home Lucinda, a child he

    said he found.

    She was dressed in nice clothes and wore a gold ne. His real sister''s name was Lucinda, so

    they gave the orphan that name.

    Lucinda wore that gold ne for years. After she started school, she stopped wearing it and it

    was now kept safely by their mom.

    Lucinda had been part of the Moore family for nearly 24 years and was as much a part of the family

    as anyone else. As for the fact that Lucinda didn''t resemble them, their mother told a white lie,

    saying she took after her grandmother, not them. Their grandmother had passed away a long time

    ago; Ike didn''t even have any memory of her. So, Lucinda didn''t pay much attention toments

    about her not looking like them.

    Lucinda quickly finished changing.

    Ike watched as his sister slowly approached him. Even in a in long dress, she was a natural

    beauty. The thought of his sweet sister being with Stefan made him feel blue.

    "Ike."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Lucinda ran over happily, a sweet smile on her beautiful face. Her dark eyes were as bright as stars

    in the night sky.

    She''d put on a light makeup, probably for Stefan. In the past, she rarely put on makeup.

    Girls were smitten by boys too easily. In no time at all, Stefan had his sister wrapped around his

    finger.

    "Let''s leave. I''m starving."

    Ike gently patted her forehead and said, "That''s what you get for sleeping in his lounge till now. It''s

    late and you must be famished. I thought Stefan and I were having such a great chat he forgot to

    eat, but he was actually waiting for you to wake up."

    Lucinda just chuckled and didn''t say anything.

    Once they got in the car, she buckled her seatbelt and said, "It''s so cool today because of the rain,

    that''s why I fell asleep so easily. I''m sorry for making you starve. Once I get my paycheck, I''ll treat

    you to a nice meal."

    Before Ike started the car, he indulgently patted her forehead again, "I think you''re trying to

    sabotage me. Eating heavy at night can make people fat. Are you trying to make me fat so I can''t

    get a girl?"

    Lucindaughed happily.

    "That''s not it. You are handsome and charming. You can get anyone you want whenever you want.

    But you''re not getting any younger. You''re turning thirty next year. If you don''t find a partner soon,

    people will start thinking you''re an old man."

    Ike was speechless. A man in his thirties was still young. He was not an old man.

    The siblings chatted andughed all the way to Ascend Hotel.

    Stefan was waiting outside the hotel with another man.

    "Lucy." As soon as Ike parked the car, Stefan came over. He gantly helped Lucinda open the car

    door, intending to help her out.

    "Stefan, I can walk just fine. I don''t need your help."

    Lucinda tried to dodge Stefan''s hand, but he ended up lifting her out of the car.

    Lucinda blushed instantly because the stranger was grinning at her. Ike looked puzzled as Stefan

    held his sister and didn''t let go. Was he being ignored?

    "Stefan." Ike called out sternly.

    Stefan looked at Ike, grinned, and casually put Lucinda down. Then he whispered, "I wouldn''t mind

    carrying you in."

    Lucinda gently scolded him. His affectionate gaze left her speechless.

    Ike quickly walked over and pulled his sister away from Stefan.

    The unfamiliar man also approached, joking, "Ike, are you afraid my brother will steal your sister?"

    Only then did Lucinda realize this man was Stefan''s brother. He had many brothers, which one was

    this? She eyed the stranger. He looked a bit like Stefan, probably a blood brother?

    Ike replied seriously and sternly, "They should be mindful of public perception. If the press

    recognizes Stefan and posts a video of him online, it will only cause trouble for my sister."

    Eric was speechless. He knew his cousin''s reputation. If someone snapped a photo of him carrying

    a woman into the Ascend Global hotel, it would certainly get the media buzzing. Though many

    guessed who Lucinda was when his cousin took her to a business cocktail party, nobody outed her.

    So, his cousin was still rtively low-profile.

    Owen wanted everyone in the city to know Stefan was married, but Ruby didn''t. She asked Owen

    not to spread the news. Reluctantly, Owen agreed. So Lucinda''s identity remained a secret.

    "Lucy, this is my cousin. He''s my uncle''s son, Eric."

    Stefan slickly positioned himself between the Moore siblings, introduced his younger cousin to

    Lucinda, sessfully separated the two siblings and once again stood beside his wife.

    ¡°Hi there.¡± Lucinda greeted politely.

    She originally thought they were blood brothers, but it turns out he was the son of one of Stefan''s

    uncles. Surprisingly, they looked a bit alike, guess they both took after their dads.

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°Food is ready, pleasee in.¡± Eric made an inviting gesture.

    Lucinda nodded in agreement.

    Stefan took her hand and they entered the hotel together.

    Following closely behind was Ike. It was only when he bumped into Eric''s arm that Ike realized his

    sister had been whisked away by Stefan once again. That sneaky bugger!

    ¡°Ike, do you have beef with my cousin?¡±

    Eric asked as they walked, his voice barely a whisper to avoid the couple in front, hand in hand,

    looking so lovey-dovey.

    Ike snorted, ¡°As if I¡¯d dare, he is the big shot CEO of Ascend Global!¡±

    Eric chuckled, ¡°That makes it sound a bit ufortable.¡±

    He had seen Stefan at the station before, as well as Ike. Thinking back, they should have known

    each other for about eight or nine years now.

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65

    Ike got royally screwed over by the Anderson brothers. But he had a hand in it too. He never

    bothered to look into Stefan''s family background nor did he ever ask. He thought it was bad

    manners to pry into someone''s family business.

    Stefan never mentioned his family at school, so Ike felt even more awkward asking about it. He was

    scared of hitting a nerve and making things awkward. Now, Ike was kicking himself. If only he''d

    asked more back then, his sister wouldn''t have ended up with Stefan so quickly.

    "Your cousin is a cunning fox, he kept his real identity from me for eleven years," Ike grumbled.

    Eric defended his cousin, "You never asked about him. He wanted to keep a low profile."

    Ike was at a loss for words. After a moment, he fired back, "How would you feel if your best friend

    hooked up with your sister behind your back?"

    "I don''t have a sister."

    "I meant hypothetically."

    "Your hypothetical is unrealistic. I don''t have a sister, so I can''t imagine what that feels like. Even if

    you asked me a hundred times, I still wouldn''t be able toprehend the feeling of parting with a

    sister when she gets married."

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Ike was pissed off.

    The Anderson family had mostly boys. The olddy had five sons and one daughter. In Stefan''s

    generation, it was all boys again. The olddy never had a granddaughter and this remained a

    regret in her life. Now, all she could hope for was that her grandsons would get married and have

    daughters.

    Stefan didn''t know nor did he care that Ike was fuming because of his cousin. He exined to his

    wife, "Eric is third in line among us brothers. He''s in charge of all the food and beverage businesses

    under our family¡¯spany. He''s the general manager of Ascend Hotel."

    Lucinda responded with a casual nod. She asked quietly, "Does your family know about us?"

    "They probably do. Most of the people at the party that night were familiar faces."

    Even if he didn''t tell his family, someone would have spilled the beans to his elders. His

    grandparents would definitely find out. Although the old folks no longer worked and seemed out of

    touch with the outside world, spending most of their time gardening at home, they were actually

    well-informed. Their sources of information were even quicker than Stefan¡¯s.

    Lucinda gave his hand a slight twist and muttered, "You sly fox!"

    He said he needed her to be hispanion. Basically, he was announcing to the world, low-key,

    that she was Stefan''s woman! Back then, she had happily apanied him to social events,

    thrilled to be of help. In the end, she got yed.

    Stefanughed. He admitted he was a crafty one. Everything he did was to draw her into his world,

    to make her his beloved wife. To be with her for the rest of their lives and grow old together.

    Eric had arranged a luxurious private room for them and had already ordered all the dishes. Once

    the four of them were seated, they could start their meal.

    Two waitresses stood guard outside the room. They didn''t know the identity of Stefan and the

    others, but they knew Eric was the general manager. Anyone who could get the general manager to

    personally entertain them must¡¯ve been someone of high status and wealth.

    That man was so handsome! But he was already married. Good men were always someone else''s

    husband.

    Lucinda was starving, and Stefan let her have soup first. After finishing the soup, Lucinda finally felt

    a bit more energetic.

    "Lucy, you have the shrimp. I know you love seafood, so I specifically ordered a lot. They''re all

    fresh."

    Stefan was wearing disposable gloves, peeling the shrimp for Lucinda, and putting the peeled

    shrimp onto Lucinda''s te.

    Lucinda tried a shrimp. It was very fresh.

    Stefan kept peeling the shrimp for her. All she had to do was eat the shrimp. He also thoughtfully

    put the fish onto her te when she wanted to eat fish.

    He was very considerate. The food he put on her te was all carefully chosen for her.

    "Stefan, you need to eat too."

    Lucinda also thoughtfully urged Stefan to eat something. She had been sleeping for so long, and he

    must¡¯ve been starving too.

    Stefan smiled, "I''ll eatter."

    First, he had to let her eat.

    Sitting across from the couple, Ike and Eric were speechless as they watched the considerate

    Stefan. They felt like third wheels, and they also felt as if the couple was unting their love, making

    them envious.

    "Stefan." Ike deliberately pushed his te toward Stefan and said, "I also love shrimp, but I hate

    peeling the shells. Can you help me peel the shrimp?"

    Before Stefan could answer, Lucinda picked up a pair of disposable gloves and handed them to Ike.

    "Ike, Stefan still needs to eat. He can''t peel shrimp for you. If you want to eat shrimp, you''ll have to

    peel it yourself."

    Ike was speechless.

    Stefan had a satisfied smile on his face, feeling sweet inside.

    Eric put on his disposable gloves, picked up two shrimps, peeled off the shells, and then put one of

    the shrimps on Ike''s te,ughing, "Ike, eat the shrimp."

    Ike pulled his te back a bit disgruntled.

    "Do you really like seafood?"

    Lucinda nodded, "I love seafood."

    She always ate a lot whenever they had seafood.

    "We have a few private inds. When you have time, let Stefan take you there for a few days. You

    can go out to sea to catch fish."

    Eric suggested to Stefan. Even though he only met Lucinda today, he could tell that Stefan really

    liked her, but Lucinda''s feelings for Stefan were not as deep. The couple needed to spend more

    time together to deepen their bond.

    Lucinda looked at Stefan, who fed her a piece of crab.

    "I''ll take you home this weekend, and you can meet my family."

    He then turned to Ike and asked, "Ike, do you want toe with us?"

    Ike scrunched his face, "I feel like a third wheel here. Why do I have to tag along when you''re taking

    my sister to meet your parents? What am I supposed to do there? Are you trying to rub your lovey-

    dovey rtionship in my face? Didn''t you two think about me and Eric when you''re busy unting

    your romance? We''re still single, you know. You should consider our feelings too."

    Eric nodded in agreement.

    "And next time you guys go fishing at sea, don''t forget to take me." Ike loved surfing, so he added.

    When Lucinda heard her brother''s words, she felt shy. She indeed neglected her brother and Eric

    while enjoying Stefan''s attentiveness.

    "Alright, next weekend, we''ll hit the sea and stay on the ind for a couple of days."

    Stefan agreed readily. If it could make Ike happy, then it was a good thing. Ike always had a lot to

    say about him.

    "We can invite more people. The more, the merrier."

    Eric said with augh. "You invite whoever you want. I don''t care how many."

    Stefan fed his beloved wife again.

    Watching his brother-inw being so attentive to his wife, Eric thought about telling him about

    Ruby''s return, but after some contemtion, he decided it was better not to.

    They trusted their brother-inw could handle everything. They didn''t need to worry about him.

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66

    Ike bailed out right after dinner, not wanting to stick around any longer. He felt relieved seeing his

    old buddy being so caring towards his sister. But the PDA between the two was just too much for

    him to handle, so he decided to leave.

    Eric followed suit and left with Ike. He joined them for dinner mainly to see what kind of woman

    could have his brother so smitten.

    His first impression of her was that she was stunning, but he couldn''t find any other merits yet.

    Nevertheless, if his brother chose a girlfriend, she must be a decent woman.

    Stefan was thest one to finish eating, as he had been peeling shrimp for Lucinda. When he put

    down his fork, someone handed him some napkins.

    It was Lucinda who passed them over. He didn''t take them, instead, he stared deeply into her eyes.

    Lucinda quickly got the hint. She leaned over and carefully wiped the oil stains around his mouth

    with the napkin.

    The next moment, she felt a kiss on her lips. The man had the audacity to steal a kiss when they

    were too close.

    Lucinda immediately pushed him away. "Stefan, can you behave?"

    Stefan chuckled, "Being too serious with my own wife isn''t a good thing, you know."

    Lucinda blushed. This man, he was one way in public and another in private. But she liked him just

    the way he was.

    ¡°Lucy, what do you think of the food here?¡±

    ¡°It''s excellent, really good.¡± Lucinda got up as she spoke, ¡°Let''s go, you probably have to go to

    work.¡±

    Stefan checked the time, ¡°I¡¯m alreadyte. I¡¯ll skip work today, Lucy. Let me show you around.¡±

    Lucinda: "As the CEO of Ascend Global, how could you do that?"

    Stefan stood up and pulled her up, leading her towards the exit. ¡°I¡¯ve already delegated the

    important work to Charles. Don¡¯t worry, Ascend Global won¡¯t copse without me. The sess of

    Ascend Global isn¡¯t just my achievement. I was just lucky to be born into the Anderson family and

    be the heir.¡±

    Since he said so, Lucinda stopped arguing.

    Just as they were leaving the hotel, Lucinda got a call from her mom.

    ¡°It¡¯s my mom.¡±

    Lucinda told Stefan, signaling him to keep his voice down.

    Stefan was helpless. What had he done wrong? His mother-inw was quite pleased with him.

    ¡°Mom.¡±

    Lucinda answered the call and sweetly called out ''mom''.

    Fiona, on hearing her sweet tone, suspiciously asked, ¡°Are you trying to butter me up because you

    did something you don¡¯t want me to know about?¡±

    ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t. Don¡¯t you know what kind of person I am? How could I possibly do anything wrong? I

    just missed you, that''s why I called you ¡®mom¡¯ like that.¡±

    Fiona chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t give me that. You wouldn¡¯t miss me. If it weren¡¯t for me pushing you toe

    home, you¡¯d probably be out all year. If you really miss me, you cane home anytime.¡±

    She knew her daughter all too well.

    ¡°Mom, we live quite a distance apart. It takes me a while to drive home. Mom, do you have

    something you want to talk to me about? Now that I¡¯m married, please stop setting me up on blind

    dates.¡±

    Lucinda was at her wits'' end with the blind dates her mom had arranged for her.

    ¡°Can''t I just call you to chat?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can mom. What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°I''m at work.¡±

    Fionaughed, ¡°Lucinda, I¡¯ll give you a minute to decide whether to continue lying or tell the truth.¡±

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m telling the truth.¡±

    ¡°Lucinda, I''m at your caf¨¦ right now. Cecilia said you''ve been out since this morning and haven''t

    come back. Is this how you run your business? You don''t care about anything in the store, being an

    irresponsible owner. Without hard work, when will your caf¨¦ make up for the investment? Do you

    think you have no pressure because we don''t rush you to pay back? You know, no pressure means

    no motivation.¡±

    Lucinda inwardly sighed. Her lie was busted by her mom.

    ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°Lucy''s with me.¡± Stefan spoke up, exining for his wife, ¡°This morning, there was a sudden heavy

    rain. Lucy delivered takeout to my office. Due to the heavy rain, I asked her to stay in my office to

    take shelter. After work, I took her out for dinner. Now, we¡¯re about to head back.¡±

    With the mother-inw here, his n to take his wife for a ride probably won¡¯t work.

    ¡°Stefan, you''re there too.¡± Fionaughed, ¡°Then you two have fun. No rush toe back. I¡¯ll look

    after the shop.¡±

    She really liked Stefan.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Stefan thanked her gently.

    Once Fiona confirmed that they were together, she hung up with peace of mind. Cecilia brought a

    te of fruit over and put it in front of her, ¡°Fiona, have some fruit.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Cecilia, will my presence here affect your business?¡±

    Fiona looked at the customers in the caf¨¦, all seats were taken.

    Business was good. The peopleing here for coffee all looked like sessful people, men and

    women alike, all dressed to the nines.

    Fiona didn''t like coffee, she hated the bitterness.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Cecilia pulled out a chair and sat down across Fiona, smilingly asked, ¡°You came to see Lucinda all

    of a sudden. Do you have something urgent?¡±

    Fiona looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation, then she

    cautiously told Cecilia, ¡°I suspect that Lucinda and Stefan''s marriage is a sham. They got married to

    fool me because I kept setting Lucinda up on blind dates. I''m afraid Lucinda chose to have a fake

    marriage with Stefan just to avoid going on any more blind dates.¡±

    A mother really knew her daughter. She guessed it right.

    Lucinda initially hired Stefan to pose as her husband, but the dude fell for Lucinda once he got

    involved. So, she was stuck with him now.

    Cecilia warned her not to do this, but she wouldn''t listen. Now everything Cecilia said hase

    true.

    "So, I suddenly popped up here because of this. If they''re pulling a fast one on me together, they''ll

    slip up eventually. I''ve got my clothes and all, nning to stay here for a while, so I can keep a

    close eye on them."

    Cecilia chuckled, "Fiona, you might be overthinking this. Lucinda wouldn''t deceive you. She really

    married Mr. Coleman, I saw it with my own eyes, it''s legit."

    "Their marriage agreement is real." Cecilia added.

    "I know their marriage agreement is real, but they could also change it to a divorce agreement."

    Cecilia was left speechless.

    Gotta say, Fiona knew her daughter inside out.

    After a while, Cecilia asked, "Fiona, do you really like Mr. Coleman that much?"

    "Of course, he''s tall, handsome, and works at a bigpany. He''s got a bright future. Our Lucinda

    is quite a looker too. If the son-inw is handsome, their next generation is bound to be good-

    looking."

    Ceciliaughed, "So you really do care about looks."

    "I don''t just care about looks, but good-looking people are always more likable."

    Again, Cecilia was left speechless.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67

    "Whether they actually tie the knot or not, as long as they sign the marriage agreement, I wouldn''t

    let them split. As long as I''m around, they wouldn''t dare to sneak a divorce. If Lucinda dares to pull

    a stunt like that, I''ll line up ten blind dates for her every day."

    Clearly, Fiona was hell-bent on keeping Stefan in her clutches, not letting him off the hook.

    If Stefan were to hear what Lucinda''s mom was saying right now, he''d definitely retort, "I wanna be

    your son-inw forever, don''t worry, I ain''t going anywhere."

    Cecilia chimed in: "Fiona, don''t you think you''ve pushed Lucinda to the limit with the match-making

    that she''s marrying Mr. Coleman just to escape it all? They''ve known each other for eleven years,

    they''re tight. It''s not like they rushed into marriage, they genuinely dig each other."

    Cecilia rolled her eyes internally, eleven years of familiarity but they still felt like strangers. Lucinda

    was royally screwed over by Mr. Coleman. In Cecilia''s eyes, she was just too naive.

    "Cecilia, you''re about the same age as Lucinda, right?" Suddenly Fiona shifted the conversation to

    Cecilia.

    "Fiona, you enjoy your fruit first, there is something I need to take care of."

    Cecilia quickly made an excuse to beat it. Her folks were also on her case about settling down, but

    not as relentless as Fiona was with Lucinda.

    "Cecilia, go ahead. Next time Ie across a decent bloke, I''ll introduce him to you."

    Fiona offered warmly.

    Cecilia high-tailed it out of there even faster.

    Fiona went back to munching her fruit. She didn''t know any of the other people around, so she

    whipped out her phone and started chatting with her husband on Whatsapp.

    Vincent told her: "Our daughter''s married now, once you''ve confirmed she''s not putting on a show,

    come back here pronto. Stop meddling with the kids'' work. If you have the time, you can start

    nagging our son about getting married. He''s turning thirty next year and doesn''t even have a

    girlfriend."

    True, their daughter was married now, but they still had a son.

    Ike was five years older than Lucinda. But Ike didn''t heed her words, and he wasn''t afraid of her

    pressure to get married. Whenever she started nagging, her son would listen attentively, then

    promise to find a girlfriend. However, he would forget all about it after a while.

    Over time, Fiona didn''t feel like nagging her son anymore. Her daughter was more obedient, after

    all, she had found a man and got married under the continuous pressure for marriage from her.

    The ss door was pushed open and three men walked in. The man leading the group was

    probably in his fifties, followed by two younger men, all suited up.

    Fiona stood up and walked over, smiling and asking: "Gents, what can I get you? Any preference for

    coffee?"

    The leading man sized up Fiona and asked her: "Are you a server here or the owner?"

    "I''m the owner''s mom."

    "Are you Cecilia''s mom or Lucinda''s mom?"

    "What are you guys up to?" Fiona asked warily. They clearly weren''t regr customers. Otherwise,

    they wouldn''t ask this question.

    "I''m from the Martinez family. The master of our house is ill and he had mee to find Cecilia."

    Fiona frowned, "If your master is ill, why are you looking for Cecilia? Cecilia is not a doctor, you

    should take him to the hospital."

    Wouldn''t such a family have a private doctor? Could it be, Cecilia really knew medical skills?

    "Don''t talk too much. Call Cecilia out."

    "Cecilia isn''t a doctor, and she doesn''t know how to treat patients. You should rush your master to

    the hospital for treatment."

    Fiona felt the three men were shady. She didn''t want to tell them who Cecilia was.

    "What''s going on?"

    Cecilia came out with a te of freshly baked pastries. These were ordered by the customers.

    She sent the pastries to the customers'' table, smiled and told them: "Enjoy your meal, if you have

    any feedback, feel free to let us know, we''re all ears."

    The customers smiled and indicated they got it.

    Then she returned to Fiona''s side and asked the three men: "Are you looking for me?"

    Cecilia responded directly to them before Fiona had a chance to stop her.

    "Ms. Yates, I''m the butler of the Martinez family. Our master hase down with a bad cold."

    Webster stared at Cecilia. Their master had always been robust and rarely fell sick. Even when he

    did get sick, he usually had their family doctor see him rather than going to the hospital.

    Today, after he returned from outside, he started to feel unwell. Surprisingly, he didn''t let them call

    the family doctor but had hime to Serendipity Cafe with two bodyguards to find Cecilia.

    Webster was curious about who Cecilia was. Their master wouldn''t even see Ruby, yet he wanted

    to see Cecilia.

    Webster had many questions, but it wasn''t appropriate to ask.

    After hearing Webster''s reply, Cecilia was stunned. That lousy CEO got sick? A bucket of ice water

    caused him to acquire a cold. His physique was horrible; it had to be the effect of overindulgence;

    his body was exhausted.

    He looked burly and healthy, but it was just a facade. So, he just looked healthy but was actually

    weak.

    Owen was about to explode, the water she poured on him was ice water, ice water.

    "Fiona was right just now, your master is ill, but what''s the point of getting me? I''m not a doctor. I

    can''t treat him. You should hurry back and take him to the hospital."

    Webster was polite enough, he had to be careful not knowing the rtionship between Cecilia and

    their master. If Cecilia turned out to be their master''s future wife, he wouldn''t be in her good books,

    and life in the Martinez family would be difficult for him in the future.

    "Ms. Yates, our master sent us to pick you up. He said, as long as we ryed this message to you,

    you would naturallye with us."

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Cecilia wanted to blow her top, she didn''t want to go with them at all. Owen had someonee to

    pick her up; there must be a catch. That rotten CEO must be plotting revenge against her.

    Just because she doused him with a bucket of ice water, but it was his fault in the first ce! After

    all, he was the one who yed dead at her doorstep and scared the living daylights out of her.

    Drenching him was just a warning shot. She should be the one charging him for giving her the fright

    of her life.

    "Cecilia, do you know these guys?" Fiona inquired with concern.

    Cecilia mumbled in response, not providing a clear answer.

    "Who''s this ''master'' they''re talking about? If you don''t know them, don''t go with them. God knows

    what tricks they''re ying," Fiona whispered to Cecilia, meaning well.

    People these days were full of tricks, Fiona worried that Cecilia might be conned.

    "Ms. Yates, pleasee with us. Don''t keep our master waiting. He once said that you''re the kind

    who stands by her actions. If you break your promise, he might change his mind," one of them said.

    Cecilia''s expression turned livid in an instant. That rotten CEO was always threatening her.

    "Fiona, could you keep an eye on the store for me? I need to go with them. Don''t worry, I know who

    their ''master'' is. No one in Pinehurst would dare impersonate him," Cecilia said, not having any

    doubts about Webster''s identity.

    Owen held the same status in Pinehurst as Stefan did.

    Cecilia turned back to the cashier, picked up her phone, then walked towards Webster''s group and

    said, "Let''s go. I''lle with you to see your master.¡±

    How sick was he, she wondered. Was he in critical condition? If she went, she could help contact

    the funeral parlor to deal with him.

    Owen: ...What a vicious woman!

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68

    Right now, Owen wasn''t at the Martinez family''s house, but in a luxury mansion under his name.

    Webster brought Cecilia back to the mansion, but they didn''t go in with her. Instead, they let her go

    in alone.

    "Why are you guys making me go in alone?" Cecilia asked in a somewhat puzzled manner, "Isn''t he

    your master? Aren''t you worried about him? If he''s in aa due to high fever, and there''s a

    chance he might not make it, how do you n to exin this to his family?"

    Webster was speechless, and told Cecilia, "Ms. Yates, I wish you wouldn''t talk so lightly about our

    master possibly dying. He''s actually in pretty good shape."

    "If he''s in such good shape, then why is he sick now?"

    Webster didn''t know how to respond. After a while, he said, "He told us to bring you here and then

    let you in alone. If he doesn''t call for us, we can''t go in."

    Cecilia was confused. Were they trying to make her take all the me and not even leave a witness

    for her?

    Under Webster''s urging, she slowly walked into the house.

    The interior was ridiculously luxurious and spacious. Cecilia felt like the living room alone was

    bigger than her entire house.

    Owen was sitting on the couch with his eyes tightly closed, a nket draped over him. He looked

    like he was freezing.

    Cecilia approached him, stopping two meters away before asking calmly, "Mr. Owen, what did you

    need from me? I''m not a doctor, I can''t cure illnesses. If you don''t want to die from being sick, you

    should have your people take you to the hospital. It''s not toote, but if you wait, it might get

    serious. At that time, even with money, it might not be treatable."

    In the face of certain illnesses, money may not be the solution. So, health was the real wealth.

    Owen didn''t reply, nor did he make a sound. Cecilia called out to him several times, but he didn''t

    respond. "He can''t really be dead, can he?"

    Cecilia started to panic. She carefully moved closer to him, reaching out to feel Owen''s breath. The

    next moment, she backed away abruptly, tripping over her feet andnding on the floor. Even

    though she had fallen, she still braced herself with her hands, trying to back away as much as she

    could.

    Her face turned pale, looking utterly bloodless. "Is... is anyone... there..."

    Cecilia was so scared she could barely speak; her call for help was so quiet it was barely audible.

    Owen was really dead!

    When she had touched his nose earlier, she found that he wasn''t breathing anymore. No wonder he

    had his people bring her here and then let her go in alone. He wanted to pin his death on her and

    make her take all the responsibility.

    Oh my God. If she was deemed the one who killed Owen, there would be no escaping that charge.

    Didn''t Webster say that he was in great health?

    She had just doused him with cold water, and he caught a cold. Could that really have killed him...

    Wait a second? Looking at it that way, his death did have something to do with her. Because she

    was the one who doused him with cold water, causing him to catch a cold, and then die.

    Cecilia called out a few times, but no one responded. She started to feel very anxious, she couldn¡¯t

    leave the living room, so she picked up the phone in fear and tried to call emergency services.

    However, she was so nervous that she couldn''t even remember the emergency number for a

    moment.

    She actually forgot the emergency number that even kids knew at a time like this.

    Cecilia was in a state of confusion.

    "Calm down, calm down..."

    Cecilia told herself to calm down while dialing on her phone.

    "The emergency number is... 911, right, 911."

    Just as she was nervously dialing 911, her phone was suddenly snatched away by arge hand.

    She instinctively looked up and saw Owen standing in front of her, looking down at her.

    Cecilia stared nkly at him. It was a while before she reacted, and she immediately crawled

    outside. After crawling a few steps, she got up and ran outside, screaming, "Ghost!"

    With a wave of Owen''s hand, Cecilia''s phone immediately flew over and struck her back forcefully.

    "What are you screaming about? How do I look like a ghost?" Owen said a few words in

    annoyance.

    Cecilia stopped, turned around, and looked at him warily, asking, "Are you really not a ghost?"

    "Are you so afraid of ghosts because you''ve done too many bad things? Have you ever seen a

    ghoste out during the day? Have you ever seen a ghost as handsome as me?"

    But when she touched his nose just now, he really wasn''t breathing.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    "Come here." Owenmanded.

    Cecilia shook her head. She wouldn''t go over. If Owen had be a vampire and bit her, she

    would be a vampire too.

    Owen: ¡°You''ve been watching too much TV and reading too many novels.¡±

    Cecilia''s favorite thing to read was horror and supernatural novels. They were thrilling and exciting,

    and she was always scared to death, but she loved to read them. And now, the more she read, the

    more she thought about it.

    "I don''t want to be a vampire."

    "If you don''te over, I''ll make you a real vampire."

    "You, you''re really not a ghost?"

    "Have you done too many bad things?"

    Cecilia hesitated before walking over. "Can you stretch out your hand so I can feel if you have a

    body temperature?"

    "Do you want to take advantage of me?"

    "You, a grown man, are afraid of me touching your hand? You think me touching your hand means I

    want to take advantage of you, then what if I touch your..."

    Cecilia nced at his lower body and then quickly shifted her gaze. By doing so, it made Owen

    even angrier. This woman really had a lot of nerve, daring to challenge his patience like this.

    Owen sat back down on the couch, ordering Cecilia, "I have a cold and a fever, all thanks to you.

    You''re responsible for cooling me down. Until my cold is better, you''ll stay here as my maid. Without

    my permission, you''re not allowed to leave."

    When Cecilia heard the first part of his sentence, she said, "I can''t cure illnesses. If you have a cold,

    go see a doctor. Or, I can help you buy some fever medicine?"

    But when she heard thetter part, Cecilia was dumbfounded. "Have me be your maid?"

    "You got me all sick with this nasty cold, don''t you think you should take responsibility?" Owen

    sneezed multiple times as he spoke, continuously wiping his nose with tissues.

    It sucked to have a cold. And this woman was the root of all evil.

    "I...I could get you some cold medicine, and then I can cover your medical expenses, okay?"

    If she stayed, who knew what kind of scheme he was cooking up behind her back? Owen was no

    saint, that was for sure.

    "You don''t have any bargaining power here."

    Cecilia was left speechless.

    "Family," Owen continued.

    Cecilia red at him, fuming. But soon, she caved in, her whole demeanor deting in an instant.

    "I, I''ll take responsibility, okay?!"

    Owen tilted his head back, leaning against the couch. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead

    with one hand. His tone was no longer firm but sounded somewhat weak, "My headache is killing

    me. Can you make me some lemon water?"

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69

    "He ain''t even drunk anymore, why''s he still knockin'' back lemonade?"

    Cecilia grumbled, but did as he asked anyway.

    He''d got a cold, probably ''cause he''d been drinking too much. Plus she did dunk a bucket of ice

    water over him.

    Just as Cecilia headed to the kitchen, Lucinda gave her a call.

    "Cecilia, you okay? Did Owen do something to you? How did his people find you?"

    Lucinda and Stefan had returned to the store, only to find Cecilia was gone. After asking her mom,

    they found out Cecilia had left with some of Owen''s people. She was worried about her friend, so

    she called her up. Luckily, Cecilia picked up, which meant she was okay. At least she was free to

    move and answer the phone.

    "I''m okay."

    Cecilia replied in a low voice. "It''s a long story. Basically, I pissed off Owen and now he''s getting

    back at me."

    "What''d he do? Should I call the cops? I can get Stefan toe over with me."

    Lucinda didn''t know where Owen lived, but Stefan definitely would.

    "Lucinda, no need. Owen didn''t do anything. I just dumped a bucket of ice water on him and he''s

    got a cold now. His retaliation is making me do household chores for a few days and taking care of

    him while he''s sick, and I can''t leave until he''s better."

    Cecilia let her friend know about Owen''s retaliatory behavior.

    "Lucinda, I can''t get back to the cafe these days. I''ll leave things there to you. Also, about my family.

    I''ll tell them I''m super busy and I''m staying at your ce for a while to make it easier for work. If my

    mom calls you to check. You gotta cover for me."

    Lucinda: "¡­How did you getting involved with Owen, and dump ice water on him?"

    "Let me exin when I get back. You don''t need toe help me. In fact, I should take

    responsibility for Owen''s cold. He''s not going to hurt me, just make me do some chores. He''s

    already being pretty decent."

    Lucinda asked, "You sure you don''t need me toe help?"

    "No need. If youe, it might just stir up more trouble between me and him."

    All Lucinda could say was, "Then you be careful. If Owen hurts you, you must call the police and let

    me know. I''ll help you get justice."

    "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of myself." Cecilia reassured her friend.

    She was adamant about not letting Lucindae over. Although Lucinda agreed verbally, she

    asked Stefan after hanging up, "Do you know where Owen lives? I need to get Cecilia back."

    Stefan had heard their conversation. Heforted his wife, "Owen''s not a good guy, but he''s not

    that bad either. He won''t hurt Cecilia. He just wants her to take care of him. You don''t need to worry

    about her. It''s her responsibility that Owen''s sick, and she''s willing to take it. We don''t need to

    interfere. If we bring Cecilia back now, Owen will still find a way to get back at her. Better to let them

    settle this now, so Cecilia doesn''t have to live in fear every day."

    Stefan knew his archenemy Owen too well. If he wanted Cecilia to take care of him, then he

    wouldn''t do anything else to her. After all, the woman he truly loved was Ruby. No other woman

    could catch his eye.

    Persuaded by Stefan, Lucinda reluctantly gave up on the idea of going to get Cecilia.

    Seeing that she was still worried about Cecilia, Stefan said softly, "I''ll have someone check to make

    sure Cecilia''s safe, then let you know."

    Lucinda nodded.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    After their private conversation, Lucinda acted as if nothing had happened and went back to Fiona.

    "Mom, are you nning to stay for a while?"

    Lucinda looked at the small suitcase her mother had brought.

    "Yes, don''t you want your mom to stay?"

    "No, I mean, why''d you suddenly decide toe live with me? Aren''t you going to take care of dad?

    And my grandparents are getting old, aren''t you going to take care of them?"

    Fiona poked her daughter''s forehead and said, "Are you hiding something from me, so you''re afraid

    I''ll find out if I stay? Can''t I take a few days off from taking care of the family all year round? Without

    me, they can''t live? Didn''t your dad and grandparents live just fine before your dad and I got

    married?"

    Lucinda thought, she only said two sentences, and her mom rebutted her with several.

    "Mom, I saw some oranges in the fridge, so I squeezed some juice for you. It''s hot, you can drink

    some iced orange juice."

    The one speaking was Stefan. He really did squeeze some orange juice for Lucinda''s mom.

    Fiona immediately smiled. She took the orange juice from Stefan and praised him, "Stefan is

    considerate and thoughtful, unlike Lucinda, who only knows how to talk back."

    Stefan smiled gently and said, "Lucy cares about you too. Every time I go shopping with her, she

    always thinks of you first when she sees something good. Lucy has bought a lot of nice things for

    you. Don¡¯t forget to take them home when you go back."

    Lucinda was like, honey, I didn''t buy a lot of things.

    Although Stefan noticed his wife''s reaction, he still maintained a gentle attitude towards his mother-

    inw.

    Fiona scolded her daughter, "Your store just opened, it hasn''t started making money yet, and you''re

    already spending recklessly. I don''tck anything, or if you really want to say Ick something, Ick

    grandkids. When can you and your brother satisfy me?"

    Lucinda''s face turned red, "Mom."

    She called out softly. And when she looked up, she saw Stefan gazing at her deeply. His gaze was

    too affectionate, which made her face even redder.

    "Mom, don''t me Lucy, alright? It was her who picked out the stuff, and I just paid for it. I earn a

    good deal, and I can''t spend it all by myself. Honestly, I don''t even know what to do with all the

    money I''ve saved up. When Lucy finds something good, it gives me a chance to spend."

    Lucinda said softly, "You set a trap for me first, then you save me. You''re really a piece of work,

    aren''t you?"

    People as considerate as Stefan often became more likable the more you got to know them. Fiona

    was no exception.

    "Stefan, even though you''re raking in the big bucks, you shouldn''t just throw your money around. I

    really don''t need anything. You guys don''t need to buy anything for me. You should be saving up to

    buy a house, then get it all nice and pretty. When you guys get married, you can move in. Having

    your own ce is the best feeling."

    Lucinda thought to herself: Stefan might not have much of anything else, but he''s loaded. He''s

    already got a bunch of houses under his name.

    Stefan had more than just one house to his name.

    "Mom, I''ll take your advice. Every time I get my paycheck, I''ll allot a third for Lucy''s living expenses,

    a third for you, dad, and the grandparents, and I''ll save thest third to buy a house as soon as

    possible."

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70

    Lucinda was staring at Stefan. He was really good at lying; you couldn''t tell at all from his face.

    Fionaughed, "Your intention to support us financially is enough for me, you don''t really need to

    give us a third of your paycheck. We don''tck money. And don''t forget to support your parents too."

    Stefanughed, "My parents are also well off, always worried about our generation not saving

    enough and want to subsidize us."

    "Stefan, since you and Lucinda have signed the marriage agreement, it''s time for us to meet your

    parents."

    After saying this, Fiona turned to her daughter, "Have you met Stefan''s parents since you came

    back to the city?"

    "Mom, I''ve been busy."

    "So, you haven¡¯t met Stefan''s parents yet? You''re too busy? How''s business at your restaurant..."

    Fiona nced at the bustling restaurant, her voice dropped significantly, "Doesn¡¯t the number of

    customers decrease in the evening? Can you ask Cecilia to help, and then find time to go with

    Stefan to meet his parents? Are you avoiding meeting Stefan''s parents? Lucinda, you should do

    this, are you afraid his parents will dislike you because you''re not pretty enough?"

    Lucinda whispered, "I''m not ugly."

    She wasn¡¯t mentally prepared to meet Stefan''s parents. If Stefan was an ordinary person like her,

    she wouldn''t be stressed. But he was the heir to a wealthy family. Even if he said his family was

    easy to get along with, she still felt pressure.

    "Mom, don''t me Lucinda. It''s because I''m too busy. My home is far from the city and it takes too

    much time tomute. I n to take Lucinda to meet my parents on my day off this weekend."

    Stefan couldn¡¯t stand his beloved wife being med, even if the person scolding her was her own

    mother.

    Fiona said, "Stefan, don''t protect her. I know her character very well. I know what she''s thinking."

    "Really, mom? So what am I thinking right now?"

    After saying this, Fiona lightly patted her. Of course, not too hard.

    "Mom, have some orange juice."

    A certain husband, protective of his wife, quickly picked up the ss of orange juice and handed it

    back to Lucinda''s mom.

    Fiona could tell Stefan was a good man, and she was very satisfied with him. He knew how to

    protect Lucinda without offending her mother; he would definitely make a good husband, and a

    good son.

    Fiona sipped the orange juice Stefan had squeezed for her. It was really sweet.

    After she finished, she took a break. Stefan picked up her suitcase and said, "Mom, I''ll take your

    suitcase back to our rented house first. Do you want to rest for a while?"

    Fiona responded with a hidden agenda, "I am a bit tired. I''ll go with you and rest at your ce."

    She got up and Stefan let her go first.

    Lucinda whispered to Stefan: "Remember to check on Cecilia. Make sure she''s safe."

    She had a hunch that Cecilia''s conflict with Owen had something to do with her.

    Stefan replied with a reassuring look. He was a responsible guy, and she didn''t need to worry at all.Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Stefan dragged his mother-inw''s suitcase and apanied her back to their rented house.

    On the way, Fiona asked, "Stefan, are you living with Lucy now?"

    "I used to live in Diamond Ridge Estates, but after marrying Lucy, I moved in with her to save costs.

    Lucy spends her free time writing, her quality of life has dropped and it breaks my heart. Now that

    we live together, I can take care of her."

    "My daughter has always loved creating. She started writing novels in middle school, and I never

    thought she could actually make money from it."

    Fiona''s words were filled with pride. She thought her daughter was exceptional.

    "Stefan, you work hard too, don''t overdo it taking care of Lucy. There should be mutual respect and

    effort in a marriage. It shouldn''t always fall on one person."

    "Mom, it''s my responsibility to take care of my wife. No matter what, it''s my duty to take care of

    Lucy."

    Fiona was satisfied with his answer, but still said, "You''ll make Lucy dependent on you."

    "Lucy is a well-educated girl. She won''t be wilful just because I take care of her."

    Fiona smiled. She thought her daughter made a great choice this time. Stefan was so much better

    than her daughter''s ex-boyfriend George.

    The two chatted while walking and soon arrived at Lucinda''s rented house.

    Upon opening the door, Fiona saw a bed in the living room and frowned, "Why is there a bed in the

    living room?"

    They weren''t sleeping in separate beds, were they?

    "Mom, we bought this bed because you''re here. It''s new, and we just bought it, which is why we

    came backte."

    Stefan''s exnation was natural.

    Fiona nodded. The bed was indeed new.

    In fact, this bed was bought by Lucinda for Stefan. But since they bought it, Stefan hadn''t slept on it.

    He spent every night in Lucinda''s room.

    In any case, he was her husband. It was only natural for a couple to sleep in the same bedroom.

    "Mom, you sleep in the room. Lucy and I will sleep in the living room."

    Stefan felt it was inappropriate for Lucinda''s mother to sleep in the living room.

    "No need, I''m only staying for a few days."

    "Mom, since you''re here, why don''t you stay a few more days and then go back? I can take a day

    off tomorrow and drive you around."

    "You guys keep working. I''ll ask Ike to take a day off and apany me. You and Lucy need to

    work to make money. Ike is single, he makes so much but can''t spend it all, I''ll let him take a few

    days off to apany me."

    Ike: Mom, how could you do this to me!

    Fiona: If you have anyints, find a woman and get married!

    Ike: Mom, I''m gonna take a day off tomorrow and take you around.

    She insisted on sleeping in the living room, so Stefan had no choice but to put her suitcase next to

    the bed.

    "Mom, take a breather, I''m off to lend a hand at the store. If something pops up, just hit us up. We''re

    not far from home, we can be back in a jiffy. Tonight, I''ll ring Ike up and invite him to have dinner at

    Ascend Hotel."

    Fiona asked him, "Is Ascend Hotel a bit steep? If it''s too costly, we can give it a miss. We can grab

    some groceries from the supermarket across the street and whip up a few dishes. That way you can

    save some dough for your future crib."

    Stefan replied with a grin, "Mom, I''m employed at Ascend Global. Ascend Hotel is part of our firm,

    so it''s a steal for me to dine there, won''t cost an arm and a leg."

    Fiona praised, "Yourpany''s benefits are top-notch, a true hallmark of a big firm, no wonder it''s

    one of the top dogs in town."

    Fiona thought it was ace to work at argepany, with great perks, hefty paychecks, and ample

    opportunities for promotion.

    She was chuffed with Stefan; he was really smashing.

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71

    "Stefan, are your folks retired?" Fiona casually asked, but in reality, she just wanted to get some

    information about her prospective inws to be prepared for the meeting between both sets of

    parents.

    Lucy and Stefan had already signed the marriage papers, but they still hadn''t met Stefan''s folks,

    which was not cool at all. They needed to sit down and hash out the wedding.

    "My dad''s retired, and my mom''s never had a job. Dad''s now at home tending to his flower field,

    selling the blooms to florists for some pocket money now and then. Mum''s still the same, hanging

    out with her friends, shopping, traveling and all that jazz. All in all, they''re having a st in their

    golden years."

    Fiona got the picture.

    "Your dad''s in the flower biz."

    "You could say that. But he''s always been a flower buff, and now that he''s retired, he has all the

    time in the world to tend to his flower field."

    "We have a ton of fruit trees and fields at our ce too."

    Fiona got the drift. She figured Stefan''s folks were country folk like them. In her view, only farmers

    would engage in cultivating fields.

    After getting the scoop on Stefan''s family, Fiona nudged Stefan to get back to the cafe and lend

    Lucinda a hand.

    "Mom, I''ll head to the cafe now."

    "Alright."

    With his mother-inw''s watchful eyes on him, Stefan left their rented abode.

    Once downstairs, he whipped out his phone and gave Ike a ring.

    "What do you want?" Ike answered, sounding a bit miffed.

    Stefan chuckled, "Come on Ike, we''ve known each other for eleven years. Just because I''m wooing

    your sister doesn''t mean you have to give me the cold shoulder."

    "You''ve got the nerve to bring up how long we''ve known each other. You sly dog, you''ve had your

    eye on my sister for ages. How old was Lucy when you fell for her? Thirteen!"

    "I didn''t confess my feelings to Lucy back then."

    Ike was miffed and quickly retorted, "Whatever. Just thinking about it gets my goat. If you''ve got

    something to say, spit it out. I''ve got stuff to do."

    "Dinner''s on me tonight. Same ce, Ascend Hotel."

    "No way, I''d just end up third-wheeling you lovebirds. I can''t stomach that."

    Stefan had a goodugh, "Are you jealous?"

    Ike grunted in response.

    "Mom''s here."

    "Your mom or my mom?"

    "Your mom is now my mom." But his mom would never be Ike''s mom. He definitely got the better

    end of the deal.

    Stefan was feeling pretty chuffed.

    "My mom''s here? What''s she doing here?"

    Ike was taken aback by the news of his mother''s arrival, but he figured it made sense.

    When Lucinda took Stefan home to meet the folks, even though Stefan had shown them the

    marriage papers, his parents were still a bit sceptical. His mom was probably here to get to the

    bottom of things.

    "I think my mom suspects that Lucy and I are faking it, hence her sudden visit."

    Ike kept mum. Stefan''s guess was on the money.

    "Lucy was just ying along with you, but then you crafty fox turned it into something real."

    Stefan took the jab in stride, andughed it off, "Lucy has epted me. After all, we''ve known each

    other for eleven years and I''m pretty awesome, so it wasn''t hard to win her over."

    Ike retorted in a huff, "Yeah, you''re awesome. Does your mom know how awesome you are?"

    The jerk who was with his sister was indeed pretty awesome. He was the heir to the Anderson

    family, the president of Ascend Global. Whether it was looks, talent or skills, he was second to

    none.

    "My mom''s always been proud of me."

    Stefan was as confident as he was conceited.

    Ike: "¡­I''ll drop by after work."

    And with that, he hung up the phone, afraid he''d blow a gasket if he continued talking to Stefan.

    After giving Ike the heads-up, Stefan called Eric and asked him to prepare dinner for Lucinda''s mom

    ording to the lunch menu.

    Eric asked him, "Since Lucinda''s mom is here, don''t you think you should inform your folks to meet

    her?"

    Stefan paused for a moment, "I''ll discuss it with Lucinda first before making any decisions. Mainly

    because I don''t want to freak out Lucinda''s mom."

    At the moment, Lucinda''s mom thought his family were humble farmers.

    Eric acknowledged and they ended the call.

    Stefan heaved a sigh. Indeed, one lie led to another. And when he can''t spin anymore yarns, the

    truth would have toe out.

    Ike and his sister already knew his true identity. And he couldn''t keep up the charade with Lucinda''s

    mom forever.

    On his way back to the store, Stefan took a moment to arrange for someone to check up on Cecilia.

    The Serendipity Cafe was emptying out as many of the customers had finished their coffee and

    settled the bill. When Stefan returned to the store, it was much less crowded.

    "Is mom resting?"

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Lucinda asked after clearing several tables.

    "I told her to take a break."

    Stefan took the cloth from her intending to help her clear the rest of the tables. He took a few steps,

    then turned back and looked at her.

    "Is there something you want to say?"

    Stefan nodded.

    Lucinda smiled, straightening his cor, "Go ahead, I''m all ears."

    "I told her we''re having dinner at Ascend Hotel tonight and invited Ike. I''d like to invite my

    grandparents and parents too. Our families have to meet at some point, right? What do you think?"

    Lucinda''s smile vanished in an instant. She asked him quietly, "Did youe clean with my mom?"

    Wouldn''t that freak her mom out?

    Stefan gave a rueful shake of his head, "Not yet."

    She herself had been quite taken aback by the truth back then.

    Seeing his headache-stricken face, Lucinda immediately blurted out, "It''s all your fault! You had to

    go fooling us, and now you''re getting a headache, huh? That''s what you get for lying."

    No sooner had she spoken than she received a flick on the forehead. Rubbing the spot he had

    flicked, her lips slightly pouting, was she wrong?

    "Honey, you should say I''m low-profile, not that I lied to you."

    "Low-profile? After knowing you for eleven years, you''re still pulling the ''low-profile'' card? You''re just

    fooling people."

    Stefan grinned indulgently, "Alright, alright, I lied. So, honey, should I confess?"

    "That''s your problem. I''ve never lied to anyone."

    Lucinda turned away satisfactorily and left. She handed this vexing problem back to him, letting him

    figure it out on his own. Anyway, it was him who was troubled by it, not her. She didn''t deceive

    anyone.

    "Bzzz, Bzzz..."

    Lucinda''s phone vibrated. It was a notification from the bank.

    She quickly pulled out her phone to check. Turned out, her manuscript fee had been credited.

    Looking at the credited amount, Lucinda immediately transferred $500 to Stefan, and turned to him,

    "This is your rent. Please check. I''m transparent in my dealings, I walk the talk, unlike you who can

    only deceive others. You''re such a dishonest businessman. One should never judge a book by its

    cover, otherwise, they''ll be badly fooled."

    She initially thought he was a gentleman based on his demeanor and presumed him to be a good

    man, hence she boldly rented him as her "husband". But he turned out to be nothing like what she

    had imagined.

    She was now trapped in his world, with no way out for the rest of her life.

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72

    When Stefan received the five hundred bucks rent money from his wife, he didn''t refuse it, but

    epted it. Soon, he sent her five grand.

    And wrote: "Babe, this is your pocket money."

    Lucinda: "You''re really generous."

    He really gave her five grand as pocket money.

    Stefan quickly moved to her side, swiftly wrapped his arms around her waist, and whispered in her

    ear, "Darling, this is your pocket money for today. If you can''t spend it all, I''ll double it for you

    tomorrow."

    Lucinda thought it was a monthly allowance. Turned out it was daily.

    Did she look like someone who could spend five grand a day? She didn''t even make five grand a

    month.

    Stefan seemed to see through her thoughts, gently pinched her face, and said lovingly, "Don''t worry,

    though your husband doesn''t have much, money isn''t one of them. Spend it however you like."

    "I don''t have anything special to buy."

    So, she couldn''t possibly use up the five grand pocket money.

    "I have a gathering tomorrow night,e with me. I''ll introduce you to a few friends."

    His friends were all elites in society, what if she couldn''tmunicate with them?

    Lucinda wanted to voice her concern, but thinking about his firm decision not to divorce, and that

    marrying him wasn''t a bad deal, she decided to stick with him. She would have to adapt to his

    friends. Just like he was trying to adapt to hers.

    "Alright."

    Lucinda was no longer worried, nor scared. If people were sincere to her, she''d return the sincerity.

    If anyone mocked her for not being good enough for Stefan, she''d definitely retort.

    "Lucy, about tonight''s thing..."

    "Last time you took me to meet your family, I remember you said your parents went on a vacation

    and won''t be back for another two months."

    Stefanughed, "Yes, but my grandparents are home."

    "If you think your grandparents would look down on me and my family, then don''t invite them here.

    It''ll just make everyone ufortable."

    "No, absolutely not. My grandparents are very open-minded. As long as I''m happy, they''ll support

    me unconditionally." Stefan quickly defended his grandparents.

    "In that case, what are you worried about? The truth will always be found out. Your lies will be

    exposed sooner orter. You''re the one who wanted to hide your identity, now you''re afraid of

    scaring your mother-inw?"

    Lucinda said triumphantly.

    Stefan really wanted to take this wife of his who was deliberately provoking him back home and

    teach her a lesson.

    Lucinda: Teach me a lesson? Do you have the guts?

    Stefan: ¡­Of course¡­well, no!Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    In the end, Stefan decided to formally apologize to Lucinda''s mother at dinner and reveal his

    identity.

    So, he called his grandmother.

    His grandmother quickly picked up his call.

    "Grandma." Stefan called his grandmother and then began tough.

    Stefan''s grandmother knew her grandson''s personality very well. She understood him. Every time

    heughed so happily, it meant he had a request.

    "Spit it out."

    Stefan''s grandmother calmly said, "Stopughing or you''ll scare people. You might even shake their

    sses off from the trembling. We don''t run an eyess store, so we can''t make money off that."

    Stefan''s grandmother knew her grandson was like a man wearing a mask, sometimes gentle,

    sometimes cold, sometimes cheerful; his personality was difficult to unpredictable.

    But that was okay. If he was easily seen through by others, how could he hold his ground in this

    complicated world? Then he wouldn''t be able to give hispetitors an unexpected blow.

    She once taught him that the business world was as cunning as a fox.

    "Granny, we could go into the eyess business."

    "Let''s not. We''re already involved in enough industries. We should leave some room for others."

    "Grandma, can you and grandpa go out tonight?"

    Grandmaughed, "What''s up? You want to invite us to a show?"

    "I want to invite you and grandpa out for dinner, so you cane out for a walk and check out Eric''s

    performance. If he''s not doing well, we can host a banquet for him and invite all the unmarried

    ladies."

    Stefan''s grandmotherughed, "If Eric knew you were doing this to him, he''d be furious. He

    respects you so much as his brother, and this is how you treat him."

    "I''m just looking out for their happiness."

    Although he had many brothers, their ages weren''t that different. Eric was only a year younger than

    he was. It was about time for him to get married.

    "You''ve got your own woman now, and now you start to care about them. It''s because you never

    married that they''ve been able to live so freely."

    Stefan was speechless.

    They had been urging him to get married for a long time. It was just that his younger brothers used

    him as a shield. Since their elder brother wasn''t married yet, what was the rush?

    "You must have a reason to invite us to dinner, right?" Stefan''s grandmother purposefully asked.

    "My mother-inw is here."

    "Mother-inw? Where did you get a mother-inw?" Stefan''s grandmother yed dumb.

    Stefan gave a wry smile, "Grandma, what can I hide from you and grandpa? You guys knew about

    my shotgun wedding ages ago, didn''t you?"

    Even Owen knew about it.

    That night, he coaxed Lucinda into apanying him to the cocktail party. Everyone saw that he

    had a woman by his side. He didn''t believe they wouldn''t check who hispanion was. Although,

    he was now the head of the family, the real formidable ones were still his grandparents. They

    always found out what they wanted to know.

    Stefan''s grandmother huffed heavily, "Such a big thing, and you didn''t tell us. I almost let Ruby

    move into our house."

    "I haven''t even won over my wife yet. I at least have to win her over before I tell you."

    Stefan''s grandmotherughed out loud.

    Stefan instantly felt incredibly helpless. The personughing at him over the phone was his own

    grandmother, and there was nothing he could do.

    "Stefan, even you have moments like these. Turns out not everyone listens to you. You deserve this

    for being so domineering, bullies always get theireuppance, and your wife is destined to teach

    you a lesson!"

    Stefan helplessly said, "Grandma, you''re old. Don''tugh too hard."

    "Don''t sweat it. I''m tough as nails. A littleughter ain''t gonna kill me. Come give me a hand, I can

    still afford to chuckle a bit more."

    Stefan''s grandpa walked over, supporting Stefan''s grandma with one hand and snatching the phone

    with the other. He spoke to Stefan on the other end of the line, "When and where?"

    "Six in the evening, our Ascend Hotel."

    "Alright, you can hang up now. If you keep this up, you''re gonna have your grandmaughing her

    guts out. Watch it or I''m gonna give you a good whack!"

    And with that, Stefan''s grandpa hung up the phone.

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73

    A BMW pulled up outside the Ike Group''s skyscraper.

    Ruby stepped out of the car and then looked up at the towering sixty-eight-story building in front of

    her.

    In Pinehurst, there were five majorpanies. Ascend Global was thergest, followed closely by

    the Ike Group. The presidents of the two groups knew each other since childhood, but they were

    rivals.

    So, growing up together didn''t necessarily mean you''ll be friends. It could also mean you''d end up

    knowing your enemy like the back of your hand.

    As Ruby walked into the building, the on-duty security guard stopped her to sign in.

    "I''m here to see Mr. Martinez," Ruby said, trying to keep her cool.

    "No matter who you''re here to see,pany policy is all visitors have to sign in," the guard replied.

    "You''re new here, aren''t you?" Ruby frowned.

    She had free rein in the Ike Group building. No one dared to stop her. Only those who wanted to

    lose their jobs would do that. Didn''t this guard know her status in Owen''s heart?

    The guard felt a bit uneasy at her question. He was new and thest thing he wanted was to stop

    someone he wasn''t supposed to stop.

    "Ms. Scott." The head of security, Leo, saw the scene from afar and rushed over as fast as he

    could.

    He pushed the new guard aside and apologized to Ruby. "Ms. Scott, he''s new here and doesn''t

    know any better. Someone with your status do not need to be bothered with him. Please,e in,

    Ms. Scott."

    The head of security bowed respectfully and gestured for Ruby to proceed.

    She felt a bit better and said, "Leo, long time no see. The new guy doesn''t know who I am, that''s on

    you. Let it slide for today, but the next time Ie, I don''t want to be stopped for sign-in."

    "Yes, my mistake. Please forgive me, Ms. Scott," Leo said. He then turned to the new guard. "This

    is Ms. Scott, Mr. Martinez''s favoritedy. You owe her an apology."

    The new guard quickly apologized to Ruby.

    After Ruby left, Leo breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, and muttered,

    "Ms. Scott''s temper is even worse than before."

    Just because Mr. Martinez liked her? And she was into Mr. Martinez''s rival, Mr. Coleman. But Mr.

    Coleman wasn''t into her.

    The rtionships between these people were tooplicated.

    He could never understand the world of these rich folks.

    After sighing, Leo said to the newbie, "Ms. Scott is our president''s favorite girl. When you see her

    next time, show some respect. He dotes on her exceptionally. Whoever makes her unhappy, the

    president will punish that person. You know why the president''s secretaries keep changing?

    Because Ms. Scott doesn''t like them."

    Because those secretaries were young and pretty. Now, the president had a male secretary.

    Leo, a veteran employee of the Ike Group, had seen it all. Ms. Scott wanted to marry Mr.

    Coleman, but she didn''t want Mr. Martinez to be around other beautiful women. If Mr. Martinez was

    slightly nice to another woman, Ms. Scott will give her hell. As a woman, she seemed more

    interested in having both these men under her thumb.

    She was so greedy! Didn''t she fear ending up with nothing in the end?

    Ruby was oblivious to Leo''s behind-the-scenes gossip. She walked into the office building and

    anyone who saw her respectfully called her "Ms. Scott."

    This made Ruby very satisfied.

    Whenever she felt neglected by Stefan, she woulde to the Ike Group to see Owen and enjoy

    everyone''s respect.

    Ruby took the executive lift. Once the doors closed, she took out a small mirror from her bag and

    touched up her makeup. Only when she was confident that she looked her best did she feel

    satisfied.

    The lift quickly whisked her up to the top floor where the CEO''s office was located.

    "Ms. Scott."

    Walter, Owen''s executive assistant, was just about to take the lift down when he bumped into Ruby

    coming out of the lift. He greeted her politely.

    "Walter, is Owen busy?"

    Knowing that Owen highly regarded Walter, Ruby was always friendly towards him. In front of

    Walter, she maintained herdylike image.

    "Did you let Mr. Martinez know beforehand that you wereing?" Walter asked.

    "I tried calling him a few times, but he didn''t pick up. I was worried, so I came to the office. Is he not

    here?"

    Walter nodded, "Mr. Martinez isn''t in the office."

    "Where could Owen be? He wasn''t at home either. He picked up my call in the morning, butter he

    stopped. I really don''t know what''s going on."

    Ruby, who knew what was going on, certainly didn''t tell Walter she had irritated Owen. Owen wasn''t

    in the office or at home, and he wasn''t picking up her calls. It seemed that he was really angry this

    time.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Ruby felt a bit panicked. She came back to Pinehurst for Stefan, but her biggest support here was

    Owen. If Owen was angry and started to ignore her, not only would it be hard for her to break Stefan

    and Lucinda apart, but her career in Pinehurst wouldn''t go smoothly either.

    But on the surface, she feigned concern for Owen.

    Seeing her worried face, Walterforted, "Ms. Scott, don''t worry, Mr. Martinez is fine. He just

    drank too muchst night and has a bad headache and a cold today, so he''s nning to rest at

    home for a couple of days."

    "But he''s not home."

    Walter paused for a moment, then said, "Mr. Martinez has a ton of properties under his name."

    Hadn''t Ms. Scott thought about that?

    Ruby was caught off guard. True, with so many properties under Owen''s name, she ought to do

    some digging.

    "Ms. Scott, I gotta split now."

    After giving Ruby a heads-up, Walter left her with a polite phrase and then hopped into the elevator.

    Ruby stood frozen for a minute before moving forward. She wanted to check if Owen''s secretary

    had been reced. Seeing the new male secretary, she let out a sigh of relief. After pretending to

    ask the secretary a few questions, she turned around and took off.

    Back in his office, Walter gave Owen a ring. As soon as the call connected, he said, "Mr. Martinez,

    Ms. Scott came looking for you. She seemed pretty hung up about you, and kind of frantic. Did you

    guys have another spat? Did she get you into hot water with Mr. Coleman again?"

    Owen, currently being pampered by Cecilia, felt rxed after downing the cold medicine Cecilia had

    bought for him, followed by the lemon water she made. His headache was also easing. He sat on

    the couch, with one hand holding his phone and the other clutching a napkin. After wiping his nose,

    he kept tossing the used napkins onto the floor.

    Cecilia, broom in hand, had just swept the area in front of him. Seeing the pile of used napkins, she

    turned around to sweep again.

    "Did she leave?" Owen asked nonchntly.

    Ruby was always like this. Every time she pissed him off and made him feel wronged, she would

    soften up and try to appease him. All in all, she was still trying to use him to pursue Stefan, because

    he could help her locate Stefan, creating an opportunity for her to "bump into" Stefan.

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74

    Walter responded, "She''s already left, might be heading your way, I guess."

    Owen kept his silence for a moment, then said, "Got it, you keep things going back at the office. I

    might need a couple days off, caught a wicked cold this time."

    Walter asked with concern, "You''re usually in tip-top shape, how did you catch a cold out of the

    blue?"

    Owen shot a resentful nce at the woman still busy sweeping the floor, grinding his teeth, "Cause

    someone decided to give me an icy shower this morning."

    "Who dared to dump a bucket of cold water on you? Tell me who is that person, I wanna know

    who¡¯s got the balls to do that."

    "Walter, are you trying to have augh at my expense?"

    "Nah, just wanted to help you get back at them."

    Owen snorted, "Thanks, but I can handle it."

    He was handling it.

    Walter felt a bit let down, "Why won''t you let me help you out? If anything like this happens again,

    leave it to me. I''ll make sure whoever messed with you gets what they deserve."

    "Would you hit a woman?"

    "I don''t hit women, I''m a stand-up guy. Wait a minute, did a woman dump water on you?"

    Walter was bbergasted. Their president was such a heartthrob, what woman wouldn''t be swept

    off their feet by his charm? Working side by side with him for years, he''d never seen a woman bear

    any ill will towards him.

    Even Ruby had a bit of a crush on him, although she wanted more and thought Stefan was a better

    catch.

    He was certain, if Ruby couldn''t marry Stefan, she would definitely pick Owen.

    Now that Stefan got married, and from what Walter had seen over the past few days, Stefan was

    head over heels for his new bride. It wasn''t just because his new wife was the sister of an old

    ssmate of his.

    "If there''s nothing else, I''m hanging up."

    Without another word, Owen ended the call.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    He left Walter in suspense on the other end of the line, not revealing who had the audacity to

    drench him in cold water.

    "Hello? Hello?... You hung up before you finished, that''s so unfair!"

    Walter grumbled a bit.

    Owen didn¡¯t care about Walter¡¯sints. He hung up the phone and saw Cecilia had finished

    sweeping the floor, then he scattered a pile of napkins all over it.

    "It''s still dirty, sweep it again!"

    Seeing the freshly swept floor now covered in napkins again, Cecilia was fuming. She picked up the

    broom and stormed over.

    Owen watched her coldly, and Cecilia immediately softened.

    He sneered, "If you dare to hit me with that broom, I''d actually respect that. Do you dare to?

    Where''s the bravado you had when you drenched me?"

    Cecilia gripped the broom tightly.

    Owen stared at her provocatively. He knew what she cared about, so he was harsh with his words.

    Suddenly, a broom came flying towards him. The broom that had just swept the floor hit him in the

    face.

    Owen instinctively waved his hand to block the broom, then caught it, staring wide-eyed at Cecilia,

    who bravely met his gaze.

    "You always tell me to be assertive, and I want to be assertive. So, I''ll do as you expect."

    "You!"

    Owen was fuming.

    "Cecilia! I''ll remember this!"

    "You have said this many times. You don''t have to keep repeating it. I know I''m beautiful. Mr.

    Martinez fell for me at first sight, and I''m honored. But please, Mr. Martinez, stop saying these

    things, I''ll get shy."

    Owen Was speechless. He didn''t fall for her at first sight.

    She, of all people, thought he''d fall for her?

    His heart only had room for Ruby. Even if Ruby didn''t love him, used him, as long as she was

    happy, he was willing.

    "I''ll sweep the floor again. If you keep throwing napkins on the floor, I''ll dump them in your pocket! I

    did overreact this morning, I shouldn''t have doused you with ice water, but don''t you think you''re

    also at fault? You were lying in front of my house early in the morning, were you trying to pick a fight

    with me?"

    Owen always thought he was good with words, but facing this shameless woman, he was rendered

    speechless.

    "You''re forcing me to be your maid until you''re over your cold, just because you''re rich and powerful.

    You''re a bully."

    Owen''s face darkened, "I am bullying you, what are you gonna do about it?"

    Cecilia dropped the broom, ready to pounce on him.

    Owen, startled, quickly stood up and jumped a few meters away. "You, you....."

    He turned around and pointed at Cecilia, looking terrified.

    Cecilia gritted her teeth, "My teeth are sharp, if I bit you, would you bleed? But you''re so handsome,

    like a flower, I can''t bear to bite too hard, so I just wanna give you a couple of pecks."

    "Shameless!"

    Cecilia immediately retorted, "You''re more shameless than I am, Mr. Martinez."

    "You!"

    "I learned it from you. You''re way more shameless than me. I should always learn from you."

    "Do you believe I can make trouble for your family?"

    Did she think that because he had a severe cold and was weak, she could bully him? She thought

    he was a pushover. Stefan''s female friends were as annoying as Stefan.

    "I believe you. How could I not believe you, such a shameless man as Mr. Martinez."

    Owen: "Lucinda is as shameless as you, that''s why she hooked up with Stefan, right?"

    "Owen, your mind is dirty, but don''t think everyone else is as bad as you. Lucinda isn''t that kind of

    woman. What does her rtionship with Mr. Coleman have to do with you? Don''t expect to get any

    information about them from me."

    Owen zipped his lips right away. This woman was quite gutsy.

    "Sweep the floor clean, then mop it, and prepare lunch for me."

    Considering he was still ill, he feared she might annoy him to death, so Owen decided to call a

    truce.

    After he issued orders to Cecilia, he asked her with a bit of hesitation, "How good are your cooking

    skills?"

    "I''m quite the whiz in the kitchen."

    Owen snorted withughter, clearly not buying it. Even if her cooking skills were top-notch, she

    wouldn''t go all out to cook him a tasty meal.

    Cecilia snorted. Seemed like he''s well aware of his situation.

    Picking up the broom, Cecilia resumed sweeping.

    Owen settled back down in front of the couch, keeping a wary eye on Cecilia.

    Cecilia said, "Rx, I''m not going to give you my first kiss."

    Owen shot back, "...You''re still holding onto your first kiss in your twenties, no one likes you, no one

    wants to marry you, right?"

    Cecilia responded, "Don''t worry, even if no one likes me, I won''t let you fall in love with me. No one

    wants to marry me, and I wouldn''t marry you either."

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75

    This was his first time arguing with a girl, and he found it quite amusing.

    Owen stubbornly denied that it was Cecilia''s boldness to argue with him that intrigued him, which is

    why he tolerated her audaciousness.

    "I''ve been in love with a woman for over a decade, so you don''t need to worry. Even if you want to

    marry me, I will refuse."

    "Is the woman you love still hung up on Mr. Coleman? He''s Lucinda''s man. They''re already married,

    and they''ve done the paperwork. Even if it''s not public, it doesn''t change the fact that they''re legally

    husband and wife. You should tell your girl to give up."

    Owen asked gloomily, "Where did you hear that?"

    "I saw you taking people to confront Lucinda the other day, I heard it all."

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Owen finally got it. No wonder this woman knew so much.

    "It''s none of your business."

    "Interesting, as if I am dying to meddle in your affairs. What on earth do I have to do with you? Why

    should I care about your matters?"

    Owen was left speechless.

    He must be sick, fever messing with his head, that''s why he was left speechless by this woman.

    He stopped talking, and so did Cecilia.

    After a while, Owen suddenly said, "Ruby will be hereter. Could you y along with me? If you

    do, I''ll let you go. You don''t have to be my maid anymore, and I won''t bother you in the future."

    Cecilia was about to mop the floor, but when she heard this, she stopped and looked at him, asking,

    "You want me to pretend to be your lover to make Ruby pissed off and leave, or do you want Ruby

    to be irritated and jealous?"

    Owen kept silent, which was pretty much a confirmation.

    He was thinking, ¡°Is she a mind reader?¡±

    "I''d rather continue to be your maid."

    Cecilia started mopping the floor again.

    Owen was stunned. He didn''t expect Cecilia to refuse.

    "I can pay you."

    "Do I look like the kind of girl who would sell herself for money? I am a decent girl."

    "A thousand dors."

    Cecilia continued to mop the floor.

    Owen raised the price, "Ten thousand dors."

    Cecilia kept mopping.

    Owen raised the price again, "Twenty thousand dors."

    Cecilia stopped, saying, "Mr. Martinez, it''s not about the money. I don''t want to be harassed by your

    beloved. Lucinda and I are close friends, and we own the Serendipity Cafe together. Ruby sees

    Lucinda as a rival, and she would definitely make trouble for Lucinda from time to time. If I y

    along with your game, Ruby will also see me as a rival and keep causing me trouble. Lucinda has

    Mr. Coleman to protect her, but I don''t."

    "I can guarantee your safety. I won''t let Ruby harm you."

    Owen just wanted to see Ruby''s reaction when she saw him being good to other women.

    Although she was always critical of his secretaries, those women did make mistakes. It didn''t prove

    that she truly cared about him.

    "Cecilia, just cooperate with me and I''ll give you one hundred thousand dors. Once the show is

    over, I''ll transfer the money to your ount immediately and promise that Ruby won''t harm you."

    One hundred thousand dors!

    "Act along with me, you won''t lose out. With such conditions, many women out there would want to

    be in a scandal with me."

    He never sought women outside to act with him, because he was afraid they would y their roles

    too well and he would end up stuck with them.

    Cecilia was Lucinda''s friend. Lucinda was Stefan''s wife. Stefan was his enemy, so Cecilia was his

    enemy.

    She definitely wouldn''t get entangled with him because of this.

    Spending one hundred thousand dors to test Ruby''s feelings for him, Owen thought it was worth

    it. After all, he was loaded.

    "If you''re afraid I''ll go back on my word, I can transfer the money to your ount first."

    Cecilia immediately gave Owen her bank ount number.

    Owen was speechless. Didn''t she say she wouldn''t sell herself for money? What about her

    principles?

    But he still transferred one hundred thousand dors to Cecilia''s ount quickly.

    Cecilia received a notification from her bank, checked it, confirmed that she really received one

    hundred thousand dors, and immediately showed a smile.

    "Actually, I wanted to be an actress before, but my parents disagreed. However, I''ve always had a

    dream of bing an actress. Since Mr. Martinez thinks so highly of me, I will do my best to

    cooperate with Mr. Martinez and try my acting skills. Who knows, I might win an Oscar."

    Owen couldn''t help but roll his eyes. How could she be so happy about money?

    "Start cleaning!"

    "Sure!"

    Cecilia easily made one hundred thousand dors and happily started cleaning.

    Owen watched her happy face, feeling upset but unable to say anything.

    After all, it was him who took the initiative to offer her money and asked her to cooperate with him.

    It was his own decision that ended up hurting him.

    After Cecilia finished cleaning, she cheerfully went into the kitchen to cook for Owen.

    Owen seemed to hear her talking on the phone with Lucinda in the kitchen. Although he couldn''t

    hear clearly, he heard herughter.

    Did she think he couldn''t hear herughing because she covered her mouth?

    His ears were sharp.

    After Lucinda finished her call with her friend, she stared nkly at theputer screen.

    After a while, she pped her thigh and said to herself, "Right, that¡¯s a new writing topic!"

    Would Cecilia regret telling her friend about this if she knew her friend was going to write a new

    article with her and Owen as the protagonists?

    No time like the present.

    Lucinda immediately closed her previous file, created a new one, and started writing a new article.

    The protagonists were set as a bickering couple.

    They were at odds at first, then fell madly in love, and then others came to destroy it, haha, it would

    definitely be a bestseller!

    Stefan fed her a seedless grape.

    Lucinda came back to her senses.

    She looked up to see the man''s deep eyes, eating the grape in her mouth, she asked, "What''s up?"

    Stefan smiled and asked her, "I should be the one asking that. You were giggling over there like a

    mouse stealing something. Look, everyone''s looking at you."

    Lucinda looked around at the customers in the shop.

    My god, when did so many people starting here?

    Indeed, all eyes were on her.

    She had been daydreaming about her new work bing a hit, about the money she was about to

    make, money she wouldn''t be able to count. She couldn''t help butugh out loud, did this scare the

    customers?

    "It''s nothing, I just called Cecilia and she told me a few jokes. Thinking about them just cracks me

    up, haha, really funny."

    Everyone thought, ¡°Oh, so that''s it.¡±

    They thought there was something wrong with the boss of this shop. Because she suddenly burst

    intoughter. It sounded terrible.

    Lucinda thought, is myughter really that weird?

    When everyone''s attention was no longer on her, Lucinda signaled her boyfriend with a flick of her

    finger.

    The guy came over immediately.

    Lucinda quickly nted a kiss on his face.

    "Babe, let me tell you something funny. Your rival actually spent a hundred grand to get Cecilia to

    act with him, trying to provoke Ruby, to see if Ms. Scott has feelings for him."

    Stefan couldn''t believe hispetitor would do something so stupid!

    At this moment, Owen thought, ¡°Who are you calling stupid?¡±

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76

    "Sweetie, do you think Owen and Cecilia could end up catching real feelings from acting together?"

    Novelists do tend to have more imagination.

    Lucinda thought that her friend might actually fall for Owen while acting with him for the money.

    After a moment of deep thought, Stefan replied, "It''s hard to say at this point. His feelings for Ruby

    are quite deep, and despite knowing her situation, he hasn¡¯t given up."

    "Ruby doesn''t value herself either."

    Lucinda muttered to herself, "You''ve already got me, but she still hasn''t given up. She came back to

    the country for you, probably didn''t expect us to get married."

    She didn''t see iting.

    "Lucy, don''t worry about what others are doing. Just remember, I''ll only ever love you in this life.

    You''re the only one in my heart."

    Stefan spoke these loving words softly to Lucinda, as it wasn''t the right setting to say them out loud.

    Lucinda turned her head to look at him, and he took the opportunity to give her a light peck on the

    lips. Seeing the blush on her face, his eyes were filled withughter and deep affection.

    Lucinda always felt his gaze was like a deep pool which she would fall into whenever they locked

    eyes, and she could only follow his lead and sink with him.

    "I''ve never experienced what it feels like to be in love. When others are dating, they go to movies,

    receive flowers and gifts daily, get red envelopes on every holiday, and hold hands while visiting

    parks and eating delicious food."

    Lucinda tried to remember how the male and female leads in her novels fell in love. Although she

    set them up as nobles, when it came to love, they were all just ordinary people.

    She shared her ideal love story with Stefan.

    He kept her hidden in his heart for eleven years, and she was going to dig out his hidden love bit by

    bit.

    Back when Lucinda was dating George, they just went to movies and parks because they were both

    still in school and didn''t have much money. She never even received flowers from George.

    On their first Valentine''s Day, George said he wanted to give her a bouquet of flowers. She knew he

    didn''t have much money for living expenses each month, so she gently declined his kind offer.

    In the end, he spent ten dors on a single rose for her.

    She evenined about how expensive roses were on Valentine''s Day.

    So, she has never experienced a romantic date.

    Readers say they''re envious of the female lead in her novel for being so loved and happy. She''s

    envious of her too.

    Stefan chuckled, whispering, "Whatever my wife wants, as long as I can provide it, I will."

    So he was going to make up for herck of romantic experiences.

    Getting married first, then falling in love can be a beautiful process too.

    "I want the stars, can you give me the stars?"

    Lucinda teased him.

    A twinkle in Stefan''s eyes, he said, "I can give you a man-made starry sky, but I can''t give you real

    stars."

    He had said that he would give her anything within his means.

    Plucking stars, sorry, he really couldn''t do that.

    Lucinda replied, "That''s a bit over the top, don''t you think? You said you could create a starry sky for

    me, so go ahead and show me."

    "If I do it, will there be a reward?"

    "What else do you need? You already have everything."

    Stefan whispered something in her ear, and Lucinda yfully red at him and lightly pped his

    arm. Her blush deepened, and she was as beautiful as a peach blossom.

    "This Saturday,e with me to the old house to formally meet my family, and I''ll have a surprise

    for you at night."

    "I¡¯m looking forward to it." said Lucinda, "If you can satisfy me, I''ll let you do what you want."

    Stefan looked at her affectionately, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

    Seeing his expression, Lucinda suddenly felt like she''d been tricked by him again.

    This man always liked to trick her.

    Although every time, he just led her into his arms, she thought it was pretty sweet.

    A good man waited for a girl to grow up for eleven years, carefully nned everything, pretended it

    was all a coincidence, and finally led her into his arms.

    Such a process, such a story, it could make one feel that the girl was really lucky.

    Lucinda suddenly felt that she didn''t need to envy the female lead in her novel anymore, because

    she was walking the same path as the female lead in her novel.

    The afternoon passed quickly.

    Cecilia didn''t call Lucinda again. At dusk, she came back, and it was Webster who personally drove

    her back.

    The couple, Lucinda and Stefan, were about to go to the Ascend Hotel with their mother who moved

    from the rented house.

    Seeing Cecilia, Lucinda quickly greeted her.

    "Cecilia, are you okay?"

    Seeing one side of Cecilia''s face a bit red and swollen, she gently touched it, and Cecilia flinched.

    Lucinda''s face darkened, and she asked her friend, "Did Ruby hit you?"

    A hundred thousand dors isn''t that easy to get.

    When Ruby came to find Lucinda, her attitude made it clear that she was a bully in front of others,

    and her gentleness was only shown to those she needed to please.

    Lucinda hated dealing with two-faced people.

    Webster said to Cecilia, "Ms. Yates, if there''s nothing else, I''ll report back."

    Mr. Martinez actually used Ms. Yates to provoke Ms. Scott, and Ms. Scott found an excuse to p

    Ms. Yates, did Mr. Martinez achieve his goal?

    In the end, Ms. Scott still left. Before she left, she said she was going to the Anderson family.

    What did Mr. Martinez gain? But he got Ms. Yates pped.

    Cecilia responded with a hum.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    When Webster left in his car, Cecilia said to her friend, "Lucinda, a hundred thousand dors for a

    p, it''s worth it when you think about it."

    Lucinda asked, "She hit you, why didn''t you hit back?"

    Cecilia was like, "I wanted to hit him back, but that jerk Owen had my hand. He was touching my

    face with a distressed look, and I never got the chance to retaliate."

    "You!" Lucinda didn''t know what to do with Cecilia.

    "Lucy, are you guys heading out?" Cecilia changed the topic.

    "Stefan is taking my mom out for dinner, you shoulde too."

    Cecilia was quick to decline, "Nah, you guys go ahead. My face is still a bit swollen, and I need to

    get some ice on it. Lucy, I''ll exin everything to you tomorrow. I didn''t do all this just for the

    hundred grand."

    The main reason was that Owen had said that as long as she went along with his n to rile up

    Ruby, he wouldn''t seek revenge on her anymore, and their past disputes would be wiped clean.

    Plus, there was the hundred grand that would be deposited into her ount, so she agreed.

    "You better get that ice on your face then."

    Cecilia nodded, gave an awkward smile to Stefan, and then turned to Fiona, "Fiona, I''ll head inside

    first."

    Fiona really wanted Cecilia to join them.

    Cecilia was her daughter''s good friend, and she treated Cecilia like her own daughter.

    After Cecilia politely declined and waved goodbye, she went inside the shop.

    Fiona had no choice but to let her go.

 Chapter 77

    Chapter 77

    A taxi pulled up in front of the Ascend Hotel.

    The driver got out of the car and opened the door for the passengers. Both of them were elderly,

    and the driver was worried that they might slip and fall, so he helped them out. "Thank you, young

    man."

    Savannah expressed her gratitude to the driver.

    "No problem. This here''s the Ascend Hotel. Watch your step, the floor can be slippery."

    "Thank you, we''ll be careful."

    Patrick paid the fare before they both thanked the driver again.

    It was only after Savannah took Patrick''s arm that they made their way into the hotel.

    "Grandma, Grandpa."

    Eric, who had juste out of the hotel, spotted them and rushed over to greet them. He offered to

    help his grandmother, but a stern look from his grandfather made him drop the idea.

    Grandma and Grandpa, who had been married for decades, had a love as deep as first love, which

    was the envy of the younger generation.

    They all hoped to find their other half in the vast sea of people, and like Grandma and Grandpa, be

    able to rely on each other from youth to old age. Companionship is the longest confession of love.

    "Grandma, Grandpa, why didn''t you let me know you wereing? I could''ve picked you up."

    Eric apanied them into the hotel.

    Most of the hotel staff didn''t recognize the old couple. Hearing Eric call them Grandma and

    Grandpa, they realized they were the former owners and their wife.

    "Your brother''s thing, you know about it, right? He wanted to keep it low-key, so we also kept it low-

    key." Savannah said with a gentle smile. Nowadays, they preferred to keep a low profile, just like

    other old folks, living a peaceful and colorful life in their twilight years.

    Their identities were unknown, which allowed them to hear many interesting stories.

    Eric took his grandparents to the most luxurious private room in the hotel. After helping them to sit

    down, he said, "Ms. Moore already knows about my big brother''s real identity."

    "But her mom doesn''t."

    Eric chuckled, "Secrets always get out eventually."

    "Your big brother said he would be here around six."

    Savannah checked the time. Since it wasn''t six yet, she told Eric, "Eric, sit down. I have something

    to tell you."

    Eric felt a sense of foreboding, but he couldn''t avoid it.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    After being red at by his grandpa, he quickly sat down next to his grandma, with a pleasing smile

    on his face, "Grandma, you say, I''m all ears."

    "Your big brother got married."

    "Mmm, but he hasn''t announced it publicly yet, nor has he held a wedding."

    "All of that''s just a matter of time. Anything else you want to say?"

    Eric chuckled.

    "Don''tugh. Even if youugh, I won''t let you off."

    Eric immediately turned serious, swearing in front of his grandma, "Grandma, I still have two other

    brothers, you should urge them first."

    He didn''t even have a girlfriend yet, and they were already pressuring him to get married. Even if he

    wanted to get married, how could he? He couldn''t marry himself, could he?

    "Your brother is currently on a business trip and is not in Pinehurst, so I can''t find him," Savannah

    said firmly. "You''re all not young anymore. Before, you always used Stefan as a shield, but now that

    Stefan is married, what else do you have to say?"

    "Grandma, even though my big brother is married, he doesn''t have a child yet. You can let them

    have a baby as soon as possible so you can be grandparents."

    What are brothers for? Drop the me!

    Stefan would screw over his little brother, and the little brother would screw over his big brother in

    return.

    "I want a great-granddaughter. Whoever can give me a great-granddaughter will get a big reward."

    Ericughed, "My big brother and sister-inw will definitely get the prize. I can tell from my sister-

    inw''s face, their first child will definitely be a girl."

    Patrick snorted.

    "When did you start learning face reading?"

    In front of his grandpa, Eric didn''t dare to be frivolous. The only person who dared to be cheeky in

    front of Grandpa was Stefan.

    "Grandpa, I just learned some basic knowledge from reading in my spare time."

    Patrick snorted again, "Then why don''t you tell me when I can attend your wedding?"

    Eric was instantly speechless, "Grandpa, Grandma, you sit tight, I''m going to check on the kitchen

    to see if the dishes my big brother ordered are ready."

    As the general manager of Ascend Hotel, Eric didn''t need to go to the kitchen to check on the food.

    He was just looking for an excuse to slip out.

    Before the two elders could respond, Eric quickly got up and left.

    He hadn''t walked more than a few steps out the door when he bumped into Ruby.

    "Eric."

    Ruby greeted Eric with a smile.

    Eric returned the smile, "What a coincidence."

    "Yes, I made a reservation here to have dinner with a client."

    Ruby told a little lie.

    In reality, she had intentionallye to the Ascend Hotel to bump into Stefan.

    Except for weekends, Stefan always dined at the Ascend Hotel.

    Earlier, she had seen Patrick Anderson and Savannah Blue Anderson, and Ruby was curious as to

    why the elderly couple were at the hotel at this time.

    "Eric, I think I heard Patrick and Savannah''s voices."

    Ruby''s gaze shifted towards the door behind Eric.

    Eric turned to look and realized that he had left the door open in his haste to escape.

    Ruby took a few steps forward to stand in the doorway.

    Seeing that the people inside were indeed the old couple, she ignored Eric''s expression and

    knocked on the door before entering.

    "Patrick, Savannah."

    "Ruby, what brings you here?"

    The old couple were surprised to see Ruby.

    With Stefan about to bring his wife and Fiona for dinner, seeing Ruby could make things awkward

    for Lucinda.

    Ruby''s infatuation with Stefan also gave the old couple a headache.

    If there were other women around Stefan, Ruby would definitely be jealous.

    Eric followed her back inside.

    The old couple took the opportunity to give him a couple of stern looks.

    Eric felt very wronged. He had no idea he would run into Ruby when he left.

    "I made a reservation here to have dinner with a client, and the private room I booked is very close

    to yours. Patrick, Savannah, you always have dinner at home, so why are you here tonight?" Ruby

    asked curiously.

    Savannah hesitated, unsure whether to tell the truth.

    "Knock knock."

    The doorbell rang at that moment.

    Stefan strolled in with his knockout wife, joined by Fiona and Ike.

    The sight of Ruby in the room wiped the smile off Stefan''s face, but he quickly got his mojo back.

    Lucinda snuck a few nces at her hubby.

    Stefan squeezed her hand, silently assuring her that Ruby''s presence wasn''t his doing.

    Ruby''s eyes fell on Stefan and Lucinda''s sped hands, jealousy flickering in her eyes. But she

    managed to keep her cool and stay polite.

    Her gaze thennded on Ike and his mom. Even though they didn''t resemble Lucinda, Ruby had a

    gut feeling that they were part of Lucinda''s n.

    Patrick and his crew were clearly here to meet the Moore family!

 Chapter 78

    Chapter 78

    Stefanpletely ignored Ruby''s existence.

    Ruby was grinding her teeth in anger.

    He walked over with Lucinda and her families.

    "Grandpa, Grandma."

    Stefan first greeted the two elders, then introduced Lucinda, Fiona and Ike.

    "Grandpa, Grandma, good evening."

    Following Stefan, Lucinda also greeted the grandparents.

    "Patrick, Savannah, good evening."

    Fiona, with a big smile on her face, greeted the two elders and quickly handed them the gifts she

    had bought in advance.

    She had been preparing since she heard they were having dinner with Stefan''s grandparents.

    No matter what, she wanted to show respect.

    The couple stood up immediately, inviting the Moores to sit with a warm smile. Savannah said,

    "Thank you so much for your gift."

    "No problem, that¡¯s what we should do."

    Fiona''s first impression of the elders was very good. They were kind and friendly, exactly the type of

    grandparents you''d expect.

    From what her daughter had told her, Stefan was raised by his grandparents. In the Anderson

    family, the two elders were highly respected.

    Fiona just now realized that Stefan took his mother''s surname, so she didn''t link the Anderson

    family with Pinehurst''s most influential family.

    As Fiona had lived in the countryside for years, she didn''t know that the Anderson family was

    Pinehurst''s most influential family until Lucinda told her a couple of weeks ago.

    So, Fiona waspletely unaware of how prestigious these two elders were.

    Stefan also rified Eric''s identity.

    Fionaplimented Savannah, "Savannah, you have raised your children so well. Stefan is

    handsome and outstanding, and his younger brother is also very talented. You must be very proud."

    "Stop ttering them. They can''t hear too manypliments. They''ll get big-headed," Savannah

    said, although her smile didn''t fade.

    Patrick was too happy. Whenever someoneplimented his grandsons, he beamed with pride.

    "Lucy''s brother is also very talented. I heard he was a college roommate of Stefan''s. All of Stefan''s

    friends are very talented."

    Savannah wasn''t wrong.

    Stefan was so outstanding, anyone who could be his friend must also be exceptional.

    "Stefan is already a senior manager in a bigpany. He has a bright future ahead, whereas Ike is

    still trying hard."

    Fiona said modestly.

    "You''re too humble."

    As the two families exchangedpliments, Ruby suddenly interrupted, "Ms, you got it wrong.

    Stefan isn''t just a senior manager in a bigpany, he is the CEO of Ascend Global. Stefan''s

    family isn''t just any ordinary family. They''re the most influential family in this city."

    Ruby was well aware of Lucinda''s family background. Although they weren''t poor, they were far

    from being on par with the Andersons.

    The Moores were very proud. They weren''t the type to suck up to the rich and famous.

    If the Moores knew Stefan''s true identity, they would definitely advise Lucinda to leave Stefan.

    Why not take advantage of this to split them up without even lifting a finger?

    Ruby nned secretly in her heart. Unless absolutely necessary, she didn''t want to do anything to

    piss off Stefan.

    If she attacked Lucinda, Stefan would definitely not let her off. So, she chose to use the Moores to

    ruin the young couple''s marriage.

    Everyone was looking at Ruby.

    Stefan''s eyes were cold as ice. He stared at Ruby indifferently, then said, "Eric, please escort this

    irrelevant person out."

    He had nned to tell Fiona about his real identity during dinner tonight. But it was apletely

    different feeling to reveal it himselfpared to being exposed by someone else. Fiona''s reaction

    would also differ.

    "Stefan, how did I be irrelevant? Our families have always been close. We grew up together."

    Ruby quickly sat next to Savannah, even casually resting her arm around Savannah''s, clearly

    indicating she had no intention of leaving.

    She was determined to stay and make Lucinda ufortable.

    Fiona was shocked by Ruby''s words. She turned to her son and asked, "Ike, is what she said true?"

    Ike nodded.

    Fiona was in awe. Was she dreaming? How did her son-inw suddenly be the heir of the

    Anderson family and the CEO of Ascend Global?

    "Did you two know about this all along?"

    "We only found out recently."

    Ike was very honest about this. He didn''t deliberately deceive Stefan.

    As Stefan''s old friend, of course he knew about Ruby.

    Last time, Stefan said that his childhood best friend was Lucy, not Ruby.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    But everyone knew about Ruby''s feelings for Stefan.

    Ike looked at his sister with pity. It was already tough marrying into a rich family, not to mention

    facing such a strong love rival.

    As Lucy''s rtives, they weren''t strong enough. The only person Lucy could rely on was Stefan.

    If one day Stefan changed his mind, Lucy would have a very hard time in the Anderson family, and

    they might not even be able to fight for her.

    But Lucy said she had feelings for Stefan, and they were already truly married. She might even be

    pregnant. Otherwise, he really wouldn''t have agreed to their marriage.

    It seemed that he had always been skeptical of this rtionship. He even questioned Stefan''s

    character in front of their parents.

    Eric looked at his grandparents, and when he saw his grandmother nod, he stood up, walked over

    to Ruby, and politely said, "Ms. Scott, pleasee with me."

    Ruby clung to Savannah''s arm and said in a coquettish voice, "Savannah, I want to have dinner

    with you. Let me stay. I promise I won''t talk too much. I didn''t know Stefan was hiding his identity."

    "The big shot of the Anderson family, the CEO of Ascend Global, such a person isn''t exactly a

    hermit, so why would Stefan deceive Auntie by hiding his identity?"

    Savannah pushed away Ruby''s hand, her impable manners still in ce as she smiled at Ruby,

    saying, "Ruby, didn''t you mention you had a dinner appointment with a client? Go ahead and attend

    to that, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to dine with me in the future."

    Ruby felt a tad disappointed. If she had known, she wouldn''t have used that as an excuse. Now,

    she had no choice but to leave.

    "Go handle your business, we can reschedule and you can treat me to a meal another time, I''ll

    definitely be there," the old woman gently said, patting Ruby''s hand lightly.

    Ruby could only force a smile and say, "Alright, I''ll attend to my client now. I''ll visit you this weekend

    and personally cook your favorite dishes."

    After bidding the elders goodbye, Ruby, apanied by Eric, left the room.

    As soon as they were out of the private room, Eric led her to a more secluded area, interrogating

    her, "Ruby, are you trying to get my brother killed?"

    "How did I endanger him? He is indeed the eldest son of the Anderson family and the CEO of

    Ascend Global. Did I say anything wrong? I genuinely didn''t know he was hiding his identity from

    the Moore family."

    Ruby didn''t feel a shred of guilt.

 Chapter 79

    Chapter 79

    Eric said, "Ruby, whatever you had with my bro in the past, he''s married now, so you better keep

    your distance, to avoid any misunderstanding with my sister-inw."

    "Eric, are you guys just cool with that woman being your sister-inw?" Ruby vented, seething with

    jealousy, "Do you know what kind of family shees from? Her family''s economic conditions are

    very ordinary, they can''t possibly match up to the Andersons. And she''s an orphan, just a charity

    case taken in by the Moores."

    Ruby thought herself a perfect match for Stefan in every way, and she should be his wife!

    "My bro picked her, so even if she was a beggar, if he married her, I''d ept her as my sister-in-

    law."

    Eric was curious, but he respected Stefan''s choice.

    He believed Stefan wouldn''t just wing it when it came to such an important matter.

    Even though they did get hitched out of the blue, they''ve known each other for eleven years.

    Ruby was left speechless.

    "I''m going ." Eric didn''t want to argue with Ruby anymore.

    When Fiona found out that Stefan was a rich man, she was shook but she didn''t grill him on the

    spot about his secret. Instead, she quietly had dinner with the Andersons.

    After dinner, the two old folks from the Anderson family wisely let Eric take them home, leaving

    Stefan to keep Ike and Fionapany.

    "Mom, I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to hide my identity."

    Stefan finally got a chance to apologize and exin to Fiona.

    Fiona didn''t say a word, just sat silently, lost in her own thoughts.

    Stefan continued, "I just prefer to keep a low profile, don''t want too many people knowing about my

    status, to avoid unnecessary trouble."

    Ike scoffed, "So when you and Lucy were getting married, were you worried that we would ask you

    for a big fat wedding gift, so you decided to continue hiding?"

    "Ike, that''s not what I meant. Lucy is my wife, and what''s mine is hers, even if I gave her all my

    assets as a wedding gift, I''d be willing."

    Ike just seized every opportunity to embarrass him, and he couldn''t even get mad.

    Fiona remained silent.

    Stefan apologized over and over, but she didn''t say a word.

    "Mom."

    Lucinda called to her mother and gently patted her arm.

    Fiona pped her hand away.

    She stood up, pulling Lucinda with her, and said to the two men, "We need to have a little mother-

    daughter chat."

    Stefan watched as Fiona led his wife away, feeling anxious inside, but his face didn''t show it.

    He moved his chair closer to Ike.

    He picked up a bottle of wine, intending to pour Ike a ss.

    "I drove myself here." Ike reminded him. Ike hadn''t touched a drop of wine for the whole night.

    Stefan had to abandon the idea of pouring him wine.

    "Ike."

    "Call me brother." Ike suddenly requested with a smile, "You''re married to my sister, so you should

    regard me as your older brother like she does. It''s only right. Stefan, go on, call me brother."

    He thought Stefan wouldn''t do it, but as soon as he finished speaking, Stefan called him "brother =."

    Ike was taken aback, then burst outughing.

    While pping Stefan''s shoulder, heughed and said, "Stefan, you were really popr back in

    school, you know, any girl who saw you in person would be into you. We were all super jealous, we

    even ced bets on whether you''d ept a girl''s advances in the four years of college."

    "I bet that you wouldn''t, but they all thought you would, in the end, I won a lot. Who would''ve

    thought the one who caught you would be my dear sister, hahaha,e on, call me brother a few

    more times, it''ll make my day."

    "Brother, brother."

    "Stop!" Ike ordered,ughing, "Go on, say it."

    "What will mom say to Lucy?"

    "How would I know, I''m not mom. Are you getting nervous, scared?"

    Stefan denied it, "I was just wondering, mom wanted to talk to Lucy about something important, she

    didn''t even let you, her own son, listen."

    "I''m not going to eavesdrop."

    "And I didn''t ask you to."

    Ikeughed as he looked at Stefan.

    He never thought his old schoolmate would fall for his sister, it was just a bit early, after all, his sister

    was only thirteen or fourteen at the time.

    But he had to hand it to Stefan, he had an eye for beauty, and he knew his sister would grow up to

    be gorgeous.

    Fiona pulled her daughter aside, and directly said to her, "Lucinda, Stefan is not right for you, you

    guys should just split amicably."

    Before Lucinda could respond, Fiona solemnly said, "Life in a rich family is tooplicated, they

    say once you enter a rich family it''s like diving into the deep sea, and things areplicated in

    there. You''re smart and not a pushover, but your straightforward and innocent personality doesn''t fit

    with the rich."

    "Stefan''s grandparents may seem nice, but that''s just on the surface, who knows how much trouble

    they can be? Not to mention his parents, if you marry into the Andersons, the pressure will crush

    you.

    "Rich families'' marriages are usually alliances, and our family doesn''t have the financial strength to

    form an alliance with the Andersons. Stefan has many brothers, his younger brothers will definitely

    marry into rich families, and the rich heiresses might look down on you.

    "Marrying into a rich family is tough. Women who marry into a rich family rarely have freedom, even

    doing what they want is difficult. You''re a bit of a cker, don''t have any grand ambitions, but you''re

    a free spirit, you''ll find the rules of a rich family hard to handle.

    "Lucy, I¡¯m not trying to break you guys up, but reality is harsh, so I don''t want you to be hurt all over,

    better a short pain than a long one. You and Stefan just got married not long ago, and your feelings

    for each other are not that deep yet, so just divorce him."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Fiona''s thoughts were simr to Ruby''s, they both genuinely wanted Lucinda to leave Stefan.

    Over at the Anderson family, there was no resistance, but Lucinda was meeting some pushback on

    her end.

    "Mom, Stefan and I have already..."

    Fiona said, filled with self-ming, "It''s all my fault, I pushed you too hard to get married, causing

    you and Stefan to rush into marriage. I thought Stefan was from a regr family like ours, he even

    said his parents were just managing a flower farm, with rice and other crops growing at home. How

    the heck did he turn out to be the heir of the richest family?!"

    The richest family also farms?

    Fiona had never dipped her toes in high society, so her understanding of the wealthy was all

    gleaned off TV dramas.

    The picture Stefan painted of the Anderson family left Fiona with the impression of an unusual rich

    family.

    In TV dramas, the story of a prince and amon girl always involves the girl facing all sorts of

    hardships and injustices.

    Fiona didn''t want Lucinda to be like themon girls in the dramas. She didn''t necessarily expect

    her daughter to live a life of wealth and luxury.

    "As long as you aren''t pregnant, that''s all that matters. People are more open-minded these days.

    Even if you divorce, you can still find a good partner."

 Chapter 80

    Chapter 80

    Fiona paused, then went on, "If you''re really pregnant, you can choose to have an abortion. If you

    don''t want to, have the baby. Your dad and I will help take care of it. We won''t let the child affect

    your chances of getting married again."

    "Mom."

    "Lucy, don''t me me for being harsh. I''m doing this for your own good."

    Lucinda sighed helplessly, "Mom, you should let me speak too."

    "Alright, go on."

    Fiona immediately gave her daughter a chance to speak.

    "Stefan doesn¡¯t want to divorce me.¡±

    The current situation was that Lucinda honestly told her mother the reason and process.

    After hearing her daughter''s honesty, Fiona felt both angry and distressed, yet guilty.

    She poked Lucinda''s forehead, ming, "I urged you to marry fearing that you¡¯d be hurt deeply by

    George Mitchell. I know you didn¡¯t want to get married. Did I force you to marry apart from nagging

    you? Instead, you thought of hiring a fake boyfriend to fool me because I nagged."

    "You hired someone to pretend to be your husband, fine. But you naively went to register for

    marriage. Do you think signing that agreement is enough? You should only believe three out of ten

    things men say."

    "Once you register for marriage, you''re legally husband and wife. It¡¯s easy for you to get married,

    but it¡¯s hard for you to divorce."

    Fiona scolded her. Suddenly, she felt something was wrong and asked doubtfully, "How could

    Stefan cheat you into registration? I feel like he... seems to have feelings for you, taking every

    chance to take you to the Civil Affairs Bureau?"

    No wonder she thought so.

    Although she didn''t know Stefan''s real identity until tonight, Stefan was her son''s college ssmate.

    She heard a lot about Stefan from her son.

    Such an excellent man would definitely notck women.

    He readily agreed to Lucinda''s request and coaxed Lucinda to register for marriage. Fiona always

    felt that Stefan had set a trap waiting for her daughter to jump in.

    Lucinda blushed, bowed her head, and said softly, "Stefan said he has liked me for a long time."

    Fiona was speechless.

    Tonight''s information was too much, making her feel overwhelmed.

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    After a while, she spoke again, still insisting, "Divorce!"

    "Mom, I don¡¯t want to divorce either. I think Stefan is quite good. I feelfortable with him, and I

    like him more and more."

    "You¡­ Have you forgotten the pain George brought you?"

    "Mom, how can George and Stefan be mentioned in the same breath? George tters the powerful,

    while Stefan himself redeems the powerful, he will not be like George."

    Fiona coldly said, "Stefan will have a lot of pursuers. Ms. Scott tonight is one of them. Didn¡¯t you

    hear Ms. Scott say that her family and the Anderson family are friends, and she and Stefan have

    known each other since childhood? You will have many suchpetitors, can you handle it?¡±

    Lucinda was silent.

    Fiona sighed, gave her daughter a hug, "I won¡¯t force you, you need to think it over. You and Stefan

    have a big gap in your living environment. At first, you may feel very sweet. You may think he can

    protect you. But after a long time, passion will fade, and feelings will also fade. He may start to get

    tired of you because of your different living standards. Unless you continue to study hard to

    approach his life."

    This would be very tiring.

    Fiona let go of her daughter.

    "Let''s go home."

    Lucinda nodded silently.

    Fiona didn''t stay downtown anymore.

    She asked her son to take her back to her hometown immediately.

    That night Lucinda refused to let Stefan into her room. She wanted to think calmly about her and

    Stefan''s future.

    Stefan understood that the real reason Lucinda''s mother opposed them being together was that he

    came from a very wealthy family.

    This is ironic. His family did not oppose him and Lucinda being together. But after Lucinda''s family

    knew his identity, they all opposed them being together.

    Is the Anderson family really that scary?

    Lucinda thought about this for a long time before she fell asleep exhausted.

    As soon as she fell asleep, she started dreaming.

    She dreamed of that radiant woman again, sometimes she would hold her and call her baby,

    sometimes she would hold a doll and call it baby.

    She was halfway through her dream, dreaming that someone had taken the doll from the mad

    woman. The woman was crying madly for her baby, and the crying sound was heartbreaking.

    Lucinda didn¡¯t know why, she just felt a dull pain in her chest, as if a heavy stone was pressing on

    her chest, making her feel breathless.

    When she woke up, she found her face was wet.

    She wiped it with her hand and found it was all tears.

    Her pillow was wet with her tears.

    Why would she have the same dream?

    Although the dream was not real, the pain of the mad woman losing her baby was real. She could

    feel the woman''s despair in her dream, which made her heartache, as if it happened to her.

    This was a strange feeling.

    Lucinda sat up and wiped her tears again. It took her some time to calm herself down, then she

    picked up her phone from theputer desk to check the time.

    It was three in the morning.

    She couldn¡¯t sleep again after she woke up. She watched the news for a while, then felt her eyes

    were a bit sore, so she went back to sleep.

    Meanwhile, in the big house of the Blue family in Skywatch, the tranquility of the night was broken

    by one scream after another.

    "My baby is gone, my baby is gone!"

    Janice Blue of the Blue family ran out of her room with disheveled hair and bare feet, like a mad

    woman. Then she ran around the entire house, crying for her baby while running.

    Her crying was particrly harsh in the quiet night, but it was heartbreaking.

    That was a heartbreaking pain.

    A mother losing her child is like having her heart cut out.

    Their world will lose light and be dark.

    "Lady, what the hell are you doing in the middle of the night? You don''t wanna sleep, but others

    have to."

    The servants, awakened by the ruckus, rushed in to grab Janice.

    Some were muttering under their breath, their words dripping with annoyance towards Janice.

    Everyone knew that the head of the family had run out of patience and tolerance for Janice.

    He could leave Janice at any time and marry a new wife.

    Now, he''s quite chummy with the daughter of the Porter family. Ms. Porter has free rein in the Blue

    household, like she''s the newdy of the house.

    The Porter girl knows how to win people over too, always bringing loads of gifts for the servants of

    the Blue family. They''d do her bidding once they''d epted her gifts.

    Everyone saw it clear as day. Ms. Porter, the futuredy of the house, wanted to get rid of the

    unhinged Janice.

    Janice wasn''t exactly stable. Even though her son was by her side, the infighting within the Blue

    family was intense. It was anyone''s guess whether Ethan Blue would smoothly inherit the estate.

    As for the daughter of the Blue family who was taken away, there''s been no news for over two

    decades. She''s probably long dead.

    Even if she were alive, there were those who''d rather see her dead.

    Who''d want her to return and inherit half of the Blue fortune?

    The rest members of the Blue family disagreed, neither did the Porter family''s daughter. So, the

    youngdy who disappeared over two decades ago, she ain''ting back.

    The servants quickly grabbed the frantically running Janice.

    "Let go of me! I can''t find my child! I need to find my child! Where the hell did you hide my child? My

    child, my child¡ªah!"

    Someone yanked Janice''s hair, and she screamed in pain.

 Chapter 81

    Chapter 81

    When Ethan arrived, the scene before his eyes made him pissed off.

    He strode over and kicked the maid who was pulling Janice''s hair. She fell to the ground with a

    thud.

    "Mr. Ethan!" Everyone gasped.

    But Ethan didn''t stop there. He continued to kick the maid until she cried out in pain and begged for

    mercy. He stopped only when others intervened.

    "No matter what she does, this is her home. She can do as she pleases," Ethan coldly warned

    everyone. "I don''t care who you have backing you up, if you disrespect my mother again, I''ll make

    sure you pay. Now, get out!"

    Everyone quickly helped the maid Ethan had kicked and left.

    "Mom," Ethan steadied his mother.

    "Baby, darling, they''ve taken our baby. The baby is crying. We have to go save her quickly. She''s

    going to be very uneasy without me," Janice pleaded anxiously, grabbing Ethan''s arm.

    Ethan felt helpless as his mother mistook him for his father. There was no way to correct her.

    Once upon a time, his parents'' love for each other was something to be admired.

    But now...

    Their once harmonious family was shattered when his irresponsible father''s the other woman took

    revenge by stealing his twin sister, causing his mother to have a mental breakdown.

    His mother didn''t even recognize him, her own son, anymore.

    "Mom, I''ll help you back to your room," Ethan said, swallowing his pain as he helped his mother to

    her room.

    Janice resisted, but when she saw the group of people approaching, she instinctively shrank back

    behind Ethan, her eyes filled with fear.

    The man leading the group, wearing a robe, was the current head of the Blue family, Nathan Blue.

    Behind him were Colton Blue and Grace Blue, who were also awakened by the noise, and

    Madeleine Porter, the daughter of the Porter family, who had spent the night at the Blue family''s

    house.

    "Ethan, what''s wrong with your mother? Why is she causing such amotion?"

    Graceined, sounding annoyed. "How many times have I said to send your mother to the vi

    in the suburbs for some rest? The environment is so good there, so quiet, perfect for her to recover.

    But you and your father just won''t listen. You insist on keeping her at home. She has these

    episodes every now and then, always in the middle of the night, and it disturbs everyone''s rest."

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    "If it weren''t for those who know better, they''d think there was something supernatural going on in

    our house."

    Grace once adored her mentally ill daughter-inw, especially when she gave birth to a pair of

    twins. But ever since her beloved granddaughter went missing, Grace''s affection for Janice turned

    into resentment.

    She med Janice for not taking proper care of the children, giving others the opportunity to strike.

    She also med Janice for being too possessive, not allowing Nathan to associate with other

    women.

    As the head of the Blue family, there were many social activities to attend, and rumors were

    inevitable. She always told Janice that men sometimes needed to socialize for work, and urged her

    not to take these things too seriously.

    But Janice didn''t listen.

    Her son was also very indulgent with his wife.

    His mistress, unable to get his love, turned her love into hate and took away Grace''s beautiful and

    adorable granddaughter in revenge. It''s been over twenty years, and they still didn''t know whether

    her granddaughter was alive or dead.

    The Blue family was powerful, but after twenty years, they still couldn''t find the missing Lucinda

    Blue.

    Janice, having lost her beloved daughter and constantly med by her mother-inw, gradually lost

    her mind. This made Grace''s affection for her disappear.

    Now, all Grace felt towards her was disgust.

    "Grandma, I''m taking mom back to her room."

    Ethan didn''t respond to his grandmother''s reprimand.

    He knew that his grandmother''s heart had been won over by Madeleine. His cousin was also

    favored by his grandmother, which only increased her disgust for his mother.

    If it weren''t for his father''s firm stand on his side, insisting on keeping his mother in the Blue family,

    his mother would have been sent to the vi in the suburbs long ago.

    Although the vi in the suburbs was not a bad ce, it was too far from the city. With his mother''s

    unstable mental state, he wouldn''t know if she was in danger if he wasn''t by her side.

    Madeleine was waiting for his mother to pass away, so she could be his father''s new wife.

    Even though his mother couldn''t even recognize her own son anymore, she was still the wife of the

    head of the Blue family, and his father''s only wife.

    The Porter family''s power was catching up to the Blue family''s. As the daughter of the Porter family,

    Madeleine couldn''t be just Nathan''s mistress.

    Now, the person who most wanted Janice to die was Madeleine.

    Janice clung to Ethan''s arm and walked behind him.

    When she passed by Nathan, she stopped and looked at him carefully. "Honey, this man looks a lot

    like you," she said to her son.

    Nathan was speechless.

    He silently reached out to smooth his wife''s hair.

    But Janice immediately hid behind Ethan, avoiding his outstretched hands. "Who are you, what do

    you want? I have a husband and children, you''re not allowed to touch my hair!"

    Nathan withdrew his hand and silently watched his wife.

    Janice, frightened, clung to Ethan''s arm. "Honey, let''s go. He''s looking at me in a scary way."

    Everyone was looking at her in a scary way, especially the woman in ck. Janice was most afraid

    of the woman in ck.

    Every time her husband was out, this woman in ck would bully her. She''d snatch her child away,

    even throw the kid on the ground and stomp hard.

    That woman in ck, she''s a real piece of work!

    "Ethan, take your mom back to her room and rest. Have someone look after her, don''t let her

    scream all night and disturb everyone''s rest."

    Nathan finally made way for his son to take his wife back to their room.

    Ethan didn''t say a word, quietly guarding his mother as they walked past the crowd.

    He could feel his mother''s fear of Madeleine.

    That wicked woman must have bullied his mom again while he was out.

    The people he arranged to protect his mom didn''t do a good job.

    Ethan''s gaze was filled with indifference.

    It seemed like he needed a new crew.

    He needed real pros, those who wouldn''t be scared off by the Porter and the Blue families. Only

    such people could protect his mom.

    But in Skywatch, it was hard to find people who weren''t afraid of these two families'' influence.

    It was only when he returned to Janice''s room that Ethan understood why his mother was

    screaming in the middle of the night.

    The doll that his mother usually treated like his sister was missing.

    Ethan was filled with hatred.

    It was just a doll, yet those people stole it and threw it away, deliberately provoking his mother.

    It must''ve been Madeleine''s doing. Every time she came, his mother would go crazy.

    Ethan loathed the woman who might be his stepmother, but he had no proof that Madeleine

    was behind this.

    Madeleine was arrogant, yet extremely cautious. She never left any traces behind no matter what

    she did.

 Chapter 82

    Chapter 82

    "My baby..."

    A soft whisper escaped Janice''s lips, "My baby is gone, they took my baby from me."

    Tears slid down her cheeks.

    Ethan, heart aching, helped his mother sit down on the bed. He knelt before her, taking her hands in

    his, and said, "Mom, I promise you Lucy is safe. You just chill, no matter where she is in the world,

    I''ll find her."

    "Mom, can you snap out of it for a bit? If you can pull yourself together, I can go find Lucy."

    Ethan had been sending people to search for Lucy, as he couldn''t go himself for fear of leaving his

    mother vulnerable.

    Janice stared nkly at him.

    "Mom, I''m Ethan, your son, not Dad. Look at me clearly."

    He thought his mother hade to her senses.

    "Ethan...my son, yes, my son''s name is Ethan, and my daughter''s name is Lucinda. Honey, we had

    twins, our son looks like you, but our daughter looks like your mother, that''s why your mom loved

    Lucy the most."

    Ethan was stunned.

    He always thought his sister and he looked alike. Hence, when searching for his sister, he looked

    for girls that resembled him.

    Sometimes, they did find girls who looked like him.

    But, even though they looked like him, DNA tests showed they were not his sister. They had no

    blood rtion at all.

    To protect them, they only had photos of them at one month and one hundred days old, no more

    pictures of his sister.

    From the photos at one month and one hundred days, it was hard to tell anything.

    Turns out, his sister took after their grandmother.

    Ethan had seen photos of his grandmother when she was young.

    She was incredibly beautiful.

    Otherwise, his grandfather wouldn''t have married and adored her for decades.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Ethan felt a pang in his heart.

    Now, his grandmother treated his mother terribly, and even favored his uncle''s family. And his only

    sister looked like his grandmother!

    "Mom, does Lucy have any distinctive features?"

    Janice smiled, gently tapping Ethan¡¯s forehead, "You and your memory, can''t even remember your

    sister''s features. Let me tell you, our Lucy has a mole the size of a green bean behind her left ear."

    "Lucy...Lucy is gone. Honey, Lucy is gone."

    Mrs. Janice grabbed Ethan''s hand again, starting to sob.

    "Mom."

    Ethan couldn''t help but stood up and hugged his mother tightly.

    His poor mother!

    For his mother''s sake, he had to find Lucy.

    Lucy, she might still be alive.

    It took Ethan a long time to get his mother to sleep.

    Meanwhile, Lucinda was awakened by a dream and couldn''t fall asleep again.

    Stefan noticed her room light is on and immediately came to knock on the door.

    "Lucy, what''s up? I saw your room light on, have you had a nightmare?"

    Stefan asked worriedly from outside the door.

    Lucinda opened the door and threw herself into Stefan''s arms.

    Stefan immediately embraced her, not rushing to ask what happened, just holding her quietly.

    After a while, Lucinda looked up at him, her voice soft and shy, "Stefan, I didn''t wake you, did I?"

    Stefan lowered his head, his forehead against hers, whispered, "No, you didn''t disturb me. I just

    happened to wake up and needed to use the restroom. I saw your room light on, so I came to check

    on you."

    Lucinda said, "I had that dream again. It''s really strange, thest time I had this dream, and this

    time, it''s the same dream, as though I am the baby in the dream."

    Lucinda''s words reminded Stefan of a secret his grandparents shared with him before they returned

    home. Someone had sent them a photo of Lucinda and George, with a note revealing that Lucinda

    was an abandoned baby, not a biological daughter of the Moore family.

    This news surprised Stefan.

    He''s known Lucinda for eleven years, thinking he knew her well, he had never thought to investigate

    her past or the fact she wasn''t a biological child of the Moore family.

    It seemed, he couldn''t let his cousin, Ike Moore, get too close to Lucinda, as they were not siblings.

    Stefan''s way of thinking was always so unique.

    Stefan took Lucinda back to his room, both sitting on the bed.

    "Lucinda, everyone has dreams, don''t take it to heart. You''re always thinking about this, so it''s easy

    to have the same dream."

    Lucinda shook her head, "Thest time I had this dream I didn''t pay much attention to it, I didn''t

    keep thinking about it either, it just suddenly appeared. The woman in the dream who''s in pain, I feel

    like I''m her, I can feel her pain. Her daughter was taken away, her crying is heartbreaking."

    Stefan didn''t immediately tell Lucinda that she''s not the biological daughter of the Moore family.

    Lucinda''s dream might be rted to her biological mother, maybe the woman in pain in her dream

    was her biological mother.

    The connection between kin was very peculiar.

    "Don''t think about it anymore, go to sleep."

    He kissed her forehead gently, and whispered, "We''ll talk about it tomorrow."

    Lucinda replied with a simple, "Okay", then holds him tightly and whispers, "Stay with me."

    Stefan smiled, "I''d love to."

    Ever since her mother left, Lucinda had been avoiding him.

    Stefan knew, Lucinda''s mother was worried because of his high status.

    Most people were despised because of their poverty, but his mother was unique, she worried

    because he was too rich!

    Lucinda never told him this, and Stefan never asked.

    He believed, one day his wife would choose to share her concerns with him.

    With Stefan''spany, Lucinda felt reassured, she fell asleep quickly and didn''t dream anymore.

    The next day, by the time she woke up, Stefan had already gone to work.

    He left her a breakfast he made himself.

    Fancy Stefan could even cook.

    Plus, his cooking was crazy good, even better than hers.

    Lucinda thought of Stefan as a thick book, full of substance, but needed patience to read. Each new

    page delivered a different content, giving her a fresh surprise.

    Inside the president''s office of Ascend Global. Edgar scratched his ear after hearing Stefan''s

    instructions, doubting if he heard it right.

    "Boss, ain''t Lucinda your other half? You want me to dig into her? Questioning if she''s really a

    Moore? You and Ike went to school together, right? Why not just ask him straight up?"

    Edgar thought that snooping on the boss''s wife in private could upset their marital bliss if she found

    out.

    Ever since the boss got hitched, Edgar felt like the boss had be a different person, his mood

    was always up.

    Even though he still had a cold vibe, it was pretty much weakened by his good mood.

    Not just him, a lot of people mentioned that the boss was a lot nicer now.

    All thanks to the boss''s wife.

    Stefan said seriously, "The Moore family didn''t tell Lucy, so I won''t be the one to spill the beans. I

    want you to dig a little, mainly to know if Lucy was dumped by her parents or kidnapped."

 Chapter 83

    Chapter 83

    Stefan deduced from Lucinda''s dreams that she wasn''t an abandoned baby.

    Edgar said, "You''re talking about the Moore family, right? Ike would want to strangle you if he heard

    you. The Moores are all straight shooters, they wouldn''t do something like child trafficking."

    Stefan gave him a sidelong nce, "I''m just guessing that maybe Lucinda was once kidnapped and

    escaped, then was adopted by the Moore family."

    What a wild theory!

    The Moores would never be involved in child trafficking.

    "So, if your wife was indeed adopted by the Moore family, how would you handle it?" Edgar asked

    curiously.

    Stefan retorted, "What do you think I should do? Lucinda is my wife, whether she''s a Moore by birth

    or not, that won''t change. My decision to marry her has nothing to do with her background."

    The Andersons, being top dogs in Pinehurst, didn''t need to marry for status.

    The elders in their family had always said that, although the previous generation might have needed

    to marry for power, their generation had the freedom to choose their own wives.

    As long as the woman they liked came from a good family and was well-mannered, the elders

    wouldn''t object.

    Of course, they''d be happier if the woman was from the same social ss. It''s always easier when

    you''re dealing with your own kind.

    "You''re the firstborn of the Andersons, the CEO of Ascend Global. If your wife doesn''te from a

    notable family, how will she fit into the high society of Pinehurst? Do you really think that just by

    giving her the Anderson name, she''ll be able to hold her own in society? Unless she doesn''t

    socialize at all, do you think that''s possible?"

    The women of the Anderson family were expected to apany their husbands to various social

    events.

    High society parties might seem morous, but that didn''t mean there''s nopetition. After all,

    where there were people, there''spetition.

    Stefan already had a lot of suitors, and if his wife didn''te from a significant background, she''d

    definitely be bullied when apanying him to these parties.

    Recalling Lucinda''s performance at their first party together, Stefan confidently said, "Even without a

    family background, Lucinda handled herself well at the party. She''s naturally beautiful and can

    handle any situation. She seems to be born for the high society life."

    "If she doesn''t want to apany me to these events, she''s free to do as she pleases. We don''t

    have a lot of restrictions in our family."

    His mom and aunts lived pretty free and easy lives. His mom even chatted with the cleaning crew

    sometimes.

    Edgar fell silent for a while, then said, "Lucinda must have done a lot of good deeds to have ended

    up with you."

    Stefan doted on his wife a lot.

    Edgar would bet that soon all of Pinehurst will be saying that Stefan spoils his wife without limits.

    His boss was well on his way down that road and showing no signs of stopping.

    "I''m not worried about that. What I am worried about is that my wife''s mother would persuade

    Lucinda to leave me because I''m too rich," Stefan said, looking troubled.

    Even without Lucinda telling him, he could guess this.

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Lucinda''s mother initially liked him a lot, but then she thought he was too rich and high-status for

    Lucy, even persuading Lucy to divorce him.

    Edgarughed, "Boss, so you do have moments when people don''t like you."

    "Shut it, if you dare to mock me, I''ll send you off to some poor and remote ce."

    Edgar immediately stoppedughing.

    He, being a man of refined tastes, didn''t want to go to some backwater ce.

    "How''s the investigation on those people I asked you to look into?"

    At this, Edgar''s expression turned serious.

    "I was just about to report back to you. I spent a lot of time and money digging into their

    backgrounds, and now I finally have some leads. They''re gangsters, not from Pinehurst, and they''re

    underlings of some big shot. They were probably paid a hefty sum to murder someone."

    Looking at the change in his boss''s expression, Edgar said in a softer voice, "They''ve targeted your

    wife. That means the person they''re nning to murder is your wife."

    "They''re aiming to murder your wife and it has nothing to do with you. Boss, you should ask your

    wife if she''s offended anyone. Someone actually spent a lot of money to hire the big shot''s

    underlings to murder her."

    Stefan''s face went serious and he asked in a deep voice, "Who''s this big shot?"

    He was a legitimate businessman, dealing only inwful businesses.

    However, when he needed information, he couldn''t rely solely on detective agencies.

    Sometimes, he would have to deal with gangsters; obviously not him personally, but through

    Edgar''s people.

    "Mr. Jack."

    Edgar replied softly, exining, "Mr. Jack is universally recognized in the underworld as a force to

    be reckoned with. He has trained many assassins, but his fees are high, not just anyone can afford

    his crew."

    His wife wasn''t a Moore by birth.

    Now, without even knowing her biological parents, she''s already in trouble.

    "Can you find out who''s pulling the strings in the background?"

    "Not yet, but from the ounts, we found that themission was paid from Whiterun."

    Edgar continued, "Now, Mr. Jack''s people have stopped. They probably realized you''re investigating

    and terminated the coboration."

    The people behind this were probably afraid they''d be exposed through Mr. Jack''s people.

    "So, if they''ve terminated the coboration, does that mean my Lucy is safe for now?"

    Edgar didn''t dare answer this question.

    He said, "Not having a clear target now is even riskier. ''Cause our enemies are lurking in the

    shadows while we''re out in the open."

    Suddenly, Stefan felt that having only Zoey and Zack secretly protecting Lucinda wasn''t enough.

    He needed to arrange more people to protect Lucinda.

    Now, his job wasn''t just to protect Lucinda but also to figure out her true identity. To solve a problem,

    you gotta find its root.

    Stefan had a hunch that his wife''s real identity was critical. Otherwise, no one would spend big

    bucks to hire Mr. Jack''s people to assassinate her.

    The day Mr. Jack''s guys approached Lucinda but didn''t make a move, maybe they weren''t sure

    Lucinda was their target.

    Lucky them they didn''t make a move.

    Every time Stefan remembered that day, he would get goose bumps.

    "Boss, I think you should let the Moore family know about this. They know well that your wife ain''t

    their biological daughter. They love your wife so much, they definitely don''t want her in danger. They

    would certainly cooperate with you to reveal your wife''s origins," Edgar suggested.

    Stefan pondered for a moment, thinking Edgar''s words made sense.

    "We were able to trace themission to Whiterun, so we must focus on investigating Whiterun to

    ensure we get to the real culprit," Stefan warned Edgar.

    Once he told the Moore family the truth, he would do everything he could to help his wife find her

    real parents.

    Even if she didn''t want to meet her birth parents, at least she could understand why she was almost

    assassinated, eliminate the potential danger around her, allowing her to live happily in the Anderson

    family.

 Chapter 84

    Chapter 84

    "Boss, I''ve spent so much time investigating this for you, don''t you think a little feedback or reward

    is in order?"

    Stefan pulled out an invitation from a pile, tossing it to Edgar, "This Friday evening, the Howard

    family''s daughter''s 20th birthday party will be held in the Anderson Hotel . You should go, maybe

    you can solve your marriage problem."

    Edgar frowned, clearly not happy.

    He tossed the invitation back to Stefan, stood up and grabbed a file with Stefan''s signature on it,

    "Ms. Howard invited you, not me. You should enjoy this good fortune yourself."

    With that, he hurriedly left.

    He was afraid if he didn''t make a quick exit, the boss would actually make him go to Ms. Howard''s

    birthday party.

    Stefan watched Edgar leave, and once the office door closed, he chuckled, "You''re too naive if you

    think you''re going to get anything out of me."

    Edgar rolled his eyes,

    The boss was such a sly fox. It was disheartening.

    Lucinda had no idea Stefan was shielding her from all kinds of trouble. She wasn''t feeling great

    today and didn''t feel like creating, so she asked her editor for a day off and made herself a cup of

    coffee.

    She sat at the cashier''s desk, ying songs about coffee on herputer while sipping her own.

    A young girl walked in, carrying arge bouquet of flowers.

    A beautiful bouquet.

    The girl came over and asked politely, "Is Ms. Lucinda here?"

    Holding her coffee cup, Lucinda replied, "That''s me."

    The girl handed her the bouquet and smiled, "Ms. Moore, I work at the florist''s. A customer ordered

    this bouquet for you and asked me to deliver it. Can you please sign for it?"

    Lucinda, thinking the flowers were from Stefan, happily signed for the bouquet.

    After the delivery girl left, she looked at the note in the bouquet, it had a drawing of Cupid''s arrow

    and the words "Lucinda, I love you."

    But it didn''t say who it was from.

    "How mysterious."

    Lucindaughed, finding her husband to be quite romantic.

    He was indeed a smooth talker.

    His words always stirred her heart.

    She was worried about the same things her mother was.

    But after spending time together, she had fallen for Stefan.

    "Stefan is so romantic, sending you flowers," Cecilia joked as she walked by.

    "Are you jealous?"

    "Of course."

    "Then find yourself a boyfriend."

    Cecilia walked away.

    Lucindaughed.

    Since Stefan treated her so well, she wanted to return the favor.

    "Cecilia, I''m stepping out for a bit."

    Lucinda was a woman of action.

    Once she had an idea, she acted on it.

    She shut down herputer, picked up her phone, set the bouquet aside, and didn''t forget to finish

    her coffee.

    Without turning her head, Cecilia replied, "Go wherever you want. I''ll handle things here."

    People in love do whatever they want.

    Cecilia showed understanding.

    ......

    It was scorching hot at noon, the sunlight was piercing.

    But if there was some juicy gossip to be had, people would still stop to listen, especially if it involved

    Stefan.

    The entrance to Ascend Global was filled with flowers, forming a sea of blossoms.

    In the sea of flowers were words made from flowers.

    The words spelled out, Stefan, I like you!

    There were many women who liked Stefan, some openly pursued him, others admired him secretly.

    They all tried their best to get close to Stefan.

    However, for years, only Ruby could get close to him.

    She was a childhood friend.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Other women who liked Stefan didn''t even get a chance to meet him.

    But this situation was broken recently.

    Mr. Coleman brought a woman to Mr. Lambert''s business party. The woman who is now confessing

    her love for Mr. Coleman with a sea of flowers at thepany''s entrance.

    Rumor had it that Mr. Martinez, Mr. Coleman''s rival, said that the woman was Mr. Coleman''s wife.

    In other words, the woman Mr. Coleman brought to the party might have been his wife.

    Mr. Coleman was married but kept it a secret.

    He hid the news so well.

    No wonder no matter how people paired him with Ruby, Ruby was just a decoy Stefan used to

    confuse everyone. Over the years, she shielded many rumors and endured so much envy and

    jealousy for him.

    Stefan was still busy.

    Just before leaving work, Iris knocked on the door and told him, "Mr. Coleman, your wife is here."

    Hearing this, Stefan looked up sharply, his gaze went straight toward the office door.

    Irisughed, "Your wife didn''te up. She''s waiting for you at thepany''s entrance."

    Stefan immediately put down his pen, stood up and said while circling his desk, "The sun is so hot

    and bright, she should havee in."

    As Iris walked with him towards the exit, she chuckled, "Your wife wanted to surprise you."

    "She might get heatstroke from the sun. That''s not a surprise, that''s a scare."

    In front of someone who knew the truth, Stefan didn''t hide his affection for Lucinda.

    Iris just smiled and didn''t say anything.

    Stefan hurried downstairs.

    It was the peak of the after-work rush, Ascend Global had so many employees, it was crowded.

    Of course, the crowd couldn''t get close to Stefan.

    As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, the crowd automatically parted, making way for him.

    Many female employees sighed in a low voice, "Mr. Coleman is so handsome! Even his back view

    is charming."

    "I''m seeing Mr. Coleman for the first time."

    Stefan usually left work early orte. Therefore, many regr employees had never seen him.

    "Just treat Mr. Coleman as a beautiful scenery to appreciate, but don''t fall for him. He''s not

    someone we can get."

    Some employees were very calm and clear-headed.

    Guys like Mr. Coleman, they can appreciate but should never fall for. If they do, they''re only asking

    for trouble.

    "Look at that woman outside, throwing herself at Mr. Coleman with all those flowers. She gets some

    nerve."

    "Isn''t she the one who went to the party with Mr. Coleman?"

    Stefan didn''t care about the whispers, he didn''t even hear them.

    He knew his wife would being to pick him up from work.

    The sun outside was zing, it was unbearably hot.

    He had to get moving, didn''t want Lucy waiting too long. If she suffered because of the heat, he''d be

    heartbroken.

    As he stepped out of the office building, he saw a sea of red by thepany''s front gate.

    Stefan was taken aback.

    Iris mentioned something about Lucy wanting to surprise him...

    Could it be?

    Stefan''s heart raced, he wanted to run over there.

    But with all the employees watching, he had to keep his cool.

    Still, he strode forward.

    As he got closer, Stefan could see clearly.

    The person standing behind the sea of flowers was Lucinda. She was wearing a long white dress,

    looking absolutely stunning against the backdrop of flowers. She was holding a bouquet of roses,

    beaming at him.

    Now, this was a real surprise!

 Chapter 85

    Chapter 85

    Everyone was watching Stefan, curious to see how he''d react to this bold maiden''s confession.

    "Lucy."

    The only thing in Stefan''s eyes was Lucinda and the sea of flowers she had given him.

    It''s not every day a woman gifts a man with flowers, let alone a whole garden of them.

    This was something he was supposed to do.

    However, she had done this, and it had made him very happy.

    Stefan briskly walked over to Lucinda.

    She handed him a bouquet of flowers, her smile beaming, "Stefan, these flowers are for you."

    Stefan epted the flowers.

    "Thank you, my dear wife."

    Upon hearing this, everyone around them was so shocked.

    When did Stefan get married?

    They had no clue.

    There hadn''t been any media coverage of their wedding.

    Those in the know breathed a sigh of relief.

    Now that the boss had publically acknowledged his marriage, they no longer had to keep it hush-

    hush.

    Stefan looked once again at the sea of flowers in front of him.

    "Stefan, I like you."

    These were the words Lucinda had spelled out with flowers.

    He looked at the words "I like you".

    He felt a bit disappointed.

    She hadn''t spelled out "I love you".

    "I like you" was too vague. She had said she liked him before, but she would say that she likes

    others as well.

    He thought that their rtionship had changed too quickly and she needed time to adjust. But her

    boldness in expressing her liking for him was already more than enough.

    He should be satisfied and not be greedy.

    "How is it, do you like it? I bought out all the roses in the flower shops and had someone arrange

    them like this."

    Lucinda asked him,ughing.

    This was her first time confessing her feelings so boldly.

    "It''s beautiful."

    "Do you like it?"

    "Of course I like it."

    Hearing his answer, Lucinda smiled happily.

    When she had thought of doing this, Cecilia had said that such things should be done by men.

    But Lucinda had decided to do it instead. It seemed that Stefan was very happy and liked her

    surprise.

    Stefan took out a pack of tissues, extracted a few, held the flowers Lucinda had given him in one

    hand, and used the other to wipe the sweat from her forehead. "From now on, juste right in.

    You''re the CEO''s wife. You cane and go freely in mypany. Don''t stand in the sun here, it''s

    too hot. I''ll worry about you."

    The employees around them: ...

    Who said their CEO wouldn''t fall for any woman other than Ms. Scott?

    Who said their CEO couldn''t sweet talk?

    Listen to how sweet the CEO''s words are. They were all melting, feeling envious of the CEO''s wife.

    "Everyone can get off work now, you don''t have to watch anymore. This is my wife. We''ve been

    married for a while now, we just haven''t had the wedding ceremony yet."

    Stefan, with his arm around his wife, revealed Lucinda''s identity to the surrounding employees.

    "Mr. Coleman, congrattions."

    "Congrattions."

    Even though many of them were envious of Lucinda, they didn''t show it on their faces and

    congratted Stefan instead.

    Stefan was in high spirits and thanked anyone who congratted him.

    Everyone: So Mr. Coleman does have a softer side.

    Lucinda: Stefan has always been gentle.

    In her eyes, Stefan was a perfect gentleman.

    Because thepany''s entrance was decorated with a sea of flowers, any vehicles had to take a

    detour.

    This was a special surprise the CEO''s wife had prepared for the CEO. Anyone daring to drive

    through would be asking for trouble.

    However, this sea of flowers couldn''t stay here forever.

    Stefan called his bodyguards and asked them to carefully transport the sea of flowers to his vi in

    Diamond Ridge Estates as quickly as possible. He also instructed that without his permission, no

    one was allowed to touch the sea of flowers.

    Even if the flowers withered, they were not to be discarded.

    Because this was a gift of affection from Lucinda.

    Stefan had publically revealed Lucinda''s identity at thepany''s entrance and instructed the

    company''s PR department, in his name, to officially announce his marriage to Lucinda.

    He even attached their marriage certificate.

    This news was like a boulder dropped into a calmke, causing a huge stir in Pinehurst.

    Some people congratted them but not many.

    Many more people were envious, jealous, and harbored resentment.

    Upon hearing that Stefan was married, Ruby was so angry she almost wrecked her new office.

    Adrienne Dewey also started throwing things around her house when she heard the news, almost

    bringing down the Dewey family''s roof.

    Lucinda!

    Not Ruby!

    Stefan was willing to marry a woman with no family background instead of her!

    This fact almost drove Adrienne insane.

    However, Lucinda wasn''t aware of the impact this public announcement would have on her.

    Reporters wanted to swarm Lucinda but they didn''t dare.

    Because Stefan had made it clear that any media outlet that harassed Lucinda or interfered with her

    and her family''s life would be making an enemy out of him.

    In Pinehurst, apart from Owen Martinez, no one dared to challenge Stefan.

    Behind Stefan was the Anderson family. The Anderson family had ten sons, all of whom were

    leaders in various industries. Offending one Stefan was equivalent to offending the entire Anderson

    family and major figures in various industries.

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    The ensuing retaliation would be devastating.

    Who would risk their future?

    Owen was actually quite happy to see that Stefan was married. That way, Ruby would give up.

    So, when many people were hoping he''d support a media outlet in interviewing Lucinda, he

    disappointed them all.

    The Ike group even sent their congrattions.

    Everyone was shocked again.

    This was not normal.

    Anderson Inc. and the Ike group were arch-enemies. Owen would rather see Stefan dead. How

    could he possibly congratte Stefan on his marriage?

    The afternoon sun was getting allzy around four.

    Stefan, who once had a knack for cutting out early, was biking along the streets with his wife in tow,

    heading for Pinehurst Central Park.

    Pinehurst Central Park was a hoot, with ygrounds and all sorts of tasty snacks.

    Every day, there were more park-goers than you could shake a stick at. If it was a holiday, they

    even had to get the coppers to stand guard at the major intersections, shooing the crowds to avoid

    any stampedes.

    There was a bikene in the park, and those who loved to cycle for a workout and to take in the

    scenery always had a soft spot for it.

    Cycling around the park''s artificialke, on the concrete path embraced by green trees, you could

    enjoy the beautiful view, get a workout, and avoid the hustle and bustle of the tourists. The bikene

    was separated from the pedestrian path by fences.

    Back when Lucinda was in high school, she used to cycle to the central park since it was a stone''s

    throw from her school. But she hadn''t been back since then.

    She was just too swamped.

    The weather was top-notch, with a strong breeze in the afternoon.

    With the cool breeze, this young couple didn''t feel the heat at all.

    While Stefan was pedaling away, Lucinda, sitting in the back, was still enjoying her ice cream.

    "Stefan, you beat? Let me know if you are, I can take over the cycling."

    Lucinda scooped a spoonful of ice cream and fed it to Stefan.

 Chapter 86

    Chapter 86

    After eating ice cream, Stefan said cheerily, "With your weight, I could cycle you around the city ten

    times without getting tired."

    "You''re really fit."

    Stefan replied subtly, "Well, you know my body best."

    No sooner had he finished speaking than Lucinda gave him a pinch on the waist.

    "Honey, please. I''m trying to cycle here."

    Lucinda said, "... I just pinched you lightly."

    "Well, that''s a sensitive spot for me."

    "Fine, next time you piss me off, I''ll pinch your waist."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Stefanughed, "I''ll only make you happy, not angry."

    "That''s better."

    Lucinda spooned him another mouthful of ice cream.

    "Stefan."

    "If you call me darling, I''d be more energized and cycle faster."

    Lucindaughed, asking him, "Do you find it tiring to be with me? Look at you, the prestigious CEO

    of Ascend Global and the son of the Anderson family. You usually ride in luxury cars. But when

    you''re with me, I have you cycling me around."

    "All I need is to be with you, even if it means walking, I''m happy."

    "Our lifestyles are quite different."

    "If you enjoy simple life, I''ll live a simple life with you. What difference? I''ve been through hard times

    too."

    He had experienced poverty on his way up.

    His grandfather once said that if they hadn''t been poor, they wouldn''t appreciate what they have

    now.

    In the family training base, the Anderson kids, spent their days studying and living independently.

    They cooked what they wanted to eat, and bought what they wanted with their own money. If they

    didn''t have money, they went hungry.

    Lucinda asked curiously, "Was your family training base really that strict?"

    "Actually, it''s just a secluded ind. Once you get used to living there, you might not even want to

    leave, it''s quite fun."

    "When will you take me there?"

    Stefanughed, "Sure, anytime you want, I''ll take you."

    They arrived at Central Park, surrounded by evergreen trees.

    "It''s been ages since I wasst in a park."

    "I''ll bring you here whenever we have time."

    He would try his best to give her the love journey she desired.

    "Okay."

    Lucinda wrapped her arms around Stefan''s waist from behind.

    Looking at the scenery on both sides, feeling the cool breeze, she was in a very good mood.

    Since they were in the park, they must have a good time.

    Stefan found a spot to park the bike, then took Lucinda by the hand and walked her around.

    The park was teeming with couples on dates.

    Stefan wanted to find a ce to sit down and cuddle with his wife, but there were no empty spots.

    With no other choice, he took Lucinda for a hike up the hill.

    The hill they climbed had stairs, so all they had to do was climb the stairs.

    But summer weather is unpredictable.

    They were leisurely walking, but suddenly it started to rain.

    The rain was heavy and sudden.

    Most of the visitors sought shelter from the rain, and few had brought umbres.

    Luckily, Stefan reacted quickly. Before the rain started, he ran with Lucinda to a pavilion.

    "Lucy, here."

    Stefan handed Lucinda a bucket of popcorn.

    Lucinda was a bit puzzled, she took the popcorn and asked him, "When did you buy popcorn?"

    There was a convenience store next to the pavilion where many people were buying snacks.

    "I bought it when we came in. It looks like the rain willst for a while, so I bought you some popcorn

    in case you got bored while we wait."

    Lucinda suddenly felt that what she was holding was not just popcorn, but also Stefan''s care and

    love.

    He always put her first and cared about her.

    Sitting here, looking at the scenery in the park, eating popcorn, listening to the rain, it felt very

    comfortable.

    The rain got heavier.

    Stefan, worried that Lucinda would get cold, hugged her into his arms, giving her warmth with his

    body heat.

    The view of the mountain was actually very beautiful. It was very atmospheric andfortable to

    look at from afar.

    "We didn''t bring an umbre. If we had an umbre, we could walk in the rain, which is quite

    romantic."

    Stefanughed, "There are umbres for sale in the convenience store nearby. If you want to walk

    in the rain, I can go buy a big umbre right now, and walk with you."

    After hearing Lucinda''s words, he also felt that walking on the mountain in the rain was quite

    romantic.

    He wanted to try it too.

    Lucinda turned to look at him.

    The couple cuddled together. The way she looked at him made his heart flutter. He quickly looked

    around, and when no one was looking, he gave her a peck on the lips.

    Lucinda was stunned.

    She didn''t expect him to kiss her in front of so many people.

    Stefan leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Lucy, if you keep looking at me like that, I''ll want

    to kiss you again."

    Lucinda''s face slowly turned red.

    She gently pushed him away, took a handful of popcorn and put it in his hand, saying, "I can''t finish

    this popcorn by myself, you eat some too."

    "If it''s from my wife, I''ll definitely eat it, and I''ll enjoy it."

    "If your employees see you like this and hear what you''re saying, they might be shocked."

    Stefan chuckled, "Then we''d better watch our step, we don''t want to step on their eyeballs."

    "Do you want to walk in the rain?"

    Lucinda looked at the rain outside and said, "Let''s wait until the rain gets lighter."

    Although walking in the rain is romantic, the rain is too heavy now and it''s easy to get wet.

    "I''ll go buy an umbre first."

    Stefan stood up to leave the pavilion to buy an umbre, but he was worried about Lucinda, so he

    took her with him.

    This young couple, handsome man and beautiful woman, were the focus of the crowd wherever

    they went.

    Men looked at Stefan with envy, women looked at Lucinda with jealousy.

    They bought arge umbre and two bottles of water. When the rain began to lighten, the couple

    shared an umbre and continued their hike in the drizzle.

    After the rain, the leaves were greener and the grass was fresher.

    Those poor little flowers got all messed up from the heavy rain, really breaks your heart to see it like

    this.

    The mountain road twists and turns, goes every which way. No matter which path you choose, you

    can either get to the top or back to the bottom, each one''s got its own unique view.

    This young couple chose the main path in the park, heading straight for the top.

    There were also quite a few nice sculptures up there, and plenty of ces for tourists to take a

    breather.

    After a heavy downpour, the ground was washed squeaky clean.

    By the time they reached the top, the rain had stopped.

    They stood at the railing, looking down at a sea of lush green trees.

    Since it just rained, there was still a mist, like clouds hanging between the mountains.

    "Wow, this is beautiful!" Lucinda eximed.

    Looking at her profile, Stefan''s eyes filled with tenderness, he responded, "Absolutely stunning!"

 Chapter 87

    Chapter 87

    Lucinda felt his eyes on her and looked up to meet his gaze. Initially, the warmth in his eyes caught

    her off guard, making her want to look away. But quickly, she met his eyes confidently.

    "Even though the weather sucks, I''m having a st."

    Resting her head on his shoulder, Lucinda said with a smile, "It''s our first date."

    "As long as you''re happy."

    Stefan pecked her lips, "And we''ll have a second, a third, loads more dates. Wherever you want to

    go, I''ll be right there with you."

    "Stefan, you''re so good to me, I might just fall head over heels for you."

    "I''m already head over heels for you. If you jump, I''ll jump too."

    Lucindaughed, her gaze bing distant, her voice serious, "I''m scared. Scared that I''ll drown in

    your sea of love."

    "I''m a good swimmer, I won''t let you drown."

    "My mom always used to say that marriage is not just about two people, but their families as well.

    My family isn''t poor, but there''s a huge gap between us and yours. Your rtives are open-minded,

    but I''m still worried they''ll oppose us."

    Even though his grandparents were easy-going and didn''t look down on her humble background.

    That was before they lived together before they really interacted with each other.

    Conflicts often arise when living together.

    "Lucy."

    "What?"

    "There''s something I need to tell you, can you handle it?"

    Lucinda nced at him with yful eyes and teased, "You don''t have a hidden child somewhere, do

    you? If you need to make it right, I''m here to help with the divorce papers."

    Stefan lightly tapped her forehead, "You''re letting your imagination run wild. How could I have a

    secret child? You''re the only one on my mind. No other woman evenes close."

    He had waited eleven years for her to enter his life.

    He treasured the woman he finally wedded and wouldn¡¯t let go unless she chose to leave.

    "You had two strange dreams, didn''t you? The crazy woman in your dreams, does she feel

    familiar?"

    Recalling the two dreams, Lucinda said, "I felt a sense of familiarity with the crazy woman."

    "Lucy, would you believe it if I said you''re not your parents'' biological daughter?"

    Lucinda froze.

    She wasn''t their biological daughter?

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    That''s impossible.

    Her mom''s photo album had many pictures of her as a child.

    "I don''t believe it. I''m my parents'' daughter. If I were adopted, our neighbors would have told me."

    Everyone loves a good piece of gossip.

    Adopting a child is a secret that can''t be kept. Adopted children would know they''re not biological

    early on.

    If she was adopted by the Moore family, her neighbors would have told her long ago.

    No one ever questioned her origin, some would just say she didn''t look much like her parents. Her

    mother would exin that it''s gics, she inherited her grandmother''s features while her mother

    took after her grandfather.

    "I''m just hypothesizing. What if you''re not your parents'' biological child? What if your biological

    parents are wealthy..."

    Lucindaughed, interrupting Stefan''s words.

    "Stefan, you''ve been watching too much TV. I just had two simr dreams. Even as a writer, I don''t

    have such a wild imagination."

    Stefan observed her quietly.

    He had no proof that Lucinda belonged to a wealthy lineage.

    His grandfather had individuals look into her background. The results revealed that she wasn''t the

    Moore family''s biological offspring. Their real daughter had tragically passed away at just six

    months old. Following that, they adopted Lucinda, allowing her to assume the role of their own

    daughter.

    There was no age difference, children''s appearances can change. The neighbors didn''t suspect a

    thing, believing Moore''s daughter had recovered.

    They would tell her once they found out more.

    "As a husband to a writer, I need to keep up with your train of thought. Lucy, if you ever have writer''s

    block, we can chat. I''ll help you brainstorm."

    Lucinda went silent.

    At that moment, Stefan''s phone rang.

    He nced at the caller ID, his expression turning cold.

    "Is it Ruby?"

    Lucinda was smart, and she could guess who it was from his expression.

    "Yeah."

    Stefan wanted to hang up.

    But Lucinda snatched the phone from him.

    She answered Ruby''s call.

    "Stefan."

    Ruby whimpered on the other end, "Stefan, tell me the announcement is fake, a hoax spread by

    your PR team."

    "In what ways am I inferior to Lucinda? In what ways does she deserve you? Stefan, I''ve loved you

    for so many years, how could you do this to me? Stefan, did Lucinda threaten you? Did she take

    any photos or videos to ckmail you into marrying her? You don''t really love her, do you?"

    At this point, Lucinda couldn''t hold back anymore, she coldly said, "Ms. Scott, Stefan is my husband

    now, please don''t refer to him like that again, it makes me upset. Whether the announcement is real

    or not is none of your business. You''re free to believe what you want. Please don''tpare yourself

    with me, I don''t want topare myself with you either. Whether I deserve Stefan or not is not for

    you to judge.

    You''ve loved Stefan for many years, that''s your business. Stefan doesn''t love you, that''s his

    business. If you have any dignity left, please stop harassing my husband. Homewreckers are

    despised, and I don''t think, Ms. Scott, you want to be one of them."

    "Lucinda?"

    "Yes, it''s me!"

    Ruby''s voice was filled with rage. "Why are you answering Stefan''s phone? Where is he? I want to

    speak to him. Why are you interfering in our matters? You must have forced Stefan into marrying

    you. You slut, how dare you!"

    Lucinda fired back, "It''s you who''s crossing the line, trying to ruin my marriage. Calling you

    ''shameless'' doesn''t even cover it. Stefan chose to be with me. It¡¯s clear you¡¯re just jealous!"

    Taken aback by the sudden usation, Lucinda couldn¡¯t help but retaliate against Ruby.

    Ruby was so rattled by Lucinda''s tirade that she was seething with anger, almost losing control.

    "Stefan, Stefan, let Stefan pick up the phone, Stefan, you hear this, she''s berating me, she''s

    berating me!"

    Ruby was hollering over the phone.

    Lucinda found her voice grating and annoying, so she hung up the phone, handed it to Stefan, and

    walked away.

    "Lucy." Stefan immediately chased after her.

    His wife''s got the green-eyed monster!

 Chapter 88

    Chapter 88

    "Lucy." Stefan caught up with Lucinda, grabbing her hand and pulling her into his arms.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "Let go of me!"

    Lucinda struggled, trying to push him away, but his grip was too strong, and she couldn''t break free.

    "Let me go!"

    "Lucy, there''s really nothing between me and Ruby. I''ve never loved her, nor have I ever made any

    promises to her. Those are just rumors spread by others, they assumed that she and I were a

    couple."

    Stefan didn''t know how many times he had to exin his rtionship with Ruby to Lucinda.

    He truly didn''t love Ruby.

    Ten years ago, Ruby tried to seduce him, but he was young and strong-willed and didn''t fall for her.

    Ruby''s failure to seduce him made her feel humiliated, so she left the country.

    Out of respect for their past growing up together, he didn''t make a fuss about Ruby''s attempt to bed

    him.

    "Lucy, don''t be mad. From now on, I won''t answer any calls from Ruby."

    "Block her number."

    "Okay, I''ll block her."

    "She called me a slut."

    "She''s the slut."

    "I already cursed her out, so you don''t have to do it for me."

    Stefan stared at her, somewhat puzzled.

    In love, the first to fall is often the most vulnerable.

    Stefan was deeply vulnerable.

    His deep affection for Lucinda made him dread her anger. When she was upset, he felt disoriented.

    Even the indomitable Mr. Coleman had his weakness, and Lucinda was it. She was his soft spot, his

    vulnerability.

    Anyone daring to harm her would face repercussions.

    Spotting his unease, Lucinda burst intoughter.

    Reacting instantly to herughter, Stefan drew her close, enveloping her in a tight embrace.

    His voice shaky, he whispered, "Lucy, my heart stopped when you walked away just now."

    "Let''s go, we''re going down the mountain, I''m hungry."

    Lucinda gently pushed him away, but as soon as he let go, he grabbed her hand again.

    "I''ll take you to eat."

    The small storm was blown away by the mountain wind, disappearing without a trace.

    ...

    "Smash it, smash it hard!"

    Dressed in ck and wearing sunsses, Ruby stormed into Serendipity Cafe with a group of

    thugs. At hermand, they started trashing the ce.

    The customers in the shop were scared and ran outside.

    "What are you doing?"

    Cecilia came out from the back room, holding a tray with two cups of coffee for the customers.

    Seeing people smashing her shop, she instinctively rushed forward and yelled.

    Ruby was furious when she saw Cecilia.

    When she saw Cecilia at Owen''s ce, she thought Cecilia looked familiar but couldn''t remember

    why.

    Now that she saw Cecilia in Lucinda''s shop, she realized.

    This was Lucinda''s partner.

    What a bitch!

    Lucinda stole her Stefan, and Cecilia was stealing her Owen. They were both bitches, shameless!

    "So it''s you!"

    Ruby sharply struck Cecilia''s face.

    Caught off guard, Cecilia felt a stinging sensation on her left cheek.

    Initially, she didn''t recognize her assant, but upon hearing Ruby''s voice, it became clear. In

    retaliation, Cecilia flung coffee from a nearby tray at Ruby.

    Although Ruby was known for her aggressive nature, she hadn''t anticipated Cecilia''s resistance.

    The scalding coffee hit Ruby, causing her to cry out and frantically wipe it from her face.

    "Bitch!" Ruby was furious, "You and Lucinda are both bitches! You all attack me. Teach this woman

    a lesson for me!"

    Cecilia quickly put down the tray and picked up a chair, ready to hit anyone who approached her.

    The customers who were scared off earlier, after calming down a bit, saw the situation and quickly

    called the police.

    Several luxury cars quickly arrived.

    Owen hadn''t even gotten out of the car, and his bodyguards had already jumped out.

    "Why are you just standing there? Go inside, and bring out Ms. Scott!" Owenmanded his

    bodyguards.

    Upon hearing that Ruby had instigated amotion against Lucinda, Owen sensed trouble

    brewing. Although Ruby had often been unpleasant to him, he couldn''t bear to see her in danger or

    face consequences for her actions.

    Ruby''s impulsiveness had led her to instigate a brawl and potentially harm people. If Lucinda

    reported to the police, Ruby would be in hot water.

    Recognizing the urgency, the bodyguards promptly intervened, halting Ruby''s thugs from

    vandalizing the cafe and ensuring Cecilia''s safety.

    "Ms. Scott, Mr. Owen is waiting for you outside."

    Two bodyguards, not waiting for Ruby''s reaction, picked her up and walked out, not caring about

    her struggle.

    "Let me go, I want to ruin Lucinda''s shop. She''s a bitch! She stole my man. Look at this bitch who

    steals other people''s men, this is what she gets!"

    Ruby thrashed about, intentionally twisting the truth.

    She aimed to paint Lucinda in a bad light, suggesting to the bystanders that Lucinda had stolen her

    partner.

    She wondered how Lucinda could continue her business and life in town under such scrutiny.

    In Ruby''s mind, Lucinda didn''t have the experience to rival her.

    Soon, Owen''s two bodyguards escorted Ruby to Owen''s car.

    "Ruby."

    Owen stopped Ruby, who still wanted to get out of the car, "Do you want to go to jail? You

    vandalized someone''s shop and hurt people. Someone''s already called the police. When the police

    come, even if you don''t go to jail, you''ll be detained."

    Ruby stopped struggling after his roar.

    "Owen."

    Ruby threw herself into Owen''s arms, sobbing, "Stefan has publicly announced his marriage, he

    didn''t give me any chance. Why does he treat me like this, haven''t I been good enough to him? In

    what way am I worse than Lucinda?"

    Owen heaved a sigh, pulled her into a tight hug, andforted, "Ruby, he doesn''t love you. Not

    before, not now, not ever. Just give it up, girl. It''s not that you''re not as good as Lucinda, it''s just that

    he only has eyes for Lucinda. No other woman stands a chance."

    Stefan did have a soft side.

    But he only showed it to Lucinda.

    "Lucinda doesn''t deserve him!"

    "Whether they''re a match or not, it''s his call. Ruby, just let it go. Don''t waste your time on him."

    Can''t she see the depth of his love and recognize his value?

    Ruby pulled away from his embrace.

    She wiped away a tear, then said determinedly, "If I can''t have him, I won''t let Lucinda be happy!"

    When Owen heard her words, he felt she had changed. This wasn''t the perfect woman he had in his

    mind.

    "Ruby, stay in the car. I''ll handle this mess."

    Owen recalled that Cecilia co-owned Serendipity Cafe and knew she wasn''t someone to be trifled

    with.

    When Ruby vandalized her cafe, Cecilia was unlikely to let it slide.

    Owen stepped out of his car and approached the cafe.

    Cecilia realized that the man who intervened earlier was one of Owen¡¯s bodyguards. Regardless of

    Owen¡¯s motives, she felt gratitude.

    The bodyguards, however, felt slightly ufortable with the appreciation, given that their

    intervention wasn¡¯t really for Cecilia''s sake but for Ms. Scott''s.

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89

    Owen walked into a chaotic cafe.

    Ruby and her crew had turned the ce into a disaster zone, with tables and chairs smashed into

    smithereens and shards of ss everywhere.

    Owen kinda sighed inside.

    The mess Ruby had created was going to be a real pain to deal with.

    Stefan wasn''t into Ruby in the first ce, and with Ruby smashing up Lucinda''s cafe out of jealousy,

    Stefan was definitely going to be pissed.

    "Mr. Owen."

    The bodyguard greeted him respectfully as Owen walked in.

    Owen said nonchntly, "You guys step outside. Keep an eye on Ms. Scott, don''t let her back in."

    "Sure thing."

    The bodyguards all left.

    Owen looked at the staff standing behind Cecilia and then addressed her directly. "Cecilia, can we

    have a moment alone?"

    Cecilia, maintaining a neutral expression, responded, "Speak here. They''ve seen the damage Ruby

    did to my cafe. They''re my witnesses."

    The shop was equipped with security cameras, ensuring Ruby couldn¡¯t deny her actions. With the

    police on their way, Cecilia was confident that even if they couldn''t arrest Ruby, they could at least

    force her to apologize andpensate for the damages.

    If not for Owen''s associates restraining her, Ruby might have further confronted Cecilia, which only

    fueled Cecilia¡¯s anger.

    To Cecilia, Ruby was nothing but deceitful.

    She wanted to marry Stefan, yet couldn''t let go of Owen. She was jealous of Lucinda and regarded

    Cecilia as a thorn in her side.

    What pissed her off the most was that Owen was head over heels for this nasty woman.

    Cecilia thought Owen was aplete fool.

    Mr. Coleman was a man of clear mind and good taste, he wasn''t fooled by Ruby. Lucinda was a far

    better person than Ruby.

    And yet, Ruby dared topare herself with Lucinda.

    Shameless!

    Did she think she was worthy?

    Owen was silent for a moment, then said, "Cecilia, I''m not denying that your cafe was smashed by

    Ruby."

    "Ruby was indeed impulsive. She loves Stefan so much that she couldn''t handle it, that''s why she

    came after you guys. She and Stefan grew up together, their feelings..."

    "Mr. Owen," Cecilia interrupted, "Do you not feel guilty saying all this? I don''t care if Ruby and Mr.

    Coleman grew up together or how deep their feelings are. This cafe is my blood, sweat, and tears. I

    treat it like my own child. Ruby came and smashed it out of jealousy, and that''s wrong. She should

    be punished."

    "Mr. Coleman is married now, what is Ruby thinking? She insulted Lucinda in public. She wanted to

    interfere in Lucinda''s marriage, yet she used Lucinda of stealing her love."

    Owen''s expression turned grave. Once Cecilia had finished expressing her frustration, he asked,

    "How much do you want for the damages?"

    In response, Cecilia, in a fit of anger, grabbed a mug from the table and hurled it towards him. Owen

    deftly sidestepped the flying object, but her act visibly upset him, causing his eyes to go icy and his

    demeanor to change.

    He warned Cecilia, "Cecilia, don''t think you can get away with this. Even if you call the cops, what

    can you do to Ruby with me around? All I can do is pay you some money. But if you cross me, I

    won''t let you off easy."

    "Mr. Martinez," she began, her voice trembling, "in a world governed byws, do you truly believe

    you can act with impunity? Everything you''ve done has been documented. If it gets uploaded online,

    even your reputation could be at stake. Aren''t you concerned that your Ike Group might face

    scrutiny?"

    Owen''s expression turned grim. "My Ike Group operatespletely above board. I¡¯m a legitimate

    businessman. Why should I fear any investigation?"

    She retorted, "Are you clueless?"

    Caught off-guard, Owen replied icily, "You''re clearly upset. I won''t engage further. Speak to me

    when you''ve calmed down."

    With that, he turned to leave.

    His words indicated that he would take responsibility for Ruby''s mistakes.

    He wouldpensate them for Ruby.

    He took a few steps, then turned around and stood in front of Cecilia. He looked at her for a

    moment, then said lightly, "You''re hurt, you should go to the hospital. I''ll cover the medical

    expenses."

    Cecilia''s right hand had been cut by the ss.

    "You don''t need to worry about me, gofort your girlfriend."

    Cecilia''s words were full of sarcasm.

    No matter how great others said Owen was, in her eyes, he was just a fool.

    He did so much for Ruby.

    If Ruby liked him, his actions would have some value. But Ruby was just using him, treating him like

    a safety, relying on his love to act recklessly. Ruby was always thinking about Stefan.

    Owen met Cecilia''s gaze briefly, then silently turned and departed. As he left, the police pulled up.

    With Ruby still present, witnesses around, and surveince footage avable, both were swiftly

    taken to the police station.

    Cecilia quickly contacted Lucinda. Learning about themotion her adversary had caused at the

    cafe, Lucinda didn''t hesitate. She interrupted her date with her husband, and together they sped to

    the police station.

    Meanwhile, Stefan reached out to Nelson, requesting the swift arrival of six bodyguards. Although

    Owen had his own bodyguards with him, they weren''t known to intimidate others by sheer number.

    The Anderson family had bodyguards too.

    Ruby causing a scene at the cafe was unreasonable. Even with Owen around, she and her crew

    were all detained.

    They also had to pay for all the damage to Serendipity Cafe.

    Only when Ruby was detained did she realize how scared she was. She thought about how she

    had just returned to the country and already caused such amotion, her business might be

    ruined. Ruby regretted her impulsive action and felt like crying.

    She regretted smashing up Lucinda''s cafe on impulse, but still harbored a deep hatred for Lucinda.

    If it weren¡¯t for Lucinda, she wouldn¡¯t have gone bonkers from jealousy. If she hadn¡¯t lost her

    marbles, she wouldn¡¯t have brought people to create havoc and wouldn¡¯t have ended up in police

    custody.

    As they walked out of the police station, Owen blocked the way for Stefan and the others.

    Stefan¡¯s face was impassive.

    Lucinda, standing next to him, nced his way several times.

    It became clear that he could exude an intimidating aura.

    Right then, he seemed as menacing as a figure from the darkest legends.

    Lucinda felt lucky she wasn¡¯t an enemy of Stefan¡¯s, otherwise, she might''ve ended up six feet under

    without a clue.

    "Still gonna make excuses for her? Thew is fair and square. We didn''t put the me on her for no

    reason."

    Stefan spoke indifferently, his words filled with mockery towards Owen.

    Owen was typically on the ball, but with Ruby, his judgment seemed clouded.

    Luckily, Ruby had no aspirations to control the Ike Group. Otherwise, given Owen''s ring blind

    spot for her, the entire group might have easily fallen into her hands.

    "Stefan, you know darn well how Ruby feels about you, you''re... you''re too cold to her."

    Owen reproached Stefan.

    Stefan replied coldly, "And you know darn well how I treat her. She trashed my wife''s coffee shop, I

    didn''t call the cops, didn''t get her locked up, should I thank her for that?"

    Owen was left speechless.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Stefan had never loved Ruby.

 Chapter 90

    Chapter 90

    Ten years ago, Ruby tried to win Stefan''s heart, but he was like, "Nah, I¡¯m not interested in you."

    Ten yearster, Stefan was all loved up with someone else and couldn''t give a damn about Ruby.

    Ruby couldn''t figure out why she was so hung up on Stefan.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Owen thought Ruby was acting like aplete idiot.

    But then he''d think about his deep feelings for Ruby andugh at himself for being just as foolish.

    Cecilia told him he was aughable fool, and he had to admit, she was right.

    "I... I didn''t defend her."

    Owen was noticeably deted.

    Whenever Ruby was mentioned, Owen felt diminished in front of Stefan.

    Perhaps it''s the gap between being emotional and being detached.

    Owen''s profound affection for Ruby, and knowing her one-sided love for Stefan, made him treat her

    kindly. Stefan, devoid of feelings for Ruby, often disregarded her emotions. This exined Stefan''s

    consistent arrogance towards Owen.

    Owen began to see why he always felt overshadowed by Stefan. It wasn¡¯t just Stefan''s

    competence, but also the presence of Ruby.

    "I''m willing to pay for the damages, Ms. Moore. I''ll cover all the losses in your store, even double."

    "Name your price."

    Owen pulled out his wallet, took out all the cash, and handed it to Lucinda. "If it''s not enough, I''ll pay

    you the rest."

    Lucinda looked at Stefan and refused Owen''spensation.

    "The person who damaged my store was Ruby, so she should be the one to pay, not Mr. Martinez."

    "I''m willing to pay for Ruby."

    "There''s no need. Ms. Scott insulted me once. I want her to apologize publicly and pay for all the

    losses in my store."

    Owen looked to Cecilia, hoping she would say something on his behalf.

    But Cecilia pretended not to get his hint and said nothing.

    Were they close?

    No, not at all!

    Their discord ran deep, though.

    "Lucy, let''s go."

    Stefan took his wife''s hand and, under the protection of his bodyguards, walked straight past Owen

    and left.

    Cecilia also followed and left.

    "Cecilia."

    Owen called out to her.

    "What do you want, bad guy?"

    "I''ve told you, stop calling me a bad guy! I''m not a good guy, but I haven''t done anything bad."

    Owen growled, "If you call me a bad guy again, I''ll cut your tongue out and feed it to the dogs!"

    Cecilia giggled, "And you say you haven''t done anything bad. You''re threatening to cut my tongue

    out and feed it to the dogs."

    Owen was speechless.

    "What do you want?"

    "Here, take this money."

    Owen handed the cash to Cecilia, looking at her bandaged hand.

    "Is this a bribe?"

    Owen: "...What do you have that''s worth bribing? Your hand is injured because of Ruby, indirectly.

    I''m willing to pay for Ruby''s medical expenses."

    Cecilia took the money, "Well then, I''ll ept it."

    "I¡®m leaving now."

    As Cecilia walked past him, she didn''t forget to jab him onest time: "Idiot!"

    Owen looked confused.

    As he watched Cecilia and Stefan leave, Cecilia''s words echoed in his ears: "You''re so stupid."

    He felt somewhat lost.

    He looked up at the dark sky and closed his eyes.

    His feelings for Ruby, from nothing to deep affection.

    When they returned to Serendipity Cafe, Lucinda brought out a first-aid kit to treat Cecilia''s hand,

    chiding her, "Why didn''t you tell me immediately when something like this happened?"

    "We already called the police."

    Without missing a beat, Cecilia responded, "It was just a minor issue. We didn''t want to interrupt

    your date with Mr. Coleman." She wore a self-satisfied smirk.

    Lucinda couldn''t help but chuckle in response.

    The Anderson family''s bodyguards pitched in to tidy up the mess. Their assistance expedited the

    cleanup. Nevertheless, due to Ruby''s antics, Serendipity Cafe would be out ofmission for

    several days.

    To make matters worse, a video of Ruby''s behavior had been posted online.

    Even though Ruby''s face was blurred,izens quickly identified the owner of the cafe as Lucinda,

    the recently revealed wife of the CEO of Anderson Inc.

    Stefan and Ruby growing up together was also well known.

    Once this incident was exposed, Ruby''s identity was revealed.

    People who were jealous of Lucinda naturally supported Ruby smashing her store.

    But most people thought Ruby''s actions were too arrogant.

    She grew up with Stefan, they were childhood ymates. But Stefan never made any promises to

    her. They were only rumored to be a couple, but they never formally dated.

    Stefan met a girl he liked and was willing to end his bachelorhood for her, that was his choice.

    Blinded by love and anger, Ruby recklessly vandalized the store, disying sheer arrogance.

    So,izens criticized Ruby''s actions.

    Soon after, Owen became embroiled in the controversy. His intimidating remarks to Cecilia in the

    cafe came to light, leading to a wave of online bacsh against him.

    People spected: Was Ruby''s audacious behavior - damaging properties and attempting harm -

    emboldened by Owen''s support?

    Does wealth and influence grant carte nche to mistreat others?

    Public outrage surged overnight. Owen quickly leveraged his clout to quell the trending controversy

    and shield Ruby''s public image.

    Stefan, on the other hand, remained unfazed by the online buzz. He simply reached out to the

    patriarch of the Martinez family.

    Trenton, who received Stefan''s call, was furious and hung up the phone.

    The couple who had juste downstairs were startled by the old man''s anger.

    "Shane Martinez, call your reckless son back now!"

    Trenton fumed, "Whatever he''s up to, have him back here now! I handed him thepany and he''s

    not even focusing on it. Spending all his time with Ruby, is he just gonna waste all the hard work of

    the Martinez family?"

    "Dad, cool your jets. I''ll get Owen back pronto."

    Shane Martinez rushed down the stairs, hoping to calm his agitated father.

    His father wasn''t as hearty as the other two lively seniors.

    Mr. Owen coughed repeatedly.

    Quickly, Shane poured a ss of water for his dad, encouraging him to drink and settle down.

    "Dad, don''t blow a gasket over that clueless kid. It''s not good for your health, it''s his mistake."

    "It''s been so many years, why can''t he let go? Ruby''s just using him! Every time Ruby''s in a pickle,

    he''s the one bailing her out. What''s in it for him? She still wants to marry Stefan!"

    Owen''s mom was sweet on Ruby but Trenton didn''t share the sentiment.

    The heir he''d painstakingly groomed, and the one that shrewd Lawrence Anderson had raised, they

    were neck and neck in capabilities.

    But because of Ruby, his grandson was always at a disadvantage, losing to Stefan.

    How could Trenton possibly have any affection for Ruby?

 Chapter 91

    Chapter 91

    "Dad, what has Owen done that has got you so ticked off? Why are you dragging Ruby into this?

    Ruby just got back from abroad, did she screw up somehow?¡±

    Owen''s mom was still in the dark about Ruby''s arrest.

    She had not been keeping up with thetest buzz.

    "Olina, I don¡¯t ever want to see Ruby in our house again!"

    Instead of answering Olina''s questions, the old man ordered her not to bring Ruby home again.

    He knew Olina was quite fond of Ruby.

    He believed Ruby was a total phony, deceiving his grandson and daughter-inw.

    In reality, Ruby hasn''t deceived his grandson at all - it was his grandson who chased after Ruby

    willingly and got used by her.

    Olina frowned, asking with confusion, "Dad, can you tell us what exactly happened between Owen

    and Ruby? What did they do wrong that got you so mad? Owen is busy right now, you want him to

    come home straight away?"

    As the couple descended the stairs, they saw the elderly man engrossed in a phone call. Once he

    hung up, his expression was distinctly displeased.

    "Dad, who was on the phone? Did they spill something about Owen?"

    Without waiting for a response, Olina burst out, "Who''s trying to undermine my son? Are they

    envious of his position? If they''re brave enough, they should confront him directly, instead of plotting

    behind his back!"

    "Olina," the old man chided, "Who are you even railing against? Haven''t you both kept up with the

    current events?"

    "Everything''s chaotic now, and here you are pointing fingers at the wrong people," Olina defended.

    "As long as you''re under this roof, Ruby is not wee! She''s a terrible influence on Owen.

    Because of her, he''s under Stefan''s thumb, and I bet that Lawrence is reveling in it."

    The longstanding feud between the two families wasn''t new. However, with Owen''s generation,

    tensions had escted to new heights.

    Shane Martinez and his wife exchanged a look, then both hastily pulled out their phones to catch up

    on thetest updates.

    After reading, Shane Martinez said, "Dad, has the Anderson family kid gotten married?"

    "Owen''s the same age as him, he''s already married. What''s Owen doing? If he''s dating formally, I''d

    be happy, but he''s just pining after Ruby. Ruby, out of jealousy for Stefan''s wife, led people to trash

    their shop, and Owen is eager to make reparations. This is just humiliating."

    "Stefan even reached out to inform me about this," the old man said, his anger escting.

    He and the Anderson family patriarch had been rivals for decades, yet neither had gained a

    definitive upper hand. Their respective sons were content with maintaining the status quo in their

    businesses, neither venturing out nor expanding. Instead, they chose to pass on their legacies to

    their grandsons. Consequently, during their reign, both families coexisted peacefully.

    Owen was the apple of his grandfather''s eye, a cherished grandson.

    Simrly, Stefan was the crown jewel for the Anderson patriarch.

    When both young men assumed leadership roles, they disyed immense prowess in the business

    arena, reigniting the rivalry with fervor. There was no need for the elders to fan the mes; the two

    naturally became fiercepetitors.

    "So it was Stefan who tattled." Olina finally understood.

    No wonder the old man was so pissed off.

    Stefan''s tattling made the old man feel very embarrassed, hence his anger.

    Seeing the hot news, Olina learned that Stefan had gotten married.

    The youngdy of the Anderson family came from a humble background. Her brother and Stefan

    were ssmates, which might be the reason why she became thedy of the Anderson family.

    What a turn of events!

    Stefan definitely lost to her precious son on the marriage front.

    Most importantly, now that Stefan is married, Ruby should give up. If she gives up, wouldn''t her own

    son have a chance to be with Ruby?

    Olina felt happy for her son.

    At Trenton''s insistence, Shane Martinez reluctantly called his son, telling him toe home

    immediately.

    Owen understood the implications.

    He got home as fast as he could.

    "Grandpa, I brought you your favorite apple pie," Owen shouted as he entered the house.

    The Martinez family started their fortune with the old man''s generation. The old man had

    experienced poverty when he was young and always remembered the apple tree in front of his old

    house, hence his love for apple pie.

    Despite the Martinez family''s rise to being the city''s second wealthiest, the patriarch still had a soft

    spot for modest apple pie. He sat in silence, his expression unreadable. Shane Martinez and his

    wife chose to remain quiet, not wanting to disrupt the moment.

    "Dad, Mom, I''m home," Owen greeted as he walked in, a broad smile on his face. He set the apple

    pie he''d bought on the table in front of his grandfather. Sitting beside the old man, he affectionately

    put an arm around him. "Grandpa, work has kept me away for days. I''ve missed you."

    Owen typically resided in a vi registered in his name. He''d only return to the ancestral home for

    festive meals with the senior members of the family. Intriguingly, Owen''s way of life closely mirrored

    that of Stefan. Given how frequently his grandfather drew parallels between the two, it wasn''t

    surprising that their lifestyles had evolved to be so alike.

    "Busy? Busy with what? Compensating for Ruby?" The old man removed his hand and snorted.

    "Grandpa, Ruby was just impulsive. You know, she has deep feelings for Stefan. When Stefan

    suddenly got married, she couldn''t ept it and acted out destructively. Stefan is too cold-hearted.

    Such a small matter, couldn''t it have been dealt with privately? He had to call the police." Owen

    exined.

    The old man pped Owen on the shoulder.

    In front of his respected Grandpa, Mr. Martinez could only endure the p and still had to smile,

    "Grandpa, you''re so strong, don''t hurt your palm."

    "A minor issue? She took a bunch of thugs to trash someone else''s store, hurting people. How is

    that different from gang behavior? This time, it''s justpensation and detention. If someone had

    gotten hurt, it wouldn''t be so simple."

    "Who''s power is she riding on? Yours, you jerk."

    "Stefan is way smarter than you. He chooses virtuous partners, and Ruby isn''t one. That''s why he''d

    never fall for her tricks. But you, once Ruby deceives you, you''re stuck."

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    "Look at you, you''re in deep trouble for Ruby. Even though we, the Ike Group, operates fairly, it''s

    still damaging our reputation. The stock market opens today, and our stocks are bound to take a

    hit."

    Old folks don''t need to check the stock market.

    Owen tried to appease, saying: "Grandpa, I''ve dealt with it, the impact isn''t significant."

    The old man stared at him for a long time before pping him again.

    "Grandpa, don''t hurt your hand."

    Shane Martinez and his wife felt sorry for their son, but didn''t dare to make a sound at this moment.

    The old man snorted heavily.

    "How capable are you topletely solve this problem? Don''t forget, the store Ruby destroyed

    belongs to your rival''s new wife."

    Owen was speechless.

    When he found out Ruby took people to trash Lucinda''s store, he knew this problem wouldn''t be

    easy to solve.

 Chapter 92

    Chapter 92

    "Owen, you gotta listen to me, don''t waste your time on Ruby. She''s never gonna be satisfied,"

    Owen''s grandpa seriously advised him.

    "Think about it, mate. You''ve given her years of your feelings. What have you got in return?"

    "Stefan''s tied the knot, but she''s still head over heels for him. To her, you''re just a means to an end.

    How could a smart bloke like you get it so wrong in love?"

    Owen stayed silent.

    He had tried to let go of his love for Ruby.

    Every time he tried to walk away, Ruby woulde back and act as if nothing happened, showering

    him with affection and that just...

    "Next month, it''s my birthday. I wasn''t nning on making a big deal of it, but now I think we should

    throw a big bash at our ce. Invite all the big shots from our city, maybe you''ll spot someone better

    for you."

    Owen''s grandpa believed that the best way to help Owen get over Ruby was to set him up on some

    dates.

    Owen wanted to say something, but his grandpa didn''t give him the chance. "If you don''t heed my

    advice, Harry could take the CEO position at the Ike Group."

    Harry Martinez, Owen''s cousin, was only eight months younger than him and currently the vice

    president of the Ike Group, a right-hand man to Owen.

    "Dad, rest assured, we''re nning a magnificent birthday celebration for you," Olina chimed in,

    ncing at Owen to prompt him to reassure their grandfather. The prospect of losing the CEO role

    to Harry weighed heavily on her; she couldn¡¯t bear the thought of being overshadowed in her own

    family.

    In contrast to the Andersons, the Martinez family dynamics were far from seamless. Their

    rtionships were tangled withplexities.

    Owen''s grandpa had two wives, Shane Martinez and his brother shared the same mother, and he

    had a younger brother and two sisters from his stepmother.

    If it wasn''t for Owen''s grandpa''s favoritism and his capability to take the CEO position, Owen''s

    family would have a hard time in the Martinez family.

    Harry was another capable contender in the family.

    While the Martinez family appeared united on the outside, internally, they were locked in a power

    struggle.

    Stefan''sint to Owen''s grandfather led to Owen being reprimanded and pushed to marry. All

    this went on unbeknownst to Lucinda.

    After her store faced operational challenges, Lucinda packed herptop and headed home.

    When Stefan called inviting her to lunch, he was disappointed to learn she''d already left.

    "Babe, are you upset?"

    Lucinda could tell her man was unhappy.

    "Mydy ditched me and sneaked back to her parents''. How could I possibly be happy?"

    Lucinda chuckled, "Don''t be so dramatic. I''m just staying at my parents'' for a few days. I''ll be back

    soon."

    "Lucy, didn''t we agree to head back to Ascend Estate this weekend? Aren''t you excited about the

    artificial starry sky I prepared for you?"

    "What day is it today?"

    Lucinda asked and then answered herself, "It''s Thursday. I''ll be back by Sunday to see your artificial

    starry sky."

    She was curious about how he created a starry sky for her.

    The mere thought of it was incredibly romantic.

    And it could also be a great material for her novel.

    "I''ll pick you up after work."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    "I can''t sleep without you."

    Stefan whispered.

    Lucinda''s cheeks turned red instantly.

    Stefan was always so sweet to her.

    "I just got home... Come pick me up tomorrow."

    "If you promise to call me ''hubby'' from now on, I''ll pick you up tomorrow."

    Lucinda: "It''s just a title..."

    "I just love it when you call me ''hubby''."

    Lucinda couldn''t help butugh, "You''re not around anyone right now, are you? Your colleagues

    should see you like this. They''d be shocked."

    Stefan said seriously, "I only behave like this around you. I feel lonely when you''re not here."

    "We''ll see each other tomorrow."

    Stefan said with a soft chuckle.

    "I''m at my front door now. Gotta go, hubby. Focus on your work. I''m jobless now, all depend on you

    to bring home the bacon."

    "Don''t worry, you won''t starve as long as I''m around."

    Finally hearing her call him ''hubby'', Stefan felt content.

    After hanging up, he immediately transferred today''s pocket money to Lucinda.

    When Lucinda saw the amount Stefan gave her, she was at a loss for words.

    Every day, the allowance he provided was more than she would earn in several months.

    Three times daily, Stefan would hand her between five to ten thousand dors.

    To him, it was pocket change.

    This disparity made Lucinda acutely aware of the vast difference in their worlds. He could spend

    without a second thought, while she always sought the best value for money.

    Back at home, Lucinda felt the need for some distance, some time away from Stefan to process

    everything.

    After the incident at her shop with Ruby, her brother warned that this was only the beginning. Many

    women coveted Stefan, and now that their rtionship was public, Lucinda was thrust into the

    limelight while herpetitors lurked in the shadows.

    She was outnumbered, unaware of how many rivals she truly faced. Her brother shared this, hoping

    it would convince her to end things with Stefan.

    All said and done, Lucinda was overwhelmed.

    She was into Stefan, wanted to grow old with him, and she was trying to fit into his world.

    But reality bites, and she had to deal with it.

    No one in her family was rooting for her to keep going with Stefan.

    "Lucy, you''re back? Why didn''t you give us a heads up so your mom could get more of the food you

    like?"

    Mason Moore just happened toe out of the house, saw Lucindaing back, beamed up, and

    announced to the room, "Lucy''s back."

    "Grandpa."

    With a smile, Lucinda approached her grandfather, saying, "I''m not a fussy eater. I enjoy whatever

    Mom cooks; her dishes are incredibly tasty. I can eat a lot even when I''m not hungry."

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Lucinda then joined her grandfather as he led the way into the room.

    "Grandma."

    Upon entering the room, Lucinda saw her grandma picking vegetables. She greeted her and put the

    groceries she''d bought onto the table, then she headed for the kitchen.

    "Smells amazing, mom. What are you cooking?"

    Entering the kitchen and finding only her mom, she went over, hugged her, and asked, "Mom,

    where''s dad?"

    "He went to buy your favorite veggies, knowing you''reing back. So, your dad said he wanted to

    treat you with more food."

    After Fiona finished speaking, she gently tapped Lucinda''s forehead.

    "Do you think we can''t help you, so you keep us in the dark every time you''re in trouble?"

    The news of Lucinda''s shop getting smashed had gone viral.

    Fiona, being inte-savvy, would surf the web in her spare time, watching videos, and reading

    some news. She just never thought she''d stumble upon news about her daughter.

 Chapter 93

    Chapter 93

    "Mom, I don''t want to worry you guys. Plus, I can handle things on my own. I can''t just run to you

    every time I hit a snag, right?"

    "Ever since I was a kid, you and dad always taught me to tackle my problems and onlye to you

    if I really can''t manage."

    Fiona was momentarily silenced by what her daughter had said.

    She and her husband had always instilled the value of independence in their children. Perhaps they

    had done their job too well, as their children had grown fiercely self-reliant. When troubles arose,

    they often chose to handle them on their own, rather than turning to the family for support.

    Had Fiona not been adept at navigating the Inte, she might have remained oblivious to the

    incident at her daughter''s shop.

    "Does the woman who trashed your shope from a wealthy and powerful family?" Fiona asked

    with concern.

    Without waiting for her daughter''s reply, she sighed, "Lucy, you see, we''re not poor, but if we go up

    against a rich family, we wouldn''t know what to do. We might not be able to help you with your

    problems. And that''s just when outsiders are giving you a hard time. If it''s Stefan messing with you,

    with the Anderson family''s power and influence, we might not even have a chance to know about it."

    The thought of her daughter being treated unfairly, or even being tricked into believing she was ill,

    filled her heart with dread.

    No, she can''t think like that!

    Nothing like that will happen!

    Fiona quickly dismissed her thoughts.

    She was afraid that her wild imagination might be reality.

    "Mom, don''t overthink it. Stefan said his family is easy to get along with. You''ve met his

    grandparents and one of his brothers. Don''t you think they''re nice?"

    "We only met them once, and there''s a difference between meeting and living with someone. That''s

    when conflicts can arise."

    Lucinda chuckled, "Mom, don''t worry, I can handle my rtionship with Stefan¡¯s family. I saw how

    you interacted with my grandma when I was a kid. Are you still worried I can''t handle these

    rtionships?"

    "Your grandma was easy to get along with. She''s different from others, especially those from rich

    families."

    "Mom."

    "Alright, I know you don¡¯t want to hear about this. Go wash your hands and we can eat when your

    dades home."

    Lucinda nodded and turned to wash her hands.

    "Mom."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Yes?" Fiona started cooking.

    "Stefan asked me a question. He asked what would happen if I wasn''t your biological daughter."

    Fiona stopped in her tracks, taken aback.

    After a moment, she collected herself and inquired, "Why would Stefan question your rtion to us?

    Of course you¡¯re our biological daughter!"

    The mere thought of the Anderson family''s influence sent a jolt of anxiety through Fiona. Had they

    delved into their family secrets and discovered the truth about Lucinda''s adoption? But it was such a

    well-kept secret. And the timing was uncanny. They had found Lucinda right after the loss of their

    own daughter.

    The two girls were about the same age.

    When she had dressed Lucinda in her daughter''s clothes, she had thought her daughter hade

    back to her.

    Fiona had raised Lucinda for nearly twenty-four years. In her heart, Lucinda was her daughter.

    Aside from their family, no one knew about this.

    "I''ve had the same dream for two nights. I told him about it, and then he asked me that question."

    Lucinda finished washing her hands and walked over, reaching out to grab some food to eat, only to

    get her hand pped by her mother.

    "Can''t you use a fork?"

    Lucindaughed and went to get a fork. As she ate, she said, "In my dream, I saw a middle-aged

    woman who was mentally ill. She was old but very beautiful. She kept calling me her baby, and I felt

    a strong connection when I saw her."

    "In the dream, her child was taken away by someone. She cried so hard. I woke up with my pillow

    soaked with tears."

    As she talked, she noticed that Fiona was in a daze.

    "Mom?"

    Lucinda stopped eating.

    Her mother''s reaction...

    Could it be that she really wasn''t a biological Moore?

    Stefan wouldn''t just ask her such a question out of the blue.

    These rich people probably knew many things that ordinary people didn''t.

    "Mom, what are you thinking about?"

    Fiona snapped back to reality and quickly dished out the food.

    She then poured some water into the wok and started cleaning it.

    "You always have vivid dreams and like to write them into your novels," Fiona said as she scrubbed

    the wok. "You are my daughter. I had a difficult time giving birth to you. Even the doctor still

    remembers you."

    Lucinda casually said, "That''s what I told Stefan when he asked me that question. How could I not

    be your biological daughter?"

    "The mentally ill woman in my dream might have been my mother in a past life."

    However, she already had her answer.

    Fiona might not have been her birth mother, but in Lucinda''s heart, that detail was inconsequential.

    She had grown up surrounded by the love of this family. If Fiona imed her as a daughter, then

    that''s who she was to Fiona.

    However, if her biological parents were toe to her, she would confront them. Why had they left

    her behind? They had given her up once, and they had no right to disrupt her life now.

    Yet, a recent dream hinted at a different story. It suggested she might have been kidnapped rather

    than abandoned. If this was true and her biological family had been searching for her all these

    years, she couldn''t just dismiss them.

    How much simpler life would be if she were a true-born Moore!

    Her family treated her even better than many parents treated their biological children.

    "Is Lucinda back?"

    The voice of Vincent resonated.

    He walked in holding a bag of food.

    "Dad."

    "You''re back. I brought your favorite food. Come eat."

    As he spoke, Vincent picked up a te, washed it, and dished out the takeout food onto two tes.

    "Wow, it smells good."

    Lucinda leaned in, spearing a piece of meat with her fork, and popped it into her mouth.

    "It tastes good, but not as good as the meat Dad cooks."

    "You popped in unexpectedly today, so I didn''t have time to prepare. Tomorrow, I''ll go buy some

    meat and vegetables, and I''ll personally cook for you."

    "Thanks, Dad."

    How could she possibly not be their biological daughter with such wonderful parents?

    Even if she wasn''t, she would still dutifully respect and care for them.

    Their care for her was meticulous and thorough.

    "Will Stefan be picking you up?"

    Vincent casually asked, "That way I can cook more, and you can take some back for both of you."

    "I told him to pick me up on Sunday. I''ll bring some for him and I promise he''ll love your cooking just

    like I do."

    "Sounds good." Vincent responded cheerfully.

    He didn''t pry into his daughter''s work or bring up Stefan''s true identity.

    As long as Lucinda came home, he would carefully prepare food and drinks to make her happy.

    As for Lucinda casually marrying into the richest family in their city, Vincent saw it as fate''s

    arrangement, with its profound meanings.

    He chose to let things be.

 Chapter 94

    Chapter 94

    After the meal, Lucinda''s parents gently suggested she head to her room and get some rest. She

    had a feeling they wanted some privacy, probably to discuss matters between themselves.

    After settling into her room, she listened intently for any sound outside. Once she heard the familiar

    footsteps of her parents, hinting they were retiring for the night, she couldn''t resist the urge to find

    out more. Stealthily, she made her way to their door, trying to catch any snippet of their

    conversation.

    But despite her best efforts, the door muffled their voices, and she couldn''t discern a single word.

    Was she just being overly paranoid? Frustrated and out of options, Lucinda retreated back to her

    room.

    Tossing and turning on her bed, her mind remained restless. To distract herself, she grabbed her

    phone and decided to text Stefan.

    Being toozy to type, Stefan called her directly.

    ¡°Honey, I miss you.¡±

    Lucinda couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    He started the conversation with such a sweet line that she almost couldn¡¯t resist him.

    ¡°We¡¯ve only been apart for a few hours and you¡¯re already missing me?¡±

    ¡°I miss you every moment you¡¯re not with me. You know, I¡¯ve been missing you for eleven years,

    and only now have I finally got you.¡±

    Lucinda said, ¡°I was only thirteen back then, you¡¯re such a bad boy.¡±

    ¡°I was just waiting for you to grow up, even letting you date George, giving you enough freedom.¡±

    Stefan admitted he noticed her quite early on, which wasn¡¯t right.

    But he didn¡¯t confess his feelings to her at that time.

    He just silently waited for her to grow up.

    For eleven years, he''d remained steadfast, never straying or allowing any other woman close. Ruby

    was the lone exception, due to their shared history and mistaken perceptions. His record was

    spotless, free of any scandalous whisper.

    However, she had genuinely been involved with George. If Stefan hadn''t been vigntly keeping

    tabs, George might have wooed her.

    Hearing his words, Lucindaughed softly. "After going through your album, I''vee to see things

    in a different light."

    With a hint of yfulness in his voice, Stefan queried, "And what did you glean from it? That my

    feelings for you have always been genuine and that we''ve shared a connection since we were

    kids?"

    ¡°No, I realized why no boys chased after me even though I¡¯m pretty. It turns out you¡¯ve been

    sabotaging me behind my back.¡±

    ¡°I was the one who proposed to George to start dating. During our rtionship, George might not be

    a good person, but he didn¡¯t end up with me. You were sabotaging me there too, weren''t you?¡±

    Stefan praised, ¡°My wife is so smart, just like me.¡±

    In other words, he indirectly admitted he indeed had been sabotaging her.

    Who dares to snatch the woman he likes?

    All he did was quietly scare off manypetitors.

    Lucinda was amused by his shameless remarks, ¡°How can I be like you? You¡¯re not my dad. You

    could only say I inherited your intelligence if I were your daughter.¡±

    ¡°Honey, I¡¯m smart, and since you¡¯re my wife, you¡¯re bound to be as smart as I am.¡±

    Lucinda burst intoughter.

    Stefan was just talking nonsense.

    ¡°Honey, do you miss me?¡±

    ¡°No. If I missed you, I wouldn¡¯t have gone home alone.¡±

    Stefan pretended to be hurt and said pitifully, ¡°I¡¯m the poor guy abandoned by my wife.¡±

    Lucindaughed again, ¡°Okay, I just need some time to cool down.¡±

    Stefan''s voice wavered with genuine concern. "Lucinda, don''t even think about divorcing me. I''ll

    never let you go. Our union isn''t just bound by a paper; it''s till death do us part. If you ever wish to

    live without me, it''ll only be if I''m no longer in this world."

    ¡°Shut up, I won¡¯t allow you to say such things.¡± Lucinda immediately retorted. ¡°Stefan, did you hear

    me? You¡¯re not allowed to say such things in the future!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to boss me around, then I won¡¯t say it.¡±

    ¡°The gap between us is too big¡­ just kidding, I know you don¡¯t want a divorce, I won¡¯t get a divorce

    even if my mom advises me to break up with you.¡±

    Stefan was still nervous, ¡°After you go home, will your mom keep criticizing me and telling you to

    break up with me?¡±

    Lucinda¡¯s brother had once harshly criticized him, saying he didn¡¯t deserve Lucinda.

    Fortunately, he proved to Lucinda with his actions that he was good enough and deserved her!

    ¡°My mom is not that naggy. She won¡¯t keep bringing it up.¡±

    Lucinda knew her parents were just looking out for her.

    They were worried that she might be bullied in a rich family, or that she might not adapt to the

    lifestyle of a rich family.

    Even if her mother advised her to divorce Stefan, she wouldn¡¯t me her.

    ¡°Stefan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°I asked my mom the question you asked me.¡±

    Stefan gently asked, ¡°What was your mom¡¯s reaction?¡±

    ¡°My mom was stunned.¡±

    There was a silence from Stefan.

    Lucinda didn¡¯t say anything either.

    After a brief silence, Stefan asked her, ¡°Do you want to search for your biological parents? I can

    help you arrange for someone to look for them.¡±

    ¡°Even if you find your biological parents, it doesn¡¯t mean you need to leave your current parents.

    You just need to confirm whether you were abandoned by your biological parents or you were

    kidnapped.¡±

    If she was abandoned, she definitely wouldn¡¯t bother with her biological parents.

    If she was kidnapped¡­at least finding her would bring a peace of mind to her biological parents.

    Thinking about the mad woman in her dream who cried her heart out after losing her child, her heart

    still ached when she thought about it now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s look for them if we can.¡±

    Lucinda pondered deeply, piecing together the fragments of her thoughts. If the distraught woman

    haunting her dreams was indeed her birth mother, then perhaps her emotional turmoil was driven by

    the pain of their separation. Could it be that reuniting might bring some sce to her mother''s

    fractured mind?

    The idea of a connection, some psychic bond between a mother and daughter, wasn''t entirely far-

    fetched to Lucinda. But why had these dreams only begun to manifest now, after two decades of

    silence? The sudden onset made her wonder if her birth mother was currently facing some peril or

    crisis.

    ¡°Alright, I will help you arrange for someone to look for your biological parents. But there are so

    many people in the world, it might be hard to find them. You shouldn¡¯t let this matter affect your

    mood too much.¡±

    ¡°Nor should it affect your rtionship with your current parents.¡±

    She didn¡¯t have a goal, she was just looking for her biological parents because of a dream.

    ¡°I know, my mom said I¡¯m her biological daughter, then I am her biological daughter.¡±

    Even if she finds her biological parents, her bond with the Moore family won''t diminish, it will only

    deepen.

    She''ll never leave the Moore family.

    "Stefan, we should stop talking now. Go get some rest, don''t wear yourself out."

    "I won''t get tired if you''re not by my side."

    "Stefan!"

    Stefan chuckled softly, then said indulgently, "All right, I''ll stop. I didn''t mean anything else by that,

    you''re overthinking."

    "If you dare say that again, you''ll be sleeping in the living room when I get back."

    Stefan quickly surrendered to keep the peace.

    Thest thing he wanted was to continue sleeping alone in the living room.

    "I''ll be over this afternoon."

    "Didn''t we agree you''d pick me up on the weekend?"

    Stefan shamelessly replied, "I miss your parents."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    "Sweetheart, good afternoon!"

    "Good afternoon."

    Lucinda returned the greeting, waiting for him to hang up, but realized he hadn''t, so she asked, "Do

    you have something else to tell me?"

    "I miss you."

    "I know you miss me."

    "You hang up first. I don''t want you to feel the disappointment of being hung up on."

    Warmth filled Lucinda''s heart.

    His treatment of others was really good, so good that she couldn''t resist him.

 Chapter 95

    Chapter 95

    Stefan''s kindness convinced Lucinda to be the one to end the call. She clutched her phone, lost in

    thought.

    The guilt of avoiding Stefan weighed on her, especially given how well he had treated her. Despite

    theck of a deep emotional bond between them, she recognized feelings could grow.

    Perhaps she was on the cusp of falling in love.

    After some reflection, Lucinda resolved to face her feelings head-on, regardless of any future

    challenges orpetition. She felt reassured by her decision. Setting her phone on the bedside

    table, she drifted into a deep sleep.

    Meanwhile, Fiona struggled with restlessness. Her constant tossing disrupted Vincent, preventing

    him from finding any sleep of his own.

    He sat up and said, "Fiona, if you can''t sleep, you can go downstairs and watch TV or go chat with

    the neighbors."

    He was used to taking a nap at noon. If he didn''t sleep, he would feel sleepy and listless.

    Fiona also sat up, looking at her husband who couldn''t sleep because of her. She was silent for a

    moment, then said, "Lucinda said something earlier that left me dumbfounded."

    "Is it about her and Stefan?"

    Vincent said, "No matter who Stefan is, as long as he loves our Lucy, that''s enough. As for the

    obstacles between them, we can''t interfere, that''s their business."

    "Whoever Lucy chooses, she has to bear the consequences."

    "But that''s not what I meant. Stefan asked Lucy what she would do if she wasn''t our biological

    daughter."

    Hearing this, Vincent was also stunned.

    After a moment, he asked, "Why would Stefan ask Lucy such a question? Does he know

    something?"

    Fiona said, "From my experience, Stefan or his family might have investigated us. You know, they''re

    wealthy and powerful. As the son of a rich family, if he wants to marry our daughter, they would

    definitely check our background."

    "They might have discovered that Lucy isn''t our biological daughter, so he started testing Lucy''s

    reaction."

    Fiona sighed, "I''ve raised this child for over 20 years, I''ve always treated her as my own. I even love

    her more than my son."

    "She''s a smart girl. When she told me about this, I was stunned. I think she already knows about

    her background."

    "She said she had two dreams about a middle-aged woman losing her child. The woman was crying

    terribly. She said in her dream, she felt a strong connection to that woman. I suspect that woman is

    her biological mother."

    "The bond between a mother and her daughter is very strong. That woman might have had a

    mental breakdown after losing her child. Who can bear the pain of losing a child?"

    She''s in a dilemma now.

    After her biological daughter died of illness, she adopted Lucinda and transferred all the love she

    had for her biological daughter to Lucinda.

    If the child she has raised for over 20 years is taken back by her biological mother, Fiona would

    copse. She just loves Lucy too much.

    If Lucinda was kidnapped instead of being abandoned, and her biological mother lost her sanity

    because of her, that''s a tragedy.

    As a woman, and a mother, Fiona can understand the pain of Lucinda''s biological mother and

    sympathize with her.

    She can''t build her happiness on someone else''s pain.

    "Dreams are unpredictable. Lucy has lived with us for over 20 years and she has never had such

    dreams. You''re overthinking."

    Vincent doubted the reliability of the dream about Lucinda''s biological mother. Fiona pondered

    aloud, "What if Lucinda''s dreams suggest her biological mother is in some kind of trouble? Vincent,

    should we reveal the truth to her?"

    "And perhaps help her find her biological parents," she continued. "If her mother truly is in distress,

    Lucinda should at least have the chance to know her, for her mother''s sake."

    Vincent retrieved a cigarette from his bedside drawer, lit it, and inhaled deeply. "When Lucinda

    returns," he said, "we''ll discuss this with her grandparents and gauge their opinion."

    Fiona let out a sigh.

    "Stop sighing, Lucy''s a good girl. Even if she knows we''re not her biological parents, she won''t

    leave us."

    Vincent knew his daughter well.

    She''s not the heartless type.

    "If she knows that she''s not our biological daughter, do you think the Anderson family will look down

    on her?"

    As a mother, she always worries too much.

    Fiona was also worried that after marrying into the Anderson family, Lucinda would be belittled by

    them.

    Vincentughed, "If they want to look down on Lucy, even if she was our biological daughter, they

    would still look down on her. The difference between our family and the Anderson family is just too

    great."

    "Stop worrying so much. There''s always a solution to this. There''s always a way to solve children''s

    issues."

    "My daughter is so outstanding, if the Anderson family looks down on her, I''ll bring her back home,

    even if I have to raise her for a lifetime."

    "Who doesn''t treasure their own daughter?"

    Even if their family isn''t as good as the Anderson family, Lucinda is their treasure. They won''t allow

    anyone to bully or look down on her.

    "And I can see that Stefan''s feelings for Lucy are genuine. He''s the CEO of Ascend Global, which

    shows he''s capable. If he marries Lucy, he can make her happy."

    Vincent had full confidence in his daughter and son-inw. However, Fiona''s concern was evident.

    She jumped out of bed, sliding into her slippers. "Vincent, rx a bit. I''ll head downstairs to watch

    some TV. I''ll also make juice for Lucy for when she wakes up. It''s such a hot day," she mentioned.

    Vincent realized that Fiona''s worries about their daughter ran deep, and trying to convince her

    otherwise was futile. He decided to let her process her feelings on her own.

    Elsewhere, Stefan had just managed a brief 15-minute nap when his phone began to buzz. An

    unexpected call at this time usually meant pressing business. Rousing himself from the drowsiness,

    he saw Owen''s name shing on his screen. Stefan instantly felt a sense of dread; Owen was

    known for causing problems. Without hesitation, he pressed the ignore button.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Owen''s persistence was clear as he called back immediately. After ignoring the call four times,

    Stefan finally answered on the fifth ring, already dreading the conversation.

    "Why the hesitation? Nervous, are we?" Owen''s voice dripped with sarcasm, his words cutting

    through Stefan like a knife.

    The moment Stefan picked up, Owen started chewing him out.

    "Stefan, you actually ratted me out to my grandpa! When did you be such a low-down dirty

    rat?"

    Just the thought of being set up for a blind date by his grandpa got Owen''s blood boiling.

    "So what if you don''t like Ruby? Can''t I like Ruby?"

    Stefan waited for Owen to finish his rant before calmly asking, "Did you get an earful from your

    grandpa? Did he yank you off your CEO position at the Ike Group?"

    "Don''t get your hopes up, I''m the heir my grandpa personally groomed. I''m tailor-made to deal with

    you and there''s no way he would yank me off my CEO position."

 Chapter 96

    Chapter 96

    When Owen said this, he was actually a bit unsure of himself.

    The Martinez family wasn''t as harmonious as the Anderson family.

    The Anderson family got along well with each other. They didn''t have any ambitions to take over the

    Anderson family business, and they didn''t scheme behind the scenes for power. When Stefan was

    chosen as the heir, his brothers willingly became his assistants.

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Owen was most envious of this about Stefan.

    As long as Stefan didn''t mess up, he could keep his position as the Anderson heir and enjoy all the

    power that came with it.

    Everyone said the Anderson family had good family values.

    The Anderson kids were all top-notch. Marrying into the Anderson family not only meant endless

    wealth and glory but also the husband''s exclusive affection.

    This was because the Anderson family rules stated that their children were not allowed to divorce.

    Marriage was a big deal.

    Before the Anderson kids got married, they were required to fully understand what marriage meant

    to them.

    "So, Trenton Martinez set you up on a blind date."

    Despite their rivalry, Stefan had known the Martinez family since childhood and was well-acquainted

    with them.

    On the rare asion he crossed paths with Trenton, he''d offer a greeting. Regardless of the intense

    business rivalry, whenever Trenton saw Stefan, he''d wear a smile as if looking at a cherished family

    member.

    Trenton would often joke, "That''s a smile of envy." He secretly wished Stefan were his own

    grandson.

    If Stefan had a daughter, Owen''s grandfather would undoubtedly push Owen to woo her. If they

    couldn''t best the Andersons in business, perhaps marrying into their family was the next best

    strategy.

    "Stefan, stop mocking me."

    Stefanughed, "Well, I must be spot-on then. Owen, even though you''re always green with envy, I

    kindly remind you, Ruby isn''t worth your sacrifice. You need to steer clear of her and find a good

    woman to marry. You''re not young anymore, we''re the same age. I''m married, and you don''t even

    have a girlfriend. By the time I be a dad, you''ll still be single, falling behind me in love. In the

    end, you''ll still lose to me."

    Owen rolled his eyes.

    "What''s so great about Lucinda? Other than being pretty and younger than Ruby, what makes you

    want to end your bachelor life?" Owen began to mock,"As a member of the Andersons, you married

    amon girl. Aren''t you afraid of beingughed at?"

    Stefan''s face changed instantly, he said coldly, "So what if my wife Lucinda is amoner''s

    daughter? Does that meanmoners'' kids don''t deserve happiness?"

    "We Anderson men marry women we love, unlike some who need to arrange marriages and marry

    women they don''t love."

    Unless a couple in a political marriage hit it off, they won''t be happy after marriage.

    This kind of marriage is based on mutual benefits.

    Owen: "I only mentioned your wife once and you''ve been rebutting me. Stefan, do you love Lucinda

    a lot?"

    "Should I be in love with you instead?"

    Owen was shaking with anger, "I don''t love you."

    Stefanughed, "You''re always targeting me, I suspect you actually love me. You''re just too shy to

    admit it, so you use helping Ruby as an excuse to get close to me."

    Owen''s face flushed with anger. The audacity of Stefan, his adversary, to say such things was

    almost too much.

    Not hearing a response, Stefan teased further, "What, no retort? Silence means agreement, after

    all. Maybe you do have a fondness for me but don''t know how to express it. But s, I''m already

    taken. My heart only has space for Lucy..."

    "Stefan!"

    Owen roared on the phone, "Stop saying I have feelings for you, I only like Ruby. You''re the gay

    one, go amuse yourself, I''m done talking to you."

    Sessfully infuriating his opponent, Stefanughed gleefully on the phone.

    The louder heughed, the angrier Owen got. He wished he could confront Stefan right now and

    give him a good beating, no, he wanted to kill him!

    "My wife knows I''m not gay, she knows very well that she''s the only one I love. But you, who knows

    if you like men?"

    Owen was too angry to say anything.

    Calm down, calm down!

    He couldn''t let this bastard piss him off to death.

    His grandfather always said he wasn''t as calm as Stefan.

    Stefan was good at socializing. He had different ways of speaking to different people. He was very

    good at reacting and could stay calm during major events.

    Every time he shed with Stefan, he was easily provoked.

    "Stefan, let''s not do this."

    Suppressing his anger, Owen said coldly, "Let''s talk about Ruby."

    "I saw today''s stock market, your Ike Group''s stocks have been falling."

    Stefan''s words were seemingly sympathetic, but were actually dripping with sarcasm.

    Owen felt that he hadn''t taken action against Stefan all these years because he was kind-hearted,

    he was magnanimous, and he didn''t bother with Stefan.

    "Ruby led people to wreck my wife''s shop, and even hurt someone. Ms. Yates''s hand was injured,

    it''s swollen pretty badly now. We don''t know if it''ll affect her future life."

    "You''ve gone off the rails, ranting about Ruby and it''s all over the inte now, stirring up public

    outrage. You''ve screwed up, who else you wanna me?"

    Stefan retorted coolly, "Don''t talk to me about childhood ties. I''ve never had any intentions towards

    Ruby."

    "Owen, you think I don''t know how you feel about Ruby? Do you think you can hide what happened

    ten years ago from me? The lengths you went to for Ruby, it just makes me think you...Are pathetic,

    pitiful!"

    Owen was speechless.

    It was enough to make him blow a fuse!

    The woman he loved was nothing to his nemesis.

    "We''ll sort out the matter from ten years ago some other time." Stefan said coldly.

    Owen said, "I didn''t screw up, did I? And you didn''t lose anything."

    "Owen, you''re such an idiot. Let me tell you, if you hurt Lucy over Ruby again, don''t say I didn''t warn

    you!"

    "I''ve never loved Ruby, I''ve never made any promises to her. You love her, you''re willing to sacrifice

    for her, you let her take advantage of you, lose your dignity over her, that''s your problem."

    "But don''t drag my Lucy and me into it. If you make Lucy misunderstand me because of this, Owen,

    I''ll make sure Ruby ends up with nothing, her reputation in tatters."

    Owen suddenly woke up to reality.

    Stefan was really pissed off, and he was starting to feel scared.

    He was silent for a long time before he managed to say, "Do you really not like Ruby at all?"

    "You already know the answer, why are you still asking?"

    Owen gave a bitter smile, "She came back to the country all because of you, and you...you''re

    already married. She won''t just let it go. Even if I don''t help her, she''ll find all sorts of ways to create

    problems between you and your wife."

    "Stefan, I really envy you. The one I can''t have, you don''t care about; the one you like, you''ve

    sessfully married."

    Stefan was just born under a lucky star.

    No one could match his luck.

    Whether in business or in love, he was always the winner, the object of both envy and jealousy.

 Chapter 97

    Chapter 97

    Stefan went silent for a bit before saying, "Owen, you could live a life that others would envy too."

    All Owen had to do was let go of his obsession with Ruby, find a good partner, and he could have a

    life that others would envy.

    Owen fell silent too.

    Though they were enemies, they''d known each other since they were kids. If it weren''t for their

    quarrel, they could have been good friends.

    "You''ve known Lucinda for eleven years, and you''ve been in love with her for eleven years. Why

    can''t I be happy because I''m persistent?" Owen''s words were filled with discontent.

    They were both obsessed with someone.

    Stefan was happy.

    Did he have to end in tragedy?

    "The person I like is worth my affection. Is the person you like worth yours?"

    Owen was at a loss for words. Comparing them objectively, Lucinda surpassed Ruby in many ways.

    He was well aware that Ruby exploited his feelings to get close to Stefan. She had even gone to the

    extent of ruining Lucinda''s shop for Stefan''s attention.

    Even after all her schemes, Owen consistently supported Ruby. He faced his grandfather''s wrath for

    her and even picked fights with Stefan on her behalf. Ruby, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to

    his sacrifices. She took advantage of his generosity without a hint of remorse and continuously

    caused him pain.

    His grandfather had been right about her. Because Owen showed her kindness and support, Ruby

    must have believed she could continually exploit his influence, right?

    Owen then heard the voice on the other end, "Look, Owen, even though we''re rivals and neither of

    us wishes the other well, our enmity isn''t that profound. Beyond our businesspetition, we''ve

    been acquaintances for over two decades."

    "Ruby really isn''t worth your effort. If you want to take my advice, take it. If not, just consider it as if I

    didn''t say anything. I''m going to hang up now. You don''t need toe over, I don''t want to see you."

    With that, Stefan hung up.

    Owen stared at his phone for a while before saying, "He hung up so quickly, he didn''t even give me

    the chance to say goodbye."

    The bodyguards of the Martinez family said nothing.

    The confrontation ended with Owen''s defeat.

    After standing quietly outside of Ascend Global for a few minutes, Owen returned to his car. Soon

    after, his convoy left Ascend Global.

    "Mr. Martinez, are we returning to thepany or going somewhere else?" the driver asked.

    Owen thought for a moment and said, "Not going back to thepany yet, go to the Yates family."

    Stefan noted during a call that Cecilia''s hand was still injured.

    He had given her money for a hospital visit, but seeing her swollen hand, she likely hadn¡¯t gone.

    He had also paid her well to pose as his girlfriend to upset Ruby.

    While the amount was trivial to him, for someone like Cecilia, it was substantial.

    It surprised him that she was so frugal that she wouldn''t even spend on her health.

    Owen quietly remarked that Cecilia seemed very tight-fisted.

    The driver bravely asked, "Mr. Martinez, I''m not sure which Yates family you''re referring to?"

    In his memory, Mr. Martinez never had any business dealings with the Yates family.

    "Just Cecilia''s family."

    The driver asked, "Mr. Martinez, who''s Cecilia?"

    He had no idea who Cecilia was.

    Owen wanted to lose his temper, but he suddenly remembered that he had Webster pick up Cecilia,

    and his personal driver had no impression of Cecilia.

    He held back his anger and said, "I''ll send you a location, and you can navigate."

    The driver hurriedly agreed, and he also let out a long sigh of relief.

    Owen was clearly in a bad mood.

    But the ce he wanted to go, he had no impression of it.

    Owen searched his phone for the location he had sent the bodyguard that morning and sent it to the

    driver.

    Serendipity Cafe was temporarily closed for a few days. Lucinda went back to her house, and

    Cecilia stayed home to recover.

    That day, her hand was cut by ss. She disinfected and bandaged it, but it still hurt.

    Her hand was swollen, but it wasn''t as serious as Stefan made it out to be.

    The Yates family was just an ordinary family, like the Moores.

    Cecilia''s father worked in construction, out early and backte. Her brother worked, her mother was

    a housewife, her grandpa was still alive, and her grandma passed away when she was fourteen.

    At the moment, Cecilia was curled up on the couch, with an apple in her uninjured hand, munching

    on it while watching TV.

    Ba Yates was picking vegetables nearby, asionally ncing at the TV.

    Devon Yates was reading the newspaper with his sses on.

    "Cecilia, could you turn down the TV a bit?" Devon found the TV was too loud and was disturbing

    his reading.

    "Got it."

    Cecilia picked up the remote and turned the volume down.

    Just as she turned the volume down, they heard the doorbell ring.

    "Cecilia, go see who''s here." Ba said casually.

    "It must be the old man next dooring to see grandpa."

    Cecilia said as she got up to answer the door.

    Hearing his granddaughter say this, Devon immediately said, "I''ll get the door then. It''s probably

    him. We agreed to meet today."

    Since grandpa volunteered to answer the door, Cecilia sat back down on the couch, continued

    watching TV, and eating her apple.

    "Cecilia, since your shop isn''t open, why don''t you invite Lucinda over for dinner?"

    Ba voiced her thoughts, then added softly, "Now that Lucinda''s part of a wealthy family, we might

    feel hesitant to approach them. I doubt she''ll visit us now."

    Her daughter responded, "Mom, Lucinda''s still the same. Even after marrying someone wealthy,

    she hasn''t changed. She and Stefan still live in their rented ce."

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    "It''s clear Stefan truly cares for her, choosing to live in a modest home for her sake. I wish I could

    find someone as wonderful as Stefan. I''d be over the moon," she daydreamed.

    Ba replied, "I''ve tried introducing you to potential matches, but you never seem interested. You

    dream of marriage, yet you don''t even date."

    "Mom, I''m still young, stop rushing me to get married."

    "You''re already 24 years old, you''re not young anymore. When I was your age, your brother could

    already handle house chores."

    Ba teased, "I don''t want us to be enemies, you better find a man and get married. Or you

    could learn from Lucinda and rent a boyfriend, then after some time, it bes real."

    Cecilia said, "¡­Mom, I don''t have the guts like Lucinda. Besides, the husband Lucinda rented was

    someone she knew."

    "But she was still fooled, right?"

    Cecilia gave a charming smile, "If I could be fooled into marriage by such a good man, I''d be

    willing."

    Ba threw the vegetable in her hand at her daughter.

    "Mom, what are you doing?"

    "You can''t steal a friend''s husband! You better behave, don''t be the kind of person who steals

    their friend''s man."

    Cecilia looked helpless, "Mom, how could you say that about me? Am I that kind of person?"

    She wouldn''t know how to handle a cunning man like Stefan.

    "Anyway, I''m telling you in advance, even if you never get married in your life, you can''t ruin

    someone else''s marriage. If you dare to do that, don''t me me for kicking you out and cutting ties

    with you."

 Chapter 98

    Chapter 98

    Upon hearing the words, Cecilia''s demeanor shifted dramatically. "Mom, rx, you know I''m not like

    that," she responded sternly.

    "Why hasn''t grandpae in yet?" Ba wondered aloud, concerned about the extended dy.

    She urged Cecilia to check on him.

    But just as Cecilia was about to head out, her grandpa quickly entered.

    "Grandpa, take it easy," she cautioned.

    "Dad, who''s at the door?" Ba, who just finished preparing dinner, casually asked to see him

    come in.

    "There''s a young man with a bunch of guys dressed in ck. They said they''re looking for Cecilia.

    They don''t look like good guys. Cecilia, did you get into trouble, and now some bad guys are here?"

    Cecilia was stunned and asked, "Is it Mr. Martinez?"

    Seeing the confused look on her mother''s and grandfather''s faces, she quickly exined, "Mr.

    Martinez is the CEO of my cousin''spany."

    Ba was puzzled, "Why is he here? To see you?"

    "Mom, how should I know why he''s here, I barely know him. Grandpa, where are they?"

    Before Cecilia could finish speaking, Owen walked in, with two bodyguards trailing behind him, each

    carrying a basket of fruits.

    The two bodyguards set down the baskets and left.

    Devon, who had gone to answer the door, was shocked by their number and mistakenly thought

    they were some bad guys.

    The Martinez family''s bodyguards wereining inside, ¡°do we look like bad guys?¡±

    As soon as Owen entered the room, his gazended on Cecilia.

    Seeing Cecilia in green shorts, revealing most of her long legs, her fair skin entuated by a white

    t-shirt, and her hair casually tied back.

    She was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, holding a remote in one hand and half an apple in the

    other. She must have taken a bite of the apple just as he came in, as she hadn''t swallowed it yet.

    Seeing him, she stopped eating her apple out of surprise and just stared at him.

    Her injured hand was bandaged but it didn''t stop her from holding the remote.

    Cecilia''s casual look was a stark contrast to how she usually was, yet Owen found it refreshingly

    real.

    "Hello, mydy." Owen politely greeted Ba.

    "Hello." Ba responded in confusion.

    Owen then apologized to Devon, "Devon, I''m not a bad guy. Don''t worry. I''m not here to cause

    trouble for Cecilia."

    "So what are you here for?" Cecilia instinctively asked.

    Owen nced at her injured hand and said lightly, "I''m here to check on you."

    Cecilia was genuinely surprised.

    Mr. Martinez came to check on her?

    He must have ulterior motives.

    Right, she''s also the owner of Serendipity Cafe, she got a little injured due to Ruby''s rampage, he

    must be here to apologize on behalf of Ruby and hope that she would help resolve the dispute with

    Ruby.

    Although he keeps deletingments online and even had someone delete the video of Ruby

    trashing the store, the controversy has already spread, and many people have seen that video.

    Ruby¡¯s image has been impacted.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Owen¡¯s threatening remarks during the process of protecting Ruby didn¡¯t have much effect on him.

    But their Ike Group¡¯s stocks have been falling since the market opened.

    After being severely criticized by his grandfather, he had to publicly apologize. By the time the

    market opened in the afternoon, theirpany¡¯s stock didn¡¯t continue to fall but rose slightly.

    Fluctuations in the stock market were nothing new to Owen.

    What annoyed him the most was that his grandfather started urging him to get married and even

    wanted to arrange a blind date for him.

    ¡°Mr. Martinez, you¡¯re here to defend Ms. Scott, right?¡±

    Cecilia looked serious and didn¡¯t even invite Owen to sit down.

    Ba, on the other hand, thought it was polite to entertain guests. She invited Owen to sit on a

    single sofa, cleaned the fruit she bought today and put it on the table, inviting Owen to have some.

    Devon made a cup of coffee.

    He served Owen a cup.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Owen thanked him and then picked up the cup of coffee, sipping it elegantly.

    The coffee almost made him lose his elegance. What kind of coffee is this? Too bitter!

    ¡°This is a kind of coffee my grandfather likes. Although it¡¯s a bit bitter, after drinking it, you can savor

    the aroma of the coffee.¡±

    ¡°Your grandfather shouldn¡¯t drink too much coffee, it will affect his sleep quality.¡±

    Owen calmly put down the cup.

    He¡¯d rather be beaten to death than take another sip.

    ¡°Cecilia, I¡¯m just here to see you, not to defend Ruby.¡±

    Ruby has been detained and once her detention is over, as long as shepensates for the

    damage in Lucinda¡¯s shop, the matter will basically be over.

    Of course, Ruby¡¯s reputation has been damaged.

    In the circle of high society, she may be isted.

    The Scott family has been abroad for many years and hasn¡¯t returned, even their business has

    been transferred abroad, Ruby herself is worthless in Pinehurst.

    She was able to be in the circle of high society only because of Owen¡¯s help.

    ¡°Wow, Mr. Martinez, it¡¯s so rare that you woulde to check on me. I¡¯m ttered. It¡¯s a good thing

    it¡¯s not dinner time yet, otherwise, I wouldn''t be able to eat."

    "Because you scared me."

    Facing Cecilia''s mockery, Owen didn''t get angry.

    Instead, it was Ba who scolded her daughter.

    "Your hand injury..."

    Cecilia raised her injured hand, "See, you''ve seen my hand, you can leave now."

    "Cecilia, Mr. Martinez is our guest. You should be polite to guests."

    Ba scolded her again.

    Cecilia pouted and mumbled something under her breath.

    Owen didn''t hear clearly.

    "Mr. Martinez, don''t mind Cecilia. She just has a bad temper, she didn''t mean any harm."

    Owen gave a small smile and said, "Ba, I know Cecilia didn''t mean any harm. The worst she can

    do is pour cold water on me and give me a cold."

    "Considering she was my girlfriend once, I won''t be too hard on her."

    "Owen!"

    Cecilia throws the remote at Owen and stands up.

    She quickly walks over, pulls up Owen with her uninjured hand and says angrily, "Let''s talk outside."

    This annoying guy actually tattled to her mother.

    Sshing him with cold water and him catching a cold is a small matter, but him asking her to be

    his girlfriend, that''s a big deal.

    Her mother will definitely dig into it and mistakenly think she''s his lover.

    So annoying!

    I knew it wouldn''t be good news when he came.

    Owen is led out of the room by Cecilia.

    Ba is still in shock.

    What did Owen mean by that sentence?

    Did Cecilia and Owen date before?

    How did they not know?

    Their daughter actually kept it from them!

    Cecilia dragged Owen out of the house, out the door, turned right, walked a distance, and only

    stopped when she was sure her mother couldn''t hear them.

 Chapter 99

    Chapter 99

    Owen was gazing at Cecilia, whose hand he held. Her hand was soft and smooth, with slender

    fingers that must be just as soft to the touch. Unlike Ruby, she didn''t maintain long nails or wear nail

    polish. Her fingers were in their natural state.

    "Owen, you''re here to get back at me, aren''t you?"

    Cecilia let go of Owen''s hand, anger burning in her eyes as if she could incinerate him with it.

    "Why did you tell my mom those things? Don''t you know she''s been hassling me about blind dates?

    Lucinda is already married, and my mom is getting anxious about my marital status."

    Owen couldn''t help butugh. "I didn''t know your mom was pushing for blind dates. I just got here. I

    told her the truth, proving I''m an honest guy."

    His words made Cecilia feel sick.

    "If you''re considered honest, then there are no sly people in this world."

    Seeing her still angry, Owen asked, "So what if I told your mom I was your boyfriend? I admit I paid

    you to act as my girlfriend. But didn''t you ept the money?"

    "So what if I told your mom? Is she going to dislike you because we had a thing? Maybe she''s

    secretly happy, thinking her daughter''s going to marry a rich man and live happily ever after."

    "My mom wouldn''t think like that."

    Cecilia defended her mother, "My mom isn''t greedy for money. All she wants is for me and my

    brother to live a healthy, happy life."

    "She would never pick you as a son-inw."

    And that was the truth.

    Cecilia and Lucinda bonded deeply, given their shared personalities and family values. Ba and

    Fiona, on the other hand, often connected over phone conversations about their children. When

    Fiona visited the city, Cecilia''s mother would often join her for shopping trips and meals.

    Upon discovering the identity of her son-inw, Fiona fervently advised her daughter to end the

    marriage. Cecilia''s mother echoed these sentiments, hesitant about her daughter joining a wealthy

    family. They both understood societal expectations and believed that in a marriage, a woman

    shouldn''t be undermined. Either she shoulde from a formidable family, or she should possess

    personal strength and resilience.

    The Yates were an ordinary family. If you were topare backgrounds, they wouldn''t even match

    up to Lucinda''s family. The Moore''s owned an orchard, which provided a decent ie during

    harvest season.

    They also raised chickens and ducks and had contracts with several hotels, so they never worried

    about sales.

    Compared to Cecilia''s brother, Ike was more outstanding.

    Even the Moore family didn''t want to have any involvement with rich families, let alone the Yates.

    "Am I really that bad?" Owen asked, feeling hurt.

    Cecilia¡¯s mother would choose anyone but him!

    Owen''s emotions weren''t tied to Cecilia; it was his wounded pride that bothered him. He coulde

    to terms with Ruby''s preference for Stefan, acknowledging his superiority. However, Ba''s

    rejection of him as a potential son-inw stung his ego. He couldn''t help but wonder what was

    lacking in him that even someone from an average family like Ba''s disapproved of him.

    Cecilia''s gaze shifted to Owen. He was undeniably handsome, and as the CEO of the Ike Group,

    he had a remarkable profile.

    "You''re great. But we''re from different worlds."

    "Are you not from Earth? Are you from Mars?"

    Cecilia was speechless.

    After his tantrum, Owen understood what Cecilia meant. He looked at her deeply and said, "No

    wonder you and Lucinda are good friends. You''re the same type."

    "Could you please be more polite? You and Ruby are the same type. Mr. Martinez, I get it. I''ll never

    forgive Ruby''s actions."

    "Today she vandalized the shop and hurt people, tomorrow she mightmit a more serious crime.

    We''ll see. With your help, she''ll sooner orter get herself into big trouble. Something you can''t fix,

    and might even harm you."

    "Enough!"

    Owen suddenly yelled, startling Cecilia.

    "What am I to you? What business is it of yours what I do? Are you trying to lecture me? So what if I

    like helping Ruby? So what if I want to help her solve her problems?"

    Owen took out his wallet, pulled out all the cash he had, and threw it at Cecilia.

    "This is for your medical bills on behalf of Ruby. She''s been punished, and when she gets out, she

    won''t owe you anything."

    "I have no business with you and Ruby," Owen said coldly.

    Cecilia scoffed, "Mr. Martinez sure likes making excuses for himself. I don''t want to deal with your

    business. If Ruby hadn''t wrecked my shop and hurt me, and you hadn''te to ask me to forgive

    her, do you think I''d want to talk to you?"

    Owen remained silent.

    He came to see her, not for Ruby.

    He had heard her hand was badly swollen, and for some reason, he wanted to check on her.

    It was her prejudice against him that made it impossible for them to have a proper conversation.

    "Whoever does wrong has to take responsibility. I''ll seekpensation from Ruby for my shop''s

    loss and my medical bills when she gets out."

    "I don''t want Mr. Martinez''s money!"

    After saying this, Cecilia turned and left.

    She had forgotten she once pretended to be Owen''s girlfriend to provoke Ruby and got paid for it.

    Owen remained motionless, watching Cecilia''s retreating figure. The Martinez family bodyguards

    averted their gazes, looking skyward, avoiding getting involved or uttering a word.

    After some moments, Owen motioned for two of his bodyguards. "Collect that money and deliver it

    to the Yates family on behalf of Ms. Yates," he instructed. Without hesitation, the two bodyguards

    began gathering the scattered cash.

    Taking several deep breaths to regain hisposure, Owen made his way to his car, silently

    promising himself that he would steer clear of Cecilia in the future.

    Upon entering her house, Cecilia was immediately met with a barrage of questions from her mother.

    "Cecilia, what''s the deal between you and Mr. Martinez?"

    "Were you guys friends before or something?"

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "I can''t believe you kept such a big thing from us."

    "Our family doesn''t exactly match up to the social standing of the Martinez family. I did a quick

    inte search just now and besides finding out that their family business is the Ike Group and

    he''s one of the main guys in charge, I know nothing."

    "If you join a wealthy family like that, you''ll need to handle their high expectations and adapt to their

    traditions. You value your freedom, and I''m not sure their way of life suits you. I''m concerned about

    you being with Mr. Martinez."

    Ba''s flurry of questions left Cecilia flustered.

    After her mom paused, she touched her own face and asked, "Mom, how do you see me? Do you

    find me beautiful? Do you think I''m the most beautiful woman in the world?"

 Chapter 100

    Chapter 100

    "Owen was apologizing to me on behalf of Ruby. If you''d seen him throwing a stack of cash at me

    and insulting me just now, you wouldn''t be asking so many questions."

    Ba, "... Then, why would he say such a thing?"

    "He''s just getting back at me. He''s madly in love with Ruby, mom, don''t worry, Owen''s got zero

    interest in me."

    Ba asked doubtfully, "Is that really the case?"

    "Absolutely, didn''t he dupe you too? His aim was to make you me me."

    "Mom, don''t believe a word Owen says. He''s a total jerk. He''s on bad terms with Mr. Coleman,

    Lucinda is Mr. Coleman''s wife, and I''m friends with Lucinda. He can''t possibly mean any good to

    me."

    After understanding the situation, Ba felt relieved. Upon hearing that her daughter was

    humiliated by Owen with money, Ba chewed Owen out angrily over and over again, so much so

    that Owen kept sneezing on his way home.

    He thought it was because his cold hadn''t fully recovered, so he cussed Cecilia in his mind and

    decided to have the family doctor prescribe him medicine for a few more days.

    He was always healthy, this was the first time a cold had hit him so hard.

    All thanks to Cecilia!

    ......

    Olina received an international call. It was from Ruby''s mother, Megan.

    "Olina, how have you been recently?" Megan greeted with a smile.

    Her rtionship with Olina and the Anderson family was good before she went abroad. Although

    the Martinez family and the Anderson family had conflicts, Megan was able to bnce the two

    families. Ruby also benefited from her.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    "I''m fine, how about you? When can youe back for a visit? We can catch up."

    "Once Ruby''s back, I''ll surelye back frequently. We''ll have plenty of time to meet up." Megan

    said with a smile, then suddenly changed the subject, "Olina, did Ruby get into trouble?"

    "You''ve heard about it?"

    "Even though I''m abroad, I follow the news back home. Ruby''s issue has been the talk of the town

    in Pinehurst, I couldn''t possibly not know."

    "By the way, who''s Lucinda? Howe I''ve never heard of this person before? She actually

    married Stefan. Stefan has always been so arrogant. Ruby has liked him for years, butshe couldn''t

    be with him. I didn''t expect him to marry Lucinda."

    Megan''s words revealed her jealousy towards Lucinda. Ruby was deeply in love with Stefan, of

    course the Scott family fully supported her, but it was a pity that despite Ruby''s affection for Stefan

    for so many years, there was no progress between them.

    Now Stefan had married Lucinda directly.

    Olina sneered, "She''s just an ordinary girl. Stefan might have been charmed by her. That''s why he

    married her. Or she might have schemed her way into Stefan''s bed, forcing him to marry her."

    Megan didn''t agree with Olina''s view. She saw the gossip news about Stefan and his wife and their

    marriage announcement. The way Stefan looked at Lucinda in the pictures was filled with affection.

    It was clearly not a marriage out ofck of options.

    "Even without Stefan, we still have our Owen. Owen is genuinely in love with Ruby, he''s just as

    good as Stefan."

    Meganughed, "Yes, Owen is even better than Stefan in my heart. I''ve always advised Ruby not to

    be ungrateful and to cherish Owen."

    "We are Ruby''s family, but our kindness to Ruby can''tpare to Owen''s affection for her."

    Stefan announced that he was already married, and Megan realized that her daughter had no

    chance. Even if her daughter was unwilling to ept it, she couldn''t refuse to see the reality like her

    daughter.

    If she couldn¡¯t marry into the Anderson family, then chose the next best thing. Marrying into the

    Martinez family was also a good choice. In Pinehurst, the Martinez family was the second richest

    family.

    The Ike group''s business spanned across major cities, with strong financial power.

    She got along well with Olina, and if her daughter marrying into the Martinez family, they didn''t have

    to worry about how to get along with Olina. Moreover, her daughter was deeply loved by her

    husband. This was the road to happiness. She must seize this opportunity for her daughter.

    "You must persuade Ruby not to do stupid things for Stefan anymore. Every time she does

    something stupid, Owen''s heartbroken."

    Olina genuinely liked Ruby, but she was also really worried about her son. From the moment Owen

    started to understand love, he fell in love with Ruby. Over the years, his feelings never changed.

    Olina knew her son.

    If he can''t marry Ruby, even if Owen is forced to marry someone else, he won''t be happy.

    "Of course. Once Ruby''s back and I can get in touch with her, I''ll persuade her. No, I''ve already

    booked a flight, I''m flying back today. I want to talk to her in person."

    After Ruby''s incident, Megan felt very uneasy, so she decided to return to help her daughter.

    Since her daughter couldn''t find a suitable partner abroad, she was determined that upon returning

    to Pinehurst, she would help her daughter marry into the prestigious families of Pinehurst.

    Olina asked happily, "When will you arrive in Pinehurst? I''ll pick you up. Ruby said she wanted to

    redecorate your house, why not stay at my ce for a while? We can go shopping together every

    day, I could use thepany."

    "I won''t arrive in Pinehurst until 8:30 in the evening. It takes two hours to drive from your house to

    the international airport. It''s too far, and it''s at night. You don''t have to pick me up. I''ll take a cab."

    "No problem, I''ll bring bodyguards to pick you up."

    Meganughed, "Well, I''ll take you up on that. Let''s have a proper chat when I get back. Olina,

    could you do some digging on Lucinda for me? I''m not trying to help Ruby or anything. I just wanna

    know what kind of person Lucinda is, and what makes her so special that she could bag Stefan."

    At the end of the day, she just couldn''t stomach it. The guy she had her eye on for her daughter was

    snatched up by Lucinda.

    Olina said, "That''s easy peasy. Ruby had our Owen do some snooping on her. I''m sure Owen still

    has the dirt on her. I''ll ask him for a copy and send it your way."

    "The Moore family is just an ordinary family. Lucinda only got to know Stefan because of her brother

    Ike''s connections. Ike and Stefan were school buddies."

    "And just because Lucinda managed to snag Stefan, doesn''t mean she''s anything special. I never

    thought much of her. If we bump into her at a party in the future, we could totally embarrass her and

    make her look like a fool."

    "That will make the Anderson family look bad too. I can''t wait to see how she''ll manage in the

    Anderson family after that, and how she''ll survive in our circle."

    If someone didn''t belong in one circle, trying to force their way in will only exhaust them.

    Listening to her, Meganughed and said, "Olina, you''re making a lot of sense. Putting personal

    feelings aside, her family is just not in the same league as ours."

    Once she was back, she could pay a few visits to the Anderson family and stir up some trouble for

    Lucinda. There were plenty of people in the Anderson family that Lucinda had to respect. She was

    curious to see how Lucinda would deal with these elders'' provocations.

 Chapter 101

    Chapter 101

    While Megan was on the phone with Olina, Trenton also received two sets of documents. It was

    about Cecilia and Lucinda, whom Trenton had asked someone to investigate.

    Even though Owen was the primary figure behind the Ike Group, and Trenton had a great deal of

    trust in and reliance on him, he felt deeply unhappy about Owen''s infatuation with Ruby.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    This time, because of Ruby''s drama, both Owen and the Ike group took a hit. This ticked Trenton

    off big time, so he decided to personally sort out Owen¡¯s marriage shenanigan.

    However, for all these years, the only woman Owen had contact with, apart from his family, was

    Ruby.

    This gave Trenton a massive headache. Even though he could consider a political alliance, Trenton

    was well aware of his grandson''s personality. He could force Owen to tie the knot, and Owen would

    probably go along. But if the wife he brought home ended up living alone, that''d piss off her family,

    and the two families'' rtionship could go south. That was not the oue Trenton wanted.

    Luckily, when he was looking into the incident of Lucinda''s store getting vandalized, he found some

    clues. His grandson seemed to have a peculiar interest in Cecilia, another owner of the Serendipity

    Cafe.

    Trenton immediately had someone investigate and found out that his grandson had spent a lot of

    money to have Cecilia pretend to be his girlfriend to provoke Ruby.

    Ruby went bananas, vandalized the store, and injured Cecilia. His grandson also apologized to the

    Yates family today. Although it ended on a sour note, Trenton still saw a glimmer of hope.

    So he had someone investigate Cecilia.

    Looking at the photo of Cecilia in the document, Trenton muttered to himself, "She''s quite a looker

    and she seems like a good match for Owen."

    Cecilia''s family background was also quite simple, and most importantly, it was clean.

    Although their family wasn''t exactly a match for the Martinez family, such a family would be easier to

    control. Even if Cecilia married into the family and had to live alone, the Yates family wouldn''t be

    able to push Owen around, let alone pose a threat to them or affect their business.

    Owen''s rtionship with Cecilia wasn''t exactly a bed of roses, but sometimes, sparks can fly in the

    midst of arguments.

    Trenton thought his grandson needed more exposure to women. Only then would he realize that

    there are other good women out there. Well, Ruby was definitely not a good woman.

    If Owen really fell for Cecilia, that wouldn''t be a problem. With the Martinez family''s power and

    Owen''s capabilities, even if his wife couldn''t help him in his career, he could stillfortably sit at

    the helm of the Ike group. The only person who could kick Owen off the CEO seat was himself.

    He wouldn''t harm Owen. Even if others had some capabilities, they couldn''tpete with Owen.

    Owen was groomed by him and was his source of pride.

    Besides, when it came to marriage, it was always better to marry a kind and capable woman. If

    Cecilia was such a woman, she''d bring good luck, enabling Owen to work hard outside with peace

    of mind and make the Ike group even more sessful.

    Trenton, who was scrutinizing Cecilia''s document, was considering concealing his identity to test

    Cecilia''s real character. If she passed the test, he would personally visit the Yates family to meet

    Cecilia''s parents.

    If Owen married Cecilia, that would also cut off Ruby''s escape route. Moreover, she wouldn''t even

    get a chance to get close to him. Stefan never had romantic feelings for her. She''d been clinging

    onto him like a leech and even after he went abroad, she didn''t let go. Now, she even relocated her

    business here, intending to continue pestering Stefan. Her return surely spelt trouble.

    She couldn''t win Stefan''s heart but caused his grandson to make mistakes often.

    After looking through Cecilia''s document, Trenton started to check out Lucinda''s document. When

    he saw Lucinda''s photo, he paused and murmured, "Why does this girl look so familiar?"

    He felt like he had seen her somewhere before. But he was sure he had never met Lucinda. Since

    he had never met Lucinda, then he must have seen someone who looked like her. But ording to

    the information, he didn''t know her family, and Lucinda didn''t resemble her parents or her older

    brother.

    It was only at the end that he found out Lucinda wasn''t actually the Moore family''s biological

    daughter. The Moore family''s biological daughter had died of illness when she was six months old.

    The Moores adopted Lucinda by coincidence to rece their deceased daughter. As such, not

    many people knew that Lucinda was adopted by the Moore family, for they didn''t go through any

    adoption procedures and used their biological daughter''s name for Lucinda.

    If it weren''t for their extensive informationwork, they probably wouldn''t have discovered this.

    "Come here." Trenton called over the person who had just handed him the information.

    The taciturn man in ck walked over and stood in front of Trenton, waiting for the old man''s

    commands.

    "Dig deeper into Lucinda''s information. I find her familiar. She''s not the Moore family''s biological

    daughter, and she must have real family out there. Look up if there''s anyone who looks like her, and

    see if there were any families in high society in major cities who lost a child about twenty-three or

    four years ago."

    Trenton wanted to narrow down the search to the high society of major cities, because he thought

    Lucinda was familiar, and he only met with someone from the wealthy or noble circles. This way, it''d

    be easier to find Lucinda''s real kin.

    Even though Savannah also felt like she knew Lucinda, she didn''t ponder over it as much as

    Trenton did, nor did she dig deeper into Lucinda''s background. She felt the duty belonged to her

    grandson.

    Stefan asked Edgar to find Lucinda''s family, but his grandma didn''t tell him that she found Lucinda

    to be quite familiar, so he had a wide range to search through.

    Taking Trenton''s order, the man in ck unusually piped up, "Trenton, she''s the Anderson family''s

    granddaughter-inw, what''s the point in digging up her information?"

    Trenton just chuckled, "Useful or not, we need to know her past. If her real family turns out to be big

    shots, wouldn''t Stefan gain more power by marrying her?"

    "Even though we may not be able to mess with Stefan''s marriage, at least we need to know our

    enemy, can''t let them catch us off guard."

    The man in ck nodded convincingly.

    "Go on then, be careful, don''t let the Andersons catch wind of us snooping around Lucinda, wouldn''t

    want others to know the truth."

    "Understood." The man in ck obeyed and left.

    After the old man had a look at Lucinda''s document, he destroyed it. Only Cecilia''s file was left.

    After watching for a moment, Trenton called his butler over. He requested the butler to apany

    him to approach Cecilia with a false identity. Once he was certain of Cecilia''s character, he could

    then visit Cecilia''s parents at the Yates family.

    Devon liked to y chess. Trenton, having too much time on his hands in hister years, also often

    yed chess with the butler and others. So, he decided to get close to Devon in this way to get a

    read on Cecilia''s true nature.

    The butler, taken aback by Trenton''s instructions, didn''t dare to ask why and just obediently went off

    to arrange it.

    "Tell him I won''t be home for a while, and he will be in charge of this family. Don''t always bother

    Owen. Even though Owen is the head of the household, he''s mainly in charge of thepany.

    Don''t trouble him with the household affairs."

 Chapter 102

    Chapter 102

    "The ''he'' Trenton was referring to was Owen''s dad, Shane."

    "Alright."

    The butler immediately started to act ording to Trenton''s instructions.

    An hourter, Trenton had changed into casual old man''s clothes and, apanied by the butler,

    "ran away from home."

    Shane wanted to inquire about his father''s whereabouts, but the butler didn''t answer. He didn''t dare

    to directly ask his father, so he could only suppress his curiosity and chat with his wife a bit.

    "Having dad out of the house is even better, this house is all ours now."

    As for Trenton''s "running away," Olina was overjoyed. Without Trenton around, everyone else had

    to follow their orders.

    "Honey, Megan is on her flight back now. She should arrive at Pinehurst International Airport around

    eight tonight. Will you apany me to pick her up?"

    Olina was so happy partly because Megan wasing back. She had once assured Megan that

    she would have Megan move in the Martinez family. If Trenton were home, she would have to

    consult with him about this. Trenton had never liked Ruby, nor Megan. He would definitely not

    agree, which would make her feel embarrassed in front of Megan. Now, with Trenton not at home,

    she could call the shots and keep Megan.

    Shane frowned, "She can totallye back on her own. Isn''t it a bit inappropriate for us to pick her

    up? She has her daughter here, and the Scott family in the country has butlers and drivers. There''s

    no need for us to pick her up."

    "We''re such good friends, what''s wrong with picking her up at the airport? I''ve already promised her.

    You can''t make me back out now."

    Shane helplessly said, "Alright."

    "By the way, I also told Megan that, since their family is nning a renovation at their ce, and

    we''re so close, I invited her and Ruby to stay with us for a while. After Ruby gets out, she can move

    in with us as well. This way, Owen can get closer to them."

    Shane frowned again, "Honey, even if the Scott family is nning a renovation, they can stay at a

    hotel. It is not like they are broke. I heard from Owen that the Scott family hasn''t even started the

    renovation yet, Ruby is still living with them. Dad is out meeting friends, but that doesn''t mean he

    won''t evere back. When he does and sees that you invited Ruby and Megan to live with us, he

    will be mad."

    Shane didn''t really like Ruby and Megan either. But unfortunately, his wife and son were both fond

    of Ruby. His wife and Megan had known each other for decades and their rtionship was very

    good.

    In Shane''s eyes, Ruby wanted to marry Stefan but also couldn''t let go of his son, which was exactly

    like Megan. Megan was continually praising both his wife and Stefan''s mother, not wishing to

    abandon either, but rather to garner support from both.

    Because in the whole of Pinehurst, his wife and Stefan''s mother are the most prominent among the

    wives. Stefan''s mother didn''t care about status when making friends, but she was much smarter

    than his wife. She would never do anything that would damage her son''s reputation.

    "Once dades back, I''ll have them move to a hotel. Sweetheart, let''s just decide on this."

    Shane was silent for a moment, then said, "Just do whatever you want. But remember, we agreed

    that once dades back, you will have them move out."

    Olinaughed, "Of course."

    She was also afraid of her father-inw. If she angered him, they would be the ones to suffer.

    Shane was right about Megan. After contacting Olina, she also contacted Stefan''s mother.

    But Stefan''s mother was still traveling with her husband, so even though Megan said she was

    coming back, Stefan''s mother justughed it off, said a few polite words, and then nothing more.

    Megan shamelessly used Ruby''s past excuse of needing home renovation to suggest if she could

    temporarily stay with the Anderson family. Stefan''s mother directly refused her, saying that the

    house was now Stefan''s and without his consent, she couldn''t let outsiders live in their Ascend

    Estate. Megan was so angry that she was shaking, but she couldn''t vent in front of Stefan''s mother.

    As for the elder''s affairs, Lucinda didn''t know, nor did she know that because of her, Cecilia was

    targeted by Trenton. She spent the afternoon writing updates for her new novel. Right after she

    finished writing, her mother called her downstairs for dinner.

    "Mom, I''ming."

    Lucinda turned off herputer and ran downstairs.

    Fiona came out of the kitchen with dishes and saw her running down. She said, "You''re already a

    married woman, why are you still running so fast like when you were a kid? Be careful not to trip."

    "Mom, I run very steadily, I won''t trip. The food you cooked smells so good. It''s all my favorites."

    "When have you ever not had your favorite food when you''re home?"

    Lucinda went over and hugged her mother''s shoulders, "I knew my mom loves me the most."

    So what if they were not blood-rted? They treated her even better than her biological parents

    would.

    "Doesn''t your dad treat you well?" Vincent joined the conversation from behind them.

    Lucinda turned to see her father andughed, "You both treat me very well."

    Fiona said to her husband, "You''re stillpeting with me out of jealousy."

    "Why can''t I be jealous? Our daughter isn''t just yours."

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Fiona was about to say something more when the sound of a car outside interrupted.

    "Is that Ikeing back?" Fiona said.

    "But it doesn''t sound like his car. I''ll go check."

    Hearing the sound of a car, Lucinda felt a strange familiarity. It didn''t sound like her brother''s car, but

    she had a hunch that Stefan would show up.

    No sooner had she bolted out of the house than she saw Stefan walking in with his arms loaded

    with bags. The couple met in the yard and came to a halt, their eyes locked. Even though they had

    been apart for only a day, it felt like ages since theyst saw each other.

    "Lucy."

    Stefan was the first to break the silence between them. He strode over, bending down, and said

    with a smile, "I left work early toe over for dinner. Did I nail the timing?"

    "We were just about to dig in, so yeah, your timing couldn''t be more spot on."

    Lucinda took some stuff from his hands and walked into the house with him, talking as they went,

    "Didn''t we agree you''de to pick me up on Sunday? And you don''t have to bring so much stuff

    coming to my home."

    "Missed you. Couldn''t wait till Sunday." Stefan whispered this, afraid his mother-inw might

    overhear. "I didn''t buy anything special, just some health supplements, didn''t spend much."

    Lucinda knew well, when he said he "didn''t spend much," he actually meant that he spent a fortune.

    Before the couple entered the house, the Moore family had already figured out Stefan was here

    from their conversation.

    Fiona whispered, "Why is he so clingy? Lucy just got back and he''s already here."

    Vincent replied in a low voice, "Isn''t it a good thing that our daughter and son-inw are so in love?

    Stop grumbling and bring out the silverware for our son-inw."

    Hearing this from her husband, Fiona stoppedining and headed to the kitchen for the

    silverware.

 Chapter 103

    Chapter 103

    "Stefan,e on, let''s eat." Vincent called out to Stefan in a jolly tone.

    The two old folks of the Moore family also warmly invited Stefan to join them.

    "Stefan, we''re all family here, no need to be all stiff and formal. You don''t have to bring so many

    gifts next time youe over." Vincent took the gifts from Stefan''s hands.

    Stefan chuckled and said, "I didn''t buy much, just some health supplements for grandpa and

    grandma, and some sleep aids for Fiona as I heard she has trouble sleeping."

    "Vincent, these two bottles of wine are for you."

    Of course, Stefan didn''t forget about Vincent.

    ? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.

    Even though Vincent verbally objected to Stefan spending so much money, his eyes gleamed at the

    sight of the wine bottles.

    Lucinda quickly reminded her father, "Dad, just have a little, don''t overdo it."

    "I know, I never drink too much."

    He loved his liquor, but never went overboard. He would drink moderately during meals, and a tad

    more when guests were over. All in all, he wasn''t a heavy drinker.

    Lucinda took Stefan to wash their hands. Soon, the family sat down to enjoy their dinner.

    During the meal, Lucinda worried that Stefan might not be used to their family''s vibe, so she took

    care of him and made sure he ate plenty. Stefan wasn''t picky. Whatever dish Lucinda served him,

    he ate. Even if Lucinda served him greens, he could taste the vors.

    The Moore family watched Lucinda keep serving Stefan food and were pretty much speechless. By

    now, everyone knew about Stefan''s status and position. Fiona had discussed this with Lucinda''s

    grandparents, hoping they could persuade Lucinda to break up with Stefan. But it seemed like her

    daughter and Stefan didn''t n on doing so.

    After the meal, Stefan offered to clean up. "Fiona, I got this, why don''t you go watch TV on the

    couch? I''ll take care of it."

    Stefan understood that Lucinda''s mother probably thought he was too rich and high-status to do

    household chores. He wanted to blend into the Moore family and reassure Lucinda''s mother,

    making her believe he could make Lucinda happy.

    If Lucinda married him, he absolutely wouldn''t let her suffer. He would definitely make Lucinda

    happy.

    "Stefan, we can''t let you do this. You''re the heir to the Anderson family, the CEO of Ascend Global.

    In our eyes, you shouldn''t be doing such things."

    Fiona tried to stop Stefan from doing the chores.

    Regardless of whether they would break up or not, she didn''t dare let him do housework after

    knowing his status.

    She then told her daughter, "Lucinda, you clean up and let Stefan chat with your dad."

    Lucinda instinctively said, "Mom, when we''re out, Stefan is the one who cooks, does the dishes,

    cleans the house, and all that jazz. He''s got the housework covered, don''t worry, he won''t break

    anything."

    Fiona was dumbfounded. Her daughter actually had the heir to the Anderson family doing all the

    household chores.

    Lucinda guided her mother to the couch, saying, "Mom, you''ve worked hard for us all your life. Now

    we can share the workload. You should rest a bit."

    Stefan immediately started cleaning up and preparing to do the dishes.

    Lucinda was in charge of tidying up the dining table.

    When Stefan walked into the kitchen, Fiona quietly said to her daughter, "Lucinda, Stefan has a

    special status. You can''t be unfair to him, always making him do things that don''t match his status."

    "Mom, actually, he''s doing this voluntarily. He just wants to show you his good side. Can''t you at

    least give him this chance?"

    Fiona was lost for words.

    Vincent also chimed in, "Lucy''s right. If Stefan wants to make an effort, you should give him a

    chance. See if he''s capable of giving your daughter a happy life."

    Fiona, "Lucy,e with me. Let''s talk outside."

    At this moment, Stefan was doing the dishes, so he couldn''t hear what Lucy and her mother were

    saying.

    Lucinda agreed and picked a bunch of cleaned grapes from the fruit te.

    The Moore family''s yard was not big, far from the size of Stefan''s private vi, let alone the Ascend

    Estate. Lucinda hadn''t been to the Ascend Estate yet, so she didn''t know how big it actually was.

    Fiona saw her daughter still remembered to bring snacks and couldn''t help but shake her head in

    exasperation. "Lucy, tell me, what are you thinking? Did you take what I saidst time to heart?"

    Lucinda ate a couple of grapes, finding them sweet and seedless, very convenient to eat. She

    picked one up and brought it to her mother''s mouth, saying, "Mom, these grapes are really sweet.

    Try one."

    Fiona took the grape and ate it.

    "Mom, Stefan and I have signed a marriage agreement, and I was the one who confessed to him

    first. Now our marriage is public knowledge, and everyone in the city knows we''re husband and

    wife. I''ve thought about it. I do have feelings for him, I even like him a lot. Since I confessed to him

    first, I should take responsibility. I want to be with him. No matter how big the gap between us is, or

    how many difficulties there will be in the future, I''m willing to take on the challenges and face all

    sorts of difficulties in life with him."

    Lucinda said this very seriously. This was her decision after much thought. She no longer

    considered divorcing Stefan. In her words, since she confessed to Stefan first, she would take

    responsibility for him till the end.

    Fiona cautioned her, "The Andersons are the richest family in town. You''re gonna be dealing with

    his kin, aren''t you worried you won''t handle it well?"

    "Rich folks have a ton of house rules. They might get their knickers in a twist if you want toe

    back home. They might worry you''re gonna take their stuff."

    Lucinda chuckled, "Mom, I ain''t scared. I wanna give it a shot. I believe I can handle it. From what I

    know about Stefan and his siblings and grandparents, they aren¡¯t gonna think I''m pilfering just

    ''cause I go home. I wouldn''t do that. I can earn my own dough. If there is anything that our home

    needs, I''ll buy it with my money."

    "If they want you to y the housewife and quit your job, how will you handle it? You''re a free spirit.

    You can''t stand strict rules. Lucy, I am not trying to mess up your rtionship. I just think the gap

    between y''all is too big. I''m worried you''ll get ditched and end up heartbroken. You were down in the

    dumps over George for so long, you almost decided to swear off marriage and stay single."

    Lucinda, "Mom, George and Stefan are apples and oranges. And, there were other reasons George

    and I broke up. I admit, I was gutted when I first split with George, but I bounced back, didn''t I?

    Mentioning George now, I''m cool as a cucumber. I feel nothing, which means I''m totally over him."

 Chapter 104

    Chapter 104

    She hadn''t told her mom that Stefan was already head over heels for her. It was likely she was

    stuck being his wife for life. As for anyone else getting close to him, they''d have to wait until he was

    six feet under.

    "Mom, Stefan and I are adults. If we can''t make it work in the future, I can handle getting a divorce. I

    chose this, and I''ll deal with whateveres. As long as he doesn''t dump me, I won''t ditch him. As

    for my freedom, I won''t give it up just because of him, and I bet he wouldn''t want a housewife who

    just lounges around all day."

    Lucinda''s trust in Stefan was rock solid. Sure, he had kept his identity a secret and chased away his

    rivals behind her back, trapping her in his love nest, but other than that, she thought he was pretty

    much wless. A good man who had patiently waited for her to grow up over the past eleven years,

    Lucinda believed Stefan was the one she could trust her life with.

    Fiona watched her beloved daughter, who she had cherished and nurtured with a heavy heart.

    Raising a daughter was like tending a flower. You water it, feed it, weed it, and care for it until it

    blooms, only for some son-inw to swoop in and take it away.

    "Since you''ve made up your mind, I won''t say anything more. If you''re ever bullied in the Anderson

    family,e tell me. I may not have money, but I''ve got hands, feet, and a mouth. I''ll go over to the

    Andersons and stand up for you, even if it means getting physical. I won''t let them push you around

    like you don''t have family backing you up. Your brother also called and said he''ll work twice as hard

    to make our situation better so he can support you."

    "Mom."

    Lucinda was deeply moved. This was family. Once she made a decision, her family went from

    opposing it to fully supporting her.

    "Lucy, there''s something else I need to tell you." Fiona reached out, tenderly stroking Lucinda''s

    face, her eyes filled with reluctance, "You''re not my biological daughter. We adopted you. My poor

    little girl passed away from an illness¡­"

    Fiona''s eyes welled up with tears. Even after over twenty years, thinking about her biological

    daughter still hurt like a punch to the gut.

    After a moment, she continued, "You were the same age as my biological daughter. After she

    passed away and we found you, we raised you as our own. If you want to find your biological

    parents and go back to them, I won''t stop you. Those dreams you''ve been having, the mad woman

    in them, might be your birth mother. I''d hate to lose you, but I also understand the pain a mother

    feels losing a child. So, your birth mother might''ve lost her mind because she lost you."

    Having said that, Fiona wanted to turn around and leave, afraid she would burst into tears. After all,

    this was a child she had raised for over twenty years. If she really left her, the pain would be

    unbearable.

    "Mom." Lucinda embraced her mother tightly from behind. "I''m your daughter. Even if I decide to

    find my biological parents, I won''t leave you. I want to find my biological parents, just to figure out

    whether I was abandoned or taken away by human traffickers."

    Fiona turned around and saw the calm expression on her daughter''s face, knowing her intelligence

    had already figured out the answer. Only when she was honest would her daughter be so calm,

    without any surprise.

    "Lucy..."

    "Mom, you raised me. I consider you my parents. I am your daughter. Don''t push me away."

    After finding out whether she was abandoned or trafficked, she would deal with her rtionship with

    her biological parents. If she was abandoned, she wouldn''t acknowledge them. If they abandoned

    her, it meant they didn''t want her, so why reunite? Lucinda had no respect for those who were

    abandoned by their parents, raised by adoptive parents, and then went back to find their biological

    parents, even severing ties with their adoptive parents. That was just too ungrateful. She would

    never be that person.

    If she was kidnapped, she would acknowledge her biological parents after finding them, but her love

    for her adoptive parents wouldn''t lessen. She would be grateful for the blessing of having two sets

    of parents. She would treat her biological and adoptive parents equally, even favoring her adoptive

    parents more because they raised her and provided her with education.

    "How could I push you away, I have feelings too. Since you''ve been having those dreams, it''s

    possible you weren''t abandoned. You''ll have to unravel the mystery of your birth on your own. Your

    dad and I can''t help you with that. But Stefan can."

    Lucindaforted her mother, "Mom, there''s no rush. If my biological parents remember me, they''ll

    be looking for me too. If the bond between a mother and daughter exists, we''re bound to meet."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Fiona said, "It can''t bepletely unhurried. Think about it, you''ve been dreaming. This suggests a

    telepathic connection between mother and daughter. Your birth mother may be in great danger. You

    should find them as soon as possible to avoid any regrets."

    Lucinda''s expression became serious.

    Fiona said, "You don''t need to worry about us. I''ve prepared myself for everything. Just do what you

    need to do, don''t worry about us."

    Lucinda fed her mother another grape, who was beyond moved. Lucinda was grateful for the

    blessings life had given her. Even though she had left her biological parents when she was only half

    a year old, she was the beloved baby of the Moore family. They raised her, loved her, and supported

    her in seeking the truth when she found out about her birth. She was grateful for such a wonderful

    family.

    "Mom." After feeding her mother a grape, Lucinda couldn''t resist giving her a passionate hug.

    "Mom, I love you, so so much!"

    Fionaughed, "You really know how to sweet-talk."

    "Come on, you''re my mom. What kid doesn''t love their mom?"

    "Your mouth is as sweet as honey, always knowing how to make me happy. I can''t argue with you

    there. It feels good to get everything off my chest. Since Stefan''s here, you shouldn''t stay home

    anymore. Go back with himter."

    "Mom, it''s already dark. I want to stay here for a few more days before going back to the city."

    "What about Stefan?"

    "Let him go home. He has to work tomorrow, I don''t."

    No sooner had the words left her mouth, Fiona gave her a yful smack. "You cheeky girl, that''s my

    son-inw, my only son-inw in this lifetime, and you''re telling me to let him go!"

    Lucinda responded with a grin, "If you can''t bear to let him go, then let him stay. He can go back to

    work tomorrow morning. And even if he doesn''t, it''s no big deal. He''s the boss. No one is going to

    say anything if he skips a day at the office."

    Fiona gave her another light tap, "Just because you don''t love your job, doesn''t mean you should

    influence Stefan. He''s managing a massivepany, and every minute is precious to him. You

    shouldn''t waste his time."

    Lucinda faux-jealously retorted, "You''re so smitten with your son-inw, you''re even ignoring your

    own daughter. I bet if Stefan and I had a fight, you''d definitely take his side."

    "Well, of course, because he''d always give in to you, let you vent. Of course I would take his side."

 Chapter 105

    Chapter 105

    "Ignoring the reality gap, Stefan is really a top-notch guy, and he''s good to you," Fiona confessed

    that she was quite satisfied with Stefan, her son-inw. "He spoils you rotten, I foresee that

    whenever you guys quarrel, he''ll definitely back down."

    Munching on grapes happily, Lucinda also fed a few to her mother, "Mom, your son-inw is

    spoiling your daughter, you should be thrilled."

    "Alright, alright, I''m thrilled." Fiona affectionately tapped her nose and then said, "I''ll return your

    ne to youter. It was what you had on when your father found you, along with the little outfit

    you were wearing. Although I always treated you as my own daughter, I felt that one day your true

    identity would be exposed. Keeping these things might help you find your biological family one day."

    Lucinda said, "Nowadays, we have advanced technology, just a DNA test will do."

    It was not like the old days, using mementos for identity recognition could easily be faked.

    "Fiona, Lucy," Stefan called out after finishing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen.

    Seeing the graceful and elegant Stefan, Fiona wanted to say something, but what came out was, "Is

    the dishwashing done? It''s still early. Let Lucy take you for a walk to help with digestion."

    During dinner, the young couple were serving each other dishes, showing their love, which

    promoted Vincent to keep ncing at his wife. Under this kind of circumstance, Stefan ate quite a

    lot. Fiona worried that her son-inw was stuffed.

    "Mom, I''ve finished washing the dishes, and the kitchen is cleaned up," Stefan came over.

    "Lucinda, take Stefan for a walk. I''m going to watch TV, the show I have been watching is about to

    start," Fiona said and then went inside.

    Lucinda, one hand holding the unfinished grapes, the other pulling Stefan''s hand, naturally said,

    "Let''s go, I''ll take you for a walk in the square and park."

    Beside them was the forest park. Although the vige park wasn''t as big as the city parks, it was

    beautifully green. But there were lots of mosquitoes. In summer like now, going to the forest park at

    night, you''ll be bitten all over. Lucinda usually wouldn''t go there. But now with Stefan, she had to

    take him for a walk.

    Lucinda nced at Stefan''s attire, dressed in formal wear. Besides his handsome face, there

    seemed to be no ce for mosquitoes to bite him. On the contrary, in shorts and a t-shirt, she would

    be a lovely snack for mosquitoes in the forest park.

    "What''s up?" Her husband looked at her, feeling a bit puzzled. Stefan asked with concern, "What''s

    the problem?"

    "I wanted to take you to the forest park, but seeing how dressed up you are, I''m afraid I''ll be the one

    ending up bitten by mosquitoes."

    Stefan lifted her hand, kissed the back of her hand, andughed, "Let''s not go to the forest park

    then, I don''t want you to get bitten."

    "Let''s just stroll along the country road."

    The vige where the Moore family was located had all its roads paved with cement, making travel

    very convenient. It wasn''t far from the town either. On market days, the elderly from nearby viges

    who couldn''t ride bikes would get together and walk to the market.

    "Do you want some grapes? They''re sweet."

    "If you like them, they are yours."

    Lucinda still fed him a few, asking if they were sweet.

    "Very sweet, like honey."

    Lucinda''s eyes curved into crescents, quite satisfied with his answer.

    "My mom just told me about my background, I''m not their biological child," Lucinda said calmly.

    "Regardless, they''re my family, in my heart, they''re my real parents."

    "Mm," Stefan had great respect for his inws.

    Although not biological, they treated Lucinda even better than their own. The Moore family''s love for

    Lucinda was evident. Ike was known for being protective of his sister at school. Anyone who dared

    disrespect his sister, Ike would chase them down and scold them.

    Stefan took Lucinda away, and to this day, Ike still harbored a grudge, always looking for a chance

    to belittle him. If he was like this with Stefan, it was worse for others. When George broke up with

    Lucinda, if she hadn''t held him back, Ike would have beat George half to death.

    Suddenly, Stefan''s phone rang. He took it out and saw that it was Edgar calling.

    "You take the call, I''ll sit for a bit."

    Lucinda sensibly walked away, found a ce in the square to sit. Even though they were husband

    and wife, and he spoiled her rotten, Lucinda didn''t want to pry too much. They both needed some

    personal space. She was willing to tell him everything she knew, even if he didn''t ask. Likewise, if

    he wanted her to know something, he would tell her.

    Edgar asked on the phone, "How''s it going?"

    "Mm."

    "You''re at your wife''s parents'' house now, right?"

    The boss leaving work early resulted in a huge increase in his workload. Edgar grumbled to himself

    about how his boss was getting more and more deep into spoiling his wife.

    "If you have something to say, say it. If not, hang up, and don''t disturb me. I''m on a date with Lucy.."

    "You''re already married. Why bother with dates?"

    "We''re having post-marriage dates, is there a problem?"

    Edgar quickly said, "No problem. Mr. Stefan, someone is investigating your wife, I looked into it, and

    it traces back to the old man from the Martinez family."

    Stefan frowned, "What does he want investigating Lucinda?"

    After thinking about it, he rxed his frown and said, "Trenton and my grandfather have been rivals

    all their lives. They were on par."

    What he meant was that there was already a clear winner now, since Owen lost to him. If Owen was

    here, he would be furiously unable to ept it. But he couldn''t refute it, because Owen indeed lost

    to Stefan.

    "Trenton''s digging deep, so he must''ve sniffed out something, Edgar. Just let him do his thing, we''ll

    just hang back and wait for the goodies."

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    The background of his beloved was shrouded in mystery. Now that she was his wife, his enemies

    were bound to dig deep, trying to unravel Lucy''s past and see if it could be used against him, right?

    They were actually hoping to use Lucy as a weapon against him. Well, good for them. He wanted to

    help Lucinda find her biological parents too. If someone was willing to foot the bill and take action,

    he would just sit back, watch the show, and reap the benefits, saving himself a buck and some

    effort.

 Chapter 106

    Chapter 106

    "Alright."

    Edgar had thought Stefan would be mad, or would block the Martinez family from prying into his

    wife''s past, but he didn''t expect him to make such arrangements.

    "Anything else?"

    Edgar gleefully said, "Yes, I''d like to chat with you."

    "Buzz off!"

    Edgarughed, "Oh right, your admirer, thedy of the Dewey family is waiting for you at our

    company''s front door. No matter how we try to convince her to leave, she refuses. She doesn''t even

    believe us when we say you''re not in the office, she thinks we''re fooling her."

    Stefan''s expression was cold, "This is none of your business, don''t interfere."

    Edgar said, "President, you''re so cold, so great. It''s hard for any woman who''s met you not to fall for

    you. They didn''t do anything wrong. Why don''t you just be an emperor, your wife could be the

    queen, and you could have a few concubines. You''ve got plenty of money to support them all, then

    you wouldn''t have to break your admirers'' hearts."

    Edgar added, "Seeing Miss Dewey''s persistence, it breaks my heart."

    Edgar just loved to watch the drama unfold.

    Stefan coldly replied, "Edgar, you''ll meet a girl you like too, and you''ll get married. When you have a

    crush, I''ll repeat these words you said to me today back to her."

    Edgar, "I was just kidding, I know you''re a good guy who only loves one woman. Haha, the wife of

    yours is really lucky, she has it all. Haha, go ahead with your date, I won''t disturb you anymore."

    With that, he quickly hung up the phone.

    After Stefan''s people discovered that the Martinez family was investigating Lucinda and made

    arrangements, it wasn''t long before the young son of the Blue family also received the news.

    Ethan was in the middle of arge grassy field when he answered the phone. The grassy field was

    vast, and he stood at its center. Whatever he was saying to the person on the phone, no matter how

    hard the others tried to listen, they couldn''t hear a thing.

    "There''s someone inquiring about any families in major cities'' high society circles who lost a child

    about twenty years ago."

    Ever since Ethan started building up his power, his people had been helping him search for his

    sister Lucinda. It''d been over a decade, but they have never found Lucinda.

    Their main search was in Whiterun as the woman who took Lucinda was found there, but by the

    time she was found, she was already dead. The Lucinda taken away by her disappeared without a

    trace.

    Not only Ethan, but also other members of the Blue family conducted arge-scale search in

    Whiterun. As long as the person was about the same age as Lucinda, they would try to determine if

    she was Lucinda.

    After hearing his subordinate''s words, Ethan felt excited. He had a feeling that this matter was

    rted to his sister. He asked, "Do we know who''s making these inquiries?"

    The subordinate replied, "The news is widespread, so we haven''t found out who originally spread it

    yet. There''s another group following them, seemingly also looking for someone, but they haven''t

    made any moves, as if they''re waiting for an opportunity."

    "Investigate, I want you guys to find out where the person who originally spread this news came

    from." Ethan instructed calmly and seriously.

    "We''re already on it."

    "Their target is the high-end society circles in major cities, so they must be wealthy and powerful

    people. Be careful not to let them discover our actions and don''t fall into their traps."

    They also needed to prevent other members of the Blue family from taking action prematurely

    without knowing the situation. Those with ambitions would do anything to prevent his sister from

    coming back.

    Previously, they didn''t want Ethan to find his sister, mainly because they didn''t want her to inherit

    half of their father''s wealth. The Blue family had been wealthy for several generations, but the family

    head who umted the most wealth was Ethan''s father, Nathan.

    ording to the tradition of the Blue family, the family head''s wealth can only be left to his own

    children. If the family head had no children, the wealth would be divided among the whole family. If

    the family head had children, the wealth would be divided equally among them. If anything

    happened to the children, the wealth would be divided among the whole family.

    Nathan only had two children, Ethan and Lucinda, so his wealth was split equally between them. As

    Lucinda''s whereabouts were unknown, as long as she didn''t return, half of the father''s wealth would

    go to Ethan and the other half would be divided among the entire family after their father passed

    away. Even just half was enough to make people drool.

    Other members of the Blue family, for their own interests, naturally tried to prevent Lucinda''s return.

    In fact, only the direct members of the Blue family controlled the wealth of the family, and the side

    branches just basked in their glory. Generally speaking, it was Nathan''s cousins and nephews who

    wanted to divide his wealth.

    All previous family heads had considered resisting this tradition, but as there were many family

    members and their will was unanimous, the family head could only strive to have children and

    ensure their safe growth.

    Lucinda had gone missing, and there was Ethan, who had been the son of the Blue family. Ethan''s

    situation had been quite precarious. Furthermore, there had been his mother, Janice, who had

    mental issues.

    Now Madeleine also wanted to be Nathan''s wife. With the Porter family''s power in Skywatch

    second only to the Blue family, she naturally didn''t want Lucinda to return. If Lucinda came back, the

    mentally unstable Janice would gradually recover.

    Nathan and his wife were once very much in love, if Janice recovered and Lucinda came back, their

    family of four would be reunited, then what benefits would Madeleine have left?

    So, with all these forces tangled up, Ethan and Lucinda''s situation was dicey at best. Ethan was still

    somewhat safe, being the son of the Blue family. Even if he and his old man were on the outs,

    Nathan wouldn''t let anyone mess with his kid under his watch. Lucinda, on the other hand, was

    MIA. If someone found her first and pulled a fast one on her, that''d be the end of her. It was no

    surprise that Ethan''s crew had spotted a few parties on the hunt for Lucinda. Now, it was a race to

    see who would find Lucinda first.

    "We''ll be careful."

    "Right, keep me in the loop with any news."

    Ethan reminded, then hung up. Couldn''t gab for too long or someone might get suspicious. Well,

    even if he kept it short, someone was always watching. There was a ring of evergreens around the

    lawn, lush and thick. Who was to say there weren¡¯t spies hiding in those trees?

    After ending the call, Ethan looked up at the dark sky, praying silently: God, please let me find my

    sister. Don''t let anything happen to her.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    In the darkness, someone approached. Ethan didn''t look over. As the son of the Blue family, he''d

    got plenty of bodyguards. They''ll let him know who wasing.

    After a moment, sure enough, a bodyguard came over and respectfully said, "Janice is kicking up a

    fuss again. Shirley sent someone to get you. She wants you toe back and soothe her."

    Hearing this, Ethan started walking, asking as he went, "My mom''s been calm these past few days.

    What''s got her all riled up now?"

    He had bought a new doll for his mother. She clung to the doll and didn''t make a fuss about wanting

    her baby anymore.

    The bodyguard kept quiet for a moment, then said, "Nathan visited Janice."

 Chapter 107

    Chapter 107

    Ethan frowned, "Ever since my mom lost her marbles, she gets terrified every time she sees my

    dad. Why on earth does he keep visiting her?"

    His bodyguard remained silent, not knowing what to say.

    Janice had been mentally disturbed for over twenty years. Although Nathan was dating Madeleine,

    he never divorced Janice, his first wife. They still lived together, which made Madeleine green with

    envy. She saw Janice as a thorn in her side.

    Every time Nathan visited Janice, Janice would go berserk. Nathan was the head of the Blue family.

    Janice was his wife and they had never divorced. Who had the right to stop a husband from seeing

    his wife? Even if Ethan was in the room, he couldn''t stop Nathan from seeing his wife.

    Ethan knew his bodyguard couldn''t give him an answer, but he instinctively asked the question

    anyway.

    His mother was going off the deep end again. Ethan rushed to the mansion, with his bodyguard

    trailing behind him. The moment he reached the door, he could hear the sounds of things being

    smashed and shrieks from inside. He hurried inside.

    It was the same old story. A bunch of servants were trying to restrain Janice, who was clutching a

    doll in one hand and throwing anything she could grab with the other. The servants had been

    warned by Ethan, so they didn''t dare to rush her like before.

    "Janice." Shirley felt both anxious and sympathetic. She tried to approach, soothingly saying, "It''s

    me, Shirley."

    "Stay away, don''t take my baby!"

    Janice picked up a vase with one hand, raised it high, ring at Shirley. It looked like she was ready

    to throw it at Shirley if she came any closer.

    "Don''t go near her. That vase is a precious antique of mine!" Grace shouted, preventing anyone

    from approaching. She was worried that they might provoke her mentally disturbed daughter-inw

    into smashing her beloved antique vase.

    Apanying the olddy were the daughters-inw of the Blue family. Though they nervously

    watched Janice, there was a hint of delight in their eyes. It seemed they hoped Janice would throw

    the vase at Shirley, hurting her and breaking the vase too.

    Grace used to adore Janice and treated Lucinda like her own, but was always cold towards her

    other daughters-inw, Ka and Ashley. It was only many years after Janice became mentally

    disturbed that Grace started to detest her.

    If the mentally disturbed Janice smashed Grace''s favourite antique into pieces, Grace would

    definitely kick her out of the city in a rage. That ce was far from the city centre, and it would be

    convenient for them to do their thing.

    Nathan stood at the top of the stairs, lookingplexly at his raving wife. He found himself

    unconsciously at the door to her room, recalling the warmth of the past. Unable to control his steps,

    he walked in. He didn''t do anything to his wife. As soon as he entered, he saw his wife clutching a

    doll, dozing off in a luxurious chair, which reminded him of the time when their daughter was still

    around.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    His wife used to wait for him at home in the same way, holding their child. He approached, intending

    to carry her back to bed, but she woke up, panicked, pushed him away, and ran off with the doll.

    Nathan couldn''t understand why his wife was so afraid of him.

    What had he done to her¡­ Nathan''s eyes were filled with regret, pain, but mostly helplessness.

    When he saw Ethan walk in, hisplex expression vanished, reced by indifference. "Ethan."

    Upon seeing Ethan, Shirley felt like she had seen her saviour, "Ethan, quickly, calm Janice down.

    Don''t let her smash that vase. It''s Grace''s favourite."

    "All of you get out," Ethanmanded sternly.

    "Ethan, quickly, get your grandma''s vase back. It''s expensive, that mad woman¡­"

    "That¡¯s my mom!" Ethan retorted coldly. "If your vase does get smashed, no matter how much it

    costs, I''ll pay you back."

    No matter how expensive the vase was, can itpare to his mother? They all despised his mother

    for being mad. Who made her this way?

    It was his father. It was the Blues. Because his sister went missing, they all med his mother for

    not taking care of the child. They all knew it was his father''s mistake that led to his sister being

    taken away. They still had the nerve to me his mother. His mother lost her daughter and faced

    me from the family; how could she not go mad?

    Grace frowned, "Ethan, I''m just afraid that if the vase shatters, it might hurt your mom."

    "Exactly, Ethan, you need to know your ce. She''s your grandmother, your elder. Is this the way to

    talk to your elders?" Ashley started lecturing Ethan. Now that Grace was favouring her family, her

    eldest son Pete, who was only half a year younger than Ethan, held the same position of vice

    president as Ethan in Blue Corporation. Pete was eager to take Ethan''s ce.

    Ashley''s youngest daughter Molly, Ethan''s youngest cousin, was only ten and somewhat resembled

    a young Grace. Everyone knew Grace used to dote on Lucinda because she inherited the olddy''s

    beauty. Grace felt Molly was a replica of her, so she was particrly fond of her.

    Molly only had a hint of resemnce, and the olddy already adored her beyond measure.

    Before Ethan could say anything, Nathan, who had been standing at the top of the stairs, said,

    "Ethan is my son. If he''s not doing well, I''ll discipline him. I don''t need you to do it for me. Although

    Ethan''s mom has gone mad, I, as his father, am not."

    As he spoke, he started walking down the stairs.

    Ashley was quick to say, "I don''t mean to step on your toes in disciplining Ethan."

    "Ethan, get that vase out of your mom''s hands. Take her out for some fresh night air, let her cool

    down a bit," Nathan instructed.

    Ethan remained silent. He approached his mother gently, his expression soft, and used a tone as if

    soothing a child, saying, "Mom, give me the vase. Don''t hurt the baby, okay?"

    Janice immediately looked down at the doll she was holding, genuinely worried that the vase might

    hit the baby. She loosened her grip on the vase.

    Ethan pounced, catching the vase before it could fall. Not that he cared about the vase. He just

    didn''t want his grandma to use this as an excuse to send his mother away to a countryside

    mansion.

    After putting down the vase, Ethan supported his mother, saying, "Mom, let''s go outside for a walk

    to rx."

    "Honey, should we bring the baby too?"

    Despite Ethan''s repeated corrections, Janice still referred to him as ''honey''.

    Ethan replied softly, "Yeah, let''s bring the baby. If you get tired, I can carry her."

    "I won''t get tired. You''re so busy all the time, handling stuff at work and at home. I can''t add to that

    by making you carry the baby. That''d just wear you out more."

    Janice stared at Ethan tenderly, her voice filled with maternal love, "I''d feel bad if you''re tired."

 Chapter 108

    Chapter 108

    Listening to his wife''s words, Nathan felt a bitter pang in his heart. She remembered their past, but

    couldn''t recognize him, always mistaking their son for him.

    "Mom, I''m fine. I''ll hold the baby." Nathan took the toy from his mother''s arms. Then, supporting his

    mother with one hand, he walked past Grace and the others.

    Ka and Ashley chuckled softly as the mother and son walked by.

    "What are youughing at? Trying to scare my baby?" Janice might have been mentally unstable,

    but her hearing was top-notch. Hearing their sneers, she instantly lost her cool, stopped, grabbed

    Ashley, and pped her across the face.

    "Ah!" Taken aback by the p, Ashley screamed in shock and pain.

    "Dare to yell again. You are disturbing my baby, you evil woman, trying to steal my husband and my

    child. Dream on!"

    Janice was furious. She pped Ashley several more times, causing her face to swell on both

    sides.

    Ka was so startled that she released Grace''s hand and took a few steps back. Then, recalling

    Grace, she hurriedly stepped forward and supported Grace as they both stepped back. They

    usually only dared to gossip in front of Grace, never daring to confront the madwoman.

    Janice''s sudden outburst caught everyone off guard, including Ethan. It wasn''t until Janice had

    pped Ashley several times that Ethan reacted, rushing forward to pull Janice away. After Ethan

    had pulled her away, the servants hurriedly pulled Ashley back. They pulled so hard that Ashley

    nearly fell, looking extremely awkward.

    "Get away from me! If I see you again, I''ll p you again. Did your parents raise you this uncultured

    and teach you to seduce other people''s husband?" Janice pointed at Ashley and scolded her loudly.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Ashley was both pped and scolded, her anger ring. She struggled to argue with Janice, but the

    servants held her back.

    "Ms. Ashley, Janice is mentally unstable, you shouldn''t be bothered."

    "Mom, let''s go, don''t mind her."

    Ethan also persuaded his mother to leave. With Ethan''s persuasion, Janice left with her son.

    "Let me go! That lunatic dared to hit me, and you all just stood there doing nothing?" Ashley was so

    angry she was almost hysterical. She ran up to Grace, pointing at her own face, crying out in pain.

    "Look at my face, that lunatic hit me. Do you see what she did to me? I''m in so much pain!"

    "You have to get rid of that lunatic right away. She can¡¯t stay at home anymore. She''s always

    causing trouble, now she''s even hitting me." After venting to the olddy, Ashley started shouting at

    Nathan.

    Nathan watched as his wife relentlessly pped Ashley. He felt guilty towards Ashley, but after

    hearing her words. He tightened his face and said emotionlessly, "You said something to provoke

    her, or she wouldn''t have lost it. My wife lives in my house. If you find her noisy, you can stay away."

    The Blue family and the Anderson family were the same, everyone lived together, but each had

    their own house and yard. Connected yet independent. Everyone led their own lives without

    interference.

    Ka and Ashley often came over to their house, saying they were apanying Grace, but in

    reality, they werepeting for Grace''s favor and trying to drive Janice away.

    "Nathan!" Ashley was furious.

    "Mom, sorry for disturbing your rest. Let Ka help you back to your room to rest." Nathan came up

    to help his mother.

    Grace looked very shocked, and said to her son, "Your wife is always causing trouble, making our

    family restless. You should send her to the suburban vi for some quiet rest. You and Madeleine

    need to make a decision soon, she''s much younger than you, she won''t wait for you forever."

    Nathan gently said, "Mom, I''ll handle things between me and Madeleine. Ethan is protective of his

    mom, and he gets anxious at the mention of sending her away. Mom, I only have two kids, I don''t

    know where Lucy is, whether she''s alive or dead, Ethan is the only one who grew up by my side.

    About sending his mom away, we often quarrel, and our father-son rtionship is almost ruined.

    Mom, you wouldn''t want me and Ethan to be enemies, would you?"

    Grace, "Ka, help me back to my room, I''m so pissed off. Ashley, go home and put some ice on it,

    don''t say things that make her ufortable in front of her in the future, otherwise she might do

    something to you out of control."

    Ka quickly helped Grace back to her room. Ashley felt that Grace was still biased towards

    Nathan''s family.Nathan was still the family patriarch. Business had been growing since he took over

    Blue Corporation, and his money was amassing in a speech that made everyone''s eyes turn

    crimson.

    How enviable.

    Ashley huffed and turned to leave.

    Ethan didn''t care about all this. He took his mother and left the vi, strolling on the bigwn where

    he had just made a call. "Mom, I will find my sister, we have some leads now. I believe, soon, I will

    find my sister. She must be alive."

    Otherwise, there wouldn''t be an investigation into who lost their child.

    Janice said, "Honey, if those womene to our door in the future, I''ll hit them hard like just now.

    Would you think I''m horrible?"

    Ethan smiled and said, "Mom, you''re not horrible at all. You''re the kindest and gentlest person."

    Janice was talked intoughter by her son and said, "I always knew my hubby was on my side.

    Grace keeps yapping about how you''re the head of the house, gotta wine and dine and all that. She

    says it''s only a matter of time before something happens. But turning a blind eye to my husband''s

    antics? No way. My man''s my man, and I ain''t about to share. Doesn''t Grace treasure her hubby

    too? She wouldn''t want to share Daddy''s love with anyone else, so why should I have to share you?

    Our family of four should always live happily."

    Listening to his mother''s words, Ethan was boiling with anger inside. He heard that Grace always

    butted into their marriage, trying to convince his mom to let his dad y the field without keeping

    him on a short leash.

    Grace always said, men just wanted to have a little fun on the side, as long as they knew where

    home was, it was all good. But their parents never took Grace''s advice. As a result, his dad''s

    admirer, frustrated by the unrequited love, took a wicked turn and ended up taking his sister away.

    This plunged his parents into two decades of grief.

 Chapter 109

    Chapter 109

    Ethan and his mom took a stroll on the expansivewn before heading back in.

    When Janice returned, she was cradling a doll, a gentle smile gracing her face. She moved with

    grace and exuded an air of nobility. Looking at her now, no one would guess she was battling

    mental illness.

    But apart from Shirley, no one dared to approach her. Even Nathan only stood up from the sofa, but

    didn''t walk over.

    "Shirley, take my mom back to her room for some rest," Ethan suggested.

    He saw his dad was still around, figuring he had something to say. So, he left his mom with Shirley.

    Although Shirley would sometimesment on her condition, deep down she hoped for her to get

    better. In this house, very few genuinely wished for her recovery.

    "Nathan, I''m gonna put baby to bed and get some rest. You should hit the hay early too." Janice no

    longer referred to her son as ''hubby'', just calling him by his name instead.

    Each time she called him that, Nathan would smile. Just as he was about to respond, he heard his

    son gently say, "Mom, got it. You get some rest. I''ll take you for a walk tomorrow if I can."

    Since Janice fell ill, the Blue family had kept her indoors, worried about being embarrassed and her

    causing harm. Ever since Lucinda went missing, Janice hadn''t left the house for over twenty years.

    Fortunately, the Blue''s yard was massive, so she didn''t feel cooped up at home.

    Watching his wife head upstairs with the doll and Shirley, Nathan''s smile froze, reminding him of a

    scene twenty-some years ago¡­

    "Dad, you got something to tell me?"

    Ethan approached, his sneer evident upon seeing the lost look in his father''s eyes.

    After his mom fell ill, his dad and Madeleine had gotten quite close. Now, not only did the Blues, but

    the entire town of Skywatch considered Madeleine as thedy of the Blue household.

    Ethan knew it was because his mom''s family had fallen apart. His maternal grandparents and

    uncles were all gone, leaving only his cousin to keep the family afloat, barely managing. Over the

    years, without the Blue''s support, his cousin and his business would''ve been swallowed up by

    someone else. So, his mom couldn''t count on her family for backing.

    This was why Madeleine was so cocky; her family was powerful.

    "Mm,e to my study."

    Nathan averted his gaze, wanting to exin something when he saw his son''s mocking look. But he

    ended up saying nothing and walked away.

    Nathan''s study was unique. It was a standalone cabin outside, surrounded by nothing. Usually,

    Nathan''s bodyguard would guard outside the study. Without Nathan leading the way, no one could

    enter the study. It was off-limits to anyone but the Blues. Discussions in this study were safe from

    eavesdropping as there was nowhere to hide.

    Ethan chose to take calls on the bigwn, a habit he picked up from his dad.

    The father and son didn''t talk all the way.

    The night was eerily silent. The streetlights, like loyal soldiers, guarded this piece ofnd, bringing

    light to the world.

    The bodyguards guarding the study respectfully greeted them when they saw theming.

    The four bodyguards were Nathan''s trusted men. They were loyal to Nathan and wouldn''t be

    swayed by anyone. They only took orders from Nathan, not even from Nathan''s own father. But they

    were always courteous to Ethan.

    Nathan nodded, leading his son into his study.

    Despite the study being made of wood, the interior was elegantly furnished.

    Nathan first poured a ss of water for both of them.

    Ethan didn''t sit down but walked over to the desk, picking up a picture frame. It was a family photo

    of the four of them taken over twenty years ago. The photo was old but well-kept. It still looked as if

    it was just taken yesterday. In the photo, Nathan and his wife looked young, each holding a child,

    Ethan and his sister.

    He and his sister were twins. Though they didn''t look identical, they resembled each other. He took

    after his dad, who in turn resembled his own father in his youth. His mom said his sister looked like

    their grandma, but as a few-months-old, Ethan couldn''t put his cute sister''s face and grandma''s

    together. After all, the olddy was old. No matter how well-preserved, she couldn''t avoid the

    wrinkles on her face.

    "Have some water."

    Nathan handed a ss of water to his son.

    Ethan took the water his dad offered, saying thanks.

    "We''re father and son, no need to be so formal." With a sigh, Nathan added, "Now you''re the only

    child I have left. We should be closer."

    Ethan kept quiet, but his smirk didn''t fade. Wasn''t it all because of his father that their rtionship

    had fallen apart? He neglected his mom, brought another woman home without giving his mom an

    exnation.

    They could''ve divorced instead of betraying her over and over, even bringing Madeleine home. That

    woman imed to be thedy of the household, bullying his mom whenever he was away.

    "Dad, just spit it out if you''ve got something to say." Ethan finally spoke, his forthrightness choking

    Nathan up.

    "Still looking for your sister?"

    Ethan fell silent, waiting for his father to continue.

    "It''s been over twenty years. We don''t know if she''s alive or dead. Even that woman''s already

    dead."

    Mentioning that woman, Nathan''s eyes filled with hatred. She was the cause of his family''s downfall.

    "She''s been missing for over twenty years. If she was taken and doesn''t know her identity, it''d be

    like finding a needle in a haystack even with advanced technology."

    "Dad, are you saying I should stop looking for her?"

    Nathan fell silent for a moment, then said, "I''m worried that if we keep looking, if she''s still alive, it

    might put her in danger. Only when we stop looking, the people who took her would think they''re off

    the hook, and your sister might be able to live safely somewhere. Maybe we''re not that close to her,

    no matter where she is, we shouldn''t mess with her life."

    Ethan snapped, "Was it Madeleine who talked you into giving up on my sister?"

    Madeleine had been itching to marry Nathan and be thedy of the house. She definitely

    wanted her own kids, and of course, she wouldn''t want Nathan''s entire fortune to be divided among

    the kids from his ex-wife.

    Ethan was still the family''s big cheese now, but once she married Nathan and had a kid, she won''t

    let Ethan be the heir anymore.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

 Chapter 110

    Chapter 110

    Right now, Nathan''s in the prime of his life, and Ethan was still young despite his talent. Without

    Nathan''s protection, he might have been secretly killed by the Porter family. Therefore, Madeleine

    was eager to get married with Nathan, have children as soon as possible, andpete for the

    family property. As for Lucinda, who had been missing for more than 2 decades, Madeleine had

    regarded her as dead. As long as the Blue family gave up looking for her, the daughter of the Blue

    family was really dead.

    "It has nothing to do with her. You mustn''t me Madeleine for everything." Nathan said angrily. "Do

    you really dare to tell me she''s a kind woman? You''re not scared she''ll stir up trouble? She''s nothing

    like my gentle and kindhearted mom."

    Everyone from the Blue n''s been backing Madeleine and giving his mom a hard time. Once

    Madeleine gets her wish and bes a Blue, they''ll all get theireuppance.

    Content rights by N?velDr//ama.Org.

    Madeleine''s got big ns - she wants to reign over the whole Blue family and have her kids inherit

    all their riches.

    When that happened, even the Blues might get hurt by her.

    Madeleine was full of discontent with the Blue family''s rules. "Your mom... she''s a good woman, but

    she is mentally ill now."

    "Why would she be mentally ill? If you hadn''t caused all this trouble, my sister wouldn''t be missing,

    and my mother wouldn''t be mentally ill. You med my mom for my sister''s disappearance and

    drove her insane. If you weren''t my Dad, I''d think you set up my sister''s disappearance just to give

    my mom a nervous breakdown so you could cheat without guilt."

    "Watch your mouth!"

    Nathan was livid, his face turning a shade of iron. He was about to give his son a smack when he

    saw the resentment in Ethan''s eyes and was taken aback.

    The p didn''t end up hitting Ethan in the face. "If I didn''t care about your mom, she wouldn''t have

    even a chance to see you grow up. I could have dumped her in the sticks to fend for herself. Stay

    out of my business with your mom."

    Nathan let out a sigh and sat down at his desk.

    "I promised your mom that I''d be with her till the end."

    Ethan sneered, "I wish you''d just divorce my mom and let her live her days in peace with me."

    "You think a divorce will keep your mom safe? You think you can handle everything on your own?"

    If he hadn''t been secretly beefing up their protection, not just his wife, but even Ethan wouldn''t grow

    up.

    Their family was like a ck hole .

    It looked clear on the surface, but it was full of muck underneath.

    "I''m not giving up on finding my sister!"

    Ethan wasn''t clueless. He stopped arguing with his dad after being berated, but he was determined

    to find his sister.

    "If you don''t have anything else to say, I''m leaving."

    With that, Ethan turned and left.

    Nathan wanted to stop him, but seemed to think of something and finally let him go.

    Now he was alone in the study.

    He picked up the picture frame Ethan had been looking at earlier. Looking at the picture of his once

    happy family of four, Nathan''s eyes started to well up.

    He gently touched the picture, whispering to himself, "Kiddo, I never wanted to give up on you. I''m

    doing this to protect you and your brother."

    The tension between Nathan and Ethan was escting. Many thought Ethan was on borrowed

    time, that his dad would take him out of the inheritance equation any day now.

    Although it seemed like he was giving up on finding his daughter, that was just for show. Maybe it

    would let his daughter live a quiet life.

    Even if it didn''t, he still had people searching for her in the shadows. He was certain he''d find his

    kid!

    Lucinda didn''t know anything about this. She didn''t even know her birth parents''st name.

    Fiona gave Lucinda the small clothes she was wearing when she found her and the gold ne.

    Late at night, Lucinda tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

    The clothes she wore as a child were beside her pillow, and the gold ne was under it.

    She took out the gold ne. It was made of pure gold.

    This showed that her birth parents were well-off - they could afford to make her a gold ne

    even over two decades ago.

    The fabric of the small clothes was top-notch too - it still held up today.

    She''d looked over the gold ne countless times.

    There was a pendant on the ne with the name "Lucinda."

    Her mother had said that she and the real Lucinda had a strong connection - they shared the same

    name.

    The room suddenly lit up, and the man next to her sat up.

    Lucinda sat up too, looking guilty. She said to Stefan, "I''m sorry I disturbed you. Why don''t you

    sleep in the guest room or my brother''s room?"

    Stefan took the gold ne from her hand, tucked it back under her pillow, and said softly, "Stop

    overthinking. Get some sleep."

    He pulled her back into his arms andforted her, "I''ve told you I''d help you find your birth

    parents. We''ll hear something soon."

    "Finding people is like finding a needle in a haystack. Is it really easy to find them?"

    As she nestled in his arms, Lucinda''s voice was soft. "Stefan, I''m just upset. I can''t sleep."

    "I know."

    She''d been picked up by the Moores and raised as a treasure, always thinking she was the

    daughter of the Moore family.

    Who would''ve thought that she was actually found by the Moores?

    Even though she had braced herself for the truth, Lucinda was still in a state of confusion.

    "Why don''t I take you out for a walk?"

    "But it''s early in the morning. If we just go out and wander around, I''m afraid we''ll scare all the dogs

    in the vige."

    In the middle of the night, even the slightest noise would set the vige dogs barking. One dog

    barks, and the rest follow suit.

    "Stefan, I want to eat something. When I''m upset, I eat. As I eat, I feel better."

    Stefan yfully pinched the flesh on her face, "You''re such a foodie, but you never seem to gain

    weight."

    "I''m one of those lucky people who can eat anything and not gain a pound, jealous?"

    Cecilia was indeed envious of her never gaining weight no matter what she ate.

    But in reality, she also paid great attention to keeping fit.

    Stefanughed, "Coincidentally, I''m the same type, never gaining weight no matter how much I eat."

    "What do you feel like eating? I''ll go downstairs and whip up something for you."

    "I''m not sure what we have left in the fridge, just make whatever you can. But keep it down, don''t

    wake my grandparents."

    Their grandparents'' room was on the first floor.

    Stefan responded, "Alright, I''ll head downstairs and get some food ready, are you staying here or

    coming down with me?"

    "I can''t sleep now anyway, I''ll go down with you. That way you won''t have to run back up to find

    me."

    With that, Lucinda got up from the bed.

    She turned around, grabbed her pillow, and picked up her golden ne.

    Stefan could only ept this helplessly, she needed some time to deal with all of this.

    They quietly opened the door and carefully made their way downstairs.

    Lucinda whispered, "I feel like I''m stealing something."

    Stefan chuckled softly, "I''ve got the same feeling."

    He had never previously sneaked into the kitchen to scrounge for food in the middle of the night.

 Chapter 111

    Chapter 111

    There were only eggs and sausages in the fridge, nothing else. They looked at each other, then at

    the pitiful spread.

    "What can we whip up?"

    "I''ll rustle up some Eggs Benedict for you." Stefan muttered.

    Lucinda''s eyes lit up. "Really? Can you? My mom used to make that for me. It''s delish, I love it."

    Although she had a pastry chef at her caf¨¦, she and Cecilia would sometimes lend a hand, whipping

    up sweet treats. Lucinda was quite good at it.

    She had no idea Stefan could cook.

    Stefan had once told her that the Anderson kids, despite their privileged start in life, were shipped

    off to the family training camp once they hit a certain age, every summer and winter break.

    They underwent training on the Anderson private ind and had to fend for themselves.

    Lucinda thought Stefan was just spinning a yarn, but it turned out he could actually do a lot of

    things.

    To her, he was like a thick book. Each page turned revealed something new, something exciting.

    She''d struck gold.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "During my training days, I made Eggs Benedict countless times. The eggs were from chickens I

    raised myself." Stefan was telling as he got the ingredients ready.

    "Listening to you, I''m getting more and more curious about your family''s training camp. Can I visit?"

    Stefan turned to her, a twinkle in his eyes. "Of course, you can. I''m the head of the family and you''re

    the head''s wife. You can visit the training camp anytime. We''re booked solid this week. How about

    next weekend? We''ll spend a couple of days there."

    "Deal."

    Without a second thought, Lucinda agreed.

    Considering it waste, they didn''t chat long.

    Lucinda made a point of not helping out, just watching Stefan cook for her.

    In no time, the Eggs Benedict was ready and handed over to Lucinda.

    "It smells so good."

    Lucinda loved the aroma.

    She took Egg Benedict and ate it at once. Stefan had just washed the cutlery when he saw her

    eating with her hands. He handed her the utensils with augh, "Use these."

    "Thanks, Stefan. Do you want to join me?"

    Stefan just smiled at her. "I''m not hungry. You eat."

    Seeing her eat filled him with happiness.

    He''d been so busy with work that he hadn''t cooked in ages. Only after marrying her did he venture

    back into the kitchen.

    Lucinda insisted on feeding him some.

    "Yummy."

    Shemented.

    Stefan was very satisfied and said, "It''s been ages since I cooked. Thankfully, it turned out pretty

    well. When we visit the camp, I''ll cook you some chicken. The chicken there is particrly delicious,

    probably because they''re free-range and not fed any feed. Life there ispletely self-reliant. No

    boats approach the camp during training, so no one has the time, resources, or money to buy feed."

    Lucinda asked curiously, "When you first arrived, with no knowledge and no resources, didn''t you

    starve?"

    Stefan smiled. "We were allowed to bring some basic food items. The first step was to cook for

    ourselves. Whatever you made, you had to eat it, no helping others or getting help from them."

    "Then you learned farming and gardening, nting various crops. Deciding what to nt first to

    sustain yourself was a test for everyone."

    Listening to his exnation, Lucinda said, "No wonder all the Anderson boys are so aplished.

    And no wonder the Andersons are the richest family in Pinehurst, with each generation outdoing the

    previous one."

    Their education was indeedprehensive, relentless on the academic front and strict on the

    domestic front.

    Although they led a life of luxury, they were also taught to be independent, to experience hardship,

    and to appreciate everything they had.

    This effectively kept them from bing spendthrifts.

    In the Anderson family, if anyone wasted money, their assets would be frozen and they would be

    sent back to the training camp.

    "Our ancestors were poor. It''s their hard work and seized opportunities that built this family fortune.

    We, the sessors, may not surpass them, but we must have the ability to protect their legacy."

    Lucinda nodded, satisfied with the Anderson education and family values.

    She fed Stefan some more Eggs Benedict.

    As Stefan took a bite, his eyes were fixed on her, full of tenderness.

    Mason and Madison Moore peeked through the slightly ajar door. Seeing their closeness, they

    quietly shut the door.

    They had woken up early and knew their granddaughter was hungry and her husband was making

    her something to eat. So, the elderly couple didn''t disturb them.

    "Stefan is really good to Lucy."

    Madison praised, "Stefan is young, sessful, and handsome. More handsome than the guys in

    my favorite TV shows. Most importantly, he''s not arrogant. He fits right into our simple family. It''s

    rare."

    They could see that Stefan truly loved their Lucy.

    "They''ve just gotten married, of course they''re close. We have to wait and see how things go.

    Remember, Lucy hasn''t met Stefan''s parents yet. She hasn''t even set foot in the real Anderson

    household."

    Lucinda had only been to Stefan''s private vi in Diamond Ridge Estates.

    That was merely Stefan''s bachelor pad.

    Ascend Estate was Stefan''s real home.

    "Rich people love to have mistresses. Who knows if Stefan will do the same in the future? He''s very

    handsome and very rich."

    Mason whispered, "Fiona and I feel the same way, but since Lucy has decided to stay with Stefan, I

    can''t say anything more about what''s in store for her."

    They could only respect their granddaughter''s decision, hoping Stefan wouldn''t let Lucinda down.

    Thinking of this, Madison''s smile gradually faded.

    After a while, she addedfortingly: "I don''t think so. Stefan doesn''t seem like the heartless type

    to me.. We''ve heard that over the years, apart from a childhood friend, he hasn''t been involved with

    any other women."

 Chapter 112

    Chapter 112

    "Ike told me his childhood buddy is back in town," Mason said.

    "So what? Stefan is now married to our girl Lucinda. If his friend was all that, Lucinda wouldn''t have

    ended up with Stefan."

    "Stefan probably doesn''t even love her, or else he wouldn''t have married Lucinda, let alone refuse

    to divorce her."

    By now, everyone in the Moore family knew that Lucinda married Stefan just to get her mother off

    her back about getting hitched.

    Mason didn¡¯t speak again.

    "Get some sleep and stop worrying. I''m sure Stefan will make Lucinda happy. Our granddaughter is

    a lucky girl."

    Mason recalled the day they brought their granddaughter home, the clothes she wore and the gold

    ne she sported, saying, "We can''t control these things. Lucinda is headstrong, we can''t

    change her decisions."

    "Lucinda''s biological parents must be loaded. As long as she finds them, she can reim her

    status. She''s totally in Stefan''s league."

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    Every time the topic of finding Lucinda''s biological parents came up, Madison''s face would drop.

    She sank into bed, letting out a long sigh.

    Although she talked like she''s open-minded, deep down, she was reluctant.

    The child they raised for over two decades might be imed back by her biological parents.

    "Fiona epted it so quickly. Could it be..."

    "Stefan knows what''s up. Even if we don''te clean, Lucinda will find out. It''s better if we tell her

    straight up, letting her know we won''t stop her from finding her biological parents. She''ll be grateful."

    "Besides, we raised her. Don''t we know her character? Don''t worry, she''ll still be our

    granddaughter."

    Mason seemed to take it all in stride. The couple talked for a while, until they heard Lucinda and

    Stefaning upstairs. Then, they drifted off to sleep.

    The next morning.

    When Lucinda woke up, the first thing she did was check the time on her phone. Seeing that it was

    almost seven, she quickly sat up and nudged Stefan awake.

    "Stefan, it''s almost seven. Get up, wash up and get dressed. I''m going downstairs to make you

    breakfast. After breakfast, you have to go to work."

    Without even opening his eyes, Stefan stretched out his arm and pulled her back into bed, causing

    her to fall onto him.

    He wrapped his arms around her, rolled over and pinned her underneath him.

    He kissed her, very gently.

    Lucinda kept dodging his kisses, but she couldn''t escape his warm lips.

    In the end, he kissed her lips.

    After a moment, Stefan moved his lips away, opened his eyes, and looked at the woman beneath

    him.

    "I''m changing all my ns for today. I''m taking the day off. Tomorrow is Saturday, I don''t have to

    work, so I can take a three-day break."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    "Sweetie, I''m notfortable with you going home alone. From now on, take me with you when you

    go home."

    Stefan said softly.

    His words implied that his three-day vacation was due to Lucinda. Because she went home alone,

    leaving him behind.

    He had no choice but to put work aside and chase after his wife.

    "I''m more important than your work? Because of me, you''ve given up a day''s work. That''s a huge

    loss for you."

    Stefan lowered his head and gently kissed her lips, saying affectionately, "In my heart, you''re more

    important than my work, more important than my life."

    "Lucy, I love you. I''ve loved you for a very long time."

    This was the first time Stefan confessed his feelings to her so directly.

    Lucinda looked at him, clearly seeing the depth of his feelings in his eyes.

    Moved, she took the initiative to wrap her arms around his neck and kissed him.

    Of course, Stefan seized the opportunity.

    In the end, they spent some time making out.

    By the time they appeared downstairs fully dressed, it was already eight o''clock.

    Lucinda deliberately wore a high-necked dress, covering the marks left by their passionate

    moments.

    "Good morning, Grandpa, Grandma."

    Downstairs, only their two grandparents were slowly eating their breakfast.

    The breakfast at the Moore family was not as rich as that at the Anderson family, just a bowl of

    porridge.

    "Morning."

    The two old people smiled and replied to Stefan''s greeting. Madison put down her cutlery and got

    up to walk towards the kitchen.

    Soon, she brought out a big bowl of porridge.

    "Stefan, have breakfast."

    Madison ced the big bowl of porridge on the dining table in the living room and said to Stefan,

    "Your mom specially made this porridge for you this morning. Try it. If you''re not used to it, let us

    know. I''ll give Lucy some money and she can take you out to eat."

    Porridge was already considered a good breakfast for country people, but Stefan was special, and

    Madison was worried he wouldn''t be able to stomach it.

    Stefan hurriedly said, "Grandma, I''m not picky. I''ll eat whatever you give me."

    He let Lucinda eat the porridge in the big bowl, and he went into the kitchen to get himself a bowl.

    What he didn''t know was that when he turned to go into the kitchen, Madison lightly tapped Lucinda

    on the forehead and scolded her in a low voice, "Stefan is so busy during the day, and you don''t

    even let him rest at night. You always have to eat."

    Thest sentence was said with a spoiling tone.

    Lucinda cheekily stuck out her tongue, "I didn''t mean to wake you upst night."

    Mason said while eating his porridge, "It was your grandma who woke me up."

    As soon as he finished speaking, Madison lightly kicked him, but not with much force.

    Mason obediently took the kick.

    "Grandma, Stefan is off today. He doesn''t have to work."

    Lucinda quickly said a sentence to prevent them from worrying about Stefan and scolding her.

    "Isn''t today Friday? He doesn''t have to work on Fridays?"

    In hispany, Ike was also a shareholder and could be considered the boss, but he was always

    busy, even on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

    Madison, used to Ike''s work pattern, found it strange that Stefan could take three consecutive days

    off.

    Lucinda was just minding her own business, eating her porridge.

    This had nothing to do with her.

    She didn''t tell Stefan to take three days off.

    She clearly said he shoulde pick her up on Sunday.

    When Madison saw her granddaughter eating her porridge with such a "none of my business" look,

    she couldn''t help butugh and feel annoyed at the same time. She gave Lucinda a light tap on the

    forehead again.

    "Granny, stop poking me, I didn''t tell him to take a day off."

    "I was smart before, but after you poked me twice, I turned dumb."

    Madison was speechless.

    "Granny, where did my mom and dad go?"

    "They went to the orchard. Your mom asked what you want to eat for lunch. When you''ve decided,

    give her a call."

    Lucinda instantly replied, "I want roast chicken."

    "Stefan will be here soon, your mom will surely make it for you."

    "So if he doesn''te, does that mean I can''t have roast chicken?"

    "When has our house ever run out of your food? Hurry up and eat, and after that, go to town with

    Stefan to buy some fish and shrimps."

    Madison was full now. She pulled a few tens of dors out of her pocket and handed it to Lucinda,

    "This is for you to buy the fish and shrimps."

    "Granny, I have money."

    Lucinda didn''t take the money her grandmother was offering.

 Chapter 113

    Chapter 113

    Lucinda refused to ept the money that Madison was offering, so Madison put it away.

    Stefan brought out a bowl of porridge, and Madison kindly said, "Stefan, you and Lucy enjoy your

    meal. I''m going to the vegetable garden."

    "Okay, granny."

    Then Madison called Mason to go along with her.

    Soon, only Stefan and Lucinda were left at home.

    "Can you get used to our breakfast?"

    Lucinda remembered the first time she went to his vi at Diamond Ridge Estates, the breakfast

    was very abundant and tasty.

    It waspletely different from the simple breakfast at her home.

    "I can get used to it, I''m not picky."

    Stefan affectionately ruffled her hair and said, "Lucy, you guys don''t need to worry that I''ll look down

    on your lifestyle. I won''t, not at all."

    Lucinda smiled, "As long as you can get used to it."

    If he couldn''t adjust to her lifestyle, their marriage would eventually fall apart.

    After breakfast, Lucinda took out the electric bike her mom usually used to go shopping and smiled

    at Stefan, "Honey, let me give you a lift to the town for groceries."

    Stefan walked over, took the helmet from her, put it on, then picked her up and ced her on the

    back seat, seating himself in front.

    "I''ll ride."

    "It''s an electric bike."

    "I can handle it."

    Lucinda immediately remembered their first time going to a party together. She was dressed in the

    evening gown he had given her, looking beautiful, but riding on the back of the bike, attracting lots

    of attention.

    "Okay, you ride it."

    "Hold onto me."

    Lucinda hesitated for a moment, then, she wrapped her arms around Stefan''s waist from behind.

    Satisfied, Stefan started the bike.

    Meanwhile, at Ascend Global.

    Megan, dressed elegantly and adorned with many jewels, looked opulent.

    She was holding a Herm¨¨s, wearing high heels, and gracefully entered the Ascend Global office

    building.

    ¡°Hello, who are you looking for?¡±

    Two receptionists politely greeted and stopped Megan.

    Megan replied with a smile, "I''m Megan, I''m looking for your CEO, is he here?"

    "Hello, our CEO didn''te to the office today. You cane another day, but you''ll need an

    appointment. Our CEO generally doesn''t meet with women who aren''t clients or rtives."

    Megan knew finding Stefan wouldn''t be easy. Hearing the receptionist''s words, she said, "My

    husband and the Anderson family are old friends. I watched Stefan grow up."

    The receptionist still politely said, "The rules here are as such, since you''re not his rtive, so..."

    The receptionist didn''t go on, but Megan understood.

    Even if she scheduled an appointment ording to the rules, she wouldn''t be able to see Stefan.

    Because she was neither Stefan''s rtive nor his client.

    "Do you know where Stefan is?"

    "Sorry, we''re just the receptionists, we don''t know Stefan''s whereabouts."

    Megan silently nodded, "Okay, I understand, thank you."

    Then she turned and left.

    She originally wanted to find Stefan to ask him to help her daughter. Although her daughter only

    needed to be detained for a while and then coulde out, she was worried Stefan would seek

    retribution afterwards.

    After leaving Ascend Global, Megan looked back at the Ascend Global office building, thinking how

    nice it would be if her daughter could be the wife of Ascend Global''s CEO.

    Then Megan went to Ascend Estate.

    She brought many gifts from abroad to give to her friends and rtives in the country, hoping they

    could look after her daughter Ruby.

    Unfortunately, when Megan arrived at Ascend Estate, only Lawrence was home, Savannah had

    gone to visit a friend.

    Megan''s smile was a bit awkward.

    She never seemed toe at a good time.

    Lawrence was a stern man and hard to deal with. Although Megan could please the olddy and

    the olddy treated her as a friend.

    She was always afraid of Lawrence.

    "Where did the olddy go?"

    "How would I know which friend''s house she went to? There are so many houses at the foot of the

    hill, she might go to any one of them."

    The families at the foot of the hill, some were rtives of the Anderson family, most were

    employees of the Anderson family. They worked here and if they brought their family, they could get

    a floor as family housing, rent and utilities were all covered.

    If they were alone, they would live in the dormitory, the conditions of which were also very good.

    The Anderson family''s employees, once hired, didn''t want to leave.

    The benefits here were too good, the boss was also great, and the work was something they

    enjoyed.

    Megan''s smile twitched awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.

    The Anderson family was a unique wealthy family in Pinehurst. Even though they were considered

    the richest family in the city, they were very low-key, and many people hadn''t even seen the wives of

    the Anderson family.

    They were low-key and mysterious, but they were also very familiar with their employees.

    When the fruit was ripe, they would even help pick it themselves. Lawrence''s wife would also visit

    friends at the foot of the hill when she had time.

    "Do you need anything?"

    It seemed that Lawrence felt his attitude might make the guest ufortable, so he asked.

    Megan quickly said, "Actually, it''s nothing much. I just came back from abroad and brought some

    gifts. I thought I''d bring them over to you and the olddy."

    "You''re too thoughtful. We don''tck anything. We appreciate your kindness, but you can take the

    gifts back."

    Megan said,"¡­Actually, I am¡­"

    "If you''re here for Ruby, there''s no need to say anything. Ruby was too reckless this time. When

    Ruby gets out, you should educate her properly. She''s almost thirty and still so impulsive."

    That arrogant, impulsive woman thought she''s good enough for his eldest grandson?

    That''s impossible. Thank god his grandson wasn''t into Ruby.

    Although Lucinda''s family background was not prominent, her qualities were undoubtedly superior

    to Ruby''s. The Andersons didn''t care about lineage when choosing a wife, it''s all about character.

    "You''re right. Ruby stepped out of line this time, she deserved to be punished. When she got out, I''ll

    give her a piece of my mind."

    After Megan finished her sentence, she abruptly changed the subject to Lawrence: "I heard Stefan

    got hitched."

    "Yep."

    "Have you met the littledy? Is she around? I''d like to meet her."

    She hadn''t gone looking for Lucinda at Serendipity Cafe since it was closed for business thesest

    few days.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    "Of course, I''ve met her. She''s a good kid, we all like her. She''s not around at the moment, but when

    Stefan and her throw their wedding bash, we''ll make sure you get an invite. You can meet her then."

    Megan was seething inside, but she didn''t let it show. Instead, she smiled and said, "I heard she''s

    the sister of one of Stefan''s ssmates, right?"

 Chapter 114

    Chapter 114

    Patrick nced over and said nonchntly, "Are you here today to check out Lucinda''s

    background?"

    "Patrick, that''s not what I meant. I''m just curious. Stefan has never had a girlfriend, and then out of

    the blue he''s married. I¡¯m so curious, of course. After all, Ruby has had a thing for Stefan for

    years..."

    Megan didn''t finish that sentence.

    She thought Stefan Coleman would be her son-inw.

    But some no-name chick swiped him.

    This Lucinda girl was only 24, a few years younger than her daughter.

    She got Lucinda''s info from Olina, saw her photos. The girl''s got a pretty face, her family was not

    very wealthy, but she had an outstanding temperament. If you said Lucinda was a rich girl, no one

    would doubt it.

    "There are plenty of people who like Stefan." Patrick retorted coldly.

    Megan was speechless.

    Indeed, there were a lot of people who like Stefan. Just none as lucky as Lucinda, who easily

    became Stefan''s wife.

    "Megan, anything else? If not, you can take off. I need to go check on my flowers."

    Patrick finished, stood up, then left Megan.

    He also called for the butler, told him to see the guest out.

    Seeing him heading out, the butler quickly fetched a hat for him, saying, "My lord, the sun is strong.

    Wear a hat."

    "Mmm."

    Patrick took the hat, put it on, went out of the main house. He pick up a hoe from the tool rack by

    the door, hoisted it onto his shoulder. His whole demeanor changed instantly.

    The Anderson family servants were used to this.

    Patrick took care of the garden or orchard every day, did some physical exercises. Despite his age,

    his health was better than many young people''s.

    Patrick had left, it''s not appropriate for Megan to stay.

    She picked up her bag, then her car keys, and was about to leave.

    "Megan Scott, Patrick said, take back everything you brought."

    The butler reminded Megan to take her stuff.

    "These are gifts for Patrick and Savannah Blue Anderson. I can''t take them back."

    Butler Nelson walked over, picked up all the gifts Megan brought, handed them to Megan, saying,

    "Megan, if Patrick says he''s not epting, he means it. If you don''t take them back, Patrick will just

    throw them in the trash when he gets back. You know how he is."

    Megan reluctantly epted the things, took back everything she brought.

    Stefan''s personality, like Patrick''s, was indifferent.

    Megan sighed and left the Ascend Estate helplessly.

    Stefan and Lucinda stayed with the Moore family for two days, then Fiona Lewis Moore kicked them

    out.

    She knew her daughter originally agreed to go home with Stefan on Sunday.

    Driver Noah came to pick up Stefan and Lucinda.

    On the way home, Lucinda told her husband, "I feel like I was kicked out like unwanted water. My

    mom practically wanted to chase me out with a broom."

    Stefanughed, took her hand, pulled her into his arms, promises, "Whenever we have time, I''ll

    come back with you."

    When they got back to town, he nned to personally pick out a house, buy a vi for Lucinda''s

    parents. That way, it''s easier for Lucinda to go home.

    Just not sure if the Moore family was willing to move to town.

    They had their own things to deal with, moving to town may inconvenience them in taking care of

    their orchard.

    Stefan figured, the house definitely needs to be given.

    When Lucinda''s mother came, they should feel morefortable in their own house. "It''s getting

    dark, they didn''t even keep us for dinner."

    Stefanughed, "I''ve already let Nelson know. There will be hot food waiting for us when we get

    home."

    "I specifically asked Nelson to tell the chef to cook a lot of your favorite dishes."

    Lucinda firstughed happily, then asked cautiously, "Will grandfather and grandmother think I''m

    picky? Or that I love to eat meat?"

    Stefan kissed her on the face, then whispered in her ear, "They''ll be happy to see you enjoy meat.

    They were very pleased with your appetite that night we had dinner together."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    She remembered that night, she ate quite a bit.

    "My grandparents don''t like girls who eat a little bit and say they''re full. Their generation believes

    ''eating well is a kind of happiness''."

    Lucinda said, "My grandparents have the same idea."

    She''s been instilled with the concept that eating well is a kind of happiness since she was little. This

    resulted in her being a good eater. Luckily, she exercises and her metabolism is good, so she

    doesn''t gain weight easily, so she didn''t be fat.

    Stefan wrapped his arm around her shoulder, whispered, "There''s still some way to go. You sleep a

    bit first. I''ll wake you up when we get home."

    Lucinda yawned, leaned into his arms, said, "Remember to wake me up when we get there. This is

    my first real visit to your family."

    "Don''t worry, I''ll wake you up."

    Lucinda peacefully fell asleep in her husband''s arms.

    Watching her slept peacefully in his arms, Stefan''s eyes were soft. He couldn''t help it, lowered his

    head, then kissed Lucinda on the forehead.

    Then, he took out his phone, called Nelson.

    Once Nelson picked up, he asked gravely, "Nelson, the thing I asked you to do a few days ago, is it

    taken care of?"

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Nelson said with a grin, "Mr. Coleman, don''t sweat it, everything''s taken care of."

    "Those who''ve been helping catch fireflies, they''ll get double their usual bonus this month."

    Nelsonughed, "Alright, I''ll pass on your words. They''ll be thrilled."

    "Mr. Coleman, when can you and Mrs. Coleman be home?"

    Stefan nced at the time and replied, "Around sevenish. Tell the grandparents to start dinner

    without us."

    Dinner for the Anderson family was usually at six o ''clock in the evening. Nelson added, "Patrick

    said they''d wait for you and Mrs. Coleman for dinner. At this time of year, it''s notpletely dark yet

    at seven."

    It''s the season of bountiful harvest in the orchard.

    Everyone''s up to their ears in picking fruits.

    The vast flower fields at the foot of the mountain have also received a truckload of orders. They''re

    gearing up to ship out a huge batch of goods tomorrow. Just as swamped.

    "Alright."

    Once grandpa said that, Stefan didn''t push anymore.

    "Remember to tell the chef to cook extra dishes Mrs. Coleman likes."

    Stefan didn''t know how many times he had reminded Nelson of this already.

    Nelson chuckled, "No need for more reminders, Savannah''s already given a heads up a few times."

    Stefan''s fondness for Lucinda was noticed by the elders in the house. They cared about her

    because he did.

    Honestly, Nelson was quite curious about Mrs. Coleman, whom he hadn''t met yet.

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    Chapter 115

    Lucinda jolted awake just as the car was nearing Ascend Estate.

    "Awake now, are you?" A soothing voice drifted down from above.

    She lifted her head, looking into Stefan''s handsome face.

    A chuckle escaped from Lucinda. Seeing a guy this good-looking would naturally put anyone in a

    good mood.

    Especially when she got to be held tight by this stud, his eyes full of warmth and affection.

    Lucinda''sughter amused Stefan, who lowered his head and nted a soft kiss on her lips.

    Lucinda closed her eyes, savoring his kiss.

    "Are we there yet?" She opened her eyes and asked him gently.

    "Five more minutes" Stefan replied.

    Lucinda looked out the window. It was dark outside. Streetlights lined both sides of the road, bright

    enough to drive without headlights.

    "Not a lot of cars on this road," Lucindamented casually, noticing there were no vehicles ahead

    or behind them.

    Stefan exined with a gentle smile, "This road leads straight to Ascend Estate, our ce. So, it''s

    not often used, unless by folks heading to our home."

    It all clicked for Lucinda.

    This road was also funded by the Anderson family. It was wide and curvy, so the extra width made it

    safer.

    "Can''t see much of Ascend Estate due to the darkness," said Stefan. "Tomorrow morning, I''ll take

    you around."

    The driver, Noah, chimed in, "Mr. Coleman, Ascend Estate is so huge, it might take a whole day to

    tour. Mrs. Coleman should move in. She can explore whenever she''s free."

    Stefanughed, "That''s true."

    He looked at Lucinda eagerly.

    She was surprised. Before getting together with Stefan, she didn''t know much about the Anderson

    family. She didn''t even know they were the wealthiest family in Pinehurst, let alone that they lived in

    Ascend Estate.

    She had heard about Ascend Estate, it was mysterious and beautiful. But what it looked like, very

    few could say.

    She knew Ascend Estate was vast and beautiful.

    And it would probably take more than a day to explore the whole ce.

    Just how big was it!

    "Lucy," Stefan asked softly, "would you like to move in?"

    Lucinda blinked, her cheeks flushed, and Stefan found it hard to resist.

    "But it''s far from my shop," she protested.

    Stefanughed, "No problem. I can drive you to and from work. Or arrange a driver. Or you could

    drive?"

    Before they got married, he stayed mostly at Diamond Ridge Estates to be close to work.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Now, he wanted her to experience Ascend Estate, to mingle with his family, and not feel out of

    ce.

    "I''ll drive," Lucinda''s eyes lit up at the mention of driving. "After I got my license, I only drove my

    brother''s car once. Then he stopped letting me. What a cheapskate."

    Ike Moore grumbled, "You drive like a maniac. You even crashed his car into our fence! The fence

    was ruined, so was the car."

    To avoid getting scolded by their mom and for Lucinda''s safety, he decided not to let her drive

    anymore.

    "Why can''t I drive? No worries. We have plenty of garages with plenty of cars. You can drive

    whichever one you want."

    Stefan said, indulging her.

    If Ike were here, he''d sneer and say Stefan would regret it once he had a ride in a car driven by

    Lucinda.

    Seriously, one ride with Lucinda would scare the pants off anyone.

    "Are you saying I''m a bad driver because I''m a woman? That''s infuriating."

    Of course, Lucinda wouldn''t admit her driving was bad. She loved speed, she thought it was cool

    and felt great!

    Stefanughed, "Tomorrow, we''ll go out for a drive. You can drive."

    "Deal," Lucinda agreed cheerfully.

    Seeing his wife happy made Stefan happy.

    Soon, the car arrived at the foot of the hill. It climbed up the winding hill road.

    Even though the road was well-lit, Lucinda couldn''t see the scenery outside because of the

    darkness. A few minutester, she saw arge gate. Before she could take a good look, the gate

    opened, and the car drove in.

    It took a few minutes to reach the main house in the center of the estate.

    There were people waiting at the entrance.

    Seeing Noah stop the car, they quickly approached.

    Even though they were fast, their steps were orderly.

    "Wee home, Mr. Coleman and Mrs. Coleman."

    As the car door opened, Lucinda heard their respectful greetings.

    She initially wanted to withdraw her foot, but she quickly regained herposure and stepped out

    of the car.

    Among the people who came to greet her, one was a middle-aged man, bald on top with neatly

    combed hair in the back.

    He was wearing a ck suit, and his ck leather shoes were shiny.

    His gaze was gentle and friendly.

    "Good evening, Mrs. Coleman," the man greeted with a smile.

    "Lucy, this is Nelson, our head butler. He''s in charge of everything around the estate," Stefan

    introduced.

    Lucinda remembered Stefan mentioning they had over twenty butlers at the estate. Nelson was the

    head butler, the boss of them all.

    "Good evening, Nelson."

    Nelson grinned widely, clearly pleased with Lucinda.

    But, as long as the woman was brought back by Mr. Coleman, he''d be pretty chuffed.

    Oh, Mr. Coleman hadn''t brought back a woman before, Lucinda was the only one.

    "Good evening, Mrs. Coleman."

    The others also offered their respectful greetings.

    Lucinda responded to their greetings with grace.

    "Mr. Coleman and Mrs. Coleman, pleasee on in, Patrick, Savannah, and the rest of the gents

    anddies are waiting inside."

    Just as Nelson finished speaking, he noticed Mr. Coleman, hand in hand with Mrs. Coleman, silently

    easing her nervousness.

    Indeed, Mrs. Coleman did seem a bit jittery the moment she stepped out of the car.

    But thatsted only a minute or two.

    Soon, Mrs. Coleman calmed down, and appearedposed.

    After all, she was handpicked by Mr. Coleman himself. Even though she came from a humble

    background, her face, her figure, her demeanor, could match up to any high-borndy, looking

    incredibly ssy.

    In just a few short minutes, Nelson had given Lucinda a good once-over and came to a conclusion

    about her character.

    He reckoned Mr. Coleman and Mrs. Coleman were a match made in heaven.

 Chapter 116

    Chapter 116

    "Nelson, there are some local specialties in the trunk that Lucinda''s mom packed for us, could you

    ask the guys to bring them in?"

    Stefan gave the order and then turned to his wife, "Lucy, let''s go in."

    Lucinda nodded.

    When Stefan asked Nelson to move the gifts they had brought, Lucinda worried the Anderson n

    might not like the presents from the Moores. But then she remembered the Andersons knew all

    about her background.

    What the Moore family could offer were these things. Whether the Andersons would like them or

    not, she would ept their reaction and stay cool.

    The decor in the hall was vintage but low-key luxurious. Even the chairs were made of high-quality

    wood.

    Patrick and Savannah were sitting on the sofa, surrounded by their children.

    When Stefan walked in with Lucinda, everyone was dazzled by her beauty.

    Even though Stefan had shown Lucinda''s picture when he announced their marriage, the

    Andersons thought she was much prettier in person.

    "You must be Lucinda."

    A woman, who looked a bit like Stefan, got up and walked over with a smile. She warmly hooked

    her arm through Lucinda''s and patted away Stefan''s hand that was holding Lucinda''s,pletely

    iming Lucinda for herself.

    "I''m Stefan''s aunt, Bettina Anderson."

    The woman introduced herself.

    Lucinda politely greeted her.

    "Good, good."

    The womanughed heartily.

    Bettina announced to the room, "I like this girl. From now on, she''s under my protection. If anyone

    dares to bully Lucinda, you''ll have to deal with me. You''ve been warned!"

    With that, she took out a bracelet and gave it to Lucinda, saying, "This is my gift to you."

    Lucinda didn''t know much about jewelry, but she knew that Bettina''s gift must be expensive. She

    wanted to refuse.

    Bettina said firmly, "No refusing. If you refuse, it means you look down on my gift."

    Lucinda said,"...Thank you then, Bettina."

    Savannah, who had five sons and a daughter, doted on her daughter the most.

    Bettina held a high position in the Anderson family, cherished not only by her parents but also by

    her brothers. No one else in the family dared to provoke her.

    The younger generation loved their aunt Bettina.

    Whenever Stefan and his brothers felt wronged at home, they liked to go to Bettina''s ce to vent.

    Another middle-aged womanughed, "Bettina, don''t steal Stefan''s rights. This is his wife."

    Everyoneughed.

    "Grandpa, grandma."

    Lucinda was led by Bettina to Patrick and Savannah. She affectionately called out to them.

    Patrick was usually stern with others

    But when he met Lucinda, he looked gentle and lovingly responded. Savannah directly took Lucinda

    from Bettina, pulled her to sit next to her, and asked lovingly, "Are you tired from the journey? Are

    you hungry? Dinner will be ready soon."

    "Grandma, I wasn''t bored with Stefan by my side."

    Lucinda didn''t dare to say that she had been sleeping for most of the journey.

    When she woke up, they were almost home.

    "He''s the boring one. Having a conversation with him is really boring."

    Savannah''s words hinted at her dissatisfaction with Stefan.

    Lucinda blinked. Stefan had said a lot to her.

    Both elders expressed their fondness for Lucinda. Whether the people present truly liked Lucinda or

    just pretended to, at least they showed goodwill on the surface.

    With Stefan''s introduction, Lucinda got to know the people present, who were Stefan''s uncles and

    aunts.

    Stefan''s parents were still traveling abroad and hadn''t returned, so she couldn''t meet them yet.

    Nelson directed the guys to bring in the gifts from the Moore family.

    These included a bag of sweet potatoes, half a bag of taro, half a bag of cassava, and a big sack of

    fruits from the Moore''s orchard, a cage of chickens, and two baskets of eggs.

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    There was even a big bag of vegetables.

    "Grandpa, grandma, these are all gifts from my mother-inw for you all to try. They''re all

    homegrown, absolutely organic."

    Stefan told the elders.

    Savannah patted Lucinda''s hand with a smile, "Lucy, your mom is really polite. We''re all family here,

    no need to be so formal."

    Lucinda smiled and replied, "Grandma, it''s because we''re family that my mom didn''t hesitate to

    send so many things."

    Bettina chimed in, "Exactly, we''re family. There''s no need to be so formal. Mom, I want to eat

    chicken and sweet potatoes tomorrow. I haven''t had sweet potatoes in a long time. I miss them."

    Savannah reminded her daughter, "Didn''t you bring back a bagst time you visited? That was less

    than a month ago."

    Was that a long time ago?

    "Our family is big, a bag of sweet potatoes can be eaten in 10 days."

    Savannahughed, "A family of foodies."

    Listening to the mother-daughter banter, Lucinda''s tension gradually eased.

    She believed Stefan''s words.

    His family was just like hers, ordinary people.

    They could talk about stocks, real estate, finance, as well as farming and nting.

    No wonder people say the Anderson family is a very special family.

    Lucinda loved such a rich family.

    She was confident that she would soon fit into the Anderson family. What Lucinda didn''t have a clue

    about was that all of this was pre-arranged by Stefan. He specifically asked his family to chat up

    about crops in front of Lucinda to help her chill out.

    To make Lucinda buy into the idea that their family''s rtionship is tight-knit, that the distance

    between them isn''t a mile wide, and that they alle from the same world.

    Have to say, Stefan was really considerate when it came to taking care of people. "Savannah,

    dinner is ready."

    A female housekeeper walked over and said respectfully.

    "It''s time for dinner, Lucy."

    After Lucinda got up, she helped Savannah to her feet.

    Stefan timely took his grandma''s other hand, the couple together assisting Savannah to lead the

    way.

    Patrick walked by himself, Bettina wanted to lend a hand, but he gave her the cold shoulder.

    As Patrick got up, he was grumbling under his breath, but no one could catch what he was saying.

    However, everyone could take a wild guess. He had always been with Savannah, but his grandson

    and Lucinda had hogged her since they returned.

    Patrick was cheesed off, but he didn''t want to rain on Stefan''s parade, nor did he want to throw a fit

    in front of Lucinda.

    The table was loaded with delicious food, but they were all simple dishes.

    The Anderson family''s chef was poached from a Michelin-starred restaurant, so even simple dishes

    were made to look like a million bucks.

    Usually, during meal times, there would be servants waiting on them. But since Lucinda was back,

    fearing she might feel out of sorts, the usual servants were sent packing, leaving only the family to

    break bread together.

 Chapter 117

    Chapter 117

    The dining table was rectangr, and because there were so many people, they had three servings

    of each dish. This way, no matter where you sat, you could get a taste of your favorite dish.

    Usually, the Anderson family ate in silence, only speaking if the elders asked a question.

    But tonight was a different story, they were allowed to chat while eating.

    Stefan was busy rmending dishes to Lucinda all evening. He knew she loved shrimp, so he

    started by peeling a whole bowlful for her before tucking into his own food.

    Seeing this, the women of the Anderson family gave their men a nudge.

    And so, the men of the Anderson family donned disposable gloves, and began peeling shrimp for

    their wives in silence.

    The women of the Anderson family were particrly happy that evening.

    They were excited for Lucinda to move into Ascend Estate soon.

    After dinner, Stefan took Lucinda for a stroll in the courtyard to help digest their meal.

    They didn''t go far.

    They just walked around the main house courtyard.

    Ascend Estate was huge, and all the Andersons lived there. Even the vi with the garden where

    Bettina lived before she got married was vacant, ready for her whenever she came back to visit.

    Everyone had their own private space. As the head of the Anderson family, Stefan lived in the main

    house with the elders, unlike his brothers who lived in separate houses.

    Each vi had its own front and back yards, independent yet interconnected.

    Aside from the vis, the estate had arge front and back yard as well. This meant that there was

    a courtyard within the courtyard, each one with its own uniquendscape.

    Some people liked castle-like houses, so they tore down the vis and built castle-like houses.

    Some liked ancient architecture, so they renovated them to look antique.

    The main house had thergest courtyard among them all. It was a three-story building, with arge

    pond filled with water lilies, perfectly distributed throughout the pond.

    It was stunningly beautiful.

    Unfortunately, it was nighttime.

    Lucinda couldn''t quite see the beauty yet.

    Even without getting to appreciate the water lily pond, just admiring the other sights was enough to

    astonish Lucinda.

    It wasn''t an exaggeration to say that Ascend Estate was arge garden.

    This was the home that the Anderson family had built over generations. Although each generation

    had different tastes, none of them would destroy the scenery arranged by the previous generation.

    They would just add their own touches.

    ¡°Stefan.¡±

    Lucinda grabbed Stefan''s hand.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    She suddenly gripped his hand tightly, startling Stefan.

    ¡°I''m willing to move in with you. Your house is so beautiful, I love it here.¡±

    When Stefan had suggested moving in, Lucinda hadn''t answered. Now, she was giving Stefan her

    answer.

    She wanted to move into Ascend Estate.

    The environment was beautiful, the air was fresh, it was far away from the hustle and bustle of the

    city, and it was very quiet and peaceful.

    Being here gave one a sense of tranquility.

    Lucinda really liked this feeling.

    Stefan lightly touched her lips, correcting her, ¡°This is your home too, don''t say ''your house'' or ''my

    house''. My home is your home.¡±

    ¡°I knew you would love this ce. So, shall we live here long term from now on?¡±

    Lucinda nodded in agreement.

    ¡°You don''t have to refund your rent. You can go back to your rented ce to rest during the day.¡±

    After all, her rented ce was very close to her shop.

    Lucinda nodded in agreement, ¡°Okay, yourpany isn''t far from my rented ce either. You can

    come back to rest at noon as well.¡±

    Stefan''s eyes curved into crescents as heughed, ¡°Even if you don''t ask me to, I would stille

    back to be with you.¡±

    As long as she was there, he would want to be there.

    Lucinda yfully teased him.

    ¡°Let''s go back to the room.¡±

    After a while, Stefan was worried that Lucinda would get tired.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Lucinda was indeed getting a bit tired.

    The two of them leaned on each other as they headed back home.

    Under the lights, their silhouettes were filled with a sense of happiness.

    When they got home, the elders weren''t there, and their rtives had gone back to their own

    homes. Their parents had already gone to bed.

    They tiptoed up the stairs.

    Stefan''s room was on the southeast corner of the second floor, it had great lighting.

    Before entering his room, Stefan didn''t immediately push the door open. Instead, he said to

    Lucinda, ¡°Lucy, close your eyes first.¡±

    ¡°What for?¡±

    ¡°Close your eyes, I have a surprise for you.¡±

    Lucindaughed, ¡°What surprise? You''re being so secretive.¡±

    At Stefan''s insistence, Lucinda closed her eyes. She listened to him unlock the door, push it open,

    lead her into the room, and then close the door.

    ¡°Can I open my eyes now?¡±

    ¡°You can open them now.¡±

    Lucinda opened her eyes, still speaking, ¡°What surprise, let me see¡ªwow!¡±

    The room was dark, but there were many little stars twinkling, and they even seemed to be flying.

    The entire room was filled with them.

    ¡°This is¡ª¡±

    Stefan spoke calmly beside her, ¡°This is the starry sky I promised you, does it look like a starry

    sky?¡±

    He had asked Nelson to catch fireflies for him. There were over a thousand workers in the estate. If

    each person caught one firefly, there would be over a thousand fireflies, and the workers had caught

    more than just one each.

    They must have caught all the fireflies in this area.

    In the dark night, arge number of fireflies emitted a faint glow. Together, they really did resemble a

    starry sky.

    Lucindaughed.

    She had only casually mentioned it, not really expecting him to create a starry sky for her.

    But he actually did it.

    He actually created a starry sky for her.

    It was beautiful!

    Tonight, the surprises he gave her were too many.

    His elders were just as he said, very easy to get along with, and none of them looked down on her

    because of her background.

    The specialties she brought from her hometown, the elders were scrambling to get them, eating the

    fruits she grew at home made everyone to praise them to be very delicious. The scenery at his

    ce was absolutely stunning. She fell head over heels for his home after just a quick tour around.

    And him, he remembered what he said, creating a starry night just for her.

    She was overwhelmed with joy and touched beyond words.

    Lucinda didn''t know how to respond, so she didn''t say anything. Instead, she turned to face Stefan,

    put her arm around his neck, and nted a kiss on him.

    Seeing his wife''s touching gesture, Stefan wasn''t about to leave her hanging.

    He immediately pulled Lucinda into his arms, one hand cradling her head. He started off with a soft

    and gentle kiss, which soon escted into a passionate dance.

    When they finally broke apart, Lucinda was panting, leaning against Stefan''s chest.

    "Stefan, I had such a fantastic time tonight."

    Regaining her breath, Lucinda looked up at her husband. Even in the dark, his eyes were full of

    love.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Lucinda''s heart fluttered because of him.

    She couldn''t calm down anymore.

    She realized, she was in love with him!

    This man was just too good, and it was so easy to fall for him.

    Stefan gently said, "As long as you''re happy, I''m content. I want you to be happy every day."

 Chapter 118

    Chapter 118

    "With you by my side, I''m happy every day."

    He''s a real pro when ites to creating romantic moments.

    To Lucinda, he''s just like the male lead in her novels - as perfect as the character she created.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Stefan looked at her passionately, saying, "I''ll be with you until the end of time."

    He pulled her into his arms and said tenderly, "Lucy, you''re the only one I''ll ever love in this lifetime."

    "And you¡¯re the only one for me."

    She had been dating George Mitchell for years, but she held herself in high regard and didn¡¯t sleep

    with George before marriage. Hence, Stefan was her first man, and would be the only one.

    They sat in each other''s arms, quietly watching the fireflies flit around the room, twinkling like stars.

    When she''d had her fill of watching, Stefan went to the window, opened it, and the fireflies that had

    made Lucinda so happy quickly flew out.

    Once all the fireflies had flown away, Stefan turned on the light.

    "I''ll prepare your bath."

    As Stefan was about to go into the bathroom to prepare her bath, he heard her suddenly yell.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Stefan asked her worriedly.

    "My mom was rushing us so much that I just hopped in the car with you without bringing any

    clothes. I have nothing to change into."

    Lucinda said, annoyed.

    So that was the problem.

    Stefan rxed a bit,ughed, and said, "With me here, are you really worried about not having

    clothes to change into?"

    He lovingly tapped her forehead and said, "Don''t be silly, just wait. I''ll find you something to wear."

    Lucinda, "Did you prepare something for me?"

    Like her, he was also rushed out the door by his mom.

    When he went to her house, he didn''t bring any change of clothes, he just wore her brother''s.

    But there was no one in his family close to her age, right?

    Stefan bent down, kissed her on the face, and said, "Just wait here, I''ll get your bath ready and then

    I''ll bring you some clothes. I won''t let you be exposed. Of course, if you''re up for it, I wouldn''t mind

    the view."

    With that, Lucinda pinched his waist.

    Stefan winced in pain, but his eyes were filled with joy.

    Since he seemed so sure, Lucinda decided to wait and see.

    He went into the bathroom, prepared her bath, and then took her to a door. He opened it to reveal

    his walk-in wardrobe.

    To her surprise, half of the clothes in his wardrobe were women''s.

    "Lucy, pick anything you want. Any brand you like is here, and you can choose from any style.

    They''re all tailored to fit you."

    Lucinda was dumbfounded.

    His wardrobe was connected to his room, it was arge space, her clothes took up most of it, his

    clothes were in the minority.

    "You said they were tailored for me?"

    Lucinda asked gently.

    Stefan nodded.

    As the CEO of Ascend Global, whenever there was a new productunch, all the big brands would

    send him samples. Although he had been single for many years, he didn''t refuse the first time

    someone sent him women''s clothing.

    From then on, people knew he was preparing for his future wife.

    For the past two years, whenever a clothingpanyunched a product, Stefan would give them

    a size to tailor a few outfits for him.

    The clothes had not been worn by Lucinda yet, but because Stefan, of Ascend Global, bought those

    brands, it became great advertising.

    Moreover, since Stefan never showcased the clothes he received in public, it aroused the curiosity

    of his female admirers. They flocked to buy the clothes, thinking Stefan liked them.

    Therefore, clothingpanies were more willing to send women''s clothes to Stefan.

    "But how did you know my size?"

    Stefan smiled and said, "If I want to know, I can find out."

    Considering he had been secretly taking pictures of her since she was 13, and kept all of them,

    Lucinda suddenly felt it wasn''t surprising he knew her size.

    His feelings for her were so deep.

    So deep that she found it hard to believe.

    Along with it came sweetness and happiness.

    Being silently guarded by such an outstanding man for eleven years, step by step, she became a

    part of his world, his beloved wife.

    Just thinking about it made her feel incredibly happy and sweet.

    "Next to the walk-in wardrobe is the jewelry vault, do you want to see it?"

    Stefan asked her quietly.

    Lucinda said, "Jewelry vault? Don''t tell me you prepared a whole room of jewelry for me."

    She found it hard to believe.

    But someone once said that a sessful marriage is more important than a sessful career.

    "Some of the jewelry I bought while traveling because I thought they were beautiful, others were

    given to me. I''ve been collecting them, waiting for the day I could give them all to you."

    Lucinda didn''t know what to say anymore.

    "Next to the jewelry vault is the room for shoes and bags. You can ess it either from my room or

    from outside. They''re connected to my room so you can easily reach for them."

    Lucinda said, "Stefan, how much have you prepared for me?"

    Stefan smiled and said, "I don''t know, I''ve prepared everything I could think of, everything you might

    need."

    "Lucy, you''re the wife I decided on a long time ago. Since I''m going to marry you, I want to give you

    the best I can."

    He held Lucinda''s hand, his tone was calm and gentle as he said these words. It didn''t seem like a

    big deal to him, but for Lucinda, it truly was a mind-blowing revtion.

    She thought him secretly taking pictures of her and keeping them was surprising enough.

    But there was more.

    "I''ll show you the jewelry vault, and the room for shoes and bags. They''re connected, all you have to

    do is open the door. I''m the only one with the key. When it needs to be cleaned, Nelson will

    supervise the maid to ensure that none of the things I''ve prepared for you are damaged."

    As Stefan spoke, he led Lucinda through the walk-in wardrobe, and then to another door. He

    opened this door, and they walked into the so-called jewelry vault.

    The vault was like a mega jewelry store, super spacious, with all sorts of bling-bling that made

    Lucinda''s head spin.

    The gems inside this vault were even more precious than those in the regr jewelry shops, with

    much more exquisite designs.

    "We have a big jewelry vault at home too, full of all kinds of jewels. Those are for the women in our

    family to doll up for different parties. But in that vault, every time you borrow a piece, you gotta sign

    it out and return it when you''re done, and there''s someone to keep track of all that."

    "But this vault I''ve set up for you, all the jewels in here are just for you. You can wear them if you

    want, and you can leave them here if you don''t. No need to go through all the hassle like in the big

    jewelry vault."

 Chapter 119

    Chapter 119

    Lucinda was really lucky, scoring such an excellent guy like Stefan as her husband, and they even

    tied the knot!

    After getting to know Stefan, Lucinda realized he had been eyeing her for a while.

    She figured she must have done a lot of good in her past life to end up marrying Stefan.

    She felt even luckier than the leadingdy in a romantic novel.

    Stefan took Lucinda to a ss case, opened it, and took out two diamond rings. He picked one,

    took Lucinda''s hand, and slipped the ring onto her finger.

    "Lucy, this is our engagement gift. Now you can put a ring on me."

    Lucinda was taken aback, but she put the ring on him.

    "You''ve roped me in now, you''ll have to put up with me for the rest of your life."

    Lucinda replied, "I''m all in on spending my life with you, regardless of our different backgrounds. I''ll

    do my best to fit into your world and close the gap between us."

    "I was brimming with confidence, but tonight, the surprise you gave me made me realize that I can''t

    shrink the distance between us."

    His wealth was beyond Lucinda''s wildest dreams.

    At first, Lucinda thought he was just an ordinary worker.

    Once she knew his true identity, not much changed, except that he took Lucinda back to his

    mansion at Diamond Ridge Estates. She thought that was just who he was.

    But tonight, Lucinda realized she had underestimated his wealth.

    "We''re husband and wife, so what''s mine is yours, and what''s yours is still yours. There''s no gap

    between us. Lucy, believe in yourself, believe in me, okay?"

    Stefan wanted to surprise Lucinda, but not scare her off.

    He said, "You saw tonight, my family isid back. They didn''t put on any airs and they even loved

    the local specialties you brought."

    "We''re from the same world, Lucy. I don''t want you to say we''re from two different worlds. Can we

    drop that talk from now on?"

    Lucinda looked at him, wanting to say something but not knowing what.

    The special shoe and clothes room set up for Lucinda was too overwhelming for her.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    She needed to chill for a bit.

    Stefan didn''t pressure Lucinda.

    Lucinda was his wife now, she could never leave him again.

    She could check out what he had prepared for her anytime she wanted.

    As she took a bath, Lucinda leaned against the edge of the tub, surrounded by warm water.

    She hadn''t quite recovered from Stefan''s surprise.

    Someone knocked on the door.

    Stefan asked with a concerned voice, "Lucy, are you done yet? It''s been half an hour."

    The water was getting cold.

    Lucinda had locked the bathroom door, otherwise Stefan would havee in and taken a shower

    with her.

    His call snapped Lucinda back to reality.

    She hurriedly replied, "I''m done, I''ll be right out."

    She quickly got up, wrapped herself in arge towel, and grabbed the new pajamas he had

    prepared for her. He told her they''d be washed every few days to ensure they stayed fresh and dry.

    A few minutester, the bathroom door opened.

    Lucinda came out.

    Stefan was waiting for her at the door, also in his pajamas.

    Seeing the confusion in Lucinda''s eyes, he exined with a smile, "I went to the guest room to

    shower."

    This way, he could be right there when she came out.

    And that''s exactly what he did.

    As soon as Lucinda came out of the bathroom, he scooped her up.

    Lucinda gave a soft yelp, quickly wrapping her arms around his neck to prevent herself from falling.

    He carried her to the bed and gentlyid her down. He gazed at her affectionately, making her eyes

    well up with emotion. Then he leaned down and kissed her.

    That night, they had each other to themselves.

    The next morning, Lucinda woke up to find it was alreadyte morning.

    The man beside her was gone.

    Lucinda was stunned for a moment before sitting up.

    The covers slid off her, revealing her in the same pajamas she had worn to bed.

    Last night, he had carried a exhausted Lucinda into the bathroom.

    Maybe it was another hot bath that put her at ease, because she had no memory of what happened

    after that.

    On the nightstand, there was a neatly folded set of clothes that Stefan had picked out for her.

    And a set of jewelry he had prepared for her.

    Considering Lucinda''s past living conditions, she would probably need some time to adjust to her

    new life. So the set of jewelry Stefan picked out was the cheapest one in the jewelry box.

    And the design was also rtively popr.

    There was a note under her phone.

    Lucinda picked up the note. The handwriting was strong and full of energy.

    "Good morning, love. I picked out your clothes and jewelry. You can just put them on. If you don''t

    like what I picked, you can choose your own. Love you."

    Stefan had drawn a heart at the end of the note.

    Seeing the heart, Lucinda smiled.

    "Stefan, I''m so lucky to have you care for me so deeply."

    "I don''t think I can stop myself from falling for you."

    No wonder Ruby couldn''t let go even after being rejected by him ten years ago. She even gave up

    everything overseas and came back for him.

    Lucinda thought, if it weren''t for her mom constantly nagging her to get married, forcing her to rent a

    boyfriend out of desperation, she wouldn''t know when she would be epted by him.

    Maybe this was their destiny.

    She was grateful that fate had pushed such a great guy into her life.

    She was also thrilled that she had the guts to rent Stefan as her boyfriend, and to ept his

    marriage proposal.

    Lucinda didn''t choose her own clothes. She put on the ones Stefan picked out for her.

    She, who usually didn''t wear jewelry, put on the set Stefan chose for her.

    She trusted his taste.

    She knew that whatever he prepared for her would be something she liked.

    After freshening up, Lucinda went downstairs by herself.

    She was still on the stairs when she heard Savannah telling Patrick, "Stefan is really sweet on Lucy,

    getting up early in the morning and hustling in the kitchen to prepare avish breakfast for her."

    "The chefs are all grumbling that Mr. Coleman is stealing their jobs."

    Patrick grumbled a bit, "The moment thatd got a wife, he forgot about me. I''ve never had

    breakfast made by him."

    Savannah shot back at him, "That''s on you for being picky. You used to only eat the food I made.

    Now that I''m getting on in years and you''re worried about me getting worn out, you''re finally willing

    to eat the chefs'' cooking, and only one person''s at that."

 Chapter 120

    Chapter 120

    "That night at the restaurant, I really put you through a hassle, huh?"

    Now Lucinda understood why Stefan was so deeply in love with her.

    The loyalty and deep affection he showed in rtionships was something he inherited it from his

    elders.

    His grandparents were probably a very loving couple when they were young.

    Even though their hair has turned grey, their love for each other remained deep.

    Lucinda admired such love.

    She hoped that her rtionship with Stefan could be like Savannah and Patrick''s, remaining close

    even with their grey hair.

    "Seeing Stefan and Lucy being so close reminds me of our young days. Stefan now is just like you

    back then."

    Savannah reminisced about the past, her smile growing even softer.

    "Stefan is our grandson, he grew up with us. He inherited our resilience and loyalty. This is a good

    thing. At least, Lucinda will be the happiest woman in Pinehurst."

    Patrick said it as if it was a matter of fact.

    The children they raised won''t be reckless or yboys.

    Their descendants were all honest people in society. If anyone dared to be irresponsible to women

    and yed around, they would be kicked out of the house!

    "Yep, Stefan is a responsible kid. Now that he''s married to Lucinda, she''s part of our family. No one

    else stands a chance."

    Savannah knew Patrick was referring to Ruby.

    She asked Patrick, "Megan came yesterday, didn''t she?"

    "Yes."

    "She came back to the country because she found out about Ruby, right?"

    "Probably. But why she came back is none of my business. I''ve never liked her that much, only for

    the sake of Lucinda did I not send her away. Who does she think she is?"

    "She came and started asking all sorts of questions about Stefan''s marriage. I know what she''s

    thinking."

    "Sure, Stefan and Ruby grew up together, but all these years, Stefan never got together with Ruby

    because he didn''t like her. Just look at Stefan''s attitude towards Ruby and Lucy, and you''ll know

    what true love is."

    Patrick sneered, "Only you guys would think Stefan likes Ruby."

    He never agreed with this view.

    If his grandson and Ruby really liked each other, he wouldn''t still be single.

    "Ruby loves Stefan so much, she won''t give up so easily. Do you think Ruby will take more drastic

    measures against Lucy when shees out?"

    Patrick said casually, "That''s something Stefan should think about. We don''t need to worry. When

    Stefan decided to marry Lucinda, he should have known that Lucinda is his wife and they need to

    face many things together. If he can''t protect his wife, he wouldn''t be getting married."

    Savannah nodded in agreement.

    Seeing that Patrick and Savannah stopped discussing her and Stefan, Lucinda went downstairs.

    Hearing footsteps, the two elders turned to look at her.

    "Grandpa, Grandma, good morning."

    Lucinda greeted them somewhat embarrassingly.

    Patrick and Savannah wake up earlier than her.

    It''s all because of Stefan that she slept until now.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "Good morning, you must be hungry. Go wash your hands and prepare to have breakfast. Stefan

    specially made it for you. He hasn''t cooked personally for a long time."

    The kind Savannah smiled warmly, her eyes full of tenderness. Even though Lucinda slept till now,

    Savannah showed no displeasure, instead, she seemed very happy.

    Lucinda felt a bit shy under Savannah''s gaze.

    "Have you guys eaten yet?"

    "We''ve already eaten."

    The two elders have a very regr lifestyle. No matter what the young people do, they stick to their

    habits.

    "Lucy, go have breakfast quickly. Your grandpa and I are going for a walk at the foot of the

    mountain."

    After Savannah finished speaking, she lightly nudged her partner.

    Patrick quickly stood up, and the two old people supported each other as they left the main room.

    Lucinda understood that they were intentionally leaving space for her and Stefan.

    Hearing Lucinda''s voice, Stefan came out of the kitchen, still holding the breakfast he prepared for

    Lucinda.

    "Darling, good morning."

    Stefan greeted her with a smile.

    Lucinda went over and seeing no one else around, she hugged Stefan from behind, resting her

    head on his back, whispering sweetly like a coquette.

    "Darling, I woke up and you weren''t there."

    Stefan was amused by her sweet voice.

    He pulled her in front of him, smiling at her, "That''s my fault. Starting tomorrow, I promise you''ll see

    me first thing when you wake up."

    How he wished he could be sent off by her every day, weed home by her every evening, and

    see her first thing in the morning.

    "You must be hungry,e have breakfast. After you eat, I''ll take you out."

    Stefan pulled out a chair for her.

    Lucinda didn''t dare to flirt too much, afraid his mood might suddenly change, and the trip would be

    cancelled.

    She let go of him and sat down.

    "I already ate, you eat." Stefan sat next to her, watching her eat the breakfast he personally made

    for her, his eyes full of smiles.

    "Darling, we agreed that I would drive when we go out."

    Stefanughed and said, "I''ll keep my promise. But let me drive down the mountain. You''re not

    familiar with the mountain roads."

    Lucinda didn''t object.

    "Stefan."

    A voice unfamiliar to Lucinda sounded.

    Soon, she saw a handsome man walk in.

    When the handsome guy saw her, his eyes became sharp, like a knife sweeping over her for a

    moment, then he retracted his sharp gaze, reced by a gentle expression with a hint of a smile.

    He asked Stefan, "Stefan, is this your wife?"

    He didn''t even wait for Stefan to respond, he just went ahead and introduced himself to Lucinda,

    "Hey there, I''m Campbell Anderson, the fourth son of the Anderson family."

    With that, he reached out his right hand to Lucinda.

    Quickly standing up, Lucinda shook his hand.

    "Hello."

    Stefan said, "Lucy, Campbell is actually my uncle''s eldest son."

    Lucinda nodded with a smile.

    Last night, she had only met a few of Stefan''s uncles and aunts and their spouses, but she hadn''t

    seen anyone of her own generation.

    "Stefan," Campbell said, "I overslept today, and my mom had the nerve to toss out all the breakfast,

    not letting me eat. I came over here to see if there''s anything left."

    As he spoke, Campbell headed into the kitchen to grab some dishes. He didn''t need Stefan or

    Lucinda to serve him. He just sat down and began to eat.

    While eating, heplimented, "Stefan, your chefs here really do cook better than ours, it''s really

    delicious."

    Stefan responded a bit miffed, "I personally prepared this for Lucinda. Have a bit and then you can

    leave."

    Stefan didn''t believe for a second that Campbell''s mom would actually throw out all the breakfast.

    Campbell was just using it as an excuse to scrutinize Lucinda, wanting to understand why she

    caught Stefan''s fancy so much.

 Chapter 121

    Chapter 121

    "Stefan, I''m your brother, what''s the big deal if I eat some of your breakfast?"

    Stefan snorted, "But if you eat, what''s left for Lucinda? You have a huge appetite, and there''s not

    that much food here. You''ll finish it all."

    Campbell replied, "I don¡¯t really have a big appetite."

    Looking at the breakfast on the table, indeed, there wasn''t much of anything. Definitely not enough

    for him .

    As Lucinda listened to their conversation, she just wanted to cover her face.

    Her husband was being such a penny pincher.

    She quickly said, "Campbell, I can¡¯t eat that much, don¡¯t listen to Stefan, eat if you want to."

    Campbell didn''t hold back, "At least Lucinda is generous, not like Stefan, such a cheapskate.

    Whenever I eat his food, it''s like I owe him a fortune."

    "If you owed me a fortune, I wouldn''t even bother giving you a reaction."

    Campbell chuckled while eating, "True, you''re not short on money. A fortune is nothing to you."

    "Then what is it?"

    Campbell justughed and didn''t reply.

    "Stefan, Stefan."

    There was a call from outside.

    Lucinda looked towards the sound, curious about who wasing in.

    The man beside her was already looking quite annoyed.

    Patrick and Savannah, despite their age, knew to give them space and not disturb Stefan and

    Lucinda''s alone time, but his brothers just kepting to interrupt.

    He had already told everyone that he would bring Lucinda back on the weekend.

    His brothers didn''te backst night, but they''re all here today.

    "Stefan, the water lilies in the pond are beautiful right now, let''s go sit by the pond."

    The boy who came in was probably seventeen or eighteen, quite handsome with great skin.

    Because of his youth, Lucinda thought he was still a junior high student.

    "Oh, Campbell, you''re here too."

    The youngest boy of the Anderson family, Judson Anderson, came over, patted Campbell on the

    shoulder, and turned to Lucinda. He was young and inexperienced, and when he saw Lucinda in

    person, he eximed, "Wow, you''re gorgeous! Even beautiful flowers can''tpare to you.¡±

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Everyone likes to hearpliments.

    Lucinda was ttered and immediately smiled, asking him, "Have you had breakfast? Want to join

    us?"

    "Yeah, sure."

    Judson agreed, pulled out a chair to sit down, but when he casually nced across the table and

    saw Stefan ring at him, he quickly pushed the chair back to its original position and said to

    Lucinda, "Mrs. Coleman, I''ve already eaten, you two take your time."

    "Oh, by the way, Mrs. Coleman, I''m Judson, just graduated from high school. I''ll be starting college

    after the summer."

    So he''s the youngest grandson of the Anderson family.

    "What are you here for?"

    Stefan asked with a stern face.

    "Stefan, I already told you when I came in, I want to invite you and Mrs. Coleman to see the water

    lilies, and we can also pick some ripe fruits for juice."

    "I thought you didn''t like sweet things? And now you''re making fruit juice?"

    Stefan bluntly exposed Judson''s lie.

    Judson justughed.

    Even though Stefan was still sitting calmly, no matter how bad his face looked, Judson couldn''t tell.

    Judson thought to himself, he was still too young.

    Seeing Stefan angry, he got scared.

    But with Campbell here, even if Stefan was angry, he wasn''t the only one being scolded.

    Thinking this, Judson quietly sat next to Campbell again.

    "Mrs. Coleman, this is your first time here,ter you should let Stefan show you around, familiarize

    yourself with the ce. That way you won''t get lost in the future."

    The Ascend Estate is very big, neers can easily get lost.

    Stefan scolded, "Judson, even if you don¡¯t speak up, no one will think you''re mute. Lucinda has me,

    she doesn''t need you to remind me what I should do."

    "Stefan, if I don''t speak, I''m afraid people will think I am mute."

    Judson muttered.

    Stefan was speechless.

    Lucinda wanted tough.

    The way the Anderson brothers interacted was quite enviable.

    Although Campbell and Judson seemed casual, they both respected Stefan as their older brother.

    Judson even seemed a little scared of Stefan.

    Lucinda guessed that this kid was probably not even afraid of his parents, just his brother Stefan.

    "Lucy, eat quick, don''t let Campbell eat everything. Campbell, leave some for Lucy, I made this for

    her."

    Seeing Campbell eating non-stop, Stefan was really anxious, like he wanted to throw Campbell out.

    "You made this? Then I must have a taste. I can barely remember thest time I had your breakfast,

    it was like ten years ago."

    As Judson was talking, he grabbed Campbell''s cutlery.

    Campbell said, "Judson, can''t you get your own cutlery?"

    "I don''t dare."

    Judson only tasted a bite, he didn''t eat recklessly.

    "With Lucinda here, even if the sky falls, it won''t hit us."

    Campbell said happily.

    Stefan was speechless.

    Lucindaughed.

    Campbell sure knew how to talk.

    He always made her feelfortable.

    Stefan was really good to her.

    "Honey, I''m full."

    Lucinda was really full.

    She had started eating before Campbell came.

    After Campbell arrived, they ate for a few minutes, then Judson came in.

    "Are you really full? Don¡¯t mind these guys, they won¡¯t starve."

    "I really am full, I won¡¯t starve myself."

    Stefan''splexion gradually returned to normal.

    "Judson, go get the utensils , man. Don''t just stand there watching Campbell eat like I''m depriving

    you guys or something."

    As soon as Stefan finished speaking, Judson quickly dashed into the kitchen to get the utensils,

    while Campbell continued to munch away...

    Lucinda wasughing all along.

    "Stefan..."

    Another unfamiliar shout echoed.

    Stefan''s face turned sour again, he said to Lucinda, "Lucy, I''m gonna check it out."

    He seriously suspected his brothers were lining up at the door,ing in one after another.

    If they''reing in, they might as well alle in at once, so he could see clearly how many of

    them there were.

    Stefan headed out.

    He bumped into Naylor Anderson who wasing in. Seeing Stefan''s stern face, Naylor''s steps

    faltered, even retracting half a step that he had just taken.

    "Stefan."

    Naylorughed nervously.

    Stefan grunted heavily, walking straight past Naylor.

    There were six more people at the door, they had all returned.

    These six were still ying rock-paper-scissors, dering that the loser will be the next one to go

    in.

    Seeing Stefane out, the six hurriedly greeted him, their faces spread into wide grins.

    Stefan was speechless.

    Stefan was pissed!

    He really felt like shipping all these brothers off for overseas assignments.

 Chapter 122

    Chapter 122

    Stefan turned on his heel and walked away.

    After a few steps, he turned back to his younger brothers and said, "What are you guys still doing

    here? Come on in!"

    The kids looked at each other, none of them eager to be the first one to follow Stefan.

    "If you keep dilly-dallying here, I''ll make you run up the mountain for three hours," Stefan warned.

    At that, they quickly followed, not wanting to be punished by running up the mountain.

    The mountain path was full of loose pebbles. Running for three hours would surely leave their feet

    bleeding.

    "Good morning, Stefan."

    "It''s not morning anymore."

    "But it''s still morning now."

    Stefan huffed and gave his brother a side nce. The man who said so could only touch his nose,

    chuckle awkwardly, and keep his mouth shut.

    Stefan gathered all his brothers inside, then called Campbell and Judson out and pointed them out,

    "Line up by age!"

    They sprang into action and quickly formed a line.

    After they were all lined up, Stefan went to Lucinda and gently told her, "Lucy, these are my

    brothers, all nine of them are here."All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    All nine of them thought, "He''s so harsh on us but so gentle with Lucinda. Stefan is indeed two-

    faced.¡±

    Lucinda looked at the nine handsome faces in front of her, some of them looked a lot like Stefan.

    She guessed they all took after their father since they were full brothers.

    "Did you all lose your tongue? Say hello to Lucinda and introduce yourselves, so she can recognize

    you in the future."

    Stefan ordered his brothers to greet Lucinda.

    "Hello, Lucinda!"

    Nine voices chorused a greeting.

    Lucinda quickly responded, "Hello, everyone." Then she whispered to Stefan, "I didn''t prepare any

    gifts for them. What should I do?"

    Stefan asked his brothers loudly, "Who asked Lucinda for a gift?"

    "Stefan, I didn''t. We''re family, we don''t need to be so formal. Lucinda, you don''t need to prepare any

    gifts for me."

    Eric Anderson was the quickest to respond.

    He had met Lucinda a few times and knew that Stefan treated Lucinda as the most important

    person.

    Unless Lucinda prepared gifts for them on her own ord, they wouldn''t dare to ask for any.

    The others quickly echoed Eric''s words.

    No gifts needed.

    Stefan turned to Lucinda and said, "Lucy, you see, they said you don''t need to worry about gifts."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    She wondered if her husband bullied his brothers at home, because they all seemed so afraid of

    him.

    After the introductions, Stefan told his brothers coldly, "You should go now, I''m taking Lucinda out."

    He was rushing them away.

    "But Stefan, I want to go too."

    Judson, the youngest and most lively among them, wanted to join when he heard Stefan and

    Lucinda were going out.

    Then, all the other brothers turned to look at him.

    Judson felt confused under their gaze, had he said something wrong?

    All he wanted was to go out and get some fresh air with Stefan, was that wrong?

    Before Stefan could respond, Lucindaughed and said, "If Judson wants to join us, he can.

    Anyone else wants toe? The more the merrier."

    Stefan''s face darkened.

    Judson''s older brother quickly pulled him back and said to Lucinda with a smile, "Lucinda, Judson

    forgot he has some things to deal with. So he can''te with you and Stefan. You two go ahead."

    "What do I have to deal with?"

    Judson looked puzzled.

    His brother pinched his thigh and Judson almost jumped in pain. He kept quiet after that. His

    brother wouldn''t harm him. If he said he had things to deal with, then he would deal with them.

    Stefan was pleased, no one else was tagging along.

    He brought a set of car keys and handed them to Lucinda.

    "Stefan, I''ll get going."

    "Stefan, I''m leaving too."

    The nine young men quickly left.

    "They''re really smart!" Stefan chuckled quietly.

    Lucindaughed and said, "Stefan, do you always bully your brothers at home? They all seem so

    scared of you."

    "Do I look like someone who would bully my brothers? They''re just pretending to be bullied by me to

    win your sympathy, so you''d defend them and scold me."

    Stefan knew he was lying.

    If the nine young men heard what Stefan said, they would be furious.

    But Stefan was good to them, they respected him.

    The two of them chatted as they walked out of the grand main hall.

    During the day, the beauty of the mansion was fully disyed.

    Lucinda was so captivated by the scenery, she didn''t want to leave.

    "This is our home, we''re going to live here for the rest of our lives. There will be plenty of time to

    enjoy this view."

    Stefan carried his wife to the car.

    Lucinda''s face turned red.

    When Stefan was carrying her to the car, a few maids saw them. They giggled and Lucinda turned

    bright red with embarrassment.

    "I''ll drive down the mountain, and you can take over when we reach the foot."

    Stefan put his wife in the passenger seat, carefully buckling her seat belt, and even stole a kiss.

    Lucinda was left dizzy by his kiss. By the time she came to, he was already driving her away from

    the mansion.

    Apart from the main road down the mountain, there were many small paths for leisurely hikes and

    sightseeing.

    Lucinda noticed a few pavilions halfway up the mountain.

    There were many scenic trees and flowers nted on the mountain. From a distance, the red and

    green were very beautiful.

    Crape myrtle flowers were nted on both sides of the mountain road. It was the blooming season

    for crape myrtle, the clusters of flowers on the branches were beautiful whether seen from afar or

    up close.

    Soon, they reached the foot of the mountain and Stefan slowly parked the car.

    "Lucy, do you know how to drive?"

    "Sure do, we had this chat already, remember? I''ll be your chauffeur, show you around."

    Lucinda instantly unbuckled her seatbelt, threw open the car door and hop out, swapping ces

    with Stefan.

    As Lucinda was gearing up to drive, her phone started buzzing. It was her brother.

    "Ike." Lucinda cooed sweetly into the phone.

    "You''re at Ascend Estate, aren''t you?" Ike straightly asked.

    "Yep."

    "You could''ve given me a heads up, you know. I could''ve tagged along, make sure no one messes

    with you. Are they nice to you?? Lucy, if their elders treat you badly and look down on you, leave

    immediately without any hesitation""

    Ike''s voice was loud enough that Stefan could hear every word.

 Chapter 123

    Chapter 123

    "Ike, everyone''s been treating me real nice, super friendly, no rejection at all. You can chill, I''m all

    good," Lucinda reassured Ike, then asked, "Ike, you taking a break today? No overtime?"

    "You left me in the dust to follow Stefan, what else am I supposed to do but work?" Ike sounded

    miffed. His sister got whisked away by her old ssmate.

    Lucinda chuckled, "Ike, drop by whenever you''re free. I''ve decided to move back to the manor with

    Stefan."

    Ike retorted, "That''s way out in the sticks, it''s gonna be a pain for you tomute."

    "I can drive to work. In fact, I''m about to take Stefan for a spin."

    Hearing this, Ike immediately said, "Lucy, hand your phone to Stefan. I need to have a word with

    him."

    Lucinda hummed in agreement and passed the phone to Stefan.

    Just as Stefan put the phone to his ear, he heard Ike ask, "You had breakfast yet?"

    "Yeah."

    "Well, don''t go barfing all over the car."

    "I don''t get car sick."

    Ike chuckled, "Just be careful, alright?" With that, he hung up.

    Stefan was left puzzled. What was Ike trying to say?

    "Ike hung up? Alright, I''m driving now." Lucinda, who hadn''t driven in a while, cheerfully started the

    car.

    At first, Stefan didn''t catch Ike''s drift. But once Lucinda began driving, it hit him.

    Driving with Lucinda was a wild ride!

    Even this seasoned driver was scared stiff, clutching the seat for dear life, worried that one sharp

    turn would hurl him out of the car.

    "Lucy," Stefan called out.

    "Honey, don''t distract me when I''m driving. This is only my second time behind the wheel since

    getting my license. I''m a bit rusty,"

    Lucinda scared Stefan into silence when she said this.

    She''s driving, but it was like she was piloting a jet.

    Stefan sat rigidly, eyes fixed on the road ahead, his face turning a shade paler.

    After a while, he asked, "Lucy, did you pass your driving test or did you buy your license?"

    "I passed."

    "That''s good, that''s good. Ah¡ªslow down when you turn!" Stefan let out another shriek.

    To Lucinda, Stefan was being a nuisance.

    She''d already told him she was a bit out of practice and asked him not to distract her.

    She loved the thrill of speeding, but she did pass her driving test.

    During her driving lessons, she often scared her instructor witless, which led her to constantly mock

    hisck of nerve.

    As Stefan sat there, tense, Lucinda finally had her fill of driving, parked the car and turned to her

    passenger with a gleeful expression, "Stefan, I''m so happy! The road''s wide and there''s hardly any

    traffic. It''s been such a joy!"

    Stefan didn''t respond. He pushed the car door open and got out, his legs trembling.

    Ike really should have been more specific.

    Had he known Lucy''s driving was like a rollercoaster ride, he would''ve never let her behind the

    wheel.

    As he sat in the car, feeling like he was floating in the wind, he thought back to when he had

    someone secretly photograph Lucinda. Why didn''t they ever capture her behind the wheel?

    The person replied, "Mr. Coleman, Ms. Moore couldn''t steer to save her life. How was I supposed to

    capture her driving?"

    Lucinda, oblivious to Stefan''s fear, got out of the car and looked off into the distance, asking,

    "Stefan, where are we?"

    Stefan replied, "You were driving so fast I lost track of where we are."

    Stefan was pale but quickly regained his color once he got out of the car.

    At least, they were safe.

    His wife loved driving like she was in a race, but her skills were up to snuff and posed no safety

    risks.

    Life was good!

    Lucinda asked, "Honey, were you scared sitting in my car? Ike practically wet himself when he rode

    with me." Lucindaughed at Ike''s cowardice.

    Stefan thought to himself, ¡°I almost wet myself too.¡±

    Stefan walked over to Lucinda, draped his arm over her shoulder and said gently, "Lucy, you were

    driving way too fast. It''s not safe. Fortunately, this road was built by our family and has little traffic.

    Otherwise, we could''ve easily had an ident. For safety''s sake, let me driveter. As for your

    commute, I''ll drive you or we can have a chauffeur take you."

    Having witnessed her driving skills, Stefan decided that he would never let Lucinda drive again.

    Lucinda immediately responded, "The only reason I drove so fast here is because there''s hardly

    any traffic. On other roads, I promise I''ll drive normally and won''t speed. Honey, you said I can drive

    any car in our garage. Let me drive myself to work."

    Stefan asked, "Lucy, did you stop liking me? Just a while ago, you confessed your feelings for me."

    Lucinda was taken aback. She merely said she wanted to drive herself to work, and he twisted it

    into a question of whether she liked him or not?

    Lucinda said, "I like you, of course I like you. It''s not just like, it''s love, Stefan, I love you."

    Stefan asked, "Lucy, if you like me, why won''t you let me drive you to and from work? Do you not

    want to see me or are you fed up with me?"

    Lucinda was speechless.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Under Stefan''s firm belief that her refusal to let him drive her to and from work meant she didn''t love

    him and was repulsed by him, Lucinda had no choice but to relent.

    So, she agreed to let him drive her to and from work and no longer insisted on driving herself.

    She knew he must''ve been scared by her driving.

    Lucinda was slightly regretful that she drove so fast with him in the car.

    But what''s done is done and regret was of no use.

    After getting her license, she drove twice, including this time, and then, she never drove again.

    While Lucinda and her husband were enjoying the breeze outside, Cecilia Yates was preparing

    fruits for the two elderly men engrossed in their chess game.

    The two old men ying chess, one was Cecilia Yates'' grandpa, Devon Yates, the other was Owen

    Martinez''s grandpa, Trenton Martinez. But the folks in the Yates family didn''t know he was the old

    man from the Martinez family.

    Devon loved to y chess, and so did Trenton. He yed chess with Devon twice as the new

    neighbor, and they became chess buddies.

    Then, Trenton started frequently visiting the Yates family, observing Cecilia''s personality firsthand.

    Cecilia brought over some washed fruit, ced it beside her grandpa, and said to Trenton with a

    smile, "Trenton, help yourself to some fruit."

    "Thanks."

    Trenton nodded affectionately, looked at the chess game, thought for a moment, made his move,

    then said to Devon, "Devon, your granddaughter is really something, way better than my

    granddaughters. My granddaughters only treat me nicely when they need my help, otherwise,

    they''re practically invisible."

    Devon replied, "Yeah, my granddaughter is pretty great, basically wless. The only thing is that

    she''s already 24 and still doesn''t have a boyfriend."

 Chapter 124

    Chapter 124

    "Gramps."

    Cecilia called out and said, "I''m not in a rush. When fatees, I''ll naturally have a boyfriend."

    Devon red at her. "Not in a rush? You''re already 24. When your parents were your age, your

    brother was already walking."

    "Gramps, times have changed. Besides, isn''t it nice to be alone? Free as a bird."

    Devon spoke to Trenton, "You hear this? That''s why she doesn''t have a boyfriend at 24. Plenty of

    old neighbors wanted to introduce her to someone, but she wouldn''t have it. Everyone says she''s

    too picky because she''s pretty and won''t settle for those guys. They even curse her for ending up

    with a jerk because she''s too choosy, driving me up the wall."

    He loved his granddaughter dearly.

    Hearing others talk about his granddaughter like that, Devon would get furious and argue.

    After so many fights, no one dared to meddle in Cecilia''s love life anymore, but people still gossiped

    behind her back.

    Trenton chuckled, "You''re a bit too anxious. Do you know how old my grandson is? 29. He''ll be in

    his thirties next year. He''s been single this whole time because he''s too good for anyone, and I''ve

    been losing sleep over his marriage."

    "I moved here because I was so angry with my eldest grandson that I couldn''t stay at home, and I

    moved out of sight."

    "Devon, we get along well, and I like your granddaughter. What if we try to set them up?"

    Cecilia was speechless.

    Devon asked, "Why is your grandson still single at 29?"

    He cared about Cecilia''s marriage, but he wouldn''t let her marry just anyone. That could ruin her

    life.

    He had to know the guy''s character and ensure that the young people liked each other before giving

    them his blessing.

    "Gramps."

    Cecilia called out softly.

    "Cecilia, go watch TV and don''t disturb me and Trenton''s game of chess."

    "There''s nothing I want to watch. I can''t be bothered. I''ll just stay here and watch you y chess. I

    won''t interfere."

    Trenton looked at Cecilia, making her blush. "Trenton, please don''t think about introducing me to

    your grandson."

    "Cecilia, I''m serious. My grandson has been single this whole time, primarily because he''s too top-

    notch and too busy with work. We''re in business, so he doesn''t have time to date. Just like that, he''s

    almost thirty."

    "I''ve personally taken care of my grandson, and we''re very close. I care more about his marriage

    than anyone else, including his parents. Cecilia, rest assured. Since I''m introducing my grandson to

    you, I won''t let you get hurt."

    "I haven''t known your grandpa for long, but we get along well. I consider him a dear friend, and I

    won''t let you get hurt."

    Trenton''s words sounded sincere, and he almost believed them himself.

    "You should meet first, get to know each other, then decide whether to be together."

    Trenton''s words moved Devon.

    He told his granddaughter, "Cecilia, why don''t we meet him?"

    "Gramps!" Cecilia regretted preparing fruit for Devon and Trenton. If she''d known they''d turn the

    conversation to her, she would''ve gone shopping.

    "It''s just a meeting. It doesn''t mean you have to be with him. There''s no harm in meeting. I''ll discuss

    it with your mom. If she agrees, you should meet him."

    Devon got up to find Cecilia''s mother.

    Trenton followed closely, telling Cecilia, "Today''s the weekend, and my grandson is resting at home.

    I''ll call him and let him choose a ce to meet you."

    With that, Trenton got up to make a call, not waiting for Cecilia''s response.

    Cecilia was speechless.

    The two old men were men of action, not giving her a chance to resist.

    Without asking, she knew her mother would agree to the meeting.

    After all, she was already 24 and still didn''t have a boyfriend. Her neighbors were either married or

    had boyfriends. Only she remained single.

    Her mother oftenined about her. Lucinda already had a love history, but she was still single

    with no dating experience, making her feel helpless. Her mother even said she was so beautiful that

    she should have many suitors.

    This made her feel hopeless.

    Trenton walked far away from the Yates family before calling Owen.

    On the day Megan returned home, Owen workedte into the night and only found out the next day

    that Megan was back and had been warmly invited by his mother to stay at his home.

    Owen had no objections. He''d always liked Ruby and respected Megan.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    But he also knew his grandfather had left home without knowing where he''d gone. He called his

    grandfather, but he wouldn''t answer.

    Owen knew his grandfather was angry about his devotion to Ruby. Suddenly, he received a call

    from his grandfather and immediately answered.

    "Gramps, where are you? I''lle pick you up."

    "No need. I''m happy outside. I don''t want to worry about your affairs and die of anger. I don''t want to

    see your grandma early."

    Owen said, "¡­Gramps, I''m sorry. It''s my fault. Don''t be angry. I''ll calm down and won''t act

    impulsively."

    "I don''t care what you do. Now go cut a rose from the garden, take it to the coffee shop on the first

    floor of Pinehurst Hotel, and wait. I''ve picked a girlfriend for you. Let her meet you."

    Owen was stunned, then said in a low voice, "Grandfather, you know I''m not interested in other

    women. Why would you make me bother another family''s daughter? Grandfather, I only have Ruby

    in my heart. Besides Ruby, I really can''t love anyone else."

    "Ruby ain''t for you, mate. She''s got her eyes set on Stefan, and you''re just her n B. You''ve been

    her backup for years now, gave a lot, got hurt a lot. Ain''t you had enough?"

    Owen defended himself, "Grandpa, Stefan''s hitched already. Ruby''s gonna give up on him, she''s

    gotta. Once she does, I''ll have my shot. I believe, once she''s out, she''ll choose me."

    Trenton scoffed, "If she could let go, she would have a long time ago. You''re such a fool, Owen.

    Can''t you see? This time, she''s messed up, got herself arrested, but she won''t see it as her fault.

    Once she''s out, she''ll be fighting for Stefan even harder than before."

 Chapter 125

    Chapter 125

    "If Stefan and his wife hadn''t divorced because of her drama, she would never stop meddling.

    You''re still so in love with her, just waiting to be used over and over again. You''re like a pawn in her

    game; useful when she needs you to take the fall, and dumped when she can''t handle her own

    mess."

    "Would you bet? If I stripped you of your CEO title, publicly cut ties with you, and didn''t give you a

    dime of the Martinez family fortune, Ruby would drop you like a hot potato."

    Owen shouted, "Grandpa!"

    "Do you want to test her true colors? I''d be more than happy to help."

    "I trust Ruby, I don''t need to test her. It would only hurt her."

    Owen dered firmly.

    Deep down, he knew his grandpa was telling the truth.

    Ruby had been using him all along...

    His heart ached so bad!

    Trenton chuckled sarcastically.

    "Owen, do you still want to be the head of the Ike Group? Do you still acknowledge me as your

    grandpa?"

    Trenton''s tone suddenly hardened.

    Owen quickly replied, "Grandpa, what are you talking about? You are my grandpa, how could I deny

    that? You raised me, you''re more important to me than my parents."

    His utmost respect was for his grandpa, not only because he was the chairman of the Ike Group

    and could strip him of his position, but also because he grew up under his care.

    In their youth, his grandpa and Patrick were fierce rivals. When they both became grandpas, they

    seemed to have an unspoken agreement to personally raise their grandsons, hoping they would

    take over the family business and continue thepetition.

    As they wished, Owen and Stefan grew up to be enemies.

    "If you don''t want to be dethroned and still acknowledge me as your grandpa, then you have to

    follow my instructions. Go cut some roses and head to our family hotel alone. Wait in the coffee

    shop on the ground floor. I''ll send the girl over to meet you."

    "After you two meet, I need a photo as proof that you actually met. Don''t try to fool me."

    Owen was speechless.

    Patrick never forced Stefan to go on blind dates, nor had his grandpa. But now, perhaps because

    Stefan was married and Owen nearly jeopardized the Ike Group due to Ruby, his grandpa started

    arranging dates for him.

    Owen could ignore anyone else''s words, but not his grandpa''s.

    "Grandpa, who is the girl? Is she stunningly beautiful that I¡¯ll love her at first sight?"

    If she had grandpa''s approval, Owen believed she must be an exceptional girl.

    "If you want to know, you''ll see when you meet her. Anyway, she''s definitely better than Ruby. That''s

    settled, go to our hotel now."

    Trenton hung up without giving Owen a chance to refuse.

    Owen stared at the call that was ended, his face growing darker, but he had no one toin to.

    Well, if he had to meet her, then so be it.

    He was actually curious about who this woman was, who made his grandpa insist on him going on

    a date in such a forceful manner.

    An hourter.

    Owen, in fashionable clothes and dark sunsses, with a cigarette in his mouth, strode into the

    Pinehurst Hotel.

    It was his family hotel, and he found his way to the coffee shop with ease.

    He chose a secluded seat by the window.

    Then he pulled out a rose he had cut from the garden. It had been squashed in his pocket, and now

    lookedpletely wilted.

    Trenton had told him toe alone, without bodyguards, to avoid attracting too much attention.

    He agreed with this.

    For a blind date, he didn''t want to draw too much attention either, hoping to keep it low-key.

    He was to prevent attracting media attention and getting reported. If Ruby saw it, she would be

    heartbroken.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Owen deliberately dressed in an offbeat way and even applied ayer of makeup on his face,

    making himself look rather odd. People would nce at him and then lose interest immediately.

    When the woman he was supposed to meet saw him, she would definitely not like him.

    Then if the date failed, it wouldn''t be his fault.

    After waiting for over ten minutes without seeing the woman arrive, Owen called Trenton. When

    Trenton answered, he asked, "Grandpa, when is the girl you set me up withing? I''ve been

    waiting for over ten minutes."

    Owen had no patience for waiting for anyone but Ruby.

    Given his status, no one dared to keep him waiting for so long.

    In the past, when he had business meetings, the other party would always arrive early.

    Trenton reproached, "It''s only been over ten minutes, what''s the rush? Girls need to do their

    makeup and change clothes before they go out, it takes longer. Be patient, she''s on her way."

    Owen was scolded by his grandpa, touched his nose, and wanted to hang up.

    "Hold on, turn on the video so I can see how you''re dressed."

    Owen said, "Grandpa, I see the girl with a rose. I don''t have time for a video call now."

    After saying that, he quickly hung up.

    Are you kidding? If Trenton saw him now, he would rush over and give him a good talking-to.

    Then he would dress him up like a colorful peacock.

    He couldn''t afford to lose face like that.

    At this moment, Owen was the epitome of feeling wronged.

    His heart was full of resentment towards the date he hadn''t even met yet.

    He decided that when he met her, he would give her a piece of his mind.

    After waiting for another ten minutes, Owen finally saw his blind date. Trenton had told him they

    would both be holding a red rose.

    Cecilia''s hair was disheveled, she wore what she thought was her sexiest outfit, had heavy makeup

    on, and wore all her jewelry, although cheap, looking desperate to show off, which was off-putting.

    She was casually holding the rose her grandpa had given her, shoving garlic cloves in her mouth.

    The pungent taste of garlic was something she usually couldn''t stand, but now she was forcing

    herself to eat a lot of it.

    So when she spoke, her breath was heavy with the smell of garlic.

    To others, it was a nasty stench that was hard to tolerate.

    This stench was enough to make Trenton''s grandson repulsed, which would make her feel safe.

    If he didn''t like her, well, that was his problem, not hers.

    Walking into the coffee shop, Cecilia saw someone in the corner waving at her, holding a rose, too.

    But this rose looked a bit wilted, like a dying flower.

    She briskly walked over.

    "Hey."

    Cecilia started, her voiceced with the smell of garlic.

    Owen instantly frowned.

    He thought the woman in front of him looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, he blurted, "You''re

    Cecilia? Why is it you?"

 Chapter 126

    Chapter 126

    Cecilia recognized Owen''s voice, she looked at him carefully, took a few seconds, then asked in

    surprise, "Wait, you''re Owen?

    Wait, how is this possible?

    The grandson of Trenton is Owen!

    Owen covered his mouth and nose, disgustedly saying, "How much garlic did you eat? It stinks."

    Cecilia burst intoughter, "If I knew that Trenton''s grandson was you, I would''ve eaten more garlic

    before."

    Owen was speechless.

    Looking at Owen who had weird makeup on his face, dressed in loose clothing, smoking when she

    walked in, and wearing sunsses, he looked like a tough guy from the streets.

    Apparently, he didn''t want to be on this blind date either.

    Of course, he is in love with Ruby, why would he want to go on a blind date?

    How did Trenton force Owen to go on a blind date?

    Through this, Cecilia also understood something, that is, Trenton didn''t like Ruby, and he didn''t want

    Owen to be with Ruby.

    Ruby wanted to marry Stefan and keep Owen at the same time, but in the end, she might end up

    with nothing.

    Cecilia was very satisfied with this.

    She had no good feelings for Ruby, not only because Ruby was her friend''s love rival, but also

    because Ruby was too arrogant, she used Owen''s power to destroy their coffee shop.

    "What are youughing at?"

    Seeing Ceciliaugh uncontrobly, Owen was very annoyed.

    "Laughing is my right, I like tough, is there a problem?"

    Cecilia burst intoughter again.

    Herughter was too loud and drew the attention of others.

    Owen tried to quiet herughter, as she wasughing directly at him, the smell of garlic was blowing

    towards him, it was extremely smelly.

    Realizing that others were watching her, Cecilia covered her mouth and then sat at the table.

    "Sit down."

    Cecilia put the rose on the table, and after Owen sat down, she pushed the flower in front of Owen,

    saying, "Because of your grandfather''s arrangement, I had toe here in such a hot weather,

    dressed like this, and I even bought this flower with my own money, you should reimburse me."

    Owen said, "...Just for this one flower, you want me to reimburse you!"

    "You knew you are here to see me, and you just bought this? This is too cheap!"

    Owen was first shocked by Cecilia''s shamelessness, and then annoyed by her stinginess.

    Who is he, he is Owen, the CEO of the Ike group, the son of the Martinez family.

    He is respected wherever he goes, he is a person with power and status.

    Cecilia actually looked down on him. She came to see him, only bought the cheapest flower, and

    even asked him for reimbursement.

    "You call this cheap? This kind of flower can''t be eaten or drunk, it will wither in a few days, it''s

    already not worth it for me to buy it. Besides, I didn''t know my blind date was you, if I knew, I...

    wouldn''t even buy a flower."

    Owen was speechless.

    "Go out and buy some gum, your breath stinks."

    Owen couldn''t stand the smell of garlic in her mouth.

    Cecilia sat there motionless.

    Owen stared at her for a while, and finally had topromise. He took out his wallet, took out ten

    dors from it, and then put the money in front of Cecilia, urging her to hurry up.

    Cecilia picked up the ten dors, thanked him with a big grin, "Thank you."

    She got up to leave, but jokingly leaned half of her body toward him, her heavily made-up face

    approaching Owen, who leaned back in fright, keeping a wary eye on her.

    "Your makeup is really weird. When I walked in and saw you, I thought I was seeing a colorful

    painting."

    Cecilia said teasingly, then reached out to touch his face.

    Then her hand got dirty.

    Owen''s face was left with her fingerprints, and the ces she touched had faded a lot, almost

    returning to the color of his skin.

    Cecilia looked at her hand, without hesitation, she wiped it on his clothes.

    "Cecilia!"

    Owen chided in a low voice.

    What a shameless woman!

    It''s not that he let her touch him, she got her hand dirty by herself, and she dared to me him!

    What did his grandfather see in her that he forced him to go on a blind date with her!

    "So it''s such cheap paint."

    After sessfully dirtying his clothes, Cecilia spoke confidently.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Owen wanted to strangle her.

    At this time, his grandfather''s series of calls came in.

    Owen suppressed his anger, whispered, "Stop messing around, it''s my grandfather''s call."

    Cecilia immediately stopped her movements.

    Owen answered his grandfather''s video call.

    "Owen! You... you little rascal, how did you be like this!"

    Trenton originally wanted to see if the two were really on a blind date. When he connected the

    video, he saw a colorful face, which scared Trenton so much that he almost dropped his phone.

    But he soon recognized that this was his own grandson who he had raised personally.

    He understood what was going on very quickly.

    This little devil was doing everything he could to make the blind date fail, even smearing his

    handsome face with paint.

    If the entertainment reporters knew how hard he was trying, they would beughing their heads off.

    "Grandpa, you only told me to go on a blind date, but you didn''t say that I can''t wear makeup. I just

    like this makeup."

    After giving his grandfather a big scare, Owen felt much better.

    "You little rascal, are you trying to scare Cecilia to death? Where''s Cecilia?"

    Owen pulled over the woman who was waving her hand, hinting that she was not here, and let

    Cecilia appear on the camera.

    When Trenton saw Cecilia''s makeup, he was stunned for a while, then reluctantly praised, "Cecilia,

    your makeup is really good, it makes you look more mature and beautiful."

    Cecilia smiled modestly.

    "Cecilia, you''ve met my grandson, right? My grandson is actually very handsome, don''t be scared

    by his face."

    "Trenton, I know, I¡¯ve actually met him before."

    Trenton looked very surprised, he asked, "You two already know each other? That''s great, you can

    have a good talk, talk your time, there''s no rush to go home."

    Then he turned to his grandson and said, "Owen, remember to treat Cecilia to a meal, take her to

    watch a movies after eating, and then send her home."

    "Grandpa!"

    Owen was so angry that his teeth were grinding, "You''re way out of line."

    He had alreadypromised by agreeing to a blind date.

    Yet, grandpa wanted him to treat Cecilia to a meal and even take her to the movies.

    Those are things that lovers would do, and he and Cecilia were not lovers.

    Trentonughed, "I''m outrageous, so what? If you don''t follow my words, you''ll bear the

    consequences yourself!"

    With that, Trenton ended the video call, not giving his grandson any chance to argue back.

    Owen was so angry that he wanted to throw his phone.

    Knowing that he was fuming, Cecilia quickly made her exit.

 Chapter 127

    Chapter 127

    Cecilia picked up some gum outside, and when she got back home, she went straight to the

    washroom to wash off the heavy makeup on her face. Feeling much fresher without that thickyer

    of makeup, she didn''t n on changing out of what she thought was a sexy outfit.

    Luckily, given what truly sexy clothing could be, her outfit was rather modest and not too revealing.

    Owen didn''t seem to have any issues with what she was wearing.

    Only after chewing on a couple pieces of gum did Cecilia return to the caf¨¦.

    Owen was still in his weird outfit and makeup.

    This was a hotel owned by the Martinez family. If he were to wash off the paint on his face and take

    off his sunsses, he would be easily recognized.

    Cecilia knew well enough that Owen didn''t want much to do with her.

    And that was fine with her, she didn''t want much to do with him either.

    Back at her seat, there was already a cup of coffee waiting for her.

    "Did you order this coffee for me?"

    Owen replied, "No, who else would have ordered it for you, a ghost? Would you dare drink it if a

    ghost ordered it for you?"

    Cecilia shot back, "If you were a ghost, I''d drink as many cups as you ordered. Are you a ghost?"

    Owen said, "Real men don''t argue with women!"

    "And what exactly makes you a ''real man''?"

    Owen''s face darkened, though it was hard to tell through the paint on his face.

    "Cecilia, don''t think that just because my grandfather brought you here, you can insult me all you

    want. I am a real man."

    "You should ask yourself, are you a good person? If you''re not a good person, you''re not a real

    man."

    "Not a real man? Would you like to see proof of that..."

    "Ugh, who cares about your manhood? Stop trying to take advantage of me. But now that you

    mentioned it, I am a bit worried about you..."

    Cecilia mischievously nced down at hisp.

    Owen immediately closed his legs, looking rmed.

    He muttered under his breath, "Cecilia, have you no decency? Are you even ady?"

    Ceciliaughed, "You''re so in love with Ruby, and you haven''t done anything to her. I don''t believe

    you''re a man. The only thing I can think of is that you''re impotent."

    Owen mmed the table in anger, shouting, "There''s absolutely nothing wrong with me!"

    Everyone in the caf¨¦ turned to look.

    Owen was speechless.

    Cecilia quickly stood up and exined to everyone, "Don''t misunderstand, I was talking about his

    cooking skills. He ims that he''s a good cook, so I told him to cook dinner when we get home

    tonight."

    Everyone understood that she was just covering up.

    They all gave Cecilia a few sympathetic looks before going back to their coffees.

    Owen felt like Cecilia was his worst nightmare.

    She was shamelessly brazen to a shocking degree. He thought he was already pretty shameless,

    butpared to Cecilia, he was nothing.

    Cecilia sat back down, lightly patting her chest as she quietlyined to Owen, "What are you

    getting so worked up for? You''re drawing attention to us, making me cover for you so people don''t

    misunderstand."

    Owen gritted his teeth, "So you''re saying I should be thanking you?"

    "That''s not a big deal, you don¡¯t have to thank me."

    Owen told himself to be patient, to be more patient, he couldn''t let her drive him crazy.

    Watching her leisurely drink her coffee, he asked her, "How did you get to know my grandfather?

    He''s only been gone for two days and you''ve managed to get him to sell me out. Cecilia, you''re

    quite the schemer."

    "Do you know that he is my grandfather, deliberately getting close to him, winning his favor, and

    having him create opportunities for us?"

    Cecilia, who was drinking her coffee, spitted it all over Owen''s face.

    "Cecilia!" Owen really wanted to strangle her.

    Cecilia immediately stood up and started wiping his face with a tissue.

    As she wiped, she ended up wiping off most of the paint on his face.

    The tissue was all colorful.

    Owen''s face looked terrible.

    Cecilia awkwardly tossed the multicolored tissue into the trash can under the table. Sheughed

    awkwardly, "You''re so handsome, and handsome guys should be gentle. Those who get angry at

    girls are not good men. Besides, your face is all covered in paint, it looks really scary. I got so

    scared I spat out my coffee."

    Owen felt that if he continued to interact with her, he might go mad.

    He stood up, took out his wallet again, and pulled out a stack of money. He mmed it down in front

    of Cecilia and told her, "Here''s money for your dinner. Get yourself something to eatter if you''re

    hungry, and then get a cab home!"

    Cecilia immediately picked up the money, smiling happily, "Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of myself.

    Get home safe!"

    Owen was about to leave when he suddenly stopped and growled, "I don¡¯t need your fake care."

    "Oh, I''m sorry, I misspoke, I apologize."

    Owen stared at Cecilia for a moment before saying coldly, "Cecilia, no matter what tricks you used

    to trick my grandfather''s into arranging this blind date, I''ll tell you, I only love Ruby. I won''t love

    anyone else. You might as well give up now, not everyone can go from being ordinary to important

    like Lucinda."

    Cecilia stopped smiling and also stood up. She grabbed Owen by the cor, pulling him closer. She

    leaned in and said seriously, "Owen, let me tell you, I never fooled your grandfather. I didn''t even

    know Trenton was your grandfather."

    "I didn''t want to have a blind date with you either. Didn''t you see how I intentionally wore heavy

    makeup, ate garlic, and this outfit? I made so many sacrifices, all to make you think that I''m not a

    lady, to make you dislike me."

    "Do you really think everyone would like you? I know your feelings for Ruby very well. I would have

    to be stupid and blind to want to marry you."

    Owen said, "Even if you wanted to marry me, I wouldn''t want to marry you."

    "Hmph, you were forced by your grandfather to go on this blind date. If I really wanted to marry you,

    you might actually have to marry me."

    Owen was at a loss for words.

    "If you don''t want me to marry you, you should apologize to me right now, say that you

    misunderstood me, and ask me not to hold it against you."

    Owen easily pulled away from Cecilia''s grip on his cor and said coldly, "You are a few years

    younger than me but act like an elder trying to teach me a lesson, Cecilia, you truly are shameless."

    Leaving Cecilia behind, he walked away.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Owen didn''t just hit the road, he took the elevator up to the penthouse.

    If he''s workingte, he doesn''t bother going home, he just crashes at the hotel, the penthouse is his

    own personal digs.

    As soon as he stepped through the door and shut it behind him, Owen stripped off his clothes and

    bee-lined for the bathroom.

    After washing away the paint, his handsome face came back into view.

    He slipped into some clean clothes, Owen looked at himself in the mirror, yeah, looking good, what

    a stud.

    If Cecilia couldn''t see that, then it only meant her taste was off.

    Good thing, he didn''t see much in her either.

    But hanging out with her, he had to admit, was kind of rxing. Even though she could be

    infuriating at times, but it magically made him forget about all the things that bothered him, which

    was something he hadn''t felt in a while.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128

    After leaving Pinehurst Hotel, Cecilia immediately called her friend.

    When Lucinda picked up, Cecilia vented out her frustrations.

    After hearing Cecilia''s rant, Lucinda asked in surprise, "Are you telling me Owen''s grandpa and your

    grandpa became friends and they set you and Owen up?"

    What''s going on?

    "Lucy, you''re shocked too, right? I never imagined I''d be set up with that annoying Owen. He even

    thought I was sucking up to his grandpa so that he''d force Owen into a date with me, how

    ridiculous!"

    "I''d rather stay single than marry him, a man who''s heart is with another woman, only a fool would

    marry him."

    Despite being surprised, Lucinda still asked out of curiosity, "So, how did it go when you two met?"

    "There''s nothing much to say, I purposely wore ugly makeup and he intentionally made weird faces.

    I was afraid he might start liking me, and he was afraid I might start liking him, so in the end, both of

    us didn''t develop any feelings."

    Lucinda burst intoughter.

    Cecilia said, "Lucy, are you gloating over my misfortune?"

    "No, I just find the thing between you and Owen amusing."

    "I don''t want anything to do with him. Lucy, where are you right now? Wanna hang out? Let''s grab a

    drink together."

    Feeling bummed about the Owen situation, Cecilia wanted somepany to drink and vent.

    "I''m at Ascend Estate, Stefan''s ce. I''m hanging out with him right now, so I might not be able to

    join you."

    Cecilia retorted, "You''ve got a husband now and care less about your friend."

    Without hesitation, Lucinda replied, "Of course, I prioritize my husband over my friend. You won''t be

    spending your life with me. When you get married, you''ll only have eyes for your husband and kids,

    would you still care about me? Stefan, on the other hand, will be with me for life."

    "You don''t care about me anymore!"

    Other than repeating this, Cecilia didn''t know what else to say.

    Lucinda''s words were cold, but realistic.

    A husband would be with her for life, while friends, no matter how close, all have their own families,

    and can''t possibly put her first.

    "Fine, carry on with Stefan. I''ll pass on the drinks too, I''ll just get some beers and drink at home. By

    the way, I heard Ascend Estate is beautiful, is it true?"

    Cecilia asked curiously.

    In the past, hearing about the mystery and beauty of Ascend Estate, Cecilia never had the luxury to

    visit. But now that her best friend has be thedy of the Anderson family, Cecilia couldn''t help

    but be curious and wanted to visit Ascend Estate.

    "Yes, it is beautiful. One day, I''ll invite you over and show you around for a few days."

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Cecilia grinned and said, "I''ll wait for your invitation then."

    Lucinda chuckled, "Okay! When Stefan and I have our wedding, you''ll have to be my bridesmaid."

    "Don''t worry, I''ll definitely be your bridesmaid. Lucy, I won''t interrupt your sweet time with Stefan

    anymore, bye."

    "We''ll meet in two days."

    Lucinda''s shop needed some tidying up, both Cecilia and Lucinda were shop owners and had to

    visit the shop often, they couldn''t be irresponsible owners.

    After hanging up, the man beside Lucinda asked, "Cecilia and Owen are going on a blind date?"

    Lucinda nodded, "Cecilia said it was arranged by Owen''s grandpa, Stefan, do you think there might

    be any hidden motives?"

    She wasn''t against her friend marrying into a wealthy family, but the sudden development of events

    felt unusual to Lucinda.

    Stefan pondered for a moment then said, "Trenton really dislikes Ruby, Owen has done so much for

    Ruby, even almost causing trouble for the Ike group. I told Trenton about what Owen did. Trenton

    was very angry this time, I guess he might want to settle Owen''s marriage."

    Stefan stopped there, he didn''t expect Trenton would target Cecilia.

    Perhaps, besides Ruby, only Cecilia has been close to Owen, Cecilia might not be the ideal

    daughter-inw in Trenton''s eyes, butpared to Ruby, Trenton would naturally lean towards

    Cecilia.

    Lucinda''s face changed, she asked, "Is Owen''s grandpa trying to use Cecilia to stop Owen from

    being with Ruby? Wouldn''t that put Cecilia in danger? Owen is so in love with Ruby, what happiness

    could Cecilia get from being with him?"

    Stefan thought for a moment then said, "Owen will definitely resist, but he might not be able to

    seed. If his grandpa really forces him to marry Cecilia, he might just do it."

    "Cecilia won''t marry him."

    "Lucy, we don''t know what will happen in the future, we can only wait and see. If Cecilia needs help,

    for your sake, I''ll definitely step in, I won''t let her get hurt."

    This only applied to physical harm.

    If it''s emotional harm, sorry, he can''t help.

    "It''s all my fault. If it weren''t for me, Owen and Cecilia wouldn''t have met."

    Lucinda said guiltily.

    Stefan quietly looked at her.

    "Lucy, are you ming me? Because of me, you were harassed by Ruby, then by Owen, all these

    things happened because of me."

    Lucinda stayed silent.

    He was right.

    But she couldn''t bear to me him.

    Stefan yed up being hurt, hanging his head low, and said with a mournful tone, "You''re ming

    me, aren''t you? You should, I shouldn''t have deceived you about who I am, it''s all my fault. Go

    ahead, Lucy, hit me, yell at me."

    Lucinda didn''t know what to say.

    What should she do when her husband looks so painful and sad?

    Comfort him, right?

    Lucinda quickly hugged Stefan''s shoulders, soothing him, "Honey, it''s okay, I''m not ming you.

    After all, you didn''t want any of this to happen. It''s all Ruby''s fault. You rejected her ten years ago,

    yet she still can''t leave you alone. It''s all Ruby and Owen''s fault."

    "Owen is such a blockhead, it''s a miracle that the Ike group hasn''t copsed under his leadership.

    He loses all sense of reason when he''s in love, especially when ites to Ruby. His IQ just drops

    drastically. Darling, bing enemies with someone like him really tarnishes your reputation."

    "Babe, stop ming yourself, it''s really not your fault. Look at me, I¡¯m not ming you at all."

    Stefan kept his head down, "You shouldn''t me yourself either, it''s not your fault."

    "Alright, I won''t me myself."

    At this point, Lucinda felt like she was pacifying a child, agreeing to anything Stefan said.

    "Then, give me a couple of kisses, and I''ll feel better."

    Upon hearing this, Lucinda immediately let go of him.

    "Stefan, you''re doing this on purpose, aren''t you?"

    Stefan raised his head, his face full of smiles. Lucinda realized he had fooled her, but it was toote

    to escape. He swiftly pulled her back into his arms, firmly holding her head with one hand while his

    hot lips covered hers.

 Chapter 129

    Chapter 129

    the Yates family.

    "Trenton, I demand you to leave my house right now. I must''ve been out of my mind to fall for your

    tricks. You imed you didn''t intentionally deceive me, then why did you choose me? ying chess

    with me, and bing friends with me? Your real target was my granddaughter, wasn''t it?"

    "The Martinez family is way out of our league, the Yates family just can''t measure up. So forget

    about my granddaughter."

    Fuming, Devon kicked Trenton out.

    Cecilia''s participant in a blind date turned out to be Owen.

    Devon wasn''t stupid. Even if Trenton denied it, he wouldn''t believe that Trenton didn''t have ulterior

    motives.

    "Devon, Owen is a real good kid."

    Kicked out, Trenton still insisted on defending his grandson.

    He should''ve known better, should''ve waited a while before setting up the blind date.

    But you can''t keep things under wraps forever.

    His goal was to have his grandson marry Cecilia, thuspletely cut ties with Ruby.

    "Devon, I don''t look down on the Yates family. Owen is capable. He doesn''t need to consolidate his

    position through marriage. I don''t care who he marries. Your granddaughter is a good girl. I''m quite

    fond of her. As long as the kids like each other, I guarantee no one will dare to mistreat Cecilia once

    she marries into our family."

    "Bullshit! It''smon knowledge in this city that your grandson is head over heels for Ruby. If my

    granddaughter marries him, she might as well be a widow. Even if the Martinez family gave us a ton

    of gold, my granddaughter wouldn''t marry him! Get lost!"

    Devon was livid.

    He actually considered Trenton a friend. They were evenly matched in chess and got along well.

    He hadn''t expected Trenton to be friends with him just for his granddaughter.

    Even if they were all concerned about Cecilia''s future, he wouldn''t let the Martinez family harm his

    granddaughter.

    After kicking Trenton out, Devon mmed the door shut, locked it, and went back into the house.

    Meanwhile, Trenton was left knocking and shouting outside the door, but Devon ignored him.

    That''s what Cecilia saw when she came back.

    Owen''s grandfather was standing at her doorstep, frantically knocking and ringing the doorbell.

    Cecilia hesitated for a moment, then approached him, asking, "Trenton, what''s going on?"

    Upon seeing Cecilia, Trenton grabbed her hand like she was his savior, patting it, "Cecilia, I really

    like you. I sincerely hope you and Owen can be together. I''m not trying to hurt you. Could you

    exin to your grandfather for me? Even if your grandfather stops being friends with me, I don''t

    want him to be upset."

    Cecilia pulled her hand back.

    "Trenton, there''s no way I''m getting together with your grandson. Thanks for your good intentions,

    but my grandfather is upset because you deceived us. Even if you verbally im you don''t mean to

    harm me, setting me up on a date with Owen is already hurting me."

    Even though she hadn''t encountered a wealthy family like the Martinez family before, she''d seen

    plenty of TV dramas and read novels.

    As the head of a wealthy family who managed to raise a sessor like Owen, Trenton was

    definitely not a simple character. He was undoubtedly cunning.

    Cecilia wasn''t stupid, but she didn''t like ying mind games. She didn''t like dealing with cunning

    people because she didn''t have the mental acuity to spar with them. Keeping her distance was the

    best choice.

    Trenton was at a loss for words.

    He dared not admit that he was taking advantage of Cecilia.

    He had to keep up the act, pretending that he genuinely didn''t want to hurt Cecilia.

    Hearing her voice, Devon came out immediately, opened the door, grabbed Cecilia, and said,

    "Cecilia, don''t bother with this con artist."

    He pulled Cecilia into the yard and locked the door again.

    Trenton was speechless.

    Con artist!

    He''d never been called that before in his life.

    Trenton was a bit angry, his face turned red, not sure if it was out of anger or shame.

    He didn''t knock again.

    It would be useless when Devon was angry.

    He''d better go back and lecture his grandson.

    See, this was the consequence of his infatuation with Ruby.

    Even amon family like the Yates family wouldn''t give their daughter to Owen!

    Trenton thought his grandson was so outstanding. His willingness to put aside his prejudices and

    appreciate Cecilia was his respect for Cecilia and the Yates family, but the Yates family didn''t know

    to appreciate it.

    Owen was hung up on Ruby. If Cecilia was capable, she could pull Owen away from Ruby.

    If Cecilia couldn''t do it, then she was incapable, and no one else was there to me.

    Someone as self-centered as Trenton would never admit his mistakes.

    After standing for a while, Trenton left.

    He quietly returned home not long after.

    The pleasant weekend ended quickly.

    The arrival of Monday heralded the start of a new week.

    Some people went to work, some attended school, and others continued their vacation.

    After showing off her driving skills to her husband, Lucinda scared him into making her ride in the

    Maybach he picked from the garage. He drove her to the store before heading back to work.

    "I''lle pick you up at noon, and we''ll have lunch at Ascend Hotel."

    Stefan said as she was about to get off.

    Lucinda nodded and smiled.

    She really liked the food at Ascend Global Hotel. It was delicious. A luxury hotel indeed.

    "Lucy." Stefan''s voice dropped a few decibels, calling her in a low voice.

    Lucinda spun around to face him, asking, "What''s up?"

    Stefan raised his hand to touch his lips, gazing at her deeply.

    Lucinda got the hint, her cheeks flushing. She nced around to make sure no one was staring

    before turning back to quickly peck Stefan on the cheek, sweetly saying, "Darling, see you, work

    hard and bring home the bacon."

    With a kiss from his wife, Stefan was all smiles, doting as he said, "Sure thing, I''ll work my socks off

    to support you. Ring me if you need anything."

    "Got it."

    After getting out of the car, Lucinda closed the door and waved goodbye to the man in the car,

    "Honey, take it easy on the road."

    Stefan chuckled in response, "Don''t worry, I''m not as ballsy as you."

    At that, Lucinda blushed.

    She likes driving fast when she drives.

    Watching Stefan drive away, Lucinda turned to walk towards her shop. She had just reached the

    door and was about to unlock it when she heard herndlord chime in, "Ms. Moore, you''re way

    behind on this month''s rent, and you haven''t paid your shop''s rent either. Your husband''s from a

    loaded family. You''re not going to tell me you can''t afford the rent, are you?"

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Lucinda, "Oh snap! I totally forgot about the rent."

    The other day when she received her writing fee, she transferred 500 bucks to Stefan as rent.

    But she totally forgot about the shop rent and housing rent.

    Thendlord of her shop and house was the samedy.

 Chapter 130

    Chapter 130

    Thendlord chuckled, "Actually, I''m not in a rush. I was just out grocery shopping and saw your

    husband drop you off, so I thought I''d say hi."

    Having the wife of the richest man in town renting her house and shop was like a free advertisement

    for her. Why would she worry about not being able to rent out her property?

    "How much is the rent and utilities for the house and shop? I''ll transfer the money to you right now."

    The rent wasn''t that expensive, it was mainly the shop lease that was a bit high.

    Even though thendlord said she wasn''t in a hurry, when Lucinda asked, she quickly pulled out a

    prepared bill from her pocket and handed it to Lucinda.

    After checking the bill, Lucinda transferred the total amount to thendlord.

    "I''ll make sure to pay on time next month, no more dys."

    Thendlordughed, "No worries, I won''t stress about you not being able to pay the rent anymore.

    Ms. Moore, how did you meet your husband? Did hee to your coffee shop and then you guys

    fell in love?"

    Being the wife of the richest man, thendlord assumed Lucinda would soon give up the coffee

    shop. After all, the Anderson family was loaded, they wouldn''t want her working.

    Once Lucinda stopped renting her shop, she could raise the rent since her shop was quite popr.

    Whoever rents it might have a bigger chance to meet the elites.

    She wouldn''t dare raise the rent on Lucinda''s shop though. Lucinda was now part of the Anderson

    family, she wasn''t worrying about money anymore.

    "Actually, I''ve known my husband for eleven years, he was my brother''s ssmate."

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    Thendlord was a bit disappointed. So it wasn''t her shop that got Lucinda in the Anderson family''s

    good graces.

    "I see, you''ve known each other for so long, no wonder. If you guys ever have a wedding,

    remember to invite me."

    Thendlord said this out of politeness. She''d probably be too scared to go if she was really invited.

    She''d never fit in the Andersons'' social circle.

    Lucinda smiled and opened the shop door, "I definitely will."

    After seeing off thendlord, Lucinda opened all the windows in the shop to let the air circte.

    "Lucinda." A deep voice came over.

    Lucinda turned to see George at the door, who she hadn''t seen in a while.

    What''s he doing here again?

    Didn''t he worry that his wife would freeze his bank ount, and leave him penniless?

    Lucinda had arranged for the renovation team toe today, but they hadn''t arrived yet.

    She decided to start preparing, nning to make coffee for the workerster.

    She didn''t want to deal with George.

    "Lucinda."

    George walked in, trying to grab her hand.

    Lucinda dodged his hand, turned to face him and said coldly, "George, there''s nothing left for us to

    talk about. It''s best if you stay away from me, or else your wife wille after me again."

    George looked at Lucinda.

    She has always been a beauty, but to him, she seemed to have be even more beautiful and

    enchanting.

    Maybe it was because she was now married to Stefan, showered in love.

    Back when they were madly in love, she was very beautiful too.

    George, who had abandoned Lucinda, could never truly forget her deep down. His leaving was a

    reluctant choice.

    "Lucinda, I''m sorry."

    George said with regret, "I didn''t know my wife came to trouble you, I also don''t know who sent our

    old photos to my wife, making her think we were still in contact."

    "Did she do anything to hurt you?"

    Lucinda said coldly, "Your wife knows the situation very well. George, since you''ve chosen her, I

    hope you won''t betray her. Don''t forget everything you have now is from her. Don''t think because

    you have some money and people are praising you that you can betray your wife."

    "Be careful, you might lose everything and it''ll be toote for regrets."

    George blushed slightly.

    He didn''t like people saying he relied on his wife for everything, but it was true. He was living the

    high life, driving luxury cars, living in mansions, all thanks to his wife.

    Without her, he''d be nothing.

    "Lucinda, I know I wronged you. We used to be in love, I just hope you''re doing well. Stefan isn''t

    right for you. Look at what happened to your shop so soon after you got together, and many people

    mistakenly think you stole a woman''s boyfriend, thinking you''re a homewrecker."

    Ruby had indeed been talking nonsense that day, and people who didn''t know better might actually

    think Lucinda was a homewrecker.

    "Whether Stefan and I arepatible is my business, and there¡¯s no need for you to worry. If there

    is nothing else, please leave. My shop needs some renovation, we''re closed today."

    Lucinda then took a small ckboard, wrote "Under renovation, closed for the day" on it, and hung

    it on the shop door.

    "Lucinda, I''m really just looking out for you. Think about it, what''s Stefan''s status, and what''s yours?

    I''m not saying you''re poor, but the Anderson family is too rich, the gap is too big. It''s hard to get

    along with the wealthy. In my wife''s family, I have to treat everyone carefully and watch what I say

    all the time."

    "Her family''s status is far from the Andersons'', and I¡¯ve been struggling with it, let alone the

    Andersons. Lucinda, listen to me, leave Stefan, let himpensate you, take that money and marry

    a man of simr background, live a peaceful life."

    Lucinda turned to get a broom.

    She picked up the broom and started swatting George with it.

    "Lucinda!" Seeing the situation, George backed away, shouting, "Lucinda, we were once in love,

    you know? Just give me some time to have some savings, then we can pick up where we left off,

    okay?"

    Lucinda''s face darkened.

    She swung her broom at George with all her might, shouting, "Get lost! We''re not getting a divorce.

    Even if Stefan and I do split up, I wouldn''te crawling back to you. I won''t make that mistake

    again. Just live your own damn life."

    "If you dare to bother me again, I''ll spill the beans to your wife. Let her divorce you and strip you of

    everything."

    George was chased out of the shop by Lucinda, hopping down the steps and saying, "Lucinda,

    you''ll regret not heeding my warning. I''ll be waiting to see the day Stefan leaves you in the dust. You

    think it''s easy to get into high society? They treat you like dirt and you take it as a blessing, you are

    just a ve to them."

    Lucinda took another mighty swing at him with her broom.

    George quickly dodged.

    "Scumbag!" Lucinda didn''t chase after him, but stood at the shop entrance and yelled at George,

    "what aplete and utter scumbag!"

 Chapter 131

    Chapter 131

    She needed to try and get Mrs. Mitchell''s contact info and fill her in on the situation to avoid any

    gossip that could lead to misunderstandings.

    As a woman, Lucinda didn¡¯t want to see Mrs. Mitchell get hurt by George.

    Then, Cecilia showed up, spotting Lucinda, broom in hand, standing at the shop entrance. Parking

    her car, she asked anxiously, "Lucy, what''s going on? Someone causing trouble?"

    "George is such a jerk."

    Lucinda was still pissed at George''s actions.

    Cecilia said, "How does that jerk have the nerve to keeping after you?"

    Now that Lucinda''s marriage to Mr. Coleman had gone public, and everyone in Pinehurst knew they

    were hitched. Did George think Mr. Coleman won''te after him?

    They headed back inside the shop.

    Lucinda grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and took a sip.

    "George is a real piece of work. He actually suggested I divorce Stefan, take half his money, then

    start again with him. Does he think he''s God''s gift or something? He even said he''d divorce once he

    had more savings."

    After hearing this, Cecilia cussed out George and sniggered, "Serves George''s wife right. Does she

    really think George loves her? He''s only after her money, he''d ditch her in a heartbeat if there''s no

    profit in it."

    Lucinda stayed quiet for a moment, then said, "I''ve met Mrs. Mitchell. She''s a sensible woman,

    probably got fooled by George''s smooth talk."

    "I''m going to spill the beans about what George said to Mrs. Mitchell. As a woman, I hope she''s

    prepared and won''t let George''s scheme seed."

    Cecilia chimed in, "Absolutely, we can''t let George win."

    "Has the renovation crew shown up yet?"

    "I arranged for them toe at nine in the morning, it''s not time yet. Thendlord came by earlier

    for the rent, I totally forgot about it, he thought I couldn''t afford it."

    Ceciliaughed, "Now that you''re officially Mrs. Coleman, unless someone''s blind and deaf, they''d

    know your status has skyrocketed. Thendlord won''t be worried about us not paying the rent

    anymore."

    She took out her phone and transferred half the rent to Lucinda.

    Lucinda epted it.

    They''re friends, but Serendipity Cafe is their joint venture and they split everything in half.

    "So what''s the deal with you and Owen?"

    Lucinda pulled her over to a table, asking curiously.

    Cecilia, "...What could there be? We''re not even the same species, his grandpa is already on my

    grandpa''s cklist."

    She told Lucinda in detail about how Trenton appeared, forged a friendship with her grandpa, and

    tangled up her and Owen''s potential match with her grandpa.

    "Cecilia, I feel like Trenton is setting you up. Think about it, Owen is head over heels for Ruby,

    Stefan said they''ve been friends since childhood. As soon as Owen understood what love was, he

    fell for Ruby and that''s been the case for over a decade."

    "He''s not going to let Ruby go that easily, anyone who bes his wife will have a hard time being

    happy. But Trenton doesn''t like Ruby, that''s what Stefan told me. Trenton hopes that Owen will

    marry someone else to end his entanglement with Ruby."

    "The high society in Pinehurst isn''t big, Trenton didn''t set his sights on any rich girls, but you. On

    one hand, you''ve had contact with Owen, on the other, your family is ordinary, without power or

    influence, it¡¯s easier to control."

    "If you marry Owen, even if you suffer, it won''t affect the Martinez family''s business. Trenton is

    ruthless. He''s thought this through."

    Cecilia went pale, she knew Trenton was crafty but didn''t think as deeply as Lucinda.

    "It''s impossible for me and Owen to be together, even if he''s forced into marriage by his grandpa, I

    won''t give in."

    Cecilia told herself if things were as Lucinda analyzed, she must hold her ground, not to be swayed

    by Owen''s looks or money.

    Last time he gave her some money and asked she to pretend to be his girlfriend, then she got

    pped by Ruby.

    Cecilia worried Owen would use the same tactic again.

    "Cecilia, I''m sorry, it''s all because of me. I dragged you into this."

    Lucinda grabbed her hand, apologizing.

    "Lucy, what are you talking about, how can it be your fault? My encounter with Owen started when I

    sshed him with a bucket of ice water, causing him to catch a cold."

    Cecilia wouldn''t let her me herself.

    Lucinda wanted to say something else, but her phone rings.

    She thought it was Stefan.

    But when she checked the caller ID, it''s an unfamiliar number.

    Lucinda was a bit puzzled, but answered anyway.

    Before she could say much, her face turned pale. She immediately stood up and dashed out the

    door.

    Cecilia was startled and followed her out, asking while running, "Lucy, what''s wrong? What

    happened?"

    Lucinda rushed to the sidewalk, there happened to be a taxi parked. Without checking if there are

    other passengers, she opened the door and hopped in, replying, "Cecilia, my brother had a car

    ident, the hospital called. I need to go there now."

    Cecilia was stunned, then told her, "Well, you better rush to the hospital, if you need any help, call

    me anytime, don''t worry about the shop, I''ve got it covered."

    The taxi started moving.

    Cecilia stood on the sidewalk watching the taxi drive away.

    Ike''s a real stand-up guy. Because Cecilia was Lucinda¡¯s friend, he always cared for Cecilia like

    she''s his own sister.

    When Cecilia heard that Ike had been in a car ident, she was sending up a little prayer in her

    head, hoping he''d be okay.

    After hanging around at the side of the road for a bit, Cecilia finally turned to head back to the shop.

    No sooner had she stepped foot back in the shop, than she heard Ike''s voice.

    "Cecilia, are you the only one here? Where''s Lucinda? Didn''t she say she was gonna swing by

    today?"

    Cecilia spun around, looking at Ike with a puzzled expression. "Ike, you are okay? I heard you had a

    car ident and was in the hospital. The hospital called Lucinda and she hopped in a cab to go

    there just a few minutes ago."

    Ike looked stumped. "Who said I had a car ident? Which hospital called her? I''m fit as a fiddle,

    how could I have had a car ident¡­ Wait, Lucinda could be in danger!"

    With that, Ike quickly ran to the door.

    Cecilia snapped out of it, her face tense, as she followed after him.

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    Ike stopped in front of his car, turned around to face Cecilia and asked anxiously, "Cecilia, do you

    remember the license te number of the cab Lucinda got in?"

 Chapter 132

    Chapter 132

    Cecilia shook her head regretfully. "I didn''t get a good look, and all I know is that it was a taxi. Lucy

    got a phone call and rushed out. There was a taxi parked nearby and she didn''t even bother to

    check if anyone was in it before she hopped in. The taxi drove off instantly, and I didn''t see the

    license te."

    Seeing that Cecilia couldn''t provide any useful information, Ike immediately got into his car and

    drove off, dialing Lucinda''s number while on the move.

    Her phone was off.

    A surge of anxiety washed over Ike.

    He switched to calling Stefan instead.

    Stefan was well-connected and influential, making him a better choice for finding Lucinda.

    Suddenly getting a call from Ike, Stefan felt a pang of anxiety, fearing that Ike might be bringing him

    trouble again.

    At the same time, his other cell phone also rang. It was Zoey.

    Zoey was the bodyguard that Nelson had secretly assigned to protect Lucinda.

    Stefan''s face instantly changed. As he picked up both calls, he said to Ike, "Ike, hold on a sec, I''ve

    got another call on the other line, I''ll be right back..."

    "Stefan, Lucy''s in danger!"

    Before Stefan could finish, Ike interrupted him, saying, "Lucy got a call at her shop, saying I''d been

    in a car ident. She didn''t even check, just ran out of the shop and got into a taxi that parked

    outside. Cecilia ran out after her, managed to exchange a few words with her, and then the car was

    gone."

    "Lucy''s phone is off now and Cecilia didn''t get the taxi''s license te. I need you to find someone to

    track it down. If we can get the surveince footage of the shop entrance, we should be able to

    figure out which car Lucy got into."

    Upon hearing this, Stefan''s face paled.

    He was anxious, but he couldn''t afford to panic.

    Lucinda was in danger, waiting for him to rescue her. If he panicked, who would save Lucinda?

    Forcing himself to stay calm, Stefan responded to Ike, "I''ll get on it right away. I''ll find Lucy, I

    promise."

    After hanging up with Ike, Stefan asked Zoey, "What car did Lucy get into? Do you know?"

    "Lucy''s been kidnapped and taken out of the city. Zack and I were trailing the car, but they found out

    and arranged a bunch of cars to block us. I got the license te number of the taxi Lucy was in

    was, but they switched cars again while we were being blocked. The distance was too far, and we

    don''t know the license te number of the car Lucy''s in now."

    Upon learning that Lucy had been kidnapped, they immediately notified Stefan.

    And the kidnappers had nned everything meticulously. When they switched cars with Lucy, they

    were all heavily disguised, making it impossible to identify them.

    "Damn it!"

    Stefan asked in a low voice, "How long has it been since she got into the car?"

    "About ten minutes."

    Stefan frowned, "And you''re only telling me now?"

    Zoey exined apologetically, "At first, we didn''t realize something was wrong. We saw her get into

    the taxi and just followed quietly. It wasn''t until we noticed that the car wasn''t headed for the hospital

    that we realized the gravity of the situation, and by then, a few minutes had already passed."

    "And then we started elerating to catch up, but then they chose narrow streets and kept making

    turns, clearly trying to lose us. They even kept changing vehicles. I immediately called you."

    With just him and Zack, they wouldn''t be able to rescue her sessfully.

    Stefan hung up with Zoey. Now wasn''t the time to me the bodyguards.

    The kidnappers were cunning. They took advantage of Lucinda''s concern for her family, tricking her

    into thinking that Ike had been in a car ident. Anyone would panic upon hearing that their loved

    ones were in danger, they''d want to rush to the hospital as quickly as possible.

    Once Lucinda got into the car, there would be no way for her to run. By the time the bodyguards

    realized what was happening, it was indeed toote.

    Stefan immediately called Edgar, instructing him to issue a citywide search for Lucinda.

    In addition to Edgar, Stefan also reached out to his friends for help.

    Despite ten minutes having already passed, there was still a chance of finding Lucinda before she

    was taken out of Pinehurst.

    Whoever dared to kidnap his wife, he''d make them regret it.

    In addition to asking his friends for help, Stefan also informed his brothers.

    The Anderson family was outraged to hear that Lucinda had been kidnapped. Who would dare to

    mess with them?

    As such, the Andersons also started calling their friends for help. They even temporarily put their

    work aside to focus on finding Lucinda.

    After making arrangements, Stefan hastily left the office and drove towards the suburbs.

    He prayed silently, "Lucy, you''ve got to be okay!"

    Back at the coffee shop, Cecilia was wracked with worry.

    Unable to provide any help, she decided to call Owen.

    Owen picked up her call quickly.

    "Ms. Yates, I''m not interested in you, our blind date didn''t work out, you..."

    "I didn''t call about that, Mr. Malicious. Can you do me a favor?"

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "What? And stop calling me Mr. Malicious."

    Every time Cecilia called him Mr. Malicious, he was left speechless.

    He wasn''t a saint, but he was far from being a viin. Cecilia kept calling him Mr. Malicious, unfairly

    labeling him a "bad guy".

    This was damaging to his reputation. Could she take responsibility for that?

    "Lucy''s in trouble, Mr. Martinez. You have a widework of connections, can you help me find

    her?"

    Owen chuckled, "Cecilia, did you dial the wrong number? You want me to help when Lucinda''s in

    trouble? Don''t you know my conflicts with Stefan? I would only be delighted if Stefan''s wife was in

    trouble, why on earth would I help?"

    "Mr. Martinez, Mr. Coleman is also looking for Lucy, I''m begging you, please help. I don''t have many

    friends who can help, you''re my only hope. If you help me out now, I''ll owe you one, I''ll do whatever

    I can to help in the future."

    "What happened to Lucinda?" Owen asked curiously.

    "Ruby''s still in custody, who else would have the guts to cross Lucinda openly except for Ruby?"

    Anyone who dares to cross Stefan and the Anderson family, they must have some serious balls.

    In Pinehurst, the Anderson family rule the roost, they are the most influential family around. Without

    extraordinary abilities, ordinary people wouldn''t dare to offend the Anderson family in Pinehurst.

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    Ruby, who was obsessed with Stefan, was jealous of Lucinda and smashed her shop. But that

    didn''t cross the bottom line of the Anderson family. That''s also why Ruby dared to do it.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    After all, she and Stefan were once considered a couple, and the young folks in the Anderson family

    didn''t want to get involved in Stefan''s love life.

    "I''m not entirely sure."

    Cecilia gave a rough exnation of what happened.

    After finishing, she pleaded desperately, "Mr. Martinez, can you help me out? It''s me asking for your

    help, not Mr. Coleman. You''d be helping me, not Mr. Coleman."

    Owen chuckled, "Cecilia, do you think you''re that important?"

    Cecilia was left speechless.

    "Mr. Martinez..." Cecilia was on the verge of tears.

    She was terrified that the next time she saw Lucinda, it would be in a funeral home.

    "Mr. Martinez, saving a life is as urgent as putting out a fire. Can you help me...?"

    "Alright, stop crying. I can''t stand women who weep and wail. Since you helped me before, I''ll give

    you a hand this time. But remember what you said. If I need your help in the future, you have to

    help me unconditionally.

    "And after we save Lucinda, you''re treating me to dinner."

    Cecilia quickly replied, "As long as Lucindaes back safely, I can treat you to dinner every day."

    "I''ll remember your promise," Owen said. "I''ll send people to look for Lucinda now, but I can''t

    guarantee we''ll find her. If the kidnappers realize they''ve messed up big time and decide to kill

    Lucinda, don''t me me."

    "No way, Lucy will be alright! No matter the oue, I won''t me you."

    Owen muttered, "When you need my help, you call me Mr. Martinez. When you don''t, you call me

    Mr. Malicious."

    "I won''t call you Mr. Malicious anymore."

    Owen ended the call with Cecilia and sent his men to search the city for Lucinda.

    ...

    Lucinda was knocked out cold. Her phone was taken and switched off so no one could reach her.

    The people who kidnapped her kept switching cars, speeding away from the bustling city center

    towards the suburbs. They wanted to get to a specific location as quickly as possible, hand Lucinda

    over to a waiting private jet, and call it a day.

    But they soon realized they were being pursued and the whole city was looking for them.

    Checkpoints were being set up all over the streets to inspect iing cars.

    They had to constantly change their route.

    They just got a call from a buddy, another checkpoint was set up ahead. The guy holding the

    unconscious Lucinda grumbled to hispanion in the car, "What the hell is this girl''s background

    that she can stir up this much attention in such a short time? Did we bite off more than we can

    chew?"

    "ording to the client, she''s just a regr girl from a normal family. Besides being young and

    pretty, there''s nothing special about her file."

    The man snarled, "The client must have hidden something, and they didn''t give us all the info. If

    she''s just a regr girl, how could she draw this much attention?"

    "Maybe they''re not after us."

    Feeling guilty, they didn''t dare risk going through the checkpoint.

    The phone suddenly rang.

    "It''s the boss." One of the men said.

    The man holding Lucinda urged him, "Answer it."

    He immediately picked up the call.

    "Do you still have Lucinda?" Their boss immediately asked.

    "She''s still with us. We were trying to get to the private jet, but there are suddenly a lot of

    checkpoints on the road. We''ve been changing routes but still couldn''t get there."

    "You didn''t hurt Lucinda, did you?"

    "We only knocked her out, took her phone and switched it off. We gagged her, blindfolded her, and

    tied her up. We didn''t hurt her at all."

    The boss was slightly relieved and ordered, "Take a less-traveled road to a less-popted area and

    leave Lucinda there. Change into regr clothes and get out of Pinehurst asap."

    The man was taken aback, realizing something was wrong, he hurriedly asked, "Boss, what''s going

    on?"

    "We''ve been duped. The client didn''t provide all the info. We''ve crossed someone we shouldn''t

    have. Lucinda is with the Anderson family now, and the Andersons rule the Pinehurst business

    world. There''s no good ending for the person who kidnaps Stefan''s wife."

    "Hurry up and leave Lucinda. Be careful not to hurt her, we might have to beg Stefan for mercy

    later."

    If he hurt Lucinda, he would really be Stefan''s enemy.

    "Boss, we got it."

    The boss cursed and hung up.

    They put so much manpower and resources into kidnapping Lucinda only to be deceived. They

    would definitely make the client pay for their losses!

    After hanging up, the man ryed the boss''s words to hisrades.

    The man holding Lucinda started cursing, "I told you so! I knew something was off. How can a

    regr girl have such power, get so many people looking for her in such a short time? We wouldn''t

    have been discovered so quickly."

    If a regr girl fell into their hands, her family wouldn''t know until the next day.

    But the moment Lucinda got in their car, they were closely tracked within ten minutes. They had to

    find a way to ditch the trackers.

    They finally lost them and were on the road to the suburbs, only to find checkpoints popping up

    everywhere. It seemed like the police were checking for drunk driving, but in reality, Lucinda''s

    husband was furious.

    "Untie this girl quickly. Once I park the car you two get her out, dump her on the side of the road,

    and we need to leave right away."

    Before he could finish, the dude already started untying the ropes around Lucinda''s hands and feet.

    They finally found a quietne with hardly any cars, stopped the car right away, threw Lucinda out,

    stripped off their clothes, hopped back in the car and took off quickly.

    Meanwhile, in Echoville.

    The front door of a mansion was busted open by a big, bearded dude and his posse all dressed in

    ck.

    A middle-aged man, chilling in the living room sipping coffee, reading the newspaper behind his

    gold-rimmed sses, almost choked when he saw them barge in.

    Seeing their aggressive demeanor, the man was taken aback at first. Then, he calmly set down his

    coffee cup, neatly folded his newspaper.

    "Hugo, what brings you here?"

    He got up, smiling, and walked towards Hugo.

    As he got closer, Hugo suddenly pped him across the face.

    The pnded hard on the middle-aged man''s face leaving him absolutely dumbfounded.

 Chapter 134

    Chapter 134

    "Hugo, what''s the deal?"

    "Mr. Blue, I could ask you the same thing. You had me busting my ass and throwing resources at

    kidnapping this girl, but you didn''t tell me she was no average Joe''s daughter. Why didn''t you

    mention she''s part of the Anderson family, the richest people in Pinehurst?"

    "My guys got her in the car, and we were tailed within minutes. They set up checkpoints

    everywhere, forcing us to switch vehicles and routes. In the end, we had to ditch the girl just to get

    away."

    He''d put in a lot of man-hours and effort, only to abandon the mission for survival. Hugo was miffed

    and felt like a fool.

    He''d been in this line of work for a while and rarely messed up.

    This blunder was all because Mr. Blue had hidden some crucial info about the girl.

    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.

    Mr. Blue looked shocked, "She''s one of the Andersons?"

    He rushed to exin, "Hugo, I swear I didn''t know she was an Anderson. How could she be?"

    "She''s publicly announced her marriage to the Anderson heir, Stefan Coleman. You didn''t know?"

    "Look, Hugo, I genuinely didn''t have a clue. If I''d known, I would''ve definitely told you. When did she

    be an Anderson?"

    "It was announced a few days ago."

    Mr. Blue instantly replied, "There you have it! It was just announced a few days ago. My guys spent

    a lot of time confirming that she was the one we were after. I had her background checked

    thoroughly, and she wasn''t an Anderson then."

    "I hired you guys for a lot of dough. Of course, I wanted you to seed. It would''ve saved us both a

    ton of trouble. I had no reason to withhold her other identity and set you up for failure. That would

    just burn a hole in my pocket."

    Hugo figured Mr. Blue¡¯s blunder made sense after listening to his exnation.

    "Also, you always prep and n in detail before a job, which takes time. Did you know she was an

    Anderson then?"

    Hugo was at a loss for words.

    "So, was this just a fluke?"

    "Definitely a fluke. Who''d have thought that an ordinary girl could end up marrying Stefan?"

    With Hugo''s failure to kidnap Lucinda Moore, even Mr. Blue, who wasn''t too familiar with Pinehurst,

    now knew not to underestimate the Andersons.

    "Hugo, when your guys ditched her, were they moving or parked?" Mr. Blue asked with concern.

    If she was thrown out of a moving vehicle, Lucinda could be severely injured, which meant the big

    bucks he spent hiring Hugo to kidnap her weren''t totally wasted.

    Hugo pushed him away, walked over to the couch, picked up a ss, and downed a few gulps of

    ice water before grumpily saying, "The Andersons may keep a low profile in Pinehurst, but they''re

    real big shots in business. They dominate when ites to connections and wealth. If we hadn''t

    hurt her, we might''ve escaped. But if we did, that means we would have pissed them off. I don''t

    fancy running from the cops."

    "So, you guys didn''t hurt her?"

    "Hurt her? All I could do was safely return her. How could we hurt her? My guys stopped and gently

    took her out of the car. Luckily, she was still out of it. Otherwise, it would''ve been a real mess."

    If the girl had struggled or fought back, his guys would have had to get rough. If she had any marks

    on her, Stefan would never let him see another peaceful day again.

    Mr. Blue was stunned.

    He''d shelled out a fortune for nothing. He''d had Lucinda in his grasp, and all he had to do was get

    her on his private ne.

    But that girl really had luck on her side!

    "Mr. Blue, I came here to confront you. Now that I know it was all a misunderstanding and an

    ident, I don''t me you. But you still owe me the rest of my pay. I want you to settle the ount

    now. We''re not doing business again."

    After getting his money, he''d need to keep a low profile for a while.

    Mr. Blue''s lips twitched because he wanted to haggle, but seeing Hugo''s cold stare and his

    menacing men, he had no choice but to pay up.

    Hugo took the money, left with his men, and even had them haul off some antique decorations from

    the hall on the way out.

    This pissed Mr. Blue off, but he didn''t dare cuss him out.

    Once the room quieted down, Mr. Blue angrily swept everything off the table, including the coffee

    pot and cups, shattering them on the floor.

    A shy woman came down from upstairs, went over to Mr. Blue, rested her hand on his shoulder,

    leaned against him, and cooed, "What''s got you so worked up?"

    Mr. Blue shoved her away, and she fell onto the couch.

    "Just leave me alone for now. Go do what you''re supposed to."

    "Go. Get me a cigar."

    The woman got up, fetched a cigar for him, and lit it.

    After finishing the cigar, Mr. Blue said angrily, "That girl is too lucky. She survived 20 years ago, and

    20 yearster, she''s still lucky. She even found a powerful backer!"

    "Why not tell your family that you know where she is? You might even gain their favor and get some

    benefits."

    "If she goes back, she''ll get half the inheritance, and her parents might even reconcile. If her father

    investigates what happened back then and traces it back to me, I''m finished. By then, the kid you''re

    carrying won''t have a penny to inherit."

    "If she kicks the bucket, not only can I get half of her father''s dough, but I¡¯ll finally be able to bury all

    the stuff from two decades ago deep down, with no one to ever bring it up again."

    What he wanted was not just half of the inheritance but also the head honcho spot in the family.

    Otherwise, if the truth came out, his whole family would be in deep shit.

    He treated the young girl, who should technically be calling him uncle, coldly and ruthlessly, all in

    the name of self-preservation.

    The woman was his mistress and was now carrying his love child.

    Mr. Blueid out his thoughts inly and simply. The woman lightly rubbed her belly and said,

    "Looking at it your way, we really can''t let her be, huh? But you''ve botched it a couple of times

    already and shelled out a ton of dough. Next time, we¡¯ve really gotta make sure everything''s spot on

    before we make a move."

    "That''s a given."

    Mr. Blue suddenly turned and said, "What are you still doing here? Go upstairs or outside. Don¡¯t you

    see that I''m about to light up? Don''t let my kid breathe in secondhand smoke."

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    Chapter 135

    "Why are you smoking?"

    The womanined and then said, "I want to buy some maternity clothes. Can you give me

    some money?"

    Mr. Blue frowned, "I just gave you ten grand not long ago. Have you spent it all already?"

    "What can ten grand buy? It''s gone after buying a single bag. I''m pregnant with your child, and I''m

    not even your officialdy. What''s so hard about spending a little of your money? Are you afraid

    your wife will check the ounts?"

    "At home, I call the shots." Mr. Blue handed a bank card to the woman, reminding her, "Don''t

    splurge; I''ve already lost a ton of money. It hurts."

    "Got it."

    She took the bank card, pecked him on the cheek, and sashayed away.

    ...

    Lucinda woke up less than ten minutes after being dragged out of the car by the kidnappers.

    She just felt a lot of pain in the back of her neck.

    Lucinda suddenly sat up as she recalled what had happened before she was knocked out.

    She felt relieved when she discovered that she was able to move freely and that her phone was still

    in her pocket.

    Although she was unsure of what had happened, at least she was safe for now.

    Lucinda looked around as she got up from the ground. She was on a highway with no signs nearby,

    so she was unsure where the road led.

    She turned on her phone, which had been turned off, and promptly made a call to Ike.

    She wanted to confirm whether Ike really had a car ident.

    When Ike received her call, he assumed it was the kidnapper contacting him through her phone and

    hastily answered, "How much do you want? I''ll give you whatever, but you can''t hurt my sister. Even

    if you escape to the ends of the earth, I''ll find you."

    "Ike."

    "Lucy, don''t be scared; I''ming to get you. Don''t panic, and don''t resist. Do whatever they ask

    you to; don''t make them angry. Money is not important. I will raise the money to get you back. Just

    as long as you''re not hurt."

    Ike was worried that she might provoke the kidnappers and end up getting hurt.

    So he firstforted her, telling her not to panic and not to test the kidnappers'' patience.

    "I''m okay; you weren''t in a car ident, were you?"

    Hearing that Lucinda was still concerned about whether he had a car ident in her predicament

    made Ike feel a lump in his throat. His care for her was not in vain.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "I''m good; no car ident."

    Once she confirmed that he had not had a car ident, Lucinda let out a sigh of relief, "I''m now on

    a highway; I¡¯m not sure where it leads. There''s hardly any traffic. I haven''t seen a single car since I

    woke up.

    I''m safe; there¡¯s nobody around. Maybe they just left me here and walked away."

    Lucinda was unaware that her husband had already mobilized all his contacts and had them looking

    for her all over the city.

    "I''ll send you a location;e pick me up. My phone''s almost out of battery; once you get the

    location, juste straight here. I''ll wait for you."

    "Okay."

    Ike didn''t ask too many questions. The most important task at that moment was to find his sister.

    After hanging up the phone, Lucinda immediately sent him her location.

    Then she tried to contact Cecilia Yates, but the moment the call was connected, her phone powered

    off due to a drained battery.

    Cecilia was about to pick up the phone when the line suddenly went dead. She immediately called

    back, but the other end had already turned off.

    "Lucy, you must be safe." Cecilia said as she paced anxiously around the shop.

    She felt guilty and useless because she was unable to provide any help when her friend was in

    trouble.

    Although Owen Martinez had joined the search for Lucinda, there was still no news. But she

    understood that no news was good news.

    Lucinda initially wanted to wait by the roadside for Ike''s arrival, but she was worried about running

    into thugs and being kidnapped again.

    She saw a grove of trees by the roadside, so she went into the grove, found arge tree with lush

    branches and leaves, climbed up the tree, and found a spot to sit. This way, she could ensure her

    safety and avoid direct sunlight.

    She hoped that Stefan wouldn''t contact her during this time.

    Otherwise, once he found her phone turned off, he would surely drop everything and rush to her

    shop looking for her.

    At this moment, Lucinda thought Stefan was oblivious to her situation.

    About half an hourter, a fleet of cars could be seening from a distance.

    Lucinda, who was still hiding in the tree, saw the fleet approaching from afar. They were driving very

    fast initially but slowed down significantly as they got closer to her location.

    Lucinda keenly noticed that one of the cars was the one she rode to work in early in the morning,

    and the owner of that car was her husband, Stefan.

    She also saw Ike''s car, but his car was at the end of the fleet.

    It seemed like Ike''s car was being squeezed into the back by Stefan.

    "Stefan, Stefan."

    Lucinda stood in the tree, cupping her hands around her mouth as a makeshift megaphone, calling

    Stefan''s name loudly towards the fleet.

    After Stefan received the location sent by Ike, he immediately led the team over. When he saw the

    destination, he didn''t see Lucinda, and his heart started to panic. Suddenly, he heard Lucinda

    shouting.

    He looked towards the grove by the roadside and immediately stopped the car.

    As soon as he stopped, the fleet behind him also stopped one after another.

    Stefan opened the car door, quickly jumped over the roadside ditch, and ran into the grove.

    "Stefan, I''m here."

    Lucinda stood on the tree, waving and shouting at him.

    Stefan quickly ran to the tree, looked up, and yelled, "Lucinda, get down!"

    She actually climbed up the tree?

    If she hadn''t called him first, and if he hadn''t rolled down the car window and slowed down near her,

    he wouldn''t have heard her shouting, and he would have missed her.

    "I''ming down now. I was just worried that it wasn''t safe to wait for you by the roadside, so I hid

    in the tree. It''s safer that way."

    As she slid down from the tree, Lucinda exined why she was up in the tree.

    She also said gratefully, "Luckily, I often helped pick fruits at home, so I learned to climb trees when

    I was young."

    Stefan''s face was tense. He watched her nervously, fearing that she would slip and fall from the

    tree.

    After hearing what she said, his face immediately turned gloomy.

    The moment he was able to get his hands on Lucinda, he swept her into his arms.

    "Stefan, you..."

    Lucinda was cut off as he pinned her against a tree. One of his hands held her waist and wrists, the

    other pressed against her head, and then he forcefully sealed off her mouth.

    Stefan swallowed everything she was about to say, kissing her fiercely and passionately.

    Only this way could he reassure himself that she was okay and that she was safely back in his

    arms.

    Only heaven knew how worried he was about her.

    This heartless girl! Instead of checking in with him first after the danger was over, she reached out

    to her brother?

    The others who had followed them into the woods saw the heated kiss and beat a hasty retreat.

    Ike felt like Stefan had actually stolen his sister right in front of him!

 Chapter 136

    Chapter 136

    Finally, Ike turned his back, no longer looking at the lovey-dovey couple.

    Even if he didn''t want to, they were now legally married.

    After a while, Stefan let go of his lover.

    Lucinda felt a bit weak. Stefan moved her away from the tree trunk, scooped her up in his arms, and

    left the woods.

    People waiting by the roadside, who had been engrossed in their phones, finally pocketed them

    when they saw the newlyweds emerge.

    Lucinda''s face was red as a beet.

    Even though they were alone in the woods, these people undoubtedly spotted their kiss.

    Blushing, she avoided their gaze. Seeing her brother, she lowered her head and called out to him.

    Ike responded, "We''ll talk about it at home."

    With that, he turned around and left.

    Lucinda suddenly felt a sense of loneliness around Ike as she watched Ike''s retreating figure.

    Before, whenever she faced problems, Ike was always the first to appear by her side to help her

    out.

    Their sibling rtionship was always good; she was always his most cherished little sister.

    Stefan took Lucinda to his car. Instead of driving himself, he let a bodyguard take the wheel while

    he and Lucinda sat in the backseat.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Charles, tell everyone to head home. I''ll treat everyone to a meal next time."

    After instructing Charles, Stefan''s car took off.

    "Where to?" The bodyguard asked while driving.

    "Diamond Ridge Estates."

    It was the closest ce. Going back to Ascend Estate would be too far, and his grandparents were

    home. He didn''t want them to know about this and worry.

    As for the guy who kidnapped but released Lucinda, he would investigate thoroughly and find the

    culprit.

    He wanted to see who dared to kidnap his wife within Pinehurst.

    Apparently, the news of their public marriage was not enough. They needed to have a grand

    wedding ceremony to dere his ownership of her.

    "Alright." With a destination in mind, the bodyguard focused on driving.

    On the way home, Stefan held Lucinda silently.

    When he found out Lucinda was in trouble, his heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

    Why did she not contact him first when she was safe?

    Moreover, her phone ran out of battery at a crucial moment.

    Luckily, she managed to contact her brother before her phone died, allowing them to find her

    quickly. Otherwise, how would she havee back?

    Lucinday quietly in his arms, asionally looking up at him.

    Seeing his tense face, stern expression, and closed lips, she didn''t dare speak. She just snuggled

    quietly into his arms. Even though he was holding her tightly, making her a bit ufortable, she

    didn''t dare push him away.

    Ever since she saw the photos he cherished and understood his deep feelings for her, Lucinda

    knew how much he cared for her.

    It was normal for him to be nervous and scared when something like this happened to her.

    When they arrived at Diamond Ridge Estates, Lucinda wanted to get out of the car.

    "Stay put; don''t move!" Stefan said in a low voice.

    Lucinda looked at him. She had already pushed the car door open and had one foot out, but she

    quickly pulled it back and hurriedly shut the car door.

    Stefan got out of the car first, then carried her out.

    Lucinda was speechless.

    "Stefan."

    Stefan didn''t respond, so Lucinda swallowed back the words she wanted to say.

    She could only hold onto his neck tightly, letting him carry her towards the room.

    The only person who could follow the couple back to Diamond Ridge Estates was Ike.

    He parked the car and saw Stefan carrying his sister into the house without acknowledging him. Ike

    sat in the car, unsure if he should get out.

    A few minutester, Emma came out of the house and walked straight to Ike.

    "It''s hot outside;e in quickly."

    Ike first asked, "Where are Stefan and my sister?"

    "He carried her upstairs."

    Ike was silent for a while after hearing Emma''s reply, then he took out a pack of cigarettes, lit one,

    took a deep drag, and said to Emma, "I''lle in after I finish this cigarette; you go ahead."

    "There''s an ashtray inside the house."

    "No need; Lucy doesn''t like the smell of smoke. I''ll finish it here so it won''t bother her."

    Realizing that he didn''t want toe in for now, Emma didn''t push it any further. She turned to look

    at the house entrance, then asked Ike in a low voice, "What happened to Lucinda? Why would

    Stefan bring her back at this time? His expression was very serious. Something big must have

    happened."

    Emma didn''t believe they would fight.

    Stefan had always deeply loved Lucinda. He waited for so many years and made countless efforts

    to win her over. He would never willingly quarrel with her.

    After taking a drag, Ike exhaled smoke and said lightly, "It''s alright now."

    This incident also made him see Stefan''s capabilities. He trusted Stefanpletely.

    Without Stefan today, Lucinda would definitely be in huge trouble.

    But the fact that Lucinda was targeted by the kidnappers was likely also because of Stefan. No one

    dared to harm Stefan in Pinehurst. Stefan had boxing training, and with bodyguards secretly

    protecting him, it was hard for anyone to get close to him.

    So they targeted Lucinda.

    "It''s good that everything''s fine." Emma quickly said.

    "Go ahead with your work; I''lle in after I finish this cigarette."

    Ike wasn''t a fool. Although he didn''t have a girlfriend, he was nearly thirty. He understood why

    Stefan carried Lucinda upstairs.

    Even though they were legally married, the fact that the couple left him aside and went to the

    bedroom first made Ike feel mixed emotions.

    Although he was reluctant, he had no other choice.

    "Then I''ll go first." Emma turned back and went inside while Ike continued smoking.

    In a room upstairs, Lucinda and her husband got intimate twice before she was let go.

    Stefan carried her into the bathroom to clean up.

    "From now on, if anything happens, you have to tell me immediately."

    Stefan made a low request to the woman, who looked a bit tired.

    Looking at him, Lucinda''s eyes sparkled, and she said, "Stefan, are you worried about me or are

    you jealous of my brother?"

    Stefan pulled her into his arms, holding her tight and whispering, "I got you."

    "When your brother rang me up, I was scared outta my wits. It took everything I had to keep my cool

    and get a rescue team on it. I drove out to the burbs myself. Zoey said those kidnappers switched

    rides a bunch of times, probably trying to haul you outta town."

 Chapter 137

    Chapter 137

    Lucinda cupped Stefan''s face in her hands, caressing it twice as she apologized, "Stefan, I''m sorry.

    I got a call saying my brother was in a car ident, and I rushed to the hospital without thinking. I

    walked right into a trap and got you all worried.

    When I woke up, I didn¡¯t know what had happened. I just thought of my brother and called him to

    check if he was safe. Then, my phone died, and I had no choice but to wait for him to find me.

    I didn''t know you had sent so many people to rescue me."

    As she said this, Lucinda''s voice became softer.

    She now understood why Stefan had been so affectionate. It wasn''t just because she hadn''t called

    him immediately, but more so because he was scared to lose her. So, he confirmed in his own way

    that she was still there and alright.

    However, his approach was too intense.

    Her waist was killing her!

    "Thankfully, your brother happened to visit your store today. A few minutes after you left, he arrived

    and realized something was wrong. He called me immediately; otherwise, I can''t imagine what

    could have happened."

    But even if Ike hadn''t called him, the two bodyguards he had secretly assigned to Lucinda would

    have.

    This was something Stefan didn''t tell Lucinda.

    He assigned bodyguards to protect Lucinda for her safety, but he was scared that she might feel like

    she was being watched and that she had lost her freedom after marrying him.

    He couldn''t let her feel like this.

    The two bodyguards were not enough. He needed to ask Nelson to assign a few more to protect

    her around the clock.

    He didn''t want a repeat of today''s incident. It gave him a heart attack.

    Lucinda was scared too.

    She only realized there were two strangers in the car with her after she got in. One of them was

    sitting in the back seat with her.

    She had politely asked them to give her the taxi as she needed to rush to the hospital, but they

    kindly offered to drive her there instead.

    Completely frazzled by Ike''s supposed ident, she didn''t think much and thought she had met

    some good Samaritans.

    Little did she know that she would be knocked out not long after the car started moving.

    When she woke up, she was lying by the roadside.

    "Stefan, was this pure kidnapping or does it have something to do with my background?"

    Stefan was silent for a moment before he said, "The operation was well-organized, and lots of

    resources were used. It wasn''t just a simple kidnapping. It might have something to do with your

    background."

    "I don''t even know who my biological parents are. Trouble found me before I could find it out. Could

    I be the daughter of a mob boss? Did my father''s enemies find out about me before he did and

    come after me?"

    "Your biological father might not be a mob boss. If he were, he would have used all his resources to

    find you when you were kidnapped as a child.

    Maybe your biological father is very wealthy, and internal family conflicts over power and benefits

    led to you being found after going missing for over twenty years. How did you get separated from

    your biological parents when you were young? These are all mysteries waiting to be solved."

    After this incident, Stefan began to realize that his wife''s background must be extraordinary.

    ording to Edgar, Trenton had sent people to investigate Lucinda''s background in the upper-ss

    society of big cities. This meant that Trenton had also confirmed that Lucinda''s background was not

    ordinary. However, he was not sure what clues Trenton had to confirm this.

    It looked like he had to talk to Trenton directly.

    "Lucy, don''t worry. I will find your biological parents and uncover the mystery of your background. I

    will also find the people who kidnapped you."

    He would not allow anyone to harm his wife!

    "Stefan, thank you."

    "You''re still being formal with me? You should be punished."

    Stefan hugged her and kissed her.

    Lucinda quickly surrendered and pleaded, "Stefan, stop. We need to... wait, I think my brother came

    back with us!"

    Lucinda suddenly remembered her brother.

    Ike, who had smoked countless cigarettes in the car, was teary-eyed. He had finally been

    remembered.

    Stefan had also forgotten that Ike hade back with them.

    So, the couple stopped flirting, quickly changed their clothes, made sure they covered certain

    traces, and then Lucinda nervously hurried Stefan downstairs.

    When Emma invited Ike in, he looked upset.

    Lucinda made a cup of lemon water for Ike. As soon as he sat down, she immediately handed him

    the lemon water to appease him, "I made this lemon water for you. It''ll help you cool down."

    Ike red at her but still took the cup and finished it quickly.

    He did need to cool down. He was angry that this couple had ignored him for so long.

    Stefanined in his heart. Ike knew that he and Lucinda had just reunited and would obviously

    need some alone time. Yet he still chose toe back with them. He was ignored for a while and

    then med them? His brothers were all sensible, and none of them darede back with them at

    such a time.

    "Emma, prepare a few more dishes. Ike and I are going to drink." Stefan told Emma.

    Ike casually said, "I still have to driveter, so I can''t drink."

    "Then you can leave after you''ve eaten." Ike scoffed.

    Did they really dare let him leave on an empty stomach?

    "I''m sorry for making you worried." Lucinda said, only to get a poke on the forehead from Ike.

    "You scared us. Next time, can you call me first if something like this happens?"

    Lucinda rubbed her forehead where Ike had poked and innocently said, "I heard you were in a car

    ident and were rushed to the hospital. I was so scared and just immediately wanted to get to the

    hospital, but ended up walking into a trap."

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Stefan couldn''t bear to see his wife being scolded and quickly jumped in, "Ike, Lucy''s only like this

    because she''s worried about you. She didn''t mean to ck off. Don''t be too hard on her."

    "I''m just giving my little sister a lecture. Who are you to butt in?"

    Stefan was taken aback.

    Ike was really pissed off.

    Touching his nose, he calmly said, "Lucy won''t be this careless next time."

    "So you''re saying she''s being careless because of me? Are you trying to ruin our sibling

    rtionship?"

    Stefan was at a loss for words.

    Okay, everything he said was wrong.

 Chapter 138

    Chapter 138

    "Stefan didn''t do anything wrong; don''t pick on him." Lucinda defended her husband.

    Ike poked her forehead lightly again, chiding her, "You''re really biased towards your hubby, huh?"

    Lucinda, clinging to Ike''s arm, pleaded yfully, "I messed up this time, but I''ll be careful next time,

    okay? Don''t me Stefan."

    "Next time? This time scared the bejesus out of me. If something actually happened to you, what

    would our parents do?"

    Ike''s anger was fueled by fear. He remembered the fright he had.

    "There won''t be a next time. I''m alright now; don''t be mad. You''ll age faster if you''re always mad.

    You''re a handsome hunk; you haven''t found a wife yet, so you can''t afford to get old."

    Ike was both annoyed and amused.

    "Let''s not tell our parents about this, and definitely not our grandparents." Lucinda advised him.

    "Do you think I''m stupid? Telling our parents would give them a heart attack."

    Ike finished his sentence and shot Stefan several res.

    He was unaware that his mother had already told Lucinda about her origins, and even less that the

    incident was caused by Lucinda''s background. He thought it was Stefan''s identity that had brought

    trouble upon Lucinda.

    When he first heard that Lucinda was marrying Stefan, he was extremely anxious, dropping

    everything at work to rush back and stop the wedding, but to no avail.

    He had warned Lucinda that Stefan was not as benign as he seemed and that she couldn''t handle

    him.

    Once she knew about Stefan''s true identity, Lucinda had thoughts of divorce. Ike fully supported

    Lucinda''s decision to divorce, but Stefan was too cunning and sweet-talked his sister into staying.

    Now that the two of them had announced their engagement, he had nothing more to say.

    "This isn''t Stefan''s fault."

    Having been siblings for over twenty years, Lucinda knew Ike well. She knew Ike was ming

    Stefan after seeing him re at him.

    "If it''s not his fault, whose is it? Only he could attract such trouble." Ike retorted rudely.

    "This is actually my fault. I think it''s because of my background."

    Ike was taken aback, then scolded, "What nonsense are you spouting? You''re my real sister; we''re

    blood siblings!"

    "Ike."

    Lucinda leaned on Ike''s arm, feeling warm inside, "I''m your sister, and I''ll always be your sister. But

    we don''t share the same parents. Mom already told me; she even gave me the ne I wore as a

    child and the clothes she found me in."

    Ike fell silent.

    When did this happen?

    Did their mother tell Lucinda about her origins during the days she came home?

    She even gave her the ne she wore as a child.

    Ike was lost for words.

    At the same time, he was a bit scared of losing Lucinda.

    Ike was especially fond of his sister. They had been each other''s support systems for over twenty

    years. But now, his sister might be taken away by Stefan. He couldn''t ept this reality, let alone

    the possibility of Lucinda leaving him to return to her biological parents.

    If Lucinda''s biological parents had a son, then they would be real siblings. Then what would

    his rtionship with Lucinda be?

    Deep down, Ike was scared of losing Lucinda, but he didn''t show it on the surface.

    His heart was in turmoil, but it was only for a moment.

    They had been siblings for over twenty years. He believed Lucinda wouldn''t forget their bond. Even

    if she found her biological parents, she would still keep in touch with them.

    "Do you know who your biological parents are?" Ike asked gravely.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Lucinda shook her head, "I don''t know yet. Stefan''s people are still investigating. We''re only

    guessing that it might be my biological parents'' enemies that are after me."

    The dangerous men she met, the dreams she had, everything pointed to her origins.

    "So what do we do now? We don''t know anything, but they''ve already made a move on you. Lucy,

    are you sure you still want to acknowledge them after you find them?" Ike realized Lucinda''s

    background could beplicated.

    He didn''t know how many dramatic twists were hidden in it.

    Stefan said gravely, "No matter who they are, I won''t let them hurt Lucy."

    Thinking of today''s incident, Ike was d for the first time that Lucinda married Stefan. Because

    Stefan was able to mobilize arge amount of manpower and resources in a short time to

    thoroughly search for Lucinda, which drove the bad guys into a corner and forced them to let

    Lucinda go in order to escape.

    If Lucinda weren''t with Stefan, even if he, as her brother, called the police right away, it would be too

    late.

    "Stefan, let me know once you find out."

    "I will."

    From his eyes, Stefan could see Ike''s gratitude. He knew his actions had Ike''s approval. He

    believed he could protect Lucinda.

    ...

    Owen told his bodyguards not to follow him and entered the Serendipity Cafe alone.

    The cafe was supposed to be renovated today, but due to Lucinda''s incident, Cecilia wasn''t in the

    mood to handle it. So she told the workers to start tomorrow since some materials weren''t ready

    yet.

    Now, only Cecilia was in the cafe.

    After Lucinda safely returned, she was taken back to Diamond Ridge Estates by Stefan. They had

    been living a sweet life for a while, and Lucinda hadn''t had time to let Cecilia know she was safe.

    Even Ike had forgotten that Cecilia was anxiously waiting for news.

    After seeing Owen walk in, Cecilia rushed up to him, asking anxiously, "Mr. Martinez, how''s Lucy?

    Did you find her? Is Lucy hurt? She called me, but the call was cut off as soon as I picked up, and

    then her phone was off."

    Owen watched her fidget and deliberately teased her, saying, "I got my hands dirty for this, and now

    I''m starving, parched, and beat."

    Cecilia immediately ushered him to a table and earnestly said, "Mr. Martinez, sit down. I''ll fetch you

    a ss of ice water. What do you fancy? We''re not open today, so there''s no food, but there are

    plenty of restaurants around. Tell me what you want, and I''ll run out and get it for you."

    "I skipped my siesta to help you out, and I still have work this afternoon. Can you whip me up a cup

    of coffee to perk me up?"

    "No problem, Mr. Martinez. Please tell me if Lucy is okay. Has she been rescued?"

    "She''s back, yes."

    By the time Owen and his guys arrived on the scene, Stefan was just picking up Lucinda to take her

    home.

    When the two rivals met face to face, Stefan seemed to catch on to something. He even rolled

    down his window and nodded at Owen; his lips moved, but Owen didn''t catch what Stefan said. He

    figured he probably said something like "Thanks".

 Chapter 139

    Chapter 139

    He put in quite a bit of effort, even though he wasn¡¯t the one who found Lucinda first, but at least he

    contributed. Stefan was a sensible man, so he will remember the favor Owen did for him.

    Owen felt pretty smug when he thought about his longtime rival thanking him.

    When Stefan came to thank him, he nned to act all high and mighty.

    ¡°Was Lucy hurt? Did they catch the criminals?¡±

    ¡°Lucinda wasn''t injured. I asked around, and those criminals were probably too scared to hurt her.

    They dumped her in some remote ce and ran off. I bet they won''t get far after crossing Stefan. If

    Stefan can''t help the police catch those guys, I will lose all respect for him.¡±

    If he couldn''t even protect his own wife, then he had no business being Owen''s rival.

    "Good to know Lucy is fine." Cecilia let out a sigh of relief.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    "But why didn''t Lucy tell me?"

    Owen didn¡¯t really want to exin for Lucinda, but seeing Cecilia look a bit disappointed, he

    spontaneously exined, ¡°Lucinda''s phone ran out of battery and shut off.¡±

    After hearing this, Cecilia immediately perked up. She understood that it wasn¡¯t that Lucinda didn''t

    want to check in with her, it was just that her phone had run out of battery.

    ¡°After this incident, Stefan was also shocked. He took her home and... you should understand what

    I mean. You''re her good friend; she will call you. Just wait.¡±

    No sooner had Owen finished speaking than Cecilia''s phone rang.

    It was Ike calling, and Cecilia answered right away.

    "Cecilia, Lucy has been rescued, and she''s fine. Sorry, I forgot to tell you."

    Ike''s voice was filled with regret.

    Ceciliaughed and said, "As long as Lucy is fine."

    Ike cared a lot about Lucinda.

    After Lucinda was rescued, all of Ike''s attention was on her, and he temporarily forgot to notify

    Cecilia, which was understandable.

    "I''ll let Lucy talk to you."

    Ike handed the phone to Lucinda.

    The two chatted on the phone for a long time and almost drained Ike''s phone battery, then Lucinda

    ended the call.

    "Mr. Martinez, you haven''t eaten yet; go ahead and eat. I''ll go buy you something. What do you

    want? It¡¯s my treat."

    She had said before that as long as Owen helped her out, she would treat him to meals every day.

    Luckily, she got a hundred thousand dors for pretending to be Owen''s girlfriendst time, which

    was enough to treat him for a while.

    But if it was for the long term¡­

    Cecilia didn¡¯t want to think about the future.

    She figured Owen wouldn¡¯t want her to treat him every day.

    Once Ruby Scott got out of jail, he would try to win her over. If Ruby didn''t like her, he wouldn''t

    come to her anymore.

    "What''s the food like at the restaurants around here? Pick the tastiest one for me and get ten

    takeouts, eight of them for my bodyguards. They''re waiting for me outside and haven''t eaten yet."

    Cecilia knew the remaining two were for her and Owen.

    "Okay, I''ll go get the takeout right now. Mr. Martinez, I can only treat you to fast food today. When

    you''re free, I''ll treat you to a fancy meal."

    Owen responded and urged her, "Hurry up; I''m already hungry."

    He had done her a huge favor, and now she could only treat him to fast food.

    Owen wasn''t even sure why he agreed to help her in the first ce.

    Although she promised that she would definitely help him if he ever needed help in the future.

    Owen thought for a moment and wondered if he would really need her help.

    However, Cecilia''s attitude towards him had always been bad, but now she was acting like his

    servant, which made Owen feel very pleased.

    Since he had already helped her, it was toote to regret it now.

    To have both Cecilia and Stefan thank him was worth it.

    Cecilia went to buy fast food.

    As soon as she left, Owen received a call from his mother, Olina.

    "Owen..."

    Olina''s voice was sobbing, sounding very upset.

    Owen instinctively asked, "Mom, what''s wrong? Did you and dad quarrel again?"

    Every time his parents quarreled, his mother woulde to him toin, hoping that he would

    take her side and help her fight against his father.

    "No, it''s your grandfather. He came back and gave me a piece of his mind."

    Olina said, feeling distressed, "I''m the hostess of this house, so I invited a friend to stay for a while,

    but your grandfather won''t allow it. He''s so old, but he still holds the power in the house. Even

    though he said he would let you take over, he hasn''t really let go."

    Although Trenton rarely appeared in the Ike Group, he was still the chairman and held the

    decision-making power.

    Even Owen couldn''t be too outrageous in front of him. If he angered him, he could remove Owen

    from his position of heir at any time.

    ¡°Mom, watch yournguage; how can you talk about my grandfather like this? Do you think you''re

    still young and will never grow old? If my future wife also scolds you, wouldn''t you be upset?¡±

    Owen couldn¡¯t ept his mother talking about his grandfather like this.

    This was disrespectful to his grandfather.

    He grew up by his grandfather''s side and had the deepest bond with him.

    ¡°You know my grandfather doesn''t like Ruby and her mothering and going into our house too

    much. The Scott family¡¯s vi isn¡¯t uninhabitable. Ruby is living there just fine. I¡¯ve been to the Scott

    family¡¯s house. Their house does need renovation, but even without it, there''s no big problem; there

    are always servants cleaning the house.¡±

    ¡°You kept Megan in our house when my grandfather was not home. Of course he would be angry

    when he came back.¡±

    Owen had even forgotten that he had also tried hard to persuade Ruby to move into the Martinez

    family.

    It was only after Ruby, who was dead set on moving into the Anderson family¡¯s house, was rejected

    by Stefan that she reluctantly moved back to the Scott family¡¯s house.

    "...Even so, your grandpa had no right to blow up at me. Can''t I even make a small decision on my

    own?"

    Olina felt humiliated in front of Megan. She''d always had a bone to pick with Trenton, but because

    he was an elder in the family, she never dared to confront him.

    She always talked smack about him behind his back, wishing he''d kick the bucket already so her

    son could truly take the reins of the Martinez family. No one would then have a shot at taking her

    son''s spot.

    "You know it''s a minor thing, so why make a big deal out of it? My grandpa had a rough time

    outside, and he came home to find Megan staying in our house. That''s why he was ticked off. You

    know grandpa''s old and cranky like a kid; just cut him some ck."

    Owen tried to soothe his mom, "Calm down; I''ll get Dad to take you shopping. Buy whatever you

    fancy, and if you''re short on cash, just let me know. I''ll wire you some right away."

    "You think I''m broke?"

    She had plenty of savings.

    She was born into wealth and married into it. Thest thing shecked was money.

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    Chapter 140

    "Owen, what are you up to? Where are you?" After venting about Trenton, Olina felt a lot better, so

    she began to inquire about her son''s whereabouts.

    "What''s this about your grandpa being wronged out there? What happened? Did Patrick Anderson

    mess with him?" Olina knew Trenton and Patrick were at odds; they were always at each other''s

    throats whenever they met.

    "Nah, actually, Grandpa made a friend while hiding his true identity. When the truth came out, his

    friend felt deceived and kicked him to the curb, no longer wanting to be friends with him. Grandpa''s

    never been treated like that before, then he came home to find out you''ve gone against his wishes."

    Owen gave a rough summary.

    "There are actually people who don''t want to be friends with your grandpa?" Olina frowned when

    she thought about how Patrick and Trenton were never able to be friends, then said, "Owen,

    do your thing; I''m good. I''m gonna drop by the Scott family¡¯s ce and ask Megan to hang out."

    She felt like she''d lost face in front of Megan and that she''d wronged her, so she nned to smooth

    things over with her when they met.

    After all, she was the one who invited Megan to stay at the Martinez family''s ce, but then Trenton

    just showed up out of the blue, and after learning the reason, he got mad, so Megan had to move

    out.

    "Knock yourself out." Owen said, and his mother hung up.

    Soon, Cecilia walked in with two big bags of fast food. She ced two boxes in front of Owen,

    smiling as she said, "Mr. Martinez, you eat first. I''ll take the rest to your bodyguards."

    "Both boxes are mine? What about yours?" Owen asked.

    Cecilia took out another box and ced it across from him, saying, "This is mine."

    "You think I''m a pig or something; why are you giving me two portions?" Owen raised an eyebrow,

    comining.

    Cecilia replied, "No, one of yours is the main course, and the other is the side dish. Ours are all

    mixed." She ordered the most expensive dish for him and ordered two extra dishes, so she needed

    another big box for the sides.

    He was the CEO of the Ike Group and the heir to the Martinez family. The fact that he would eat

    the fast food she bought was already down-to-earth enough. She couldn''t let him eat the cheapest

    fast food.

    Owen didn''t say another word.

    Cecilia went outside with the bag and gave the rest of the food to the Martinez family''s bodyguards.

    Since they were all men, Cecilia had asked the restaurant owner to add more main dishes.

    "If you guys are still hungry, I can get you another portion." Cecilia said.

    "We''re good. Thank you, Ms. Yates." The Martinez family''s bodyguards were very polite to Cecilia.

    They had been with Owen for many years and knew that the only woman Owen would help was Ms.

    Scott. Now that Cecilia could also get Owen''s help, it showed that she held a special ce in

    Owen''s heart, so they were very polite to Cecilia.

    Cecilia went back into the restaurant and brought out several bottles of water for the bodyguards,

    then she went back inside to eat.

    Owen reluctantly started eating.

    Cecilia knew he probably wasn''t used to this kind of food.

    "How''s the taste?" Cecilia asked as she opened her lunchbox.

    "The food from this restaurant is the best. Others aren''t as good, and the dishes they make are not

    as good as the ones Lucinda and I make."

    "Eating alone is kind of boring." Owen said nonchntly.

    Cecilia gave a faint response and asked him, "Do you want me to invite your bodyguards in to eat

    with you?"

    Owen red at her, and Cecilia fell silent.

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    Wouldn''t it be more fun to invite the bodyguards in so more people could be around than him eating

    alone?

    Did she say something wrong?

    Well, she''ll just eat her food.

    There was no point in talking too much; it was better to eat first.

    While she was worried about Lucinda, Cecilia didn''t feel hungry. Now that she knew Lucinda was

    okay, she felt hungry as soon as her nerves rxed.

    Cecilia ate very happily.

    Seeing her eat so happily made Owen also start to eat slowly, and as he ate, he found the food to

    be quite delicious.

    After realizing that there was too much meat in his lunchbox, he pushed it towards Cecilia and said

    casually, "I can''t eat all this meat; help me eat some."

    Cecilia quickly responded, "No need; you eat."

    "I''ve already said I can''t eat all of it. I''m asking you to help me eat some. If you don''t eat, I''m going

    to throw it away."

    Cecilia looked at the food and felt it would be a waste to throw it away,

    "In that case, I''ll help you eat some."

    With that, she got up and went to the kitchen to get a new set of utensils.

    Owen suddenly felt a lot better now that she was willing to eat his food, making the food taste even

    better.

    The two of them ate very happily, as if they were eating the most delicious food in the world.

    After they were full, Cecilia cleaned up the takeout containers and threw them in the trash can

    outside.

    When she came back into the store, she saw Owen leaning back in his chair, looking satisfied.

    She asked with a smile, "How do you feel about the food from that restaurant? Compared to your

    family''s big hotel, it shouldn''t be too bad, right?"

    "When you''re starving, anything tastes good. My family''s hotel is a five-star hotel. You''reparing

    this little restaurant to a five-star hotel; are you trying to make all the chefs there quit?"

    Cecilia stuck out her tongue awkwardly.

    "I''ve never been to the Pinehurst Hotel, so I don''t know what the food is like, but your family''s chef

    does make delicious food. I''m still savoring it."

    ¡°Next time, I''ll treat you to¡­" Owen stopped mid-sentence, suddenly regretting it.

    Why did he want to invite her to dinner, especially at his house?

    "Never mind, I might get beaten up if I go to your house."

    "Is it not worth it to get beaten up in exchange for a hundred thousand dors?"

    "The way you put it makes me sound like a gold-digger."

    Owen chuckled, "Didn''t you say it wasn''t about the money?"

    But when he raised the offer to a hundred thousand dors, she agreed instantly while persisting it

    wasn''t about the money. It was clear as day that it was about the money.

    However, he didn''t expect Ruby to actually p her.

    He felt this sudden rage well up inside him after seeing her stunned face when Ruby pped her.

    He wanted to protect her, and he did. He pushed Ruby away and pulled her behind him.

    After all, they were pretending to be lovers.

    "Cecilia."

    "What?"

    "Did your family say anything about me after our blind date?"

    Owen didn''t know why he was asking this. Probably because he didn''t have anything else to talk

    about.

    "What''s my family''s opinion of you? Your grandpa''s back home, right? Just look at his face, and

    you''ll know what my family thinks of you."

    "...I mean, I''m pretty awesome."

    Owen felt a bit embarrassed.

    He was usually quite popr. This was his first blind date, and to be disliked by both the girl and her

    family was a blow to his pride.

    Cecilia asked, "Do you love Ruby?"

    Owen didn''t answer.

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    Chapter 141

    "You''re Ruby''s childhood friend. Even though I can''t stand her drama, I have to admit you''re totally

    smitten with her. No way in hell would I be dumb enough to marry a guy who''s already got another

    woman in his heart."

    Owen rolled his eyes, "Alright, I can live with that."

    He''d been burned pretty badly by Ruby; he even thought about throwing in the towel a couple times.

    But every time Ruby yed cute, trying to sweet-talk him, he just couldn''t let go.

    Now that Stefan had Lucinda, Ruby should get the message and move on. He still might stand a

    chance.

    "I''ll go make you a cup of coffee." Cecilia headed straight inside, and Owen acknowledged her with

    a nod.

    Waiting was a real bore, so he got up and took a stroll around the shop. Even though Ruby had

    done a number on the ce, after tidying up, you could still see its original charm. The interior was

    tastefully decorated and cozy. It was a nice ce to grab a coffee, have some dessert, and shoot

    the breeze with friends.

    "Cecilia, who did the interior design for your shop?"

    "Lucy and I. We were on top of the workers every day, making sure everything was just as we

    designed it. Pretty good, right?"

    "Who did the design?"

    "Lucy. She studied design. She''s just a free spirit who didn''t want to be tied down in a corporate job.

    I wanted to open a shop, so I asked her to join me. We opened this coffee shop together."

    Business wasn''t great at first, but now it was picking up.

    Owen acknowledged her with a nod.

    He''d seen Lucinda''s profile. The woman had indeed studied design but chose not to pursue it due

    to her love for freedom. Had the design world lost a talent?

    Now that she was part of the Anderson family and Stefan doted on her day and night, she was even

    less likely to go back to a corporate job.

    "Do you want sugar in your coffee?"

    Owen thought for a moment, "Just a bit."

    Cecilia added a little sugar for him.

    She came out with his coffee and handed it to him, watching him carefully.

    Owen thought her eyes were particrly bright. She was beautiful, but her eyes were her most

    dazzling feature.

    "Do you always serve your customers like this?"

    Cecilia had no choice but to return the coffee to where he was sitting earlier and put it on the table.

    They both sat down, and Cecilia watched Owen drink his coffee.

    Even though her gaze was clear with no hint of affection, Owen couldn''t resist saying, "If you keep

    staring at me like this, I''ll think you''ve fallen for me. Handsome guys like me tend to make quite an

    impression on women."

    "Don''t worry. With so many women falling for you at first sight, I won''t be joining thepetition."

    Cecilia shifted her gaze, "You enjoy your coffee. I''ll go back to my book."

    "What''s the book that''s got you so hooked?"

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    "You bigwigs wouldn''t be interested. But stories of your love affairs always seem to be a hit. No

    matter what''s trending online, the bigwigs'' stories always draw a crowd."

    "Guess a lot of people are dreaming of being Cindere."

    Owen said nonchntly, "How many young, sessful CEOs do you think actually cross paths with

    the female lead? Guys like Stefan and I inherited our businesses; we''re not entrepreneurs.

    Generally speaking, men who have achieved the same kind of wealth as the male leads in those

    novels are usually quite a bit older. The younger ones are in their thirties or forties and are already

    married."

    "Thank God you''re not a novelist."

    Owen smirked, "Do I need to make a living writing novels? I''m more likely to be the male lead in

    them."

    "How about I have Lucy write you into her novel as a side character?"

    Owen looked displeased, "With my status and position, I''m only good enough to be a side

    character? Write me as the male lead. I wouldn''t want Lucinda to write me into her novel. She''s

    Stefan''s wife, and who knows if she''ll make me out to be ugly, fat, lecherous, and cunning. The

    author holds the life and death of every character in their hands."

    Ceciliaughed, "Have you ever read a romance novel?"

    "When I was younger, I read a few to impress a girl I liked..."

    "You did put in quite an effort for Ms. Scott." Cecilia''s tone was a bit sarcastic.

    Owen picked up on the sarcasm, but he didn''t feel like arguing with Cecilia at the moment. He

    pretended not to notice and continued sipping his coffee that Cecilia had made for him, "If I love her,

    I love her deeply. If I don''t, then I don''t at all."

    If he truly gave up on Ruby, he would let go of herpletely.

    Cecilia didn''t respond, unsure of what to say next.

    They usually end up arguing every time they meet, and neither of them was ever willing to back

    down.

    It was rare for them to have a peaceful chat like today.

    She didn¡¯t want to upset him, especially since he¡¯d done her a huge favor.

    ¡­

    At the Martinez family¡¯s home.

    Trenton was sitting alone under a big tree in the yard. After a while, the butler came out of the

    house and brought him a ss of water.

    "Sit with me for a while."

    The butler respectfully replied, "What would you like to talk about?"

    "What if I lied to someone and got caught, and then they got mad. I tried to exin, but they''re still

    mad. What should I do?"

    Trenton sighed, "I actually really enjoy chatting with them and discussing various topics."

    Because they were his peers, they had a lot inmon.

    He was used to being pampered, and he thought that once the Yates family knew his true identity,

    they would treat him as an important guest. But he didn''t even qualify as a regr guest.

    Of course, this also changed his perception of the Yates family. At least they weren''t after the

    Martinez family''s wealth.

    The Yates family wasn''t after the Martinez family''s money. They had no power or influence, and he

    liked Cecilia. He thought she would make a good wife for his grandson.

    "You can prepare a sincere apology gift and personally apologize. I think they will forgive you."

    Trenton thought about his intentions and shook his head, "No, they won''t."

    The people of the Yates family would only dislike him more.

    "How many days will Ruby be detained?"

    "Fifteen days. It''s been about five days already, so she still has a few more days before she can be

    released."

    It had been days since all this started. The butler knew Owen was head over heels for Ruby, but

    Trenton couldn''t stand her. Still, he had to keep tabs on Ruby, in case Trenton grilled him on her

    whereabouts.

    Trenton furrowed his brow, "Has it been five days already? Feels like she just went in."

    "She should be locked up in there for good; don''t let her out. The moment she''s out, she''ll be

    nothing but trouble for Owen. Man, Owen''s such a sucker when ites to love!"

    There had to be a better match for him out there.

    How could his favorite grandson be smitten with Ruby?

    "She''ll be out in a few days... time''s running out." Trenton mumbled to himself.

    The butler didn''t quite catch his drift.

    What did he mean by time was running out?

    What was Trenton up to?

    Turned out that Trenton was nning to push Owen to tie the knot before Ruby got out; that way,

    Ruby wouldn''t have Owen as a backup n.

    That cunning woman was aiming for the top-dogs in Pinehurst''s social circle. He couldn''t interfere

    with others, but there was no way in hell he''d let his grandson''s wife be Ruby!

 Chapter 142

    Chapter 142

    After such a thing happened to Lucinda, Stefan didn''t return to the office in the afternoon. His

    employees were understanding and took over his work.

    Because they didn''t inform their elders, Stefan took Lucinda back to Ascend Estate in the evening.

    Patrick and Savannah Blue Anderson were enjoying the sunset while tending to their nts.

    Seeing the young couple return, Savannah grinned at her husband, "Men change after marriage.

    Stefan used to stay in Diamond Ridge Estates, saying it was closer to his office. But now he''s

    coming home every day."

    Because his wife preferred the environment at Ascend Estate.

    Patrick nced at his grandson''s car and nodded, "So, we need to nudge them to tie the knot soon.

    That way, they''lle home more often, making the house livelier."

    Even though they had many grandkids, everyone was busy and rarely home.

    The onlypany the old couple had were the housekeepers.

    It wasn¡¯t that the grandkids didn''t care about them; they just didn''t show it enough since they didn¡¯t

    manage to visit often.

    After retirement, their sons were busy exploring the world with their wives.

    Luckily, Patrick and Savannah had each other''spany.

    Savannah chuckled, "Let''s let things run their course. I don''t want to rush them. Except for the

    youngest one, all of our grandkids are adults with their own ideas and lifestyles."

    She was content knowing her oldest grandson was already married.

    Patrick agreed with his wife. He''d worked hard to amass such wealth for his grandkids. Now all he

    had to do was enjoy his twilight years, waiting for the birth of his grandkids. Holding a baby in his

    arms would be the cherry on top.

    Stefan and Lucinda had no idea what the old couple were discussing. He parked the car, and they

    both got out, bringing gifts for the elders.

    Before they even got close, Lucinda was already smiling.

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    She admired Stefan''s grandparents the most. Although they were old, their love was still strong.

    Her own grandparents had a good rtionship too, though they would sometimes bicker. Her

    grandpa liked to nag andment on everything her grandma did.

    "Grandpa, Grandma."

    Patrick stood up, replying warmly, "You''re off work?"

    "Yes, my shop isn''t open yet. There''s not much to do after the decorators left."

    Savannah beamed, "Your grandpa and I were just about to have dinner. It''s perfect timing. It''s just

    not the same with only the two of us."

    Dinner was always more fun with more people.

    Lucinda took the watering can from Savannah, "Stefan and I wille to visit whenever we can."

    Savannah nced at Stefan and smiled, "You guys are busy. You don''t have toe every day.

    Weekends would be enough."

    The newlyweds still needed to cultivate their rtionship.

    After Stefan and Lucinda''s rtionship went public, Emma told Savannah that Stefan had been

    fond of Lucinda for a long time.

    Savannah was very surprised.

    She hadn''t expected the previously aloof Stefan to have liked Lucinda so much. He was always

    gentle and patient around her, waiting for over a decade to win her love.

    To win Lucinda''s heart, Stefan dealt with his rivals behind her back.

    Lucinda probably wondered why she had no suitors, even though she was so beautiful.

    In reality, all her potential suitors were secretly defeated by Stefan.

    Now the couple seemed very much in love.

    Savannah could tell that Stefan had put in a lot of effort. Lucinda epted his love passively, was

    moved by it, and gradually it turned into love.

    She was sure Lucinda loved Stefan, just not as deeply as he loved her.

    Once the elders had washed their hands, the couple helped them into the house.

    Patrick always said, "I''m not so old that I need help walking."

    Despite his words, his face beamed with happiness when Stefan helped him.

    Savannah told Lucinda, "Ignore him. He''s just stubborn."

    "Lucy, what did you get me?"

    "A little something. I hope you won''t mind."

    Savannah chuckled, "I won''t mind. As long as it''s from you guys, I''ll love it."

    She had a room dedicated to all the gifts her kids gave her. She just kept them, sometimes admiring

    them, considering them tokens of their affection.

    Even the homemade cards Stefan and the others gave her as kids were there.

    Once inside, Savannah eagerly unwrapped the gifts like a child on Christmas morning.

    Patrick teased her, "You''re acting like I never got you any gifts."

    "It''s not the same."

    Patrick told Stefan, "You see, Stefan, you guys better visit less. Every time you''re here, I lose my

    authority."

    "Pay him no mind. If you guys really stopped visiting, he would miss you the most."

    Stefanughed, "Lucy also got him something."

    "I don''t need anything." Despite his response, Patrick was ecstatic.

    Actually, it wasn''t the gifts they cared about, but the thought that their kids remembered them.

    "Dinner''s ready." Nelson came in and reminded them respectfully.

    "Lucy, are you hungry? Let''s go eat."

    Savannah pulled Lucinda up, and they both headed to the dining room.

    After they left, Patrick''s face fell, and he red at Stefan as he reprimanded him, "Something this

    big happened, and you didn''t even give me a heads up. You think I can''t help?"

    His youngest grandson left in a hurry after receiving a call, so Patrick knew something was up.

    He had someone look into it just a little and found out that Lucinda had been in trouble.

    Stefan also lowered his voice, "Does Grandma know?"

    "I didn''t tell her. If she knew, she''d be too worried to eat or sleep."

    After saying that, Patrick kept his intense gaze on Stefan.

    "I can handle it; isn''t Lucy safely back now? I just didn''t want you guys to worry."

    "Are you sure you know who did it?"

    "I''m still investigating; no results yet."

    Patrick frowned, asking seriously, "Is the kidnapper targeting you?"

    Stefan was silent for a moment, then said, "Not likely."

    "So they''re targeting Lucy? Could it be Megan''s doing? Megan''s back, and since you put Ruby in

    jail, she''d definitely want to avenge her daughter."

    "Or could it be a joint effort from your other suitors?"

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    Chapter 143

    "I''ll let you know once I find out." Stefan replied.

    Patrick responded, "Make sure you dig deep; if there''s solid evidence, don''t let anyone off the hook,

    no matter who''s behind it. Do what needs to be done. Anyone who dares to harm the Anderson

    family is seriously pushing their luck."

    Stefan''s face hardened, "If anyone hurts Lucy, I''ll make them pay!"

    He hadn''t figured out the details about Lucinda''s background yet, so he didn''t exin it to Patrick.

    They knew from the start that Lucinda wasn''t a blood rtive of the Moore family. As for whose

    child she really was, the two elders thought it was best for Stefan to investigate. It would also win

    him some brownie points with Lucinda.

    "Let''s go." Patrick said as he rose from his seat. "Let''s chow down before your grandma gets

    suspicious." He added, while heading for the dining room.

    The atmosphere was pretty chill between the two elders and the young couple. Savannah even ate

    a bit more with the kids around.

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    While things were peachy for the Anderson family, the Martinez family was another story.

    Owen had been summoned home by his grandpa, forcing him to cancel his evening ns. He

    returned home in thepany of his bodyguards.

    "Trenton is waiting for you in the study." The butler said respectfully as soon as Owen got out of the

    car.

    "What''s the rush?" Owen asked as he walked towards the house.

    "You''ll know once you see him." The butler replied with a smile.

    Owen didn''t ask again. He knew that if Trenton was waiting for him in the study, it must have been

    something big.

    When he got inside, he didn''t see his parents. He guessed that they must''ve gone out. His Mom

    was feeling down after being scolded by Grandpa, so his Dad must''ve taken her out to lift her

    spirits.

    Owen crossed the hall and headed upstairs.

    He knocked on the door to Trenton''s study. "It''s me, Owen. I''m back."

    "Come in."

    Owen opened the door and saw Trenton sitting on the couch, flipping through a calendar. His ID

    was on the table. After seeing this, Owen couldn''t help but feel a sense of unease.

    "Close the door." Trenton ordered.

    Owen knew they were probably about to have a spat, and with the door closed, no one could

    overhear them. He shut the door.

    "Come sit down. There''s something I want to talk to you about."

    Owen sat down next to him, smiling and patting his shoulder, "What are you looking at?"

    "I''m picking a good day for you and Cecilia to get your marriage license."

    It was worse than he¡¯d imagined!

    Owen''s smile vanished as he stood up. "Are you pulling my leg? You want me to get a marriage

    license with Cecilia? We barely know each other! Even if we''ve been introduced, we''re not exactly

    each other''s cup of tea. And now you want me to marry her?"

    He''d already been forced into an arranged meeting, and now he was being pushed to marry Cecilia.

    Trenton closed the calendar, "The day after tomorrow is a good day. Tell Cecilia tomorrow and get

    the wedding rings ready. Once you''ve married, you both need to wear your rings to show that you¡¯re

    married."

    "Grandpa!" Owen eximed as he frowned, "Can you stop meddling in my love life? I love Ruby a

    lot. I won''t love anyone else but her. I don''t love Cecilia, and I won''t marry her. Do you think that

    anyone but Ruby is good enough for me?"

    Owen never thought Trenton would want him to marry Cecilia.

    Ruby was from a well-off family, and Trenton didn''t approve of her. Now, he surprisingly approved of

    Cecilia, a normal girl.

    Regardless of Ruby, Owen thought Cecilia was ordinary, but she had her merits. At least they got

    along okay, although sometimes she left him speechless.

    "You indeed love Ruby, but does Ruby love you?" Trenton asked calmly.

    "I''ve seen how she treats you for over a decade. You grew up with me, and you''re my favorite. She

    used my beloved grandson, do you think I''m okay with that?"

    "I thought you''d give up when she broke your heart, so I waited for you to wake up and stop being

    used by Ruby. But you disappointed me."

    "Owen, it''s not that I can''t ept Ruby; she''s just too much. If she had a shred of sincerity towards

    you, I would''ve waited for you to win her heartpletely."

    "But you''ve seen it; she''s obsessed with Stefan. Even though Stefan is now married, she still can''t

    let go. Once she''s out of the police station, she''ll be even more desperate and devious in trying to

    break up Stefan''s marriage. I can bet you on that."

    "And the ones she can rely on are you and your clueless mom. You''re deeply in love with her, and

    she''s using you even though she knows it. Don''t you feel jealous and hurt when you''re helping her

    chase Stefan?"

    Owen''s face turned pale.

    Trenton''s words were harsh and direct.

    He knew perfectly well how Ruby treated him.

    "Owen, you''re my protege. You''re doing great in every other aspect, and I''m satisfied. But you''ve

    messed up when ites to rtionships, and that''s not okay."

    "All in all, as long as I''m around, you can forget about being with Ruby. If you dare marry Ruby, we''ll

    cut ties and consider my 20 years of hard work a waste."

    Owen cried out in pain, "Are you really going to push me like this? Cecilia and I have no feelings for

    each other. If you force me to marry her, our marriage won''t be happy. Even if I marry her, I won''t

    consummate the marriage. She''ll be like a widow. Ruby will always be the goddess in my heart.

    You''re just hurting Cecilia."

    "If you''re making me marry Cecilia, it must be because you like her. Can you bear to see a young

    woman who is only 24 years old live alone for decades? Aren''t you worried about me not having

    descendants?"

    Trenton coldly said, "I''ve got more than one grandson, you know. If you don''t have any kids, Harry

    can. Are you gonna marry her? If not, I''ll cut ties with you. You''ll step out of the Ike Group, and

    you''ll give me back everything I''ve ever given you."

    "When you''ve got nothing, no power, no influence, and you''re getting pushed around, I really want

    to see how you''re gonna help Ruby stir up trouble. If Ruby finds out you''re broke, she''ll avoid you

    like the gue. She would probably worry that you''d be a clingy mess."

    Owen red at Trenton, seething with anger.

 Chapter 144

    Chapter 144

    "Are you really gonna push me like this?"

    Trenton calmly replied, "I''m doing this for your own good, Owen. It''s time you put an end to this

    thing with Ruby."

    "Even if you force me to marry, as long as my love for Ruby isn''t gone, I''ll continue loving her. I''d do

    a lot for her. Your actions are only hurting me and Cecilia.¡±

    ¡°If you know that it¡¯s hurting you and Cecilia, then stop doing things that¡¯ll hurt both of you.¡± Trenton

    was dead serious.

    Owen fell silent.

    After a while, he asked, ¡°Why did you choose Cecilia?¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have any power or status. Even if you¡¯re cold to her, it won¡¯t affect our family¡¯s

    business.¡±

    Owen felt a pang of sympathy for Cecilia as he looked at Trenton, and a wave of guilt washed over

    him.

    Trenton targeted Cecilia because of him.

    "You''re ruthless!"

    Trenton calmly responded, "You''re my own grandson, and I''m prepared to throw you out of the

    house. As for Cecilia, I do like her, but that''s about it. What do I have to lose?"

    Owen looked helpless.

    "Owen, I''ve said what I needed to say. Now it''s up to you. Are you going to continue being the heir

    to the Martinez family and the president of the Ike Group, or are you gonna start from scratch with

    nothing?"

    "I don''t care if you hate me. Once you leave the Martinez family, no matter what you want to do, I''ll

    do everything in my power to suppress you to the point where you can''t even maintain a basic life."

    Mockingly, Owen asked, "Is this how you want to see your grandson live?"

    "Your rtionship with Ruby is not good for you. Do you know what kind of person Stefan is? He

    would rather marry Lucinda than Ruby. Don''t you think Ruby''s conditions are better than Lucinda''s?

    Ruby has character issues."

    "If she had a bit of sincerity towards you, I wouldn''t do this."

    Owen was speechless.

    He knew very well about Ruby''s attitude towards him. Even his rival, Stefan, had tried to talk him

    out of it.

    "Owen, your ID is here. If you''ve made up your mind, then leave. If you haven''t, I''ll leave and let you

    think about it."

    Owen was silent for a long time.

    He really wanted to resist picking up his ID, leave the Martinez family and Pinehurst, go to a city

    where Trenton had no influence, and stand up again on his own.

    But in the end, he picked up his ID.

    "After I get married, you can''t interfere in my private affairs anymore."

    Trenton''s eyes flickered, then he agreed, "As long as you and Cecilia get married, I won''t interfere in

    your private affairs. But I want to make one thing clear. If you want to do something for Ruby, that''s

    your business. But it can''t affect the Ike Group, or else don''t me me for being ruthless to

    Ruby."

    Owen''s face darkened, but he promised, "I assure you it won''t affect the Martinez family."

    "You and Cecilia have to hold a wedding ceremony and let everyone know about your marital

    status."

    "Don''t push it too far." He nned to marry Cecilia in secret.

    After pondering for a moment, Trenton felt that he was being too harsh, so hepromised, "Fine,

    the wedding can be postponed. But you have to bring back the marriage certificate for me to check.

    Don''t try to fool me with a fake one. I''ll arrange for someone to apany you to get it."

    Owen left a parting remark as he held his ID tightly, "I hope you won''t regret the pressure you put on

    me tonight."

    With that, he left, mming the door behind him.

    The moment he left, Trenton''s stern expression crumbled.

    He muttered to himself, "Owen, perhaps this is the only way to save you from Ruby."

    "Cecilia, I''m sorry. But I believe that you and Owen can fall in love."

    Cecilia had no idea her life was about to change.

    Her brother, Hudson, had invited her out for a barbecue that night. They were having a great time

    eating and drinking beer.

    "Cecilia, you can only drink when you''re with me. If you''re with other men, you absolutely can''t

    drink."

    Hudson was concerned when he saw Cecilia downing beers one after another. Even though it was

    just beer, it could still get someone drunk if they had a low tolerance.

    Ceciliaughed, "Don''t worry, I know my limits. I can drink as much beer as I want."

    As she bit into a grilled chicken wing, she said, "Now that Lucinda is part of the Anderson family, I

    can¡¯t really invite her out for drinks and barbecue."

    Lucinda''s marriage hadn''t changed their friendship, but there were certain things Cecilia wouldn''t

    involve her in anymore.

    In her subconscious, Lucinda was now part of the Anderson family and couldn''t do things that could

    potentially harm her image like before.

    When Lucinda was mentioned, Hudson seemed to freeze for a moment.

    Cecilia noticed and quietly asked, "You don''t have a thing for Lucinda, do you? Howe you

    never said anything all these years?"

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    If she knew Hudson liked Lucinda, she would have definitely yed matchmaker for them.

    Hudson quickly recovered andughed, "When I first met Lucinda, I was a bit smitten. But I soon

    realized she saw me as her big brother. So I never really fell for her. I just never expected her to

    marry into the richest family in our city."

    "I hope her marriage will be happy."

    "It will be. Haven''t you seen how good Stefan is to her? The elders of the Anderson family have also

    met Lucinda. They''re all very kind and didn''t look down on her because she''s from the countryside."

    Hudson chuckled and said, "That''s good; as long as Stefan loves and protects her, she''ll be just fine

    in the Anderson family. A woman''s standing in her husband''s housergely depends on how her

    husband treats her."

    "Cecilia, when you''re ready to tie the knot, make sure to find a good man. There''s no rush; take

    your time to find the right one. If you can''t find a good one, I can take care of you for life."

    Cecilia immediately handed Hudson a roasted chicken leg, "Here, have a chicken leg."

    Hudsonughed and gently tapped her forehead.

    "Don''t let mom and dad hear this; they''d blow their tops. Mom''s always trying to set me up on blind

    dates."

    Both her parents and grandpa thought it was a big problem that she was 24 and still single. They

    were always on her case about her marital status.

    "Just ignore them; marriage is a big deal. It¡¯s for life, so take it slow. Wait until you meet the right

    one, then get hitched."

    Cecilia said cheerfully, "With your words of wisdom, I won''t be afraid of Mom''s nagging anymore."

    All problems were tossed onto Hudson.

    Her parents were at their wits'' end with Hudson.

    Even Grandpa hardly ever pestered Hudson.

    That was totally unfair, just because Hudson was a guy!

 Chapter 145

    Chapter 145

    Cecilia''s phone started ringing.

    She pulled it out of her pocket and said to Hudson, "It''s gotta be Lucy calling me."

    But her expression slightly changed when she saw the caller ID.

    After noticing her change of face, her brother jokingly asked, "Not Lucy? Who''s on the line?"

    "I''ve met him a few times; I guess you could say he''s a friend."

    Cecilia didn''t say outright that it was Owen, nor did she hide it from Hudson; she simply answered

    Owen''s call.

    "Cecilia."

    "I''m here; what''s up? Why are you calling me thiste?"

    "Do you remember what you promised me when you asked me to help Lucinda?"

    Cecilia nodded, "Yeah, you need my help already? Just spill it; whatever you need me to do, if I can,

    I''ll do it. Even if I''m up against the wall, I won''t hesitate."

    Owen was silent for a moment, then said, "You won''t be up against the wall. Just bring your ID

    tomorrow and meet me at nine. We''re getting our marriage certificate."

    Cecilia''s phone slipped from her hand and dropped to the floor.

    She was stunned.

    Owen thought something had happened when he heard a noise and anxiously called her, "Cecilia,

    Cecilia, what''s wrong?"

    After hearing a strange man''s voice and seeing Cecilia''s shocked face, her brother quickly picked

    up the phone, "Who are you? What did you say to my sister? You''ve got her all flustered."

    "Is Cecilia okay?"

    Owen knew his request would startle Cecilia.

    He was forced into a corner. If he could, he wouldn''t want to scare Cecilia like this.

    But thinking about how Cecilia was so startled that she dropped her phone made him feel

    ufortable.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Did she really dislike him that much?

    When she needed his help, she called him right away.

    Just as Cecilia''s brother was about to continue speaking, Cecilia snatched the phone back.

    Cecilia took the phone and walked a bit further away, avoiding Hudson, then said to Owen on the

    other end, "Mr. Martinez, are you drunk? Or are you sick? Or possessed? I know a guy who''s good

    at dealing with this stuff; I can introduce you to him."

    Owen was speechless.

    "Where are you?"

    "I''m having a barbecue and drinking beer at a restaurant near my house with my brother."

    "I''ll send someone to pick you up; we''ll talk when we meet."

    Cecilia was silent.

    "Let''s leave it at that. It''s hard to exin over the phone. Send me your location, and I''ll arrange a

    driver to pick you up right away."

    After saying that, Owen hung up the phone.

    Cecilia had no choice but to send her location. She wanted to know why Owen suddenly wanted to

    marry her.

    Wasn''t Ruby his true love?

    Was Trenton forcing him?

    Oh my God!

    She guessed right.

    His grandfather really was forcing him to marry her.

    Should she marry him or not?

    He was still holding the past against her.

    When she asked him to help save Lucinda, she promised that if he needed her help in the future,

    she would lend a hand.

    Words once spoken couldn''t be taken back.

    An hourter, Cecilia saw Owen at his private vi.

    He was drinking a lot. Although he was not drunk, he reeked of alcohol.

    "Mr. Martinez, spill it; what the hell happened?" After following Webster in, Cecilia didn''t bother with

    anything else and quickly walked to Owen''s side, anxiously asking him.

    Owen motioned for her to sit down.

    Cecilia took the seat across from him.

    "Cecilia, do you have psychic powers? What you predicted really happened; my grandfather is

    forcing me to marry you."

    Cecilia was silent.

    So he was being forced.

    Even though Trenton knew she and Owen had no feelings for each other, he still forced Owen to

    marry her. Although he didn''t like Ruby, he shouldn''t sacrifice her like this.

    Marrying Owen was like jumping into a fire pit.

    Owen was in love with Ruby.

    She had no confidence in beating Ruby, nor did she want to challenge her because she had no

    feelings for Owen. She didn''t love him and didn''t care who he loved.

    "My grandfather said if I don''t act ording to his arrangements, he''ll remove me from the position

    of president of the Ike Group, let my cousin take over, kick me out of the Martinez family, and cut

    off all rtions with me. He won''t leave me any opportunities in any ce he has influence,

    basically leaving me with nothing."

    "...Is he really your grandfather?"

    That was harsh.

    Owen gave a bitter smile, "My grandfather would do something like this to stop me from marrying

    Ruby. Once he''s made up his mind, no one can change it."

    Cecilia was silent for a moment, then said, "I think I understand why you lost to Mr. Coleman."

    Stefan was the president of Ascend Global, a man with real power that no one could suppress.

    Although Owen was also the president of the Ike Group, he still had a grandfather who could

    remove him at any time.

    "Have you ever tried to fight back?"

    "No use. Unless I elope with Ruby."

    "No way, Ruby won''t elope with you. If you have nothing left and can''t help her, she''ll cut you off.

    You''re dreaming."

    Owen was silent.

    He looked at Cecilia, "Even you say that, is Ruby really so heartless? We grew up together;st

    time when you pretended to be my girlfriend, she got angry and pped you, so she must care

    about me, right?"

    "You''re her backup. If she can''t marry Mr. Coleman, marrying you is not bad, but she can''t let go of

    Mr. Coleman, so you have to stand by. If someone snatches her backup, what will she do when she

    realizes she can''t enter the Anderson family? Where else can she find a fool like you who is so loyal

    to her?"

    Owen was wearing a frown that could curdle milk.

    Was he really that thick?

    "Mr. Martinez, you''re choosing to protect your own status and identity. You and I, we''ve got no

    sparks flying. Even if we tie the knot, it won''t be a bed of roses. You should have a talk with your

    grandad to see if you can get him to change his tune."

    Owen shook his head with a bitterugh. "No dice; my grandad only gave me two options. If I want

    to keep my status, I have to put a ring on you, or else it''s game over."

    "But..."

    "Cecilia, we can get married, but after that, we keep out of each other''s hair. My grandad is already

    long in the tooth; once he kicks the bucket, I promise I''ll set you free. Plus, I''ll give you a hefty sum

    of money. You won''t have to carry the title of my wife for nothing."

    "Can I take a rain check?"

    "You once said that wherever I needed you, you''d have my back. What? Are you getting cold feet

    now?"

 Chapter 146

    Chapter 146

    "Mr. Martinez, can you give me a few days to think about it?" Cecilia pleaded.

    Owen chuckled bitterly, "It''s not that I don''t want to give you time, but my grandpa won''t allow it. He

    demands that we get the marriage license tomorrow."

    Cecilia sighed in resignation, "He''s really pushing too hard."

    She guessed that this might be because Ruby''s detention was about to end.

    Once Ruby got out and found out Owen was already married, she would definitely lose it.

    After thinking of this, Cecilia felt slightly less resistant to the idea of a fake marriage with Owen.

    After all, Owen wouldn''t fall for her, and she was well aware of her situation. She didn¡¯t expect

    Owen''s love.

    Once they get the marriage license, they''ll be a secretly married couple living separate lives. After

    Trenton passed away, she could regain her freedom and receive a heftypensation.

    "Mr. Martinez, I know you''ve helped me in the past, and now that you''re asking me to do this, I can''t

    refuse you. But for our future, we should sign an agreement to avoid any disputes." She proposed.

    Owen asked her, "So, you''re in?"

    "Do I have a choice? You said it yourself; it''s my way of repaying you. I sought your help; now it''s

    my turn to return the favor."

    Owen praised her, "You''re a good person; you keep your word. Lucinda is lucky to have a friend like

    you."

    In another perspective, she was in this mess because of Lucinda, but Owen didn''t voice this out.

    In the end, it was not Lucinda who got Cecilia into this, but Cecilia''s own kindness that led her to

    seek Owen''s help, hence the need to repay him.

    Owen quickly drafted an agreement on hisputer and printed out two copies.

    He handed a copy to Cecilia, "See if there''s anything you want to add."

    Cecilia found this situation familiar.

    Lucinda once rented Stefan as her boyfriend to fend off her mother''s nagging about marriage, and

    they signed an agreement.

    And what happened?

    Stefan didn''t stick to the agreement and refused to divorce after getting the marriage license.

    Lucinda thus became his real wife.

    As Cecilia looked at Owen, she thought that although they were also signing an agreement, the

    oue wouldn''t be like Lucinda''s because Owen wouldn''t fall for her.

    He was just trying to secure his position.

    Once his grandpa passed away, she could regain her freedom. Then Owen''s wife will be Ruby.

    With this in mind, Cecilia began to seriously read the agreement.

    Owen was very generous, promising her arge vi with a front and back yard, two luxury cars,

    and three prosperous stores to ensure her future after the divorce.

    During their marriage agreement, he''ll give her $30,000 per month as pocket money, which she

    could spend freely or save up.

    He would also asionally give her bonuses.

    It seemed as if she were working for him.

    The only condition was to keep their marriage a secret, not letting anyone, including her parents,

    know of their marital status.

    After marriage, whenever they need to put on a show in front of Trenton, he''ll arrange everything to

    ensure nobody else knew about their marital status.

    This was also to minimize the impact and harm on Cecilia after the divorce.

    "Any objections? If not, we''ll sign the agreement."

    "I have no objections."

    Cecilia originally wanted to add a use about not interfering with each other''s private lives after

    marriage, but considering his deep affection for Ruby, she didn''t see the need to meddle too much,

    so she didn''t request for this use to be added.

    Both parties signed the agreement, and two copies of the agreement were made, one for each

    person.

    "Nobody can see this agreement. If it reaches my grandpa''s ears, I''m toast."

    Cecilia responded, "This isn''t something to boast about. I won''t go around bbing."

    Owen looked upset, "And it''s not something to be ashamed of either. After all, I''m young,

    handsome, and rich. Even if we''re only having a fake marriage, you shouldn''t act like you despise

    me. That really hurts my ego."

    Cecilia retorted, "I thought you had no ego left."

    Owen was speechless.

    For Ruby, he had often thrown his ego to the wind.

    "Give me the money." As Cecilia packed away her copy of the agreement, she urged Owen to give

    her the money.

    "What money?"

    "The money for helping you out. You promised me $30,000 as a service fee every month."

    Owen''s face changed again, "Who always ims to be noble and never cares about money? That''s

    your allowance, not a service fee."

    But he still transferred $30,000 to Cecilia.

    After receiving the money, Cecilia eximed, "Some say it''s better to marry well than to work well.

    Now I see why. Lucy and I couldn''t make $30,000 in a year with our shop, but now I''m getting

    $30,000 every month just by signing an agreement with you."

    Owen was speechless.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Mr. Malicious, don''t worry; I''ll make sure everything goes smoothly."

    Owen looked grim, "Cecilia, I told you not to call me Mr. Malicious. When you need my help, you call

    me Mr. Martinez. You''re so cunning."

    Just moments ago, she was politely calling him Mr. Martinez.

    Cecilia got up, "Our deal is done; you''re still Mr. Malicious."

    Owen was speechless.

    "See you at nine tomorrow morning."

    Owen also stood up, "It''s prettyte; do you need a ride home?"

    Cecilia declined, "Not tonight. After we get the marriage license and you''ve had a drink, I won''t

    refuse your offer. If you die in a drunk-driving ident, as your legal wife, I''ll inherit your fortune."

    "Right now, we have no ties. If something happens to you, that huge fortune will slip through my

    fingers. That''d be such a shame."

    "Cecilia!" Owen yelled in frustration.

    Ceciliaughed, fearing that he might get angry, and quickly left the room.

    Owen wanted to catch up with her but stopped after a few steps. Momentster, heughed and

    said, "If I really got into a car ident after drinking, do you think you''d be safe in my car? How

    could I let you leave on your own? Let''s just die together, like a couple on a heavenly vacation."

    In the end, Owen had Webster arrange for a driver to take Cecilia home.

    Luckily, he previously couldn''t stand Cecilia''s crying and pleas and agreed to help save Lucinda,

    which made Cecilia feel hugely grateful towards him.

    That''s what allowed him to easily convince Cecilia to marry him in order to protect his social

    standing and to handle his grandpa.

    Once his status was secured, Owen sank back into the couch, poured himself another drink, and

    started imagining his days with Cecilia. He even startedughing quietly to himself.

    He totally didn''t consider that Ruby would be out of jail soon.

    He would keep his marriage a secret from Ruby, but would Trenton keep it hush-hush for him?

 Chapter 147

    Chapter 147

    The next day.

    Cecilia sneaked out with her ID, secretly meeting Owen.

    Owen had arrived earlier, already waiting for her.

    Owen was low-key. He didn''t drive over, nor did he bring any bodyguards. He was still incognito,

    just like when they went on a blind date, with huge sunsses and a mask covering his face.

    "Why don''t you just wear a ck bva, only revealing your eyes, mouth, and nose, like a

    robber? I guarantee no one will recognize you," Cecilia joked after seeing his disguise.

    "How did you get here?"

    "I took the bus."

    Cecilia was surprised and said, "That''s rare."

    Owen: "Let''s go in. It''s still early, and there aren''t many people. Let''s get the marriage certificate as

    soon as possible and leave. I''ve checked; Gabriel Turner is not around."

    Gabriel knew Stefan well, and naturally, he also knew Owen.

    The fact that Stefan and Lucinda got their marriage certificate was initially leaked by Gabriel.

    That rumor-mongering man.

    Owen didn''t want Gabriel to know about him and Cecilia.

    "Sure."

    Cecilia cooperated with him.

    Naturally, Owen took her hand and led her inside.

    Suddenly, Cecilia stopped and turned her head towards a middle-aged man not far away. She said

    to Owen, "Since I came over, that man has been watching us. What does he want?"

    Owen, toozy to even turn back, answered in a low voice, "That''s the butler, Derek. My

    grandfather sent him to supervise us getting the marriage certificate to prevent me from getting a

    fake one with you."

    "Does your grandfather like using Derek''s name to trick people?"

    "To my knowledge, he only tricked your family."

    Cecilia scoffed, "What an honour."

    Owen led her inside.

    Derek followed in.

    Derek watched the two get their marriage certificates throughout the whole process.

    Only when the two got their marriage certificates did Derek breathe a sigh of relief.

    He had aplished his task!

    Cecilia stuffed the marriage certificate into her trouser pocket, waved at Owen, and said, "I still have

    renovations to do in my shop. I''ll go first; see you."

    Owen stopped her and said, "I''ll take you there."

    "You came by bus; how are you going to take me?"

    Cecilia gged down a taxi, opened the door, got in, and after closing the door, waved goodbye to

    Owen.

    She left decisively, without any lingering feelings.

    Instead, Owen, holding his marriage certificate, stood by the side of the road, watching the taxi

    carrying Cecilia away, feeling a bitplicated inside.

    When others get their marriage certificates, it''s all lovey-dovey.

    When they got their marriage certificates, they left each other immediately.

    "Derek."

    Owen called out to Derek.

    Derek stepped forward, responding respectfully.

    Owen handed over his marriage certificate to Derek and said, "I''m going back to the office. You take

    this back to show my grandfather. You watched the entire process. Cecilia and I got the marriage

    certificate following the normal procedure. It''s absolutely real."

    Derek refused to take the marriage certificate,ughing, "Your grandfather hopes you bring your

    wife home and show him the marriage certificate yourselves."

    "She''s not my wife."

    "She just got the marriage certificate with you. It''s still fresh; haven''t you forgotten? Since you''ve got

    the marriage certificate, she''s your legal wife."

    Owen looked helpless.

    He could make Cecilia keep the secret, but he couldn''t shut Derek up.

    This guy worked for Trenton!

    "Cecilia''s shop is very busy. I''ll bring her to meet my grandfather tonight. Before that, none of you

    can disturb her. Also, please tell my grandfather not to go overboard."

    Derek replied respectfully, "I will ry your message to him."

    "Alright, you can leave now. I''m heading back to the office."

    Owen gged down a taxi and left after getting in.

    Derek waited for him to leave before heading to his own car.

    When Owen returned to thepany, he saw several luxury cars parked in front of the building,

    one of which was a Maybach, which he instantly recognized.

    It was Stefan''s car.

    He knew the other luxury cars were driven by Stefan''s bodyguards.

    Stefan was here.

    Sure enough, when Owen entered the building, the receptionist told him that Mr. Coleman was

    there, waiting for him in the VIP room on the top floor.

    Owen responded emotionlessly and then headed upstairs.

    He was guessing why Stefan hade.

    The two rarely interacted; except for asional encounters in public ces, they seldom contacted

    each other privately. It was the first time Stefan hade to thepany to find someone.

    Ten minutester

    Owen saw Stefan in the VIP room on the top floor.

    Stefan stood by the window, his back against him. The Anderson family''s bodyguards stood like

    loyal soldiers behind Stefan. They saw Owening in and silently stepped aside, making way for

    him to go to Stefan.

    Owen wouldn''t suddenly attack Stefan.

    He had fought with Stefan, and he couldn''t beat Stefan.

    Although the Anderson family''s bodyguards made way, they were all watching him.

    If he dared to attack Stefan from behind, the bodyguards of the Anderson family would immediately

    close in and beat him up in his ownpany.

    That would be too embarrassing.

    "What''s the asion today that you woulde here?"

    Owen stood side by side with Stefan, looking at the blue sky and white clouds outside the window.

    The two were simr in height and equally imposing. They usually wore suits, but Owen wasn''t

    dressed formally today because he just got back.

    He had clothes to change into in the restroom.

    He was curious about Stefan''s purpose and couldn''t wait to change clothes, so he came to see

    Stefan first.

    Stefan looked at him.

    Owen looked back.

    Their eyes met, and Stefan examined Owen''s attire.

    Owen stood up straight and said, "I have a model-like physique; I look good in anything I wear."

    Stefan showed a slight smile.

    "You''ve had quite a few drinks; your breath still smells of alcohol."

    Owen was speechless.

    Stefan was still smellingst night''s booze.

    Stefan''s nose was really something.

    "Stefan, what brings you to me?" Owen cut to the chase.

    Stefan hit back, "Aren''t you going to invite me into your office? We''ve known each other for years,

    and I''ve never seen your office. Can you show me around?"

    Owen''s lips twitched slightly.

    "Let''s go." He spun on his heels and led the way.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Stefan followed, with both of them leaving the VIP room one after another.

    Their bodyguards were hot on their heels.

    At the door of the CEO''s office, several bodyguards came to a halt.

    Owen politely invited Stefan into his office.

 Chapter 148

    Chapter 148

    "Have a seat."

    Owen ushered Stefan towards the couch.

    After taking a good look around Owen''s office, Stefan finally took a seat on the couch.

    "Can I get you something to drink?"

    "No need to fuss. I''m just here for a quick chat and to drop something off."

    As Owen poured a ss of water for Stefan, he said, "You''re my guest. If I didn''t even offer you a

    drink, I can''t imagine what kind of things you''ll say about me out there."

    "When did I ever badmouth you?"

    Owen was left speechless.

    They had no deep-seated grudges, just fiercepetition in the business world.

    Stefan was more of a gentleman than he was. He might say a few bad things about Stefan, but

    Stefan never spoke ill of him.

    "What did you want to tell me?"

    Owen got back to the matter at hand.

    He''s curious, wondering what Stefan wanted to tell him.

    Seeing his intrigued look, Stefan can''t help but chuckle. "Don''t get your hopes up. Rx, I''m not

    here to confess my love for you."

    Owen was thankful he wasn''t drinking water, or he might have choked.

    "Stefan, can you be serious? You''re freaking me out."

    "Do I look like I''m joking?"

    Again, Owen was left speechless.

    Stefan picked up the ss of water with his slender hand, brought it to his lips with grace, and took

    a couple of leisurely sips.

    Then he just held the ss, looking at Owen with his deep eyes.

    Owen felt uneasy under his gaze.

    But he just stared and didn¡¯t say anything. Owen can''t help but blurt out, "Stefan, if you keep looking

    at me like that, I''m going to call your wife and tell her you''re into me."

    "Owen, you''re actually quite handsome, not inferior to me. What do you say? Have you ever

    thought about being gay?"

    As soon as he finished, Owen leaped up and took cover behind the couch.

    "Stefan, have you lost your mind? What are you talking about? You''re married, and you''re into me?

    You''re bisexual! Ruby has loved you for so many years, and you''ve never reciprocated. Is it

    because of me? Oh my God!"

    "Am I Ruby''s biggest rival? Would Ruby want to kill me if she found out? If she wanted me dead,

    should I die or not?"

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    Stefan burst intoughter.

    Owen was lost for words.

    Laughing, Stefan said, "If Ruby asks you to die, I guess you''re toast. Better die early; with you out of

    the way, I''ll have nopetition. I can live happily ever after with my wife. Don''t worry, every year

    on your anniversary, I''ll take my wife and kids to mourn for you. Thanks for dying early."

    Owen looked left and right, trying to find something to hit Stefan with.

    Unfortunately, he found nothing suitable.

    Should he take off a shoe and throw it at him?

    Stefan put down the ss and stood up. He walked over, grabbed Owen by the cor, and dragged

    him out from behind the couch. He even straightened Owen''s clothes, saying, "The outfit you''re

    wearing today is hideous. Looks like a suit. Are you celebrating something?"

    Owen immediately shrugged him off.

    Then he quickly took off his top. He didn''t know why he wore this suit-like top.

    Indeed, there was a happy event today. Owen had been single for twenty-nine years and finally had

    apanion. For the sake of social status and wealth, he gave up his wife''s position to Cecilia.

    Thinking about this, Owen felt very down.

    Seeing his rival''s interested eyes, Owen immediately crossed his arms and yelled at Stefan, "What

    are you looking at? Haven''t you seen a handsome guy before? What I have, you have too."

    "You undress in front of me and then me me. Even though you said what you have, I have too;

    there are still differences."

    "Darn it!"

    "Stefan, I''ve only just seen your true colors today!"

    Owen was infuriated by Stefan. "Wait here, I''m going to change."

    With that, he went into the resting room.

    Before the door was even closed, he heard Stefan''s loudughter.

    How infuriating!

    He''s being mocked by his rival!

    Owen cursed Stefan in the resting room, but he moved quickly and soon changed into a suit. When

    he came out again, he''s in a neat suit, looking suave.

    When he walked over, Stefan took out an envelope and handed it to Owen.

    "What''s this?"

    Raising an eyebrow, Owen asked, "A love letter? Stefan, let me tell you, I don''t write love letters.

    Even if you write me a love letter every day, I won''t respond."

    "You''re reading too much into it."

    Stefan stuffed the envelope into his hand. "I''m only interested in Lucy. I have no feelings for anyone

    else."

    "Don''t show off in front of me. The woman I love most loves you, but you''re in love with someone

    else. And you even get to marry the woman you love. Stefan, you''ve been superior since we were

    kids. We''re no match for you. You''re even luckier in love than we are."

    He loved Ruby, but his grandfather forced him to marry Cecilia.

    What a pity.

    Stefan was always a bit stronger and luckier than him.

    "Thanks for your help yesterday."

    Finally, Stefan stopped joking and sincerely thanked Owen.

    "Did youe here just to thank me?"

    Raising an eyebrow, Stefan said, "Yes. Did you think I was dying to see you? If it wasn''t for you

    saving my wife, I wouldn''t even bother."

    Owen smirked.

    Indeed.

    They were not exactly friends.

    Stefan knew he owed Owen a favor, so he came to thank him in person.

    He took the envelope.

    Then he heard Stefan say, "Split the money in the envelope. Keep half for yourself and give the

    other half to your bodyguards. It''s my way of saying thanks."

    Inside the envelope was a check.

    In front of Stefan, Owen took out the check, took a look, and said, "I''m not short on cash. Just give it

    all to them. Actually, it was Cecilia who asked for my help. Otherwise, I wouldn''t care if your wife

    lived or died."

    He continued, "Your wife has found a true friend. In this money-oriented society, a kind friend like

    Cecilia is very rare."

    Stefan guessed that it was Cecilia who asked Owen for help.

    This surprised him.

    Everyone in Pinehurst knew about Owen''s crush on Ruby. Stefan thought that Ruby was the only

    girl who could get Owen to lift a finger. Now, he realized, he had put Ruby on too high a pedestal in

    Owen''s heart.

 Chapter 149

    Chapter 149

    "Ms. Yates is a real sweetheart."

    It was rare for Stefan to praise a woman other than Lucinda.

    He nced at Owen.

    Owen got the hint and snorted, "I only have eyes for Ruby."

    "Well then, I''ll leave it at that. After all, you''re the one who''s going to suffer, not me. Just remember,

    if you keep meddling in my affairs because of Ruby or helping Ruby to keep tabs on me, don''t

    me me for not being polite!"

    "You''re not exactly polite to me in the first ce."

    Owen mumbled under his breath.

    "If you''ve got nothing else, you can scram now."

    Stefan said, "I have no idea what you''re talking about. Can you show me how? Owen, thank you!"

    "Don''t be so formal; it''s not my style."

    Owen looked ufortable. "It''s not my thing when you thank me so formally."

    Stefan took a couple of steps forward and kicked at him.

    Owen dodged swiftly.

    "Stefan, what the heck?"

    "You said you''re not used to being thanked, so how about a kick? You''re used to that, right? You''re

    such a pain in the ass."

    "You''re the pain in the ass, Stefan. You didn''te here to thank me today; you came to piss me

    off. I''m about to die of anger."

    "Your eyes are still open, and you''re iming to be dead from anger?"

    Stefan scoffed at him and said as he walked out, "Let me know when you''re really dead from

    anger."

    Owen: "Goodbye!"

    Stefan pushed open the office door and left. He mmed the door with a loud bang.

    Owen yelled in the direction of the door, "Stefan, if you break my door, you''re buying me a new

    one."

    Stefan was long gone and didn''t hear his cursing.

    After a while, Owen called in his bodyguard, handed him the gift from Stefan, and said, "This is a

    check from Stefan. Cash it in and share it with the others. We should take Stefan''s money."

    The bodyguard hesitated for a moment, then quickly took the envelope under Owen''s re.

    "Next time something like this happens, you guys need to move faster and take more money from

    Stefan."

    The bodyguard stayed silent. They were all following Owen''s orders. All the gifts from Stefan that

    Owen didn''t ept were given to them. Working for someone like this was promising.

    Lucinda ced the washed cherries in front of Cecilia.

    "These cherries are sweet and big, and they''re fresh. Go ahead and eat."

    Cecilia put down her phone, picked a cherry, and jokingly said to Lucinda, "You''re a whole different

    person after bing part of the Anderson family. You''re even willing to buy suchrge and fresh

    cherries."

    She loved cherries too, but they were too expensive.

    In the past, they would only look at them, unable to afford or bear to buy them.

    "If you''ve got food, stop talking."

    Lucinda cheerfully stuffed a cherry into Cecilia''s mouth.

    "Stefan always gives me lots of pocket money; I can''t even spend it all, so I bought some cherries."

    "You could buy clothes, handbags, jewelry, and so on. If you only picked the expensive ones to buy,

    then maybe his pocket money wouldn''t be enough."

    Lucinda sat next to her and said, "Forget it."

    Her closet was full of clothes, handbags, jewelry, and so on. So much that it made her dizzy.

    Lucinda didn''t say anything because she was afraid Cecilia would use her of showing off.

    "What were you thinking about just now? You were so focused. You''ve seemed a bit distracted ever

    since you came in. Cecilia, are you hiding something from me?"

    Cecilia''s demeanor reminded Lucinda of her own reaction when she first found out Stefan was the

    heir of a wealthy family.

    "I wasn''t thinking about anything; I was just bored and daydreaming."

    Lucinda gave her a quiet look for a couple of minutes, thenughed and said, "If you''re really that

    bored, you could make some desserts for us to try and for the construction workers'' afternoon tea."

    "I don''t feel like moving; I just wanna daydream."

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Lucinda knew Cecilia had something on her mind, but she didn''t want to talk about it, so Lucinda

    didn''t press further.

    "Lucy, have you figured out who''s responsible for what happened yesterday?"

    Cecilia asked with concern.

    She spoke softly. She didn''t want the construction workers to hear.

    The media hadn''t reported Lucinda''s kidnapping from yesterday.

    If they had found out, Serendipity Cafe would be a hot topic again.

    But the media didn''t dare disturb Lucinda''s peaceful life on a whim.

    When Stefan announced their marital status, it caused a sensation. But the media didn''t disturb

    Lucinda''s life. She knew Stefan had secretly warned everyone.

    Lucinda liked a quiet and harmonious life.

    Stefan did his best to give her the life she wanted.

    "We''re still investigating; we haven''t figured it out yet."

    Lucinda also replied softly. After a moment, she whispered to Cecilia, "Cecilia, I have to tell you

    something. We''re good friends, and you''ll find out about this sooner orter. The incident yesterday

    might be rted to this."

    "What is it?"

    Cecilia leaned in closer and said, "Speak softly."

    "I''m not the biological child of the Moore family."

    "You''re not the Moore family''s.What? What did you say?"

    Cecilia''s voice suddenly turned shrill.

    She couldn''t believe what she was hearing and eximed,

    Then she quickly covered her mouth, and the construction workers nced over and then went

    back to their work.

    "Who told you that?"

    Cecilia whispered, "How could you not be the biological child of the Moore family? Ike and your

    parents treat you so well, I can''t believe you''re not their biological child."

    Lucinda let out a sigh. "I didn''t believe it either, but that''s just the facts. It was only after I married

    Stefan that I found out."

    "The Andersons ran a background check on you?"

    "Do you really think they would ept a woman they know nothing about?"

    Cecilia fell silent.

    Fair enough.

    Owen¡¯s marriage to her was also a result of mutual understanding and acquaintance. Owen''s

    grandpa even personally visited her home and got to know her family background and situation

    before deciding to let Owen marry her.

    She and Lucinda both came from decent families, which was why the Andersons agreed to Stefan

    marrying Lucinda.

    "You''re just telling me about this now?"

    "I needed some time to digest the news, cool down, and then tell you."

    After a moment of thought, Cecilia hugged Lucinda sympathetically and said, "You really shouldn''t

    keep such big news from me, worrying all by yourself. You should have told me, It feels a lot better

    to vent when you''re troubled. But now that you have Mr. Coleman by your side, he canfort you.

    Sometimes I feel like I might just be a third wheel."

    Cecilia''s words wereced with humor.

 Chapter 150

    Chapter 150

    Lucinda was racking her brains on what to say when she saw a few cars pulling up and parking at

    the front of the shop through the ss door.

    Every time cars parked in front of her shop, Lucinda would get a bit jittery.

    She was always guessing. Were they customers or other people?

    Seeing so many cars, Cecilia also started to feel anxious, as she had just gotten hitched to Owen.

    Owen asked her to keep it hush-hush so no one could know they were married.

    She was even keeping it from Lucinda.

    She saw a person getting out of the car, a bodyguard helping an old man.

    "Lucy, my stomach''s acting up; I¡¯ve got to go to the loo."

    Cecilia hightailed it to the bathroom as soon as she saw that old man.

    The man was Owen''s grandpa, who pressured Owen to tie the knot without giving him any time to

    think.

    Lucinda didn''t smell a rat; after all, everyone had to rush to the loo at some point.

    Owen''s grandpa came over with a few bodyguards, escorted by Derek.

    He had such amanding presence that even Lucinda''s neighbors were drawn to it, standing on

    the side of the street and watching.

    Recently, a lot had been happening at the Serendipity Cafe.

    First off, Lucinda, with whom they often interacted, became a big shot in the Anderson family, which

    shocked the neighbors.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    It also shattered the hearts of many guys who were head over heels for her.

    The owners of the Serendipity Cafe were two sweet young girls; many of the local vendors had a

    soft spot for them.

    But when they found out Lucinda became a part of the Anderson family, they dared not make a

    move. Who would dare yoink a girl from Stefan?

    Then someone came to stir up trouble, iming to be Stefan''s childhood friend and using

    Lucinda of being a homewrecker.

    Such gossip was juicy; everyone loved to listen, but they also had their own judgement.

    If Stefan really liked that woman, what chance would Lucinda have to marry Stefan? Lucinda and

    Stefan were already married; they even showed everyone their marriage certificate when they made

    the announcement.

    What could that woman bring to the table?

    She was just green with envy.

    Then she got owned by Stefan, and they heard she''s still in the mmer.

    She''s a clueless woman who can''t see reality!

    "Marrying a rich guy is a whole different ball game; every time someonees, they''re always

    driving a fleet of luxury cars."

    One of the neighbors watching from afarmented.

    "That''s a given; marrying a rich man is a big deal. Lucinda is really lucky; she got into the Anderson

    family and moved into the Ascend Estate; it''s something to be envious about."

    "If I could move into the Ascend Estate, I''d beughing in my dreams."

    "Give it a rest. Look at yourself, dreaming of moving into the Ascend Estate. Would the men of the

    Anderson family fall for you? Look at what Lucinda looks like, then look at yourself."

    Lucinda was naturally beautiful; she usually dressed modestly and went out without makeup, but

    she was still the prettiest girl on the street.

    She had a distinctive, ssy aura.

    Heard that Lucinda''s family was just average; it''s a wonder how the Moore family raised such a

    daughter; her ssiness seemed to be innate.

    Lucinda didn''t realize the people around her were discussing her. When she saw an old man

    coming in, she immediately stood up to greet him.

    "Hello, our shop is currently under renovation and temporarily closed."

    Trenton was looking at Lucinda.

    When he saw her photo, he thought Lucinda looked familiar, so he sent people to investigate her.

    Now, seeing Lucinda in person, that familiarity was even stronger.

    He was sure he had seen Lucinda or her rtives before.

    "Sir."

    Lucinda was a bit puzzled as Trenton kept staring at her.

    Trenton snapped out of it, showed a kind smile, and said to Lucinda, "You must be Lucinda; I''m

    Trenton Martinez; my grandson''s wife is your good friend; I often hear her talk about you."

    "I''m Lucinda; you are Owen''s grandpa? Wait, are you talking about Cecilia?"

    Trenton said with a grin, "That''s right, Cecilia."

    Lucinda was taken aback.

    When did Cecilia be Trenton''s grandson''s wife? Did she marry Owen or Harry Martinez?

    It must be the former.

    Because Lucinda was aware of the marriage proposal between Owen and Cecilia.

    Soon, Lucinda regained herposure. She said to Trenton, "My shop is under renovation; it''s a bit

    noisy, not a great ce to entertain guests. Are you here for Cecilia? She''s not here right now; if

    you have anything to tell her, you can tell me and I''ll pass it on."

    Trenton knew Cecilia was in the shop; he did his homework before he left.

    But Cecilia was hiding.

    He didn''t mind, because they''ve already done the paperwork for the marriage, and Cecilia will be

    his grandson''s wife in the future. No matter how long she hides, she can''t hide forever.

    That blockhead Owen thinking about a secret marriage, that''s impossible!

    He forced Owen to get the marriage paperwork done, and just to nip Ruby''s ambitions in the bud,

    he would let the whole town know about Owen''s marriage.

    "Actually, I don''t have any special business; I just want Cecilia to have dinner at home with Owen

    tonight. They got married today; it should be considered their wedding day, and we should have a

    family dinner. I''ve already notified the other family members, asking them toe home and meet

    Cecilia."

    "If you''re free, you can alsoe with Cecilia; I''ll treat you to dinner. The Martinez family and the

    Anderson family are old friends after all."

    Their families have had a long history, just a bad one.

    "Thanks; I''ll stop by when I have time."

    "That works. You and Cecilia are good pals; we''ll have plenty of chances to meet in the future. No

    sweat over this one. Can you pass a message to Cecilia for me? Tell her if she doesn''t leave with

    Owen, I''ll send a car for her."

    People from the Martinez family, if they wanted to show off, they sure had the chops.

    "I''ll make sure to pass your message to Cecilia."

    Trenton nodded and said, "Thanks, Ms. Moore."

    "No problem."

    Trenton took another look around the shop. It was indeed under construction, all thanks to Ruby''s

    mess. His grandson was even thinking about footing the bill for Ruby''s damage.

    What a clueless blockhead!

    Derek helped Trenton turn around and start to leave.

    After a few steps, he stopped, turned back to Lucinda, and said, "Ms. Moore, you look familiar. I

    must have met you or your kin before."

    Lucinda''s eyes twinkled, and she smiled. "We may have bumped into each other on the street."

    Trenton chuckled but didn''t continue the conversation.

    The guy he sent to dig up the dirt on Lucinda''s real identity hadn¡¯t reported back yet, so he still

    didn''t know whose kid Lucinda was.

    He also couldn''t recall where he''d seen someone who looked like Lucinda.

    After watching Trenton and his people leave, Lucinda quickly went back into the shop.

    Cecilia was still in the restroom.

    Lucinda walked over and knocked on the door.

    "Cecilia, your grandpa''s gone; you cane out now."

    Cecilia quickly opened the door and asked, "My grandpa? My grandpa was here?"

    "Owen''s grandpa; isn''t he your grandpa too?"

    Cecilia: "Lucy, you already know?"

 Chapter 151

    Chapter 151

    After hearing the full story, Lucinda looked at her friend, filled with guilt and regret.

    "Lucy, don''t beat yourself up. This is my mess; I made the promise; it had nothing to do with you. It''s

    not your fault. At least I got a pretty penny from him, right? As long as I stand my ground and y

    my part well, I won''t lose anything."

    Lucinda gave her friend a tight, silent hug.

    Cecilia just smiled slightly.

    Theplicated rtionship between her and Owen was all because of Lucinda. Even if she

    appeared rxed, as if she didn''t care, Lucinda would still feel upset and me herself.

    Unless she and Owen could also be as happy as Lucinda and Mr. Coleman were,

    But that was impossible.

    The path she and Lucinda were on may be the same, but there were many forks in the road.

    Owen was head over heels for Ruby.

    "If you ever need my help with anything, you have to let me know."

    Ceciliaughed, saying, "Of course, I won''t be shy about it. Don''t look like I''m going to hell; it''s just a

    marriage. I was bound to get hitched sooner orter, with whoever, but we still need to get a

    marriage certificate."

    "Cecilia."

    Lucinda didn''t try to persuade Cecilia to leave Owen; she knew it was an agreement between

    Cecilia and Owen. Even if this whole thing was because of her, she couldn''t convince Cecilia to

    break her promise to Owen.

    Although she didn''t know who her biological parents were, she was lucky to be spoiled like a real

    daughter by her adoptive parents for over twenty years. She was also very fortunate to have a kind

    friend like Cecilia in thisplicated world.

    Blue Corporation.

    In the vice president''s office, Ethan Blue''s desk was piled high with paperwork that needed his

    attention. He was busy at work when his mobile phone suddenly rang.

    He answered the call; it was Shirley.

    "Janice Blue suddenly started crying; nothing I do can console her."

    Ethan quickly asked, "Is her doll still there?"

    "Yes, Janice is crying while holding the doll; I don''t know why. Just after nap time, Janice was lost in

    thought by the window, then she started crying."

    "Has she seen anyone?"

    "Ms. Porter came by, but I didn''t let her see Janice. Then Nathan Blue came back, and Ms. Porter

    left with him. Since then, no one has disturbed Janice."

    Shirley told Ethan all she knew.

    "Okay, I got it. I''ll head home right away. Keep an eye on her; don''t let her go out. If she does

    anything else, my grandmother will be furious."

    "Be careful on the road; tell the driver to go slow. Janice''s situation is what it is; even if you rush

    back, you can''t change it. Your safety is the most important."

    Ethan responded.

    In this house, only Shirley cared for him and his mother.

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    Others were hoping for his downfall.

    With his mother suddenly crying, Ethan couldn''t continue working. He put aside the pile of

    unfinished paperwork, grabbed his bodyguards, and hurried home.

    An hourter.

    Shirley was waiting by the door. Seeing Ethan, she approached him and said, "You''re back; Janice

    is still in the room."

    "Is my mom still crying?"

    "She isn''t sobbing anymore, but she''s still crying silently. It''s heartbreaking to watch."

    Shirley''s eyes welled up as she spoke.

    This was probably Janice''s life now.

    If God had mercy, he''d bring Lucinda back soon. If Lucinda returned, Janice might have a chance to

    regain consciousness. Otherwise.

    "I''ll go in and see."

    Ethan walked past Shirley to the door, gently pushing it open. He saw his mother sitting by the

    window, holding the doll. Her long hair spilled around her, reaching the floor.

    She hadn''t cut her hair in a very long time.

    She said her daughter liked to pull her hair, so she kept it long to make her happy.

    Ethan''s heart ached.

    He was still a bachelor; he hadn''t been a father yet. He didn''t know how painful it was to lose a

    child. But he remembered that the person she always talked about was her daughter. She barely

    remembered him as her son.

    Perhaps the pain of losing the other child was so great that she couldn''t move on and didn''t notice

    the son who was still with her.

    Ethan had never truly experienced maternal love in his twenty-four years.

    He walked over and gently closed the door.

    Her hearing was very good. She heard Ethan''s footsteps. As she turned her head, Ethan saw her

    swollen eyes and tear-stained face.

    His heart ached.

    "Mom."

    Ethan stepped forward, softly calling her mom.

    Janice looked at him.

    Ethan looked at her, seeing something different in her eyes.

    In the past, when she looked at him, it was like looking at his father. Her eyes were full of

    dependence, love, and trust, but now her gaze was filled with sorrow.

    "Mom."

    Ethan called softly.

    He was overjoyed but didn''t dare to be sure. Was it just his imagination?

    Did she recognize him? Did she know he was her son, not her husband?

    "Lucy."

    Janice struggled to speak, her voice was hoarse from crying.

    Ethan fell silent.

    She was calling his sister''s name at him.

    Was she mistaking him for his sister?

    He''s a man!

    "Lucy is in danger; I dreamed that Lucy was in danger."

    Her next words stunned Ethan.

    She wasn''t mistaking him for his sister, but she told him she dreamed his sister was in danger.

    She was still alive!

    Ethan had always believed that she was alive.

    He just didn''t know where she was.

    Now she said his sister was in danger, but where was this danger from?

    Ethan immediately thought of those who were secretly looking for his sister. Had someone found

    her? Were they trying to kill her?

    They had attempted to assassinate him countless times. They would definitely not show mercy to

    his sister.

    Ethan hurriedly squatted in front of her, anxiously asking, "Mom, where''s Lucy?"

    He had heard that people with mental disorders often have different intuitions than normal people.

    His mom''s been off her rocker for over twenty years. Her mother-daughter bond with Lucy made her

    intuition sharper, which was pretty standard.

    Tears started to stream down Janice''s face.

    She bowed her head, looking at the doll in her arms, tears dropping one by one onto it.

    "Mom, is Lucy okay now? Mom, do you still have any dreams?"

    Janice lowered her head, pressing her face against the doll''s, whispering, "Sweetie, go to sleep;

    don''t cry, my good girl."

    Ethan, witnessing this, realized her sanity was just a fleeting moment, and now she was back in her

    unhinged state.

    He felt a bit antsy, but there was nothing he could do for her.

    This feeling of helplessness made Ethan feel like blowing off steam, like yelling at the top of his

    lungs, like picking a fight!

    At this moment, if anyone were to cross him, they''d be out of luck.

 Chapter 152

    Chapter 152

    Ethan''s phone rang.

    He instantly felt like he had found someone to vent to.

    He pulled out his phone and saw it was a call from the person he sent to find his sister. His anger

    died down in an instant. He didn''t answer the call right away but declined it instead.

    "Mom, do you want to go for a walk?"

    Whenever Ethan got calls like these, he''d answer them out on thewn. It''s spacious there, and

    there were trees all around, nobody could overhear him if he stood in the middle of the field.

    He felt it was safer than his dad''s study.

    Janice seemed to ignore his words, still cradling her doll.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Ethan bent down, attempting to help her up.

    Janice didn¡¯t refuse.

    So Ethan helped her up and gently said, "Mom, let''s go for a walk in the field."

    His mother burst into tears. His grandmother and Ka Blue and Ashley Blue must have heard the

    news too. They woulde over to give his mother a hard time while he was not home.

    Even though Shirley was there, she was only a maid and couldn''t handle three high-ssdies.

    His grandmother was also a strong-willed olddy.

    "Come on, let''s go for a walk and soak up some sun."

    Whileforting her doll, Janice followed Ethan''s steps.

    They left the room.

    Shirley came up to them.

    "Where are you taking Janice?"

    Shirley saw Janice''s red eyes, and her heart ached.

    "Shirley, I''m taking mom for a walk. There is no need for anyone to follow."

    "It''s hot outside."

    "It''s afternoon now, and the sun isn''t that harsh. It''s not good for mom to always stay in her room,

    she needs to get some sun."

    "Take good care of Janice, then."

    Shirley didn¡¯t stop them any further.

    In this house, only Ethan truly cared for Janice. After all, they were mother and son.

    Ethan nodded.

    He held his mother''s hand and led her downstairs.

    Just as they were on the stairs, they saw Grace Blue and Ashleying in.

    Ashley was talking about something, and Grace looked unhappy.

    No need to ask; Ethan knew Ashley was badmouthing his mother. Talking about her crying and how

    it disturbed others and brought bad luck.

    "Ethan, shouldn''t you be at the office at this time?"

    Ashley saw Ethan leading his mother downstairs and said hypocritically, and without giving Ethan a

    chance to respond, she mocked him: "You''re the vice president of Blue Corporation; you''re busy. If

    you''re always running home, Pete will have to do your work. He''s doing the work of a VP without

    the title or the pay. You''re treating Pete like a servant."

    Ethan coldly said, "If you think Pete is being treated unfairly, tell him to quit."

    Pete was only his assistant at Blue Corporation, not even a manager.

    His father, who was in charge of Blue Corporation, was somewhat dissatisfied with him due to

    Madeleine Porter''s instigation. But in thepany, his father still valued him and positioned him as

    the heir to Blue Corporation.

    His siblings were all overshadowed by him in thepany.

    Pete¡¯s ability was well known, but his father didn''t give him a higher position, only letting him be his

    assistant.

    Ethan knew that this was also his father''s test. Pete was of a simr age and notcking in ability. If

    he couldn''t suppress Pete, his father wouldn''t hand over Blue Corporation to him.

    Ashley paused.

    If Pete left Blue Corporation, it would entirely belong to Ethan and his father.

    Ashley felt resentful and unfair.

    Blue Corporation wasn''t their private property, but the whole Blue family''s. How could a father and

    son monopolize it?

    "Mom, listen, I was just saying, and Ethan treats me like this. Now you and dad are still here, but if

    you weren''t and Ethan became the head of the family, it''s uncertain whether we could live in this

    mansion."

    Ethan''s face darkened.

    He hated Ashley the most.

    She talked a lot and liked to sow discord in front of his grandmother.

    His grandmother was getting worse with his mother, and Ashley and Madeleine contributed to this.

    Ashley and Madeleine were very close.

    "Ethan, watch your attitude. Ashley is your elder."

    Grace calmly reprimanded Ethan, then asked him, "What''s wrong with your mother? We''ve said that

    she should go to the holiday vi in the suburbs for recuperation and let Shirley take care of her.

    What are you worried about?"

    "She''s always causing trouble. You have toe home all the time. Don''t you need to take care of

    thepany¡¯s business? Ethan, you''re the heir to Blue Corporation. You have heavy

    responsibilities. Your mother will only drag you down."

    "She holds a doll every day and calls it baby. She lost her baby. If it wasn''t for her, my

    granddaughter wouldn''t have been missing for over twenty years."

    Thinking of the adorable girl who looked so much like her granddaughter, Grace still felt sad.

    Even though she had other granddaughters now, Lucinda Blue still had a ce in her heart.

    "Grandma!"

    Ethan sternly said, "You can''t me my sister''s disappearance on my mother. After my sister

    disappeared, the person who was most heartbroken was my mother. For more than twenty years,

    apart from ming my mother, you guys just shed a few tears when mentioning my sister, then

    continued with your lives."

    "But look at my mom, man. Can''t you see how busted-up she is? And you just keep on ming her.

    Did she really screw up? If there''s anything wrong, it''s that she married my old man! It''s my dad''s

    admirers who messed up my sister and my mom, and yet you''re pinning the me on her."

    "You''re trying to push her around because she''s out of it, because she''s got no family backing her

    up, right? But she still has me, and as long as I''m around, I won''t let anybody mess with my mom

    again!"

    Ethan stared at Grace icily.

    "Mom, look at his eyes. He''s practically ready to eat you alive, and you''re his own grandma!"

    "Yo, fes!"

    Ethan suddenly called out in a low voice.

    Soon, two bodyguards walked in.

    His bodyguards.

    "Kick Ashley out!"

    Ashley''s face turned ashen, and she screamed, "Ethan, you wouldn''t dare! I''m your elder; you

    wouldn''t dare kick me out!"

 Chapter 153

    Chapter 153

    Ethan waved his hand, and his two bodyguards immediately stepped forward, forcibly hauling

    Ashley out of the room.

    "Ethan!"

    Grace scolded sternly, "Have you forgotten your grandma is right here? You dare to treat your

    elders like this in front of her?"

    "Grandma, don''t you think Ashley talks way too much? She''s always making a fuss, and it''s so

    annoying. I kicked her out; don''t you think it''s much quieter now?"

    Grace was silent.

    "This is my home. If she''s just a guest, as her nephew, I''d treat her kindly. But if she''s here to cause

    trouble, sorry, I won''t put up with her anymore. Respect for elders is important, but has she behaved

    as an elder should?"

    And she imed to be a high-societydy, but her behavior was just pitiful.

    His mother may have some mental issues, but she''s still better than Ashley.

    Grace was silent.

    Ethan held his mother''s hand and started heading downstairs. As he passed Grace, he stopped.

    He nced at his grandma, then reminded her, "Grandma, you and grandpa are living in our house.

    Even if you favor Pete and his family, don''t go overboard. Of course, if Ka is willing to take you

    guys in and take good care of you, I have no objections."

    "I''m taking my mom for a walk."

    With that, Ethan, regardless of his grandma''s reaction, led his mother away.

    Grace was left with wide eyes from shock, but she couldn''t do anything to him.

    The Blue family''s mansion was huge, and Grace and her husband had always lived on Nathan''s

    side. She had no desire to relocate.

    She knew that Ka and Ashley were always sucking up to her because they wanted to use her to

    suppress Nathan and also gain benefits from her.

    Together, Grace and her husband''s private wealth amounted to nearly a billion dors.

    And let''s not forget her collection of precious jewels.

    If she was in a good mood and willing to open her private vault, any piece of jewelry she picked out

    to give away would be worth a sizable fortune.

    Nathan, as the head of the family, was the richest in terms of private wealth, so he didn''t always

    have his eye on Grace''s wealth. She was used to living on Nathan''s side, where it was peaceful and

    no one was scheming against her.

    Janice had some mental issues and wasn''t capable of scheming.

    Ethan and Nathan were both busy and had no time to plot against her.

    Madeleine hadn''t officially be a member of the Blue family yet and was still trying hard to

    please Grace, so she wouldn''t scheme against her either.

    Grace watched as her grandson led the mentally unstable Janice away.

    It took a while before she moved.

    She walked over to the couch and sat down. Once seated, she started spacing out, lost in thought.

    Shirley quietly poured her a ss of water before quietly retreating.

    When Ethan and his mother reached thergewn, Ethan finally picked up his phone to call his

    people.

    "So, any progress?"

    Ethan asked in a low voice.

    As he was on the phone, he kept an eye on his mother, wary that she might wander off.

    Her mental health wasn''t the best, and she couldn''t recognize her own son or even her own home.

    If she was left alone, she would get lost and couldn''t find her way back to her room.

    He remembered how, when he was younger, she would often run away from home. When she

    returned, she would always be hungry, thirsty, dirty, and sometimes even injured.

    "We have some good news."

    The person on the other end was clearly excited.

    They had been helping Ethan look for his missing sister, and finally, they made a breakthrough.

    Hearing this, Ethan gripped his phone tightly and asked in a deep voice, "Where''s my sister?"

    "We can''t confirm her location yet. The information we got is that Trenton of Pinehurst has been

    looking for missing children from wealthy families."

    "There are several major families in Pinehurst. They''re wealthy and influential, and the Martinez

    family is one of them. Not long ago, Trenton sent people to ask around about any girls who had

    gone missing in the past two decades."

    Ethan asked in surprise, "Pinehurst?"

    He had been looking for his sister in Whiterun, not expecting that she might be in Pinehurst.

    "Are you sure?"

    "We''re sure. It''s Trenton."

    "And my sister''s whereabouts?"

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    "We haven''t found her yet, but since Trenton is acting this way, he might have seen Lucinda."

    Ethan nodded, agreeing with this.

    "Alright, I got it."

    "You guys go to Pinehurst; check every young woman of the right age."

    He was also nning to go to Pinehurst to pay Trenton a visit.

    "Okay."

    After ending the call, Ethan turned to look at his mother sitting next to him.

    Janice, sitting beside him, was also looking at him. Her gaze was calm and indifferent.

    "Mom."

    Ethan said softly, "Lucy might be in Pinehurst. I''m nning to head there right away, but I''m worried

    about leaving you alone at home."

    Janice suddenly gripped his hand tightly.

    Ethan was taken aback.

    "Nathan, you promised we''d always be together."

    Janice''s words brought Ethan back to reality.

    He thought she understood his meaning.

    But she still mistook him for his father.

    "I want to go with you!"

    Janice dered resolutely

    Ethan quickly cated her, saying, "Alright, Mom, we''ll go together. But you have to be quiet, and

    you can''t run around when I''m busy."

    He wasn''tfortable leaving her alone at home.

    Once he went to Pinehurst, she would have no one to protect her, and those people might take

    advantage of the situation to bully her.

    Although taking his mother out would attract a lot of attention, at least he could ensure her safety.

    Only after obtaining Ethan''s promise did Janice release her hand, then lower her head tofort

    the doll in her arms not to cry, even though the doll hadn''t been crying at all.

    Ethan immediately called his assistant, instructing him to make arrangements. He was nning to

    fly to Pinehurst right away.

    Then, he gave Shirley a heads up that he had some urgent stuff to deal with out of the blue and had

    to hit the road for a long trip. Not trusting his mom to be alone, he decided to take her along. He

    asked Shirley to pack a few changes of clothes for his mom.

    By the time the private jet was ready, Ethan and his mom were on board, flying straight to Pinehurst.

    On the ne, he remembered the nightmare his mom had.

    Someone in their family must have a clue about his sister''s whereabouts.

    Ethan felt relieved; his people had already found some leads.

    He hoped he could still protect his sister in time.

    When Ethan took his mom out, he told everyone he was going on a business trip. No one was sure

    if he was pulling their leg.

    Ever since he started working at Blue Corporation, he had never been on a business trip.

    He was worried that his mentally unstable mom would get pushed around.

    As the head of the Blue family, Nathan was the first to know that his son was taking Janice on a

    long trip. He knew what was up, but he covered for his son. When people started guessing, he

    would say that his son really was on a business trip and that it was him who had sent him.

    With his dad covering for him, others didn''t know for a while whether Ethan was really on a business

    trip or whether he was off to meet someone really important, like his sister, who had been missing

    for over two decades.

 Chapter 154

    Chapter 154

    After work, a man stepped out of thepany doors to see the woman he loved standing there with

    a big bouquet of flowers, quietly waiting for him to finish work.

    What''s that feeling like?

    Well, that''s bliss.

    Stefan had never been so fond of flowers before.

    Especially the ones his wife gave him.

    Under the watchful eyes of many employees, Stefan strode towards Lucinda.

    Everyone thought that the usually calm Mr. Coleman was walking a bit hastily, as if he wanted to

    rush to his wife.

    "Mr. Coleman is so handsome!"

    "He''s so charming, even more so than a movie star."

    Many people had never seen Stefan before, but now, thanks to the appearance of Mr. Coleman''s

    wife, they got to see him in person.

    He''s just as handsome and elegant as the rumors say, not at all like the stern CEO.

    Instead, he gave off a deep and warm vibe.

    Word had it that Mr. Coleman''s mood was hard to read.

    Sometimes cold, sometimes warm.

    But when it came to his wife, he''s always on his warm and kind side.

    It''s really enviable.

    "His wife is also very beautiful; she and Mr. Coleman are a match made in heaven."

    "She must''ve done some good deeds in her past life to be able to marry such a great man like Mr.

    Coleman. If Mr. Coleman could just nce at me, I''d be over the moon."

    In many people''s eyes, Lucinda was just too lucky because her brother and Mr. Coleman were

    ssmates, so she was able to marry Mr. Coleman.

    Considering her background, she''s not actually worthy of Mr. Coleman.

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    "You''re daydreaming."

    Lucinda can''t hear these hushed whispers, but she knew that whenever she appeared here, other

    women looked at her with envy and sometimes even jealousy.

    She epted these looks with grace.

    "Lucy, why didn''t youe in?"

    When Stefan got to his wife, he pulled out a pack of tissues and helped Lucinda wipe off her sweat.

    "I''m not hot; it''s already evening; it''s not that hot."

    Lucinda said, but she still let him gently help her wipe her sweat.

    After he''s done wiping her sweat, she handed him the bunch of flowers and said with a smile, "I

    came to pick you up from work, passed by a flower shop, saw these beautiful flowers, so I bought a

    bunch to give to you. I hope you''re always as happy as you are now, smiling as beautifully as a

    blooming flower."

    Stefan took the bouquet and smiled. "I''m a man, you can''t describe me being as beautiful as a

    flower."

    "But I think you''re very beautiful, like a god from heaven."

    Hearing his wifepliment his looks, Stefan smiled even brighter.

    "How''s the renovation in the store?"

    "It''ll be done in a few days."

    That''s the ce that Ruby smashed and needed to be rebuilt.

    The driver drove the car over.

    Stefan got in the car with his wife, and the car took them away from Ascend Global.

    In the car, they got even more intimate. Lucinda leaned on Stefan''s shoulder, and Stefan wrapped

    his arm around her.

    He liked her leaning on him.

    "Stefan."

    "I prefer it when you call me ''dear''."

    "I have something to tell you."

    Stefan responded.

    "Cecilia and Owen were forced to register for marriage."

    Stefan just responded.

    He didn''t show any surprise.

    Lucinda looked up at him and said, "Did you know already?"

    "I could guess; I just didn''t think it would happen so soon, but considering the timing, I think it''s quite

    normal. Ruby should show up soon."

    Trenton was determined to keep Ruby out of the Martinez family.

    "I''m worried about Cecilia; she''s being dragged into this because of me."

    "Lucy, I don''t like it when you talk about yourself like that. Everyone has their own fate. Cecilia and

    Owen''s meeting is not your fault."

    Lucinda sighed.

    "Don''t overthink it; maybe Cecilia is Owen''s redemption."

    "I hope so."

    Lucinda leaned her head back on her husband''s shoulder.

    The driver suddenly mmed on the brakes.

    The friction between the car tires and the road made a screeching noise.

    Stefan held Lucinda tightly.

    Lucinda didn''t fall forward.

    "What''s going on?"

    Stefan lowered his face and asked the driver sternly.

    The driver looked a bit panicked; it took him a while to say, "I think I hit someone."

    Hearing this, Stefan immediately got out of the car.

    Lucinda and the driver also got out.

    There''s indeed a woman sitting on the ground in front of the car, but she didn''t look like she got hit,

    but more like she got scared and sat down.

    Not far away, there''s a baby-sized doll.

    "Baby, baby."

    The woman calmed herself down and immediately scrambled over to pick up her doll.

    Lucinda walked a few steps forward and picked up the doll.

    She and Stefan helped the woman up together.

    The woman has delicate skin, but she didn''t look healthy; it''s like she didn''t have any color in her.

    She''s very beautiful, just not dressed up. Her long hair was unruly, but her clothes were neat, and

    the material was very good.

    She took care of herself well. Lucinda can''t tell her actual age; she estimated that she''s in her

    thirties at most.

    "Baby, baby."

    After the woman was helped up, she snatched the doll from Lucinda''s hands and held it tightly,

    continuallyforting it. "Don''t be afraid; I''m here; don''t be scared."

    Lucinda watched in silence.

    All of this felt very familiar to her!

    She took a closer look at the woman and was shocked.

    This woman looked like the crazy woman she''s dreamt about twice.

    The crazy woman in her dreams also held a doll like it''s a baby.

    "Janice."

    Two men in ck were run over.

    The person who almost got hit by Stefan''s car was Janice.

    She and her son took a private ne to Pinehurst.

    The mother and son checked into the Ascend Hotel.

    Ethan picked the Ascend Hotel because it was owned by Pinehurst''s richest family, the Andersons.

    This ce was not only top-notchpared to other hotels in Pinehurst but also had a high security

    level. If anything happened to them here, the Andersons wouldn''t just sit and watch.

    Those guys, if they wanted to harm his mother and Ethan, would have to consider the Anderson

    factor.

    In Pinehurst, if they messed with the Andersons, they were asking for trouble.

    After settling his mother in, Ethan left four bodyguards to protect her, and he took the other four to

    find Trenton.

    Unexpectedly, after Ethan left, Janice bolted from the hotel.

    The bodyguards were hot on her heels.

    Finally, they caught up with her.

    "Are you hurt?"

    Two of the bodyguards were anxiously scanning Janice for any injuries with their eyes.

    Seeing that Janice seemed fine, they immediately berated Stefan and his wife, asking, "What the

    hell were you driving? Didn''t you see her? Thank God she wasn''t hurt."

    Coming to her senses, Lucinda quickly said, "I''m sorry, we didn''t expect her to run out like that. Our

    car didn''t hit her, but she fell over. I don''t know if she got scraped up, but we''re willing to take her to

    the hospital to get checked out. No matter what, we''ll take responsibility."

 Chapter 155

    Chapter 155

    "Feeling okay?"

    Two bodyguards asked Janice first.

    Janice didn''t answer them; she was busy coddling the doll in her arms.

    Lucinda wasn''t sure if this woman was her birth mother, but she had seen her twice in her dreams.

    Seeing her treat the doll like a child really tore at her heart, so she stepped forward and helped her

    up again.

    Janice, being held by Lucinda, looked up at her.

    Lucinda looked back.

    "Can you check if she''s hurt?"

    The two bodyguards didn''t dare touch Janice, and she wouldn''t let them either.

    They felt like they recognized the young woman in front of them but couldn''t put a finger on where

    they''d seen her before.

    Only when they saw her fancy car did they realize that Janice was out of it. They had been following

    her and had seen her narrowly escape being hit by a car several times.

    That softened their attitudes toward her.

    "Baby."

    Janice suddenly grabbed Lucinda''s hand, holding it tightly, as if letting go meant Lucinda would fly

    away.

    Stefan stayed silent.

    Was this woman the one Lucy saw in her dreams?

    Was she Lucy''s birth mother?

    Looking closer, they didn''t look alike at all.

    "Your hand is bleeding."

    Janice was gripping Lucinda''s hand so tightly that Lucinda finally noticed her skin was abraded and

    bleeding.

    Lucinda immediately crouched down to check her legs.

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    Luckily, her legs were fine.

    She had just scraped her hands when she fell.

    "Ouch."

    Janice saw the blood and screamed, then fainted.

    Thankfully, Lucinda was there to prevent her from hitting the ground.

    "Janice."

    The two bodyguards were scared out of their wits. One of them said, "Janice is terrified of blood."

    "Take her to the hospital."

    Lucinda made the decision decisively, and Stefan helped her carry the unconscious Janice into the

    car.

    The two bodyguards didn''t have a car, so they hailed a taxi and rushed to the hospital, calling Ethan

    on the way.

    Ethan was still stuck outside the Martinez family''s house, waiting for a servant to inform Trenton.

    He received a call from the bodyguards, informing him that his mother had left the hotel and almost

    got hit by a car. Although there was no serious damage, her hand was injured and bleeding, and

    she had a fear of blood, so she was being taken to the hospital.

    Ethan immediately left without meeting Owen and rushed to the hospital in Pinehurst.

    By the time Ethan arrived at the hospital, Janice''s hand had already been treated. It had been

    cleaned, disinfected, the bleeding stopped, and bandaged.

    She had also woken up from her fainting spell.

    As soon as she woke up, she cried for her baby.

    Lucinda quickly handed her the doll.

    "Baby, baby."

    Ignoring the pain in her hands, Janice clung to the doll, pressing her face against the doll''s face,

    calling for her baby over and over again.

    Seeing her like this, Lucinda was extremely distressed and wanted to cry.

    Before Janice fainted, she had been calling her baby while holding her hand. Lucinda thought

    Janice had remembered her, but when she woke up, she was calling the doll baby again.

    Regardless of whether this woman was her birth mother, just seeing her like this made Lucinda''s

    heart ache as if it were being cut with a knife.

    Stefan pulled her into his arms, whisperingfortingly, "Let''s wait for her son toe, then we

    can talk properly. Whether she''s your mother or not, you should do a DNA test since you''ve seen

    her twice in your dreams."

    Lucinda nodded silently.

    If this woman really was her mother, Lucinda''s eyes got red.

    When she saw that woman in her dreams, Lucinda felt her pain.

    Seeing her in real life only made that pain more intense.

    A respectful voice came from outside the door.

    Then the door to the hospital room was gently pushed open.

    Ethan was in a hurry but very cautious, afraid to scare his mother.

    This was the first time he had taken his mother on a trip, and she had an ident.

    Luckily, the driver was able to brake in time; otherwise, the consequences would be unthinkable.

    Stefan gave up his spot to let Ethan get to the bed.

    "Mom."

    Ethan bent down, gently picking up his mother''s bandaged hand. He couldn''t tell how serious the

    injury was.

    The bodyguards said her injury was quite severe.

    "My dear, it hurts."

    When Janice saw Ethan, she looked very pitiful and held out her other hand, saying, "It hurts."

    Ethan gently blew on her hand, whispering, "Mom, it doesn''t hurt anymore."

    "Baby."

    Ethan quickly put the doll back into her arms, then coaxed her to sleep.

    Janice was probably exhausted.

    She fell asleep quickly, holding the doll and her son by her side. Even though she was asleep, she

    asionally called for her baby, tears slipping from her eyes.

    Ethan carefully wiped away the tears from her eyes.

    After watching his mother for a while, he turned to look at Stefan and Lucinda.

    Even though he knew they weren''t to me, his eyes were still cold when he looked at them.

    When he saw Lucinda, he was surprised because she felt very familiar.

    At the same time, he felt a strange sense of closeness and wanted to get to know this stranger.

    "Hello, I''m Stefan; this is my wife Lucinda. Your mother almost got hit by our car; it''s our fault, and

    we''ll take responsibility."

    Stefan?

    "The CEO of Ascend Global, the heir of the Anderson family?"

    Ethan came to Pinehurst and naturally needed to know about the big families in Pinehurst.

    Stefan, as the current leader of the Anderson family, was one of his main focuses.

    "Yes."

    Ethan''s expression softened a lot; he said, "My mother is not in a good mental state. It''s our fault for

    not watching her closely and letting her run out and almost get hit by your car. You don''t have to

    me yourselves. Fortunately, my mother wasn''t seriously injured."

    She just scraped her hands.

    "Mrs. Coleman, you look kinda familiar; have we met before?"

    Stefan carefully sized up Ethan for a moment, then muttered, "You kind of resemble my wife; that

    might be why she seems familiar to you."

    Lucinda was the spitting image of her grandma.

    Ethan and she were twins, so naturally, they shared some simrities.

    Ethan was all man, though, ruggedly handsome, so he didn''t look as much like Grace as his sister

    did.

    Ethan''s face suddenly turned serious.

    He and his mom were in Pinehurst on the fly because they got word that his sister might be there.

    "Mr. Coleman, can I have a word with you in private?"

    Stefan gave a nod.

    Lucinda stayed in the room with Janice, while Stefan and Ethan stepped out.

    They stopped at the end of the hall.

    Ethan turned to Stefan and blurted out, "Mr. Coleman, I gotta ask, is your wife the blood daughter of

    the Moore family?"

    "I''m not trying to hide anything from you; I''ve got a twin sister; she''s been missing for twenty-three

    years; we''ve been looking for her all this time. I got a tip today that my sister might be here in

    Pinehurst, so I brought my mom here, and I ran into you guys. About your wife."

 Chapter 156

    Chapter 156

    Stefan whispered, "My wife isn''t the biological daughter of the Moore family; she was adopted by

    her parents over twenty years ago."

    Without waiting for Ethan to say anything, he continued, "Even if you didn''t bring it up, I was

    nning to ask you a favor. Could your mother and my wife take a DNA test? Before meeting you,

    my wife had two dreams where your mother was holding her, calling her baby."

    Ethan was stunned. He had never encountered something this strange.

    No wonder Stefan didn''t have any doubts and was so upfront about Lucinda not being the Moore

    family''s biological daughter.

    It turned out that Lucinda had already seen his mother in her dreams and suspected that she was

    her biological mother.

    He had been searching for his sister for a long time, with no results. Today, his mother suddenly had

    a dream that his sister was in danger and was crying uncontrobly. Then he received a tip that his

    sister might be in Pinehurst.

    He set out with his mother to find his sister, but she almost had an ident as they were leaving the

    hotel. Then, in a strange twist of fate, they ran into Lucinda''s car.

    This must be destiny.

    Ethan tried to suppress his excitement and calm himself down. He remembered that when his sister

    disappeared, she was wearing a ne with the name "Lucy" engraved on it.

    It was a ne their parents had custom-made before they were born. His ne had "Ethan"

    engraved on it.

    "Mr. Coleman, does your wife have a ne? It should have ''Lucy'' engraved on it; that''s her

    name."

    Stefan''s face turned solemn.

    The crazy woman his wife had dreamed about was almost certainly her biological mother.

    The young man in front of him, Ethan, looked somewhat like Lucinda. He might just be Lucinda''s

    twin brother.

    He nodded solemnly and said, "Lucinda recently found out about her background. The clothes she

    was wearing when she was adopted are still intact. I''ve seen that ne; it has ''Lucy'' engraved

    on it. She goes by the name Lucinda now.¡±

    Ethan was overjoyed. He hadn''t expected to find his long-lost sister so suddenly. What a twist!

    "Has she encountered any danger recently?"

    "She was kidnapped the day before yesterday; thankfully, we found out in time and she was

    rescued."

    Ethan understood.

    Even though his mother¡¯s dream about his sister being in danger happened two days after the

    actual event, it was still urate.

    His sister really was in danger, but thankfully, she was safe.

    Stefan must have saved her.

    If she were just an ordinary person, even if the police were called after the kidnapping, she might

    not have been rescued so quickly.

    If Lucy had been sessfully kidnapped, she probably wouldn''t have survived. Ethan could tell that

    Stefan loved Lucinda deeply, always looking at her with affection in his eyes. Stefan was the heir of

    the Anderson family and the CEO of Ascend Global, a powerful figure in Pinehurst.

    If anyone dared to harm his woman, they were asking for trouble.

    That''s why Lucinda was saved.

    How lucky!

    Lucky that Lucinda wasn''t hurt!

    Recalling how his sister almost got kidnapped, Ethan felt a mix of fear and anger.

    He himself had already been the target of numerous assassination attempts, and now they were

    targeting his sister.

    His father only had them as children. If they both died, those people would be able to inherit all of

    their father''s wealth.

    Large amounts of wealth truly tested people''s character, revealing their coldness and ruthlessness.

    "Can you guarantee that the DNA test here won''t be tampered with?"

    Ethan asked in a low voice.

    "Our family is veryplicated and full of dangers. I can''t exin everything to you in detail right

    now. But to put it simply, besides me and my parents, no one wants my sister to return."

    With Stefan protecting Lucinda, she might be safer. But those people wouldn¡¯t give up so easily;

    they would definitely try to interfere.

    For example, the results of a DNA test might not be urate.

    "In Pinehurst, I can guarantee the results won''t be tampered with."

    Ethan trustingly said, "Then let your wife and my mother take a DNA test. No matter the result, let''s

    keep this a secret for now."

    This was also for safety.

    Stefan understood and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t tell anyone about this. We''ll treat today''s events as

    an ident."

    They could pretend to know nothing for now.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Ethan extended his right hand, waiting for Stefan to shake it. Then he gratefully said, "No matter

    what, I want to thank you for your cooperation and understanding."

    Stefan whispered, "I just want to help my wife find her biological parents."

    After exchanging phone numbers, the two men returned to the hospital room as if nothing had

    happened.

    Ethan took a few strands of his mother''s hair and handed them to Stefan. Stefan was now in charge

    of the DNA testing.

    None of Ethan''s bodyguards knew about this.

    Lucinda had already epted in her heart that Janice was her biological mother. She wanted to

    stay in the hospital to take care of Janice, but the man who might be her biological brother suddenly

    kicked her and Stefan out of the room.

    "You guys caused my mom to get injured and end up in the hospital. I don''t need you here

    pretending to care. Because you apologized sincerely, brought my mom to the hospital, and paid

    the medical bills, I won''t hold you responsible. But I don''t want to see you, so get out!"

    Ethan said this coldly and then closed the door.

    The Blue family''s bodyguards gave them sympathetic looks.

    It wasn''t their fault, but Ethan was most upset about Janice getting hurt. It was only natural that he

    would be angry. Kicking them out was a restrained reaction.

    Lucinda, who hadn''t faced many setbacks in life, couldn''t ept Ethan''s sudden change in attitude.

    She wanted to knock on the door, but Stefan stopped her.

    "Lucy, she just scraped her hand; she''s out like a light now. There''s not much we can do by sticking

    around; let''s head back home and check on her tomorrow."

    Lucinda looked at her husband, seeing the depth in his eyes.

    She couldn''t decipher his gaze, but she knew he had her best interests at heart.

    In the end, she abandoned the idea of knocking, allowing Stefan to lead her away.

    On the way back home, Lucinda tried to broach the topic several times, but Stefan would gently

    hold her hand, signaling her to zip it for the car ride.

    Because their driver was in the car, even though he was one of the Anderson family''s loyal guys.

    Not too many people should get wind of this matter for now.

    When Ethan spilled the beans about howplex things were at home, Stefan got the gist that the

    Blue family was no safe haven.

    Stefan wasn''t nning to get the paternity test between Lucinda and Janice done at this point

    either. He was scheming to have someone else take care of it, to steer clear of prying eyes that

    might tamper with the result.

    "Stefan."

    Lucinda leaned into him.

    "Are they really my family?"

    Stefan held her close, whispering softly, "Pretty much a sure thing."

 Chapter 157

    Chapter 157

    Every time Lucinda thought of that mentally unstable woman, her biological mother, she can''t help

    but feel a pang of heartache.

    When she first found out that she wasn''t a natural-born Moore, she thought she had been

    abandoned by her biological parents.

    However, when her adoptive mother handed her some old baby clothes and a ne and she

    heard the unstable woman calling out for her baby in her dreams twice, she started to suspect she

    wasn''t abandoned after all.

    When the woman from her dreams became a reality, standing in front of her, clutching a doll and

    calling it baby, unable to recognize her own son, Lucinda felt as if her heart was being sliced open

    with a knife.

    Was it her disappearance that caused her mother''s mental breakdown?

    Ironically, the mother and daughter reunite but can''t recognize each other.

    If she hadn''t dreamed of her twice, she would never have guessed that the unstable woman was

    her biological mother.

    Maybe she would have missed the chance to recognize each other over and over again.

    "What has she been through all these years? She''s be so"

    Lucinda choked up.

    Stefan held her tightly,forting her in a soft voice: "Lucy, don''t think too much for now; everything

    will make sense eventually."Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Lucinda held him back tightly.

    Even though they''ve only been married for a short time, less than a month, they''ve been through so

    much together, things she could never have imagined happening.

    She''s a storyteller, and her novels were filled withplex plots, but she knew that novels were just

    fiction and can''t be taken seriously.

    Who would have thought that real life could also be filled with suchplicated plots?

    No wonder people said that fiction stemmed from life.

    Lucinda had bumped into a woman who might be her biological mother, and after Lucinda left,

    Cecilia locked up her shop, hopped on her electric bike, and headed home.

    Who knew she would be stopped by Owen''s convoy on the way?

    Owen looked pissed.

    Cecilia knew why. But it wasn''t her fault.

    Why was Owen angry?

    Owen rolled down the window andmanded Cecilia, "Get in the car!"

    "Why?"

    Impatiently, Owen replied, "What else could it be? My grandfather wants us to have dinner together,

    together!"

    He emphasized the word "together".

    He thought getting a marriage certificate was enough and that Cecilia signing the agreement would

    keep their marriage a secret, but he overlooked the fact that his grandfather wouldn''t let him hide

    his marriage.

    Even if he hadn''t announced Cecilia''s identity to the public, in the Martinez family, Cecilia''s identity

    needs to be made public.

    The reason they''re going home for dinner tonight was definitely because of this.

    "Move it, get in the car. If the paparazzi see you and start rumors, I''ll dock your allowance for a

    year."

    Cecilia red at him and said, "What about my electric bike?"

    Looking at her bike, Owen coldly said, "Dump it."

    Just a few hundred dor electric bike, and she rode it around town; it''s embarrassing. If people

    found out his wife''s vehicle was an electric bike, how would he exin it?

    Cecilia replied, "I just bought it recently; it cost me over three hundred dors. You go ahead; I''ll put

    the bike back at home and take a taxi."

    Owen said displeasedly, "Didn''t you hear what I just said? My grandfather wants me to take you

    home for dinner! Get in the car! You treat a three hundred dor electric bike like a treasure."

    Cecilia just walked away.

    She didn''t want to argue with Mr. Malicious.

    His words were unbearable; every extra word was unnecessary.

    His attitude made her feel like she had done something wrong.

    When in fact, it was he who was ipetent, threatened by his own grandfather, yet he bullied her.

    Was she easy to bully?

    They had a contract, and she was being paid to do this.

    Owen fell silent.

    He really wanted to tell the driver to step on it and run over that disobedient girl.

    But he only thought about it; Owen was still rational after all.

    After all, she''s now his wife.

    They just got their marriage certificate today.

    "We''ll wait at the Yates family."

    Owenpromised, instructing the driver to head to the Yates family.

    Upon reaching the Yates family, Owen didn''t go in.

    His grandfather was kicked out of his home by Cecilia''s grandfather, and if he dared to enter the

    Yates family, he''d probably get kicked out too.

    That would be humiliating.

    Owen preferred to wait outside rather than lose face.

    Looking at the entrance of the Yates family, Owen naturally remembered the first time he noticed

    Cecilia: she drenched him with a bucket of ice water, leaving him shivering and catching a severe

    cold.

    However, when he caught a cold, Ruby didn''t think of looking after him.

    She only cared about Stefan.

    Thinking about Ruby pping Cecilia after seeing her by his side and making up an excuse, she

    must care about him; otherwise, she wouldn''t do that.

    Owen thought too much.

    Ruby cared about Owen, not because she loved him, but because she didn''t want Owen to be

    shared with other women.

    She didn''t love Owen, but she enjoyed his good treatment. Whenever she needed help, a call to

    Owen would do the trick.

    Having such an excellent and powerful man as her loyal admirer satisfied Ruby''s self-esteem.

    Ruby rode her electric bike slowly.

    By the time she reached home, it was already dark.

    She saw Owen''s convoy parked far from her house.

    Sheughed mockingly but didn''t bother to go argue with Owen.

    She parked her electric bike at home, secretly put the documents back in her mother''s room, and

    then, with her marriage certificate, she made up an excuse and slipped out the door.

    "Cecilia, aren''t you having dinner? You just got back and you''re leaving again; where are you

    going?"

    Cecilia''s mother chased her out of the house.

    "Mom, Lucy asked me out for dinner; she''s waiting for me outside; I''ll go first; you guys eat; don''t

    wait for me."

    Cecilia answered while running away.

    Cecilia''s mother didn''t suspect anything.

    "Come back early."

    "Mom, don''t bother locking the door; I''m going to hit the mall after dinner and won''t be back anytime

    soon, so don''t wait up for me."

    Cecilia figured she might be getting homete since she was nning on heading back with Owen.

    So she told her mom not to wait.

    With that, Cecilia was out the door.

    Ba Yates paused in the yard, lingering for a second before turning back. As she walked, she

    muttered, "Why wouldn''t Lucindae in?"

    The two kids were thick as thieves; Lucinda was always over at the Yates'' ce, and Ba pretty

    much considered her another daughter. Now that Lucinda showed up but didn''te in, it didn''t sit

    right with Ba. It just wasn''t like Lucinda.

    Maybe it was the Anderson crowd.

    Ba figured Stefan was tagging along, which would exin why Lucinda showed up but didn''t

    come in.

    So she didn''t give it a second thought.

    After all, Stefan was the Anderson heir, high and mighty, and probably thought the Yates were

    beneath him.

    Poor Stefan was being misunderstood.

 Chapter 158

    Chapter 158

    Cecilia kept ncing back to make sure her mum wasn''t tailing her, and only when she was sure

    did she breathe a sigh of relief.

    But she was worried about being spotted by nosy neighbors, so she skedaddled to Owen''s car,

    tapping his window to signal him to open up, all the while looking back like a thief in broad daylight.

    Owen had intended to let her ride with his bodyguard, but after hesitating for a good ten seconds,

    he finally unlocked the door.

    Cecilia quickly scrambled into the car, and only when she shut the door did she finally let out a sigh

    of relief.

    As soon as she was in, the driver peeled out.

    Owen gave the girl next to him a side-eye.

    "Why the rush? You¡¯ve got someone tailing you?"

    "I don''t want my mum and neighbors seeing me getting into your car."

    Cecilia settled her bag next to her.

    Owen furrowed his brow. "Am I not up to your standards?"

    "Do you want my family to know about us?"

    Owen was left speechless.

    She didn''t want others to know she got into his car, which left Owen feeling a little miffed. It felt like

    they were doing something shady.

    But when she asked him outright, he was at a loss for words.

    After all, he was the one who proposed a hush-hush marriage.

    "Do I need to bring a present?"

    Cecilia asked.

    Owen responded nonchntly, "No need."

    "I am going to meet your parents; shouldn''t I bring a present? Isn''t it rude to show up empty-handed

    for my first meeting with my inws?"

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Even if you bring a load of gold, my parents won''t be thrilled with you."

    Cecilia gave him a curious look.

    Owen bit his lip slightly before exining, "My mum adores Ruby and always hoped I''d marry her."

    Anyone other than Ruby was a no-go for his mum.

    As for his dad, he had his own ideas.

    In his dad''s eyes, he didn''t have to marry Ruby, but he must marry someone of equal social

    standing and background, which could be helpful on many asions.

    "So, I should brace myself for the challenge from your parents?" Cecilia asked.

    Owen didn''t respond.

    Tonight, he was bringing Cecilia home and making their rtionship public to his parents, which

    was bound to cause a stir.

    Cecilia, being unwee and rejected, was bound to face some humiliation.

    But Owen had no intention of shielding her.

    He wanted his grandfather to see that this forced marriage would only hurt Cecilia.

    "Owen, I think I¡¯ve gotten the short end of the stick here; I''ve jumped into the fire."

    "We''ve already got our marriage certificate; I won''t be divorcing you anytime soon."

    Even though he badly wanted to.

    But as long as his grandfather was still alive, he couldn''t divorce Cecilia; otherwise, he would lose

    his status.

    Cecilia sighed, "I know, it''s all ''cause you helped me out."

    To repay him, she could only help him.

    "Tonight, I''ll talk to my grandfather again, and apart from my family, I won''t let anyone else know

    about us. Remember what you promised; keep it under wraps."

    Owen reminded Cecilia, "And don''t fall for me; I won''t fall for you. My heart belongs to Ruby, and it

    won''t change for anyone else."

    Ceciliaughed, leaning in closer to him and gently stroking his face. "Don''t worry, I won''t fall for

    you. We are just partners in crime, and I''m just repaying you. Once our deal is done, you pay up."

    "You are not a greedy person, so don''t act like one in front of me."

    "But I do enjoy making money, especially from you."

    Cecilia straightened up, not joking anymore, and said with a smile, "Seeing my bank bnce grow

    is pure bliss."

    Owen was speechless.

    Looking at the string of numbers on his bank bnce, he felt nothing. They were just Arabic

    numerals, meaningless.

    Cecilia: You rich folks will never understand the joy of saving money.

    They chatted all the way back to the Martinez family mansion.

    The moment she stepped in, she saw a rockery built within a pool, which also had a musical

    fountain that was ying soft music. The spray of the fountain was gentle, not too high.

    On either side of the fountain, there was a path about three to four meters wide.

    Although there were many streetmps along the paths, the night view wasn''t as clear as during the

    day.

    Despite that, Cecilia couldn''t help butment to Owen, "Your house is huge, and it''s even more

    stunning at night."

    Owen was silent for a moment before saying, "If you ever get a chance to visit the Ascend Estate,

    you''ll find it even bigger and more beautiful."

    His house was big, but it was nothingpared to the Ascend Estate.

    "Lucy said she''d invite me to visit Ascend Estate when she''s free. Just the thought of getting a free

    tour there gets me all excited."

    Owen was speechless.

    From the main gate to the front door of the house, it took several minutes.

    Cecilia thought to herself that with such a huge yard, walking around could be quite tiring.

    The Martinez family mansion wasvishly decorated.

    Getting out of the car, Cecilia looked at the ptial house in front of her, trying hard not to gawk.

    "You''re back."

    Derek came out of the house, and on seeing Cecilia, he courteously said, "Mrs. Martinez."

    Cecilia gave a small nod in response to Derek''s greeting.

    Owen walked straight into the house.

    The bodyguards didn''t follow.

    After walking a few steps, Owen turned around and saw Cecilia still standing in the same spot. He

    frowned and said, "What are you standing there for? Do you want me to have someone carry you

    in?"

    "If you could arrange that, I''d be delighted."

    Owen gave her a death re.

    Cecilia moved next to him and stepped on his foot.

    Owen almost jumped from the pain.

    Cecilia moved closer to his ear and whispered, "Remember, you need me to y along to maintain

    your status, so you better be polite to me."

    "I''m already very polite to you."

    Owen said painfully, "Ouch!"

    "Anyway, it''s not like I broke your foot."

    Owen was speechless.

    "Why would you just leave me behind? I don''t know this ce. That was so not cool, man. Consider

    this a little reminder and lesson. Acting is a two-man show; I''m not doing a solo performance here."

    Owen: "You''re such a penny pincher!"

    He''d only wanted to give Cecilia the cold shoulder and ignore her.

    But she''d actually stepped on his foot, and hard too. It hurt like hell!

    Cecilia grabbed his arm, gave him a sidelong nce, and whispered, "I''ve given too much."

    Owen was speechless again.

    He had to muster all his strength not to shake off this woman''s hand.

 Chapter 159

    Chapter 159

    The grand hall was packed with people.

    Owen and Cecilia walked hand in hand into the hall, with Owen''s handsome face looking all tense.

    Cecilia sneakily pinched him.

    Owen almost jumped out of his skin.

    He shot Cecilia a re.

    Before they got to Trenton, he muttered, "If you want to get out of this mess sooner, don''t bother

    about my attitude."

    Cecilia''s bright eyes twinkled; she got his hint.

    She immediately let go of his hand.

    What a waste of a dramatic entrance!

    She even managed to tick him off.

    She''ll have to wash her hands a couple more times.

    His arm might have been all over Ruby.

    Cecilia''s move didn''t sit well with Owen.

    But he knew what he signed up for, so he kept his mouth shut.

    Everyone saw their little interaction and got the memo.

    Trenton announced that he had found a wife for Owen, and they had already secured their marriage

    license.

    This dropped a bomb on the Martinez family, leaving everyone shocked.

    When they found out that Owen''s wife came from a humble background without any connections or

    power, Olina nearly fainted.

    Trenton was just too bossy. Owen was her son, and she wasn''t given a say in his marriage. His

    grandfather unterally decided everything and even had them secure a marriage license.

    Knowing that her son had feelings for Ruby, Olina knew that this was Trenton''s doing.

    If it weren''t for her husband''s discouragement, Olina would have already had a massive argument

    with Trenton.

    The rest of the Martinez family was pretty stoked, especially May Martinez.

    Her son was the same age as Owen, but since Owen was the eldest grandson, Trenton spoiled him

    rotten, always had him by his side, and saw him as the sessor.

    Even though her son, Harry, was also outstanding, Trenton still handed thepany to Owen,

    which ticked May off.

    But given that Trenton controlled thepany''s shares and assets, considering the future division

    of family property, May had to swallow her dissatisfaction and only urge her children to work harder

    to surpass Owen.

    Now that Trenton had married Owen to a simple girl without any background or power and secured

    their marriage license, May was over the moon.

    She thought Trenton was starting to give up on Owen.

    It must be because Owen''s actions to help Ruby almost affected thepany. Trenton was pissed

    and arranged this.

    With Owen''s wife not being powerful, if Harry found a wife who could help him, with her support,

    usurping power would be a piece of cake.

    Olina red at Cecilia, her eyes filled with hatred.

    She wondered how Cecilia managed to get Trenton to choose her as Owen''s wife.

    If looks could kill, Cecilia would have been dead many times over.

    May, on the other hand, looked at Cecilia with much kinder eyes.

    "We''re back."

    Owen came over, spoke calmly, and sat down.

    Cecilia scanned around and found that there was no seat for her.

    Actually, if Owen moved over a bit, she could sit, but Owen didn''t give up any space after sitting

    down, taking up more space.

    Everyone was seated, and Cecilia stood out like a sore thumb.

    Any other person would have felt awkward by now.

    Cecilia and Owen didn''t have any feelings for each other; they were just contractually bound; she

    was just working for money.

    She didn''t care about this.

    She turned to Derek, who was standing not far away, and said, "Derek, could you get me a chair?

    Thanks."

    Derek turned around and went to fetch a chair.

    He brought the chair over for Cecilia.

    Cecilia surveyed the room once again and finally chose to sit next to Owen''s cousin, Angel

    Martinez, who was three years younger than Owen.

    Angel looked at Cecilia and found her interesting.

    "Hi, I''m Cecilia."

    Cecilia softly introduced herself.

    Angel blushed, making Cecilia mentally exim that she didn''t expect the girl to be so shy.

    "I''m Angel."

    Angel spoke softly.

    Cecilia then reached out her right hand to shake hands with her. Angel passively shook hands with

    her.

    Everyone was silent.

    She''s quite friendly.

    Shane Martinez''s biological brother secretly nudged Angel.

    Angel understood her father''s subtle nudge;, she quickly looked away and ignored Cecilia.

    "Cecilia."

    Trenton finally spoke up. He smiled and motioned for Cecilia toe over.

    Cecilia had no choice but to stand up and walk over.

    "Trenton."

    Cecilia politely called out

    This old man was so deceptive that his entire family had been fooled.

    He made her Owen''s wife in name now, bearing the indifference of the whole room.

    As if she was the one clinging to Owen.

    Earning money was not easy.

    Trenton smiled and said, "Since you and Owen have secured your marriage license and you are his

    wife, you can call me Grandpa like Owen does."

    Cecilia obediently called him Grandpa.

    Trenton happily acknowledged it, then took out an envelope and handed it to Cecilia, saying,

    "Cecilia, this is a gift for you."

    Cecilia nced at Owen, seeing his icy indifference. She mentallyined a few more times but

    didn''t show it on her face, and she took the envelope from him.

    The envelope was thin, probably with a check inside.

    "Thank you."

    Cecilia thanked him.

    Trenton then turned to Owen, his expression turning serious, and said, "You,e here."

    Owen reluctantly stood up and walked over to Cecilia.

    The two standing together looked quite a pair.

    Cecilia, although from a humble background, was a beauty, which was an undeniable fact.

    When she acted gracefully and properly, they couldn''t tell she came from amon family.

    Owen took out the marriage license and handed it to Trenton.

    Trenton took the marriage certificate, gave it a good look, and satisfyingly ced it on the table.

    Then he said to everyone present, "No matter what you guys think, Owen and Cecilia have gotten

    themselves hitched. They''re legally married now, and Cecilia is part of the Martinez n."

    "What''s with those faces? Are you mad at me?"

    The room fell silent.

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    "Derek, bring the coffee that''s been prepared. Let Cecilia serve it to the elders. It''s a good chance

    for everyone to get to know her better."

    "They haven''t even had their wedding yet; there''s no rush for her to start taking care of us."

    Olina couldn''t help but voice her thoughts.

    She just couldn''t stand the sight of this woman.

    There was no way she was going to ept her.

    Ruby was the only one she recognized!

    After Ruby got detained, Trenton forced Owen to marry this woman.

    This woman was definitely after the Martinez''s fortune. What the hell was Trenton thinking?

 Chapter 160

    Chapter 160

    Trentonid it out straight: "Even if they didn''t hold a wedding, they have already applied for a

    marriage certificate. They are already husband and wife. They''re legally married. Don''t you want to

    show her some respect? Weren''t you justining about Owen still being single at almost

    thirty?"

    Olina tried to respond, but her hubby cut her off.

    She closed her mouth and fuming.

    She shot Cecilia a look like she was the enemy.

    Cecilia held her ground, not backing down, no matter what kind of dirty looks were thrown her way.

    Maybe that''s why they didn''t like her.

    With Trenton on her side, they couldn''t do anything about Cecilia because Trenton held their futures

    in his hands.

    Between giving up being the heir and marrying Cecilia, Olina also chose to let Owen marry Cecilia.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Cecilia served coffee to all the elders present.

    Trenton gave her gifts, and the others didn''t dare not give. They basically gave her checks, but May

    gave Cecilia an extra jewellery set.

    Out of everyone there, May was the friendliest to Cecilia.

    Once they confirmed their rtionship, Cecilia officially became a part of the Martinez family.

    Trenton ordered Derek to inform all the maids, bodyguards and drivers of Cecilia''s status.

    Around nine o''clock in the evening, Cecilia told Trenton, "It''s gettingte. I should head home."

    "Home?" Trenton asked. "Where are you going? This is your home."

    Cecilia quickly exined, "Owen and I just got the certificate, and we still need to get used to each

    other, and when I came back, I didn''t tell my family members. I should go back so they don''t worry."

    Trenton nced at Owen, who had a scowl all night.

    "Fine, let Owen take you home."

    Owen coldly responded, "We have plenty of drivers. Let one of them take her."

    With that, he walked out on Cecilia and headed upstairs.

    As soon as he left, Olina followed suit.

    Trenton was about to blow his top, but Cecilia said, "Let the driver take me. Owen''s had a busy day.

    He''s tired. Let him rest. Plus, he had a few drinks at dinner. It''s not safe for him to drive."

    "Owen only drank because he didn''t want to take you."

    Seeing Cecilia defending Owen, Trenton cooled down.

    "I''ll have Derek arrange a driver for you."

    Trenton called Derek over and told him to arrange a ride for Cecilia.

    Owen went upstairs. Instead of going back to the bedroom, he went up to the top floor, where he

    looked down and could see the yard.

    Once he saw Cecilia leave in a car, Owen''s face softened slightly.

    "Owen," Olina approached him.

    Owen turned to acknowledge her.

    Olina took two opened bottles of wine, and she handed him one of them, saying, "I know you''re

    suffering. I''ll drink a bottle of wine with you."

    Owen took a sip of wine silently.

    "Your grandfather is too much. He actually forced you to marry a poor girl. Look at May''s satisfied

    expression. She probably thinks he''s giving up on you as his heir."

    "She''s dreaming! The Ike group and the Martinez family''s assets belong to us and the Henry

    Martinez family!"

    Olina added, "Does she think Harry can take over the Ike group? Owen, you must show your

    strength, or both of our families will be stepped on by May."

    In wealthy families, even blood brothers can be enemies over inheritance, let alone half-

    brothers.

    The atmosphere in the Martinez family wasn''t as warm as the Anderson family.

    Schemes and battles were amon urrence.

    "What''s so bad about Ruby? Even if Ruby''s heart belongs to Stefan, she''s a hundred times better

    than Cecilia. The Yates family is nothing. They can''t even keep pace with us."

    "Cecilia must have used some tricks to get your grandfather''s trust and support. Owen, hold on.

    Once youpletely control the Ike group, you won''t have to listen to your grandfather. You can

    divorce Cecilia and marry Ruby."

    "I''ll support you even if you cheat. Everyone knows you truly love Ruby. Your grandfather forcing

    you to marry Cecilia is outrageous. Seeing May''s satisfied expression, I''m about to lose it."

    "Don''t worry. I''m here. I won''t let Cecilia have it easy. Does she think she can easily be part of

    the Martinez family? She''s dreaming."

    Owen just kept drinking, ignoring her rambling.

    "Ruby ising back soon. She''ll be heartbroken when she finds out you''re married. I''ve already

    told Megan that your wife should be Ruby. Megan said she''ll persuade Ruby to give up on Stefan

    and ept your love when shees back."

    Finally, Owen spoke, "Will Ruby listen to Megan?"

    He wasn''t blind. He knew Megan was on Stefan''s side.

    Stefan was a tough nut to crack. Ruby couldn''t get him, so Megan Scott feared her daughter would

    waste her efforts and suggested that she consider Owen as a backup.

    Owen knew what was going on. He was just too in love with Ruby to see her and her mother''s

    scheme.

    "Now that Stefan is married, Ruby should give up on him. In Pinehurst, apart from Stefan, you''re the

    most outstanding. You also love her the most. She''ll definitely ept your love."

    Owen thought that when Ruby came back, she''ll probably try to wreck Stefan and Lucinda''s

    marriage.

    She''s too obsessed with Stefan.

    If she can''t have him, she''d rather destroy him than watch him in a loving rtionship with someone

    else.

    "Mom, I''m married now," Owen said under his breath.

    "Just because you married Cecilia doesn''t mean you''re in love, dude. You were forced into this by

    your grandpa. He just wanted you to tie the knot with her. But who you love and want to be with is

    none of his business."

    "When Rubyes back, you and Ruby, you know, get it on. Once you have a kid, maybe your

    grandpa will ept Ruby and kick Cecilia to the curb."

    Owen stayed silent.

    Ruby didn''t even allow him to kiss her, let alone anything more. It''d be a miracle if she were up for

    that.

    He didn''t want to force anything on Ruby.

    "I''ll talk to my grandpa again," Owen said, thinking he needed to convince his grandpa not to

    publicize his rtionship with Cecilia.

    A sh of discontent appeared in Olina''s eyes. "What''s there left to talk about with him? He''s just

    been hoodwinked by Cecilia. That''s why he pushed you to marry her. Maybe he''s smitten by

    Cecilia, wanting to,"

 Chapter 161

    Chapter 161

    "Mom!"

    Owen interrupted her suspicion of his grandpa and Cecilia.

    He didn''t want to defend Cecilia, but he couldn''t bear to listen to her doubting his grandpa and

    Cecilia, so he had to speak up.

    "He forced me, sure, but Cecilia didn''t. It was me who forced her. I helped her out once, and I

    demanded her to repay me. She had no choice but to get married to me. Don''t always me

    everything on Cecilia."

    Olina: "Even so, it''s because of Cecilia that your grandpa forced you like this. She is also at fault."

    Owen looked at her momentarily, decided not to argue anymore, and only said one sentence:

    "Mom, don''t meddle in my affairs. I''m not a kid. I can handle my stuff."

    Then he walked past his mother and left.

    "Owen, Owen."

    Olina called out twice, but Owen didn''t pay her any heed.

    She was so angry that she wanted to smash a bottle of wine, but she was afraid of making too

    much noise and upsetting Trenton, so she just took a big swig of wine instead.

    Cecilia, you wait!

    She would make Cecilia understand that not everyone could join the Martinez family.

    Owen came down from the rooftop and went directly to his grandpa''s room, he knocked on the door

    but heard no response.

    Derek heard the sound, came over, and said respectfully: "Trenton is in the study."

    Owen nodded silently and then headed for the study.

    He was still holding a bottle of wine.

    Having drunk quite a bit, he walked into the study, the smell of alcohol wafting off him.

    Trenton was wearing sses and reading a book.

    Hearing the footsteps, he didn''t look up. Smelling the alcohol, he frowned, closed the book and

    looked at Owen.

    "Did youe to drink with me?"

    Trenton nced at the wine bottle in Owen''s hand.

    "I''ve drunk from it so that I won''t offer you any."

    Owen put the wine bottle down, and stared straight at him, "Grandpa, I''ve done everything you

    asked. Can''t you give me some time to chill out?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "Just let our family know about the rtionship between Cecilia and me, don''t announce it to the

    public. I need time to adjust."

    Owen sounded a bit guilty with histter words.

    He didn''t want to adjust. He just didn''t want Ruby to know.

    Trenton was silent for a long time. Seeing the pleading look on his face, he sighed and said: "I

    understand that you''re not happy. You''re married now, I won''t interfere with your personal affairs

    anymore, but you must remember, don''t let it affect the Ike group, or don''t me me for being

    ruthless."

    Owen breathed a sigh of relief.

    He quickly assured him: "I understand."

    As long as his grandpa didn''t interfere in his personal affairs, everything would be fine.

    "I hope you won''t regret hiding your marriage with Cecilia one day."

    Trenton said and then told him to leave: "Don''te back here recently. I don''t want to see you for

    a while."

    Owen ran faster than a rabbit. He didn''t want to see his grandpa recently, either.

    Owen left the study and immediately sent a message to Harry, warning him that if the rtionship

    between him and Cecilia was leaked by his family, he would not let them off.

    Harry wouldn''t spill the beans, but his mother might, so Owen was trying to get Harry to warn May.

    Harry quickly replied: "Don''t worry. This matter will definitely not be leaked by my family."

    The two were secretly wrestling. Owen knew his cousin well since he had promised, he would

    definitely do it.

    Although May might want to broadcast this matter to the world for the sake of her children''s future,

    she would also keep her mouth shut.

    The night came to an end.

    The next day.

    It started raining heavily around four in the morning and didn''t stop until after six in the morning.

    The air was particrly fresh after the rain.

    Usually, Lucinda would go out for a walk to breathe fresh air after the rain.

    But today, she got up early and was busy in the kitchen.

    She was making soup.

    This soup was for Janice.

    The paternity test between her and Janice had been arranged by Stefan, who had set for someone

    to do it inplete secrecy, not letting anyone know and arranged for someone to keep an eye on it

    to prevent anyone from tampering with the results.

    Lucinda had already encountered two unfriendly people, indicating that the murderer had started to

    pay attention to Pinehurst, so she had to be more careful.

    When Stefan woke up, he instinctively touched the bed next to him. Not feeling Lucinda, he

    immediately sat up and shouted, "Lucy, Lucy."

    There was no response in the room.

    "Where did she go so early?"

    He mumbled as he got out of bed.

    Seeing that it was still early, he put on his sportswear and went for a morning run.

    When he came downstairs, he first met his grandmother, who had juste out of her room.

    His grandparents were old and lived on the first floor.

    "Good morning, Grandma."

    Stefan smiled and said good morning to his grandmother.

    Savannah Blue Anderson looked at him, felt happy and naturally smiled, "Good morning. Are you

    going for a run?"

    "It rained heavily this morning. The ground is all wet. You''d better go to the gym if you want to run."

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Savannah kindly reminded him.

    "It rained this morning? No wonder it''s so cool when I woke up. I didn''t know it rained."

    He had a deep sleepst night.

    "Where''s Lucy?"

    "When I woke up, she wasn''t in the room, probably outside."

    Lucinda loved Ascend Estate and probably went out for a walk as she got up early.

    "Good morning."

    The maid Flora came out of the kitchen, she came out to get something and heard their

    conversation, so she smiled and said, "She''s in the kitchen making soup for Stefan."

    He worked very hard, and Lucinda must have been very worried about him.

    So she got up early, prepared the ingredients herself, and personally made soup for him.

    The soup was almost ready, and the whole kitchen was filled with the aroma of the soup.

    "Lucinda also made pies for Stefan, which are almost ready, and she made several kinds of

    breakfast. Her cooking skills are really good."

    Flora praised Lucinda''s cooking skills.

    Lucinda ran a coffee shop. Although there were professional pastry chefs in the shop, she and

    Cecilia could also make pastries, and their cooking skills were quite good.

    In the Anderson family''s kitchen, all kinds of ingredients were ready, all fresh off the boat.

    She could whip up any breakfast without missing a beat.

    Hearing this, Stefan cracked a smile.

    "No wonder I smelled something good when I hit the stairs."

    Stefan made his way to the kitchen as he spoke.

    Savannah chuckled, "He didn''t mention smelling anything earlier, but now that he knows Lucinda''s

    hustling in the kitchen, his nose suddenly turns into a bloodhound."

    Instead of heading into the kitchen, Savannah made her usual beeline for the couch, ready to dive

    into today''s newspaper.

 Chapter 162

    Chapter 162

    Stefan strolled into the kitchen, spotting his wife bustling around making breakfast for him.

    The breakfast spread was rich and varied, with each dish making his mouth water.

    When the kitchen was clear of others, he sneaked over to Lucinda from behind and hugged her

    lightly.

    He thought he would have startled Lucinda, but she didn''t even turn around. Instead, she patted his

    hand gently and said, "Stefan, cut it out. What if Flora sees us?"

    "Did you know I was here?"

    "I heard you chatting with Grandma. Only you would dare to be so brazen."

    Stefan chuckled, moving to stand beside her and nting a quick kiss on her.

    Lucinda, caught off guard by his kiss, pushed him away and turned around, spotting him in his

    tracksuit and running shoes. "It rained heavily this morning for a couple of hours. The ground is all

    wet. Your shoes will get soaked if you go for a run."

    "I''m heading to the gym."

    The gym was in the building next door.

    In addition to the gym, the building also housed a billiards room, an indoor swimming pool, an

    indoor skiing area, a dance hall, and a cinema. In a nutshell, the whole building was a sports

    complex.

    And Lucinda, as the newbie in the Anderson family, hadn''t been there yet. She had no idea about

    the facilities inside. She just thought the building looked massive when passing by.

    "Lucy."

    Stefan nced at the door to make sure nobody wasing in. Then he wrapped his arm around

    Lucinda and nted a soft kiss on her lips.

    "From now on, you have to wait for me. I want to see you first thing in the morning when I wake up."

    Lucinda blushed at his forwardness, relieved that nobody walked in.

    She shot him a warning look.

    Then she pushed him away and said, "I just wanted to prepare something for you to eat. Don''t you

    want to eat breakfast made by me?"

    Stefan hesitated, saying, "I do, but what I want more is to see you as soon as I open my eyes. I feel

    uneasy if I can''t see you when I wake up. It all feels like a dream."

    He wanted to spend every single moment with his wife he had been dreaming of for so many years.

    Sadly, Lucinda couldn''t always be by his side.

    Lucindaughed. "Where can I go?"

    "I''m afraid you''ll run away."

    Stefan kissed her lips again. "I had a long nightmarest night. I dreamed that you left and never

    came back."

    To him, Lucinda leaving was a nightmare.

    Lucinda remained silent.

    She hadn''t slept wellst night either.

    Stefan having such a dream was probably because he was worried that Lucinda might go back to

    her biological parents once she found them, and that might cause issues with their marriage.

    Since returning from the hospital, he had asked Edgar to look up information on the Blue family.

    Once they knew Ethan''s name, the search became much easier.

    The Blue family was a powerful and wealthy family in Skywatch,parable to the Anderson family

    in terms of status and wealth.

    However, the Blue family had many internal conflicts that outsiders didn''t know about.

    Their atmosphere was not as harmonious as that of the Anderson family.

    In fact, in high society, a family like the Anderson family, where siblings and rtives got along well,

    with everyone working together to maintain the family business and no one wanting to fight against

    each other, was rare.

    In the Anderson family, Stefan''s status as the heir had been established long ago. His cousins were

    very happy about it, as they didn''t want to bear this responsibility themselves.

    Although if Stefan took over the family, they might not necessarily have it easy, but assisting was

    always easier than leading.

    If one day Stefan said he didn''t want to continue to lead the family, those young family members

    would definitely leave immediately. They would never take up this responsibility.

    Young people in the Anderson family didn''t vie for power. This was not only because the Anderson

    family had a great atmosphere but also because each of them was outstanding. Even if they left the

    family, they could still make their own achievements. Even the youngest member of the family, who

    was not yet an adult, already had his own business.

    The information Edgar got made Stefan worry about his wife.

    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!

    Lucinda was indeed the daughter of the Blue family, who had been missing for twenty-three years. If

    she returned to the Blue family, it would definitely cause a stir. It wouldn''t be her choice, but those

    people would scheme against her.

    Stefan thought about his wife wanting to live a peaceful life and couldn''t help but worry about the

    problems she might face if she went back to her biological parents.

    His yet-to-meet father-inw had a new mistress.

    Stefan hadn''t told Lucinda yet.

    He would tell her when the results of the paternity test came out.

    As long as he was there, he would never let anyone bully Lucinda!

    "Stefan, even if I acknowledge my biological parents, I''m still your wife. Unless you don''t want me

    anymore, our rtionship won''t change."

    Stefan quickly said, "How could I not want you? You are my life."

    It took him eleven years of effort to win her over.

    He wanted to spoil her for the rest of his life.

    "So you don''t have to worry about me leaving you. Even if I really wanted to, you wouldn''t let me

    go."

    At first, when she found out about his true identity, she wanted a divorce, but he didn''t agree.

    After some time, his affection convinced her to spend the rest of her life with him.

    He was a man worth entrusting her life to.

    "You should go work out now. Breakfast will be ready soon."

    Lucinda went to get the insted lunch boxes.

    She grabbed several of them.

    Before Stefan could react, he asked her, "What are you doing with the lunch boxes?"

    "I made soup for Janice Blue. I''m going to bring it over to herter so she can taste it."

    The paternity test results hadn''te out yet. Even if Lucinda thought Janice was her biological

    mother, without evidence, she couldn''t call her mom right away.

    Once the paternity test results came out, she would have to notify her adoptive parents.

    She wanted to acknowledge her biological parents, but she also wanted her adoptive parents to

    know so they wouldn''t misunderstand.

    Whether it''s now or in the future, the Moore family will always be family in Lucinda''s heart.

    "I whipped up some breakfast and set some aside for Janice and her son; I wanted them to have a

    taste."

    Lucinda cleaned the thermal lunch box spotlessly and set it aside. ncing at the soup in the pot, it

    seemed about ready.

    The man behind her didn''t make a sound; she turned around and saw a hint of bitterness on her

    handsome husband''s face.

    Lucinda was speechless.

    What on earth was going on?

    With a hint of jealousy, Stefan said, "Lucy, it turns out you got up early, prepared all these yummy

    dishes, even stewed this aromatic soup, and it''s not all for me, but for Janice and her son."

    Lucinda: "I made so much food, you and your grandparents won''t be able to finish it all; I always

    intended to prepare their share."

    They could be her birth mother and brother; was there a problem with sending food to her birth

    mother and brother?

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    Stefan said, "I wish you''d cook mainly for me; they''re just a side note."

    Lucindaughed and responded, "They might be my own mom and brother."

    She continued, "We''re a married couple; we''re going to spend our whole lives together. I''ve got a

    lifetime to cook for you. But my parents and my brother can only taste my cooking now and then;

    stop being so stingy."

    Lucinda''s words made Stefan''s displeasure vanish into thin air.

    Because she had said they would have a lifetime together.

    "Lucy, I''m going to apany you home often."

    Stefan made a promise.

    Lucindaughed and said, "You''re so busy with work, you don''t have to apany me every time."

    "In my eyes, my wife''s matters are the most important."

    Lucinda looked at him. Stefan felt as if she was hinting at something. He couldn''t help but pull

    Lucinda into his arms, wanting to kiss her.

    But Lucinda blocked him, not letting him seed.

    "Go do your morning exercises; stop messing around here."

    Lucinda pushed this man, who was always looking for a chance to kiss her, out of the kitchen.

    Stefan wasn''t angry; heughed and went to the gym.

    When he returned from the gym, Lucinda had already prepared breakfast.

    She had made soup and filled two big bowls into thermos containers. These were for Janice in the

    hospital.

    Apart from the soup, she had put a little bit of everything she made for breakfast into the thermos

    containers. In total, she used five containers.

    "Lucy, who are all these for?" Savannah asked curiously.

    Lucinda responded, "Yesterday evening, when we wereing back, we almost hit a woman. The

    driver braked immediately; we didn''t hit her, but she got scared and fell over, getting hurt. She''s in

    the hospital now; we''re going to visit her."

    "Is she badly injured?" Savannah asked with concern, "We need to remind all our drivers to be

    careful."

    An ident would be very unfortunate.

    "She scraped both her hands; the scratches are quite bad."

    "Well, that''s not too bad then. You''re going to visit her. Did you call the police? Was it your fault?"

    "We didn''t call the police. The woman was out of her mind; we can''t say it was totally our fault, but

    we can''t me herpletely either. I said we would cover the medical expenses."

    Lucinda hadn''t said the truth yet, that the woman might be her birth mother.

    And she had already encountered danger twice. Although she hadn''t been harmed, she knew that

    her real family must have some issues. As the long-lost daughter, she might not be wee, and

    many people might not want her to return.

    Before she could rify these matters, Lucinda didn''t want to say too much.

    Savannah said, "We can''t me her then; we''ll cover the medical expenses andpensate her a

    bit after she''s discharged."

    Lucinda nodded.

    Stefan came down from upstairs, already dressed in a suit. But he hadn''t tied his tie, which he was

    holding in his hand. He hadn''t even buttoned up his suit.

    Lucinda ced a bowl of soup at his seat, and noticing that he hadn''t buttoned up or tied his tie, she

    went over.

    "Why didn''t you even button up?"

    Lucinda said while buttoning up his suit for him. She took the tie from his hand, tied it for him,

    adjusted his cor, took a step back, looked him up and down, her eyes filled with amusement, and

    complimented, "My husband is really handsome, so charming."

    After thepliment, realizing there were two elders present, Lucinda immediately blushed and

    quickly returned to her seat.

    The two elders looked on with amusement.

    Stefan, who just received some tender loving care, sat next to Lucinda, looked at the bowl of soup,

    and whispered into Lucinda''s ear, "Is this thest bowl of soup?"

    "Yours is the first one. I served you before I served Janice."

    Lucinda always put him first.

    Stefan was very satisfied.

    He picked up the bowl of soup, didn''t even use a spoon, and drank two mouthfuls.

    So tasty!

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    He drank and eximed, "This is the best soup I''ve ever had!"

    The two elders was speechless.

    "Grandpa, Grandma, you should also try Lucy''s soup; it''s really tasty."

    Patrick Anderson casually said, "I''ve tried it; it''s not bad."

    "Not bad? You''re too picky. If you think it''s just okay, then don''t drink it; leave it to me."

    Stefan, dissatisfied with his grandfather''s "not bad"ment about Lucinda''s soup, immediately

    stood up, took his grandfather''s bowl of soup, and poured it into his own bowl without any

    hesitation.

    He knew that there wasn''t much soup left in the pot. Lucy hadn''t even had any; she just served the

    other three people. The rest must have gone into the thermos containers.

    One bowl wasn''t enough for him.

    His grandpa was picky, so he might as well drink it.

    Patrick was speechless. He just made ament, and even his soup was gone.

    Actually, Lucinda''s soup was really tasty. He was just teasing; he didn''t expect Stefan to take his

    soup away.

    That''s too much!

    "Grandma, how''s Lucy''s soup? Tasty?"

    Stefan, drinking his grandpa''s bowl of soup, looked at his Grandma''s.

    Lucinda wanted to cover her face. Could she pretend not to know this man?

    Savannahughed and said, "This is soup made by Lucinda herself. Whether it''s tasty or not, I''m

    going to drink it. You stop eyeing my bowl of soup."

    Stefan quickly said, "Grandma, don''t force yourself. If you really don''t want to drink it, just tell me.

    I''m your grandson; I can drink it for you."

    Savannah was speechless.

    "Stefan!"

    Lucinda called him quietly.

    If this man continued, she really would cover her face.

    "This weekend, I''ll make a whole pot of soup for you to drink to your heart''s content."

    Stefan grinned and said, "Having a wife is great!"

    The two elders silently thought: Since he knew the benefits of having a wife, why did he only choose

    to get married now? What was he doing before?

    Maybe it''s because his wife was too young before; he was waiting for her to grow up.

    It must have been hard for him. He waited for eleven years.

    When his crush was just a little girl, he must have been busting his ass to keep his feelings in

    check.

    "But babe, I''m nning to whisk you off to our family''s ind getaway this weekend. We can go

    fishing together and munch on the freshest seafood."

    Lucinda''s eyes lit up when she heard this.

    She turned her gaze to her grandparents.

    Savannah chuckled, saying, "We''re getting long in the tooth and not really cut out for your activities.

    I even get seasick now."

    Patrick chimed in, "You guys go have a st. Just bring us back some of the fish you catch."

 Chapter 164

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    Patrick had a thing for fresh sea fish.

    "Alright then."

    Stefan agreed without missing a beat.

    "Round up your brothers; see who''s free toe along."

    The more, the merrier.

    Patrick suggested it with an ulterior motive in mind.

    He wanted his other grandsons to see the lovey-dovey couple and ignite their desire to tie the knot,

    so they could end their bachelorhood sooner.

    Stefan looked up at his grandpa. After a shared nce, Stefan got the hint and nodded.

    After breakfast, Stefan personally drove Lucinda to the hospital.

    Janice, surprisingly, had a sound sleep at the hospitalst night. When she woke up in the morning,

    she was in a good mental state.

    She even asked Ethan for ab to tidy up her messy, long hair.

    Ethan was over the moon, thinking she was back to her senses.

    But his joy faded instantly when she called him "darling".

    Janice had been mentally disoriented for over two decades. Even with her biological daughter back,

    she couldn''t possibly snap back to normal right away.

    Worse still, she might never recover.

    "That girl from yesterday,"

    Janice, frustrated with her long hair being difficult tob, tossed theb onto the bed and

    started talking about Lucinda.

    "Mom, do you remember her?"

    Ethan picked up theb from the bed, sat behind her, and whispered, "Mom, let me help you

    comb your hair and pin it up, okay?"

    Actually, it would be more convenient to put her long hair into a bun. But Ethan didn''t know how to

    do that.

    He thought pinning it up would be easier.

    "Why do you keep calling me mom? Even if you''re being naughty, don''t keep calling me mom.

    Imagine our child growing up hearing you call me that, how embarrassing!"

    Janiceined about her son calling her "mom" while he wasbing her hair.

    "If your mom heard that, she''d be upset."

    Ethan sighed. "Mom, I''m your son, Ethan."

    "Ethan is just a few months old. Where''s the girl fromst night? I really like her and want to be

    close to her. Can you help me find her? I want to be with her and be friends with her. Ever since I

    married you, I haven''t had many friends. They''re all jealous of me and refuse to be friends with me."

    Even though she still couldn''t recognize him and mistook him for his father, Ethan was happy that

    she talked so much.

    "I''ll have someone pick her up in a bit; is that okay?"

    "Really?"

    "Yes."

    "That''s great."

    Janice seemed really happy.

    "Where''s the baby?"

    She started looking for her doll again.

    Ethan quickly handed the doll to her. She took it gently and said to Ethan while looking at the doll,

    "Nathan, our baby is very well-behaved, always looking at me without making a fuss."

    "Baby, someone''sing soon. You have to behave, okay?"

    Janice was talking to herself.

    Then there was a knock on the door.

    "It must be that girl. Nathan, quick, open the door."

    Janice immediately urged Ethan to open the door.

    Ethan had just finishedbing her hair and was struggling to pin it up. He put down theb and

    went to open the door, as she asked.

    The one knocking was his personal bodyguard.

    "Mr. and Mrs. Coleman are here."

    "Let them in."

    Besides the medical staff, Ethan didn''t allow anyone else in the room.

    Even with the medical staff, he kept a close eye on them at all times.

    The doctors didn''t know their identities, but they guessed they must be rich aristocrats from Ethan''s

    poker face and stern demeanor, not to mention the squad of big, serious-looking bodyguards.

    Apart from regr rounds, the medical staff tried to avoiding here to avoid being intimidated by

    Ethan''s stern gaze.

    Stefan and his wife came in, each carrying a thermos lunch box. Stefan also brought a basket of

    fruit, while Lucinda held a bouquet of flowers.

    The flowers were freshly cut from the flower field at the foot of Ascend Estate.

    "Ethan."

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    Stefan greeted.

    Ethan was cold and ruthless to others, but he was much gentler when facing Stefan and Lucinda.

    "Janice."

    Lucinda walked to the bedside and called softly.

    She felt uneasy in her heart.

    If this was her biological mother, she could only call her by her first name.

    "You''re here. I was just talking about you with my husband."

    Janice carefully ced the doll beside her and gently stroked its face, saying, "Baby, be good; I''m

    going to chat with my friend."

    Lucinda almost burst into tears.

    If they were mother and daughter, her mother didn''t recognize her and treated her as a peer, telling

    the doll she was her friend. Her biological son was mistaken for her husband.

    The siblings felt utterly heartbroken.

    Lucinda turned around, held back her tears, and handed the flowers to Janice.

    Janice was very happy to receive the bouquet from Lucinda.

    She sniffed the flowers and said, "These flowers are so beautiful and so fresh; just cut, right?"

    "Yes, I just cut them before I left. Do you like them?"

    Janice smiled and said, "I love them very much. Do you have a garden at home? We have lots of

    flowers at our ce. I especially love roses and daisies. My husband nted a lot of these two

    types for me. When they bloom, I''ll invite you over to see them, okay?"

    Lucinda also smiled and said, "Okay."

    She looked at Ethan.

    Seeing Ethan''s lost expression, she felt a sense of heaviness.

    Were the flowers that Janice loved destroyed now?

    Indeed.

    After Janice became mentally ill, her favorite flowers were uprooted and reced with those liked

    by Ka and Ashley.

    Nathan was too busy with work to notice these changes. By the time he did, the flowers his wife

    loved had been uprooted.

    And Ethan was too young to know that those flowers were his mother''s favorites; even if he did, he

    couldn''t protect them.

    When he grew up, he learned about this from his father.

    But what Janice didn¡¯t know was that she''d be a hermit, holing up in her room ever since her

    mind started ying tricks on her. She didn''t even recognize her once-cherished belongings, many

    of which were broken or reced.

    Madeleine, who had started dating Nathan, was hell-bent on wiping away every trace of Janice.

    Her ultimate wish was to ship Janice off to some remote vi in the sticks.

    But unfortunately for her, Ethan had grown up. He was now the new heir to the Blue family''s throne,

    and he wasn''t about to let his mom be kicked to the curb. This was why Janice never ended up in

    that vi in the countryside.

    "What''s your name? I''m Janice Bright."

    Lucinda finally learned Janice''s full name.

    She said, "Now, I go by Lucinda."

    "Lucinda, you share a name with my daughter. Her name is Lucinda, but we call her Lucy or babe."

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    "What a coincidence; my family and friends also call me ''Lucy''."

    Lucinda said it with a smile. Janice was not in a good state of mind at the moment. In her memory,

    her children were only a few months old; her consciousness stuck in a time more than twenty years

    ago.

    Lucinda was especially gentle with her, with a lot of patience.

    When the DNA results confirmed their mother-daughter rtionship, she tried to see if she could

    awaken her mother''s consciousness and recover her normal state.

    By now, she had a rough understanding that she was not abandoned by her biological parents but

    was separated from them. Whether it was a simple separation or there were other reasons, she was

    not sure yet.

    Regardless of the reason, it had a significant impact and caused damage to her mother.

    She felt sorry for Janice, not knowing what she had gone through after losing her daughter.

    Now only Ethan was with Janice, and Lucinda guessed that there might be problems in Janice''s

    marriage.

    "Really? What a coincidence! I liked you the moment I saw you and wanted to get close to you. So,

    you''re also called Lucy, just like my daughter."

    Janice was very happy; her smile was pure and innocent.

    Lucinda swallowed her sadness and began unpacking the insted lunch boxes she had brought.

    The breakfast she made was taken out one by one and ced on the bedside table, quickly filling it.

    "I got up early today and made some soup for you, as well as some breakfast. Try it, and if you like

    it, I can make it for you every day."

    She saw Janice''s hands wrapped in bandages.

    Lucinda washed the bowls she brought and poured a bowl of soup for Janice. She sat by the bed

    and fed Janice the soup.

    "I can drink it myself."

    Janice said, but she was verypliant. Lucinda fed her a spoonful, and she took a sip.

    "You have wounds on your hands. Although holding a baby is not a problem, holding a soup bowl

    may hurt your wounds. Let me feed you."

    "Is the soup good?"

    "It''s delicious, very delicious; I like it."

    Janice nodded earnestly, answering seriously like a child.

    Lucinda then fed her braised shrimp.

    Skywatch and Pinehurst were far apart, and the living habits of the two ces were naturally

    different.

    Janice probably hadn''t tasted braised shrimp very much. After eating one, her eyes lit up, and she

    said to Lucinda, "Lucy, this is delicious. The shrimp is very fresh. It''s freshly caught, right?"

    Although Janice was not in a good mental state right now, her taste was still there. After tasting

    Lucinda''s braised shrimp, she praised the freshness of the shrimp.

    Lucindaplimented her, "You''re really good; you could tell right away. All these ingredients are

    very fresh."

    The Anderson family was wealthy and had a private ind. If they wanted fresh seafood, all they

    had to do was give the order, and they could eat seafood that had just been caught and delivered to

    their vi, ensuring the Anderson family could eat fresh seafood.

    When Lucinda first entered the kitchen and saw the ingredients, she was amazed at the wealth and

    luxury of the Anderson family. The daily ingredients were prepared very abundantly, each one of the

    best quality and fresh.

    With such rich and fresh ingredients, the breakfast she made was naturally more attractive.

    "I used to like cooking, too. My husband especially liked the food I made. Later, when I had to take

    care of my child, a lot of people wanted to take my child away. I had to hold my child all the time, so

    I stopped cooking."

    Lucinda gently asked her, "Who wanted to take your child away?"

    "Bad people, very bad people. She always bullied me when my husband was not at home. I couldn''t

    beat her; she was very powerful. I''m scared when I see her now."

    The bad person Janice was referring to was probably Madeleine. When she mentioned her, Janice

    still seemed very scared.

    Hearing this, Lucinda felt both sorry and angry.

    She didn''t continue to ask; seeing Janice''s fear, she couldn''t go on asking.

    Ethan watched the two of them. When he saw his mother and Lucinda chatting casually, their

    conversation was normal, and he was very relieved. If Lucinda was really his sister, having Lucinda

    with his mother might help her recover slowly.

    "Ethan."

    Lucinda suddenly turned her head to look at him.

    "You should also have some soup and eat something. You''ve been taking care of her all night, and

    you must be tired. After you eat, you should rest well. I''ll stay here with her."

    After finishing speaking to Ethan, Lucinda turned to Stefan and said, "Stefan, you should go to work.

    I''ll call Ceciliater to look after the renovation at my shop."

    Stefan silently nodded after a moment, saying, "I''ll go back to the office first. If you need anything,

    give me a call."

    Lucinda taking care of his mother made Ethan very happy.

    He said to Stefan, "Mr. Coleman, I''ll walk you out."

    Stefan reluctantly left the room.

    The two men walked side by side, neither of them speaking.

    Ethan walked with him all the way to the hospital entrance.

    "Mr. Coleman, thank you!"

    "I didn''t do anything. You don''t need to thank me. Even if I did do something, it was for my wife."

    Ethan showed a rare smile as he looked at Stefan. "It''s obvious that you love Lucy very much. I''ve

    learned about you two. You''ve been married for less than a month, but you''ve known each other for

    eleven years. Lucy is like a little rabbit, and you''re like an old fox."

    "If Lucy really is my sister, I want to,"

    "Lucy and I have already processed our marriage certificate. Even if we haven''t held a wedding yet,

    we are legally married. I told Lucy that she has no chance of getting a divorce!"

    Stefan thought that Ethan would stop him from being with Lucinda after recognizing his sister, so he

    immediately asserted his ownership.

    He was Lucinda''s husband! For this life and the next!

    If there was a next life, he was a bit greedy and reserved it too.

    It took a lot of effort to get Lucinda to ept him in just over half a month and stop talking about

    divorce.

    Her recognizing her family should not affect his marriage ns.

    "My twin sister and I are both twenty-four this year, still pretty young. If Lucy really is my sister, I''m

    not going to stand in the way of you two being together. I just hope you guys could postpone the

    wedding a bit, give Lucy a chance toe home with us, and we could make up for lost time."

    "We only need two years."

    "Lucying home won''t mess with our wedding. I''ve already started nning our wedding; once

    my parents are back from their trip, we can tie the knot."

    Stefan was stubborn as a mule; he said, "Even if Lucy and I get hitched, I can still go with her to

    spend some time at your ce."

    Ethan said, "But if Lucy is my sister, returning to the Blue family, she could inherit half of my dad''s

    fortune. His assets include thepany, shops, houses, you name it."N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

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    "Lucy''s going to inherit half of the fortune, meaning she''ll have to manage her share herself. To get

    the hang of it, she needs to live at my ce for a couple of years. My dad and I can guide her."

    "I can also give her some tips on the business side of things."

    Ethan fell silent for a moment before saying, "If you can''t stand being apart from Lucy, then move in

    with her at our ce. We''ve got plenty of room; one more won''t make a difference."

    Stefan didn''t respond.

    "Just giving you a heads-up, once the DNA test results are out, I''ll ask my dad toe over. After

    getting Lucy''s opinion, we''ll take her back to Skywatch. Once we''re back, we''ll have to do more

    paternity tests, and there''s a bunch of stuff to deal with. We can talk about how long Lucy will stay

    later."

    Ethan thought highly of Stefan and trusted himpletely with his sister.

    But he had been separated from his sister for over twenty years. Their mother had a breakdown

    after losing her daughter, and he hoped Lucinda could spend some time with their mother.

    He didn''t want to part with Lucinda either.

    Stefan knew it was premature to discuss these matters, so he just nodded and said, "We''ll talk

    about itter. But before you make any decisions, make sure to ask Lucy. You can''t force her if

    she''s not on board."

    He felt somewhat helpless.

    Before he married Lucinda, he and Ike Moore got along just fine. But once he married Lucinda, Ike''s

    attitude changed entirely.

    Ike always badmouthed him in front of Lucy and his inws, always trying to drag him down.

    Stefan could handle Ike.

    But he didn''t expect Lucinda to have a biological brother. This brother was even harder to deal with

    than Ike, considering he was an heir to a big family and was in no way inferior to Stefan. From now

    on, he would have to deal with both of Lucinda''s brothers.

    Stefan felt helpless just thinking about it.

    He had finally waited for Lucinda to grow up and was finally able to marry her, but her brothers had

    be his biggest obstacles.

    "Of course I will respect my sister''s wishes; I won''t force her to do anything she doesn''t want."

    Now that Ethan had found his biological sister, he would do everything he could to protect her. He

    wouldn''t force her to do anything she didn''t want.

    "Today, I entrust my wife''s safety to you."

    Ethan promised, "Don''t worry, as long as I''m here, they won''t be harmed."

    Not just his sister, but his mother too.

    They were both his responsibility.

    He couldn''t rely on his father; he had to be the one his mother and sister could rely on.

    Ethan worked extremely hard at Blue Corporation. Not just because he was the heir and had many

    responsibilities, but because he knew only by bing strong could he protect those he wanted to

    protect.

    If he were weak, his mother could be killed.

    Although his father was currently in love with Madeleine, Ethan was still grateful to him. At least

    when it came to his upbringing, his father had always been responsible and didn''t let others

    intervene.

    If it hadn''t been like that, those with ambitions might have turned him into a useless man long ago.

    "Lucy rose early to prepare a lot of delicious food for you guys; go back and eat it. Don''t waste her

    hard work. I''m her husband, and I get to taste her breakfast because of you guys."

    "But I was the first one to taste this soup, and it''s really good!"

    Ethan was speechless.

    What a domineering guy! And a jealous one too.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    There was a high chance that he and his mother were Lucy''s biological mother and brother. Lucy

    had made soup and dishes for them, but Stefan was jealous. His level of envy was just too high.

    "You better leave, go to work, and earn more money so you can give more wedding gifts in the

    future."

    Ethan waved his hand, urging Stefan to leave.

    "I''m going back to drink the soup Lucy made for me; don''t worry, I''ll finish it and won''t leave a drop

    for you."

    Without even saying goodbye to Stefan, Ethan turned around and left.

    Watching Ethan''s retreating figure, Stefan muttered to himself, "Lucy said we''re spending a lifetime

    together. She has a lifetime to cook for me; even if you''re her real brother, you can only taste it

    asionally!"

    Ethan had gone too far to hear him.

    No matter how reluctant, Stefan had to go back to work.

    In Ethan''s words, he had to earn more money to give her wedding gifts and would never let Lucy

    suffer.

    Just as Stefan returned to his office, Ike arrived.

    Even when discussing business matters, seeing Ike walk in gave Stefan an urge to kick him out.

    Of course, it was just a thought. He would never dare act on it.

    Ethan was Lucy''s biological brother, but Ike and Lucinda had grown up together, and their bond was

    very strong.

    Back in their student days, everyone knew that Ike was extremely protective of his sister.

    If Stefan really kicked Ike out, he would have to start sleeping in the study tonight!

    "What''s up? You''re not happy to see me? You''re not weing me?"

    Ike sat down across from Stefan, staring at him, and asked with a smile, "Lucy''s not here; my

    coming here doesn''t bother you two. Who''s that serious face for?"

    Stefan, with a straight face, replied, "This is how I am at work."

    Ikeughed, saying, "You always had that ''no strangers allowed'' look at school. Both boys and girls

    found it hard to get close to you. I thought you were sort of nice to me because we were from the

    same city, now I see that you were just being nice because of my sister. I thought you were my

    friend, but all you wanted was to marry my sister."

    Stefan: "Who said ssmates can''t marry their ssmates'' sisters?"

    Ike paused for a bit, then said with augh, "Chill out, man. I''vee to terms with reality. I''m not

    going to try to butt in between you and Lucy. You''re slick as a fox, dude. Once Lucy met you, she

    was totally hooked. She''s into you, so there''s nothing I can do."

    Lucy''s already got a thing for Stefan. She''s ready to give her heart to him; what''s he going to do

    about it? He''s got to respect her choice.

    "Did you track down the jerk who kidnapped Lucy?"

    "Not yet, but we''re hot on the trail. I believe we''ll get to the bottom of it soon."

    In a deep voice, Stefan said, "Ike, there''s something you need to know. Your sister''s going to be

    swept off her feet by another guy soon."

    Hearing this, Ike''s eyes widened, saying, "Stefan, can''t you watch out for Lucy? You''re really letting

    me down!"

 Chapter 167

    Chapter 167

    Stefan shot him a nce, saying, "It''s not that I have a rival, but Lucy has found her family. She has

    a twin brother who seems pretty domineering."

    Ike immediately stood up and said, "Lucy found her rtives? How? Where are her biological

    parents?"

    "You seem so worked up; you must be happy for Lucy, right?"

    Ike opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but being too excited, he didn''t know what to say.

    He felt like mming his hand on the table but was afraid of hurting himself. Finally, he grabbed

    Stefan''s hand and mmed it heavily onto the table.

    Stefan''s face darkened.

    He was afraid of hurting his hand, but did Stefan not feel pain?

    Shaking off Ike¡¯s hand, Stefan examined his own: "No swelling? I wanted to take a pic and send it to

    Lucy to make her feel a little sorry for me, but I guess not."

    Ike: "Stefan, you haven''t answered my question. You didn''t tell us about such a big thing. Did you

    start looking down on the Moore family because you knew Lucy was not a biological Moore?"

    "No way! Ike, that''s too far. You can question me, but you can''t question Lucy. She''s always thought

    of you guys as family; she doesn''t even have feelings for her biological parents yet."

    Stefan defended Lucinda, saying, "We only suspect; we haven''t confirmed whether that person is

    Lucy''s rtive. I''ve arranged for a paternity test; we''ll know once the resultes out."

    Then, Stefan told Ike the truth about what happenedst night, not wanting Ike to feel they were

    looking down on the Moore family.

    After hearing, Ike was silent for a long time.

    It was shocking news, and it felt like destiny.

    As soon as Ethan had the news, he dropped everything and went over with his crazed mother. He

    didn''t expect that her one time running away would lead to their meeting Lucinda.

    Lucinda had two dreams, clearly seeing Janice in them. So, when she saw Janice, she recognized

    her.

    Ike didn''t know how he felt.

    Complicated, probably.

    Since Lucinda found out about her origins, he had hoped she could find her biological parents but

    also feared she would leave them once she did. His selfish wish was that she wouldn''t find her

    rtives.

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    However, reality came quickly.

    Finding rtives could take years, even decades, and they still might not be found.

    Like finding a needle in a haystack.

    Even with advanced technology and DNAparisons, it still required a coincidence to be found.

    But not long after Lucinda found out about her origins, she met a woman who was very likely her

    biological mother.

    "Her brother is domineering?"

    "He means, if Lucy truly is his sister, he wants to take her back to Skywatch, at least have her live

    there for two years. He doesn''t want Lucy to marry too early; he says he wants to make it up to her."

    Stefan was relieved he had already married Lucinda; otherwise, once she found her real parents

    and returned to her real family, he might never be able to marry her.

    Ike''s eyes were filled with reluctance. Lucinda was the sister he had loved since childhood. When

    they were young, Lucinda always liked to go out and y with him. Sometimes, when he didn''t want

    to bring her, she would cry, and seeing her cry would soften his heart.

    Stefan¡¯s marriage to his sister felt like losing a part of himself, and now that a biological brother of

    Lucinda''s had appeared, Ike felt pressure.

    Although he had been Lucinda''s brother for more than twenty years, they had no blood rtionship.

    Her real brother was Ethan, and they were twins.

    Would Ethan think he was the one who took Lucinda away? And then, would he be on guard

    against him, not letting him get close to Lucinda?

    Probably not.

    Ike told himself not to think about these messy things.

    The Moore family adopted Lucinda and raised her like their own daughter. The Blue family would

    only be grateful to the Moore family and wouldn''t let Lucinda alienate them.

    Thinking of this, Ike calmed down. He turned to Stefan, sneering, "Stefan, I almost fell for your

    scheme. Lucinda is my sister and always will be. Even if she finds her biological family, she just

    gains a biological brother; how does that affect me?"

    "But if I tell the Blue family about your dealings with Lucinda, they might oppose Lucinda marrying

    you. That''s what you should be worried about, not trying to drag me into it. I was almost scared by

    you."

    Stefanughed, saying, "I didn''t mean anything by it; I was just telling you that Lucinda might have

    found her biological parents. You''re overthinking it."

    "I didn''t deceive Lucinda; don''t forget, she came to me first, wanted to hire me as her husband, and

    even paid me."

    Ike was furious. He red at Stefan.

    Stefan quickly poured him some water, grinning, "Ike, have a drink. Lucinda and I are married now; I

    won''t divorce, and Lucinda is starting to ept me. Anyone who truly cares for Lucinda wouldn''t

    want to separate us; there would be a price to pay."

    "Come on, let''s talk business."

    Ike was speechless.

    He really didn''t understand this old ssmate of his!

    A Bentley stopped in front of the Scott family''s vi. When the driver honked the horn, someone

    quickly came out to open the gate.

    The Bentley drove into the vi and parked in the open-air parking lot.

    Olina, clutching her newly purchased limited edition handbag, got out of the car and took a quick

    look around the interior of the Scott family''s mansion. It didn''t seem to have changed much from

    what she remembered. Even though the Scotts spent most of their time abroad, there was always

    someone here to take care of the ce.

    Over the years, whenever the Scotts came back home for a visit, they stayed here. There was no

    sign of any ongoing renovations or repairs, which made Olina think maybe they were still waiting on

    materials.

    After all, Ruby and her mother hadn''t been back for long.

    "Olina, you''re here." Megan emerged from the house, looking elegant in a long dress, her face well-

    maintained, and beaming with a smile. She walked over in her high heels.

    As Olina got closer to Megan, she said, "I''m a bit down. I needed to get out and clear my head. I

    didn¡¯t know where else to go. So I thought I''d juste here. Hope I''m not intruding?"

    It was still early.

    Typically, Olina would still be in bed at this time.

    On her days off, she usually slept till noon.

    She''d spend her evenings out and about, only returning homete at night. Then she''d sleep till

    noon again the next day. Rinse and repeat.

    "Of course not; I''m thrilled you''re here," Megan said. "We''re always overseas, and there aren''t many

    people at home. When the people are gone, the house bes cold."

    Despite once being a prominent family in Pinehurst, the Scotts had moved abroad and shifted their

    business overseas too. Who would remember them now?

 Chapter 168

    Chapter 168

    Now that she''s back home, except for Olina still being the same, only a few friends and rtives

    drop by from time to time. The hustle and bustle of the past was no more.

    Megan weed Olina into the house, having the servants serve coffee and desserts.

    "We''re tight, so if you''re having a hard time, feel free to spill. I''ll help you out as much as I can, and

    if I can''t, I''ll try to find someone who can."

    In Pinehurst, Olina ranked higher than Megan, both in the past and now.

    Megan might not be able to genuinely help Olina; she just wanted to show her support and earn

    Olina¡¯s trust.

    As for Stefan, that''s a lost cause.

    Megan''s only hope was to make sure her daughter Ruby ends up with Owen.

    Ruby''s jail time was almost up.

    Once she¡¯s out, Megan needed to have a heart-to-heart with her and convince her to let go of her

    obsession with Stefan.

    Stefan wasn¡¯t heartless; it¡¯s just that his heart belonged to someone else now.

    "Trenton pissed me off."

    Olinained to Megan.

    "How did he piss you off?"

    Megan asked with concern. She knew that the real power in the Martinez family still lied with

    Trenton. Owen was just a figurehead.

    This was different for Stefan. Even though he took his mother''s surname, he was the real power in

    the Anderson family. The older generation had stepped back, and his siblings all looked up to

    Stefan.

    Maybe that was one of the reasons why Ruby was so hung up on Stefan.

    If she married Stefan, she would be the wife of the head of the Anderson family. But if she married

    Owen, she would still have Trenton looming over her, with others in her generation eyeing Owen¡¯s

    power. Naturally, marrying Stefan would be more appealing.

    "Trenton isn''t unreasonable. He does a lot of things and says a lot of things for your own good.

    Don''t hold grudges against him; the wisdom of the old is precious."

    "No, he''s just a tyrant."

    Every time Olina thought about how her son was forced by Trenton to marry a woman with no family

    background, she would get pissed.

    "My son, who Trenton ims is a genius, was raised by him and his wife. Even though we live

    together and I can still be close to my son, I have almost no say in his upbringing and education as

    his mother."

    "Now, with Owen''s marriage, they didn''t even ask for my opinion before making a decision. You tell

    me, how can I not be pissed?"

    Listening to her, Megan felt a heavy weight on her heart and quickly asked, "Is Trenton arranging

    Owen''s marriage? Which family¡¯s daughter did he have his eye on?"

    Megan knew Trenton didn''t like her daughter.

    But both Owen and his mother were fond of her daughter. That''s why she was confident. After all,

    Owen was the CEO; he had real power. As long as he insisted and as long as Ruby was willing to

    marry Owen, she could definitely be part of the Martinez family.

    Once Trenton kicked the bucket, the Martinez family would truly fall into Owen''s hands. Her

    daughter could be the wife of an heir to arge family.

    In the past, Trenton had considered arranging for Owen to meet other rich girls, but Owen had

    turned them all down.

    "If it was a rich girl, I wouldn''t be so pissed. I really don¡¯t have anything against helping Ruby. You

    know I''ve always liked Ruby; I''ve treated her like my own daughter, and I''ve always wanted her to

    end up with Owen."

    "But Trenton made this decision out of the blue. My husband and I had no clue. By the time we

    found out, it was toote. Owen had already married this nobody named Cecilia. Cecilia''s family is

    just average; she''s nowhere near good enough for the Martinez family in any aspect."

    "I don''t know what kind of spell Cecilia cast on Trenton, forcing Owen to marry her. If Owen didn''t

    agree, Trenton threatened to kick him out of the Ike group, even threatening to publicly disown

    him and not leave him any inheritance from the Martinez family."

    "Under the pressure, Owen had no choice but to surrender. He and Cecilia got their marriage

    certificate, andst night, Cecilia followed Owen home for dinner. Trenton told our family that Cecilia

    would be part of the Martinez family from now on."

    While it seemed like Olina was just venting, in reality, she was hoping to use Megan and Ruby to

    deal with Cecilia.

    It would be easy for her to make Cecilia¡¯s life miserable; she had plenty of ways to make sure

    Cecilia lived in agony.

    But Cecilia was chosen by Trenton.

    Behind Cecilia stood Trenton.

    No matter how pissed Olina was, she would never confront Trenton directly. But seeing Cecilia

    be Owen''s wife, she couldn''t ept it.

    She told Megan about this, knowing Megan would definitely tell Ruby. And they would be even less

    able to ept this than Olina.

    It¡¯smon knowledge that Owen had a thing for Ruby.

    Although Ruby had a thing for Stefan, she didn''t want to lose Owen.

    With Stefan married to Lucinda and Owen married to Cecilia, it seemed like Ruby had lost

    everything. How could she possibly ept that?

    If Ruby and Megan went after Cecilia, that was on them. It had nothing to do with Olina. Olina

    wouldn''t piss off Trenton, and she could still enjoy seeing Cecilia having a hard time. It¡¯s a win-win.

    Listening to Olina, Megan''s face turned pale.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Once Ruby got out and heard the news, she would be livid.

    Where could they find another man like Owen who had both power and a thing for Ruby?

    Olina kept on venting.

    Megan couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    She''s dying to see her daughter right now.

    But sadly, Ruby still had a few more days before she can be released.

    Megan, trying to keep her cool, asked, "What''s the deal with this Cecilia girl? No highborn status, no

    background, why would Trenton be interested in her? Owen is the heir of the Martinez family;

    Trenton always adored him. Why would he arrange such a marriage? Something¡¯s fishy!"

    Harry was still dreaming about getting that CEO position at the Ike Group.

    "I''m not entirely sure about the situation either; I had someone check into it, and it turns out Cecilia

    is actually Lucinda''s ssmate and close friend, their rtionship is really tight."

    "They even opened Serendipity Cafe together. Ruby led people to sabotage this cafe, resulting in

    Cecilia getting hurt. They called the cops, Ruby was arrested, and she had to serve 15 days. She

    also needs topensate Serendipity Cafe for all the damages."

    Megan''s face turned even more sour.

    Lucinda''s bestie!

    Lucinda!

    She''s Ruby''s enemy.

    Lucinda stole Stefan, and now even her friend was taking Owen!

    Megan really wanted to meet Cecilia to see what kind of person she was, which caught Trenton''s

    eye.

 Chapter 169

    Chapter 169

    "What does Cecilia look like? Who''s more beautifulpared to Ruby?"

    Megan asked.

    Olina pondered for a moment, then replied, "Cecilia is not bad either; each has their own charm

    whenpared to Ruby. Honestly, I''ve always had a soft spot for Ruby. Even if another woman

    marries Owen, I wouldn¡¯t ept her."

    "Ruby and Owen have known each other since they were kids. Their bond is pretty solid. Not just

    anyone cane between them."

    Olina continued, "I just don''t get what''s going on in Trenton''s head."

    "I''m so pissed off; I can''t stand being around Trenton at home, so I came to chat with you."

    Megan said, "Don¡¯t be mad; he still calls the shots in your family. People in your family are eyeing

    your power. You shouldn¡¯t piss off Trenton over such a small matter. You''ll be the one at a loss."

    "As for Owen marrying that woman, I believe Owen won''t make it easy for her. Once Ruby is back,

    she won¡¯t matter anymore."

    As a wife, seeing her husband being so good to another woman would definitely make her lose it.

    Once Cecilia can¡¯t stand it anymore and went to make a fuss with Owen or cause trouble for Ruby,

    she would be asking for trouble and getting a taste of Owen''s wrath.

    Megan knew how deep Owen''s affection was for his daughter. Anyone who dared to bully Ruby,

    Owen would fight them tooth and nail. He treated Stefan that way because Stefan wasn''t good to

    Ruby,

    Olina nodded. She also hoped that Ruby would return soon.

    With Ruby and Megan helping her deal with Cecilia, once Owen divorced Cecilia, if Trenton was still

    alive, she would match Owen with a better-off girl, much better than an average girl like Cecilia.

    As for Ruby.

    As long as Trenton is alive, Ruby is not allowed to enter the Martinez family.

    If Owen really can''t bear it, he can keep her as a mistress for now and n for the future when

    Trenton is gone.

    The two mothers, although scheming, had a very simr mindset.

    Cecilia didn''t know Olina went to the Scott family. She received a call from Lucinda saying that she

    couldn''te to the store today, so she arrived early to watch the workers being busy.

    Around ten in the morning, Ike showed up.

    "Ike."

    Cecilia walked towards him with a smile and asked, "Are you here for Lucy? Lucy had something to

    do today and couldn''t make it."

    "Lucy''s not here? I thought she was here. I just happened to pass by and thought I''d drop in. I''ll call

    herter, then."

    Ike looked around the store and asked, "How many more days until the renovation is done?"

    "At the earliest, four or five days, I guess."

    Ike nodded.

    "Ike, do you want some water? I can pour you a cup. There¡¯s also coffee and milkshake. I prepared

    milkshakes for the workers and made some desserts."

    Ike nced at his watch and said, "Just a cup of water is fine; no need for desserts."

    Cecilia invited him to sit at a clean table with a smile, then turned to pour Ike a cup of water.

    Ike took the water and drank a few sips.

    "Is there anything I can help with?"

    "Not now, but if there is, I won''t hesitate to ask for your help."

    Ike said with a smile, "Right, don''t be shy. You and Lucy are like my sisters."

    After a thought, he reminded her, "Ruby''s mother is back in the country. She spoils her daughter

    and might cause trouble over Ruby. Now that Lucy has Stefan''s support, Megan might be

    restrained."

    Despite his dissatisfaction, Ike had to admit that with Stefan, his sister could act without fear in

    Pinehurst.

    Ike felt a bit guilty, thinking that as a brother, he didn''t have enough power to be Lucinda''s strong

    support and had to rely on Stefan.

    "Thanks for the reminder; no one has been causing trouble for me recently. No matter who it is, as

    long as I''m in the right, I¡¯m not afraid."

    Ruby was in the wrong.

    Even if Owen came to support Ruby, she''s not scared, let alone Megan.

    In Pinehurst, Owen was more formidable than Megan, who had been abroad for many years.

    "Anyway, be careful."

    Cecilia nodded. After experiencing Lucy being deceived and kidnapped, they would be extra

    careful.

    "Sit for a while; I''ll prepare some desserts for you to try when you''re free."

    "I''m not a big fan of desserts."

    Perhaps many men didn''t like sweets.

    At least Ike and his friends didn''t like sweets.

    Cecilia joked, "If you don''t like them, you can give them to a girl you like."

    "I don''t have a girl I like."

    Ike, who said these words, somehow blushed.

    Cecilia''s eyes lit up.

    It seemed Ike has something going on.

    She had to tell Lucy to snoop around.

    "I''ll go prepare some desserts for you."

    Cecilia turned around with a smile.

    Ike didn''t stop her again.

    A few minutester, Cecilia came back with a bag containing two boxes of pastries she had made

    that day.

    She handed the bag to Ike.

    "I told you I didn¡¯t need it, and you still brought it."

    Although Ike said he didn''t want it, his hand honestly took the bag. He finished the rest of the water,

    stood up, and said to Cecilia, "I''m leaving now; call me if you need help."

    "Sure."

    Cecilia saw Ike out.

    They were chatting andughing.

    As soon as she stepped out the door, Cecilia saw a familiar convoy slowlying and finally

    stopping by the roadside.

    Owen walked over under the protection of his bodyguards.

    He met Ike, who was about to leave.

    Both of them stopped.

    Ike and Stefan were ssmates and knew Owen. Thinking of Owen''s help when Lucinda was

    kidnapped, Ike greeted Owen with a smile.

    Owen''s gaze first fell on the two boxes of pastries in Ike''s hand. Without asking, he knew they were

    from Cecilia.

    They''ve known each other for many years. Owen knew Ike, like himself, didn''t like sweets.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    But right now, Ike was holding two boxes of desserts. Were they made by Cecilia?

    Or were they from Lucinda?

    Owen''s gaze bypassed Ike again, falling on Cecilia, who''s standing at the shop entrance. Through

    the open door, he can see workers bustling about inside.

    But there''s no sign of Lucinda.

    This meant these two boxes of sweets must be Cecilia''s handiwork!

    Ike really did respect Cecilia!

    "What''s that you''re holding?"

    Even though Owen already knew the answer, he asked it on purpose.

 Chapter 170

    Chapter 170

    Ike hoisted the bag in his hand and presented it to Owen for a closer look.

    "This is dessert, made by Cecilia. She made me two boxes. Both Cecilia and Lucy make mouth-

    watering sweets, Owen. Would you like to try them?"

    Owen''s face twisted in dissatisfaction, and he said, "I''m not much of a sweet tooth unless it''s made

    by Ruby herself, then I might deign to try a bit."

    Ike put the bag down andughed a little but didn''t respond.

    Everyone in Pinehurst knew about Owen''s feelings for Ruby and Ruby''s feelings for Stefan.

    ¡°What are you doing here? Are you here to stir up trouble again at the Serendipity Cafe?"

    Ike shifted the topic, inquiring about Owen''s intentions.

    He wasn''t sure about the rtionship between Owen and Cecilia, and assumed Owen was here for

    trouble.

    In the past, anyone who dared to bad-mouth Ruby would face Owen''s wrath. Now that Ruby was

    detained, Owen must be fuming and plotting revenge on Cecilia and Lucy.

    Lucy had Stefan as her knight in shining armor, but Cecilia was left defenseless.

    Thinking this, Ike warned, "Owen, it''s Ruby''s fault. Even if you want to protect and favor her, you

    have to be reasonable. Don''t think you can bully Cecilia just because she has no one to protect her.

    If you dare to touch her! I won''t let you off lightly!"

    Though Ike wasn''t exactly Owen''s equal in many ways, it didn''t stop him from standing up for

    Cecilia.

    Owen frowned at Ike''s words, then lifted his eyebrows and gave Ike an up-and-down look.

    "What?" Ike asked, visibly annoyed.

    He didn''t appreciate Owen''s scrutinizing gaze.

    Seeing the two men in conversation, Cecilia feared a confrontation and stepped in.

    Owen, seeing Cecilia approach, leaned in and whispered to Ike, "Do you have a thing for Cecilia? Is

    that why you''re so hell-bent on protecting her?"

    Before Ike could respond, Cecilia had already reached them.

    "Mr. Malicious, what brings you here?" Cecilia asked.

    Owen stood up, his face darkened at her choice of words. He reached out to pull Cecilia closer,

    intending to give her a piece of his mind, but Ike caught his hand.

    "Owen!" Ike warned, ring at Owen.

    A tense stand-off ensued between the two men.

    Finally, Owen shook off Ike''s hand, "Since you enjoy being a protector, for the sake of our years of

    acquaintance, I''ll let you do it once today and won''t teach her a lesson."

    With that, Owen strolled past Cecilia and Ike, heading straight for the cafe.

    His bodyguards followed closely behind.

    "Cecilia,e here. I want some coffee and sweets!" Owen called out as he walked.

    Ike wanted to follow him into the cafe but was stopped by Cecilia.

    "Ike, go about your business. Mr. Malicious might be a bit of a tough cookie, but he''s not all bad. I

    can handle him."

    "Owen will do anything for Ruby. I shoulde with you. If he tries anything, I''ll be there to protect

    you."

    How could Ike just let Cecilia face Owen alone?

    "Ike, it''s really fine. Owen''s here to collect a favor. I asked him for help when Lucy got in trouble.

    He''s here to discuss terms. He won''t do anything to me, don''t worry."

    To Ike''s surprise, Cecilia added, "You actually got him to help you?"

    "That''s what I''ve been saying, and he''s not entirely a bad guy. He''s just a bit too obsessed with

    Ruby."

    People always wanted what they can''t have.

    For Owen, Ruby was his unattainable, and his obsession only deepened because he could never

    have her. He thought Ruby was the best, even though they had grown up together, first as friends

    before love came into y.

    All in all, Ruby held a significant ce in Owen''s heart.

    Cecilia had no intention nor dared to rece Ruby.

    They could be a married couple in name, and after Trenton died, she would get a divorce, collect a

    settlement, and continue with her happy life.

    After all, she had no one she loved, and she had no ns to remarry.

    "Are you sure you can handle him? Are you sure he''s not here to cause trouble?"

    "Absolutely, don''t worry."

    Ike was not entirely convinced.

    Finally, under Cecilia''s persuasion, Ike left.

    Watching Ike''s car drive away, Cecilia turned around and walked back into the cafe.

    Owen''s bodyguards were stationed by the cafe entrance. They were all tall and intimidating,

    dressed in ck, unsmiling. They looked like menacing statues, scaring off anyone who dared to

    walk past the Serendipity Cafe.

    Seeing Cecilia return, the bodyguards pursed their lips, wanting to greet her, but remembering Mr.

    Martinez''s orders, they refrained from calling out "Mrs. Martinez" and they just watched silently as

    Cecilia passed them and went into the cafe.

    "My cafe is still under renovation. It''s quite a mess, Mr. Martinez. It would be best if you went

    somewhere else. The cafe is closed right now." Cecilia immediately started saying as she entered.

    Owen was sitting where Ike had just been. He saw the cup on the table and knew Ike had been

    sitting there.

    His gaze was fixated on the cup.

    Cecilia walked over, picked up the cup, a disposable paper one, and tossed it into the nearby trash

    bin.

    Only then did Owen shift his gaze to her.

    "If the cafe isn''t open, why did you give Ike two boxes of sweets? Did you charge him?"

    Cecilia: "I just made some sweets for the workers to snack on during their break. I made a bit too

    much, and Ike happened toe by. So I gave him two boxes. Why would I charge him? Even if

    Ike came every day, he wouldn''t have to pay."

    Owen said coldly, "No wonder your shop never made any money before. You''re always giving out

    free desserts, and they even take some to go. It''d be weird if you did make any money."

    Cecilia opened her mouth, took a moment, and then said, "Ike doesn''t usually eat much. My shop

    isn''t open right now, so I can afford to give him some."

    "Why don''t you give me some desserts?"

    "You don''t even like them. What are you going to do with them? It''ll be a waste. These are the fruits

    of my morning''s hard work."

    "Ike doesn''t like desserts either."

    Cecilia: "But Ike has a girl he likes. I give him two boxes of desserts to give to her. It might make her

    happy. As for the woman you like, even if I were to give the desserts to beggars, I wouldn''t give

    them to you to please her."

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    Upon hearing this, any dissatisfaction in Owen''s heart disappeared.

    So, Ike had a girl he liked.

    He had thought Ike and Cecilia were having an affair.

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    "I''ll take two boxes of desserts to bring back to my office. Whenever I''m feeling hungry, I can have a

    taste of your handiwork. If they''re good, I¡¯ll be here every day buying from you. That means one

    more regr customer for you. That''s a win-win, right?"

    With that, Cecilia turned around to leave.

    In no time, she came back with a beautifully arranged te of mini cakes.

    She set the te in front of Owen and told him: "Finish these little cakes, and I''ll pack up two boxes

    of desserts for you. Otherwise, forget it."

    Owen looked up at her, his eyes deep, and said: "You''re just scared I''ll waste your desserts, right?"

    He quickly pulled a wad of cash from his wallet andid it on the table. "Here''s your money. If I can''t

    finish them and have to throw them away, it''s my money I''m wasting, not yours. No need to get all

    sentimental."

    Cecilia took his money but insisted: "Eat first."

    Seeing her take his money, Owen put away his wallet,menting: "You gave Ike two boxes of

    dessert without charging him a cent, yet you take my money so quickly? And I haven''t even seen

    my desserts yet."

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    Their rtionship was so distant, even though they were husband and wife.

    It was only fair she charged Ike, too.

    Feeling a sense of injustice, Owen even contemted asking Ike for the money for the two boxes of

    desserts.

    "Do you think you''re on the same level as Ike and me?"

    Cecilia retorted unabashedly.

    "I''m besties with Lucy. I see Ike as my own brother, and he sees me as his sister. What are you in

    comparison?"

    Owen was left speechless and wanted to tell her he was her husband.

    But he held back. He had asked her to keep their marriage a secret.

    "How did youe here?"

    Cecilia asked nonchntly, not noticing his reaction.

    "Just passed by."

    Owen replied truthfully.

    Originally, he had no ns ofing but changed his mind when he saw Ike enter.

    "Okay."

    Seeing him not touching the little cakes, she asked: "Why aren''t you trying one?"

    "Is it sweet?"

    Cecilia''s look clearly said, "Isn''t that obvious?"

    After a moment of hesitation, Owen carefully took a bite of a cake. It was sweet but not overly so.

    He could handle it.

    He slowly finished the cake and asked: "Cecilia, get me a ss of water. No, make it two."

    Seeing him looking as if he had just ingested poison, Cecilia muttered under her breath but went to

    get him a ss of water. He gulped it down in one go and asked for another.

    The sweetness in his mouth was finally washed away after two sses of water, and Owen seemed

    to regain his spirits.

    "Has Ruby ever baked a cake for you?"

    Cecilia suddenly asked.

    He loved her, so anything she cooked was delicious.

    He loved Ruby so much that if she baked a cake for him, he would eat everyst crumb.

    Owen looked a bit crestfallen.

    "Has she never made one for you? Or did she only bake for Mr. Coleman?"

    "No, I''ve had desserts made by Ruby. She knows I don''t have a sweet tooth, so her desserts were

    only slightly sweet, not as sweet as yours."

    Ceciliaughed softly. "So she really made desserts for you? Or did she make them for Mr.

    Coleman, who didn''t want them and gave them to you, and you ate them all up like they were

    precious gems?"

    He mmed his hand down on the table.

    The loud sound attracted the attention of the renovation workers in the shop and the bodyguards

    outside the door.

    Owen ignored them.

    He stared coldly at Cecilia.

    In the past, his cold demeanor could scare Cecilia, but now she was not afraid of him.

    He was still a man of principle.

    He wouldn''t hit a woman.

    "So I hit the nail on the head, and that''s why you''re angry?"

    "Cecilia, stop mentioning Ruby. I''m not angry. It''s you who keeps bringing up Ruby to provoke me.

    Are you jealous of Ruby?"

    Owen stood up, his tall frame looming over Cecilia. He held her chin with one hand, saying coldly:

    "Remember, don''t fall in love with me. I won''t love you back. Just stick to your role, and you''ll be

    rewarded. If you want something you shouldn''t, be careful, or you might end up with nothing."

    Cecilia pushed his hand away.

    "You sure love to brag, don''t you? Don''t worry, I remember every word you''ve said. I won''t make

    any mistakes. When I mention Ruby, I''m mocking you. Didn''t you get that?"

    Owen straightened up and said coldly: "From now on, don''t mention Ruby in front of me. You''re not

    worthy of mentioning her!"

    Ceciliaughed lightly. "You''re acting like I''m dying to mention her. Am I not worthy of mentioning

    her? I feel like mentioning her is a stain on my lips."

    If she mentioned Ruby in front of him again, she''ll change herst name to her grandfather''s!

    Owen wanted to give her a piece of his mind, but he just couldn''t bring himself to. In the end, he

    pushed his chair back and stormed off.

    "Safe travels, Mr. Martinez."

    Owen suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned around, and walked back. He grabbed Cecilia by her

    arm and pushed her against the wall. Only when her back hit the wall did he stop.

    "Safe travels? You wish I were dead, don''t you? If I died, you would,"

    Owen leaned close to her ear and whispered coldly: "You''d be a widow."

    After he finished speaking, he let go of Cecilia''s neck and patted her face.

    "If I don''t show my anger, you''ll think you can walk all over me. Cecilia, stop testing my patience. I''m

    afraid I might lose control next time and actually strangle you."

    After patting Cecilia''s face, Owen was about to leave but stopped and reached into Cecilia''s pocket.

    "Mr. Malicious, what are you doing!"

    Cecilia was extremely ticklish.

    Owen was trying to get something from her pocket, identally brushing against her thigh, and she

    got ticklish, reacting dramatically.

    Owen was taken aback.

    He didn''t mean to do anything. He was just trying to retrieve the wad of cash he''d just given her

    from her pocket.

    Why did she react so dramatically, as if he were molesting her?

    Even when he had choked her neck earlier, she hadn''t reacted this much.

    "Give me back my money."

    With a stern face, Owen said, "I''m not buying your dessert anymore. Give me back my money."

    Cecilia: "You just needed to say so, don''t touch me."

    She pulled arge note from the wad of cash and returned the rest to him.

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    "Here you go. This money covers the cost of you eating my slice of cake and drinking two sses

    of water."

    Owen: "This is too expensive! You''re a sneaky merchant!"

    He took the money, giving Cecilia a long and deep look. He noticed several red marks on her neck,

    left from when he had choked her too hard earlier. Even though he didn''t exert much force, Cecilia''s

    skin was fair, and the force of his fingers digging into her neck had left marks.

    He opened his mouth to speak, but in the end, Owen left without saying a word.

    Cecilia touched the ce where Owen had choked her.

    The construction workers were watching her.

    "It''s fine. That guy is just a nutcase, a paranoid. Don''t mind him, I''m fine. Continue your work. What

    do you guys want for lunch? I can get you some fast food."

    "Cecilia,e out!"

    Owen''s growl came from outside.

    Cecilia frowned. Hadn''t he left already?

    "We''ll go home for lunch."

    The construction worker said, then turned to Cecilia. "That guy is calling for you. You should go

    check it out."

    Cecilia often called him Mr. Martinez. He must be Mr. Martinez from the Ike group.

    The construction workers had pieced together some information and knew why the Serendipity Cafe

    had been destroyed.

    So, seeing the elusive Mr. Martinez here wasn''t surprising to them.

    Cecilia went out.

    "You didn''t see me out."

    Owen used.

    Cecilia was dumbstruck.

    Her husband in name only had a gloomy look on his face, using her, "When Ike came earlier,

    you not only gave him two boxes of desserts but also personally saw him out of the shop. You were

    just short of sending him home. But you didn''t see me out, and I am your guest. You should have

    seen me out."

    Cecilia was speechless.

    She couldn''t keep up with Owen''s thoughts.

    Once she recovered, she said, "After what you did to me, you still expect me to see you out? The

    fact that I didn''t chase you out with a broom is already very respectful."

    Owen snorted, "Never mind, you''ve seen me out now. I won''t nitpick this time. Cecilia, if you can

    guarantee that you won''t need my help in the future, go ahead and be arrogant."

    After saying that, he stormed off.

    Cecilia was helpless, "Who''s being arrogant? The most arrogant person is clearly him, right?"

    Approaching noon, Owen lingered at the Serendipity Cafe for a while before leaving. Instead of

    going back to hispany, he went to the Pinehurst Hotel, a property owned by the Martinez family.

    He usually stayed there when he didn''t go home.

    On the top floor was a revolving buffet restaurant. Although it was expensive, many people liked to

    dine there because it offered a panoramic view of the city.

    The top floor of the Pinehurst Hotel was divided into two sections. One side was a revolving buffet

    restaurant open to the public, and the other side was a presidential suite exclusively for Owen''s use.

    He had his own elevator, so he wouldn''t be disturbed by the buffet diners.

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    Inside Owen''s suite was a miniature revolving buffet restaurant because Ruby loved buffets. In the

    past, he would often bring Ruby here to enjoy the buffet.

    Of course, it was always when Ruby felt neglected by Stefan and was feeling down that he would

    bring her here for the buffet.

    As long as Owen wasing, his bodyguards would notify the hotel''s manager in advance. The

    manager would be responsible for arranging everything. By the time Owen arrived at the hotel, his

    buffet restaurant was already filled with a variety of delicious food for him to enjoy.

    The bodyguards would have their meal at the buffet restaurant across from Owen''s suite after

    escorting him to the hotel.

    Owen sat alone at the dining table, facing the delicious food without moving a muscle.

    He caught sight of the exquisite desserts ced on the side and thought of Cecilia''s cake. Clearly,

    Cecilia''s cooking skills were not on par with the pastry chefs at the Pinehurst Hotel.

    Owen smacked his lips and mumbled to himself, "I have indeed tasted the cake Ruby made, but

    Cecilia, you got it right."

    After Ruby learned how to bake cakes, she would personally make a birthday cake for Stefan every

    year and deliver it to the Anderson family.

    But each time, Stefan would reject her.

    At that time, the Scott family''s business hadn''t moved abroad yet. As the daughter of the Scott

    family, Ruby was always spoiled.

    She couldn''t stand Stefan''s cold face and rejection, so she would leave the Anderson family with

    the cake and give it to Owen.

    The young Owen didn''t understand love yet. He only knew that when Ruby gave him a cake, he

    would eat it.

    It wasn''t untilter that he understood that his tolerance and care for Ruby were all due to his love

    for her.

    Almost all the gifts Ruby gave him were first offered to Stefan. Only after Stefan rejected them

    would she give them to Owen.

    He didn''t know this in the beginning. Every time he received a gift from Ruby, he was overjoyed.

    It wasn''t until one day that he saw Ruby give Stefan a tie and was rejected. She then gave the tie to

    him and he realized every gift he received from her was something Stefan didn''t want, including

    Ruby herself.

    Stefan didn''t love Ruby, nor did he want her.

    Only then could he have the chance to stay by Ruby''s side, waiting for her to regret her decisions,

    to notice his merits, and to ept his love.

    Thinking back on the past, Owen suddenly felt that he was truly humble in front of Ruby.

    His grandfather once said that as long as Ruby had a little bit of sincerity for him, he wouldn''t object

    to them being together.

    Owen tugged at his hair in frustration.

    Back in Echoville.

    Mr. Blue sauntered over to the couch, carrying a ss of milk, which he handed to his lover, saying

    tenderly, "Baby, your milk is ready, made by me."

    A ravishing woman took the milk, batting her eyshes at him, cooing, "Thank you, darling."

    They weren''t married because Mr. Blue had a family back in Skywatch. Even though his wife was

    his match-made partner, they had been married for decades and always seemed head over heels in

    love with outsiders.

    The ravishing woman knew full well this man wouldn''t divorce his wife to marry her.

    She didn''t mind as long as he supplied her with cash and agreed to her bearing his child.

    Even if the child was born out of wedlock, there was a chance to inherit this man''s fortune.

    Her motive to have a child was to grab a chunk of the wealth.

    "Babe, I have to head back tonight. My secretary has already booked my flight, and it''s taking off at

    five forty in the evening."

    He had been using business trips as an excuse to visit his lover in Echoville for quite a while now. If

    he didn''t head back soon, his wife might start to smell a rat.

    Moreover, he got wind that Ethan had abruptly left on a business trip with his mother.

    With Ethan away, he needed to go back to sweet-talk Nathan into giving him some benefits.

    "You''re leaving so soon?"

    Mr. Blue just nodded when his cell phone started ringing.

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    Chapter 173

    Mr. Blue nced at the iing call and said to his lover, "I got to take this."

    And off he went.

    The beautiful woman didn''t say anything.

    She knew what Mr. Blue was up to, and she wouldn''t stop him, knowing that his actions could bring

    in more dough. The richer he got, the more her unborn child could inherit.

    Mr. Blue headed to his office upstairs, shut the door, and answered the call.

    His office was soundproofed, so there was no worry about being overheard.

    Even though he didn''t hide much from his lover, there were things he preferred to keep under

    wraps.

    "What''s up?" Mr. Blue asked in a low voice.

    As he listened to the call, his brow furrowed. After a moment, he asked, "They met? What was

    Ethan''s reaction? They don''t know each other? Good."

    "You got to keep a close watch on them. See if you can waste that mother-son duo on their way

    back."

    He had suspicions about Ethan''s sudden trip.

    Just as he thought it was just a cover-up.

    Ethan had found Lucinda Blue.

    Luckily, they didn''t recognize each other.

    After hanging up, Mr. Blue''s eyes turned cold. He sneered, thinking that Nathan still favored his

    biological son.

    After some thought, he called Madeleine Porter. When she answered, he asked, "Ms. Porter, fancy

    bing Mrs. Nathan? You''ve been with Nathan for so long. Howe you''re not pregnant yet?"

    "If you get knocked up, put some pressure on Nathan, and you''ll be his wife in no time. Here''s some

    good news: Ethan''s met Lucinda, and he''s brought his mom. If you don''t hurry up, you''ll lose

    everything once Lucindaes back."

    Annoyed, Madeleine shot back, "You ipetent fool, I''ve given you so many people to kill

    Lucinda, and you still can''t get it done. Now the siblings have met."

    Mr. Blue took the insult on the chin, admitting his ipetence in this matter, but it was out of his

    hands.

    "That girl''s lucky. Now she''s part of Pinehurst''s richest, the Anderson family. They''re not easy to

    deal with. Ourst n flopped because the Andersons and the Martinez family got involved.

    They''re big shots in Pinehurst."

    "In Pinehurst, we can''t touch them. No matter how many men we send, we''ll always end up on the

    losing side."

    Madeleine, though annoyed her teammate couldn''t get the job done, was just as helpless.

    Impatiently, she said, "You think I don''t want to get pregnant? You see me and Nathan all lovey-

    dovey. I even spend the night at the Blue family''s mansion, but I always sleep alone. Nathan''s room

    has a partition, and even if we''re in the same room, we''re actually sleeping separately."

    Mr. Blue was taken aback, asking, "So, you two haven''t?"

    "Exactly. I''m starting to doubt if he can even get it up. That woman''s been insane for over 20 years.

    Doesn''t he have any sexual needs? If he''s not sleeping with me, his young and beautiful girlfriend,

    then who is he sleeping with?"

    Madeleine had been keeping a close watch on Nathan. From the moment she fell in love with him,

    she wouldn''t allow any woman other than her to be by his side.

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    Mr. Blue hesitated, "Haven''t you tried giving him some kind of medication?"

    With a dark face, Madeleine snapped, "I''ve tried several times, but he always manages to dodge it."

    Did he think Nathan''s easy to fool? He''s actually very sharp, always on guard. Even though he

    seemed affectionate when he''s with her, he''s always on guard.

    Madeleine suspected Nathan still had feelings for that madwoman and even suspected that Nathan

    and that madwoman were still living a normal married life. Otherwise, why wouldn''t he sleep with

    her?

    How could he have no sexual needs for over 20 years? Unless he couldn''t get it up.

    Or, he was still living a normal married life with that madwoman.

    Thinking about this, Madeleine was insanely jealous.

    She was much younger than Nathan. When she was still a child, she met Nathan at a party her

    parents took her to.

    Back then, she thought Nathan was tall and handsome.

    As she grew up, she threw herself into Nathan''s arms without hesitation.

    She wanted to marry Nathan, to be his wife. She didn''t mind that Nathan was much older than her,

    and her family didn''t object either. All in all, what she wanted, she had to have.

    She wouldn''t allow Nathan to be an exception.

    "Let''s drop it. Pointing fingers now won''t do us any good. I''ve arranged for someone to take out

    Ethan and his mom on their way back. They''re flying private, and we can stage a ne crash, make

    them unrecognizable."

    "Without them, even if Lucinda eventually returns to the Blue family, she, as a weak woman, won''t

    threaten us. It''ll be much easier to deal with her after she returns to the Blue family than dealing with

    her in Pinehurst."

    "How are you going to stage a ne crash?"

    "I''m gonna crash a private ne into theirs."

    After a moment of silence, Madeleine asked, "Finally willing to use your secret weapon?"

    His secret weapon was a suicide squad.

    "At this point, I have no choice but to use the secret weapon. Sacrificing a suicide squad member to

    kill that mother-son duo is worth it."

    "If you had the guts to use it earlier, the Blue family would''ve been ours by now."

    Mr. Blue: "It''s not that I didn''t have the guts, but I didn''t have the chance. Do you think Ethan is easy

    to deal with? He might be young, but he''s the heir to the Blue family, with loyal people by his side.

    He''s the sessor that Nathan personally groomed."

    Madeleine saw Ethan and his mother as enemies.

    Without killing this mother-son duo, even if she married the Blue family as she wished, once she

    had a child, the Blue family will be under Ethan''s control. What would her child have then?

    Madeleine won''t allow that. She''s now cooperating with Mr. Blue because they shared amon

    enemy.

    Once theirmon enemy was killed, it will be her chance to wipe out the entire Blue family.

    The Blue family must belong to her child.

    "Do you have a picture of Lucinda?"

    "Yes, do you want to meet her?"

    "As a woman, it would be easier for me to approach her."

    Mr. Blue agreed, "Later, I''ll send you her picture."

    "Alright, we''ll leave it at that. Remember to send me Lucinda''s picture."

    After they hung up, Mr. Blue took out an envelope from his desk drawer, which contained Lucinda''s

    current information and a picture.

    He snapped a photo and sent it to Madeleine.

    Upon receiving Lucinda''s photo, Madeleine was surprised to find that Lucinda looked very much like

    Grace Blue. If Grace were a few decades younger, they could''ve been mistaken for twins.

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    Chapter 174

    Pinehurst, Hospital.

    Janice had a pleasant morning with Lucinda, even without clutching her doll and calling it baby like

    she usually did.

    She had a normal conversation with Lucinda without showing any signs of confusion. However,

    whenever she saw Ethan, she would call him sweetheart, and her sanity would disappear.

    The Anderson family''s servant brought lunch which was arranged by Savannah Blue Anderson.

    After lunch, Janice started to yawn frequently. Lucinda gently said, "You obviously need some rest."

    But Janice seemed nervous, "I''m a bit scared."

    "What are you scared of?"

    Janice whispered, "I''m afraid that if I fall asleep, someone will touch me, kiss me, and then,"

    Hearing this, Lucinda and Ethan exchanged a nce. Ethan''s face immediately turned gloomy.

    Lucinda signaled him to stay calm and leave the room so she could ask Janice.

    Ethan left in silence.

    Lucinda sat by the bed, asking with concern, "Is this your dream, or did someone really do

    something awful to you?"

    Janice looked troubled. Given her current mental state, she couldn¡¯t figure it out. "I don''t know. I

    keep falling asleep; it''s like dreaming, but when I wake up, there''s no one in the room."

    "I''m really scared."

    Lucinda gave her a sympathetic hug.

    Now that Janice was confused and Lucinda didn''t know much about the internal situation of the

    Blue family, she didn''t know who took care of Janice. Were those things really happening or just

    Janice''s dreams?

    "Don''t be scared now. I''m here; I''ll stay with you until you wake up."

    Janice smiled, "Really? I haven''t dared to take a nap for a long time."

    Those things happening between wakefulness and sleep always urred during her nap, so she

    was scared of napping.

    "Really, I''ll stay with you."

    "Then, let me sleep a little. Where''s my baby? I want to take a nap with my baby."

    Lucinda quickly handed her the doll. She held the doll and, with Lucinda''s help,id down.

    Janice quickly fell asleep due to extreme fatigue.

    Lucinda covered her with a thin nket and left the room.

    "Lucy."

    As she stepped out of the room, she saw Ike.

    Ike was holding flowers in one hand and a basket of fruits in the other.

    He was talking to Ethan. When they saw Lucindaing out, their brief conversation stopped.

    "Why are you here?"

    Ike scolded her, "You always keep things from us. If it weren''t for Stefan, I wouldn''t have known."

    Lucinda immediately took his arm, cooing at him, "I''m 24 now. I can handle my own stuff. I didn''t

    want to bother you or make Mom and Dad worry. Don''t be mad."

    Ike put down the fruit, pointed at her forehead with a finger, "Yes, you''ve be so capable that

    you don''t have to tell us anything, not even something as big as getting married."

    Lucinda yfully stuck her tongue out.

    Ethan watched the interaction between the siblings with envy.

    He was also Lucy''s brother and a real one at that, but they were separated when they were a few

    months old.

    They had no contact for 23 years. They wouldn''t have recognized each other if he didn''t know that

    she looked like their mother Grace when she was young.

    Even though they both knew they were siblings, they were still awkward. They didn''t know what to

    talk about except their mother.

    Lucinda couldn''t treat him the same way she treated Ike.

    Ethan thought to himself, wait a bit longer. Once the DNA test results came out and Lucy returned

    to the Blue family, they could spend time together every day. One day, Lucy would also be

    affectionate towards him.

    Ike arrived, but neither Nathan nor Lucinda talked about the truth of Janice''s fear of napping.

    After asking about Janice''s condition and knowing she was fine, Ike was relieved. But he still

    apologized to Ethan seriously.

    "It''s not Lucy''s fault. My mom was not in her right mind and didn''t avoid the car. Thankfully, the

    driver stopped in time and prevented a tragedy."

    Ethan was very relieved.

    If his mother had died because of his sister''s car, how could he face his own sister?

    Lucy would also be very upset if she knew the truth.

    Thankfully, God still had mercy on his mother.

    "If you need help, let me know."

    Ike handed Ethan his business card.

    Ethan took his card, thanked him politely, and gave him his business card.

    After a brief conversation, Ike told Lucinda, "Lucy, have you eaten? Let''s go out for a meal."

    "Stefan''s grandmother has already sent lunch."

    Ethan considerately said, "Lucy, go eat with him. I can have the lunch sent by Mr. Coleman''s

    house."

    "Would you like to join us?"

    Ethan declined, "Thank you, but I''m worried about my mom. You two go ahead."

    He said politely.

    Ike had only invited him out of courtesy. Since Ethan declined, he didn''t insist.

    A few minutester.

    Lucinda and Ike had just left the hospital building when they saw Stefan.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Stefan."

    Lucinda ignored Ike and went to greet Stefan first.

    Ike was speechless.

    He muttered, "Married women really do favor their husbands more."

    He stopped and waited for them to finish their affectionate interaction before he approached.

    When he got closer, he lightly tapped Lucinda¡¯s head, "You saw your husband and neglected your

    brother."

    Lucinda touched her head andughed sheepishly, "I only had eyes for Stefan when I saw him. I

    forgot you were next to me."

    "From how you talk, it''s clear you''re head over heels for your hubby. Just how long have you been

    hitched? We''ve been like siblings for over twenty years, you know."

    Ike looked heartbroken, staring at the guy who stole his little sis. He seemed so smug, and it really

    got Ike down.

    That guy even had the nerve to say, "Ike, Lucy''s future is all mine. She''s going to be with me for the

    next few decades."

    Ike red at him.

    "Don''t get too cocky. Lucy has two brothers. Just because I can''t tackle you doesn''t mean her blood

    brother can''t."

    He''d briefly chatted with Ethan and could tell he was totally protective of Lucy.

    They were twins, after all.

    After more than twenty years apart, once Lucy was back with her real family, they''d definitely want

    her to stay home a bit longer.

    Stefan and Lucy''s wedding might not happen that quickly.

    "That just means there''s one more person to look out for Lucy."

    Stefan seemed all sunshine and rainbows. He pulled Lucy back into his arms and wrapped his arm

    around her waist right in front of Ike. He then turned to his wife and said, "Honey, I booked us lunch

    at the Ascend Hotel. Let''s go, I''ll treat you to a meal."

 Chapter 175

    Chapter 175

    Two people were arguing nonstop, and Lucinda kept her trap shut.

    One man was her brother, the other one was her hubby. She couldn''t y favorites, so she decided

    to stay mum.

    "It''s pretty far."

    "Not really. I''ve got a car. I can give you a ride to the hospital this afternoon."

    As Stefan guided his wife, he spoke softly.

    Ike was speechless.

    The couple seemed to havepletely ignored him.

    "Ike."

    Lucinda called out to him.

    Ike caught up with them in long strides, and his old ssmate gave him a nce.

    He puffed out his chest. His sister had invited him to grub!

    Originally, he nned to take Lucinda out for a meal, but that annoying man showed up out of

    nowhere and threw a wrench in his ns.

    As they chowed down, Ike started to regret it.

    He regretted having a meal with them. They were basically mentally torturing single folks.

    He did have a girl he fancied, but he hadn''t won her over yet. Seeing such a lovey-dovey couple

    made him green with envy.

    After the meal, Ike bolted out of there, reminding Lucinda to spill the beans to their parents before

    he left.

    Stefan didn''t rush to take Lucinda to the hospital. Instead, he took her back to his office.

    There was a lounge in his office. As soon as they stepped in, he scooped up Lucinda and headed

    straight for it.

    "Stefan, I can walk."

    Despite her protest, Lucinda clung onto his neck, her eyes flirtatious and breath sweet.

    Her coquettish demeanor made Stefan itch. Once they were in the lounge, he put her on the bed,

    climbed on top of her without a second thought, grabbed her face, and kissed her red lips, enjoying

    the privileges of a husband.

    Lucinda responded passionately.

    Her response made Stefan lose control instantly.

    After their heated session, Stefan took her to the bathroom to clean up.

    Ten minutester.

    They straightened up their clothes and halfid on the bed. Stefan was leaning against the

    headboard while Lucinda was resting on his thighs.

    "Take a nap."

    Stefan looked down at her, his fingers gently caressing her face.

    "It''s almost time for work."

    "You don''t need to work. Take a nap, and I''ll wake you up and take you to the hospital."

    Lucinda sat up, thinking about what Janice had said. Stefan immediately pulled her close, letting her

    lean against his chest. He loved the feeling of her filling up his embrace.

    "Stefan, I think the Blue family situation is so messy."

    "It sure is."

    Stefan held her tightly, "Don''t worry, I''ve got your back. Even if the end of the worldes, I''ll see

    you through it."

    Lucinda was touched, "Stefan, thank you."

    "You''re thanking me again. We''re husband and wife, and there''s no need for formalities. Call me

    darling, and I love it when you call me darling. Make it sound gentle and sweet."

    Lucinda was speechless. She couldn''t get the words out in a gentle and sweet tone.

    "Lucy."

    "What?"

    "Do you n to run the coffee shop forever?"

    Lucinda looked at him, "Are you embarrassed that I run a coffee shop? Or do you think I shouldn''t

    be seen in public? I know in those wealthy families with strict rules, women are often expected to

    stay home and take care of the husband and kids."

    In those families with strict rules, women were indeed expected to stay home and take care of their

    husband and kids. They could attend social gatherings, travel, and spend freely, but they couldn''t

    work outside.

    She remembered reading an entertainment news story about a wealthy woman who secretly

    opened a shop but was found out by her husband and his mother. She had to close the shop and

    go back home to be her husband''s assistant due to her husband''s intervention.

    Later, the woman couldn''t stand the strict rules at her husband''s home. She chose to give up her

    noble status and divorce just to have her freedom.

    "What are you thinking about all day? Is it because writers have a rich imagination?"

    Stefan lightly tapped her forehead,ughing, "We live in Ascend Estate, which is the Anderson

    Manor. If the Anderson family has house rules, then Ascend Estate''s rules are the strictest."

    "Do you feel the strictness of the Anderson family''s rules?"

    Lucinda stayed silent.

    She didn''t feel the strictness of the Anderson family''s rules. The people of the Anderson family were

    very easy to get along with, and they didn''t look down on her for being from the countryside.

    "All the older folks in our family are very progressive. They don''t like to be restricted by house rules,

    so they wouldn''t use them to restrict us. You can do what you want, and nobody will look down on

    you for being in the public eye."

    "I''ve told you, even if the end of the worldes, I''ll see you through it. Even if you want to pluck

    stars from the sky, I can hold thedder for you. I''m asking you this because of your real identity."

    Stefan told Lucinda about his conversation with Ethan.

    Lucinda was silent for a long time. She was shocked.

    So, she was rich!

    She was born a little richdy.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    She was so rich she could spend freely.

    She was so rich that others wanted to harm her to get her wealth.

    It was because she could inherit half of her biological father''s wealth as soon as she was born.

    Ethan didn''t say how much half of the wealth was, but from the fact that others wanted to harm, to

    prevent her from going back to her biological parents, it was obvious that what she inherited was

    unimaginably substantial, most likely exceeding a billion dors.

    Ethan: It''s actually several billions of dors.

    Lucinda: Oh my God!

    "In the future, you''ll need to manage your assets. You havepanies, stocks, shops, real estate,

    and so on. Lucy, here''s a suggestion. You can continue to run your coffee shop, even continue to

    write your novels. But you also need to strive to learn, to be stronger, and manage your

    assets."

    Lucinda felt a headacheing on, saying, "So I''ll have to learn a lot then?"

    She straightened herself up, grabbed Stefan''s cor in a somewhat rough manner, and said,

    "Stefan, you told me that you''d help me through even if the world ends. If I really inherit all that

    wealth in the future, you must help me manage my assets."

    "I only knew how to make coffee, desserts, and write novels, and I have no idea how to run a

    company. You must help me!"

    "If you don''t help me,"

    She leaned in closer, pulling a stern face, and threatened, "From now on, you''ll be sleeping in the

    study!"

    Mr. Coleman, now on the receiving end of the threat, was smiling at his wife, finding her rather

    adorable in the moment.

    Lucinda felt that being 24, the term ''adorable'' should no longer apply to her, and it might give people

    the wrong impression about her age.

    He reached out, gently took her hand, and pulled it downwards.

    "I''ll help you, not by managing your business for you, but by teaching you how to run it. It''s your

    property, and you should be the one managing it. From tomorrow, you''ll work as my assistant at my

    company, and I''ll teach you personally."

    Lucinda suddenlyughed and said, "Dear, you just want to spend more time with me, don''t you?"

    Well, what he said made sense, too.

    She can¡¯t be clueless about everything.

 Chapter 176

    Chapter 176

    Stefanughed, saying, "We''re practically tied at the hip now."

    "You mean we''re together all the time, whether at work or home, we''re inseparable."

    "Exactly my point."

    "You want it this way?"

    Stefan''s smile widened, "Yes, very much. Can you fulfill my wish?"

    Lucinda was quite pleased with herself.

    "I''ll think about it."

    "No rush, take your time. We''ll wait for the paternity test results. If they really are your family, you

    might have return back to Skywatch with them. You''ll probably have to do a few more paternity

    tests. Who knows when you''ll actually inherit your share of the estate."

    He was nning for her.

    If she was clueless about all this, she could easily be exploited or even hurt in a family asplex

    as the Blue family.

    Actually, Stefan didn''t wish for Lucinda to enter theplicated world of business. She liked her life

    simple and quiet. He was capable of protecting her and giving her the life she wanted.

    But her lineage forced him to change the n.

    "Serendipity Cafe is my and Cecilia''s first venture. Although it was in the red at the beginning, it''s

    now making a profit. I can''t bear to let it go."

    Lucinda had poured a lot of heart into Serendipity Cafe.

    She wrote novels to earn money so she could keep Serendipity Cafe running.

    "But you''re right. Even if I don''t like it, if I really am the Blue family''s daughter, I have my

    responsibilities and my life to face. Running away isn''t the answer, and I can''t always depend on

    you. Since I was a kid, my mom taught me to stand on my own two feet."

    "After Janice gets discharged, we''ll see if she and her son will go home or stay in Pinehurst. If they

    go back to Skywatch, I''ll work at yourpany. I won''t be your assistant, and I''ll start from the

    bottom."

    "I know my worth. If you gave me a high position, I''d fail. I need to take it step by step, gain

    experience, andy a solid foundation."

    Stefan gently lifted her chin and lightly bit her lip, correcting her, "What do you mean mypany?

    What''s mine is yours, remember? From the moment we got married, what''s mine is yours, and

    what''s yours is still yours."

    "You''re starting from the bottom? At first, you might be doing grunt work like printing and copying

    documents. Anyone can assign you tasks. But at Ascend Global, I don''t think anyone would dare

    mess with you, and our rtionship is public. You''re my wife."

    Lucinda looked troubled, "True, they all know about us. I might not learn much."

    She thought for a moment and then said, "No worries, I''ll put on some makeup and blend in. People

    might think I''m just a namesake of your wife."

    Stefan quietly looked at her, then asked, "How''s your makeup skill?"

    "Average. I don''t actually like makeup, and I usually go bare-faced."

    "In that case, forget about it. I don''t expect you to change your face with your makeup skills. I''ll hire

    a professional makeup artist for you. She can do your makeup every morning. Her skills are top-

    notch. She can transform you into someone your parents won''t recognize if that''s what you want."

    Lucinda was thrilled, "Really? I''ve heard about some amazing makeup artists, and people look

    completely different after their makeup."

    "I don''t need something too dramatic, just make me look average."

    "I''ll call herter."

    "Okay."

    Lucinda was very rxed, she admired him greatly, "Stefan, you''re amazing, you know everyone.

    I''m so d I decided to rent you as my husband. I feel like I''ve struck gold."

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Stefan happily tapped her nose, "Since you''ve found gold, you should cherish it. Call me darling,

    and it shows my ownership."

    Lucinda called him darling more than a dozen times.

    Stefan, "You''re just repeating like a broken record, no feelings."

    But it''s better than calling him Stefan.

    After their conversation, Lucinda returned to the hospital to keep Janicepany. She also wanted

    to ask Ethan if Janice''s fear of napping had anything to do with her father, whom she had never

    met.

    After dropping Lucinda off at the hospital, Stefan went back to work.

    Of course, he didn''t forget to call the makeup artist he mentioned.

    Stefan personally invited her, and she agreed even though she was busy. Once Lucinda started at

    Ascend Global, she would do Lucinda''s makeup every morning before work, free of charge. The

    only condition was she needed to move into Ascend Estate and live with Stefan''s younger brother,

    Liam Anderson.

    For Lucinda''s sake, Stefan decided to talk to Liam that night.

    At the hospital, Janice was still unconscious.

    Lucinda and Ethan were chatting in the lounge.

    "Who takes care of Janice at home?"

    "Shirley."

    "Can she be trusted?"

    "She can. Ever since my mom lost her mind, Shirley was the only one in that house who treated my

    mom with respect. The others, they didn''t give a damn about my mom."

    "After a while, if I weren''t home, Ka Blue and Ashley Blue would let people bully my mom. Their

    favourite thing was throwing my mom''s dolls outside and making her pick them up. When she went

    to pick them up, they''d ssh water on her or throw eggs at her. They were only satisfied when my

    mom was humiliated."

    Mentioning this, Ethan''s eyes turned cold, murderous even.

    If killing was legal, those people would''ve died by now.

    Ethan once lost his cool andid his hands on them. He was the younger generation, and they were

    the elders. When they tattled to his dad, he got a serious ass-whooping.

    That time, his father beat him ck and blue. If it wasn''t for his grandpa stepping in, he even

    suspected his dad was aiming for a t-out execution.

    However, when no one was around, his father uttered disappointedly to him: "If you hurt or even kill

    them, you''d be avenging your mom. But have you thought about this? Your actions not only show

    disrespect to your elders but also break thew!"

    "If they use you of intentional harm and the charge sticks, you''ll be cooling your heels in jail. If

    you''re not careful and identally off them, you''ll face hard times. Once you''re locked up, what''s

    going to happen to your mom?"

    "If you want to protect your mom, you got to grow through the hard times, be the strongest you

    can be. Only when you''re strong enough can you protect those you care about!"

    Ever since then, no matter how angry or hateful he felt, he neverid a finger on Ka and Ashley

    again.

 Chapter 177

    Chapter 177

    However, if they picked on his mom, he''d get back at them by making their kids'' lives in the

    company hell. He''d set them up and watch them fall into the trap, and finally, they''d have no choice

    but toe begging him for help.

    Because of how often this happened, they stopped openly messing with his mom. But they just

    couldn''t help themselves and loved to stir the pot, trying to turn Grace against their mom.

    Lucinda was furious when she heard all this.

    "Are they even human? How could they treat Janice like this? They''re supposed to be family!"

    Ethan responded coldly: "They''re just green-eyed monsters because my mom is the wife of the Blue

    family heir. Even though my mom has lost her mind, she''s still the wife of the Blue family heir. In

    Skywatch, the wife of the Blue family heir is highly respected, no matter where she goes."

    But his mom was a ssy woman who didn''t abuse her power.

    "There''s a chance their marriage isn''t as rosy as people think. My dad¡¯s brothers all have a bunch of

    side chicks, and my dad, well, he only has Madeleine."

    Lucinda''s face changed, "He cheated?"

    Ethan was silent momentarily before saying, "My mom has been out of her mind for years. He''s the

    Blue family heir and has to attend many social events. He said he needed apanion, and

    Madeleine happened to be pursuing him, so he epted."

    "epting another woman while still married, he''s a real piece of work! Is Janice scared of nap time

    because someone''s been taking advantage of her? Doesn''t she have security cameras at home?

    Hasn''t anyone noticed this?"

    "There are security cameras, but they''re always ''breaking''."

    Ethan gave a bitter smile, his anger rising.

    He knew exactly who was messing with the cameras.

    And he didn''t even bother defending his dad when Lucinda criticized him. In his eyes, his dad''s

    actions were more and more disappointing.

    Ever since he could remember, his dad had been really hard on him. He also resented his dad for

    not protecting his mom. The father-son rtionship was going downhill, especially after Madeleine

    came into the picture.

    He thought that Nathan''s wife would probably be Madeleine by now if his mom didn''t have him, if he

    weren''t the next Blue family heir.

    That woman was hell-bent on getting that status.

    "I suspect it might be my dad."

    Ethan didn''t continue.

    Lucinda got it.

    Ethan was filled with doubts, suddenly realizing that there were many things between his parents

    that he couldn''t understand.

    "Lucy, I have a hunch that you''re my real sister. You look like our grandma when she was young.

    The one-time mom was lucid, she mentioned that you look a lot like our grandma. That''s why she

    loved you so much when you were little."

    Maybe Lucinda''s disappearance wasn''t just the Av family''s revenge against their parents. It could

    also be those people at home who were jealous of Lucinda being the favorite in Grace''s eyes.

    Jealousy could drive a person mad, lose their mind, and do all sorts of things to hurt others.

    This was especially true for the people in the Blue family.

    "Can you call me ''brother''?"

    Ethan suddenly changed the subject, asking Lucinda hesitantly.

    "Ever since I can remember, I knew I had a twin sister, but she disappeared. I don''t know what she

    looks like grown up. All the photos my mom kept were of us when we were a few months old."

    "Even though we didn''t grow up together, I never forgot about you, Lucy. I''ve been searching for you

    for many years, even in my dreams. I hoped to find you, to hear you call me ''brother''."

    When he was little, he was really jealous when he saw his cousin calling his brother ''brother''. He

    wanted to hear his sister call him ''brother'' with her sweet voice, too.

    Unfortunately, his sister was taken away by the bad guys.

    His cousin would also call him ''brother,'' but he didn''t like it when they did.

    He had his own sister!

    Lucinda knew in her heart that Janice and her son were her biological mother and brother.

    It''s not that she didn''t want to acknowledge their rtionship, but they hadn''t said anything, and the

    DNA test results hadn''te out yet. Maybe they looked alike but weren''t rted?

    So, she had been holding back, not admitting to their rtionship.

    Now, Ethan was asking her to call him ''brother,'' and she didn''t hesitate.

    Ethan stood up, walked over, pulled her up, and hugged her tightly. His voice was low but excited,

    "Call me ''brother'' again."

    "Brother."

    "Lucy, I finally found you. You have no idea how hard it was for me to find you. I''ve been deceived

    so many times. I was always filled with hope but then left disappointed."

    "Brother."

    Lucinda also hugged her brother tightly.

    Even though they hadn''t been together for long, they were twins. A hug was all it took to dissolve

    the awkwardness between them.

    She could feel his excitement and his deep love for her.

    All these years, she lived a happy life in the Moore family, loved by her adoptive parents. Whether it

    was her adoptive parents, grandparents, or Ike, they all adored her.

    But her brother had to grow up in such a toxic environment. Even though he had a privileged life, it

    was exhausting and tough. On top of that, he had to deal with attacks and schemes from all sides. It

    was not easy.

    Lucinda felt sorry for her biological mom and brother.

    If the test results showed they weren''t rted, she would, without a doubt, be Janice''s

    adopted daughter and call Ethan her brother.

    Ethan was very pitiful.

    "Seeing you and Ike together, I can''t help but feel jealous."

    Finally, Ethan let go of her.

    When Ike was mentioned, Lucinda''s expression changed. She said, "Ike loves me very much. My

    parents and grandparents also love me a lot, and even my rtives treat me very well. I''ve been

    very happy in the Moore family."

    Truth be told, she had no idea she wasn''t a real Moore.

    Not until recently, when the cat was let out of the bag.

    "I can tell he really gives a damn about you. Lucy, after our mom gets out of the hospital, let''s go

    meet your folks. I want to thank them personally. They raised you as their own, and you turned out

    amazing. That''s all on them."

    Ethan was full of gratitude for the Moores.

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    Without them, his sister might not be alive.

    "Sure thing."

    They sat back down.

    Through Ethan''s storytelling, Lucinda got the lowdown on the Blue family.

    She knew the Blues were aplicated bunch, but she didn''t expect it to be this much of a mess. It

    made her want to throw in the towel and not recognize her family.

    For a gal like her, surviving in the Blue environment could be tough.

    So Stefan specifically told her to learn the ropes of business to prepare for taking over the family¡¯s

    wealth.

    "Do you have any idea how much that guy divvied up for us?"

    "If we''re talking half, roughly sixty to seventy billion dors," his dad was a billionaire.

    Lucinda: "He''s got that much personal wealth?"

    No wonder those guys tried to stop her from going back, even wanted her dead.

    Money, it''s what made people tick.

 Chapter 178

    Chapter 178

    "Even without considering the Blue family''s fortune, he''s still a billionaire in his own right. He''s a big

    shot in the business world, no doubt about it. Since our mom lost her marbles, he''s been all about

    making money. In just over twenty years, his wealth has grown multiple times. But,"

    When it came to his love life, he''s not exactly known for his loyalty andmitment.

    If he wasn''t his father, Ethan might think he''s just a regr Joe. But he is his father, so Ethan

    thought he''s pretty messed up.

    Lucinda said if he''s tired of his wife, then he should just get a divorce and then remarry.

    But his dad didn''t divorce, yet he''s super tight with Madeleine. Now, everyone in Skywatch saw

    Madeleine as Nathan''s second wife.

    Whenever Nathan needed a plus one for social events, Madeleine was always his go-to.

    They''re always together, like a married couple. They just didn''t bother with the paperwork.

    "What''s his name?"

    Lucinda asked softly.

    As lousy as he was, he''s still her biological father. She can''t just not know his name.

    "Nathan."

    Lucinda was surprised, "Your names are so alike?"

    No wonder Janice always mixed up her son and husband.

    "Yes."

    Ethan said gloomily, "Actually, my name on the documents isn''t this. My original name is Keith Blue.

    When I was a kid, mom often forgot my name. After she lost her mind, she only remembered you

    and dad''s names. It hurt, so I insisted on changing my name."

    "I wanted Mom to remember me, but I couldn''t use your name, so I insisted on having the same

    name as Dad. Dad had no choice but to verbally change my name to Ethan, very simr to his. But

    it''s never been changed on my documents."

    "Dad said our names were given by Mom. We can''t just change them."

    "I was about four or five at the time. From then on, I changed my name to Ethan, simr to dad''s,

    and I''d tell mom every day that her son''s name is Ethan, her daughter''s name is Lucinda. Mom got

    confused by this constant input, and she thought her son really was called Ethan."

    Keith gave a bitter smile, "I got Mom to remember my name, but she only remembers my name, not

    me. Whenever she sees me, she just calls me dear, thinking I''m my dad."

    Lucinda felt for him.

    She grew up surrounded by love, while he grew up in adversity.

    Even though his parents were around, his father was too busy with business, thinking making

    money was more important than taking care of his son. His mother was not in her right mind and

    couldn''t even take care of herself, let alone her son.

    He didn''t get to experience the warmth of a normal family. In order for his mother to remember him,

    he insisted on changing his name to something simr to his father''s, hoping that would help his

    mother remember him. But the result was that his mother remembered his name but not him.

    "Our mom will get better, and I believe she will!"Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    Lucindaforted him.

    Keith looked at her and said, "Mom has been ming herself and tormenting herself over your

    disappearance and the me from the Blue family, which led to her mental instability. Now that

    we''ve found you, as long as you return to her side and stay with her slowly, I believe she will

    recover."

    Even if she can''t fully recover, having Lucinda by her side will greatly improve her condition.

    Stefan would be furious at Keith''s cunning tactics if he were there.

    He actually used Lucinda''s biological mother to persuade Lucinda to return to the Blue family,

    attempting to separate Stefan and Lucinda.

    Keith just found Lucinda, He didn''t want to let Lucinda marry so quickly, but Lucinda and Stefan

    were already legally married; he couldn''t ask them to get a divorce. He could only persuade Lucinda

    to go live with them for a few years before having the wedding with Stefan.

    He found out that this young couple didn''t go through the dating phase. They just got married, even

    if they''ve known each other for eleven years, so what?

    Stefan had his eyes on Lucy for a long time, but he never confessed or pursued her, only drove

    away her suitors. The only one who ever dated her, George Mitchell, gave up on Lucy because of

    Stefan''s interference.

    Stefan was too cunning.

    Lucinda grew up carefree in the Moore family; she''s naive and Stefan had her all figured out.

    Keith wanted to bring Lucinda back to Skywatch and had her stay for a few years; on one hand, it''s

    a family reunion. On the other hand, he wanted Stefan to experience the hardship of pursuing a girl.

    If he''s not happy, they can forget about the wedding. The third point was to let everyone in

    Pinehurst know the Blue family''s daughter was more than qualified to be part of the Anderson

    family.

    Once Lucinda''s identity was confirmed, she can inherit a roughly estimated portion of her father''s

    private property, even if it''s just half, it''s still sixty to seventy billion dors.

    The Anderson family was also a wealthy family with billions of dors in assets, but that''s the entire

    Anderson family''s wealth. Stefan''s personal property was probably just a few billion dors. Keith

    had yet to investigate his private property, and it wouldn''t be right to do so; after all, Stefan is the

    heir to the Anderson family.

    If the Anderson family''s heir was that easy to investigate, what status would Stefan have?

    Lucinda instinctively replied, "As long as it can help Mom recover, of course, I''m willing to stay with

    Mom."

    Keith looked at Lucinda, "Lucy, thank God for looking out for us."

    Lucinda reckoned this was a mercy from the Big Guy Upstairs, letting her have that dream, which

    led her to bump into her biological mom and actually recognize her.

    They dodged the bullet of a tragic scenario where a mom and daughter meet but don''t know each

    other.

    After gabbing about their folks, they started to whine about family assets. Through Keith¡¯s intro,

    Lucinda got the 411 on this cousin named Pete, who was Ashley¡¯s golden boy.

    Pete was a real go-getter. He was already the Vice President when he stepped into Blue

    Corporation. If it weren¡¯t for Keith going all macho and decking Ka and Ashley to defend his

    mom, drawing Dad''s wrath, Pete would still be the VP of Blue Corporation.

    Even though Nathan gave his son a whooping, he also got sweet revenge on Ka and Ashley.

    The first thing he did was demote Pete from his VP position and made him Keith''s sidekick. For all

    these years, Pete had been under Keith¡¯s thumb.

    In Ashley''s bitter words, Pete was busting his hump but not getting his due.

    Outside thepany, everyone still thought Pete was the VP of Blue Corporation. His business

    card even still had "Blue Corporation VP" on it. But the truth was, inside thepany, he was just

    Keith¡¯sckey.

    This situation had Pete and Ashley seething, but Pete was biting the bullet, still busting his ass,

    making sure Keith couldn¡¯t pick at anything.

    Keith thought this kind of guy was the scariest.

    He had mad patience and adaptability.

    His father also warned him that if he couldn''t suppress Pete or make Pete give up on Blue

    Corporation, then Pete would be a ticking time bomb, exploding at his side one day, hurting

    him.

 Chapter 179

    Chapter 179

    The truth was, Ka and Ashley had their own dough as well; it''s just that when theypare it to

    Nathan''s riches; it''s like pitting an ant against an elephant.

    Instead of focusing on growing their own businesses, they''re hell-bent on figuring out how to cut into

    Nathan''s wealth. If they can pull it off, a few billion dors could fall into their pockets easily, which

    was less of a hassle than making money the old-fashioned way.

    "Baby, Lucy, Lucy." Janice woke up.

    As soon as she opened her eyes, she looked for her baby, her doll was right next to her, then she

    started searching for Lucinda.

    For Janice, she felt that Lucinda''s name was the same as her daughter''s, so she had a soft spot for

    Lucinda, feeling drawn to her. In her eyes, she and Lucinda were the same age, but she couldn''t

    help but want to treat Lucinda like her own daughter.

    Waking up without Lucinda in sight, she was scared.

    It was the kind of fear she got when she thought someone''s about to snatch away her daughter.

    The siblings stopped chatting. Lucinda got up and walked into the room. As she walked, she gently

    said, "Janice, I''m right here."

    Reuniting with her biological brother was something to be done in private. It wasn''t time for her to

    officially rejoin the family yet.

    In Lucinda''s view, the Blue family situation was a hot mess, filled with power struggles. There were

    many things that needed to be handled with care to avoid getting hurt if discovered.

    "Lucy." Seeing Lucinda walk in, Janice''s anxiety eased; she lovingly gazed at Lucinda, then reached

    out to hold Lucinda''s hand.

    "I thought you''d left."

    "While you were sleeping, I was outside chatting with Ethan."

    Janiceughed, looking at the just-entered Keith; she said, "He''s not much of a talker unless you''re

    talking business or making money with him; otherwise, he can be quite a bore."

    "Lucy, will you be with me these next few days?"

    Lucinda nodded, "Yes, it''s my fault you''re hurt, and in the hospital, I''ll take care of you until you''re

    discharged."

    Anyway, her shop was being renovated and couldn''t operate.

    Her novel updates had decreased as well.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Not because her new identity made her cut back on updates but because too much had happened

    in a short time, she needed help concentrating on writing like before.

    Thinking about her background and the Blue family''splicated situation, Lucinda felt that after

    finishing her current novel, she might not write another one; she didn''t have the time or the peace of

    mind to create anymore.

    There was too much she had to do in the future.

    "My hand hurts, Lucy. Blow on it for me."

    Whenever she mentioned her injury, Janice acted like a child, holding her hand out in front of

    Lucinda for her to blow on.

    Lucinda indulged her, and sheughed happily as if Lucinda''s blowing really did take her pain away.

    Lucinda wanted to cry again, but she held it in, not breaking down in front of her mom.

    She wasn''t a mother yet, she couldn''t understand the pain of a mother losing her child, but seeing

    her mom like this, she was heartbroken and wanted to hug her and cry her heart out.

    With Lucinda''spany, Janice was happy every day, and her hand healed quickly.

    On the day Ruby''s detention ended, Janice''s injury had recovered, and she was discharged from

    the hospital.

    At the same time, the DNA test results for the mother and daughter came out.

    In the CEO''s office of Ascend Global, three men were seated: Stefan and Lucinda''s two brothers.

    Stefan passed the test results he''d received first to Keith.

    From Lucinda''s words, he learned why Keith''s name was simr to his father''s. To distinguish, they

    both called him by his original name.

    When Keith reached out to take the paper, his hand was shaking, and he was both scared and

    hopeful.

    After a few days of living together, Janice became dependent on Lucinda.

    If Lucinda wasn''t his sister.

    "Don''t be nervous."

    Stefanforted him gently.

    "The result is positive."

    He said calmly.

    Keith''s tense face slowly rxed. He looked down at the test result, and it showed that his mom

    was Lucinda''s mother. They were mother and daughter!

    Lucinda was indeed his biological sister.

    With this test result, he could now publicly acknowledge their sibling rtionship!

    "Indeed, Lucinda is my sister, the sister I''ve been looking for for years."

    Even though he already knew, now he had proof. Keith was excited, his eyes turning red.

    Lucy''s disappearance had caused so much pain to their family, and it was the reason their family of

    four was broken. Keith had suffered a lot over the years, and now, finding his sister, he was both

    excited and sorrowful.

    Ike was thest one to see the results.

    He was mentally prepared, so his reaction wasn''t as strong as Keith''s.

    Seeing Keith''s reddened eyes, he patted Keith''s shoulder, saying, "It''s a good thing that you and

    Lucy found each other in this big wide world, recognized each other. You should be happy. Keith,

    you''re handsome. You must look charming when you smile."

    Keith: "I''m a guy. Charming isn''t the right word to describe me, right?"

    "This is something to be happy about, we should celebrate. Stefan and Ike, I invite you to dine at

    the Ascend Hotel. Quickly notify Lucy to bring my mom over, and Lucinda''s best friend Cecilia too,

    to join us."

    Over the past few days, Keith also got to know Lucinda''s social circle in Pinehurst.

    He knew Cecilia was Lucinda''s best friend, and anyone Lucinda cared about was someone he

    cared about too.

    "I''ll call Lucinda now."

    At this moment, Lucinda was at the Serendipity Cafe, which was reopening today.

    Cecilia and the staff were swamped, so Lucinda brought her mom to work.

    As long as Lucinda was in sight, Janice was as good as gold, ain''t running around or making a

    racket. She''d just be sitting quietly at the cash register, clutching a doll and even helpinh out with

    the money.

    She can''t even remember her own son, but she''s ace at handling the cash, never making a mistake.

    The Blue family''s bodyguard was also in the shop, silently protecting the mother and daughter and

    asionally helping out with the customers.

    Serendipity Cafe reopened, and business was booming more than ever.

    Lots of folks were there for Lucinda.

    Who didn''t know that Mr. Coleman was head over heels for his wife?

    They supported Mr. Coleman''s wife''s business and shew their face to Mr. Coleman, hoping to curry

    favor with him. After all, Mr. Coleman picked up his wife from the Serendipity Cafe every day.

    Lots of bosses were keen to meet Stefan. They''ve booked ahead until next year and were still not

    sure if they can see him.

    But at the Serendipity Cafe, bumping into Mr. Coleman was a piece of cake.

    "Come back soon."

    Janice stood up and waved off a customer with a smile after taking their money.

    Cecilia whispered to Lucinda: "She doesn''t seem any different from the rest of us."

    With Lucinda by her side, Janice was not that wild-haired crazydy anymore. Her hair was neatly

    tied up, her clothes were tidy, and she''s got a great vibe. When she''s not acting crazy, just standing

    there was enough to make an impression.

 Chapter 180

    Chapter 180

    Just as Lucinda was about to speak, her phone rang.

    "Don''t bother checking. It''s definitely Mr. Coleman calling," Cecilia teased. "You two are so tight

    now. It''s truly enviable. Even the most cynical folks would start believing in love after witnessing you

    two."

    Lucinda shot back, "So, do you believe in love now? You''re married too, right?"

    Cecilia retorted, "How can my husband evenpare to yours?"

    After a moment, she added, "We haven''t seen each other in days."

    Not that it mattered; she didn''t care.

    They were husband and wife in name only, nothing more.

    Owen hadn''t contacted her for days. Did he expect her to chase after him?

    He must be dreaming.

    If she went looking for him, he''d probably just remind her in his narcissistic and arrogant tone: "Don''t

    fall for me!"

    Enough already!

    She would never fall for him.

    "Ruby''s getting out of detention today, and he''s probably going to pick her up."

    Cecilia reminded Lucinda to stay vignt about Ruby.

    Ruby would definitely not give up on Stefan.

    "I''m not afraid of her."

    Lucinda answered her husband''s call.

    Cecilia watched as Lucinda reacted excitedly, then quickly regained herposure.

    After the call ended, Lucinda told Cecilia, "The DNA test results are in. My brother wants to

    celebrate our reunion with a meal at Ascend Hotel."

    "I''ming too?"

    "Of course, you''re my best friend unless you''re not happy for me."

    "How could I not be? I''m thrilled for you."

    Lucindaughed, "Then let''s go together."

    "Alright."

    Cecilia didn''t refuse again.

    A dozen luxury cars were parked outside the detention center.

    Owen stood at the entrance, clutching a bouquet of flowers, eagerly waiting for Ruby to emerge.

    Among those who came to pick up Ruby were her loyal knight Owen, her mother Megan, and Olina.

    Olina initially wanted to bring her husband along but was rejected by Shane Martinez.

    Shane felt that Ruby, having been detained for breaking thew, should keep a low profile. There

    was no need for such a big entourage.

    He evenined about Owen, questioning why he was still involved with Ruby after marrying

    Cecilia.

    As a result, he got a scolding from Olina.

    Owen kept looking at his watch.

    "The door''s opening."

    Olina announced.

    Owen rushed forward with the flowers.

    However, the one who came out was not Ruby but a stranger.

    Surprised by the crowd at the gate, the stranger thought he had made a mistake and quickly turned

    around, only to remember that he was just released and free to go. He hadn''t made a mistake.

    When he realized this, the stranger turned around again. While walking, he looked at Owen and

    thought that someone waiting with flowers at a detention center was a sight he''d never seen before,

    almost like a marriage proposal.

    Owen shot him a few dirty looks.

    The man was speechless. Just for looking?

    If he weren''t fresh out of detention, he would''ve given Owen a piece of his mind!

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Owen thought to himself, "You dare to hit me? Try getting past my bodyguards first."

    From childhood to adulthood, the only person who dared and couldnd a punch on him was

    Stefan.

    The man hurriedly left.

    Owen waited for another half an hour before Ruby finally came out.

    "Ruby."

    "Ruby."

    This time, Owen ensure it was her before approaching to avoid further embarrassment.

    Megan and Olina also walked over.

    "Owen, Olina."

    Ruby wasn''t surprised to see Owen and Olina.

    While in detention, she had a lot of time to think. She realized she needed to hold on to Owen''s

    heart more tightly. She had to rely on Owen''s influence.

    She decided to treat Owen better after getting out, giving him sweet moments asionally, making

    him love her more, and giving more for her.

    She would reim her ce in Pinehurst''s high society.

    She would not let Stefan and Lucinda livefortably.

    Could the daughter of the Scott family lose to a regr girl?

    Without Stefan''s help, what would Lucinda be?

    Without Stefan, Ruby believed she could easily make Lucinda lose everything with a flick of her

    finger.

    Lucinda was just a country girl!

    Just because she had a bit of luck, she thought she could be part of the high society. Even if a

    sparrow flies onto a branch, it''s still a sparrow and can never be a phoenix.

    So, seeing Owen, Ruby put on a pitiful face and immediately threw herself into his arms.

    Owen held up the bouquet to avoid crushing and quickly wrapped his other arm around her waist,

    comforting her, "It''s okay, you''re out now."

    "Owen, I know I was wrong. I''m sorry I almost got you involved. It''s all my fault."

    "It''s not your fault, it''s Stefan being cold-hearted. He''s gone too far. You grew up together, and he,"

    Megan, who was not seen by Ruby, coughed to stop Owen from continuing.

    Owen''s words would only make her daughter even more resentful towards Stefan.

    She knew her daughter best.

    Megan knew Ruby''s feelings for Stefan. She wouldn''t change her attitude just because she was

    detained, and she wouldn''t tolerate Stefan and Lucinda. She would definitely find a way to deal with

    Lucinda.

    As for Stefan, even though Ruby held a grudge against him, she wouldn''t really do anything to him

    because she still wanted to marry him.

    "Mom? Mom!"

    Seeing her mother, Ruby was extremely surprised.

    She immediately left Owen''s embrace and threw herself into Megan''s arms.

    "Mom, when did youe back?"

    Megan wrapped an arm around Ruby, reprimanding her, "How could I note back? Look at the

    mess you''ve made in just a few days since I left."

    Ruby felt wronged and wanted to speak up, but considering Owen and his mom were there, she

    held back.

    Some things were better discussed in private, between mother and daughter.

    "It was a spur-of-the-moment thing," Ruby muttered.

    "A spur of the moment? Ruby, you''re twenty-eight, not eighteen. You''re past the age of acting

    impulsively. I don''t even know what to say to you. There are plenty of good men out there. Do you

    really have to ruin yourself over Stefan?"

    Ruby hung her head, looking like she knew she messed up.

    Owen couldn''t bear to see Ruby being scolded by her mom and quickly stepped in, "Megan, it''s

    really hot here. Let''s get out of here."

    With that, he handed the bunch of flowers to Ruby.

 Chapter 181

    Chapter 181

    "Ruby, congrats on getting your freedom back, and hope you won''t have to visit this ce again."

    Ruby took the bouquet and said seriously, "I never want to go back in there."

    From now on, she''d be more careful.

    If there were something she wasn''t good at, she''d hire someone to do it and steer clear of trouble

    as much as she could.

    "Let''s get out of this godforsaken ce."

    Megan took Ruby''s hand.

    Ruby gave a nod.

    Under the protection of three people, she walked towards a line of luxury cars.

    If it weren''t for the obvious detention center sign behind her, she''d have thought she was returning

    from some great aplishment.

    Ruby and Owen shared a car.

    Megan and Olina, the two mothers, specifically let the two young people have some alone time.

    After getting in the car, Ruby leaned into Owen''s arms.

    Owen was surprised.

    He had loved her for so many years, but she rarely took the initiative to snuggle into his arms.

    Although they had held hands and embraced many times, he always took the initiative, and she just

    didn''t refuse. Her taking the initiative now really surprised Owen.

    He held her tightly, feeling his years of waiting finally paid off.

    But then, the face of Cecilia popped up in his mind.

    What would that girl do if she saw him holding Ruby?

    Definitely not jealousy.

    Owen knew himself.

    He didn''t love Cecilia, and Cecilia didn''t love him.

    If he weren''t pressured too much by Trenton, he would never have forced Cecilia to marry him.

    Pushing aside the image of Cecilia, Owen lowered his head and gently kissed Ruby''s hair.

    "Don''t kiss."

    Ruby lifted her head in his arms, her voice soft, with a hint of grievance: "I haven''t washed my hair

    for days. It stinks. Don''t kiss."

    "I don''t mind."

    Owen''s handnded on her face, gently stroking.

    Ruby resisted the urge to shake his hand away.

    "Ruby, you''ve been wronged."

    Ruby lowered her eyes and didn''t speak. Owen felt a pang of heartache.

    He knew what upset her the most was Stefan forcefully sending her to the detention center.

    In reality, this matter could have been settled privately. After all, it was an emotional dispute, and

    both families knew each other.

    As long as she apologized to Lucinda and Cecilia andpensated them for their losses, there was

    no need for Stefan to send her to the detention center. But he did it anyway to protect Lucinda, and

    even Owen couldn''t protect her.

    Ruby understood that in Pinehurst, Stefan had more influence than Owen, and Owen had always

    been suppressed by Stefan.

    Stefan was indeed the man she loved. She wanted to marry him and be the most prestigious

    woman in Pinehurst!

    Lucinda! Just wait and see! She would never give up on Stefan easily.

    "Where are we going now?"

    Ruby looked out the car window and realized they weren''t heading home.

    "We''re going to my family''s hotel first. I brought you some clothes to change into. You can take a

    shower at the hotel, change your clothes, and then we''ll go for dinner."

    "At your family''s hotel?"

    Owen looked at Ruby silently for a moment, his tone slightly jealous, and asked her: "Where do you

    want to go for dinner? Ascend Hotel or the Anderson Hotel?"

    Ruby nced at him, leaned into his chest and avoided eye contact.

    She said softly, "He put me in jail, and now I''m out. I want to show up at his ce, let Lucinda know

    I won''t be defeated easily. Our battle has just begun."

    Owen knew these were all excuses.

    She wanted to see Stefan.

    She had been detained for so many days, and now that she was out, he was waiting for her outside,

    but it was all in vain.

    The person she really wanted to see was still Stefan.

    If Stefan had been waiting for her outside the detention center, she would have been overjoyed,

    totally different.

    "Do you think Ruby will give up? No, she will still lean on you, use your influence to continue fighting

    with Lucinda for Stefan."

    Cecilia''s sarcastic words echoed in his mind at this inappropriate time.

    Owen''s face darkened.

    Did it mean that no matter how much he did, how much he gave, it was not as good as a nce

    from Stefan?

    "Owen, I have no other intentions. If you feel ufortable, we can just eat at your family''s hotel."

    Ruby seemed to bepromising, but in fact, she was trying to force him to agree.

    She knew Owen spoiled her.

    As long as it was a ce she wanted to go, even if it was Stefan''s ce, Owen would satisfy her.Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    Sure enough, Owen said indifferently, "Then let''s go to Ascend Hotel."

    "Owen, you don''t have topromise."

    "Ruby."

    Owen lifted Ruby''s chin, his eyes deeply fixated on her beautiful face. He leaned in close and

    whispered in her ear: "I told you, for you, I''m willing to do anything."

    "Owen."

    Ruby was moved by him.

    Owen slightly adjusted his position. Before Ruby could speak, he kissed her lips.

    This time, Ruby didn''t resist. She closed her eyes, tilted her chin slightly, willingly epting Owen''s

    kiss.

    She thought Owen would kiss her several times and couldn''t bear to let her go.

    Who knew. Owen just lightly touched her lips, and for some reason, he suddenly let her go, even

    gently pushed her away. He turned to look out of the car window, lost in thought.

    Ruby was surprised and confused.

    How obsessed Owen was with her, she knew.

    When she first returned to the country, she asked Owen for help, and Owen even demanded a kiss

    as payment.

    From this, she knew that Owen was eager to take their rtionship to the next level, eager to kiss

    her.

    At this moment, she was willing, but he just gave her a light kiss.

    Did something happen while she was in detention?

    Or was he holding it against her that she wanted to go to Ascend Hotel for dinner as soon as she

    got out of detention?

    Ruby thought a lot, but she didn''t say a word.

    She quietly, voluntarily, leaned her head on Owen''s shoulder, and together, they looked at the street

    scenery outside the car window.

    They first went to Pinehurst Hotel. Ruby took a shower there and changed into clothes Owen had

    brought. She instantly felt refreshed.

    She sat in front of the vanity, studying her face closely in the mirror.

    In the detention center, she couldn''t keep up with her daily skincare routine and felt her skin was a

    bit dry.

    Owen came over with a hairdryer, "Ruby, let me dry your hair for you."

    Ruby turned around, smiling at him, "Thanks."

    Owen grinned with affection, "No need to be polite with me. I''m just thrilled you''re letting me dry

    your hair."

    Her hair was really beautiful.

    He had wanted to touch it before, but she wouldn''t let him.

    She said Stefan liked girls with long hair, so she kept hers long for him.

    She only let Stefan touch her long hair. But Stefan didn''t give a damn about her.

    Every time Owen thought of Stefan, he was filled with jealousy. Some people were clearly favored,

    yet they rejected this affection.

 Chapter 182

    Chapter 182

    Ascend Hotel.

    During mealtime, Lucinda naturally took a seat next to her mother.

    Then Keith and Ike swooped in and sat on either side of them, sessfully isting Stefan from

    Lucinda.

    Stefan paused for a moment, then took a seat across from Lucinda.

    It didn''t take Lucinda''s two brothers long to team up.

    Cecilia didn''t think much of it. She just pulled out a chair and sat.

    Since Keith and his mom were present, Stefan didn''t order in advance, and he passed the task of

    ordering to Lucinda''s brothers.

    Keith grabbed the menu without hesitation. His gaze passed over his mother andnded on

    Lucinda. His usually cold face now wore a gentle expression. "Lucy, what do you fancy?"

    Before Lucinda could answer, Stefan had already listed a few of her favorite dishes.

    Lucinda''s brothers both turned to look at Stefan.

    Ike picked up the ss of water in front of him, taking leisurely sips while shooting Stefan sidelong

    nces.

    Stefan chuckled, "I know all about Lucy''s likes and dislikes, her hobbies, everything. If you guys

    have any questions, just ask me."

    The water Ike was sipping sprayed out. He started coughing.

    Lucinda anxiously patted Ike''s back, "Ike, are you okay?"

    Turned out, Ike had choked on his drink.

    After coughing a few times, he was fine.

    He said to Stefan, "Stefan, you''re ying favorites. I''m also Lucinda''s brother, but I''ve never heard

    you call me ''brother.'' As soon as the test results came out, you started calling Keith ''bro''."

    Keith was five years younger than Stefan.

    "We''re ssmates. I can''t call you ''brother.''"

    Stefan said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.

    What he didn''t say was that Ike posed no threat, but Keith was a serious threat. If he didn''t get on

    Keith''s good side, Lucinda might be snatched back by the Blue family.

    Mentioning their ssmate rtionship, Ike felt like mming the table.

    Considering Janice was present, Ike held back. He wiped the table himself, not needing any help

    from the waitstaff. He harshly said, "You have the gall to say we''re ssmates. You call this being a

    ssmate?"

    In school, their rtionship was just so-so. At most, they would take the train home together during

    the four years.

    After graduation, they kept in touch, but it was just a friendship among ssmates.

    But Stefan had his sights set on his sister long ago.

    Since he had his eyes on his sister, he didn''t try to please him in school.

    When he heard from Gabriel Turner that Stefan was married, Ike called Stefan with the intention of

    booking a spot as best man, just for the drama.

    The result was that this man who stole his sister was too cunning and devious.

    Ike had asked Stefan about itter. Stefan said he always heard Ike praising his sister, which

    sparked his curiosity. So he took the train home with Ike, met Lucinda, and couldn''t forget about her

    ever since.

    Turned out, he unintentionally introduced Lucinda to her admirer.

    Ike felt very regretful!

    He loved to praise his sister. On one hand, he truly loved his sister, perhaps too much. On the other

    hand, his friends didn''t have sisters. Only he did, so he liked to show off.

    Stefan gazed at Lucinda intently.

    Even though they were already married, when he looked at Lucinda deeply in front of everyone, her

    face still turned unnaturally red.

    "Lucy."

    Janice suddenly leaned in close to Lucinda''s ear, whispering, "Your husband really loves you. You

    can tell from the way he looks at you. He is a good man. You have to cherish him."

    Lucinda looked at her mother. Janice winked at her.

    Lucinda couldn''t help butugh.

    When sheughed, Janice alsoughed, saying, "Lucy, I really like you. You''re like my daughter."

    "Can I be your daughter?"

    Lucinda hadn''t called her ''mom'' yet.

    She was considering her adoptive parents'' feelings.

    Keith said they would go to the Moore family tomorrow.

    "But we''re the same age."

    "Mom, you and Lucy aren''t the same age. You''re 24 years older than Lucy."

    Janice asked in surprise, "Am I that old? Lucy said she''s 24, so I''m 48?"

    "Lucy, do you have a mirror? I want to use it."

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Janice couldn''t believe she was that old, and she wanted to look in the mirror.

    Lucinda didn''t have a mirror, so she gave her phone to her mother to use the selfie function.

    Even though Janice had been insane for over 20 years, she took care of herself well. She looked

    like Lucinda''s sister.

    "I do look a bit older, but I don''t look 48. I can''t possibly be 48, and I just had a baby not long ago."

    Janice kept mumbling to herself.

    Lucinda and Keith didn''t say anything, letting here to terms with it herself.

    Keith ordered the food. The food came quickly.

    Janice must have been hungry. Once the food was served, she stopped fussing over her age.

    Even though Stefan was blocked by Lucinda''s brothers, he still took care of Lucinda attentively.

    Seeing him constantly reaching over to pass dishes to Lucinda and peel shrimp for her, Janice was

    the first to put down her utensils.

    "Stefan."

    Janice called him fondly, standing up and saying, "Come, swap seats with me. You sit next to Lucy."

    It seemed Lucinda''s mother was the most considerate!

    No wonder she was her biological mother!

    Of course, Lucinda''s other mother was also very good to her.

    Stefan figured that even though Lucinda''s two bros were tough cookies to deal with, her two moms

    were real sweethearts. What''s there to sweat about?

    "Thanks, mom."

    Stefan happily swapped seats with Janice, all smiled.

    Ike and Keith gave him the evil eye. He acted like he didn''t see.

    As Janice switched seats with Stefan, she chuckled, "Lucy, since Stefan''s already calling me mom,

    you should too, considering you guys are hitched. I might be a spring chicken, but having you two

    as my daughter and son-inw makes me feel like I hit the jackpot."

    Cecilia was chuckling on the side.

    Aside from the age issue and still not being able to recognize Keith, always clutching the doll like it

    was her own kid, Janice was starting to look more and more like a regr person.

    "Alright, thanks, mom," Lucinda replied cheerfully, thrilled to sit next to her hubby.

    Being taken care of felt like a sweet deal.

    Janice suddenly turned to Ike.

    "Ike, look at Stefan and Lucy. Their lovey-dovey vibe is so strong, don''t you feel a pang of envy?

    You should get a move on and find a girlfriend to end your bachelor days. I haven''t been out in a

    while, so I am not sure if my good friends are all hitched or not. If any of them are still single, I can

    y matchmaker for you."

 Chapter 183

    Chapter 183

    Ike was speechless.

    Janice''s friends were all from her generation, all old people now, right?

    Everyone else was also speechless.

    All moms were pretty much the same.

    Everyone had a st at dinner.

    After dinner, they chatted for a bit before heading downstairs together.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Janice and her son were still staying at Ascend Hotel, and they were the ones who saw Stefan and

    the others off.

    Lucinda was still trying to convince Keith, "Keith, just have our mom move into Ascend Estate. It''s a

    nice ce, very safe."

    "The Ascend Hotel is also very safe. If you don''t trust me, you should trust your husband." Keith

    laughed, "Give it some time. I''ll bring mom to bother you twoter."

    They still had a lot of things to sort out.

    First of all, they hadn''t informed both families about this yet.

    After failing to persuade Keith, Lucinda could only say, "Then you''ll have to bring mom to my shop

    every day so we can bond."

    "Sure."

    As they were heading out of the hotel, they bumped into another group right at the entrance.

    It was Owen who had brought Ruby for dinner.

    Ruby had taken quite some time to shower and change at Pinehurst Hotel.

    By the time they arrived at Ascend Hotel, Stefan and the others were already full and ready to

    leave.

    Ruby was still holding the bouquet Owen had given her.

    Owen was also very gentle and caring towards her, and their mothers were delighted, intentionally

    lagging a few steps behind the two, so that they had a chance to be close.

    Both groups stopped.

    "Stefan." Ruby called out to Stefan joyfully.

    If it weren''t for Lucinda being by Stefan''s side, she might have lunged at him like before. But every

    time, she ended up catching air, unable to even touch Stefan''s sleeve, let alone jump into his arms.

    Stefan nced at her coldly, his lips tightly pressed together, not responding to her.

    Ruby''s joy cooled instantly.

    Yes, Stefan was married now.

    She looked at Lucinda, and Lucinda was looking at her.

    "Lucinda, I was wrong that time, I''m sorry. I''ll pay double for the damage in your shop."

    Ruby moved forward two steps, apologizing sincerely to Lucinda.

    Lucinda''s eyes flickered, her expression indifferent. She went straight to the point, "I''ll text you the

    total costter, you can transfer the money directly to me."

    "Lucy, have her pay you now." Stefan suddenly said.

    When everyone was looking at him, he exined to Lucinda, "You don''t have her contact

    information, how will you send it to her?"

    Lucinda instinctively asked, "Don''t you have her contact information either?"

    "I don''t remember her phone number."

    They grew up together, and he actually imed he didn''t remember Ruby''s number.

    This word was like a sharp knife, making Ruby''s heart bleed.

    When she returned from abroad, she had texted him and called him.

    He imed not to remember her number, was that why he never responded to her messages?

    Whether he truly forgot or pretended to forget, he sessfully pleased Lucinda with his words.

    "If you can remember the number, tell me now and I''llpensate you right away."

    Of course, Lucinda remembered.

    She gave a number.

    Ruby wanted to pay double, but she didn''t have enough money. She had to use all the money from

    her mother, Olina, and Owen to make up the amount.

    "Owen, did youe to give me money?"

    Stefan nced at his rival.

    He wasn''t surprised that Owen came to pick up Ruby. If there was a day when Owen didn''t, that

    would surprise him.

    Owen''s handsome face was tense.

    He was checking Cecilia''s reaction from the corner of his eye. Seeing that she seemed calm, even

    when she saw him with Ruby, Cecilia didn''t frown.

    Was this the reaction a wife should have when seeing another woman by her husband''s side?

    In his mind, Owen criticized Cecilia''s performance as his wife. Cecilia was thinking, "I''m just doing

    my job and getting paid. We''re only husband and wife in name."

    Owen was silent.

    "Spend more money, don''t skimp in front of your beloved woman. I''ll make sure Eric Anderson

    treats you guys well."

    Stefan emphasized hisst words.

    Owen understood entering Ascend Global Hotel was like walking into a ughterhouse.

    "We''ll go first."

    Stefan and his wife walked past Owen and Ruby. When they encountered Olina, Stefan politely

    nodded and greeted, "Olina."

    Olina only nodded in response.

    Megan waspletely ignored by Stefan.

    Ike and Cecilia followed Lucinda and Stefan out of the hotel.

    When Ruby wasn''t looking, Owen nced back at Cecilia, seeing that she didn''t look back or give

    him any attention, but walked with Ike. From behind, they looked like a couple.

    Janice and her son didn''t ask any further.

    As for what everyone was thinking, only God knows.

    The day passed very peacefully.

    At ten thirty in the evening, Serendipity Cafe closed.

    Lucinda turned off herputer, stood up, and stretched.

    "Did you finish writing?"

    Cecilia asked her.

    "Yes, I met the minimum requirement for full attendance."

    Ceciliaughed, "You used to work so hard, writing so much every day. Your readers have been

    spoiled by you, and now you either take days off or only update a few thousand words. Won''t your

    readersin?"

    "They doin. I don''t dare to check thements or reply. I''m afraid my readers will be mad at

    me."

    Lucinda said as she left the cashier counter, poured herself a ss of water, looked out the window,

    and said, "My husband should being to pick me up soon."

    Cecilia nced at the shop entrance, still no sight of that luxury Maybach car. She checked the

    time, "Five minutes to go. He''s always on time, shows up like clockwork every day."

    Sitting across from Cecilia, Lucinda took a few sips of water and said sincerely, "It''s been a month,

    and I still feel like I''m dreaming. More has happened this month than in thest twenty years

    combined."

    She had married in a whirlwind, thinking he was just an ordinary person like her, only to find out he

    was a scion of a wealthy family.

    The people she had always believed were her biological parents, turned out not to be.

    She thought she was punching above her weight with Stefan, but surprisingly she was set to inherit

    billions of dors from her biological father, making her suddenly on par with Stefan.

    Life is just full of twists and turns!

    "It feels like I''m in a dream, or on a roller coaster, ups and downs, but it''s still thrilling."

    Cecilia could totally rte.

    A month ago, she couldn''t even meet Owen in person.

    A monthter, she''s Owen''s wife in name.

    "I can finally give my mom a call."

    With that, Lucinda got up and walked back to the cashier desk, picked up her phone that was on the

    counter, and dialed her foster mother''s number.

    Before the results of her and Janice''s identity verification hade out, she hadn''t mentioned

    anything to her foster parents. She didn''t want them to worry unnecessarily or let their imaginations

    run wild.

 Chapter 184

    Chapter 184

    "It''s prettyte now, and your mother is probably in bed, right?"

    "Nah, my parents spend their days tending the fields and the orchard. They usually don''t catch a

    break until after 10 pm."

    The only time her parents would be home early was when she and her brother wereing over.

    Lucinda had a good grip on her parents'' routine.

    "Then you better ring your mom up pronto."

    Cecilia picked up a rag to wipe the table.

    Fiona Lewis Moore, fresh from the shower, saw her husband engrossed in his phone, "Didn''t Lucy

    call? I''ve been sneezing all day and in my experience, one of the two kids always calls."

    "It''s usually Lucy."

    Daughters always seem to be more caring.

    Their son wouldn''t call home for a month unless there was something up.

    "Lucy is busy renovating her shop, she must be swamped. We''ve wrapped up our work for the day,

    if you miss Lucy, let''s go to the city tomorrow and surprise her."

    Fiona had barely sat down next to her husband when her phone rang.

    "That''s got to be Lucy."

    She picked up her phone from the nightstand, seeing the caller ID read "baby", she grinned, "I''m

    always spot on, whenever I start sneezing, that''s Lucinda missing us."

    Vincent chuckled, "There was one time you had a cold and you wouldn''t stop sneezing."

    Fiona yfully pped him and picked up the call.

    "Lucy, still buzzing around the shop thiste? Head home and rest, don''t run yourself ragged."

    Despite Lucinda marrying into wealth, Fiona never suggested she just sit back and live avish life.

    She believed Lucinda should have her own career. Even if she didn''t make much, at least she''d

    have her own ie and financial independence.

    "Mom, I''m not tired, are you and dad done for the day?"

    Vincent leaned in to hear what Lucinda was saying. Hearing his name, he jumped in, "Lucy, I''m

    here. I''m still up, if there''s anything you want to tell me, go ahead. Now that you''ve called, I''m sure

    I''ll sleep like a baby tonight."

    "Dad, I miss you, and mom too."

    Vincent''s face lit up, "You won''t have to miss us for long, I''ll bring your mom to the city tomorrow.

    We''ve got nothing going on at home, we can stay in town for a couple of days, take your mom out

    and about."

    "Really? I''ll have Stefane pick you guys up."

    "No need, Stefan''s busier than ever. He''s the big boss, his time is precious. A big shot like him

    makes a fortune every minute, just thinking about the time it takes to drive from downtown to our

    house, I feel like he''s losing a lot of money. It''s heart-wrenching."

    Fiona added, "Lucy, don''t have Stefane get us, I''ll call your brother to see if he''s free. If he is,

    he can pick us up, along with your grandparents, they haven''t been to the city in a while."

    "If he''s not avable, we can take the bus. We wouldn''t want your grandparents to be worn out."

    "Anyway, your brother''s still single, even if he''s raking in dough, there isn''t a woman to help him

    spend it. He might as well take a day off ande pick us up, you and Stefan need to make money

    for the family. Once you guys have kids, there''ll be even more expenses."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Lucy, is the renovation of your shop all done?"

    "All done, the shop is back in business."

    Fionaughed, "That''s great. When your dad and I go tomorrow, we can lend a hand. Otherwise,

    we''d die of boredom."

    Living in the countryside, they were used to being industrious with lots to do every day. People used

    to the hustle and bustle would find it boring once they stop.

    Lucinda wanted to tell her parents she''d found her biological mother, but with her mother chatting

    about everyday life, she hardly had a chance to get a word in.

    Stefan pulled his Maybach up to the Serendipity Cafe. Mr. Coleman, donned in a suit with a light

    blue tie and shiny ck shoes, looked mature, handsome, and every bit the nobleman.

    He didn''t bring any bodyguards, just him and a bunch of flowers entering the shop, his aura was

    undeniably strong. To Cecilia and Lucinda, he looked every bit a king and a prince from a fairy tale.

    Cecilia was dying to whistle.

    She managed to keep her cool though, no whistling.

    He was Lucinda''s husband.

    If she whistled, it''d be like she was flirting.

    Owen would probably said, "Are you pretending I, as your husband, don''t exist?"

    Cecilia would respond, "We''re only married in name. We had an agreement!"

    Owen would just be speechless.

    "Darling, I''m here to pick you up from work."

    Stefan was all smiles, his gaze filled with love.

    Cecilia quickly excused herself, she didn''t want to be tormented by this increasingly lovey-dovey

    couple.

    Even though she also had a handsome and rich husband, he was currently with his first love.

    Fiona on the other end of the call heard Stefan''s voice, "Lucy, is that Stefan? We''ll stop chatting

    then, we''reing to see you tomorrow anyway. Don''t have Stefane get us, don''t waste his

    precious time. I''ll call your brother now."

    With that, she hung up without waiting for Lucinda to respond.

    Fiona really did call her son.

    Ike was working overtime.

    Receiving a call from his mom, he thought something urgent hade up and quickly picked up.

    "Ike, are you free?"

    "Mom, what happened?"

    "We''re done with everything at home, your dad, grandparents, and I want to go to the city, can you

    come pick us up?"

    Ike breathed a sigh of relief.

    He thought something serious had happened.

    "Mom, I''m workingte tonight and I might not be able to wake up early tomorrow. I''ll get a car to

    pick you guys up."

    Fiona replied, "That works too. Originally, Lucy suggested Stefan pick us up, but he''s swamped with

    work, so I turned her down."

    Ike said, "...Mom, really? Does Stefan have to personally pick you guys up? He could simply make

    a phone call and his driver would do it, without him needing to lift a finger."

    That hurt.

    His mother worried about upying Stefan''s time, but didn''t care about taking up his.

    If he hadn''t mentioned that he''d be workingte into the night, he bet his mom would have really

    asked him to go pick them up.

    Stefan not only stole his sister, but also the love from their parents. It was just not fair!

    Such a heartache!

    Fiona responded, "You arrange a car for us then. That''s settled. You get back to work, earn some

    more money, gotta save up for your future wife, right?"

    "Mom, don''t you care that your son is working too hard?"

    "Making money isn''t a walk in the park, of course it''s exhausting. If money were to fall from the sky,

    we''d still have to bend over to pick it up. Just make sure you don''t work yourself sick. That''s it, your

    dad and I are off to rest."

    With that, Fiona hung up the phone.

    Ike was speechless.

 Chapter 185

    Chapter 185

    Stefan didn''t realize he was crashing a phone call between his wife and her mother.

    He strode in, heading straight for Lucinda.

    He handed Lucinda a bunch of flowers, speaking softly, "Darling, I''m here to pick you up."

    Receiving the flowers, Lucinda replied, "You''re giving me flowers again. It''s sote, by tomorrow,

    they won''t be fresh, they''ll wither quickly."

    "Well, from tomorrow I''ll give you practical flowers that won''t wither."

    Lucinda was curious, "What kind of flowers are both practical and won''t wither?"

    Cecilia joked with augh, "It''s not going to be fake flowers, is it?"

    Stefan answered mysteriously, "You''ll know tomorrow."

    With Stefan''s arrival, Lucinda didn''t stick around for long.

    She held the bouquet in one hand and lifted herptop bag with the other, ready to finish her

    updates early in the morning so she could spend the day with her parents.

    Arge hand reached out and took herptop bag.

    She knew without looking it''s her husband, he''s always so thoughtful.

    They''d known each other for eleven years, she''s never been particrly fond of him, but after a

    month of marriage, she fell for him.

    Facing such an outstanding man, so considerate towards you, gentle only to you, always keeping

    you in his heart, spoiling you rotten, Lucinda felt her resistance was too weak, she couldn''t resist

    Stefan''s love.

    So, she chose to surrender.

    "Cecilia, why don''t we go together, we''ll take you home first." Lucinda suggested.

    Cecilia politely declined her friend''s kindness, sheughed and said, "No need, I''m about to close

    up, and my house isn''t far, I''ll be home quickly on my e-bike."

    "Well, be careful then."

    "Sure will."

    The couple bid Cecilia goodbye and left the shop.

    Stefan ced theptop bag on the backseat of the car.

    "I''ll buy you three or fourputers, one in Ascend Estate, one in Diamond Ridge Estates, one in

    your rental and one in your parents'' house. This way, no matter where you stay, you won''t have to

    lug around yourptop."

    He hadputers for her to use, but she said she''s used to her own, if she changedputers,

    she couldn''t keep up with her typing speed.

    Truth was, she''s afraid of disturbing his work and didn''t want to use hisputer.

    Then he would buy her severalputers.

    No, he would buy even more.

    He owned a lot of houses, and each one should have a spareputer for her.

    "It''s fine, I''m used to carrying myptop around."

    Lucinda, while buckling her seatbelt, said "I n to call my mom, I was going to tell her I found my

    birth mom, but we got caught up in the conversation and I never got a chance to say it. Luckily, my

    mom ising to town tomorrow, I can tell them in person then, so my brothers won''t have to make

    the trip."

    Originally, Keith was nning to visit the Moore family tomorrow.

    "Mom''sing over tomorrow? I''ll send a car for her, are dad and grandma and grandpaing?

    Invite them all. Lucy, remember, once they''re here, they''re moving into Ascend Estate, we can''t let

    them stay in a hotel, and they definitely can''t stay in your rental."

    "Do you want to give up your house?"

    Lucinda said, "Let''s wait until the end of the month to cancel the lease. My mom wants my brother

    to go back and pick them up, I''m sure he won''t be happy."

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    She ryed her mother''s words to Stefan.

    Stefan chuckled while driving, "Your mom really looks out for me." Both her moms were very

    supportive of him.

    He still needed to win over her dad, and her grandparents, this way, he won''t have to worry about

    Ike causing him trouble.

    "Send Ike a message, tell him he doesn''t need to go back, I''ll have the driver pick them up."

    Lucinda said, "Alright."

    After sending the message, Lucinda realized they were on the way back to Diamond Ridge Estates,

    she asked, "Aren''t we going back to Ascend Estate tonight?"

    Stefan answered, "It''s already toote, we won''t go back to Ascend Estate, Diamond Ridge Estates

    is closer, we can have more time to do meaningful things."

    Lucinda quickly understood what he meant, her face turned slightly red.

    "Stefan, when are your parentsing back?"

    Lucinda changed the topic, asking about his parents'' return date.

    Stefan answered, "I''m not sure, they change their phone numbers when they go on trips, unless

    they contact me, I can''t find them."

    Lucinda asked, "Why is that?"

    Stefan answered, "They want to enjoy their world of two, and they don''t want to be disturbed by us.

    If it weren''t for my dad worrying about my mom having a hard time giving birth, he would''ve had a

    vasectomy after my brother was born. With their deep love for each other, they might''ve given me

    another brother or sister during their travels."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    So, his doting on her was a family tradition.

    His grandpa doted on his grandma, and his dad doted on his mom.

    A good family culture will raise good children, this saying is true.

    Stefan continued, "You don''t need to worry about my parents, they''re even easier to get along with

    than my grandparents, as long as you treat them well, they''ll treat you like their own."

    Lucinda tentatively asked, "Will they ept me easily?"

    Stefanughed, "You''re the daughter-inw they''ve been waiting for, they''ll love you very much, you

    don''t need to try hard to please them."

    Lucinda said, "Hearing you say that, I''m relieved. I''ve always been worried your parents wouldn''t

    like me, or think I''m not good enough for you, what I''m most afraid of is your mom handing me a

    check, telling me ''this is five hundred thousand dors, ept it and leave my son''."

    Stefanughed, "No matter who''s daughter you are, my parents won''t mind. Speaking of which,

    Lucy, do you think I''m only worth five hundred thousand dors? Wouldn''t you ask for more?"

    Lucinda awkwardly replied, "Isn''t everyone used to using five hundred thousand dors as a

    benchmark?"

    Stefan said with augh, "If you think of me as a priceless treasure, then you definitely wouldn''t

    ept five hundred thousand dors."

    Lucinda replied, "I never thought about selling you."

    Catching the seriousness in his words, Lucinda quickly denied.

    Who would want to sell such a great man?

    No one could afford Stefan.

    Stefan huffed loudly on purpose.

    He said, "If you dare sell me out, don''t me me for giving you some payback!"

    "I won''t, rest easy! I value you a lot, how could I just sell you out like that?"

    "Even if your mum waved a five million dor cheque at me to get me to leave you, I wouldn''t take

    it."

    Stefan said, "You really cherish your life, don''t you?"

    Seeing him drop the issue, Lucinda finally let out a sigh of relief.

    She quietly patted her chest.

    If she didn''t butter him up, she might not be able to get out of bed tomorrow.

    Her mom once said, when they had just gotten their marriage certificate, her brother was worried

    Stefan might not be up to the mark.

    Lucinda snickered inwardly, him not being up to the mark? He''s a fighter jet among men, he''s plenty

    up to the mark!

    No wonder he always gave her a hard time.

    So it was because her brother had once doubted him, and he was proving his ability through action!

    Ike thought, ¡°ming me again!¡±

    He used to always praise his sister''s good points, and it ended up sparking Stefan''s curiosity and

    interest in her.

    Yep, it really was his fault!

 Chapter 186

    Chapter 186

    They returned to their vi in Diamond Ridge Estates, with Emmaing out to open the door.

    Every time Lucinda saw Emma, she would remember the night when she and Stefan went to meet

    the parents.

    Not only Stefan, but even the butler and driver were all part of the show, making her head spin with

    their convincing performances.

    "Emma, you still up?" Lucinda asked with augh after getting out of the car.

    "I''ve already had a nap." Emma replied with a smile, "Mrs. Coleman, fancy a midnight snack? I can

    whip something up now."

    Emma usually hit the sack early, waking up once in the middle of the night, then staying awake until

    2 a.m. before heading back to sleep.

    Stefan would usuallye home around this time.

    If Stefan didn''t show up by the witching hour, he was probably spending the night elsewhere with

    other housekeepers and colleagues, so Emma would not have to wait up for him.

    "No need, it''ste and a midnight snack would keep me up." Lucinda replied.

    Emma turned to look at Stefan.

    "Emma, you can head off to bed."

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    Stefan handed the bouquet in his hands to Lucinda, "You almost forgot these flowers."

    Lucinda chuckled a bit sheepishly.

    She took the bouquet and went inside with Stefan.

    Seeing the lovey-dovey couple, Emma was satisfied and muttered to herself, "This time next year,

    they''ll probably have a little boy or girl."

    The years of effort Stefan put in finally paid off.

    Emma didn''t know how many rivals Stefan had to beat to win Lucinda''s heart.

    They had a five-year age difference. When he became an adult, Lucinda was just starting middle

    school. He waited for her to grow up, to graduate, to mature.

    He waited and waited, a whole eleven years, to finally win the girl he had been protecting.

    It was not easy at all.

    Ten minutester, just as Stefan stepped into the shower, his phone rang.

    Lucinda picked up his phone and saw the iing call. There was no name attached to it, so she

    didn''t know who it was.

    She took his phone and walked to the bathroom door, calling through the door, "Stefan, you''ve got a

    call."

    "Who is it?" Stefan asked.

    A call at thiste hour was a real nuisance, disrupting his private time with Lucinda.

    This was simply uneptable.

    It messed up his ns, and he was going to give whoever it was a piece of his mind.

    "I don''t know, there''s no name on it, could be a stranger." Lucinda replied.

    Stefan in the bathroom was silent for a moment before saying, "A stranger wouldn''t know my

    number. If there''s no name, it''s probably Ruby. Lucinda, your love rival is calling to harass your man

    at thiste hour. I''ll leave it to you to handle this. You gotta protect your man."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    Leave it to her to handle?

    Alright then!

    She would protect her own man!

    Stefan said he didn''t remember Ruby''s number. He might have really forgotten, but he knew that a

    call without a name would definitely be from Ruby.

    He said before, people he didn''t know wouldn''t have his number.

    Just as Lucinda was about to answer, the person on the other end hung up.

    However, the phone rang again soon after.

    Lucinda quickly answered Ruby''s call.

    "Stefan."

    Ruby seemed surprised and very pleased that her call was answered.

    Ever since she confessed her feelings to Stefan, he had never picked up her calls.

    He also didn''t respond to her messages.

    Tonight, he actually answered her call.

    "Stefan, I realized my mistake now. I''ve alreadypensated for the loss at Lucinda''s shop. I''ve

    also been detained for a few days. Are you still mad? Can you forgive me?"

    "Stefan, the reason I did what I did was because I love you too much. I was so jealous of Lucinda,

    almost going mad with it. We''ve known each other for over twenty years, growing up together. Our

    bond is deep. Why should Lucinda be the one to marry you?"

    "You''re the heir of the Anderson family, how could someone like Lucinda be your partner? She''s not

    worthy of you. Even if she tries hard, the gap between you is too big, she can never catch up to you.

    Stefan, we''re the ones from the same world. We''ve grown up together, havemon topics, same

    friends, we''re the same type of people."

    Ruby was afraid Stefan would hang up, so she kept on talking.

    Lucinda just let her talk.

    "Stefan, can we meet up and have a proper talk? Also, don''t misunderstand Owen and me. I''ve

    always loved you, never Owen. I only see Owen as a good friend, there''s nothing between us."

    "Stefan, we''ve known each other for so many years. I just started my business domestically, can

    you bear to suppress me? Are you really that cold-hearted towards me? What''s so good about

    Lucinda? What about her attracted you? Tell me, I''m willing to change, to learn."

    Lucinda thought to herself, so Stefan had started to suppress Ruby''s business.

    Ruby was a fashion designer, and her designs were pretty famous.

    She was doing well in the international fashion scene. She chose to bring her business back to the

    country all for Stefan.

    Yet Stefan was suppressing her business for Lucinda.

    Lucinda also felt bad for Owen. Owen risked a lot for Ruby, but Ruby just dismissed him as a good

    friend.

    Hump, good friend?

    Didn''t Ruby get jealous and make up excuses to hit Cecilia when Cecilia was pretending to be

    Owen''s girlfriend?

    Lucinda felt that Ruby actually loved Owen, but her obsession with Stefan made her ignore and

    overlook her feelings for Owen.

    Lucinda wondered, if Cecilia could make Owen develop feelings for her, and Ruby realized her

    feelings for Owen toote and lost him, would Ruby regret it until her heart broke?

    ¡°Cecilia, you gotta pull yourself together! I''m rooting for you! You go ahead and snag Owen, and let

    Ruby eat her heart out.¡± Lucinda thought.

    "Ms. Scott, I''m tickled pink that you''d want to learn from me. After all, I''m just some country bumpkin

    and you''re all high and mighty. I''m truly grateful you''d stoop to learn from me. What exactly do you

    n on learning? Farming? Vegetable gardening? As a hick, I''ve got to know my way around the

    fields, don''t I?"

    On the other end of the line, Ruby was dumbstruck, like she''d been struck by lightning.

    Why was Lucinda answering the phone?

    She''d been bbering on and on, bad-mouthing Lucinda, only to find out Lucinda was the one on

    the other end.

    Ruby quickly turned sour and barked, "Lucinda, who gave you permission to touch Stefan''s phone?

    Hand it over to Stefan right now! You don''t have any right to his things!"

    Lucinda chuckled, "If I don''t have the right, then who does? I''m Stefan''s wife, we''re married. If we''re

    lucky, there might even be a mini Stefan in my belly. Why on earth wouldn''t I have the right to touch

    Stefan''s phone?"

 Chapter 187

    Chapter 187

    "Oh, right, I forgot to mention, this call was picked up by me, on Stefan''s request."

    Ruby was fuming mad.

    Lucinda''s words were like sharp knives, causing her unbearable pain.

    She had been infatuated with Stefan for years, but he never reciprocated.

    Ever since that incident ten years ago, whenever Stefan saw her, he either pretended not to see her

    or was incredibly cold, not even showing her a hint of concern.

    Throughout all these years, Stefan never had another woman by his side, and Ruby always thought

    she had a chance.

    But when she returned home to find love, she discovered that Stefan was already married.

    Lucinda, this nobody, had easily be Stefan''s wife.

    Ruby was so jealous she was about to lose her mind!

    "Lucinda, don''t get cocky, you''re not worthy of Stefan. When his parentse back, they''ll surely

    stop you two from being together. I''d advise you to face the reality and leave Stefan as soon as

    possible. Otherwise, you''ll be kicked out by his parents and lose all your dignity."

    "Even if I get kicked out, it''s better than not having the chance to be kicked out at all."

    Ruby said, "Lucinda, let me tell you, you and Stefan won''tst! You don''t even know who your

    biological parents are! Lucinda, bet you didn''t see thising, you''re not a Moore by birth, you

    were picked up by them, haha!"

    Lucinda felt that Ruby was on the verge of going crazy.

    This woman''s infatuation with Stefan was too deep, just like Owen''s infatuation with Ruby.

    Sigh, what a stubborn love triangle.

    "Thank you for the information, Ms. Scott. Even though I''m not a Moore by birth, my parents, my

    brother, and my grandparents all treat me like their own, if not more. I don''t think it''s a disgrace to

    not be a Moore by birth."

    "Moreover, I''m not an orphan. Don''t say that I found my biological mother, even if I didn''t, I still have

    my adoptive parents. I''m not a helpless child. Ms. Scott, your high status, your manners, your

    qualities, really eye-openers for me. How could you, with such qualities, be worthy of Stefan? Only

    a kind and beautiful woman like me is worthy of Stefan. You can only envy, be jealous and hate. Oh

    dear, if you die of anger, I can send you a bouquet of flowers."

    Ruby shouted in anger, "Lucinda!"

    "Wow, you''re yelling so loudly, like a lunatic. Are you nning to put on a show for me? Let me find

    a chair to sit down, make a cup of coffee, grab some snacks, and then you can start your

    performance. I have to see the whole performance by Ms. Scott."

    Ruby went silent.

    She was really about to be pissed to death!

    No one ever told her that Lucinda had the ability to piss people off.

    "Lucinda, I won''t let this go, Stefan is mine! He is mine!" Ruby shouted angrily.

    Lucindaughed and said, "If you can snatch Stefan away from me, thene unt it in front of

    me. Ms. Scott, you should have some self-respect and self-love, don''t be so humble. Stefan is now

    my husband, my man. Knowing that we''re married, you still want to pursue my husband. You''re

    about to snatch someone else''s husband. The problem is, you can''t even do that, Stefan doesn''t

    even want to give you a nce."

    Ruby was furious.

    "I knew Stefan first, and I fell in love with Stefan first. It''s clearly you who snatched my lover, and

    you have the nerve to say I''m the third party! Lucinda, you''re the humble one. You, this cunning

    woman, snatched my Stefan."

    Lucinda sneered and asked her, "What rtionship do you have with Stefan? Are you in an official

    rtionship? Have you ever owned Stefan? You have no rtionship with him, you''ve never owned

    Stefan, so don''t say I snatched Stefan."

    Ruby was speechless, she had always had a one-sided love for Stefan.

    Indeed, she never owned Stefan and never had an official rtionship with him.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    "Where''s Stefan?"

    Ruby asked coldly, "Let him pick up the phone."

    "Ms. Scott, which woman would willingly let the other women pursuing her husband talk to her own

    husband on the phone?"

    Lucinda finished with a flourish and added, "My husband is taking a shower."

    "What did you guys do?"

    Ruby questioned jealously.

    Lucinda chuckled, "Ms. Scott, do you know what time it is now? Is there something wrong with my

    husband taking a bath? What did we do? Ms. Scott, you''ve been abroad for so many years, don''t

    y dumb with me. What can a husband and wife do? What would they do? You know in your

    heart, don''t ask it out, it makes me feel shy."

    Ruby was speechless.

    Stefan came out of the bathroom.

    He was only wrapped in arge towel, his upper body bare.

    Lucinda looked at the handsome man who had just taken a bath, deliberately eximed, "Darling,

    your body is great! You''re so handsome! You''re the best man in the world, but you''re mine! The

    most handsome, most outstanding, most considerate man in the world is my husband, Lucinda''s

    husband! Darling,e a little closer, let me admire your handsomeness. Oh, I''m so in love with

    you."

    Stefan came over and said, "Lucy, I''m also head over heels in love with you."

    "Do you love only me?"

    "Yes, I only love you. In this life, I only love you, Lucinda! If there''s a next life, I still want to be your

    husband."

    Ruby, on the other end of the phone, heard the couple''s conversation, she couldn''t listen anymore

    and hung up the call.

    If she didn''t hang up the call, she was afraid she would die of anger.

    Lucinda is such a bitch!

    How could Stefan spend a lifetime with such a shameless woman?

    Stefan should be with her, Ruby!

    She angrily threw her phone on the ground.

    The phone hit the ground and actually split in half.

    Ruby was so mad at Lucinda that she even kicked the broken phone, sending it flying.

    "Lucinda, Lucinda!"

    Ruby was pacing back and forth in the room, cursing Lucinda as she walked.

    "Bitch, you''ve got no dignity! You''re so sneaky! Don''t get cocky too soon, when Stefan''s family

    returns, they''ll definitely kick out someone like you who doesn''t even know who her own parents

    are. You actually want to be a part of the Anderson family? That''s augh!"

    "Stefan is mine! Unless I don''t want him anymore, no one can take Stefan away. Anyone who tries

    to take Stefan is making an enemy of me!"

    Ruby was furiously fuming.

    Lucinda, ¡°Oh my, I''m so scared!¡±

    Stefan embraced his wife, ¡°Don''t worry, I''m here. If anyone dares to hurt a single hair on your head,

    I''ll make them all bald!¡±

    Lucinda gleefully suggested, ¡°Darling, grab some clippers. Let''s go to the Scott family''s ce and

    shave that Ruby you''ve always fancied from childhood bald.¡±

    ¡°Ruby was not someone I''ve liked since childhood!¡± Stefan emphasized once again.

 Chapter 188

    Chapter 188

    Serendipity Cafe.

    After the Lucinda and Stefan left, Cecilia hung around for a bit, watching as the foot traffic dwindled

    on the street before she decided to head out.

    Just as she was about to lock up, she felt a presence by her side and turned to find herself looking

    into Owen''s deep-set eyes.

    She held his gaze for a moment, then turned to survey the street. No sign of Owen''s bodyguard car

    or his girlfriend Ruby.

    As she continued to lock up, she asked Owen, "Why are you alone? Isn''t your girlfriend out of the

    mmer today? Shouldn''t you be with her all night?"

    Owen took a couple of steps forward, offering to help close up.

    "I don''t remember asking for your help, don''t expect a reward for your unsolicited kind gesture."

    Owen gave her a sidelong nce, "The allowance I give you every month, most people would take

    two to three years to earn. You''re already ahead, no need to be so stingy. You''re usually a generous

    person, why are you being so tight with me?"

    "Because you''re richer than me, I just want to put your money in my pocket, not the other way

    around."

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    Owen shifted the subject, "do you always lock up at night?"

    Even though Cecilia and Lucinda were friends, if Lucinda was taking advantage of Cecilia, he

    couldn''t let it slide. He needed to talk to Lucinda.

    It''s not because Cecilia was his wife in name that he''s helping her. He''s just a righteous guy, he

    couldn''t stand to see Lucinda bullying Cecilia using Stefan''s power.

    "Is the door heavy?"

    "No, Lucinda usually locks up because she lives nearby. I have to ride my bike home, so she always

    rushes me to leave early. Since the cafe reopened, the business got really good, that''s why I''m still

    here. Mr. Coleman came to pick Lucinda up, so I let her go first."

    Owen said, "Lucinda said she''s stronger, it''s easier for her to lock up than you."

    Cecilia gave him a look, "I used to work out, I''m not weak. Probably stronger than the average girl."

    "Heh." Owen let out a sarcastic chuckle, "The stuff you learned, they''re not really useful. You might

    have an advantage over weaker women, but you''re no match for men. There''s a natural gap in

    strength between men and women."

    Cecilia used to take Taekwondo sses.

    In Owen''s eyes, Cecilia really couldn''t take a punch.

    "Anyway, as long as you can fend off thugs."

    Owen wanted to say that she couldn''t fend off a powerful thug.

    Like him, but he''s no thug.

    As Cecilia was about to take off on her e-bike, Owen grabbed the handlebars.

    "What''s up? Anything else? Tell me, I''ll give you a couple of minutes."

    Owen chuckled, "Your time is precious? You talk like you''re very busy."

    "Yes, my time is very precious."

    "Is it safe for you to ride home like this sote?"

    Cecilia retorted, "If I don''t ride home like this, how should I do it? Should I fly home?"

    She spread her arms and mimicked flying,ughing at herself, "I don''t have wings, I can''t fly home. I

    don''t want to walk, and rolling home is out of the question. So, riding my e-bike is just right, I can

    enjoy the night view. The night view in Pinehurst is pretty good."

    Owen paused before saying, "What I mean is, you''re a girl, a young, beautiful one with a nice figure.

    Riding home thiste might be dangerous, what if you run into bad guys? There''s hardly anyone on

    the street thiste, even if you scream, no one would hear."

    "Just say you want to drive me home, I''d be more than happy to give you the opportunity, it saves

    time and it''s safer."

    Owen didn''t like her smug look, he wanted to deny it, but swallowed the words.

    "Unlock the shop, put the e-bike inside, then I''ll take you home."

    "How am I supposed to get to work tomorrow then? Are you picking me up?"

    "Don''t dream on, you won''t even give me gas money, who would do this thankless job?"

    Cecilia pouted, "Since you won''t pick me up, I''ll leave my electric car at the shop and it won''t be

    convenient toe to work tomorrow."

    "You can take the bus, or call a cab if you think the bus is too crowded."

    "But that would cost money."

    Owen was speechless.

    He took the keys from the e-bike, the shop keys were on the same keychain.

    He didn''t want to argue with her anymore, so he just took action.

    He unlocked the shop, pushed her e-bike inside, then locked up again.

    "Mr. Malicious."

    Owen looked pissed, he warned her, "Cecilia, call me ''Mr. Malicious'' one more time, watch me cut

    your tongue off."

    "I''m used to it, it''s second nature."

    Cecilia stuck her tongue out at him from the passenger seat.

    "Speaking of which, Owen, if your girlfriend finds out that you''re driving me home, won''t she p me

    again?"

    "Didn''t you say you had self-defense training?"

    "Oh, I get it. You mean if your girlfriend ps me, I can p her back. She looks so delicate, like a

    gust of wind could knock her down. If I p her a couple of times, her face would swell up like a pig,

    then she''d cry in front of you ''Owen, my face hurts so much, please help me''."

    "I''m giving you the opportunity, it''s up to you to seize it, no need to thank me."

    Owen had already started the car, but he killed the engine when he heard her words. He leaned

    towards her.

    Cecilia tried to dodge, but she was buckled up and the doors were locked. She had nowhere to

    hide.

    Seeing his dark expression, Cecilia quickly realized why he was upset.

    "Cecilia!"

    Owen warned her seriously, "Don''t hurt Ruby, she''s a fragile woman. She doesn''t have Lucinda''s

    strength, nor your trained body. If you hurt her, I won''t sit idly by."

    Cecilia pushed him away, keeping her distance.

    "It was you who reminded me, I''ve had training. You''re telling me that if Ruby decides toe at me

    just cause you drove me home, I can fight back? Even without your reminder, if she messes with

    me, I''ll put up a fight. No one''s gonna let her hit me for no reason, I don''t owe her anything."

    "Technically speaking, I should be the one picking a fight with her. I mean, I''m your legal wife.

    What''s her ce in your heart?"

    Owen replied, "Cecilia, we''re just husband and wife in name, the one I''ve always wanted to marry is

    Ruby. If it weren''t for my grandfather''s pressure, I wouldn''t have married you. Remember our deal!"

 Chapter 189

    Chapter 189

    Cecilia once again pulled him close, their bodies near enough that she could smell the cologne he

    always wore.

    She didn''t particrly like that scent, but it was always on him, probably because Ruby liked it.

    "Owen, you don''t need to remind me. I''m clear about our business rtionship. Don''t worry, I won''t

    make any move on you. There are plenty of good guys out there. You may be a good guy for Ruby,

    but not for me. I''m not stupid enough to fall for someone like you."

    Owen''s face turned ugly as he shook off Cecilia''s hand.

    He sat up straight and said seriously, "During our partnership, I hope you won''t betray me."

    "Our agreement didn''t mention anything about not having other rtionships, did it? Besides, you''ve

    been unting your rtionship in front of me, and I''m supposed to remain loyal to you? You think I

    enjoy being betrayed?"

    Owen was left speechless.

    She didn''t ask for his loyalty, so what right did he have to demand hers?

    After all, they were a couple in name only. She was doing this to repay a favor, and he was doing it

    to protect his position and status.

    He truly had no right to make demands.

    After a while, Owen said, "If you have someone you like, you can date him secretly first. Once we

    get a divorce, then you can publicly date him. I don''t want to end up being the joke of the town."

    "I''m the one who''s the joke. After all, everyone knows about you and your goddess."

    Owen was left speechless again.

    "Let''s go, it''s almost midnight." Cecilia urged Owen to start the car.

    Despite shooting her a re, Owen started the engine.

    What could he do when he was too soft-hearted to let her make her own way home?

    If he had just let her ride her scooter home, it wouldn''t be his problem anymore.

    He was just too worried, worried that she would be in danger on the road...

    "Have you told Ruby you''re married?"

    "I didn''t," Owen didn''t dare to admit.

    When he was single, Ruby didn''t choose him.

    If he told Ruby that he was married, Ruby definitely wouldn''t choose him.

    But when he was single, they were closer. Ruby was more dependent on him.

    He wasn''t Stefan. Ruby knew Stefan was married, she would be jealous, she would go crazy. As for

    him, it was impossible.

    "But she''ll find out. My mom told Mrs. Scott, who is Ruby''s biological mom."

    After a pause, he said, "Cecilia, if Rubyes to make trouble, you hide first, then call me. I''ll

    handle it, don''t fight with her. You won''t want to hurt her, and if she hurts you..."

    It took Owen a long time to finish that sentence. He said, "If she hurts you, I''ll have to pay. I don''t

    want either oue."

    Cecilia nced at him, nodded, saying, "If I have time, I''ll try to notify you to handle it. If I don''t, I''ll

    handle it myself."

    She leaned back in the car seat, yawning several times, "So sleepy."

    "If you''re tired, you can rest a bit. I''ll wake you up."

    "No need, we''re almost there."

    Owen shut his mouth and didn''t say anything more.

    The Yates family''s house wasn''t far from the Serendipity Cafe.

    Cecilia usually only needed about ten minutes on her scooter.

    By car, it was even quicker.

    It felt like they arrived in the blink of an eye. Owen''s car stopped on the street where the Yates

    family lived.

    He didn''t park too close to the house because he didn''t want to disturb them.

    Cecilia also didn''t want her family to know she came home in Owen''s car.

    Although everyone at home was asleep, her mom was a light sleeper. Any small noise could wake

    her up.

    She didn''t want to risk it.

    As Cecilia prepared to open the car door and get out, Owen called out to her.

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    "Is there anything else?" she asked, turning back towards him.

    Owen pulled out his wallet, took out a few bills and handed them to her.

    "What''s this for?"

    "This is for your taxi fare tomorrow. You''re making so much money, yet you''re so frugal."

    Cecilia took the money without hesitation, "Thanks."

    "You always say it''s not about the money, but it is."

    "What are you to me now?" Cecilia suddenly asked Owen.

    "We''re legally married, so naturally, I''m your husband."

    Ceciliaughed and asked him, "Then you must be familiar with the saying ''a husband''s money is

    meant to be spent by his wife¡¯."

    Owen was speechless.

    "I''m going now, goodnight."

    Cecilia waved, wished him good night, and left without looking back.

    Owen watched her until she was out of sight.

    "This heartless girl doesn''t even look back." Owen grumbled.

    "Ring, ring..." His phone suddenly rang.

    Seeing the caller ID, Owen immediately answered.

    "Ruby, you''re still awake?"

    His voice sounded very gentle.

    If Cecilia were there to hear him talk like this, she might have felt sick.

    "Owen, you don''t want me anymore? Didn''t you say you''d be with me forever? You promised to take

    risks for me whenever I needed you."

    On the other end of the phone, Ruby was crying, ming Owen.

    Owen understood. Ruby had found out about him and Cecilia.

    He felt a headacheing on. His free hand massaged his temple. Couldn''t Megan have chosen a

    better time to tell her?

    It waste at night. By telling Ruby now, Megan clearly didn''t want Ruby to sleep well.

    "Ruby, it''s not what you think. How could I not want you? Everyone in Pinehurst knows about my

    feelings for you."

    Many people had advised him not to keep chasing Ruby, saying she wasn''t worth his effort.

    But he couldn''t let go.

    They had grown up together. He was 29 this year, and had known Ruby for 25 years. After all this

    time, even though he knew Ruby didn''t love him, he couldn''t let go.

    "Ruby, don''t cry. It breaks my heart hearing you cry. I''ll be right there to exin everything in

    person."

    Owen hung up the phone, fired up the car, and drove to the Scotts''.

    By the time he got there, Megan was already waiting at the vi entrance.

    Seeing him, Megan looked apologetic and apologized to him, "Owen, I screwed up. I didn''t mean to

    say those things. I just wanted Ruby to get over her crush on Stefan."

    "Mrs. Scott, where''s Ruby?" Owen asked.

    "She''s holed up in her room upstairs. I can hear her throwing a fit from outside her door. She''s still

    going at it even at thiste hour..." Megan said, beating herself up, as she led Owen inside.

    Owen made a beeline for the stairs.

    As he was still on the stairs, he could already hear Ruby making a racket. His pace quickened with

    concern that Ruby might hurt herself in her tantrum.

 Chapter 190

    Chapter 190

    But when Ruby found out that he was already married, she blew a gasket, which showed that she

    still cared for him.

    While Owen was bummed, he couldn''t help but feel a little smug.

    He went up to Ruby''s room, knocked gently on the door and called out, "Ruby, it''s me. Open up, I

    need to exin."

    Ruby threw a fit, chucking everything around her room.

    She was mad and green with envy.

    Deep down, she knew that Stefan would end up with someone else, she knew that Stefan didn''t

    love her.

    Even though they had known each other since they were kids and grew up together, Stefan had

    started to distance himself from her since they were twelve, and the gap only widened over the

    years.

    Now, he imed to have forgotten her number even though he knew it by heart.

    She texted him but he never replied.

    Ten years ago, she swallowed her pride and offered herself as his birthday gift, but he didn''t ept.

    Back then, she was 18, in the prime of her youth. She gave him her all, but he didn''t bat an eye.

    Now, she was 28. No matter how well she took care of herself, she knew she couldn''tpete with

    her 18-year-old self.

    Stefan was never going to fall for her.

    She just couldn''t ept it. She just wanted to be Stefan''s wife.

    But when Owen married someone else, Ruby just couldn''t handle it.

    Owen had always been good to her, always put her first.

    Whenever she was down, he would cheer her up. Whenever she had a problem, he would help her

    solve it. He was always the first to wish her happy birthday and give her a carefully chosen gift.

    She didn''t think she was in love with Owen, but she also couldn''t stand the thought of him marrying

    someone else. She liked and was used to him revolving around her.

    What drove Ruby up the wall was the fact that Owen had married Cecilia, Lucinda''s best friend!

    She felt like these two women were out to get her!

    One stole Stefan, the other stole Owen.

    This pissed her off to no end!

    "Ruby, open up." Owen was still knocking on the door.

    Ruby wiped her tears, walking barefoot to open the door. She deliberately stepped on shards of

    ss, which easily cut the soles of her feet.

    Biting back the pain, she opened the door.

    As soon as she opened the door, she turned around and walked back, leaving bloody footprints

    behind.

    She hadn''t walked far when Owen scooped her up, just as she hoped he would.

    He sounded distressed when he said, "Why did you hurt yourself?"

    He carried her to the couch, then went to find the first aid kit.

    They usually had the necessary household medicines at home. Owen had been to her house and

    her room many times, he knew where the first aid kit was.

    In no time, he came back with the kit. He took out antiseptic, hemostatic, gauze and other stuff, then

    squatted down in front of her to clean her wounds.

    Seeing his pained expression, Ruby began to calm down.

    He still cared about her.

    Owen was forced to marry Cecilia because of her schemes. She won over Owen''s grandfather,

    which forced Owen to marry Cecilia.

    With this in mind, Ruby felt a lot better.

    As long as Owen still cared for her as much as he used to, loved her as deeply as he used to, she

    had nothing to worry about.

    Cecilia was no match for her!

    "It hurts!" Ruby whimpered.

    After Owen treated her wound, he sat down next to her, pulled her into his arms and said, "You

    knew it would hurt, why did you do it?"

    "It''s your fault."

    "Alright, alright, it''s my fault. I shouldn''t have married Cecilia just to keep my status. Ruby, if I had

    known you would react this way, I would rather give up my status, be penniless, as long as you''re

    by my side, I would be content."

    Ruby looked up at him, her voice hoarse, "Don''t be silly. If you give up your status and leave the

    Martinez family, who would be the happiest? Harry Martinez! Your status is tied to the future of your

    family, you can''t be so foolish."

    If Owen had nothing, how could he be her rock? How could he help her solve problems?

    What she cared about were Owen''s status, position and power.

    In Pinehurst, the only person who dared to openly oppose Stefan was Owen.

    Content bel0ngs to N?vel(D)r/a/ma.Org.

    "Owen, I was just mad..."

    Ruby wanted to say that she was mad and smashed things because of Lucinda.

    But she chose not to say it.

    Her mother''s words echoed in her ears.

    Her mom once said, "When a woman marries, it''s best if they love each other. If not, then choose a

    man who loves you but you don''t love, rather than a man who you love but doesn''t love you. If he

    loves you, he''ll be good to you, he''ll tolerate everything about you, he''ll make you happy. If you love

    a man who doesn''t love you, you''ll be the one making sacrifices, making him happy, tolerating

    everything about him, and you might not even get anything in return.

    Everyone knows how Owen feels about you. Even though he was forced to marry Cecilia, he

    doesn''t love her. Once Trenton passes away, or once Owen bes more powerful, he''ll kick

    Cecilia out and let you in. Then, you''ll be Owen''s wife, your status in Pinehurst won''t be any lower

    than Lucinda''s.

    You know how he feels about you. Ruby, Stefan doesn''t love you, no matter what you do, he won''t

    fall for you. Why would you break Owen¡¯s heart for him? If even Owen leaves you, what''s left for

    you?

    Losing Stefan might make you mad, but you never really had Stefan, you''ll get over it. But if you

    lose Owen, you''ll regret it, you''ll be tormented by endless pain. He''s been in your life for so long,

    you have so many beautiful memories together.

    Listen to me, quit messing with Owen, try to let go of your stubbornness, ept Owen, only then

    can you be happy for the rest of your life."

    Only after listening to her mom''s advice did Ruby find out that Owen was already married.

    She was already pissed off because of Lucinda, and when she found out that Owen and Cecilia

    were married, she totally lost it.

    She had a major meltdown in her room, leaving the ce aplete mess.

    "Owen, I know this is tough for you, I really screwed things up for you."

    After crying, throwing a fit, and venting all her jealousy and hatred, Ruby calmed down.

    She patted Owen''s shoulder likeforting a friend, "I''m really sorry, I put you in a tough spot. Your

    grandpa, he''s just... no, it''s not your grandpa''s fault, it''s Cecilia being too sly. She was able to

    convince your grandpa to force you to marry her."

    An image of Cecilia''s cute face shed through Owen''s mind, Cecilia wasn''t sly! He knew this for

    sure.

    "This has nothing to do with Cecilia." Owen instinctively defended Cecilia.

    Ruby suddenly looked up at him.

 Chapter 191

    Chapter 191

    "Owen, why are you always making excuses for Cecilia?"

    Ruby''s voice wasced with a hint of displeasure.

    She couldn''t stand Owen defending another woman.

    Owen opened his mouth, but was at a loss for words.

    Because he was only speaking the truth.

    Seeing Ruby''s unhappy expression, he didn''t know how to exin, so he chose silence.

    "Cecilia''s tricks are more cunning than Lucinda''s. At least Lucinda is upfront about it. Cecilia always

    resorts to shady tactics. You guys have been fooled by her."

    Owen bit his lip lightly, then asked Ruby, "Ruby, were you crying on the phone because you heard I

    was marrying Cecilia and you''re heartbroken?"

    "No, I was angry because of Lucinda."

    Owen''s hopes were instantly dashed.

    Her crying, breaking stuff, staying up all night, it wasn''t out of jealousy for Cecilia, but because

    Lucinda had pissed her off.

    His mood hit rock bottom. He had been reading too much into it.

    "What did Lucinda do to make you so angry?"

    Owen''s expression returned to normal as he asked Ruby with concern.

    "I wanted to talk to Stefan, so I called him. But Lucinda answered the phone instead. We had a

    huge fight over the phone, and I lost. It infuriated me."

    "Plus, hearing that you and Cecilia are already married, I felt like even you had abandoned me. I

    was even more upset, so..."

    Ruby looked at Owen under themplight, his handsome face close to hers. His eyes were full of

    concern and heartache, and her reflection filled his eyes.

    Stefan''s eyes held none of her.

    But she was all that Owen saw.

    Thinking this, Ruby felt a lot better. At least she still had Owen.

    Even if Owen was already married, as long as she was alive, she believed that Owen wouldn''t

    forget her. His heart only had room for her, and Cecilia would just live like a widow for the rest of her

    life.

    "Owen."

    Ruby leaned into Owen''s shoulder, wrapping her arms around his waist, and asked softly, "Owen,

    will you abandon me?"

    Owen smiled wryly, "It''s always been you who doesn''t want me."

    Ruby said coquettishly, "We''re best friends. You''re my only male best friend."

    So, he could only ever be her male best friend.

    Owen felt a pang of bitterness.

    His grandfather had once said that as long as Ruby had even a little bit of sincerity towards him, he

    wouldn''t stop him from being with Ruby.

    However, Ruby wasn''t willing to give him even that little bit of sincerity.

    "Ruby, it''ste. I''ll take you back to your bed to rest. Don''t think too much. You need to take care of

    your foot injury so you can do what you want."

    Ruby didn''t object.

    She let Owen carry her back to her bed andy her down gently.

    Afterying her down, he didn''t immediately let go of her. Instead, he leaned down and looked at

    her with deep affection.

    For a moment, Ruby wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, kiss him, maybe even more.

    But that thought was fleeting.

    Ruby didn''t do that, she wanted to keep her virgin for Stefan.

    However, if Owen wanted to kiss her, she also wanted to keep Owen as a backup option, she was

    willing to kiss him.

    Owen lightly touched her eyes.

    Ruby closed her eyes, and her red lips twitched slightly.

    All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.

    She thought Owen would forcibly kiss her, but he didn''t.

    After touching her eyes, Owen also touched her forehead. His gentle voice came from above her

    head, "Have a good rest. I should go home."

    After saying this, he stood up straight and turned to leave.

    "Owen."

    Ruby suddenly sat up and reached out to grab Owen. When Owen turned to look at her, she

    pleaded, "Can you stay tonight? I can''t sleep, can you keep mepany and chat?"

    Owen was silent for a long time.

    In the end, he let go of her hand and said softly, "Ruby, you know how I feel about you. If you ask

    me to stay, I won''t be able to just chat with you. To avoid regrets for both of us, I should go home."

    Ruby didn''t dare to hold onto him anymore.

    "Goodnight."

    Owen said goodnight, then left without looking back.

    Ruby sat on the bed in a daze.

    As soon as Owen left, Megan came in.

    Seeing the broken shards on the floor, she said to Ruby, "You''re wasting family resources. You can

    be angry, but why destroy your own things? When Owen was here, why didn''t you ask him to stay?

    He would definitely stay if you invited him."

    Ruby said nonchntly, "Mom, I''m not ready yet. Give me some more time to think."

    "You''re still thinking about Stefan. Can''t you hear anything I say? Are you willing to let Cecilia steal

    Owen right under your nose?"

    "Cecilia isn''t capable of that."

    Ruby said coldly, "Owen and I have known each other since we were kids, for over twenty years.

    He''s loved me for over a decade. How long has Cecilia known him? A few days? Can shepare

    to our twenty-something years of history?"

    "Mom, don''t worry. Owen''s heart is with me. No one can take him away. As for Cecilia..."

    Ruby''s eyes shed with determination, "There''s no difference in dealing with one person or two. I

    can handle both of them!"

    Megan looked at Ruby helplessly.

    She had said everything she could, Ruby just wouldn''t listen. All she could do was do her best to

    help Ruby achieve her goal.

    The next day, early morning.

    Lucinda was awakened by a kiss.

    Opening her eyes, she saw Stefan''s handsome face. She smiled and said, "Good morning, darling."

    "Good morning, darling."

    Stefan kissed her lips, "Darling, here''s a good morning kiss."

    Lucinda didn''t get a chance to speak.

    His kiss was gentle at first, but gradually, it became more aggressive.

    Giving her a feeling that he was gradually conquering her.

    Each time, he made her feel intoxicated, but also as if she would suffocate if he didn''t let her go.

    Finally, he let her go.

    A few minutester, Lucinda asked him, "Did you arrange for a car to go pick up my parents?"

    "Yes, the driver left early. When you get to Serendipity Cafe, you''ll see your grandparents."

    Lucinda wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes soft and inviting, whispering, "Babe, thanks."

    He was so considerate.

    ¡°It took me eleven years to marry you,¡± Stefan thought, ¡°how could I not be considerate?¡±

    "Are you getting up?"

    "What time is it?"

    "It''s almost seven in the morning."

    Lucinda let go of his neck and sat up, "My parents areing over, let''s get an early start."

    Stefan chuckled, "It''s not far from here, no need to rush."

    He also got up.

    By the time Lucinda had changed and freshened up, she saw him approaching her with a bunch of

    flowers in his hand.

    He handed her the bouquet.

    "Honey, this bouquet is super practical. You can keep it for a long time, it won''t wilt."

    It was a bouquet made of manyrge denomination bills!

    Indeed, it was beautiful, both practical and evesting.

 Chapter 192

    Chapter 192

    Lucinda took the bouquet made of banknotes, looked down at it for a while, and then chuckled, "So,

    the ''practical'' flowers you were talking about are made of money. I thought you were going to give

    me some fake flowers, you know, the ones that never wilt."

    A rich male protagonist could totally use this trick to win over a girl.

    She had learned that.

    The male characters in novels were all wealthy, they wouldn''t mind a bouquet made of money.

    "How could I possibly give you fake flowers?"

    Stefan, the doting man that he was, gently tapped her nose. Seeing her hair still loose, he kindly

    offered, "Let me help you tie your hair up, using the hairpin I got for you."

    "Aren''t those things at Ascend Estate?"

    Stefanughed, "You underestimated your husband. How could I only prepare for you at Ascend

    Estate? In every house of mine, you''ll find your daily necessities."

    Lucinda was about to say something, but remembering how he had been watching her for eleven

    years and done so many things behind her back, she swallowed her words.

    Stefan turned around and left.

    In a bit, he came back with a bunch of fancy hairpins, ced them in front of the dressing table, and

    asked Lucinda to choose.

    Then he picked up theb and tenderly started brushing her soft hair.

    Holding the bouquet made of banknotes, Lucinda looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her pretty

    face was lit up with a genuine smile. She was touched by the man behind her who was so caring

    and sincere.

    A happy woman, just like a confident woman, always seemed extra attractive.

    Lucinda felt that ever since she married Stefan, she had be more and more beautiful.

    Watching his skilled movements, Lucinda couldn''t help but ask, "Have you often helped women

    comb their hair?"

    "Sure, I practiced for a long time so that I could take care of you now. Not justbing, but also

    doing updo hairstyles, I''m pretty good at it."

    Lucinda casually asked, "Who did you practice on?"

    There were no other women around him, the only woman who had ever been linked to him was

    Ruby.

    They grew up together, could Ruby be the woman he practiced on?

    The thought made Lucinda feel a pang in her heart.

    Even though he had said the girl he had liked since childhood was her, not Ruby, it was Ruby who

    had apanied him through his childhood and spent a long time in his life. They might not have

    been in love, but perhaps they were friends.

    Suddenly, she felt a light tap on her head with theb.

    Lost in her thoughts, Lucinda was brought back to reality.

    "What are you thinking? You thought Ruby was the woman I practiced on?"

    Lucinda thought, ¡°could he read minds?¡±

    "Although I don''t have sisters in my generation, there are still women in my family. My grandma, my

    mom, my aunt, they could all be my practice targets."

    She had misunderstood him!

    Lucinda quickly turned around, smiling sweetly at him, "I wasn''t overthinking anything. Please

    continue. Once you''re done with my hair, we can go out."

    "Even if you''re in a hurry, you have to finish breakfast before you leave."

    Stefan did up her hair, revealing her smooth neck. He found it too attractive, and didn''t want other

    men to see her beauty. Her beauty was for his eyes only.

    So, he undid her hair bun, brushed all her hair, and fixed it with a hairpin. It looked no different from

    how Lucinda usually styled it.

    Lucinda was speechless.

    He had spent so much time, but didn''t create any new hairstyle.

    "Just like this, it looks good, very natural. I like your natural beauty."

    Lucindaughed, stood up, hugged his neck, kissed him on the cheek, then turned around, picked

    up her bouquet, and said with a smile, "Let''s go have breakfast."

    She walked a few steps, then stopped and asked him, "If I put this bouquet in our room, would you

    mind? I just think it''s too eye-catching."

    "I''d rather see you bask in the envious looks of others. That way, you''ll feel very happy."

    "Alright, I''ll take it back to the shop and show off a bit. Let those single people be envious."

    "If we were at Ascend Estate, the effect would definitely be better. Your cousins are all single, aren''t

    they?"

    Stefan, arm around her, walked downstairs whileughing and said, "No need for us to stimte

    them, our grandparents will naturally discipline them. I used to be their shield, now that their shield

    has been removed, let''s see how they can live freely."

    The boys of the Anderson family would say, "That''s not fair!"

    Stefan would reply, "What''s wrong, you have a problem with me getting married? You want me to be

    your shield for the rest of my life?"

    The boy replied, "No, no!"

    Stefan snorted heavily, "I knew you wouldn''t dare to object, otherwise, I''d make you go on blind

    dates!"

    The boys were speechless.

    Their brother knew exactly how to deal with them, always hitting right where it hurt!

    "Stefan...Lucinda, good morning."

    Emma, who was hurrying upstairs, saw theming down the stairs all lovey-dovey, and quickly

    stopped. Her anxious call slowed down. When she greeted Lucinda, she was already smiling, as if

    the anxious person just now wasn''t her.

    "Emma, good morning. I''m going to wash my hands."

    Lucinda guessed that Emma had urgent business with Stefan and quickly found an excuse to step

    aside.

    As soon as Lucinda left, Emma said to Stefan, "Stefan, we have a problem."

    Stefan was smart, "Ruby?"

    "It started with Ms. Dewey, but then Ms. Scott also came. I didn''t let them in, but I don''t know what

    happened, Ms. Dewey and Ms. Scott started arguing."

    Stefan frowned and coldly said, "Get someone to kick them out, don''t let them quarrel in my house!"

    "We can''t get rid of them."

    The Dewey family lived next door.

    "The Dewey family sure is stubborn."

    They hadn''t even sold the vi next door to pay off their debts yet.

    "Emma, get someone to move a fewrge speakers to the door and y rock music on a loop. The

    volume doesn''t need to be particrly loud, as it would disturb others. Just loud enough to be

    annoying to them."

    Emma''s eyes lit up, "Okay, I''ll do it right away."

    She was about to walk away, but then she stopped in her tracks, turned around, and said to Stefan,

    "Ms. Scott ims she''s here to apologize, and it seems like Ms. Dewey is begging you to let her off

    the hook."

    Stefan replied coldly, "Ruby has already apologized to Lucy, and thepensation has been paid.

    So tell her she doesn''t need to use apologies as an excuse to visit anymore."

    As for Adrienne Dewey, Stefan couldn''t be bothered to even discuss her.

    "Got it."

    Emma turned again, this time actually following Stefan''s instructions.

    The two women at the vi entrance had a huge fight, but in the end, there was no winner because

    they both ended up as losers.

    The real winner was Lucinda.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Adrienne always mocked Ruby, "You always say that you and Stefan grew up together, you''ve

    known each other for over twenty years, but you''re still no match for Lucinda. Some people say

    Stefan has been single, never had a girlfriend because you went abroad, and he''s waiting for you to

    come back."

 Chapter 193

    Chapter 193

    "All that I heard was bogus, you really are useless. You had the first chance with Stefan but you let

    Lucinda snatch him away. Why did you go abroad ten years ago? You thought he would appreciate

    you more?"

    "Being apart for a while may make one appreciate the other more, and that might work in familial

    love, but in romantic love, it just leads to breakups."

    "See, when you came back, Stefan was already married to Lucinda. You could only wallow in regret.

    You''re even jealous of my youth and beauty. Liking Stefan is everyone''s freedom, you have no right

    to call me shameless."

    Adrienne was young and vibrant, her words sharp as arrows.

    Her mocking words shot out from her mouth like arrows, piercing into Ruby''s ears. Ruby was so

    angry that her face changed colors, almost losing control and wanting to hit Adrienne.

    "The only one who has the right to call me shameless, to call me a homewrecker, is Lucinda. What

    are you?"

    "Look at the thick foundation on your face, like a city wall. You must be nearing thirty, right? You¡¯re

    probably so old that you¡¯ve lost your confidence and need makeup to hide your age. I should call

    you grandma, you should be the one giving up on Stefan."

    "After all, you¡¯re getting old. If you don¡¯t give up and be an even older hag, which man would

    want you? As for me, I¡¯m still young. If I can¡¯t marry Stefan, there are other great men waiting for

    me, hahaha!"

    Ruby couldn''t take it anymore, she walked over, ready to hit Adrienne.

    "Emma."

    Adrienne suddenly walked forward a few steps, grabbing the vi door, "Emma, is Stefan willing to

    see me?"

    Ruby turned around and also walked forward a few steps.

    She tried her best to stay calm, she couldn''t lose to this cunning fox, Adrienne.

    Adrienne even dared to try to snatch Stefan away, that¡¯s just shameless!

    "Emma."

    As Emma got closer, Ruby showed a dignified smile.

    "Hypocrite."

    Adrienne muttered under her breath.

    "Shut up!" Ruby scolded coldly.

    "Who do you think you are? You want me to shut up and I''ll shut up? I''ll talk even more just to piss

    you off, you old hag, shameless woman, still trying to be a home wrecker and break up people¡¯s

    marriage, you should take a look in the mirror."

    Ruby''s anger was provoked by Adrienne once again.

    She pped Adrienne hard.

    A red and swollen handprint immediately appeared on Adrienne''s delicate face.

    "You shameless woman, you dare to hit me, I¡¯ll fight you!"

    Adrienne had been spoiled by her family since she was young, who would dare to hit her?

    The pain on her face drove her mad.

    She charged over and started fighting with Ruby.

    Emma directed a few people to ce severalrge speakers at the entrance and then started

    ying rock music.

    Stefan reminded them not to disturb others, but he didn''t say they couldn''t disturb the Dewey family.

    So, the volume was pretty loud. Luckily, the vi''s front door was a distance from the main house,

    so the volume wouldn''t affect Lucinda happily enjoying her breakfast.

    Amidst the constantly repeating rock music, the conflict between Ruby and Adrienne had reached a

    conclusion.

    Adrienne was young and energetic. She showed a very intense attitude. Although her face was

    swollen, her hair was messy, and her clothes were torn, she was indeed the victor.

    The victor stood up, leaving Ruby behind, even kicking her, then looking down on Ruby and cursing

    her. But¡ª

    She couldn''t hear her own cursing.

    It was too noisy.

    Who''s ying this song, and what song is it? It''s so awful!

    When Adrienne started feeling annoyed by the constant rey of the rock music, Ruby quickly got

    up and threw herself at Adrienne. Adrienne didn''t notice and was knocked to the ground by Ruby,

    hitting her head on the ground and crying out in pain.

    Then they started another round of fighting.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    This time, Ruby won.

    Adrienne cried and went home for help but after her family knew that her opponent was Ruby, they

    did not help her. Adrienne might not know that Owen cherished Ruby, but the Dewey family did.

    Their daughter arguing and even getting into a fight with Ruby had the Dewey family worried about

    Owen''s retaliation.

    With no more opponent, Ruby was also annoyed by the constant rey of the rock music.

    She called Stefan, but he didn''t answer.

    She rang the doorbell, but no one came out to open the door.

    She shouted through the door, but the people inside couldn''t hear.

    With the current awkward situation, Ruby left in a huff.

    Inside the house.

    "Was it Ms. Dewey or Ruby?"

    Lucinda suddenly asked the man next to her.

    Hearing her question, Stefan wasn''t surprised. She wasn''t stupid.

    "Both were there."

    "Isn''t that lively then?"

    Lucinda joked on purpose, "When love rivals meet, they are bound to be fierce. They might even

    start fighting for you."

    Ruby, with her brazen personality,cking any refinement of a richdy, encountering Adrienne who

    was simrly unrefined and spoiled by her family. The two of them getting along peacefully would be

    a legend.

    "We don''t need to bother about them, it''s none of our business."

    "They are all for you."

    Lucinda pinched his face, sighing: "Being too handsome is also a curse for a man, especially for a

    sessful, wealthy, and handsome man, it''s a big disaster."

    "After knowing your true identity, my mom advised me to divorce. She said with your credentials,

    there will be many, many people admiring you. They would rush at you, not caring whether you''re

    married or not."

    Stefan held her hand, sincerely saying, "Lucy, I will never divorce in this lifetime! I can¡¯t choose my

    background. My looks were given by my parents. Taking over as the CEO of Ascend Global, that''s

    my responsibility. I can''t stop them from being infatuated with me, I can only keep my distance, not

    giving them any hope. But they will always find ways to get close to me. Sometimes I even want to

    take extreme measures to stop them, break their legs, so they can''t appear in front of me anymore.

    But that would be illegal. The Anderson family rule is to live uprightly. You don''t have to be a big

    shot, just be true to yourself, don''t break thew or else you''ll get kicked out by the Andersons.

    I don''t fancy that route either, ''cause you gotta face the music after acting impulsively. I want to walk

    through life with you, not spend the rest of my days behind bars.

    I know you novelists love to paint your heroes as invincible, squashing anyone who rubs them the

    wrong way, acting like they''re above thew. But that''s just fiction. In real life, who can dodge the

    long arm of thew after doing wrong? Justice is everywhere, there''s no hiding ce for

    lawbreakers."

    "Lucy, if you''re bummed out by this side of me... I won''t let go that easily."

 Chapter 194

    Chapter 194

    The teasing look on Lucinda''s face disappeared. She looked at him seriously and said, "No, you

    make me more and more fascinated. How could I be disappointed?" If you are that kind of cruel

    person, I will be disappointed. "

    "You have a lot of suitors, but you have never taken the initiative to seduce them, nor have you

    done anything unfaithful to me. I won''t me you for their rivalry and jealousy, which is not what you

    want to see. I know that if possible, you would rather take me to a ce where no one will disturb

    me and spend every day quietly. "

    But the responsibility on his shoulders was great.

    As the eldest son and authentic heir of the Anderson family, he had his responsibilities.

    "There are so many people who like you, and now I realize how lucky I was when I was ridiculous."

    He was really excellent.

    And such a good man belonged to her.

    "Stefan, I admit that I was a little upset at first, and with my mother''s advice, I once considered

    divorcing you. But now that I''ve epted you, I''m beginning to like you. You are really great. In a

    short time, you made me want to walk into the world you built for me. "

    "As for my mother, you should be able to see that she really likes you. She advised me to leave you

    before, mainly because she was worried that the gap between our life experiences would bring me

    great harm. When I made a decision, my mother stopped talking about it. She treated you better

    than my brother. "

    The fight between the two suitors did not seem to affect the young couple, but it did, but only in a

    good way.

    This made the couple to open up to say what was on their hearts. Mutual trust and respect between

    husband and wife, as well as careful management and protection of their marriage, can make their

    marriagest.

    By the time Stefan went out with Lucinda, Adrienne and Ruby had disappeared, and even Emma

    had the stereo removed, as if no one had been here.

    Ascend Hotel.

    Stefan arranged a car to pick up Lucinda''s parents and take them directly to Ascend Estate.

    At the same time, Keith Blue apanied his mother with a bodyguard and got into the car

    arranged by Stefan, also heading for Ascend Estate.

    Knowing that Stefan had sent both families to Ascend Estate, Lucinda called Cecilia Yates. After

    Cecilia answered the phone, she said apologetically, "Cecilia, I may not be able to go back to the

    store to help today, so I''ll ask you about the store."

    Cecilia smiled and said, "Lucy, what are you polite to me? The Serendipity Cafe belongs to both of

    us, as long as one of us looks after it in the store. You go about your business and let me know if

    you need help."

    She paused, and then said wryly, "Although Mr. Malicious and I are only husband and wife in name,

    if I meet something I can''t solve, ask Mr. Malicious for help, he will still help me." So if you have

    difficulties, you can tell me, don''t hide it from me, and don''t make yourself too tired. "

    Lucinda also smiled and said, "Don''t worry, if I really need your help, I will definitely ask you for help

    without hesitation. Simrly, if you have any questions, please let me know. Although I am not

    strong enough now, my husband is very strong and we will do our best to help you. "

    Cecilia smiled happily. "Well, we have been friends for many years. From ssmates to close

    friends to our current partners, saying so many kind words will make our rtionship unfamiliar."

    "Lucy, listen to your tone. Are you going to try to be stronger?"

    Hearing Lucinda say that she is not strong yet, Cecilia guessed that she might have to change the

    direction of her life.

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    She still didn''t know howplicated the family situation of Lucinda''s biological parents is. If

    Lucinda didn''t be strong, returning to the Blue family will only be used.

    Lucinda also wanted to find out who helped the Av family take her away from the Blue family

    twenty-three years ago, which led to her separation from her parents.

    Her brother was now in a very difficult situation in the Blue family. Although he was the heir of the

    family, he was in a difficult situation. If she didn''t be strong, she would not only be unable to

    help when she went back, but would bring more pressure to her brother.

    Her mother''s situation was not good now, and she couldn''t help. Didn''t this put more pressure on

    Keith?

    "Cecilia, you really know me."

    Lucinda smiled and praised Cecilia. "I''ll tell you more when I''m free."

    Cecilia responded to her words.

    "You are busy, I''m going out, too."

    Cecilia didn''t bother Lucinda. After they finished talking, Lucinda said to the man around her, "I am

    lucky to have a good friend like Cecilia."

    Stefan agreed with her.

    The friendship between these two women was very deep.

    Lucinda returned to the Anderson Manor, which is Ascend Estate. After Cecilia finished talking with

    Lucinda, she had finished breakfast and began to clean up the dishes and went into the kitchen to

    clean them.

    ¡°Cecilia,¡± Ba asked, "Where''s your electric bike?"

    "There was no electricity. I forgot to charge it. I couldn''t ride it back, so I stayed in the store to

    charge it. I came back by someone else''s motorcyclest night."

    Cecilia came out of the kitchen.

    "When you take motorcycles in the middle of the night, there are security risks in thework car,

    not to mention motorcycles. If you encounter such a thing again in the future, call your brother and

    ask him to pick you up. "

    Ba kicked Hudson Yates, who was having breakfast.

    Hudson immediately looked up and said, "Yes, call me when your electric bike is dead, and I''ll pick

    you up."

    In fact, he knew Cecilia''s skill was very good, and the average bad guy couldn''t hurt her.

    Before Lucinda became a member of the Anderson family, the two bosses of Serendipity Cafe were

    young and beautiful girls with no background. Someone might want to pick on them.

    But those who were looking for trouble were defeated by two girls and thrown out of Suiyuan Coffee

    Shop, which surprised everyone around them and frightened the bad guys. Since then, no one

    dared to look for their trouble.

    Cecilia was trained. Lucinda grew up in the countryside. When she was a child, she often fought

    with the children in the vige. She was stronger than the average girl. When fighting, she was

    never afraid of anyone.

    Of course, the appearance of the two people is very misleading, and no one can think that they can

    fight desperately.

    Hudson didn''t dare to say such a thing, for fear that his mother would me him and think that he

    was ruining Cecilia''s image and saying that Cecilia was a rude person, which would affect her future

    marriage.

    "It''s not far. If it''s early, I won''t spend too much time walking back. Mom, grandpa, I''m leaving first.

    Hudson, give me a sandwich. "

    Cecilia reached out and asked Hudson to give her a sandwich.

    Hudson quickly handed her a sandwich in a paper bag, but warned her: "You have just eaten a

    sandwich, so don''t eat less, so as not to feel unwell, and you will get pimples all over your face.

    Don''t me me for giving you a sandwich."

 Chapter 195

    Chapter 195

    "If I break out in pimples, it''s all because of your curse."

    Hudson was speechless.

    With her family''s encouragement, Cecilia cheerfully headed out.

    Just outside, she ran into her neighbor, Wilman, on her way to buy groceries. Cecilia greeted her

    with a smile.

    "Cecilia, why are you walking to work?" Wilma asked, "Don''t you usually zip around on your electric

    bike?"

    "Outta juice; it totally slipped my mind to recharge it. I left it at the shopst night to recharge, so

    today I''m thinking about catching a taxi."

    "I see. Cecilia, do you guys have any leftover pastries at the end of the day? If you do, bring them

    back and sell them to me for a good price. I love the pastries from your shop."

    She mentioned buying them the next day because Cecilia usually got homete, and as an olddy

    who slept early, she can''t possibly wait until midnight just for pastries.

    Cecilia readily agreed, saying, "If you like them, I''ll bring some back tonight. My mom can drop them

    off at your ce in the morning. No need to pay me. But Wilma, you''re not getting any younger;

    you¡¯ve got to watch your sugar intake. I''ll ask the pastry chef to make some savory biscuits for you

    with less sugar in the pastries; just a hint of sweetness will do."

    Wilma chuckled. "Alright, Cecilia, thank you."

    Even though Cecilia said no payment was necessary, Wilma would still insist on paying. Cecilia

    might not ept the money, but Wilma couldn''t help but give it to her.

    They chatted and strolled out of the alleyway.

    A familiar luxury car was parked there.

    It was Owen''s.

    Cecilia was quite surprised.

    What was he doing here, waiting?

    Was he here to pick her up for work?

    Was he really that nice?

    Was the sun rising from the west today?

    Cecilia looked up at the sky; the sun was right on schedule, rising into the sky at half past six. Now

    that it was hanging high in the sky, the sun rays reminded Cecilia that the sun was still rising from

    the east.

    No bizarre phenomenon of the sun rising from the west had urred.

    Cecilia didn''t want to get into Owen''s car under Wilma''s gaze, so she pretended not to recognize

    Owen and didn''t approach the luxury car.

    Owen looked a bit haggard, with dark circles under his eyes; clearly he hadn''t slept well.

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    He didn''t bring any bodyguards either.

    The car window was down, one hand on the steering wheel, the other holding a lit cigarette, taking

    asional drags.

    Seeing Cecilia acting like she didn''t know him, Owen took another couple of drags from his

    cigarette, threw it away, and then drove the car closer, honking the horn incessantly.

    Wilma asked Cecilia, "Cecilia, do you know that young man?"

    Cecilia lied: "He''s the taxi driver I booked online. Wilma, I have to go to work now; be careful

    crossing the road."

    Wilma didn''t recognize the emblem on the luxury car and thought Owen''s car wasn''t as good as her

    grandson''s. Her grandson''s car was a seven-seat business vehicle, which was quite expensive.

    After riding in her grandson''s car, Wilma thought no other car could be asfortable.

    But that ride-hailing driver was really young and handsome.

    "Cecilia, go to work. I''m going grocery shopping. It''s almost the weekend; I''ll have your family take

    me to your shop then."

    She didn''t like coffee, but she could eat pastries and also help Cecilia''s business.

    "Alright."

    Cecilia agreed readily, watched Wilma cross the road and head towards the supermarket, then

    leaned over and looked at the man in the car,ughing as she asked, "What''s going on today?

    You''re here; did you deliberatelye to pick me up for work?"

    She never dreamed that one day she''d enjoy this kind of service.

    Owen looked at the sandwich in her hand and asked, "What''s that?"

    Cecilia rolled her eyes and said, "Even if you''ve never eaten a sandwich, you should have seen it

    on TV. You''re actually asking what this is? Such a dumb question."

    "I don''t watch TV, and I really haven''t eaten a sandwich before."

    He came from the Martinez family, which was already wealthy when he was born.

    He was born into a wealthy family, so his meals were always high-end.

    "But I know it''s a sandwich."

    "Then why did you ask what it is?"

    Owen was silent for a moment, then said, "If I hadn¡¯t asked, would you have diverted the

    conversation to the sandwich?"

    He snatched the sandwich from Cecilia''s hand and quickly took a bite.

    Cecilia was toote to snatch it back.

    As he began to eat, Cecilia could only curse him: "Noble heir of the Martinez family, you look like

    you''re about to starve. Did you leave the house without having breakfast?"

    "I left without having breakfast, but who was it for? It''s for driving you to work."

    Cecilia helplessly said, "Owen, I know my ce; you don''t need to create any illusions to make me

    think I''m noble."

    If Owen came to find her, it definitely wasn''t for anything good.

    Driving her to work?

    She would never believe that!

    Cecilia turned around and walked away.

    Owen quickly called out to her, "Cecilia, get in the car; I''ll drive you to work."

    "Are you full with just one sandwich? I''ll buy you some bread and a ss of milk."

    Owen paused in his eating of the sandwich.

    He looked at her for a moment, then said, "You''re so stingy, inviting me for such a breakfast."

    "You can refuse. Anyway, I can still eat it; it won''t go to waste."

    Owen was speechless.

    Cecilia walked away.

    There were lots of small shops on both sides of the street, and certainly no shortage of breakfast

    ces.

    Cecilia bought Owen several pieces of bread and a ss of milk.

    When she returned to Owen''s car, Owen courteously got out of the car to open the door for her.

    "You''re quite the gentleman when you''re not being a jerk."

    Owen''s face darkened. "Am I that bad?"

    "Do you dare to say you''re a good guy?"

    Owen opened his mouth but was at a loss for words.

    He wasn''t a good person in the eyes of many.

    Most of his kindness was reserved for Ruby.

    Cecilia got in the car, handed him the bread, and said, "These breadse in many vors. The

    bread from this shop is really good; I especially like it."

    Owen took the bread and the ss of milk from her.

    "Let''s switch ces. I''ll drive; you have breakfast."

    Cecilia rubbed her hands together. She had never driven such a high-end car before.

    "Can you drive?"

    "If not, the worst-case scenario is a car crash."

    Owen: "Forget it; I''ll drive. Let me eat a sandwich first."

    He rolled up the car window, blocking the outside world''s gaze, and started eating his sandwich

    while sipping on some milk.

    Being the president of the Ike group and the heir to the Martinez family, this was the first time

    Owen had such a simple breakfast.

    Maybe he was really hungry, because he found the in sandwich surprisingly tasty and the milk

    incredibly satisfying.

 Chapter 196

    Chapter 196

    His phone suddenly rang.

    Chomping down his toast, Owen pulled out his phone. He froze when he saw the caller ID.

    He didn''t pick up immediately.

    Cecilia teased him on purpose: "Ruby''s calling, isn''t she? Scared to pick up because you don''t want

    her to find out we''re together?"

    She remembered thest time Ruby pped her.

    If Ruby messed with her again and pped her, Cecilia would definitely fight back, leaving Ruby''s

    face covered in bruises.

    After all, she didn''t love Owen, so she didn''t have to worry about offending him.

    Owen had forced her to marry him because he''d once helped her. As generous as his payment

    was, she wasn''t about to let herself be treated poorly.

    Owen shot her a re, admonishing her, "Could you not be so sharp-tongued? Ever since I met

    you, you''ve always been like this. A well-mannered, beautiful girl like you should watch what you

    say. Don''t be so cutting and so crude, or you''ll scare off all the guys who want to chase you. Then

    you''ll end up an old maid."

    Cecilia chuckled: "As long as I have money, who needs men? Sure, I''m married now, but my

    husband''s heart is with another woman. What''s so great about being married to a man? Money is

    more reliable. Just remember, after Trenton passes away, you better hold up your end of the deal. If

    you dare to back out," Cecilia suddenly threatened viciously, "I''ll make you lose a certain part of

    you. So you can only watch your beloved woman but not touch her. That''ll piss you off."

    Owen: "You''re really ruthless."

    "Hurry up and pick up your phone. Don''t keep your goddess waiting too long, or she might start

    crying."

    Ruby was a two-faced person. She was arrogant in front of them but gentle and weak in front of

    Stefan and Owen, easily stimting Owen''s protective instinct.

    Mr. Coleman was really wise.

    He saw through Ruby''s hypocrisy at a nce and stayed away from her.

    After two calls from Ruby, Owen finally picked up.

    "Owen."

    The moment he picked her up, he heard Ruby crying.

    Owen shot Cecilia a quick nce. Seeing herugh, his face darkened, but he couldn''t say

    anything.

    "Owen, why did you answer sote?"

    Ruby asked through her tears.

    Owen coolly lied, "I was driving. Ruby, what happened? Don''t cry; just talk to me slowly."

    Ruby sobbed, "You usually have a driver to take you to and from work. Why are you driving today?

    You used to pick up my calls immediately. Today it took you so long, I thought you didn''t want me

    anymore."

    "Owen, I was bullied. That bitch not only insulted me but also hit me. You have to avenge me."

    Hearing this, Owen immediately turned serious and asked hurriedly, "Someone dared to bully you?

    They had the audacity toy a hand on you; don''t they know you''re under my protection?"

    In the past, the Scott family had a certain status in Pinehurst because Megan was acquainted with

    the Anderson and Martinez families. So, many people didn''t dare offend the Scott family because

    they had the support of these two powerful families.

    Even when the Scott family immigrated abroad and moved theirpany overseas, Ruby''s status

    in Pinehurst didn''t decline because Owen was protecting her. She was still a rich youngdy with

    status.

    Ordinary people really didn''t dare to mess with Ruby, let alone hit her.

    "It was Stefan''s."

    Ruby started crying again at this point.

    Upon hearing Stefan''s name, Owen''s heartache cooled a bit, and his face turned terrible.

    Last night, Ruby cried her eyes out over Stefan.

    Today, Ruby was crying again because of Stefan.

    Last night, despite being exhausted, he went to the Scott family tofort her in the middle of the

    night. She thought that it was only natural and didn''t appreciate his kindness.

    Because of Ruby, he didn''t get a good restst night; his mood was bad, and he even skipped

    breakfast.

    And the person who gave him warmth and joy was Cecilia, his wife in name.

    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Owen took a big bite of his toast and choked.

    Cecilia quickly picked up the cup of milk he put down when he answered the phone and handed it to

    him. He took a few sips before he recovered.

    "Was it Lucinda?" Owen asked.

    Ruby cried, "No, it was Stefan''s suitor, Adrienne. That bitch dared to hit me and mock me for being

    old. Owen, I want to bankrupt the Dewey family, bring misfortune to the Deweys, and make

    Adrienne kneel before me crying for mercy."

    So it was the Dewey family.

    Owen''s face rxed a bit.

    He thought Ruby had angered Lucinda again.

    If it was Lucinda, Owen would really have to think carefully before acting. Stefan was a man deeply

    in love with his wife, and he wouldn''t dare mess with Lucinda lightly.

    Owen sneaked a nce at Cecilia.

    And, Lucinda and Cecilia were good friends.

    He had to show some respect to his wife.

    "The Dewey family is currently in trouble. Their house next to Stefan''s is about to be sold off to pay

    off debts."

    As apetitor, Owen had been keeping an eye on Stefan''s movements.

    Stefan was doing the same to him.

    Owen knew Ascend Global was secretly suppressing the Dewey group. As for why Stefan was

    suppressing the Dewey group, he guessed that Stefan, now married, didn''t want to be bothered by

    suitors anymore. So he used this method to ward off this suitor.

    If anyone ever said Owen was a meanie and Stefan was a saint, he''d bring this up as his

    counterargument.

    Stefan was the big cheese at Ascend Global. After he took over, thepany grew even stronger,

    proving that Stefan wasn''t as gentle as he seems, he''s really a tiger in sheep''s clothing.

    And he''s been fooling people with his gentle facade.

    Stefan used to stick to his principles. He was clear about keeping work and personal life separate

    and would never use his power to suppress otherpanies for personal reasons.

    Adrienne was the lucky one; she became the first example of Stefan using personal matters to

    suppress otherpanies.

    "I n to buy the Dewey family''s house, Owen. Keep an eye on their movements for me. As soon

    as they decide to sell, no matter the price, I''m game."

    Owen mulled it over for a bit before saying, "You just moved your business back home and have hit

    some snags. You''re also nning to renovate your house, all of which requires money. Do you still

    have enough dough?"

    Ruby had always been overseas, where her fashion designs were more in line with foreign trends.

    Back home, her designs didn''t really cut it.

    Though she could switch up her style to cater to local tastes, she had just returned and her

    business hadn''t quite found its footing yet.

 Chapter 197

    Chapter 197

    She wrecked someone''s shop out of jealousy and made it to trending topics, damaging her

    reputation. Plus, with Stefan on her case, her career was going to be a tough ride.

    The Scott family needed a makeover, and Owen suspected she might not be financially sound.

    "You''re there for them, right?"

    Owen fell silent right away.

    Ruby kept ranting on the phone, but Owen''s just not in the mood anymore. Finally, he said, "Ruby, I

    need to drive now. I''ll take care of this Adrienne Dewey situation for you; don''t worry. I''ll make sure

    that Adrienne apologizes to you."

    Then he hanged up.

    Cecilia can tell he''s in a bad mood.

    She didn¡¯t mock him; she just asked, "Can you still drive? If you can''t, let me do it."

    Owen quietly swapped seats with her.

    Cecilia thought to herself, Ruby was really something. One phone call from her, and the head

    honcho of the Ike group was down in the dumps.

    It''s clear Owen was really into Ruby.

    Ascend Estate.

    Fiona Lewis Moore realized that they were not on the way to the Serendipity Cafe and asked the

    driver where they were headed.

    The driver politely told her, "We''re going back to Ascend Estate. That''s Mr. Coleman''s real home."

    Fiona paused for a moment before nodding, not asking further.

    She knew the driver was just a driver and wouldn''t know Stefan''s real ns.

    Since it''s Stefan''s arrangement, he must have his reasons. She''s not in a rush; once they got to

    Ascend Estate, his intentions will be clear.

    Stefan hadn¡¯t directly told her; he wanted to leave the exnation to Lucinda Moore.

    Lucinda was the adopted daughter of the Moore family. Now that she had found her biological

    parents, it would be more appropriate for her to tell the Moore family herself as a sign of respect.

    "Ascend Estate is Stefan''s real home, right? All his family lives there. We''re going to meet his

    Grandparents, aren''t we? But all we brought were some local specialties; aren''t we going to appear

    too shabby?"

    Madison Moore worried that their gifts were too simple for their first meeting, and they might look

    down on them.

    If Stefan''s Grandparents look down on them, it didn¡¯t matter, but they were afraid that they might

    look down on Lucinda because of it.

    Stefan didn¡¯t specify beforehand; otherwise, she would have definitely prepared more generous

    gifts with her own money, so they wouldn¡¯t appear so shabby.

    "Young man, is there a supermarket nearby? Could you stop and let us get off to buy some stuff?"

    The driver responded, "At the end of this road is Ascend Estate; there''s no supermarket along the

    way. Don''t worry, Patrick Anderson and Savannah Blue Anderson are very easygoing people. They

    won¡¯t mind what you brought."

    He''s heard that when Lucinda first returned to Ascend Estate with Mr. Coleman, she also brought a

    lot of local specialties from home and was warmly weed by Patrick and Savannah. How could

    they be picky?

    He''s been a driver for the Anderson family for several years. The Anderson family was indeed a

    unique and extraordinary family, very down-to-earth and approachable.

    Ascend Estate was not open to the public, this mystery may give people the notion that the

    Anderson family was aloof.

    After all, they''re top-tier wealthy.

    Fiona reassured her inws: "I''ve met Stefan''s Grandparents; they''re really kind people. Last time

    we brought them lots of local specialties, and Stefan said they loved it."

    Whether it''s true or not, as long as Stefan was there, Fiona believed the Anderson family will treat

    them courteously.

    Madison mumbled, "That''s good."

    She''s clearly very nervous.

    She''s very afraid of being looked down upon.

    Soon, they arrived at Ascend Estate.

    The Moore family can clearly see the scenery at the foot of the mountain through the car window:

    large fields of rice, vast meadows of flowers, most of the nearby mountains nted with fruit trees,

    and many houses. It didn''t look like a family home, more like a small vige.

    Just like Stefan said before, his family also farmed, and nted flowers, etc.

    The car wound up the mountain road all the way to the top.

    Stefan and his wife had already returned to Ascend Estate and were currently waiting at the

    entrance.

    The driver slowed down as they entered the estate, and when the car came to a stop, Lucinda and

    her husband greeted them.

    "Grandma, Grandpa."

    The young couple first helped the elderly out of the car.

    Madison took Lucinda''s hand and whispered: "That mountain road is really winding, Lucy; don''t

    drive up and down the mountain by yourself in the future; I''m really notfortable with your driving

    skills."

    Lucinda looked a little embarrassed.

    "Don''t worry, I''ve arranged a driver specifically for Lucy. I won''t let her have a chance to drive."

    Stefan''s words reassured Madison.

    The whole way up the mountain, her heart was in her throat.

    She was afraid that the driver might slip up and they¡¯d all tumble down the mountain.

    Lucinda sneakily pinched Stefan''s arm.

    Now she regretted driving with Stefan and letting him know about her reckless driving style. Now, he

    won''t let her drive anymore; she can''t even touch the steering wheel.

    Hearing that the Moore family wasing, Patrick and Savannah came out of the house with their

    children.

    The two families greeted each other as Keith Blue and his mother arrived at Ascend Estate.

    Seeing Keith, who bore some resemnce to Lucinda, the folks from the Moore family seemed to

    get Stefan''s n.

    Was this Lucy''s real kin?

    Before they could ask, Lucinda exined, "I called my momst night, intending to tell her about

    this, but we chatted and I forgot. So, I thought I''d announce it today."

    Fiona asked with mixed feelings, "So, they''re yours?"

    "My twin brother and biological mother."

    Holding Fiona''s hand, Lucinda said, "Mom, even if I''ve found my biological family, I''m still your

    daughter."

    Fiona patted Lucinda''s hand and said, "I won''t overthink it. I trust you. I''m d that you found your

    family so quickly."

    "Mom."

    Lucinda gave her a grateful hug.

    Fiona gently patted her back.

    Everyone from the Anderson family to the Moore family was happy for Lucinda to find her family.

    "Lucy."

    When Janice Blue got out of the car and saw Lucinda, she wanted to approach her but was held

    back by Keith.

    Before Lucinda and Fiona could converse much, Janice broke free from Keith, holding a doll and

    calling out, "Lucy, Lucy."

    Through Lucinda''s dreams, Fiona spected that Lucinda''s biological mother might have mental

    issues. Now that she saw Janice calling the doll Lucy, she felt sorry for Lucinda.

    She also felt sympathy for Janice.

    Janice''s biological daughter was right in front of her.

    Yet Janice treated the doll as her own child.

    "Lucy, Lucy."

    Janice approached, smiling, and said, "Lucy, is this your home? My husband told me we were

    visiting your home when we came."

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Looking at Keith and the bodyguards behind him, Fiona quietly asked Lucinda, "Which one is your

    real dad?"

    The men there were all quite young; none looked like Lucinda''s father.

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    Chapter 198

    Lucinda first answered her birth mother''s question, then whispered to Fiona, "My birth mom is not in

    a good state of mind. She always mistakes my real brother for my dad andpletely forgets about

    her own son."

    In a desperate attempt to be remembered by his mother, Keith even changed his name to Ethan

    Blue.

    Lucinda felt a pang of sadness. For all these years, she was treated like a princess in the Moore

    family, while her birth mother and brother had a hard time.

    Fiona looked at Janice with a deep sense of pain in her heart.

    As a mother, she could totally understand Janice''s pain.

    Looking at Keith, Fiona''s heart ached as well.

    A child who was not remembered by his own mother, for all these years, despite having his mother

    by his side, was unable to enjoy her love.

    "Let''s all go in," Savannah suggested.

    "Lucy," Janice was very dependent on Lucinda. She was holding a doll with one hand and tightly

    grasping Lucinda''s arm with the other, fearing Lucinda would leave her.

    She hadn''t been out for a long time; her usualpany was the servants at home, all of whom

    looked down on her.

    Over time, Janice became afraid of strangers and crowded ces.

    "Mum, don''t be scared. Let''s go inside and talk." Lucindaforted her.

    Janice nodded, perhaps feeling that her reaction would lead to misunderstandings, so she

    awkwardly smiled at everyone.

    Everyone went into the house.

    The Moores were a bit nervous, especially the elderly.

    Stefan noticed their difort and naturally sat next to Madison.

    The elderly were familiar with Stefan; after all, he was Lucinda''s husband, and Stefan and Ike

    Moore were college ssmates. Even though they weren''t close friends due to personality

    differences, Stefan would visit the Moores every year.

    The Moores had a good impression of him.

    But then, after he graduated and got busy taking over thepany and dealing with various issues,

    he didn''t have time to visit the Moores until he stabilized thepany and had time to pursue

    Lucinda.

    Before he could start his pursuit, Lucinda, pressured by her mother to get married, took the initiative

    to rent him as a boyfriend, and he tricked her into bing his wife.

    Stefan didn''t say it, but when Lucinda proposed to rent him as a boyfriend, he was thrilled.

    He had done so much behind the scenes, just wanting to make her his wife, and she willingly fell

    into his trap.

    Honestly, heughed every time he thought of this.

    After the servants served coffee, desserts, and fruits, Stefan kindly introduced which desserts were

    delicious and asked the elderly to try them.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    With him by their side, talking, the elderly soon rxed and became natural.

    Lucinda gave Stefan a look of appreciation and gratitude.

    She was caught up with Janice, needed to take care of Janice''s emotions, and couldn''t ignore

    Fiona.

    At this moment, her adoptive parents were on her left, and her birth mom and birth brother were on

    her right.

    The Andersons waited until both families'' emotions were stable, and then Savannah lovingly looked

    at Stefan.

    Stefan detailed the whole thing.

    Only then did the Andersons and Moores understand the truth.

    While sympathizing with Janice, they were also amazed at the magic of blood rtions.

    When Lucinda was only half a year old, she was stolen from her home by her father''s pursuer. Even

    though the Blues immediately investigated and pursued Elisa after discovering this, they only found

    Elisa''s body in the end, not baby Lucinda Blue.

    Mother and daughter had been separated for 23 years, during which they hadn''t met. But Lucinda

    had dreamed of her birth mother twice recently, which was the magic of blood ties.

    So, how did Vincent Moore find Lucinda?

    Vincent recalled the scene at that time and said, "My biological daughter was also just half a year

    old at that time, but she had neurostoma. Even though we were willing to do everything to treat

    her, the situation was not optimistic. The doctor told me that our daughter was critically ill and that I

    should be prepared."

    "I was in great pain, but I had to face reality. On that day, after the doctor told me about my

    daughter''s condition, I didn''t return to the ward but walked out of the hospital in a daze. I didn''t know

    where to go, so I took a bus and let it take me anywhere."

    "When I passed by the cemetery, I thought of the doctor''s words that I needed to prepare a funeral

    for my daughter. So I got off the bus near the cemetery and walked to the cemetery, nning to

    choose a burial site for my daughter. It was very quiet near the cemetery, with few people."

    "As I was walking, I heard a child crying. At first, I thought I was hallucinating, because how could

    there be a child near the cemetery? But the cry was too real, so I followed the sound and really saw

    a child in a ditch by the roadside. She was also half a year old, crawling around in the ditch, crying

    with her head up."

    "I immediately jumped into the ditch and picked her up. After I picked her up, she kept grabbing my

    clothes and stuffing them into her mouth. I guessed she must be starving. She was dressed nicely,

    which I couldn''t afford for my child at that time. She was also wearing a gold ne."

    "The ne was engraved with ''Lucy''. I didn''t know who had dumped her in the ditch; if no one

    had found her, she would have died. My heart ached for this little girl, so I took her home. I didn''t

    know if anyone saw me at the time."

    "I was just back at the bus stop with her when I received a call from my wife, telling me that my

    daughter''s life was hanging by a thread. I quickly ran towards the hospital with the little girl in my

    arms. As soon as I got back to my daughter, she passed away."

    As they talked about the past, everyone in the Moore family shed tears.

    This was the first time Lucinda found out how she was picked up.

    She was brought here by the real Lucinda; she consoled the real Lucinda''s parents for their loss;

    she became their daughter in ce of the real Lucinda.

    Fiona couldn''t help but sob uncontrobly on her husband''s shoulder.

    For the past 23 years, although she treated Lucinda as her own daughter, she always knew that

    Lucinda could not rece the daughter she lost. The pain of losing a daughter still hurts when she

    thinks about it.

    "Mom!" Lucinda hugged Fiona tearfully.

    Fiona cried for a while, realized they were at the Anderson family, her daughter''s husband''s home,

    and tried to hold back her pain. She wiped her tears on her husband''s shoulder, gently patted

    Lucinda''s hand, and said with a trembling voice, "I''m okay; it''s been 23 years; I''ve made it through."

    She took over Vincent''s words and said, "Only a mother who has lost a child can know what that

    feels like. It really feels like the end of the world; it''s extremely painful. My daughter was also a

    lovely baby before she fell ill; every time I see Lucy, it''s like seeing my daughter. I couldn''t resist her

    charm, and so we brought Lucy home, told the world that Lucy was cured, and let her take our

    daughter''s ce."

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    "Our lives are filled withughter because of her. I''m so thankful that God gave us a daughter."

    One named Lucinda, another also named Lucinda. They''re both just half a year old, and they¡¯re

    both as cute as a pair of perfect doubles. For many years, the vigers had no clue that Lucinda

    was not the original Lucinda.

    If it weren''t for Lucinda''s entry into the Anderson family, the Andersons, with their wealth and power

    and their vastwork of information, wouldn''t have found out that Lucinda wasn''t actually a blood

    rtive of the Moore family.

    Perhaps Vincent was seen when he found Lucinda years ago, but he himself didn''t notice it.

    After hearing the story of the past, Keith got up, walked over to Vincent and Fiona, and knelt down.

    "What are you doing?"

    The couple was startled and hurried to help Keith up, but Keith didn''t get up.

    Lucinda also knelt beside her biological brother, both of them showing their gratitude to Vincent and

    Fiona.

    Janice, holding a doll, was at a loss.

    "Thank you for saving my sister''s life, for raising her, and for teaching her so well. My dad isn''t here,

    my mom''s not in a good mental state, Lucy and I are twins, and as her brother, I''m representing my

    parents to thank you."

    Keith thanked the couple.

    Lucinda also tearfully said, "Dad, Mom, thank you for giving me a second chance at life. From what

    I can remember, you''ve always taken care of me, treating me even better than your own daughter.

    Even if I''ve found my biological parents, I''m still your daughter."

    She joined her brother in showing their gratitude to their parents.

    "It''s a godsend; you don''t have to say all this. You''ve brought us joy too; we should thank you."

    Fiona helped Lucinda stand up.

    Vincent pulled Keith up.

    Janice, holding the doll, watched her children with a puzzled expression, but she wasn''t sad. Even

    after listening to Vincent''s recollection of finding Lucinda, she cried, but she couldn''t remember her

    past.

    She would just hold the doll tightly, relieved that the baby was still in her arms and not taken by bad

    guys.

    The children she gave birth to, no matter when, even if she couldn''t see them for a day, felt like a

    part of herself had been cut off.

    After a while.

    Savannah looked at Lucinda and said, "So you''re the daughter of the Blue family from Skywatch? I

    thought you looked familiar; I''ve met your grandmother a few times."

    Keith said that Lucinda had inherited her grandmother''s looks.

    Savannah''s maiden family and the Blue family from Skywatch, although not rted by blood,

    shared the same surname. Decades ago, she had met Grace Blue, and because Grace''s husband

    shared her surname, she felt a kinship with her and still remembered her.

    That''s why she thought Lucinda looked familiar the first time she saw her.

    Simrly, Trenton had also met Grace, so he thought Lucinda looked familiar.

    Trenton had been trying to figure out Lucinda''s identity, so he sent people to investigate, but they

    were discovered by Keith''s people. Once they confronted each other, Keith took his mother to

    Pinehurst, where he had the chance to meet Lucinda and recognize her.

    If Janice hadn''t run away from home, maybe Keith would never have had the chance to meet

    Lucinda.

    After all, Trenton was not so kind-hearted; he wouldn''t have voluntarily helped Keith and Lucinda

    recognize each other.

    Even though Lucinda is now part of the Anderson family, and even though she gives the impression

    of being an ordinary girl without a background and only got close to Stefan through her brother and

    Stefan''s school connections, in Trenton''s eyes, Lucinda was still better than Ruby.

    His own grandson was infatuated with Ruby, which he disliked, while Stefan can marry a wife with a

    clean background and a good personality. Trenton was unbnced, feeling that Stefan was much

    better than his grandson.

    If he knew that Lucinda was the biological daughter of the Blue family from Skywatch, Trenton might

    be sick with envy.

    He can''tpare with Patrick, and his grandson can''tpare with Stefan.

    Was the Martinez family destined to always be second-best?

    He can''t ept this reality!

    Savannah asked Keith, "Is your grandmother well?"

    With a serious expression, Keith answered, "She''s fine!"

    After all, she''s constantly being instigated by Ka and Ashley to cause trouble for his mother.

    His mother was insane, and those people were bullying a mentally ill person. Didn''t they have any

    conscience?

    It seemed they didn''t.

    Seeing the resentment in Keith''s words and the unhappy look on his face, Savannah and her

    husband exchanged a nce, didn''t ask any more questions, and decided to ask them privately

    later.

    The Blue family and the Moore family were both Lucinda''s rtives. With both of them here, the

    Anderson family naturally had to entertain them well.

    After dinner, Lucinda and her husband apanied their two mothers and Grandparents for a walk

    in the vi.

    Keith didn''t join them.

    It was then that Savannah asked him, "Did your grandmother do some bad things after Lucy

    disappeared? Is your mother unable to remember what happened when Lucy was lost after hearing

    Vincent describe finding Lucy?"

    Keith spoke in a deep, downbeat tone: "After my mom went nuts, she started treating that doll like it

    was Lucy, spending all day in her own world. She couldn''t recognize me and kept thinking I was my

    dad. I even changed my name to something very simr to my dad''s, just so she might remember

    me. Every time she called out my dad''s name, I''d pretend she was calling for me. I kept telling

    myself she remembered me."

    "She''s been crazy for over 20 years. asionally, she¡¯d recall a snippet of the past, but it would

    disappear in a sh, unable to stick in her mind. So when Vincent talks about the old times, she

    thinks it''s someone else''s story."

    Keith noticed how tightly his mother was holding the doll.

    He knew she was grateful that her baby hadn¡¯t been tossed into a ditch and that the baddies hadn''t

    stolen her baby.

    "I remember my grandma always ming my mom. When I was little, my mom''s mental state

    wasn''t all that bad, but my grandma kept scolding her. My mom had lost her daughter, got no

    comfort, and had to endure criticism. It wasn''t even her fault. The pressure was too much, and her

    mental state kept deteriorating."

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    "After my mom''s mental health worsened, other women appeared in my dad''s life, like Madeleine

    from the Porter family of Skywatch. She was only two years older than me, but she was always

    trying to marry my dad. Madeleine''s arrival made my mom''s life even harder. Despite my best

    efforts to protect my mom, sometimes she''d still get bullied."

    A look of self-me filled Keith''s face as he said, "I may be the heir to the Blue family, but I''m not

    the one calling the shots. My dad still holds all the power. They never epted me. I was attacked

    countless times growing up. I tried to make myself stronger, but while I can fend off overt attacks,

    it''s hard to guard against covert ones. I was fighting alone while a whole group was stabbing me in

    the back. And my mom, she was out of her mind."

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    Chapter 200

    Savannah got it, her heart aching as she said, "You''ve got it rough. You''ve really been through the

    wringer."

    Although Lucinda fell into a rural family, the Moores treated her better than their own daughter.

    They could say that Lucinda had a much better life than her twin brother.

    "As long as I can find Lucy in my lifetime, I¡¯ll be over the moon. No matter how hard it gets, it''s all

    worth it."

    Finding his sister made all the suffering and hardship Keith had gone through feel like peanuts.

    His biggest fear was going through all this pain only to never find his sister in the end.

    Patrick, who had been silent, asked, "The Blues have serious clout in Skywatch, and your sister is

    the biological daughter of the head honcho. Who''s got the guts and the chops to snatch Lucy from

    the Blues and drop her in Pinehurst?"

    Pinehurst and Skywatch weren''t even in the same state, with several provinces and countless cities

    in between.

    Keith exined to the two old folks what he had figured out.

    In Skywatch, the Blues announced that Elisa had infiltrated their family and kidnapped Lucinda.

    Keith was only six months old at the time, so he wouldn''t remember. He only found out when he

    was older.

    Given the tight security at the Blues'' mansion, it would have been a tall order for Elisa to sneak in

    and snatch Lucinda, who was highly valued. But she managed it easily.

    There must have been a mole.

    He had always suspected that the mole was Ashley because Ashley already had Pete, a boy who

    wasn''t as favored as Lucinda. Ashley was a green-eyed monster, always nitpicking, and she very

    likely helped Elisa kidnap Lucinda.

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Unfortunately, by the time he was an adult and started investigating, he couldn''t find a shred of

    evidence that Ashley was involved.

    If he couldn''t find it, what about his dad?

    Keith didn''t believe his father couldn''t find it, unless the person who helped Elisa was someone he

    didn''t want to hurt.

    His father and Hayden were as thick as thieves. It was said that Hayden was very dependent on his

    father when he was young, and his father, who was six years older than Hayden, practically raised

    him.

    If Ashley did it and Hayden pleaded for her,

    Keith felt a chill in his heart. Maybe in his father''s eyes, a missing daughter was less important than

    his brother.

    Seeing Nathan Blue and Madeleine so close, with Madeleine young enough to be Nathan''s

    daughter yet willing to marry him, one can''t help but wonder what her motives were. It didn''t take a

    genius to figure it out.

    Keith suddenly wondered if his father knew who the mole was and was just pretending not to find

    them. After his sister disappeared, he announced that half of his estate would be inherited by

    Lucinda, which made people green with envy and put his sister in danger.

    "Your grandma''s really out of line. Lucy''s disappearance wasn''t your mom''s fault. How could she put

    all the me on your mom? She should me your dad too. It was his dalliances that led to Lucy''s

    disappearance."

    Savannah was livid after hearing Keith''s story.

    "23 years ago, considering your family''s financial situation, you should have had CCTV installed,

    right? Did anyone see Lucy being taken?"

    Although there were surveince devices everywhere now, they''ve only been around for twenty to

    thirty years. Whether the Blues had surveince installed when Lucy was kidnapped 23 years ago

    was hard to say.

    "We only had cameras outside the house at the time, none inside. We could only see Elisa carrying

    my sister out, but we couldn''t see who helped her."

    Keith sighed. Society back then didn''t have all the high-tech gadgets we had now.

    Finding someone used to be a real uphill battle.

    Even now, with all the advancements in technology, it''s still tough to find someone.

    If finding someone was easy, there wouldn''t be so many missing children. Those families who lost

    their kids and kept searching for them for decades.

    Even a wealthy and influential family like the Blues took over twenty years to find Lucy.

    "Has the doctor given any chance of recovery for your mom?" Savannah asked, concerned.

    Patrick said, "Looks like the Blues have quite aplicated situation. You guys found Lucy, but I

    don''t know if that''s a good thing or a bad thing for her."

    Patrick remembered when Lucinda had been kidnapped and said, "Before you and your mom came

    to Pinehurst, Lucy had already been in danger. Thankfully, we found out in time, and she wasn''t

    hurt. Stefan is still looking for the culprit."

    "I suspect it''s the same person from back then. They knew Lucy was here before you guys and

    wanted to put an end to her life before you guys could."

    Keith agreed with Patrick, saying, "After me and my mom bumped into Lucy, I heard from Stefan

    about what happened to her. I guess the culprit wanted to hurt Lucy before we could, to prevent her

    from returning to the Blues."

    If Lucy died, half of her father''s estate would either be split by her brothers or inherited by

    Madeleine''s child, if she had one.

    Keith had suspects but no evidence to prove they were the culprits.

    Madeleine was only two years older than him, but her family fully supported her marrying into the

    Blues. In Skywatch, Madeleine had much more pull than him.

    Most importantly, he was flying solo.

    His hired hands at home, who were supposed to protect his mom, couldn''t even hold off his granny.

    In Skywatch, Keith had no true friends. The only one he could confide in was his mom''s nephew,

    Hayes Brooks. But Hayes'' family was down in the dumps. If it weren''t for him, they couldn''t have

    kept theirst bit of property. Hayes was no help to him at all.

    "The doctors can''t guarantee if my mom can recover. Now that I''ve found Lucy, I want her to spend

    more time with my mom. See if she can help my mom get back to normal by recalling past events."

    This was the only shot for his mom''s recovery.

    After understanding the current situation of the Blue family, Patrick and Savannah exchanged

    nces. Patrick said to Keith in a gentle tone, "Although the Anderson family doesn''t like to stick

    our noses in other people''s business, Lucy is a vital member of our family. Caring about her doesn''t

    count as meddling."

    "Keith, you can chill. You two won''t feel lonely and helpless anymore. The Anderson family has got

    your back. We''ve got connections in Skywatch too."

    No matter what, the Anderson family would get revenge for Lucinda and find the killers, so Lucy

    could truly be safe.

    Keith gratefully said, "Thanks, Patrick Anderson, Grace Blue."

    The two elders replied, "We''re all family here; no need to be formal. You''ve trusted us so much and

    shared everything with us; how could we just sit back and do nothing?"

    Even though Keith was always on his guard, he did not hold back anything from the two elders of

    the Anderson family. He said he needed to say and didn''t need to say.

    He hadplete faith in these two old folks!

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    Chapter 201

    Lucinda couldn''t quite catch what the people inside were yakkin'' about, but she had a rough idea.

    A couple and some old folks were taking a leisurely stroll around the mansion. Lucinda wasn''t

    exactly familiar with Ascend Estate. She hadn''t been living here for long, and the ce was so big

    that it was easy to lose her way.

    Janice spent most of her time cooped up in her room and rarely went out. Keith was too scared to

    let her out, fearing something might happen.

    Lack of exercise meant that Janice tired quickly.

    "Lucy, I need a breather. " Janice''s voice was soft, almost pitiful.

    "Sure, take a break," Lucinda said considerately. "Mom, let me hold the doll for you."

    She reached out to take the doll from her mother''s arms.

    "No need," Janice hurriedly declined. "Baby''s asleep. Holding her doesn''t tire me. She''s a good girl.

    Let me hold her while she sleeps."

    Lucinda went quiet for a bit, then smiled again and said, "Alright, hold her. But if you get tired, let me

    take over."

    Janice nodded, walking and talking. "Lucy, I heard your dad talking about how they found you in the

    house. It scares me. It scares me that my baby might get lost. There are always bad people trying

    to take my baby away. I can only feel safe when I am holding my baby."

    "You heard all that?"

    "I did. But I am puzzled. Why did my husband kneel with you, thanking your parents for finding you?

    What''s the connection between you and my husband? Did my husband''s sister get lost? I''ve been

    married to him for so long, I''ve never heard of it."

    Lucinda and Stefan shared a look.

    Stefan said softly, "Let''s rest in the pavilion ahead."

    The pavilion was built over arge lily pond and was surrounded by curtains. When drawn, they

    blocked out the sun.

    When drawn back, they could see the lilies.

    Summer was lily season.

    Sitting here and admiring the lilies was a surefire way to lighten their mood.

    But at this moment, Lucinda was far from in the mood to admire flowers. Once they were seated,

    she gently asked Janice, "Mom, when you heard my dad talking about how they found me, did you

    remember anything? Like, the baby you''re holding is not your baby; it''s a doll. The husband you''re

    talking about isn''t your husband; it''s your son. I''m not the daughter you adopted; I''m your biological

    daughter."

    Janice froze. Everyone was looking at her.

    "No! My baby is still with me. She''s here; this is my daughter! Ethan is not my son; he''s my

    husband. My son''s name is," Janice suddenly got confused.

    Her son''s name was also Ethan, but she remembered that the names of the father and son were

    not simr when they were named. But if her son was not named Ethan, what was his name? She

    couldn''t remember; she was confused.

    Because in the past, there was always a voice in her ear saying, "Your son''s name is Ethan, and

    your daughter''s name is Lucinda."

    "Mom, think about it carefully. What''s your son''s name? Does your daughter have any special

    marks?"

    "My son''s name is. What''s his name, what''s his name? Why can''t I remember all of a sudden that

    his name is not the same as his father''s?"

    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Janice began to get anxious.

    She said anxiously, "My daughter has a mole the size of a bean behind her left ear. Is it the left ear

    or the right ear? It''s the left ear, yes, the left ear."

    "I''m going to see if my baby''s mole is still there."

    She went to check the doll''s ear, but of course, there was no mole.

    "Where''s the mole? Where¡¯s my daughter''s mole?"

    "Mom, look at the mole behind my ear."

    Lucinda stepped forward, letting Janice see the mole behind her ear.

    Janice looked at it, touched it, and mumbled to herself, "What a coincidence. You''re named Lucy;

    you call me mom. I love hearing you call me mom. It always feels like we''re a real mother and

    daughter. But we''re about the same age; how can my daughter''s mole appear on you? It¡¯s too

    coincidental."

    "Mom, I am your daughter, your biological daughter; I am Lucy!"

    Lucinda tried to awaken her, but to no avail. She couldn''t help but hug Janice, and tears streamed

    down her face.

    "Lucy."

    Fiona wanted tofort Lucinda, but seeing Stefan gently patting Lucinda''s back, she held back.

    "Lucy is my daughter; yes, Lucy is my daughter."

    Janice pushed Lucinda away, hugged the doll tightly, and began pacing back and forth in the

    pavilion, continuouslyforting the doll.

    The scene made everyone''s heart ache, and they didn''t know when Janice woulde to her

    senses.

    Madison wiped her eyes and said to Mason Moore, "Let''s go back to our room."

    She then said to Stefan, "Stefan, my husband and I are old. We need to rest at noon. We''ll go back

    to our room first."

    They were old and easily moved to tears.

    The old folks couldn''t bear to watch Janice lose her mind anymore.

    Stefan immediately took out his phone and called Nelson, asking him to arrange rooms for the two

    old people and to send someone to guide them back to their rooms so they wouldn''t get lost.

    Ascend Estate had a lot of servants.

    Shortly after Stefan called Nelson, nearby servants came over.

    "Stefan, Lucy, your parents should go rest too. They got up too early this morning."

    Fiona didn''t want to stay here either. She hoped Lucinda could spend more time with her biological

    mother.

    With her around, Lucinda always had to consider her feelings.

    Before she met Janice, Fiona had been thinking that, as her adopted daughter of over twenty years,

    if one day she left her to return to her biological parents, she would certainly feel jealous and feel

    pain.

    But when she met Janice, she didn''t have such thoughts anymore. She just hoped Janice would

    come to her senses sooner and really recognize Lucinda, not like now. Even though Lucinda called

    her mom, Janice still regarded the doll as her daughter in her heart.

    Before Fiona left, she tried to console Lucinda, saying, "Lucy, chill out. Your mom has been sick for

    more than twenty years. It''s not like she''s going to regain her memory just after spending a few

    days with you. Take it slow, step by step, to jog her memory. If it hurts her or if she doesn''t want to

    remember, don''t push her."

    "It''ll be okay. Everything will be okay."

    Lucinda nodded with tears in her eyes.

    She was so desperate and hopeful that Janice could snap out of it.

    The whole Moore n followed the servant out.

    Suddenly, Janice let out a piercing scream.

    "Mom."

    "Mom."

    Lucinda and her husband rushed to Janice''s side.

    "Mom, what happened?"

    Lucinda saw Janice''s face pale as a sheet, her beloved doll lying on the floor, her hands and feet

    shaking.

    They were ice cold.

    "Mom, what''s wrong?"

    Lucinda was freaked out.

    Just as she was about to tell Stefan to call Keith, Janice suddenly burst into tears. "My baby is

    gone; somebody stole her; my daughter."

    Then she ran out like a mad woman.

    "My baby, give me back my baby!"

    As she ran, Janice kept screaming for her baby.

 Chapter 202

    Chapter 202

    "Mom, mom." Lucinda was taken aback, then immediately dashed after her.

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    Stefan also hurriedly picked up the doll and followed her.

    In this unfamiliar environment, Janice seemed a bit lost. Her pace wasn¡¯t fast, and she was quickly

    caught up by Stefan and Lucinda.

    "Mom." Lucinda caught up with Janice and hugged her from behind.

    "My baby, my baby." Janice was being held, but she kept struggling.

    "Mom, I found your baby. I''m your baby; I''m back with you, Mom!" Lucinda tried to soothe Janice.

    Janice didn¡¯t hear Lucinda¡¯s words. She was struggling to get away from Lucinda, yelling

    continuously, "Elisa, give me back my daughter. Since you want Nathan, I''ll give him to you; I''ll give

    you everything; I''ll divorce Nathan; just give me back my daughter. I want nothing else; I just want

    my child."

    "Give me back my child. I want nothing else, just my child. I just want my baby back." Janice was

    screaming, echoing her sentiments from years ago.

    If she had known Elisa would treat her this way, she would rather have divorced than lose her

    daughter.

    What had she done wrong?

    She and Nathan were legally married; they had a loving rtionship; they had a pair of lovely

    children; and they were leading a happy life.

    Elisa liked Nathan, but Nathan rejected her. Elisa harassed her, and in his anger, Nathan ruined the

    Av family''s business. Elisa retaliated in this way.

    Elisa was also a wealthy and beautiful girl. Why did she have to interfere in other people''s

    marriages? Why did she want to steal her husband? Was it because Nathan''s status and position

    were too attractive?

    Stefan quickly stuffed the doll into Janice''s arms.

    "Mom, your baby is here; she hasn''t been stolen. We helped you find her; she''s fine now." Stefan

    gently soothed Janice.

    The doll was like a half-year-old baby, filled with cotton. Its soft little body was dressed in Lucinda''s

    childhood clothes. Janice hugged the doll tightly.

    "My baby is saved."

    Janice''s eyes were still filled with hot tears, but she kept kissing the doll.

    "Baby, you scared me." Janice said as she kissed the doll, "I¡¯ll never let you go again; I will always

    hold you. Anyone who wants to snatch you will have to step over my dead body first."

    Seeing Janice start to calm down, Lucinda let go of her.

    Stefan held Lucinda''s hand and whispered, "Lucy, I understand how you feel, but we need to give

    your mom time to get used to your existence. We have to guide her slowly to remember the past

    and face reality. Then she will gradually recover."

    Lucinda nodded, her eyes red.

    Yes, she was too eager.

    She really wanted her birth mother toe to her senses sooner.

    But she had been mentally disturbed for over twenty years. Even if they found her, she couldn''t

    recover in such a short time.

    Stefan lifted his hand, ced it on her shoulder, pulled her into his arms, and whispered, "Don''t

    worry, it''ll be okay. She was already starting to talk about the past just now. She still remembers it.

    It''s just that losing you was too painful for her, so painful that she can''t face reality, which has made

    her mentally unstable."

    "Seeing her like this, I''m really heartbroken. I''m right in front of her. I''m her biological daughter. She

    likes me too; she says she enjoys being with me and feels like I''m her daughter, but,"

    "I know; I understand how you feel."

    That was all Stefan could say tofort her.

    After a while, Lucinda calmed down.

    She shouldn''t be too anxious.

    Otherwise, like just now, Janice suddenly lost control of her emotions. That could easily lead to an

    incident. Thankfully, they were at Ascend Estate today, not somewhere else. It could have been

    dangerous if Janice had run off like that.

    The first encounter between mother and daughter was when Janice rushed out of the hotel.

    Janice turned around with the doll in her arms and saw Stefan and Lucinda holding each other

    tightly. But Lucinda''s eyes were red. She was taken aback, then asked, "Lucy, what''s wrong? Who

    bullied you?"

    She red at Stefan and said, "Stefan, did you bully Lucy?"

    Stefan replied, "Mom, it was windy just now, and some sand got into Lucy''s eyes. She kept rubbing

    her eyes; that''s why they''re red. She wasn''t crying."

    Janice was a bit skeptical. "Is that so?"

    Lucinda chimed in, "Yes, mom, I didn''t cry. I really didn''t cry. Some sand got into my eyes."

    "Let me see, did the sande out?"

    Janice, holding the doll, walked over to have a look at Lucinda''s eyes.

    Lucinda let her look.

    "There''s no sand, but your eyes are really red, Lucy. Did you rub them too hard?"

    "It''s okay; they will be better in a while."

    Janice nodded, then turned to Stefan and said, "Stefan, since Lucy calls me mom, I consider her my

    daughter. Don''t you dare bully Lucy. Don''t think that Lucy doesn''t have anyone to back her up; she

    has me. My husband''s family is very influential; a lot of people fear the Blue family."

    Hearing her say this, Lucinda wanted to argue but held back.

    She was afraid of triggering Janice¡¯s emotional instability again.

    "Mom, don''t worry. I would never bully Lucy; I love her; how could I bear to bully her?"

    Stefan promised seriously.

    Janice was satisfied with Stefan''s attitude.

    She felt that this sudden son-inw was good, and he was also a good match for her sudden

    daughter.

    She hoped that when her own children grew up, they could, like Lucy, find someone who loved

    them.

    When Janice wasn¡¯t agitated, she seemed just like a normal person.

    For the time being, Lucinda didn''t dare try to awaken her memory.

    As Fiona and Stefan had said, these things had to be done gradually. They couldn''t rush it.

    Two luxury sedans pulled up in front of Serendipity Cafe.

    The coffee shop seemed especially peaceful in the afternoon, with some customers leisurely

    sipping their coffees, sometimes chatting with friends, sometimes scrolling through their phones, or

    just gazing out through the ss windows at the street view.

    Cecilia was sitting behind the cash register, engrossed in some video on her phone. Every time she

    came across a funny video, she couldn''t help butugh out loud, only to quickly cover her mouth for

    fear of disturbing the customers in the store.

    This would''ve been a picture of perfect harmony if no one had decided to rock the boat.

    But there''s always someone ready to stir up the pot.

    It wasn''t until Cecilia heard the sound of hurried footsteps that she saw Olina, Owen''s mother,

    walking in.

    And there was another middle-aged woman with Olina who bore a striking resemnce to Ruby.

    Word on the street was that Megan Scott was back in town.

    And that middle-aged woman must be Megan, no doubt about it.

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    Chapter 203

    Cecilia closed the video, popped her phone into her pocket, got up, and walked away from the

    counter, heading towards the olddy.

    "Lady."

    Cecilia didn''t call her ''mom''. Without Trenton around, no one could control her mother-inw, and no

    one would back her up. She wouldn''t bother calling her ''mom''.

    Frankly, she didn''t want a mother-inw like Olina.

    She married Owen only to repay a favor.

    That wasn''t what she had in mind.

    With her chin lifted, Olina pretended not to see Cecilia, walked straight past her, and even purposely

    bumped into her.

    Cecilia, who often worked out, stood firm and wasn''t knocked over by the intentional bump.

    Instead, it was Olina who lost her bnce after bumping into Cecilia, almost tripping over a nearby

    table. Cecilia kindly reached out to steady her, preventing her from crashing into the table.

    "Don''t touch me!"

    Olina didn''t manage to knock Cecilia over. Instead, she made a fool of herself. Her face turned ugly,

    and she harshly shrugged off Cecilia''s hand before even finding her bnce.

    Her reaction made it seem like Cecilia''s hand was poisonous and that she would drop dead upon

    contact.

    Upon hearing this, Cecilia obediently let go.

    Without Cecilia''s support, Olina staggered and crashed into the table. Her upper body almost

    sprawled over it.

    "Olina."

    Megan, who had been on her phone, rushed over to help Olina up.

    "My stomach hurts!"

    Olina clutched her stomach where she had hit the table.

    Megan red at Cecilia, angrily saying, "Are you asking for trouble? If Olina gets hurt, can you

    handle the consequences?"

    Cecilia calmly responded, "I didn''t push her. She tripped herself. I tried to help her, but she didn''t

    want me to touch her, so I let go to avoid hurting her. She just couldn''t stop in time."

    "You!"

    Megan didn''t expect Cecilia to talk back.

    She should know Olina''s status since she married Owen.

    This was her mother-inw!

    Although Megan got Cecilia''s information from Olina, it was basic. She didn''t dig deep and assumed

    Cecilia was a pushover.

    In their eyes, the Yates family was poor, and children from such families should be nervous, scared,

    and trying to please them when facing nobles, right?

    Cecilia''s attitude towards Olinacked the respect a daughter-inw should have.

    She had been filming the whole thing on her phone.

    She would send the video to Owenter, letting him see what kind of daughter-inw his

    grandfather found for him.

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    Such disrespect towards elders!

    Marrying a woman like this would only cause trouble for the Martinez family. It would be chaos.

    Nobody couldpare to Ruby, who was smart and polite.

    "What are you saying? Isn''t it the truth? Everyone here saw what happened, and I have surveince

    in my shop. Do I need to pull up the footage for you?"

    Cecilia wasn''t polite to Ruby''s mother.

    As long as she didn''t fall for Owen, these people couldn''t boss her around.

    Even if she did fall for Owen, they couldn''t boss her around if they weren''t good elders.

    Like she would fall for Owen.

    Owen kept emphasizing that she shouldn¡¯t fall for him.

    Every time he said that, Cecilia wanted to retort: Do you think you''re money and that everyone loves

    you?

    He was too arrogant and self-centered. He couldn''t even handle Ruby, yet he thought he could

    charm Cecilia. Did he think she had never seen a man?

    She hadn''t seen a three-legged frog, but two-legged men were everywhere.

    After meeting a good man like Stefan, Cecilia''s standards had leveled up. Owen didn''t meet them.

    Owen! Let him chase Ruby for the rest of his life.

    Megan was furious.

    "Cecilia, what kind of attitude is this? This is Megan, my friend. She''s also your elder. Is this how

    you treat elders? How did your mother teach you?"

    Olina used Cecilia of having no manners.

    "How did my mom teach me? My mom said, ''Cecilia, even if you never marry and live at home

    forever, mom will always love you. But you''re not allowed to meddle in other people''s marriages,

    destroying them. If you dare, mom will break your legs!''"

    Her words made Megan''s face change.

    Wasn''t this a dig at her for supporting her daughter in destroying other people''s marriages?

    But Ruby knew Stefan first. They''ve known each other since they were kids. Lucinda was the

    later!

    "My mom also said not to steal other people''s husbands or boyfriends under the pretense of

    pursuing true love. That''s despicable. If you must pursue a man, pursue a single one. You won''t hurt

    anyone, and everyone will bless you. Walking down the street will feel especially blissful. People

    who destroy others'' marriages are like dirty rats in the sewer, shunned by the light. That''s why when

    the original wife beats up the mistress in public, no one sympathizes with her. Are all the men in the

    world dead? Why do you have to steal someone else''s man?"

    "Shut up!"

    Olina shouted.

    "What right do you have to say this? Don''t forget you also."

    Her son was Ruby''s boyfriend, and Cecilia married her son, which was equivalent to stealing Ruby''s

    man.

    Cecilia had a hidden message in her words: "Who is she to him? Is it legitimate? She''s just a pitiful

    pawn."

    Did they really believe that Mr. Coleman marrying Lucinda would allow Ruby to marry Owen?

    Howughable!

    If Ruby chose or fell in love with Owen, he wouldn''t still be single.

    Unfortunately, Owen just didn''t get it.

    They grew up together, and he''d loved Ruby for over a decade. It was hard for him to let go.

    He showed such a knack for business that he couldpete with Stefan, which proved he''s no fool.

    But when it came to love, his skills were so weak, they can''t even measure up to one-thousandth of

    Mr. Coleman''s.

    Olina was so pissed that she wanted to smack Cecilia and raised her hand to do so.

    Cecilia effortlessly caught her hand.

    "Ladies, I don''t want to stir up trouble, but I''m not scared of it either. If you think I, Cecilia, am an

    easy target and want to throw a punch, I''ll fight back. I''m not one of those guys who can''t hit a

    woman. Oh, and you two are no spring chickens, not young and beautiful women that any man

    would go soft on."

    Olina and Megan''s faces kept changing colors.

    They were too careless, way too careless!

    Both thought that, relying on Olina''s seniority, they could easily suppress Cecilia. They didn''t expect

    to be schooled by Cecilia instead.

    They didn''t gain anything at all.

    Cecilia even openly insulted them in front of a few guests, making them both extremely

    embarrassed.

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    Chapter 204

    Olina jerked her hand back sharply, saying coldly, "Cecilia, you just wait. I won''t make things easy

    for you!"

    Cecilia chuckled. "I''m not one to stir things up, but I''m also not scared of trouble. If you want to

    mess with me, I won''t let you off easily. Your threats don''t faze me."

    Olina was livid, her face turning a ghastly shade.

    She red at Cecilia, who still seemed to be in high spirits. Her beautiful face was adorned with a

    smile. She waspletely unfazed by Olina''s threats, treating her like she was a nobody.

    "Think you can depend on Lucinda now that she''s part of the Anderson family? Let me tell you,

    Lucinda can''t even save herself. She thinks marrying into a wealthy family is a walk in the park. Just

    wait till Stefan''s parentse back from their trip; she won''t know if she can stay in the Anderson

    household."

    Cecilia''s smile disappeared as she replied coldly, "What I do has nothing to do with Lucinda. Don''t

    drag her into this; she''s none of your business."

    Lucinda''s biological parents were quite influential, although Lucinda didn''t have time to exin it

    properly. But she knew Lucinda intended to take over the family business, taking the path of an

    independent woman.

    The old Lucinda might not have been good enough for the Anderson family, but Cecilia believed the

    current Lucinda was a perfect match for Stefan.

    "Even though I don''t know much about the Anderson family, I do know Mr. Coleman. A family that

    can raise a child like him must have good values. I believe Stefan''s mother is different from you."

    Cecilia''s words left Olina speechless and embarrassed.

    Olina was not familiar with Stefan''s mother, as the two families were bitter rivals.

    But she did know that Stefan''s mother was very open-minded and never interfered with her

    children''s love lives. Stefan had married Lucinda without notifying his parents, and the Anderson

    family would only be delighted, not opposed, and would never bully their daughter-inw.

    The Anderson family indeed had a good family atmosphere.

    Even the siblings and rtives got along well, unlike the Martinez family, which was filled with strife.

    "You!" Olina was at a loss for words.

    "Megan, let''s go."

    Olina grabbed Megan and left.

    If they stayed, Cecilia would have angered them to death.

    Cecilia watched the two women leave, cheerfully saying, "Feel free toe back anytime."

    Olina and Megan was furious. And get more infuriated next time?

    The two women who came to make trouble for Cecilia left dejectedly after being full of confidence.

    Cecilia turned back to the shop; all eyes were on her.

    She smiled and said, "Dealing with menopausal women is tough. You guys keep sipping your

    coffee; just consider the earlier scene aedy sketch."

    Everyone chuckled, and although they were curious, they didn''t press further.

    After all, they were just passing by.

    Back at the cash register, Cecilia sent a cheerful message to Owen.

    "Mr. Malicious, my mother-inw just came to my shop with Megan to cause trouble."

    Upon receiving the message, Owen immediately called her.

    Once Cecilia picked up, he asked softly, "Cecilia, did my mom do anything to you?"

    "What could she have done? If she doesn''t consider me her daughter-inw, I don''t consider her my

    mother-inw. If she respects me, I''ll respect her. If she''s nasty to me, I won''t let her off easily."

    "Did my mom hit you?"

    Owen knew his mother very well.

    Being forced by his grandfather to marry Cecilia, his mother was naturally unhappy.

    In front of his grandfather, she didn''t dare do anything to Cecilia. But it wasn''t surprising that she

    would give Cecilia a hard time in private.

    "She wanted to, but I didn''t let her. After a dispute, your mom left in a huff with Megan. I reckon

    they''ll show up in your office in less than half an hour, whining about how I disrespected her."

    "She''ll want you to discipline me, mistreat me, ignore me, divorce me. Owen, let me tell you, even if

    we divorce early, you still have to give me what I''m owed. Because this is not my fault! And I don''t

    owe you any favors anymore."

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    Knowing that Cecilia wasn''t bullied by his mother, Owen breathed a sigh of relief.

    But he couldn''t helpughing at what Cecilia said: "I won''t mistreat you, and I won''t divorce you for

    now."

    Cecilia seemed disappointed. "She''s your mom, your own mom. She wants you to divorce me, and

    you won''t? After the divorce, you can be with the woman you love; that''s great, but remember to

    pay me."

    Owen said somewhat unhappily, "Why are you so obsessed with money? All you do is talk about

    money with me."

    Cecilia coldly retorted, "What else is there to talk about between us? Are we supposed to talk about

    love?"

    Owen was speechless.

    "In fact, I''m helping you. You and your parents should be grateful to me. If I hadn''t married you, your

    Grandpa would have removed you from your CEO position and even cut ties with you. Then you''d

    have nothing."

    "So, I''ve already repaid your favor. Now it''s your turn to be grateful to me."

    Owen: "Your reasoning is far-fetched. You''re still repaying the favor until our rtionship ends; only

    then will your debt be cleared."

    Cecilia immediately hung up.

    Hearing no voice, Owen took the phone away from his ear and realized Cecilia had hung up on him.

    "This girl is daring to hang up on me! She still owes me a favor."

    Owen couldn''t help butin about how fast Cecilia''s attitude changed, like flipping through a

    book.

    As soon as he mentioned their rtionship couldn''t end so soon, she hung up, not willing to

    exchange another word with him.

    Did he really annoy her that much?

    Meanwhile, at the Scott family''s ce.

    Ruby was chilling on the couch in the living room, an ice pack nursing the bruise on her face.

    Every once in a while, she''d send a servant out to see if Owen had shown up yet.

    She had called him in the morning, and his tone had been one of concern. Why hadn''t hee to

    see her yet?

    Was he too busy, or?

    No, that can''t be!

    He loved her so much, there''s no way he''d leave her hanging.

    The doorbell rang.

    A wave of relief washed over Ruby. It must be Owen. She knew it; there''s no way Owen would

    leave her in the lurch when she''s in a bind.

    He must have been really busy to onlye now.

    "Go open the door for Owen," Ruby instructed her servant.

    The servant responded with a polite nod and went to open the door.

    After a while.

    The servant came in with a tall man who was carrying a bag of something. It looked pretty heavy.

    Ruby had her innocent look ready, prepared to start her performance as soon as Owen stepped in.

    But to her surprise, it wasn''t Owen who came in. It was Walter, Owen''s right-hand man.

    "Walter? Why is it you? Where''s your boss?"

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    Chapter 205

    Walter approached with a bag in hand, cing it on the coffee table in front of Ruby.

    "Ms. Scott, our boss didn''t get much sleepst night. He''spletely wiped out. He knows you''ve

    been wronged and that you''re hurting, so he sent me to give you this ice pack. He wanted me to tell

    you personally to use it on your face; it''ll help with the swelling," he exined.

    Ruby was taken aback. "Owen didn''t sleep wellst night? How could he?"

    She paused suddenly.

    Why hadn¡¯t Owen slept well?

    Wasn¡¯t it all because of her?

    She knew Owen and Cecilia were married. Despite Owen exining it was a necessary move, if he

    didn¡¯t get married, his grandfather might have gotten angry, disowned him, kicked him out of the

    Martinez family, and even suppressed him, not allowing him to bounce back on his own.

    He was talented and popr no matter where he went. But he knew his abilities were backed by the

    Ike group''s support. People''s ttery and fawning were because he was the head of the Martinez

    family.

    If he lost this status, the harsh reality would show him the true colors of everyone.

    Owen also had his parents and siblings to think about. He didn''t have any biological sisters, but he

    was very close to his cousin from his uncle''s side. His uncle''s family had always been low-key.

    Nevertheless, there were still people in the Martinez family who had their eyes on them.

    He was not only a pir for his parents but also for his uncle''s family.

    Owenpromised and chose to marry Cecilia. He had too many considerations.

    He didn''t deny that he didn''t dislike Cecilia, even finding herpany ratherforting.

    Ruby understood Owen''s predicament. But because she understood, she preferred Stefan even

    more.

    Their positions in the family seemed simr, but they were not equal.

    One was the true head of the family, while the other was still under the control of his grandfather. If

    he didn''t act ording to his grandfather''s wishes, he could be dismissed at any time.

    Harry Martinez was waiting to take over.

    Harry despised Ruby. Of course, Ruby couldn''t let someone who disliked her take over and control

    the power of the Martinez family.

    If Harry took over, Ruby would no longer be able to rely on the Martinez family''s power. Instead, she

    would be suppressed by Harry.

    Her business had already been hit hard by Stefan, and she could no longer bear the pressure from

    the Martinez family.

    Ruby regretted it.

    She regretted impulsively sending people to ruin Serendipity Cafe.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    She thought, as the princess of the Scott family, with Owen''s support, what''s the big deal about

    vandalizing a small cafe like Serendipity Cafe?

    She thought, at most, she''d be scolded by Stefan.

    She didn''t expect the two owners of Serendipity Cafe to be fearless, so she went straight to the

    cops.

    With Stefan involved, the matter was dealt with fairly and legally.

    She was detained for fifteen days, and her reputation was ruined. Her business, which had just

    moved domestically, was badly hit by Stefan. Aftering out of detention, Ruby realized her

    actions had caused a major scandal, leading to a significant blow to her reputation.

    Lucinda and Cecilia were Ruby''s nightmares!

    Ruby hated these two people with a passion in her heart.

    "Didn''t Owene back to thepany today?"

    Walter paused before replying, "The boss came back to thepany veryte. He had several

    cups of coffee just to get through two important meetings. He was just too tired toe andfort

    Ms. Scott personally. We hope Ms. Scott can understand our boss."

    Based on his understanding of his boss, the boss probably started to distance himself from Ms.

    Scott because he was hurt by her actions.

    Folks said leaves didn''t turn yellow overnight, and hearts didn''t turn cold overnight either.

    Everyone could see the boss''s kindness towards Ms. Scott. A love that spanned over a decade, full-

    hearted devotion, and what did he get in return?

    He had waited for over a decade for something to heat up, but Ms. Scott¡¯s heart remained cold.

    As the boss got older, seeing Ms. Scott still obsessing over Mr. Coleman despite his being married,

    didn''t his heart cool a bit?

    Ruby¡¯s face turned sour. She replied expressionlessly, "He was only in two meetings and had a few

    cups of coffee, and he''s drained?"

    Walter frowned, defending his boss: "Ms. Scott, you''ve known our boss since you were kids. You

    two have a unique rtionship. Whenever you''re in trouble, one call to our boss and he''d be by

    your side. But you can''t forget that the boss has more than just you. There are many people behind

    him. You can''t just consider yourself and let the boss prioritize you all the time. I don¡¯t have a say in

    the boss''s personal affairs. I just feel sorry for the boss''s hardships."

    "Have you ever cared about our boss, Ms. Scott? The boss doesn''t owe you anything. He helps you

    because he loves you. But that shouldn''t be taken for granted and make you disregard the boss''s

    health."

    Annoyed, Ruby retorted, "Walter, you don''t need to meddle in my business with Owen, and you

    have no right to. Enough. I was justining a bit, and you''ve said so much. You can leave now.

    Do more work and help share Owen''s load, so he doesn''t have to be so exhausted."

    Walter was angry inside, but he held back.

    Ever since he joined the Ike group, he knew how important this woman was to the boss.

    He respected the boss and was willing to follow him. His position in the Ike group was like

    Edgar¡¯s at Ascend Global, holding a high position.

    But he dared not offend this selfish woman in front of him casually.

    Because she was the treasure in the boss''s heart.

    "Ms. Scott, I''m going to head out."

    Walter''s tone was respectful.

    Ruby waved him off, "Off you go."

    Walter turned and left.

    He didn''t look back or linger.

    He thought his boss was a real blockhead, treating a woman like Ms. Scott like she was some

    precious gem.

    If it were him, he''d have sent someone like her packing a long time ago. No, that''s not right; sending

    Ms. Scott packing would be like polluting the ce she was sent to.

    He''d rather stay single all his life than marry a woman like Ms. Scott.

    Walter grumbled about Ruby in his head.

    When he got back to thepany, he headed straight for the boss''s office.

    "Walter."

    The male secretary blocked Walter''s way.

    "Thedy and Megan are inside. You might need to wait a bit, Walter."

    Walter: "The boss''s mom is here?"

    And she brought Megan with her.

    Megan, of course, Walter knew who she was.

    He sighed inwardly: The boss''s judgment might be a bit off; his mother''s judgment might be off too;

    they were both being manipted by the Scott family''s mother and daughter.

    Stefan''s mother wasn''t as easily fooled; even though she had contact with Megan, Megan couldn''t

    get Stefan''s mother to do anything for her. Stefan''s mother never interfered with her son''s affairs.

    Since Megan couldn''t get what she wanted from Stefan''s mother, she had to cling to Owen''s

    mother.

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    Chapter 206

    "The missus has been here for a while," the male secretary replied.

    Walter paused for a moment, then decided, "Guess I''ll wait until she leaves."

    "Give me a ring when she''s gone," he said before taking off.

    In the office, Owen listened expressionlessly as his mother ranted about Cecilia''s behavior.

    Megan even sent him a one-minute video as proof of Cecilia''s disrespect towards his mother.

    Owen watched the video several times.

    His eyes were sharp, and he could easily tell who was right or wrong.

    "Owen, Cecilia is out of line. You need to stand up for me." Olina repeated her point over and over,

    urging Owen to teach Cecilia a lesson in respect.

    Owen suddenly stood up.

    The two women watched as he walked around the desk to the break room.

    Soon, Owen returned with two cups of water.

    Each mother took a cup.

    "Mom, you''ve been talking for a while. Have a drink," Owen said, handing his mother a cup of water.

    Olina took a few sips, her throat dry from all the talking.

    "Owen, did you hear me? We can''t let Cecilia disrespect me just because she has your

    grandfather''s support. Which daughter-inw dares to treat her mother-inw this way?"N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Megan sipped her water slowly, not joining in on Olina''sints.

    Olina had thought of using her and her daughter as tools, and sometimes she saw Olina as a tool

    as well.

    Each was using the other for their own purposes.

    Owen returned to his desk and replied calmly, "Mom, Cecilia hasn''t been staying with ustely. How

    could she use Grandpa¡¯s influence to bully you?"

    Olina was taken aback, then said, "Right, she''s married to you; she''s one of us, the Martinez family.

    But she''s not living with us. Is she looking down on the Martinez family? Or does she not want to

    take care of her mother-inw?"

    Before Owen could respond, Megan interjected, "Olina, young people nowadays don''t fancy living

    with the elderly. They feel there''s a generation gap. It''s better for everyone if you don''t live together."

    If Cecilia really moved into the Martinez family and started spending more time with Owen, who

    could guarantee that they wouldn''t develop feelings for each other?

    They were, after all, husband and wife in name.

    Even if they did some adult stuff, it would be normal.

    What would be left for her daughter, Ruby, then?

    Ruby was still hanging onto Stefan. Megan was trying her best to convince her daughter to let go of

    Stefan; she couldn''t let her daughter end up with nothing.

    In Megan''s eyes, marrying into the Anderson family might not bring happiness to her daughter, but

    marrying into the Martinez family would definitely make her happy because Owen deeply cared for

    her daughter.

    She couldn''t allow Cecilia to move into the Martinez family and be the real mistress of the

    house!

    Owen nced at Megan, his eyes deep and unreadable.

    Megan didn''t notice Owen''s gaze. She advised Olina in a well-meaning tone, "We should steer clear

    of Cecilia''s issues. Given her character, if she really moved into the Martinez family, how could she

    serve you? She would only make you angry. Why would you want to stir up trouble?"

    Olina, "Yes, that girl is too sharp-tongued. She doesn''t respect me. We can''t let her move into our

    house, or I''ll be furious. Owen, if your grandfather wants Cecilia to move in, you must adamantly

    refuse, or she''ll make me so angry I could die."

    In the Martinez family, Cecilia, with the support of the elderly, would only be more arrogant.

    After listening to their conversation, Owen sneered internally. If Cecilia really moved into the

    Martinez family, it would cost him more money.

    How greedy!

    Cecilia had earned so much from him, and yet she was still stingy.

    Not only was she greedy, but she was also a miser!

    "Mom, I''ve watched the video several times. Cecilia didn''t do anything to you. You overreacted and

    bumped into the table. You can''t me Cecilia."

    As soon as Owen finished speaking, his motherined, "Owen, you''re actually defending that

    girl instead of your own mother. Regardless, it''s all Cecilia''s fault. You must teach her a lesson for

    me. I''ve never been treated like this before."

    "Cecilia is a rational person; I have no reason. Even if I confront her, I won''t be able to satisfy your

    wish. You can''t y the role of a mother-inw in front of her, and I can''t y the role of a husband.

    I don''t consider her my wife, and you don''t consider her your daughter-inw. How can we expect

    her to fulfill her duties?"

    Olina was so angry that she was speechless. She blurted out, "Regardless, Cecilia has upset me.

    You have to take action. Take your bodyguards and p her. Teach her to respect me, or continue

    to hit her until she behaves."

    "You don''t have to fear Lucinda; Stefan''s parents are returning soon. She might not have standing in

    the Anderson family. Besides, it''s our family matter. What right does Lucinda have to interfere?"

    Owen helplessly replied, "Mom, I don''t hit women."

    Especially not Cecilia.

    If he dared toy a finger on her, that fiery girl would go all out against him. Even without Lucinda

    stepping in, he would end up with a face full of injuries.

    He really didn''t hit women; no matter how angry he was, he would only have his bodyguards do it.

    But there''s no way he''d let his bodyguardy a finger on Cecilia.

    Wasn''t it he who forced her into this debt of gratitude by marrying her?

    The moment domestic violence came into y, she''d be out the door. Where the hell was he going

    to find another woman to y house with him?

    Owen wasn''t in the business of doing things that hurt others and serve no benefit to himself.

    "I didn''t say you had to do it; just let the bodyguard do the dirty work. You just stand there and

    record a video for my viewing pleasure. I''ll watch it when I''m feeling down; it''ll surely lift my spirits."

    "Mom, Ruby got beaten up."

    Seeing his mother persistently urging him to punish Cecilia, Owen had no choice but to spill the

    beans about Ruby getting hurt.

    Hearing this news, both mothers immediately asked with concern, "Who dared toy a hand on

    Ruby?"

    "Who has the guts to mess with Ruby?"

    That was Olina''s question.

    In her eyes, Ruby was like a precious gem she and her son shared the responsibility of protecting.

    Who in Pinehurst would dare to harm Ruby?

    As long as they''re not scared of getting on Owen''s bad side, they''re free to try.

    "Was it Lucinda''s doing?" Olina pressed relentlessly.

    "Even if Stefan doesn''t love Ruby, he shouldn''t let Lucinda hurt her! Ruby really picked the wrong

    guy. Megan, you need to give Ruby a good talking-to; tell her to stay away from Stefan and

    Lucinda."

 Chapter 207

    Chapter 207

    Owen frowned and said, "This ain''t Lucinda''s doing, it''s,"

    He took a pointed look at Megan, then said coldly, "Ruby went to Stefan''s vi in Diamond Ridge

    Estates to see him, but he wouldn''t see her. Then she ran into the princess of the Dewey family,

    who also has a thing for Stefan, and they had a catfight out of jealousy."

    Olina immediately looked at Megan.

    Megan opened her mouth, trying to defend her daughter, but found herself lost for words.

    Her face turned sour.

    Feeling disappointed, she sighed, "That kid is such a letdown; I need to give her a good talk when I

    get home."

    "Olina, Owen, I need to head back."

    Megan felt she had lost face and didn''t want to stay any longer.

    Her daughter''s behavior had made her furious.

    Even though she had had a heart-to-heart with her daughter and her daughter had agreed to

    behave, the minute Megan left, Ruby went out to find Stefan.

    She was livid!

    Neither Owen nor Olina tried to keep Megan.

    When Megan left, Olina looked at her son''s indifferent, handsome face, at a loss for what to say.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    She didn''t think much of Cecilia, considering her unworthy of her son.

    Ruby was her favorite. She had her heart set on Ruby being with her son, but Ruby still had eyes

    for Stefan.

    Ruby was treating her son like a backup option!

    Olina was feeling pretty upset.

    For the first time, she felt that Ruby was really out of line!

    "Mom, is there anything else?"

    "Owen."

    "Mom, save it. I''m an adult; I''m 29. I can handle my own matters."

    Olina sighed. "Owen, you''re really having a hard time."

    Owen loved Ruby but couldn''t have her.

    He didn¡¯t want to marry Cecilia, either.

    Her son was indeed having a tough time!

    "Mom, I still have work to do."

    "I know; I won''t bother you anymore; I''ll leave now."

    Feeling sorry for her son, Olina grabbed her bag and left.

    Finally getting rid of the two tattletales, Owen took a deep breath, rubbing his temples with a

    headache.

    Walter knocked and came in.

    Owen looked up at him as he walked over.

    "How badly is Ruby hurt?"

    This was the first time Owen hadn''t rushed over right after getting a call from Ruby.

    "Just some minor injuries. A bit swollen in the face. When women fight, it''s mostly pping, hair

    pulling, biting, and pinching."

    Walter''s words were filled with a touch of sarcasm.

    "Did she say anything about me?"

    Walter paused before saying, "She asked me why you didn''te see her. I told her you didn''t get

    any restst night and were exhausted. She then questioned why you couldn''t sleep, then seemed

    to remember something but didn''t finish her sentence."

    Owen seemed to go a bit pale.

    Walter felt a pang of guilt but told him everything Ruby had said.

    Walter felt his boss needed to face reality. Ms. Scott didn''t love him. No matter what he did, it

    wouldn''t mean anything to Rubypared to a single nce from Stefan.

    After Walter finished recounting Ruby''s words, Owen''s face visibly paled.

    He had a restless night because of her.

    He didn''t even have an appetite for breakfast. Cecilia, worried he would starve, quickly bought him

    some breakfast as his wife.

    He had to down several cups of coffee just to keep going, yet Ruby wasining that if he could

    stay awake for two meetings with coffee, why couldn''t he stay awake to visit her?

    "Boss, I have to step out."

    Walter turned to leave, but after a few steps, he couldn''t help but turn back and say, "Boss, there

    are plenty of beautiful women in the world; why obsess over one, especially when she doesn''t exist

    for you?"

    Owen didn''t say anything.

    Walter didn''t expect his boss to take his advice.

    If he did, the boss wouldn''t be hurt over and over by Ms. Scott.

    The chairman loathed Ms. Scott and must have reminded the boss frequently, yet the boss was still

    the same.

    He was asking for pain!

    With that, Walter left.

    Owen didn''t feel like working anymore, but he didn''t want to go see Ruby either.

    As he was hesitating whether to go find Cecilia, he got a call from his grandfather, asking him to

    bring his wife home for dinner that night.

    "Sure."

    Owen happily agreed.

    He had an excuse to go see Cecilia now!

    After hanging up, Trenton said to Derek, who was with him, "Derek, I smell something different."

    Hearing the brief phone conversation, Derek asked, "What do you smell, Trenton?"

    "Owen seems to have changed."

    Derekughed, saying, "I can''t tell. It takes your keen eyes to notice the change."

    Trentonughed, saying, "Forcing Owen to marry was the right thing to do. Cecilia might note

    from a good family, but she''s a fun girl. Owen''s patience will run out after dealing with a phony like

    Ruby for so long. If he''s dealing with a fun girl like Cecilia, I don''t believe he won''t be attracted."

    He was waiting for the day his grandson woulde to his senses.

    "His wife is indeed fun, and she doesn''t care for the young master at all. He''s often pissed off by

    her, but still enjoys being with her afterwards."

    "That''s what you call attraction."

    One day, Ruby will lose Owen''s heart, and then she''ll have nothing.

    "Speaking of which, have we heard back from the people investigating Lucinda?"

    Derek''s smile faltered.

    There was news, but it was definitely not the kind Trenton would want to hear.

    Trenton gave Derek a once-over, remarking, "I''m no spring chicken; I''ve been around the block a

    few times. What news could possibly ruffle my feathers now? Spill the beans; who exactly is

    Lucinda?"

    "Do you know the Blue family of Skywatch, Trenton?"

    "Skywatch''s Blue Family? Heard of them, but never really rubbed shoulders with them. The Blue

    family is a big deal in Skywatch; there are lots of family members, but they''re all sticklers for some

    dusty old family code. Every family head is tied down by these rules. Raising kids for them is like

    pulling teeth."

    "I''ve bumped into the Blue family head at business gatherings a few times. He should be the ex-

    family head by now. His wife is known to be a real looker, and he himself is not too hard on the

    eyes. At these gatherings, they''re always the center of attention."

    "Is Lucinda a Blue family kid?"

    Trenton seemed to have a light-bulb moment.

    Lucinda did bear a striking resemnce to Grace.

    He had always found Lucinda''s face familiar when he saw her photos, but he could never put his

    finger on who she looked like.

 Chapter 208

    Chapter 208

    Now when it came to Skywatch''s Blue family, Trenton will remember.

    "Lucinda is the eldest granddaughter of this generation of the Blue family, the biological daughter of

    the current head of the Blue family. She, originally named Lucinda, disappeared for more than 20

    years. For some reason, she ended up in Pinehurst and was adopted by the Moore family, taking

    the ce of the Moore family''s biological daughter."

    "These two kids are really meant to be."

    One kid had had a tough life.

    The other one was pretty damn lucky.

    "So, she''s a kid from the Blue family, huh? That exins a lot. The children of the Blue family have

    always had to face a lot of setbacks and conspiracies to grow up. But the heads of the family are

    capable people, and they can protect their kids."

    "The current head of the Blue family seems a bitcking; the eldest daughter was lost for over 20

    years, and there are even people trying to harm her recently. That''s karma for him; what goes

    aroundes around."

    Few families can stand the test of time.

    The Blue family had been in Skywatch for many years, with a rich heritage. In the past, the heads of

    the Blue family were hailed as brave leaders.

    Now, the Blue family was a powerhouse.

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    "Trenton, since the Blue family is so powerful, and Lucinda is the lost princess of the Blue family,

    her status will change drastically once she returns to the Blue family. Mr. Coleman was already a bit

    better than Mr. Owen. With his wife having this kind of background, it doesn''t look good for him."

    Derek worriedly said, "Should we do something about it?"

    Trenton nonchntly replied, "Even if Lucinda doesn''t return to the Blue family, she''s still their

    daughter. Her status has already changed significantly. That''s just the way it is, and we can''t change

    it. What can we do? Cecilia and Lucinda are best friends, and their rtionship is tight as thieves.

    Although Owen doesn''t feel for Cecilia right now, who''s to say he won''t fall for her in the future? If

    he does, would he still target Stefan?"

    "They might not be friends, but they would stop attacking each other for the sake of their wives.

    Who would''ve thought that after a lifetime of rivalry between me and Stefan''s grandfather, this is

    how it turns out with our grandsons."

    Trenton looked as though he had already seen the ending.

    "We shouldn''t push it too far. Let''s leave some room for the kids. Besides, the situation in the Blue

    family isplicated. Lucinda¡¯s returning to the Blue family is bound to stir things up. Stefan will

    surely help, and the Anderson family will also give their full support. This might give Owen a good

    opportunity. The question is, will he grab it?"

    His biggest concern was that if his grandson fell for Cecilia, he might not only miss the opportunity

    to strike at Ascend Global, but he might also end up helping Stefan and his wife.

    Well, let the chips fell where they may.

    Perhaps the path they chose was the right one, the one that can take the Martinez family further.

    He had to leave room for maneuvering in life for future encounters.

    Upon learning of Lucinda''s background, Owen didn''t use this information to attack the Martinez

    family, which can be considered as leaving them a way out.

    Ascend Estate.

    In Stefan''s study, he, his wife, and Keith were present.

    Lucinda said with reluctance, "Brother, are you really going to leave today? Can''t you stay a few

    more days? I haven''t had a chance to host you properly."

    She and her brother had just recognized each other, and he was going back to Skywatch.

    Lucinda really didn''t want to let him go.

    "Mom will stay here first. I''ll go back and talk to Dad. We need to n properly before you and Mom

    cane back to avoid any problems on the way."

    The people who were up to no good found his sister before he did and even tried to harm her. It was

    Lucinda''s good luck that she found a capable husband. Otherwise, she might not have been able to

    wait for him to find her.

    And now that he''s here, the person who''s up to no good surely knew that he''s in Pinehurst and will

    definitely set traps for Lucinda''s return to the Blue family.

    Keith knew he was not as smart as his father, so he needed to talk to his father, and let his father

    arrange things to ensure his sister''s safe return.

    Also, the DNA paternity test results of Lucinda and their mother needed to take back for his father to

    check and then to show to his grandparents. And then informed the family members that he could

    bring Lucinda back.

    They might need to do a few more tests after she returned.

    Lucinda was eligible to inherit a fortune. Not only the family members will be cautious, but his father

    will also be very careful to avoid imposters.

    Lucinda didn''t have a good impression of her biological father, and she asked anxiously, "Will it be

    more dangerous if he knows?"

    Keith paused for a moment before saying, "He may seem ruthless and unfeeling now. But without

    his protection, Mom and I wouldn''t have survived till now. That''s a fact. I believe that when he finds

    his real daughter, he won''t ignore her. He will definitely arrange things properly to ensure your safe

    return home, and he might evene to pick you up himself."

    Lucinda had no feelings for her biological father and didn''t know much about him; she only knew

    from her brother''s words that her father was a bad person.

    But since her brother said so, she had no choice but to believe that her father can handle everything

    well.

    "Brother."

    Stefan began, "You''re leaving today, and I''m cool with that. But I suggest you don''t take your private

    jet back home. It''s risky."

    Lucinda pondered for a bit before adding, "Stefan''s right, brother. You need to switch your route or

    mode of transport. In any case, we can''t let anyone know you''re heading back today. Those baddies

    will definitely try to stop us from going home, putting up theirst-ditch fight."

    Her return to the puppet master behind the scenes was like a massive rock pressing down on them,

    ready to crush them at any moment.

    Who would willingly walk into their own death?

    Who would want to see the n they''ve painstakingly set up over two decades go up in smoke?

    So, the puppet master definitely wouldn''t let it slide. They would put up theirst-ditch fight.

    If the puppet master''s n seeded, the three would be toast.

    If the puppet master failed, they would be toast. Even if they couldn''t be brought to justice

    immediately, theireuppance would arrive sooner orter.

    Lucinda always believed that justice would prevail in the end.

    Whatever Stefan and his wife could think of, Keith could think of, too.

    He said solemnly, "Taking a private jet won''t affect others, and driving is even riskier. If I don''t want

    people to know I''ming back, I''ll have to change my appearance."

    So, how could he change his appearance in such a short time?

    "The bodyguards I brought with me are all trustworthy. We should be okay as long as we''re careful."

    "Stefan, can the makeup artist you hired help disguise my brother so he can''t be recognized?"

    Lucinda thought of the talented makeup artist she had yet to meet.

    Stefan immediately took out his phone and said, "I''ll call her over to help right now."

    After calling the makeup artist, he dialed Liam Anderson''s number.

    Once Liam answered, he said to his brother, "Liam, there''s something I need your help with."

    "If there''s anything you need, bro, just spit it out. No need for pleasantries. Don''t talk about begging

    or not. We''re family here. No need to be polite."

    "Tiffany Paisley needs to stay at your ce for a while."

    Liam:"Can I take back what I just said, brother?¡±

 Chapter 209

    Chapter 209

    "Dude, I''d rather go on a business trip," Liam said with a hint of despair.

    Tiffany was the princess of the Paisley family. She''s had a deep interest in makeup since she was a

    kid. As an adult, she didn''t take over the family business but became a professional makeup artist.

    Stefan once told Lucinda that Tiffany''s makeup skills were top-notch.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    The Paisley and Anderson families went way back, having been close for three generations.

    The kids from both families grew up together. Liam and Tiffany were of the same age but had totally

    different personalities. They used to fight a lot as kids, and although they stopped fighting as they

    grew older, they still provoked each other. They rubbed each other the wrong way.

    They''d often set traps for each other, hoping the other would fall into it. Whoever could embarrass

    the other was the winner.

    Despite this, Tiffany would always turn to Liam when she was in trouble.

    Liam would mock her, but whenever she needed help, he was the first to show up.

    To everyone else, they looked like two people who seemed to despise each other but were actually

    very close.

    Being a guy, Liam would sometimes give in to Tiffany.

    But the moment Tiffany moved into his room, Liam was too afraid to go home. He feared finding a

    fake hand or foot on his bed or seeing all sorts of bugs crawling under his nket.

    Just imagining it made his skin crawl.

    Most girls were afraid of insects or small animals, but Tiffany was an exception, and she wasn''t

    even afraid of snakes.

    She''d even treat non-venomous snakes as toys. She used to keep a few harmless snakes as pets,

    but they all ran away because they couldn''t stand her.

    She once thought of keeping snakes as pets again, but her family was strongly against it, so she

    gave up.

    To this day, she would often reminisce about ying with snakes as a child. She could even twist a

    few snakes into a pretzel.

    The snakes: "Did you ever consider our feelings? We have dignity, too."

    Hearing his younger brother''s request to go on a business trip again, Stefan chuckled quietly,

    "Didn''t you just get back from a trip? No need for you to go again."

    This guy''s so chicken, he wanted to run at the mention of Tiffany''s name.

    Liam said, "Brother, I can handle the hard work. I don''t mind being on business trips every day. I

    promise I won''tin. Please think about which subsidiary might need my help."

    Stefan: "So you''re hoping for our subsidiaries to have problems?"

    "Dude, can I not live with Tiffany? Your mansion is huge, and she can live anywhere. Just not at my

    ce. If she moves in, how am I supposed to live?"

    "You know we don''t get along."

    The two people Liam feared most in his life were his older brother and Tiffany.

    "Tiffany insists on staying at your ce, or she won''t help. I''ve already promised her that she can

    work part-time as Lucinda''s makeup artist. We can''t let her think we''re all talk."

    Liam thought: ¡°my brother''s integrity is built on sacrificing me.¡±

    "Brother, you should''ve told me earlier."

    "I''m telling you now, isn''t that early enough? I could''ve just arranged for Tiffany to move in and

    surprise you. Don''t forget, your parents really like Tiffany."

    His uncle even saw Tiffany as a future daughter-inw.

    Liam said, "Alright, I''ll help you guys out."

    He had no choice but topromise.

    If Tiffany moved into his house, he''ll stay at the Ascend Global Hotel.

    Or he could stay at one of his own properties. He didn''t have to go back to the Ascend Estate. He''s

    curious to see how long Tiffany can stay at his house!

    The two brothers chatted for a while before ending the call.

    Keith, not wanting to be a burden, said to Stefan, "No need to bother, Stefan. I can do my own

    makeup."

    "No trouble at all. Tiffany is already on her way. Once she gets here, she''ll do your makeup, and I''ll

    arrange for someone to take you to the airport. Your bodyguard doesn''t need toe along, and I''ll

    arrange for a few skilled bodyguards to apany you back."

    Stefan said seriously, "We still don''t know who''s behind all this. The enemy is hidden while we''re in

    the open, making us easy targets. Keep your bodyguards here. Let''s make them think you and your

    mom are at the Ascend Estate."

    "I''ll spread the word that my brother is going on a business trip, and he likes to show off, always

    surrounded by bodyguards."

    In truth, Baird Anderson''s skills were the weakest.

    So he always liked to have bodyguards with him when he went out because he used to ck off

    during family training.

    "I promise to get you back to Skywatch safe and sound."

    Stefan''s promise sounded easy, but in reality, it required a lot of resources. Keith was now outside,

    away from the protection of the Blue family''s power, and could be assassinated at any time.

    Ensuring his safe return to Skywatch was no small feat.

    Keith was well aware of the difficulty and was very grateful to Stefan, his sister''s husband, who was

    five years his junior.

    His sister was really lucky.

    She was taken away by the Av family when she was a child. Fortunately, she was found by the

    Moore family and raised as their own daughter.

    Because of this, she met Stefan and was able to marry into the Anderson family.

    "Stefan, thank you!"

    Stefan smiled warmly, "We''re all family. There''s no need for formalities."

    He held Lucinda''s hand, silentlyforting her, promising her that his people would safely return

    Keith to Skywatch.

    Soon after, Tiffany arrived.

    Lucinda didn''t know Tiffany from her previous social circles. She didn''t even know Tiffany''s name.

    It was through Stefan that she got to know how awesome Tiffany was.

    Seeing her in person, she was a bit surprised. Tiffany, despite being a high-end makeup artist, didn''t

    wear makeup. But she was naturally beautiful, a stunner even without makeup.

    Tiffany was equally curious about Lucinda.

    Seeing Lucinda''s surprised expression, it seemed like she saw right through Lucinda''s thoughts.

    She exined with a smile, "I prefer to maintain my skin with food therapy. Stick to it for a long time,

    and it has resulted in how I look now, which I think is pretty good, so I don''t wear makeup. But I only

    go makeup-free when Ie to see you guys. If I go out normally, I would put on some light

    makeup."

    "Lucinda, your skin is also very good, a natural advantage. That delicate and soft feeling makes

    people can''t help but want to get close. Stefan is really lucky."

    Tiffany left a very good impression on Lucinda.

    "Stefan, can I touch your wife''s face?"

    Stefan purposely put on a stern face and said, "That''s mine only. If you want to touch, go touch

    what''s yours."

 Chapter 210

    Chapter 210

    Tiffany frowned. "He doesn''t take care of his skin at all; it''s rough as tree bark; I really don''t want to

    touch it."

    Liam asked, "Who are you saying has a face like tree bark? I''m still young and handsome even

    without skincare!"

    Tiffany fired back, "Did I say it was you, my dear? You sure are quick to own up!"

    Liam was speechless.

    "Lucinda, I''ll do this gentleman''s makeup first; we can chatter."

    Tiffany was a workaholic and very principled.

    She came today at Stefan''s invitation to do Keith''s makeup. She won''t rx and chat until the job

    was done.

    She didn''t ask about Keith''s identity. Not because she wasn''t curious, but because she knew how

    the Andersons were. They''ll tell her what they wanted her to know without her asking.

    And they won''t tell her what they didn''t want her to know, even if she bugged Liam.

    Liam: You dare to mess with me?

    Tiffany raised an eyebrow: Wanna give it a shot?

    Back in their fighting days, she could easily take him down, sit on top of him, and give him a good

    beating until he cried out loud.

    "What look are you going for, sir?"

    Stefan chimed in, "Make him look like Baird. It doesn''t have to be an exact match; just a bit of

    resemnce will do."

    "Alright."

    With a reference, Tiffany got to work.

    While Tiffany was doing Keith''s makeup, Stefan gave Baird a call, telling him not to show his face

    today to avoid blowing their cover.

    Hourster.

    "Baird" showed up at Pinehurst International Airport with four bodyguards.

    "Baird" first flew to Cyrodiil, then from Cyrodiil to Skywatch.

    They didn''t fly directly to Skywatch to prevent the real culprits from catching on, since the

    Andersons don''t have any business in Skywatch and Baird wouldn''t possibly be there on business.

    After seeing off her brother, Lucinda didn''t return to the shop but stayed home with her two moms,

    spending more time with her biological mother.

    Fiona was very considerate, not wanting topete for Lucinda''s attention with Janice.

    She''s had Lucinda for twenty-three years, while Janice had lost her for twenty-three years. It''s only

    fair for Janice to enjoy more of Lucinda''spany.

    Fiona braced herself when she told Lucinda the truth about her birth.

    Now, her daughter hadn''t left her and still called her mom.

    Keith also said that the Blues and the Moores should treat each other like family.

    As the sun set, the sky and earth were bathed in the fiery glow of the setting sun.

    Lucinda and her biological mother were admiring the flowers in the field at the foot of the hill.

    When they came to a sea of roses, Janice stopped.

    Looking at the sea of roses, she said to Lucinda, "Lucy, we have lots of roses at home too. I love

    flowers, like roses, peonies, and camellias; I love them all."

    She seemed lost in memories. She looked particrly lucid at the moment.

    Lucinda watched her quietly, not bringing up her disappearance casually but waiting for her mother

    to recall the past.

    After a while, Janice whispered, "When I was living with my parents, my parents and sister-inw

    spoiled me rotten. I loved flowers, so they had the gardener nt lots of my favorite flowers. Then I

    married Nathan; he spoiled me too."

    "He had our front and back yards filled with roses and peonies that I love, turning the Blue estate

    into arge garden. Each spring, the flowers would bloom beautifully!"

    "Everyone who visited the Blue estate was captivated by the flowers. Those flowers were a

    testament to Nathan''s deep love for me. Every time I saw the sea of flowers, my heart would fill with

    sweetness. When I was pregnant, even though he was very busy with work, he would still find time

    to walk with me in the courtyard every day, admiring the flowers."

    "We''d go see the flowers in spring. In summer, we''d go to the sea. In autumn, we''d go see the red

    leaves. In winter, he''d take me to see the snow. We were very much in love."

    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Janice suddenly fell silent, probably recalling some unpleasant memories. Tears rolled down her

    cheeks.

    "My baby."

    Lucinda quickly said, "Your baby''s right here."

    Holding the doll tightly in her arms, Janice wiped her tears and said, "I thought that woman from the

    Av family really took my baby away."

    Lucinda thought to herself: If her mother was willing to recall, she can remember the past. But all

    she can remember were the happy times she had with her husband.

    Whenever it came to her daughter being taken away, her thoughts became muddled.

    She can''t face the reality of losing her daughter and was constantly running away.

    Only when she had the courage to face the fact that her daughter was indeed taken away by that

    woman from the Avs and had been missing for over twenty years can shee out of her state

    of denial. Although it would cause her immense pain, it would also clear her mind.

    Of course, it would be a very painful process. Like this morning, Lucinda tried to wake her up, but it

    only caused her to flee in pain.

    "Mom, there won''t be any women from the Av family here. You don''t have to be afraid. Your

    baby''s always here; no one''s going to take your baby away again."

    Lucinda gentlyforted her mother.

    "Lucy, where''s your dad? Where''s Nathan? Why can''t I find him?"

    Janice suddenly started looking for Keith.

    Lucinda lied: "He had some business at thepany, so he went back there."

    Janice let out a soft sigh, saying, "He''s really busy and worn out. As the head of the Blue family,

    he''s got to handle the family business and affairs. He''s given so much for the family, keeping us all

    fed and cared for. But some folks just don''t know how to be thankful."

    "He told me his personal wealth is growing. He ns to build a business empire for me and our two

    kids. When he gets old and steps down from being the family head, even if our son can''t take over

    with his business empire, we''ll still live a happy life."

    "He said having me and the kids gives him more determination. That''s why his business territory

    keeps expanding."

    When Janice was in her right mind, she''s very aware that her husband''s personal wealth was on the

    rise.

    The head of the Blue family was very ambitious and sharp-minded when he was young. Some

    twenty years ago, during the rapid economic growth, he seized the opportunity, making a fortune

    with ease.

    "But there are a lot of women out there who fancy him. Some are bold enough to confess, while

    others secretly admire him. They know he¡¯s married with a son and a daughter, but they don¡¯t give

    up, always trying to take my ce in his heart. My mother-inw, Lucy, your so-called grandma,

    keeps a tight leash on her husband but always tells me to be tolerant."

    "She says it''s perfectly normal for Nathan to socialize outside. Even if something happens, as long

    as there''s no pregnant woman knocking on our door, we shouldn''t mind her. She also says I already

    have a son and a daughter. I''ve secured my position as the housewife, and I shouldn''t worry about

    the women trying to seduce my husband; no one can get past me."

    Janice suddenly said angrily, "Sometimes, I really feel like finding some young and pretty women for

    my father-inw; let Lucy taste what it''s like to share her husband."

 Chapter 211

    Chapter 211

    Lucinda mentioned that she was totally on board with her mom''s n.

    But they had to be sneaky about it and make her vague-memory grandma taste the bitterness of

    losing a husband.

    Lucinda learned from her brother that her grandma loved her a lot because she inherited her

    incredible looks.

    It wasn''t that noticeable when she was a baby, but now she looked a lot like her grandma in her

    younger days.

    After learning all this, Lucinda was pretty bummed out.

    Her grandma, who treated her like a jewel, hurt her mother.

    When she was taken away by the Av family, the one who suffered the most was definitely her

    mother.

    How could grandma me her mother for that?

    ¡°Mom.¡±

    Lucinda hugged her mom''s shoulders tightly and gently said, ¡°It''s all water under the bridge.¡±

    She''ll deal with all the grudgester.

    Janice blinked away the tears in her eyes and said, ¡°Thank God, my husband is loyal in love. He

    doesn''t even like socializing outside.¡±

    Lucinda snorted.

    If her dad was really loyal, he wouldn''t have messed around while her mom was sick, let alone

    refused to divorce.

    Madeleine from the Porter family, who always wanted to take her mom''s ce, was only two years

    older than her.

    At the age of twenty-six, she''s supposed to be a stepmother to a twenty-four-year-old. Why would

    Madeleine like Nathan? Other than his maturity now, it''s all about Nathan''s status.

    In Skywatch, the Porter family was the second-wealthiest family.

    If Madeleine became thedy of the Blue family, it would be a win-win situation; it would boost the

    power of the Porter family, and they might even surpass the Blue family.

    Bypassing the Blue family must be the wish of the master of the Porter family.

    Otherwise, why would he let his young and beautiful daughter marry Nathan and be someone else''s

    stepmother?

    Janice was forty-eight this year; Nathan was two years older than her, so he''s fifty.

    Nathan was twenty-four years older than Madeleine; he could totally be Madeleine''s father.

    ¡°Lucy.¡±

    Janice suddenly changed the subject and asked, ¡°Didn''t you say you opened a coffee shop? Can

    you take me to your shop?¡±

    Lucinda looked at the sky; even though it waste, they hadn''t had dinner yet.

    ¡°If you want to, I can take you there now.¡±

    Janice looked very pleased and said, ¡°Let''s go then. I haven''t been out for a long time.¡±

    Lucinda looked at her mother''s pale skin, which was the result of rarely getting sun exposure.

    Recently, as Janice moved to Pinehurst with her son, her face became ruddier due to more sun

    exposure and not as pale as before.

    Janice wanted to visit the Serendipity Cafe.

    Due to restrictions, Lucinda couldn''t drive, so Stefan drove his wife and the twodies to the

    Serendipity Cafe.

    The bodyguard Keith left behind followed in two cars.

    Vincent and his parents didn''t go together; the old couple felt they were too old to enjoy such a long

    drive.

    Mason and the Anderson family''s old couple were a bit stiff at first, but when they started talking

    about work, they foundmon ground, and the four old folks started chatting away.

    Compared to the Moore family''s old folks, who spent their lives working in the fields, the Anderson

    family''s old couple were slightly inexperienced. They humbly asked for advice, which made the

    Moore family''s old folks feel that the Anderson family''s old folks were just like them, ordinary

    people.

    The only differences were that the Anderson family''s house was bigger and prettier, and theirnd

    was more extensive.

    By the time they arrived at the Serendipity Cafe, it was already seven in the evening.

    There were no customers in the shop; Cecilia had just ordered takeout for herself, the staff, and the

    pastry chef. While waiting, she saw her friending in with her moms.

    ¡°Lucinda.¡±

    Cecilia got up and went around the cash register to greet them.

    ¡°Mrs. Fiona, Mr. Coleman.¡±

    Cecilia smiled and greeted Fiona and Stefan.

    Fiona also smiled back.

    Cecilia looked at Janice, and Janice was looking at Cecilia; her smile was asfortable and

    approachable as her friend Lucinda''s.

    In simple terms, Cecilia was very likeable.

    Janice felt she really liked this girl.

    Seeing that there were no customers in the shop, only her friend and the staff, and the pastry chefs

    were in the pastry room,

    Lucinda introduced her biological mother to her friend: ¡°Cecilia, this is my biological mother; my

    mother''s name is Janice Bright. I''ll tell you the details of our reunion when we have time.¡±

    The two were BFFs.

    Lucinda wasn''t the biological daughter of the Moore family, and she didn''t hide it from her friend.

    The matter of finding her biological mother had juste out recently due to the test results, so she

    hadn''t had a chance to tell her friend in detail.

    Lucinda also introduced Cecilia''s identity to her biological mother.

    ¡°Ma''am, nice to meet you.¡±

    Cecilia immediately smiled and greeted Janice.

    Janice, holding a doll in one hand and Cecilia''s hand in the other, smiled and said, ¡°Can I call you

    Cecilia?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Cecilia agreed readily.

    After inviting everyone to sit down, she asked Lucinda, ¡°Lucy, are you out shopping? Have you

    eaten yet?¡±

    ¡°My mom heard that I opened a coffee shop and wanted to see it, so I brought her here. We haven''t

    eaten yet.¡±

    "I just ordered some takeout; it hasn''t arrived yet. Want me to get some for you guys too?" Cecilia

    asked, giving Stefan a quick look.

    "I''m not picky," Stefan said in a low voice.

    When he was with Lucinda, he really wasn''t picky. He could eat anything.

    Worried her mother might not be used to takeout food, Lucinda asked her softly, "Mom, how about

    we have takeout? Or would you prefer to eat out at a restaurant?"

    "Takeout?"

    Janice paused for a moment, thought for a while, then smiled warmly and said, "Lucy, as long as I''m

    with you all, whatever we eat is fine. I love being with you; it makes me happy."

    Since Janice had no objections, Cecilia ordered a few more takeouts, not forgetting the Blue

    family''s bodyguards.

    Janice looked around the Serendipity Cafe and made a few suggestions for Lucinda to upscale the

    ambiance.

    Having lived in high society all her life, Janice definitely had a good eye. Lucinda made a note of her

    mother''s suggestions, nning to make some changester to enhance the cafe''s image.

    "Cecilia, is there anything I can help with?" Fiona was looking for something to do.

    "Ma''am, we don''t have any customers right now; there''s nothing much you can help with. And you

    shouldn''t always be looking for things to do. You''re here to have fun, so just rx. Tomorrow, let

    Lucinda show you around the sights in Pinehurst."

    "Lucinda is busy. If I want to go out, just let Ike apany me."

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    Lucinda knew her mother loved to delegate everything to her big brother, believing that as long as

    he handled it, the family would be fine. Now that Lucinda was married and needed to earn money to

    support her family and save for future children,

    Even though Stefan had enough money to raise children as a mother, she still instinctively thought

    this way.

    Ike: Oh, my God! Is this a hint that I should get married?

 Chapter 212

    Chapter 212

    Lucinda spilled the beans about her brother with a grin, saying, "Mom, Stefan and I can keep you

    company instead. My brother''s super busy with work. Plus, he''s got a crush now and is in the midst

    of wooing her. We should give him some time to chase his girl."

    Fiona asked excitedly, "Lucy, your bro''s got a girl? Who is she? Have you met her?"

    "I haven''t met her yet. My brother doesn''t want to introduce her to me yet."

    Maybe he''s not sessful in wooing her yet.

    Otherwise, he''d definitely bring her future sister-inw to meet her.

    He promised that.

    He said he only had one sister in his life. He would look for a girlfriend who could get along with her

    and never let there be a conflict between his girlfriend and his sister.

    Once, Lucinda joked with her brother about what if she didn''t like the girl he liked?

    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    He actually said that if she didn''t like her or couldn''t get along with her, he''d break up with her and

    find a new girlfriend who could get along with Lucinda.

    Lucinda: "Thank goodness I''m not a difficult sister.¡±

    She can get along with most people.

    The person who got along best with Lucinda was Cecilia.

    Unfortunately, both Cecilia and Lucinda had thought about making each other their sisters-inw,

    but neither of them got what they wanted.

    Lucinda only had sibling feelings for Cecilia''s brother. And for Ike, Cecilia was just a sister.

    "That boy really knows how to keep a secret."

    "He didn''t hide it; he just recently fell for someone."

    Lucinda defended her brother.

    When Lucinda and Stefan registered their marriage, Ike said he didn''t have a crush on anyone.

    That proved he only recently had a crush.

    Listening to the mother-daughter conversation, Janice chimed in, "Lucy, can you help your brother

    find a girlfriend?"

    Clearly, she was referring to Keith, not Ike.

    Suddenly, everyone but Cecilia was looking at Janice.

    There was surprise in Lucinda''s eyes, but she suppressed it. She asked cautiously, "Mom, who are

    you referring to when you say my brother?"

    Janice blinked, blinked again, and got confused. She muttered to herself, "Ethan, it''s not Ethan, but

    what''s his name? Why do I only remember Ethan? He''s only half a month old; how can I expect

    Lucy to find him a girlfriend?"

    The joy in Lucinda''s eyes suddenly vanished.

    Mom''s lucidity alwayssted a moment.

    Whenever they tried to capture that lucid moment, Mom would be confused again.

    But this was a good start.

    ording to Keith, Janice only had one or two lucid moments at the Blue family mansion.

    Now that she was in Pinehurst, far from the chaotic Blue family, no one wasining about

    Janice, and she felt much better.

    After Lucinda started calling her mom, she felt that she and Lucinda were peers and that she

    shouldn''t be Lucinda''s mother. But at the same time, she loved hearing Lucinda call her mom, as if

    she were really Lucinda''s mother.

    Janice knew Fiona was Lucinda''s mother. Every time she made eye contact with Fiona, Janice

    would feel a little embarrassed.

    She felt shameless for stealing someone else''s daughter.

    Every time her mood improved, her lucid moments would increase.

    Everyone believed that as long as Lucinda was by Janice''s side, Janice''s mental state would

    gradually recover and she wouldn''t be as abnormal as before.

    Stefan squeezed his wife''s hand.

    Fiona alsoforted her daughter in a gentle voice, saying, "Lucy, give yourself and your mom

    some time. She''ll get better."

    Only then did Cecilia realize that Janice was still a mental patient.

    She really couldn''t tell that Janice was a mental patient.

    In Cecilia''s eyes, Janice was elegant and dignified. Although holding a doll seemed a bit weird, she

    couldn''t associate her with a mental patient.

    Janice became a mental patient, which Cecilia knew without asking because of her friend''s

    disappearance, which led to her mother''s mental breakdown.

    She''s really pitiful.

    Cecilia sympathized in her heart.

    Just as she was about to change the subject, the ss door was pushed open from outside, and

    Owen walked in with a few bodyguards.

    The Blue family''s bodyguards, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, immediately stood up and

    quickly surrounded Lucinda and others, forming a protective circle.

    Owen stopped, somewhat taken aback, andined to Stefan, "Stefan, we''re old

    acquaintances. Your bodyguards don''t even recognize me. What''s with the attitude? are you

    treating me like a gangster or a robber?"

    "Howe you''re here?"

    Before Stefan could answer, Cecilia asked.

    Owen retorted, "Can''t I be here? You run a coffee shop. I''m a customer if Ie. You can''t deny me

    service, can you?"

    "Is this a coffee shop to you? Are you here for coffee, or are you nning to rob a bank tonight?"

    Owen joked, "Yep, I n to rob a bank and need a lookout. I ask for your help. I''ll share the spoils if

    we pull it off."

    Cecilia said displeasedly, "If you want to go to jail, don''t drag me into it."

    Stefan whispered to the Blue family''s bodyguards, "This is Owen from the Martinez family. He''s not

    a threat for now."

    The Blue family''s bodyguards turned to Lucinda.

    Before the young master left, he instructed them to always ask Lucinda first in any situation. They

    could only act if Lucinda agreed. If Lucinda didn''t agree, they couldn''t act.

    Lucinda nodded.

    The Blue family''s bodyguards had only just returned to their seats, calmly sipping on water and

    munching on snacks, waiting for the takeaway that Cecilia had ordered for them.

    Owen sensed something was off. His eyes flickered, but he didn''t question it.

    Then the food arrived.

    Seeing the enormous amount of food Cecilia had ordered, Owen took the chance to pull her aside.

    "What''s up?"

    Cecilia shrugged off his hand, whispering, "You''rete; there''s none for you. If you''re hungry, go

    home and eat."

    Owen''s voice was low as well. "My grandpa sent me to take you home for dinner. Derek''s been

    calling non-stop."

    Cecilia nced at her friends, asking, "What should I do now?"

    Owen also looked at the group, his expression none too pleased, and murmured, "Am I not even on

    their level?"

    Cecilia shot him a re.

    Was he a bit too full of himself?

    In her eyes, what was he? Just a rich but not-so-smart guy and he wanted topete with Lucinda

    for her affection.

    Seeing his wife re at him, Owen felt dejected.

    He was no spring chicken, and no one had ever dared to re at him like that. Ruby might have

    kept him as a backup, but she was always nice to him, never ring.

    But not only did Cecilia re at him, she silently said, Who do you think you are? You think you can

    compete with Lucinda?

    Owen was stunned.

    Who was he?

    He was the most important person of his generation in the Martinez family!

 Chapter 213

    Chapter 213

    His handsome face turned a bit pale, and Owen reminded Cecilia coldly, "Cecilia, don''t forget about

    our agreement. You have to cooperate with me unconditionally when I need you to put on a show in

    front of Grandpa."

    Cecilia: "Can you hold on a sec? I''ll go back with you after I finish dinner with Lucy."

    Without waiting for Owen to speak, she continued, "Eating at your ce, although the chef''s food is

    tasty and looks good, you guys hardly eat. I could starve to death eating with you guys; I''d have to

    grab a bite outside before going back."

    Owen bluntly replied, "You ate at my ce the day we registered our marriage; I didn''t see you

    eating less. You''re still alive and kicking."

    Ceciliaughed, then just quietly looked at Owen.

    She was also a beauty, with watery eyes, but recently she seemed to have stayed upte or

    something and had a few small pimples on her forehead.

    The couple stared at each other for a moment. Owen was the first to lower his head and grumbled,

    "Hurry up and finish your takeout, then we''ll go home. Lucinda has a stake in this restaurant too, so

    why not let her stay here a bit longer and close up before we go?"

    Cecilia was taken advantage of.

    "Wait for me then; I eat pretty fast."

    Cecilia turned to leave.

    A big hand reached out to stop her.

    Cecilia turned her head, and Owen immediately let go of her hand and wiped it on his pants, as if

    touching Cecilia had dirtied his hand.

    This action angered Cecilia; she grabbed his hands and rubbed them all over, then threw them

    away.

    "Your hands are poisoned; let me get a kitchen knife and cut them off for you, so you won''t die

    young from the poison."

    Owen was left speechless.

    "No, don''t cut them off; just let you die young, and then I can inherit all your property. I''ll be

    upgraded to the richest woman in Pinehurst."

    Owen: "So you''re stepping over my dead body to be the richest woman."

    "Is there anything else you want to say?"

    Grabbing her hand couldn''t possibly be because he wanted to touch her.

    Look at his disgusted expression just now; it''s clear he had no interest in her at all.

    Maybe even if they slept together and he was stripped naked, he would still have no reaction.

    Owen took a deep breath and said softly, "Next time you order takeout, remember to order one for

    me."

    "Do I order takeout every day and order one for you every day?"

    He''s not going to run to her shop every day.

    Seeing that Owen didn''t speak, she took it as a default.

    Cecilia stretched out her hand in front of him, making a money-counting motion.

    Owen''s face turned as ck as coal.

    She''s always talking about money with him!

    They''re married!

    Marriage was for life!

    "Even ordering takeout for me costs money? Cecilia, are you that short of cash? I clearly give you

    pocket money every month."

    Owen asked through gritted teeth.

    "You''re not just eating one meal; you eat every day; even if I order you a $15 takeout, two meals a

    day still cost $30 a day; that adds up to a living expense, right? If you don''t give me money, will I

    have to pay out of my pocket to order takeout for you? Do I owe you?"

    Owen: "I don''t eat takeout every day; forget it; I''ll just go to the hotel for my seafood buffet; you just

    drool."

    "You''re calling me stingy, but where''s your generosity? Clearly you have a big hotel, and there''s a

    seafood buffet in the hotel, but you''ve never invited me to eat."

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    Owen was amused by Cecilia''s thick skin.

    But then again, he never did invite Cecilia to eat.

    He never invited Cecilia, so why should Cecilia invite him?

    "This weekend, I''ll take you to the seaside. My family has a beachfront vi there; we''ll spend two

    days there. Let you eat two days of truly fresh seafood. Eat until you''re sick!"

    Cecilia grinned. "Can I bring Lucy along? We''ve been through thick and thin together, and most

    importantly, we both love seafood. With her apanying me, I guarantee I can eat you out of

    house and home."

    Both of them could eat. It''s more enjoyable to eat withpany.

    Owen: "The bigger beachfront vi next door is the Anderson family''s; does Lucinda need me to

    invite her for seafood? Her husband can satisfy her."

    "Lucy, Lucy."

    Cecilia immediately left Owen and went back to her friend''s side.

    Owen: Lucinda was more important than him!

    Cecilia sat back down next to Lucinda, opened her takeout, and whispered to Lucinda while eating.

    Stefan looked at Lucinda with a pampering gaze.

    Fiona and Janice, seeing this scene, couldn''t help butugh.

    Janice, despite being mentally unclear, really enjoyed seeing the loving interaction between Lucinda

    and Stefan.

    That scene gave her a sense of satisfaction.

    "A weekend at the seaside?"

    Lucinda turned her head to look at Owen, who was watching them eat their takeout from a distance.

    She unexpectedly caught Owen''s focused gaze on Cecilia. And seeing her turn her head to look at

    him, Owen quickly looked away in panic.

    Lucinda blinked. Had Owen jumped out of Ruby''s pit?

    Ruby: What happened to loving me for a lifetime?

    Of course, Lucinda was more than happy to see her friend win Owen over. A woman like Ruby

    deserved to be left high and dry.

    Stefan didn''t love her, but she was still clinging on.

    Owen was indeed deeply in love with her, but she treated Owen as a backup, thinking it was only

    natural for Owen to be nice to her.

    Had she ever thought that one day Owen would also leave her?

    Lucinda shifted her gaze back, saying to her friend, "Ever since we opened this shop, we haven''t

    had a breather. How about we close up shop for a couple of days this week and give ourselves a

    break?"

    Stefan had promised to take her to his private ind, but they hadn''t gotten around to it, mainly

    because of all the stuff that had been going ontely.

    ns always seem tog behind life''s curveballs.

    "Well, that''s settled then."

    Cecilia turned to Stefan and said, "Mr. Coleman, you don''t mind having a third wheel, do you?"

    Stefan replied with a gentle smile, "I''m more afraid we''ll be seen as the third wheel."

    He then turned to his wife and said, "Let''s head to the beach this weekend. While the grandparents

    and parents are around, let''s have a good time with them."

    "Sure."

    Lucinda happily agreed, her eyes softening to the point where it seemed like they could drip honey

    at any moment.

    Cecilia suddenly felt that their overt affection wasn''t very considerate. Even her takeout started to

    taste bad.

    She quietly scooted a bit further away, creating a safe distance to avoid being killed by their

    excessive disy of affection.

 Chapter 214

    Chapter 214

    Upon learning the real reason for Owen''s visit, Lucinda leaned over to whisper a few words to her

    friend. After giving her friend a long look, she let her go with Owen, deciding to stick around the

    shop a bit longer.

    "Mom, why don''t you take a stroll around the block? Or maybe check out the mall across the street

    and see if there''s anything you need to buy?"

    Lucinda was worried that the two mothers would get bored just hanging around the shop. She

    suggested they go on a little shopping spree.

    Fiona responded, "I don''t really need anything, but a little window shopping wouldn''t hurt. Janice, do

    you fancy a trip to the supermarket?"

    Janice was raring to go, but the Blue family''s bodyguards stepped in. One of them said to Lucinda,

    "Ma''am, even though Pinehurst is safer than Skywatch, we can''t be too careless. It''s not safe for the

    lady to go to crowded ces."

    "Crowded ces are a hotbed for troublemakers. It''s easy for things to go south."

    Taken aback, Lucinda asked, "You guys can''t protect us?"

    Was the Blue family really in such danger?

    "Better safe than sorry."

    The bodyguards were extremely cautious. The young master had entrusted them with thedy''s

    safety, and they intended to keep her out of harm''s way.

    "Lucy, I want to go to the supermarket."

    Janice gave her daughter a pitiful look.

    She rarely engaged in such down-to-earth activities and was quite excited about the supermarket

    trip.

    Lucinda nced at the bodyguards, then at her husband. Stefan understood her and said, "I''ll go

    with you. The shop''s not busy anyway, and we have staff here."

    With Stefan''s assurance, the Blue family bodyguards didn''t stop Janice from going to the

    supermarket.

    The couple escorted the two mothers to therge supermarket across the street.

    Fiona often visited her daughter, whose rented house was just opposite the supermarket. They had

    been to the supermarket together a few times.

    With her experience, Fiona guided Janice around the supermarket, with the bodyguards shadowing

    them closely.

    As mothers, they were always keen to buy things for their children. Fiona bought loads of stuff for

    her family but hardly anything for herself.

    Janice, born and married into a wealthy family, was no stranger to supermarkets. But whenever she

    visited one before, her family would arrange for it to be emptied.

    The supermarket was quite different now, bustling with shoppers. Seeing others buy this and that

    stirred her shopping desires.

    In the end, she too bought a lot food, toys, and clothes.

    The food was for Lucinda and her husband; the toys were for her own young twins; and the clothes

    were mostly for babies. She also picked out a few autumn outfits for Lucinda, saying that although

    they were not rted by blood, she treated Lucinda the same as her own children.

    That made Lucinda feel a little sad.

    Even though they were a real mother and daughter, her mother still thought of them as strangers.

    In City C, in the hall of the Blue family''s vi, Mr. Blue was on the phone again.

    His mistress brought him some fruit after dinner.

    She sat down next to him, eating fruit while listening to Mr. Blue''s phone conversation.

    "Why is the kid still in Pinehurst, staying at Ascend Estate? He found his sister; shouldn''t he be

    rushing back to Skywatch with her?"

    Mr. Blue was talking to Madeleine.

    Madeleine had a bit more information than him, knowing things a little earlier.

    Both of them assumed that once Keith found Lucinda, he''d be itching to get back to Skywatch with

    his mother and sister. After all, they''d need to do several paternity tests back home to confirm

    Lucinda as a member of the Blue family. Then they''d hold a press conference to announce

    Lucinda''s return, followed by a grand party to introduce her into high society.

    Of course, neither of them wanted to see any of this happen.

    After theirst phone call, they had agreed that Mr. Blue would use one of his expendable pieces to

    stage a ne crash when Keith and his family were flying back to Skywatch. It was a heavy loss,

    but worth it.

    Once a ne crashed, it was almost impossible for anyone onboard to survive.

    The deaths of Keith and his sister in exchange for a private jet was a deal Mr. Blue and Madeleine

    were more than willing to make.

    With the siblings gone, Ethan''s private property would be confiscated. Even if divided up by the

    usual procedures, the money Mr. Blue would get could buy countless private jets. So he was willing

    to sacrifice a pawn for this cause.

    "He hasn''t left yet; let''s just wait. They can''t possibly stay in Pinehurst forever."

    Madeleine said on the phone, "Just keep an eye on them."

    She didn''t believe Keith could stay in Pinehurst indefinitely.

    "Can''t we make a move in Pinehurst?"

    Madeleine scolded him, "You screwed up twice, had two deals fall through, and you still haven''t

    figured it out? How did I end up with such a stupid partner?"

    They had no power in Pinehurst and didn''t dare challenge the Anderson family.

    Mr. Blue felt a bit embarrassed after Madeleine''s scolding. He was much older than Madeleine and

    technically could be considered her senior, but he couldn''t lose his temper.

    Once Madeleine married the family head, she''ll be thedy of the house. Her position in the

    Blue family would be very high, outranked only by the old and current family heads.

    "Keep an eye on your guys; no funny business, especially not in Pinehurst. We don''t need any more

    enemies."

    Madeleine had a real beef with the Anderson family.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Her dad had drilled into her not to mess with the Andersons.

    Even in a city miles away, the Andersons had quite the reputation, making even the big shots in the

    Porter family wary. It''s clear the Andersons were not to be trifled with.

    "Once Lucinda is back with the Blues, the Andersons will join the game."

    Mr. Blue''s words were the harsh truth they couldn''t dodge.

    Unless Lucinda and Stefan got a divorce,

    But from the looks of it, Stefan divorcing Lucinda was a no-go.

    "We still have a shot at stopping Lucinda from going back. As long as she doesn''t return to the

    Blues, we won''t be rubbing the Andersons the wrong way. Having Ethan stick around in Pinehurst

    isn''t all bad; we could seize this chance to sideline Keith."

    Madeleine kept bringing up Ethan and Keith. She''s not too keen on Keith calling Ethan; his name

    was too simr to his dad''s. Madeleine had a thing for Nathan, and every time she called Ethan, it

    felt like a mindfuck, making her question whether she wanted to marry Nathan or Ethan.

    Mr. Blue chuckled: "You''re underestimating our family head."

    Taking over Keith in Blue Corporation without the family head''s consent? Good luck with that.

    Poor Pete got sidelined for a few years; now he''s holding the title of Vice President of Blue

    Corporation but doing the grunt work of an assistant.

 Chapter 215

    Chapter 215

    Madeleine sneered, "That''s ''cause Nathan''s only got one son right now. Once he''s got more kids,

    Keith won''t matter anymore."

    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Keith hadn''t taken over as the head of the family yet. Nathan''s still in his prime. Madeleine figured

    that by the time her own kids were grown up, Nathan would be ready to step down.

    With her own kids in the picture, how could Keith possibly have a shot at bing the family head?

    Her kids would have the support of both parents, while Keith only had a father who didn''t like him

    and a mother who''s lost her marbles. How could hepete with her kids?

    Plus, she''s managed to buy off a lot of the Blue family members.

    It''s a shame, though, that despite dating Nathan for years, not only had she not managed to sleep

    with him, but she''s also not sure if she can sessfully marry him. Though Nathan did have her as

    hispany for important events, she wanted to be more than that!

    Mr. Blue must know about Madeleine''s ns. Although they were partners now, once Madeleine

    became a member of the Blue family, they won''t be on the same team anymore.

    Partnerships were always temporary.

    "Pity Nathan''s only got Keith. If you don''t want him to be the future head, you better get closer to

    Nathan. He won''t leave his wife and marry you unless you have a child with him. Or else, just help

    someone else in the Blue family usurp Keith. It''s good for you too; anyone would be better than

    Keith."

    If Keith smoothly became the family head, revenge was a given.

    Mr. Blue had done too many things behind the backs of the Blue family, so Keith can''t be allowed to

    take over.

    Annoyed, Madeleine said, "You think I don''t want that? Just keep a close eye on Keith and his

    mother. As soon as they''re back in Skywatch, we spring into action. If we fail, we''ll be waiting for the

    fallout."

    With that, Madeleine hung up.

    She thought Mr. Blue was scheming but not nearlypetent enough.

    She would wait. Once she and Nathan got it on, she would force him to marry her, even if

    necessary. She''s always craved to be thedy of the Blue family.

    After ending the call, Madeleine tossed her phone aside but couldn''t settle down. She paced back

    and forth in the hall.

    Madeleine''s father walked in. Seeing her pacing, he asked with concern, "Madeleine, what''s wrong?

    Something bothering you?"

    "Dad."

    Madeleine walked over, lightly supporting him. "Who else could bother me besides Nathan?"

    Father and daughter sat on the sofa. After pondering for a moment, Mr. Porter said, "I didn''t expect

    Nathan to be as stubborn as a rock. You''ve been with him for so many years, yet he hasn''t

    developed deeper feelings for you."

    In Skywatch, everyone was saying that Janice Blue had lost her mind and would soon be

    abandoned by Nathan.

    Everyone knew Nathan and Madeleine were close. Madeleine often stayed at the Blue family

    mansion, acting like she was already thedy of the house.

    Everyone was waiting for Nathan to kick his wife out.

    Janice''s parents and siblings were all dead, leaving only a nephew. He often relied on the Blue

    family''s support, so he couldn''t back Janice up.

    In a family like the Blue''s, if her own family was not powerful enough, she would naturally be bullied.

    Unfortunately, everyone''s been waiting for years, only to see Janice''s son grow up. If nothing went

    wrong, he''ll be the next head of the Blue family, while Janice, despite being batty, still held the

    position ofdy.

    Madeleine was referred to as the home wrecker behind her back.

    This was a case of her own making. All these gossips that people discussed in their spare time

    were intentionally spread by the Porter family. They did this to pave the way for Madeleine to marry

    into the Blue family.

    "Dad, now they''ve found Lucinda, and she''s alive. If Lucinda returns home and they be a

    family of four again, what use am I? I won''t ept it! I want to be the most prestigious woman in

    Skywatch! Janice is old and crazy. How is she worthy of Nathan?"

    Though Nathan could technically be her father, he''s well preserved. When he stood next to Keith,

    they looked more like brothers than father and son.

    Madeleine had been smitten with Nathan since her teens, but he used to see her as a child. When

    she turned 20, her family held a birthday banquet for her and invited many important people from

    Skywatch.

    On her birthday night, she confessed to Nathan, saying she wanted to be his wife. Despite the

    shock and confusion in Nathan''s eyes, she persisted.

    Now, whether Nathan''s feelings for her were true or not, she''s determined to fulfill her wish!

    "Didn''t you say you were going to cause a ne crash when they return and kill them all?"

    Frustrated, Madeleine said, "Keith didn''t do as we expected. He found his sister, did a DNA test, but

    didn''t bring her home, so our n can''t be executed yet."

    "Lucinda hit the jackpot, man. She''s married into the richest family in Pinehurst, the Andersons,

    bing Stefan''s better half. You don''t mess with the Andersons in Pinehurst. Poor Hayden Blue

    tried twice and had to back off each time because of the Andersons'' clout."

    As Madeleine went on, she grew angrier. The moment Lucinda came back, all her efforts over the

    years would go down the drain.

    "Also, when Hayden made his second move, he found that the Andersons'' arch-enemies, the

    Martinez family, were butting in. But they weren''t kicking the Andersons while they were down; they

    were actually helping them! Dad, aren''t the two families supposed to be at each other''s throats?"

    Mr. Porter patted his daughter''s hand soothingly, saying, "In business, there are no permanent

    friends or foes. The Andersons and the Martinez arepetitors, but their rivalry is purely business;

    there''s no deep-seated hatred or anything."

    "Life would be pretty dull without somepetition, right? I guess that''s how the Martinez family

    sees it, so they stepped in to help the Andersons when they needed it. That''s why all the goons

    Hayden rounded up eventually backed out, preferring to cancel their contracts rather than carry out

    a hit on Lucinda. They didn''t want to cross the Andersons. The Andersons'' connections are just too

    strong."

    The Andersons might be involved in business, but with so many family members, each with their

    own socialworks, once they banded together, they''re a force to be reckoned with.

    "But Pinehurst is miles away from Skywatch. Once Lucinda gets back to Skywatch, I''d like to see

    what the Andersons can do then."

    Madeleine spat bitterly.

    "Don''t underestimate them. Maybe they can exert influence even in Skywatch."

    "So what? In Pinehurst, I might fear them, but Skywatch is our turf, the Porters''. Am I supposed to

    be afraid of them in my own home?"

    Mr. Porter didn''t respond.

    He wouldn''t dismiss the Andersons lightly, nor could he be sure of the Blues'' stance. If Nathan sided

    with the Andersons, who would have the upper hand in Skywatch, the Porters or the Andersons? It

    was still up in the air.

 Chapter 216

    Chapter 216

    "I''m nning to pay Lucinda and Stefan a visit."

    Madeleine touched her face confidently and narcissistically and said, "I''ve seen a picture of

    Lucinda. She seems like a straightforward and naive girl. Girls like her usually don''t understand

    what sexy means. Maybe Stefan is just used to dealing with strong women, so he finds Lucinda

    refreshing. But once I show up, I guarantee they''ll get a divorce."

    If she can''t get rid of Lucinda, she''ll steal Lucinda''s husband, ruin her marriage, and make her lose

    the support of the Anderson family.

    Mr. Porter reminded his daughter, "Your target is Nathan."

    "Dad, I know. I won''t seduce Stefan. I''ll make him attracted to me."

    Mr. Porter looked at his daughter and said, "Madeleine, I don''t agree with your approach. You don''t

    know Stefan well enough. He''s not like most men. He doesn''t have the weaknesses that most men

    have."

    After learning that Lucinda had the Anderson family as her background, he began to collect

    information about Stefan to understand this young man better.

    "Madeleine, if you really want to go to Pinehurst, you must conceal your true identity. You should

    approach someone as a partner and have that person help you deal with Lucinda. She''ll definitely

    be willing."

    "Dad, who is this person?"

    "Ruby. She has been secretly in love with Stefan for over a decade. Almost everyone thought she

    would end up marrying Stefan, including herself, but Lucinda stole her spot. Therefore, she hates

    Lucinda intensely."

    "Stefan''s nemesis, Owen, is deeply in love with Ruby, so he''s also a pawn that can be used. You

    just need to use them properly, and you won''t even have to lift a finger or even show your face to

    get the results you want."

    "Out of jealousy, Ruby tried to sabotage Lucinda''s coffee shop and was detained for fifteen days as

    a result. Her recently transferred domestic business also suffered from Stefan''s suppression. Her

    business has been severely affected, and all the money she invested has been lost."

    After hearing this, Madeleine''s eyes sparkled. "Dad, you''re really something. You even managed to

    find all this out."

    "Know your enemy, and you can defeat them."

    Mr. Porter''s eyes were fierce.

    For years, the Porter family had been inferior to the Blue family, so he harbored deep resentment

    towards the Blues. He hoped for internal discord within the Blue family. That way, he could seize the

    opportunity to rece them and be number one.

    If it weren¡¯t for this, how could he bear to tie his beautiful and young daughter to Nathan?

    His daughter was just a pawn he used to bring down the Blue family.

    "So, if Owen is deeply in love with Ruby, why didn''t he help her when her business was being

    suppressed?"

    Mr. Porter gently tapped Madeleine''s forehead and said, "I''ve given you so many connections, but

    you don''t know how to use them. As I''ve said, know your enemy, and you can defeat them. If you

    know nothing about them, you''re bound to fail."

    "The real leader of the Martinez family is Trenton. He has always suppressed Owen, so Owen

    couldn''t help Ruby. But this is actually a good thing. Madeleine, it''s your golden opportunity. You

    must seize it."

    Madeleine nodded.

    "Before you go to Pinehurst, I''llpile all the recent events there for you. You should read it

    carefully and understand everything before you take action."

    Madeleine nodded again, then said, "Dad, I must. Otherwise, I won''t feel secure. There are too

    many women around him."

    "You don''t know how to use drugs?"

    "But he doesn''t drink the coffee I give him or any other drinks. I don''t have a chance to drug him."

    Mr. Porter sighed, then motioned for her toe closer. He whispered something in her ear, and

    Madeleine''s eyes suddenly lit up.

    The Blue family

    Nathan was on the phone in his study.

    Due to the privacy of his study, no one could hear what he was saying on the phone.

    Even his personal bodyguard couldn''t hear.

    After making several phone calls in a row, Nathan finally sat down.

    Seeing the family portrait, he picked up the frame, and his gaze softened. He gently stroked the

    photo, saying softly, "Lucy, since we can''t avoid it, let''s face it head-on. Even if it costs my life, I''ll

    make sure youe home safely."

    The several phone calls he just made were to arrange for someone to protect Keith and to keep a

    close eye on the Porter family.

    Keith, disguised as Baird, passed through Cyrodiil and then took a transfer flight back to Skywatch.

    He didn''t even bring a Blue family bodyguard. His whereabouts were hidden from others, but not

    from Nathan.

    Every move of his son and his mad wife after they went to Pinehurst was under his control.

    Keith just didn''t know it.

    It''s fair to say that Nathan really admired his son-inw.

    He thought Stefan was much more cunning than his own son.

    No wonder Stefan secured the president''s seat at Ascend Global before he was even thirty.

    He decided to discuss how to bring Lucinda back with Keith after he returned.

    "Janice."

    Nathan''s finger lightly traced the photo of his wife. His gaze was still gentle, but it hid unspeakable

    pain.

    "Janice, I found our daughter. Can youe back now? You''ve been punishing me for over twenty

    years; isn''t that enough?"

    Thinking about how he could only give his daughter a mentally ill mother, Nathan''s mood suddenly

    plummeted.

    This was all because of his ipetence. It''s all his fault!N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Pinehurst, the Martinez family''s house

    After dinner with Trenton, Cecilia nned to leave just likest time.

    "Cecilia."

    Trenton called out to her.

    Owen looked at Trenton Martinez, feeling a sense of dread.

    "Anything else?" Cecilia asked with a smile. Her smile left Owen unable to tell whether it was

    genuine or forced.

    As long as the price was right, this girl was willing to y any role.

    Owen grumbled inwardly.

    "Cecilia, you and Owen are officially married now. Although the news has not been made public yet,

    you two are legally husband and wife. As a married couple, you should live together. You should

    move in here."

    Trenton said, ncing at his grandson.

    Cecilia did not look at Owen. She tactfully declined, saying, "It''s not that I don''t like your house or

    don''t want to move in, but it''s too far away from my work. If I live here, it will be a hassle for me to

    commute every day. I still think it''s more convenient to live in my own house."

    Trenton said, "That''s not a problem. We have many drivers in our house. You can have them pick

    you up and drop you off for work, or you can choose a car in our garage to drive yourself. No, Owen

    should give you a new car."

    "Owen, you should take Cecilia to buy a car tomorrow."

    Trenton was a man of action, always acting on his ideas instantly.

    Owen nced at Cecilia and said lightly, "Grandpa, don''t force her. If she doesn''t want to move in,

    then let it be. It''s not like we''re begging her to move in."

    "No, I am begging Cecilia to move in! I want to see my granddaughter-inw, Cecilia, every day."

    Owen was left speechless.

 Chapter 217

    Chapter 217

    Owen looked at Cecilia, waiting for her response.

    "Grandpa, I''m used to my own bed, so I can''t sleep if I change ces. I better go home, or I won''t

    have the energy to run the shop if I can''t sleep."

    Cecilia didn''t want to spend the night here.

    Even if Owen really wanted her to stay, she wouldn''t agree.

    "You don''t need to work then. We got plenty of money at home. No woman who marries into our

    family needs to work. The family gives every member a living allowance every month, and the men

    also give their wives pocket money. Cecilia, all you need to do is enjoy life at home. If you get

    bored, you can call your friends to go shopping or go on a trip."

    Cecilia kept silent.

    "Owen, haven''t you been giving Cecilia pocket money? Give me your wallet."

    Trenton asked his grandson to hand over his wallet.

    Owen dared not mention the agreement he and Cecilia had, which required him to give her thirty

    thousand dors a month in living expenses. So he took out his wallet and handed it to Trenton,

    saying, "Grandpa, she''s not short of money."

    The thirty thousand dors he gave her was enough for her to live on.

    Trenton ignored him and opened his wallet to look inside.

    Cecilia originally thought Trenton would at most give her all the cash in Owen''s wallet. She was still

    debating whether to ept it when Trenton handed her a ck card.

    She curiously took the credit card. She had heard of ck cards. The male protagonist in the novels

    written by Lucinda was a man who had a ck card.

    But in real life, this was her first time seeing a real ck card.

    She looked at the ck card a few times, then returned it to Trenton,ughing, "So that''s what a

    ck card looks like."

    "Cecilia, take it. You can use this card to buy anything you need in the future. You''re Owen''s wife,

    so the money he earns is for you to spend. Don''t be shy. If you don''t spend your husband''s money,

    other women will."

    Owen whispered, "Grandpa!"

    "Tell Cecilia the password."

    Trenton ordered.

    "Grandpa, no need. The living expenses Owen gives me are enough for me, and I prefer to be self-

    reliant. It''s veryte now. I should go."

    Cecilia decided to leave quickly to avoid Trenton''s further persuasion.

    "Owen, what are you sitting around for? If you can''t keep my granddaughter-inw here, can''t you

    at least send her home? It''s not safe for a young and beautiful girl like her to go home alone this

    late."

    Trenton red at his grandson.

    "Owen''s tired. Let him rest. A driver can take me home."

    "No way! He must take you home."This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    Trenton red at Owen again.

    Owen reluctantly stood up and said, "Fine. I''ll take her home myself."

    "Give this card to Cecilia, and tell her the password too. Tomorrow, take her to buy a new car, and

    make sure it''s a nice one. How can the women in our family not have a decent car?"

    Owen took his wallet from Trenton, ignored his nagging, and followed Cecilia out.

    Trenton watched them leave one after another. After they were far away, he said to Derek next to

    him, "Cecilia is a good girl."

    Derek replied, "But you still hurt her."

    "How did I hurt her? I''m ying matchmaker for them. Once they are stable in their feelings, they

    will be grateful for what I''m doing now."

    "But Owen''s parents might not like such a daughter-inw. Can you protect her for the rest of her

    life? In the end, she will still get hurt. Isn''t this hurting her?"

    These words left Trenton speechless.

    Even now, Devon would go out of his way to avoid him.

    They were inws!

    Owen and Cecilia were secretly married. Trenton had promised Owen that he would not interfere

    excessively in his private affairs. Apart from Ruby and Megan, no outsider should know about their

    marital status.

    As for the Yates family, Owen and Cecilia agreed to keep it as secret as possible.

    Owen personally drove Cecilia home.

    As usual, when they reached the alley near her home, Owen parked the car at the entrance of the

    alley.

    It waste at night. Most of the shops on the street were already closed.

    When Cecilia tried to open the car door to get out, she found that the door was still locked. She

    turned to look at Owen and reminded him, "I need to get out."

    Owen seemed to be thinking. Cecilia reminded him twice before he responded, but instead of

    unlocking the car, he took out his wallet and handed the ck card that Trenton had just given him

    to Cecilia.

    "If I don''t give it to you, Grandpa might me me. He might even remove me from the position of

    CEO in a fit of anger. I''ll text you the passwordter."

    Cecilia: "Are you really giving it to me? Aren''t you afraid I''ll max out your card?"

    "Although you are a bit greedy, you have good character. I trust you won''t waste my money. Please

    take good care of it for me."

    Ceciliaughed. "Should I thank you for your trust?"

    She took the ck card without hesitation and said, "Since you want me to keep it, I will. I''ll charge

    you two hundred dors a day for custody. You can transfer me the custody fee on WhatsApp. I

    won''t spend the money on this card."

    She paused, then added, "A gentleman loves money but gets it in the right way."

    She wanted to earn his money in a legitimate way, not ept his charity.

    Owen was both amused and exasperated. "Why don''t you just take two hundred dors out of the

    card every day?"

    "I won''t use your card. Please transfer me the money on WhatsApp."

    "Alright, alright. You money-grubber! Why must you always talk about money with me? Are you

    always thinking about how to put all my money into your wallet?"

    After shoving the ck card into Cecilia''s hand, Owen immediately took out his phone, transferred

    two hundred dors to Cecilia, and noted that it was payment for her keeping the ck card for him.

    Cecilia took the money he transferred over, muttering, "You really n on giving me two hundred

    bucks every day? Can''t you just give me a few days'' worth all at once?"

    "I''ll give you two hundred dors every day. That way, you get to see money rolling in daily. Feels

    good, doesn''t it?"

    This meant she would have to keep in touch with him every day.

    Every time he sent her money, she would respond with a thank you. That was their form of daily

    contact.

 Chapter 218

    Chapter 218

    Owen unlocked the car, gesturing to Cecilia that it was okay to get out.

    Cecilia carelessly stuffed his ck card into her pocket. Seeing her nonchnt attitude, Owen

    couldn''t help but remind her, "Cecilia, that''s a ck card; it''s loaded. You''re just going to casually

    stuff it in your pocket?"

    "And what should I do then? Frame it in gold and hang it on the living room wall?"

    Owen was left speechless.

    "The more I baby it, the more it''ll attract jealousy and theft. On the contrary, if I just toss it around in

    my pocket, people might think it''s a fake. That''s safer, actually. After all, with my financial status,

    there''s no way I could own a ck card."

    "Just go home and get some rest. Remember to eat breakfast before you leave tomorrow. Don''t

    come looking for me to freeload breakfast again. We only need to y lovebirds in front of your

    grandpa. Once we''re out of his sight, we''re nothing to each other."

    Owen went green with anger. "You really can''t stand me, can you?"

    "Mr. Malicious, that''s pretty clear from the way I address you. Bye! Don''t dream about me tonight. I

    won''t appear in your dreams. Even if I do, I''ll only be there to ask you for money."

    Owen couldn''t help butugh. "You sure do understand the impression you''ve left on me."

    Watching Cecilia''s retreating figure, Owen didn''t immediately drive off. He got out of the car, quietly

    following Cecilia from a distance. It wasn''t until he was sure Cecilia had safely entered her house

    that he got back in his car and left.

    The next morning, Lucinda received a message from Keith saying he had safely returned to

    Skywatch.

    It was only after confirming his safe return to Skywatch that she finally rxed.

    Stefan had wanted to take his two mothers-inw out for a stroll, but they had declined.

    The elderly pair from the Moore family were no different. They were old and didn''t like moving

    around. Plus, both at the foot and the top of Ascend Estate, there were beautiful sceneries. The four

    elders were having a great time together and didn''t want to leave at all.

    In the end, Stefan had to return to work at thepany under everyone''s urging.

    Even Lucinda was urged to return to the shop. Both mothers came along to help out in the shop.

    Janice was still hugging her doll, but because Lucinda was by her side and she hadmon topics

    with Fiona, she was in a good mood. In the caf¨¦, she could even help Lucinda by preparing coffee

    for customers and even assisting the chef in making pastries.

    The business was good in the morning, so everyone was busy.

    It wasn''t until close to noon that they started to get some downtime.

    "Lucy, try the pastries I made."

    Fresh out of the oven, Janice couldn''t wait to bring some over to her daughter.

    "Cecilia, you try some too. I''ve taken sses on pastry-making before, so my skills are not any

    worse than your chefs''."

    Janice''s face was full of smiles. When she looked at Lucinda, her eyes were filled with love. If it

    wasn''t for the doll she was holding, Lucinda would''ve thought she had recovered.

    Both Lucinda and Cecilia held Janice in high regard. They both tried the pastries that Janice had

    personally made. Even Fiona, who didn''t usually like pastries, praised them as delicious.

    Janiceughed, saying, "My mom used to cook for my dad a lot. My dad was a man with a sweet

    tooth, so the thing my mom made the most was pastries. I¡¯ve learned from her since I was little and

    even found a teacher to learn from when I grew up, so I''m also quite the chef."

    Her eyes held a nostalgic look as she continued, "After I got married, I also liked to make pastries

    for my husband. He always praised my pastries as delicious. Every time he ate the pastries I made,

    our baby would also babble at him, showing that she wanted some too."

    "Baby! Where''s the baby?"

    Janice suddenly became very agitated.

    Lucinda quickly picked up the doll from the cashier''s desk and handed it to her, repeatedly assuring

    her, "Mom, the baby''s right here."

    Janice carefully took the doll, kissing its face, and said with relief, "The baby''s still here! The baby

    wasn''t taken away."

    Everyone stayed silent.

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    Lucinda put the half-eaten pastry in her mouth, and it tasted a bit bitter.

    Cecilia gently patted Lucinda''s hand, silently consoling her.

    Lucinda blinked away the tears in her eyes and said to Cecilia, "I''m used to it."

    Hearing this, Cecilia nearly cried.

    If it were her dealing with a mentally unstable mother, she might''ve copsed by now.

    "Everything will get better!"

    Lucinda bit her lip and replied firmly, "Yeah!"

    Everything will get better!

    Just then, the sound of high heels clicking against the floor came from outside.

    Both women instinctively looked toward the door.

    They were particrly sensitive to this kind of footstep noise now.

    Seeing that it wasn''t Ruby who hade, Cecilia let out a sigh of relief.

    But Lucinda was somewhat surprised.

    It was the niece of George Mitchell''s boss and also George''s wife.

    She was wearing loose maternity clothes. Even though she wasn''t very far along in her pregnancy,

    her belly was already showing a little.

    Mrs. Mitchell looked pale, with dark circles under her eyes. She hadn''t been wearing makeup during

    her pregnancy, which made her look even more haggard.

    "She''s here for you, isn''t she?"

    Cecilia gently nudged Lucinda and whispered, "George doesn''t dare harass you anymore; what''s

    she doing here looking for you?"

    Lucinda wasn''t sure of Mrs. Mitchell''s intentions either.

    But she was a customer after all. Lucinda got up to greet her.

    "Mrs. Mitchell."

    Mrs. Mitchell looked at the glowing Lucinda and forced a smile. She corrected Lucinda''s address:

    "Lucinda, call me Lilith Darcy. I''m no longer Mrs. Mitchell. Yesterday, George and I divorced."

    Lucinda was somewhat taken aback.

    She was a bit taken aback, but she also thought this oue was kind of predictable.

    Love and marriage were not the same thing. Even if a couple''s super loved up when they''re dating,

    that didn''t mean they''ll still be happy after they got married.

    Ever since George tied the knot with her, he''s turned into a real bighead, even thinking about

    bankrolling Lucinda. Mrs. Mitchell''s no fool; she wouldn''t just let him do that, right?

    "Have a seat."

    Lucinda politely gestured for Lilith to sit at a table.

    Cecilia poured them both a ss of water, then she trotted back to the two mothers.

    Fiona asked Cecilia, "Is that woman George''s wife?"

    She hadn''t met Lilith, but she remembered the pain George had caused Lucinda.

    "Yeah, that''s her."

    With a touch of schadenfreude, Fiona said, "They''re divorced? Good for them. Women who steal

    other people''s men don''t deserve happiness."

    Thinking of her many rivals in love, Janice nodded in agreement, saying, "They''re all bad news."

    Cecilia nodded. "She got what wasing to her, but I''m still grateful. If it wasn''t for her, Lucy might

    not have found her happiness today."

    Fiona thought about it, and it made sense, so she said, "We should really thank Lilith for nabbing

    that rotten George."

    Letting go of a love that''s not meant to be wasn''t the end; it''s a new beginning. What came after

    was often the real deal in happiness.

 Chapter 219

    Chapter 219

    Lilith took a sip of water, then stared at her cup.

    After a while, she looked up at Lucinda with a bitter smile on her face. "I divorced George. Do you

    think it serves me right?"

    "Nah. I think you''re a clear-headed gal. George chose to marry you because he was after your

    social status. He knew there were perks to being with you. By marrying you, he could skip a few

    years of hustle."

    Lilith smiled slightly and said, "You''re a sensible woman with a clear mind."

    "To be honest, I was the one who approached George first. But I didn''t know he had a girlfriend.

    When I found out about you, I was already head over heels for him. I thought with my status,

    snatching George would be a piece of cake. Sure, I''m not as pretty as you, but I believed I was

    more capable. So, even after I found out he had you, I kept dating him."

    Lilith sighed, "However, reality proves that any man that can be snatched away by another woman

    is no good."

    "But, Lucinda, I¡¯ve got to defend myself here. The one who made George break up with you wasn''t

    me. It was a masked man. He had a bet with George and even had a fight with him. George lost."

    When Lilith mentioned the masked man, Lucinda''s eyes clearly changed.

    She guessed it. The masked man must be her current husband.

    "That man, after winning against George, didn''t want money or anything else; he wanted George''s

    girlfriend. George said he loved making bets and getting into fights just to snatch someone''s

    sweetheart. He''s been tangled up with that man for years. Maybe because I gave George an option,

    so when he lost that bet, he agreed to let you go to that man."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    This masked man always liked to bet and fight with others, and whoever lost had to give up their

    sweetheart? Were all those girlfriends of the losers her?

    This was what Stefan did.

    "George could never forget you. After marrying me, his lifestyle leveled up, so he became arrogant.

    He not only came to see you behind my back but also had other women. His family was always

    asking me for money, cars, and houses, like a bunch of vampires."

    "I always thought he was ambitious. My uncle thought highly of him too. We helped him so much. I

    thought he''d be grateful to my family and would always treat me well, but in the end, I regret it so

    much! I know; he thought I wasn''t pretty enough, not good enough for him."

    "Did he really think that I would tolerate it no matter what he did? Did he really think I couldn''t live

    without him? I could spoil him, but I could also dump him! He thought I was pregnant, so he could

    control me? Dream on! I''d rather raise my child alone than support his whole family!"

    "So, we divorced. I was the one who filed for it. He tried to take a cut of my assets. I collected

    evidence of his affairs and made sure he didn''t get a penny in the divorce. His position in the

    company was also taken away. He couldn''t handle it, so he quit."

    Listening to this, Lucinda felt a sense of schadenfreude.

    George, a man who clung to the powerful and was unfaithful, deserved this!

    "Ms. Moore, I''ve hurt you before. Today, I want to apologize to you again. Ms. Moore, I''m sorry!"

    Lucinda generously said, "It''s all in the past. I don''t love George anymore. When I mention him now,

    I feel very calm. Initially, I resented you, but from another perspective, I should thank Lilith. You

    showed me George''s true colors."

    Otherwise, George would definitely take advantage of her once he knew her true identity.

    Money was the best test of morality.

    After voicing her true feelings, Lilith felt much lighter.

    She finished her water, grabbed her purse, and stood up. She said to Lucinda, "Ms. Moore, thank

    you for listening to me."

    Lucinda saw her out.

    Watching Lilith get into her car and drive away, she turned back.

    She felt a bit sentimental.

    "Lucy."

    Fiona called her.

    "Mom, I''m fine. Lilith wasn''t here to give me trouble. I''m just a bit sentimental, thinking about how

    unpredictable life is. No one can predict what will happen tomorrow."

    Like herself. For the past twenty-something years, she had always thought she was Fiona''s

    biological daughter.

    Like George. He used her as a bet, lost to the masked man, then chose Lilith. He thought he could

    climb above Lucinda with Lilith''s assets, but now his life was back to square one. He brought it all

    on himself.

    And she suddenly became the daughter of the Blue family of Skywatch and might inherit billions.

    This was a level of wealth and glory that George could never imagine.

    "Lucy."

    Cecilia''s ears were sharp. She heard some of what Lilith said, so she walked over to Lucinda

    curiously and said, "Who''s that masked man who loves to snatch other people''s sweethearts?"

    Lucinda looked at her.

    Cecilia stuck her tongue out yfully, giggling, "I''m just curious!"

    "I bet it''s Mr. Coleman."

    After saying this, she winked at Lucinda, joking, "Your husband¡¯s quite something!"

    She gave Lucinda a thumbs up, making herugh.

    "You''re so lucky. If a man as great as him pursued me for over a decade, I''d probably be so happy I

    couldn''t sleep at night."

    "If you can''t sleep, how are you going to have this kind of dream?"

    "Any orders from Ascend Global?"

    "Do you want to hit the road and deliver some food? You could even take the initiative to bring Mr.

    Coleman a hot cup of coffee without him ordering. Ascend Global is just around the corner. The

    coffee will still be piping hot by the time you get there."

    Cecilia chuckled and said, "But it''s nearly noon. If you bring Mr. Coleman a coffee now, it might

    disrupt his lunch break."

    Lucinda didn¡¯t fetch him coffee. She grabbed a box, packed some of Janice''s pastries, and was

    ready to bounce.

    "Mrs. Coleman, I''ll escort you." One of the bodyguards immediately stood up to follow Lucinda.

    Lucinda turned to Janice and said, "Mum, I gotta jet. I''ll be back in a jiffy. Hang tight here at the

    shop, okay?"

    Janice kindly responded, "You go do your thing. Don¡¯t sweat about me."

    The bodyguard drove Lucinda away from the Serendipity Cafe.

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    Serendipity Cafe wasn''t far from Ascend Global. They arrived in no time.

    "My mom''s still at the cafe. I¡¯m kind of worried about her. You should head back. Remember, you¡¯ve

    got to look after everyone in that cafe. We can¡¯t afford any mishaps!"

    The bodyguard reassured her, "Rest easy, ma¡¯am. We¡¯dy down our lives if we have to, just to

    ensure everyone in the cafe is safe."

    Right then, every single person in the Serendipity Cafe was crucial to Lucinda¡¯s life. Not a single

    one of them could get hurt!

 Chapter 220

    Chapter 220

    Ascend Global.

    Just before knocking off, Edgar took a small break.

    He wandered into the CEO''s office, had himself a cup of tea, and shared updates on some personal

    errands he''d been running for the boss.

    Edgar whipped out a bank card and ced it in front of his boss.

    Stefan lifted his gaze to Edgar, lips pressed thin, silent, waiting for Edgar to spill the beans.

    "This was dropped off by Hugo. He asked me to hand it over to you, along with his apologies. He

    made a move on Lucinda, not knowing she''s your wife. Luckily, your wife wasn''t harmed. This is

    some money he got his hands on. Aside from his day-to-day expenses, the rest is all on this card.

    Hugo hopes you could let him off the hook," Edgar said.

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    He never had direct contact with Hugo. Hugo reached out to Edgar through someone else, asking

    Edgar to deliver his apology and the money to Stefan.

    "Where''s Hugo now?" Stefan asked.

    He had found out that the guy who tried to lure Lucinda into his car and kidnap her was Hugo.

    Stefan was bound to dig deeper.

    If he could find Hugo, he could uncover the real culprit and clear the way for Lucinda, ensuring her

    safety after she returned to the Blue family.

    At first, the investigation was tough going.

    But when Lucinda identally recognized her mother and found out her true identity, the

    investigation got a bit easier.

    "Hugo skipped town and fled overseas. We don''t know his exact whereabouts at the moment. Hugo

    also had someone ry a message. He said he yed by the rules; he can''t spill about his

    employer."

    Hugo worried that Stefan and the police might track him down, so he took off overseas. As long as

    his safety was ensured, he''d stick to his rules, protecting his employer''s information.

    If one day he ended up in the clink and was forced to spill the beans, his employer couldn''t me

    him.

    Of course, if he ended up in the clink, he wouldn''t have any way out; there would be no need to

    worry about retaliation from his peers.

    "Boss, in our investigation, we not only discovered Trenton''s people but also stumbled upon a group

    of people. We can''t tell if they''re friends or foes. They''re mighty powerful; our guys suffered heavy

    losses after a confrontation," Edgar sighed after finishing. "Boss, your wife is mixed up with so many

    forces; you need to think hard about whether or not you want to get involved in this mess."

    Stefan''s face darkened, and he said gravely, "Lucinda is my wife; her problems are my problems.

    No matter how many forces her background involves, even if danger is ahead, I won''t let go. We''ll

    always be together; if one day she leaves me, I''ll use a lifetime to find her, never giving up."

    There''s another group, and they couldn''t determine if they were friends or foes.

    Stefan was somewhat suspicious that this group could be his unseen father-inw.

    Edgar silently watched his boss, murmuring to himself, "What is love? The power of love is really

    strong."

    "The Howard family''s daughter seems to have a bit of a crush on you. Want to have a deep

    conversation about love? Feel how powerful love is?"

    Edgar immediately begged for mercy: "Boss, don''t tease me; I can''t handle the Howard family''s

    daughter; I''m just a regr employee."

    Actually, he had no feelings for the Howard family''s daughter.

    "I''m also an employee."

    Edgarughed, saying, "Sure, but you''re working for yourself."

    "I''m working for Anderson, Inc."

    Edgar was momentarily speechless.

    "You can look at me; I''m also a regr employee, but I''ve always had my sights set on the Blue

    family''s daughter. You should also have the confidence to pursue the Howard family''s daughter and

    to be the Howard family''s son-inw."

    Edgar chuckled. "Boss, there''s a big difference between your kind of employee and my kind of

    employee. Did my mom call you?"

    His mother had been nagging him to go on blind dates, but he always refused.

    Maybe his mom called the boss, asking the boss to help nag him.

    "Your mom just cares about your work progress."

    "As long as you stop giving me so much off-the-books work, my work will go smoothly."

    Edgar pointed at the bank card, asking, "Do you want this bank card?"

    "We can keep the bank card; who knows, it mighte in handy in the future. Anything else

    besides info on Hugo?"

    "The one who paid Hugo was Elisa from Whiterun. Surely, Elisa was also acting on someone else''s

    orders when she did this. We still need to dig deeper to find out who''s behind her. Boss, this is

    unavoidable; we''re not gods; we can''t find out everything immediately."

    "The one who harmed your wife spent many years following and investigating her for over 20 years

    before finding her. We''ve only started investigating for a month, expecting to uncover everything;

    that''s difficult."

    Even if one was smart, they''re still just a person.

    As a person, it''s impossible to be omnipotent.

    Edgar used all his connections, even the ones he didn''t want to touch, to find this information.

    Because the various forces involved in Lucinda''s background, their every move might be monitored

    by these forces. Currently, they can''t trace the roots of these forces, and lots of evidence had been

    destroyed, making it impossible to verify.

    "Elisa? Whiterun again!"

    Stefan furrowed his brows.

    The first time someone targeted Lucinda, the money traced back to Whiterun as well.

    "Lucinda''s brother once said that Lucinda was taken by a woman from the Av n back in the

    day, but all the Avs kicked the bucket that year, and Lucinda''s whereabouts became a mystery.

    For years, her brother has been holding onto this one clue; he turned Whiterun upside down, but

    still no sign of Lucinda."

    "I''ve got this gut feeling that Whiterun ain''t where we ought to be looking; the real puppet master''s

    definitely not in Whiterun."

    "We''ve got a hell of a lot of cities all over the country; we don''t have the manpower everywhere; it''s

    going to take time to get to the bottom of this."

    Stefan stayed silent for a moment, nodding to show he got the message.

    The phone rang.

    Edgar picked it up for the boss.

    "Mr. Coleman, Ms. Scott''s here."

    Iris'' sweet voice rang through the phone.

    Edgar instantly looked at his boss and jokingly said, "Boss, your childhood ymate''s here; you

    wanna see her?"

    "Ruby was not my childhood ymate!"

    Stefan emphasized coldly, "Tell her to get the hell out of here; I don''t have time for her!"

    What a pain in the ass!

    Edgar,ughing, told Iris on the phone, "Iris, you heard the boss. He wants Ms. Scott to vamoose

    pronto. If Ms. Scott doesn''t leave, you can tell her to hit the road!"

    Iris responded, "Mr. Coleman, Edgar, got it."

    And then she hung up the phone.

    Edgar put down the phone and, looking at Stefan with a huge grin on his face, teasingly said,

    "Imagine if our bossdy happens toe pick you up from work and runs into Ms. Scott. Boss,

    that would be quite a show!"

    Stefan picked up his coffee mug and hurled it at Edgar. "Buzz off!"

    This single guy who''s green with envy over his happy marriage!

    Edgar caught the mug easily, put it back in its ce, and said with a beaming smile, "I''m off right

    away."

    Stefan couldn''t help butugh.

 Chapter 221

    Chapter 221

    Down in the lobby of the building, Ruby was being blocked by two receptionists from going upstairs.

    She was fuming, pointing at the two receptionists, and yelled out, "Do you guys even know who I

    am? I grew up with your CEO; we''ve been buddies since we were kids. You dare stop me here; do

    you believe me when I say I can get Stefan to fire you and send you guys packing home?"

    Facing Ruby''s tantrum, the receptionists didn''t even get mad. One of them replied politely, "Ms.

    Scott, I''m sorry, but without an appointment, you can''t see our CEO. Please, Ms. Scott, go back."

    "I need an appointment to see Stefan? Stefan and I,"

    "What''s your rtionship with Stefan?"

    Lucinda''s voice suddenly interrupted her, asking point-nk.

    Ruby turned around sharply.

    "Mrs. Coleman."

    The receptionists respected Lucinda, which made Ruby feel bitter.

    Ruby red at Lucinda, her eyes full of hostility.

    "Lucinda, what are you here for?"

    Ruby''s earlier brash and rude behavior had been seen by Lucinda, so there was no point in

    pretending anymore.

    Besides, pretending wouldn''t help.

    She and Lucinda were rivals, and everyone in Pinehurst knew it.

    When rivals met, it''s never pleasant.

    Lucinda smiled and responded like it was the most natural thing in the world: "I''m here at our

    company to see my husband."

    ¡°Ourpany¡±, ¡°husband¡±, these words made Ruby angry.

    She retorted, "You really have no shame; Ascend Global is the Anderson family''spany. You''re a

    Moore, not an Anderson. How dare you say Ascend Global is your family''spany? Lucinda, you

    really have no shame."

    "Ascend Global is the Anderson family''spany, and the head of the Anderson family is my

    husband. Since I married Stefan, Ascend Global has been our family''spany. Tell me, Ms. Scott,

    is there anything wrong with my logic?"

    Lucinda continued seriously, "If Ms. Scott thinks I''m wrong, then tell me, what right do you have to

    come to Ascend Global to see my husband?"

    Ruby felt awful. "You''re making this up, aren''t you? I heard you write online novels; you''re the best

    at making up stories."

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    "Indeed, I''m the best at making up stories. I love to write mypetitors into my novels as viins,

    who end up with nothing, maybe even losing their lives."

    Ruby was annoyed.

    She''ll need to find out which website Lucinda wrote her novels on and see if she really wrote her

    into a novel as a viin.

    After a while, Ruby pulled out her phone to call Stefan in front of Lucinda.

    "You''re calling Stefan, right? Ms. Scott, I advise you not to waste your time. I''ve checked, and your

    number is not saved on my husband''s phone. This number you''re using now is probably blocked.

    Try another number; maybe you''ll get through."

    Ruby looked helpless.

    She really couldn''t get through to him.

    Stefan probably blocked her number again.

    As the heir to the Anderson family and the CEO of Ascend Global, Stefan can''t possibly change his

    number often, but because Ruby kept calling him, he had no choice but to block her number.

    Ruby was really persistent. Even if her number was blocked, she would immediately get a new one.

    But even if she used a new number, Stefan could guess it was her.

    In Stefan''s words, if a call came in without a name disyed, there''s a 90% chance it''s Ruby.

    Ruby put her phone back in her bag, then held her limited edition Hermes and walked up to Lucinda

    with her head held high.

    She ordered arrogantly, "Lucinda,e with me. Let''s find a ce to sit down and talk."

    Lucinda responded coldly, "I don''t have time, and besides, I don''t have anything to talk about with

    Ms. Scott. And what right do you have to talk to me?"

    "You! You''re just standing here doing nothing; how can you be busy? My right? I''m Stefan''s

    childhood friend!"

    Lucindaughed, saying, "By your logic, then I''m Stefan''s wife. We''re legally married, we have a

    marriage contract; everyone in Pinehurst knows that."

    Ruby was speechless.

    "Also, Ms. Scott, are you really Stefan''s childhood ymate? I remember Stefan telling me that he

    watched me grow up and was always waiting for me to grow up. We''ve known each other for eleven

    years. When I met him, I was only thirteen. Saying we were childhood ymates seems more

    urate than your rtionship with him."

    "Don''t tter yourself; Stefan was never waiting for you to grow up. It''s clear that you''re shameless,

    using Stefan as your fake boyfriend and then making it real, tricking Stefan into bing your real

    husband."

    "Yes, I did ask Stefan to be my boyfriend, but Stefan likes me; I''m now his wife, and there''s no

    chance of me stepping down from this position. Being so entangled with Stefan, I find it hard too."

    Lucinda''s words almost made Ruby pass out.

    She had always wanted to be Stefan''s woman since she was young. She tried everything; she even

    thought about drugging Stefan, but she never seeded.

    She had done so many shameless things that she felt humiliated, which forced her to leave the

    country.

    But the guy she couldn''t get her hands on was now married to Lucinda. When Lucinda found out

    about his real identity, she wanted out, but he wouldn''t let her. Clearly, he had some kind of n for

    Lucinda.

    She''s had Stefan in her heart for a long time, and Stefan had a girl in his heart too, but that lucky girl

    wasn''t her.

    Jealousy was eating Ruby up inside. The look she gave Lucinda was pure venom.

    Lucinda, however, was still all smiles.

    This only made Ruby even angrier.

    She wanted to punch Lucinda''s face in, but she didn''t have the guts to do it, not in Ascend Global.

    If she dared toy a finger on the CEO''s wife at Ascend Global, she''d be in hot water.

    The people in Ascend Global weren''t as fond of her as those in the Ike group.

    This was the way these two men treated her.

    Stefan never loved her; he always turned a blind eye to her. As a result, she got zero respect at

    Ascend Global.

    No one gave a damn about her.

    Owen had a thing for her, so in the Ike group, she could do whatever she pleased. And the

    people there wouldn''t dare mess with her.

    "Lucinda, don''t get too cocky. Stefan''s parents will be back soon, and they certainly won''t be fond of

    you. You and Stefan are from different worlds; your social status is not at par. Just wait; they''ll kick

    you out in no time."

    Lucinda just kept smiling. The more she smiled during an argument, the angrier the other person

    got. And when people got angry, they tended to say and did stupid things, and they were more likely

    to screw up.

    Lucinda knew this all too well.

    When dealing with Ruby, she always won the battle of wits first, making Ruby lose her cool and

    even nearly pass out from anger.

    Seeing Ruby so pissed off at her but unable to do anything about it gave Lucinda a sense of

    satisfaction.

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    Chapter 222

    "Alright, I''ll wait. I''m waiting for Stefan''s parents toe back so we can discuss the wedding ns

    with my folks. Don''t worry; considering your close ties with Stefan, I''ll make sure you get an invite.

    Hope you can make it to our wedding. Stefan promised to throw me avish wedding and make me

    the prettiest bride ever."

    Lucinda wore a contented smile that made Ruby so mad she was practically spinning in ce,

    trying to keep her temper in check.

    After all, Ruby had just been released from the detention center, and she couldn''t afford to go back.

    Patience!

    Lucinda was really getting on her nerves.

    Seeing Ruby throw a fit, Lucinda wanted tough. She didn''t hold back her amusement and kept

    smiling.

    The receptionists at the front desk couldn''t help butugh; they were almost doubling over.

    Who would''ve thought that Mrs. Coleman, who looked so innocent like a bunny, had such sharp

    words like a knife?

    Ms. Scott was putting up a good fight but seemed to be losing miserably against Mrs. Coleman''s

    sharp tongue.

    Noticing the receptionistsughing, Ruby turned to them, fuming, "What are youughing at?"

    One of them managed to straighten her face and replied, "Ms. Scott, we''re notughing."

    "You''reughing; you''reughing at me, aren''t you?"

    "No, really, Ms. Scott, we''re just trying to keep a friendly demeanor while at work."

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    Not wanting Ruby to take it out on the receptionists, Lucinda redirected Ruby''s anger: "Ruby, I can

    vouch for them. They''re just being professional and keeping their smiles on. The oneughing is

    me."

    Since when did smiles not constitute asughter?

    Ruby: Are you mocking myprehension skills?

    Lucinda: Oh, so you admit they''recking?

    Ruby: Get lost, nerd!

    Lucinda: Come on, Ms. Scott, show me how to ''roll away''.

    Ruby: "Lucinda!"

    "Ms. Scott, I have excellent hearing; there is no need to shout. It''s scaring me."

    Ruby took several deep breaths.

    Don''t get mad! If she let Lucinda get to her, she''d be ying right into her hands.

    "Lucinda, I need to see Stefan. It''s business, not personal."

    Ruby, swallowing her rage and softening her voice, looked at Lucinda with pleading eyes and said,

    "I really need to see Stefan."

    Stefan''s business pressure was unbearable for her.

    Even if she had moved her business back home, even if she was still the rich girl from the Scott

    family, she couldn''t withstand Stefan''s all-out assault.

    Pinehurst was so vast, and the market was so good.

    Ruby had a bright future, but Stefan''s relentless crushing made her lose the business she had

    already secured. Her designs couldn''t sell, and all her previous investments and efforts went down

    the drain.

    Ruby didn''t want to bow to Stefan, but she had no choice.

    The Ike group didn''t lend a helping hand to Ruby.

    Ruby knew it wasn''t that Owen didn''t want to help her, but the Martinez family elders didn''t want him

    to and might even kick her while she was down.

    Trenton also never liked Ruby.

    When Ruby visited the Martinez family as a child, Trenton didn''t like her because Owen would

    always stick around her, which Trenton hated.

    Of course, if Ruby sought help from Owen, he would definitely help her, despite being scolded.

    But yesterday morning, she had an argument with Adrienne Dewey. Although Owen knew Ruby

    was wronged, he didn''te to see her but sent Walter with a few ice packs.

    Ruby felt wronged. She needed Owen''sfort and care.

    She hoped Owen would be like before: whoever bullied her, he would bring people to seek justice

    for her, making all the youngdies in Pinehurst dare not offend her, fearing Owen would trouble

    them.

    However, Owen didn''t do that.

    Ruby was angry and didn''t go to Owen. As long as she ignored Owen for three days, he would

    come to her.

    If Megan Scott knew her daughter Ruby was going to see Stefan again today, she would be very

    angry.

    She had told Ruby countless times that being with Owen was much easier than being with Stefan,

    but Ruby didn''t listen.

    She always felt that Owen loved her deeply, and even if she did something to hurt Owen, as long as

    she was a little good to him, he would be as good to her as before.

    What came too easily was not cherished.

    Owen was never cherished by Ruby because he was too proactive, proactive to the point Ruby felt

    no matter what she did, he would never leave.

    But no one will wait for her forever.

    Ruby didn''t understand this; there would be a day when she would regret it.

    "Ms. Scott, it''s Stefan who doesn''t want to see you, not me preventing you. You''re looking for him

    for business? Do you guys have a business partnership? If not, there''s no business to discuss."

    Ruby was silent for a while, then said, "Lucinda, can you call Stefan for me and hand the phone

    over so I can talk to him?"

    "Why should I help you? You''re mypetitor; you want to steal my husband. Why would I help you

    call my husband?"

    Ruby was stunned; after a while, she switched back to an angry tone: "Lucinda, what the hell do

    you want? I''m looking for Stefan; it''s really about business."

    "Stefan doesn''t wanna see you; that''s crystal clear. It doesn¡¯t matter if it''s business or personal; he''s

    got nothing to chat with you about. What do I want? I want you to scram! Ms. Scott, do me a solid

    and get out of here. I don''t wannay my eyes on you anymore; you''re going to ruin my appetite. I''m

    nning to have a big lunch with Stefan."

    Ruby turned her back and left.

    If she lingered any longer, she''d lose all dignity.

    Lucinda, what a pain in the ass!

    If anyone ever called Ruby arrogant, she''d shoot back in a heartbeat. They just hadn''t seen

    Lucinda''s arrogance. The real arrogant one was Lucinda.

    With Stefan''s backing, Lucinda thought she was too big for her boots!

    Ruby was dying to see if Lucinda would have thestugh, thinking it''s a piece of cake marrying

    into a rich family?

    The gap between the Moore family and the Anderson family was massive. Right now, Stefan was

    just smitten with Lucinda''s beauty. Even though they were worlds apart in terms of status and

    knowledge, Stefan was okay with Lucinda. But once the novelty wore off, Stefan would get sick of

    her.

    The Cindere story wasn''t as rosy as people thought.

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    Chapter 223

    If Ruby knew that Lucinda was actually the heiress of the Blue family from Skywatch, set to inherit

    billions, she''d probably flip her lid and go green with envy.

    Ruby had always looked down on Lucinda, thinking she''s from a lower ss. Little did she know,

    Lucinda''s background outstripped hers by miles!

    After sessfully pissing Ruby off, Lucinda said to the receptionists, ¡°Get back to work; I''m off to

    see Mr. Coleman.¡±

    "Mrs. Coleman, please feel free."

    Within Ascend Global, Mrs. Coleman had free reign.

    Once Lucinda left, the two receptionists started chuckling heartily.

    ¡°I''ve learned something,¡± one receptionist said to her colleague. ¡°I¡¯ve learned how Mrs. Coleman

    deals with her love rivals. It¡¯s hrious and annoying for her rival; seeing Ms. Scott¡¯s face go from

    red to ck was just too funny.¡±

    "Yeah, it was an eye-opener. Mrs. Coleman is so clever. The more sheughs, the angrier Ms. Scott

    gets. Ms. Scott was at a disadvantage from the start."

    The whole thing was just too funny.

    Lucinda didn''t know that the receptionists admire how she handled her love rivals. She took the

    elevator to the top floor, and as soon as she stepped out, she saw Iris.

    "Mrs. Coleman, you''re here."

    "Hello, Iris."

    Iris said with a smile, "Thanks to you, I''m doing well. The boss is still busy in the office; he doesn''t

    know you''re here."

    Iris winked at Lucinda, implying Lucinda should surprise the boss.

    Lucinda suddenly felt everyone around Stefan enjoyed a good drama.

    Everyone loved drama, including her.

    "Did Ms. Scotte here too, without your boss knowing?"

    Lucinda knew Stefan wouldn''t meet Ruby, but she couldn''t help asking Iris.

    Irisughed and said, "You just came up; you must have bumped into Ms. Scott downstairs. Ms.

    Scott was stopped froming up; I don''t know how she''s making a fuss at the reception. You

    came just in time; you must have helped the receptionists out, right?"

    "Ruby was put in her ce by me." Lucinda smiled and said, "Thanks, Iris."

    Iris was Stefan''s secretary for a reason; she knew exactly what was going on.

    She knew Lucinda ran into Ruby and guessed that Lucinda had helped the receptionists.

    "You''re too kind; I haven''t really done anything for you; there¡¯s no need to thank me."

    "You should go see the boss." Iris''s eyes twinkled, her expression a bit yful.

    Mrs. Coleman was a lucky girl to have with Mr. Coleman''s undivided attention.

    Lucinda just smiled, not lingering to chat with Iris. She walked to the CEO''s office and knocked on

    the door.

    "Come in."

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    Stefan''s calming voice came from inside.

    Lucinda walked in, seeing him still busy at his desk. She tiptoed in quietly.

    Hearing the faint footsteps, Stefan looked up.

    Seeing that it was Lucinda, he was quite surprised.

    "Honey, what brings you here?"

    Stefan stopped his work, got up from his desk, and walked over to Lucinda, naturally holding her

    hands.

    His eyes moved over her face, not seeing any sweat, but he still scolded her, "It''s hot out; you

    should stay with the family at the shop. If you need anything, just call me, and I''lle over."

    "Don''t you want me to pick you up?"

    "What are you talking about? I want you to pick me up every day."

    Stefan leaned down, gave Lucinda a peck on the face, then pulled her into his embrace.

    "Lucy, something on your mind? Tell me, let me help."

    "Nope, I just missed you. I thought I''d surprise you by picking you up from work, but I ran into Ruby,

    the girl who always ims to be your childhood ymate, downstairs. So much for the surprise."

    Stefan''s face hardened, his tone ice-cold, "Ruby is like a bad penny! Lucy, she didn''t bully you, did

    she?"

    "If I let Ruby bully me, how am I going to deal with all the love rivals that will keep popping up?"

    Lucinda lightly pinched Stefan''s handsome face and sighed, "You''re so outstanding, young,

    handsome, and rich; even if people know you''re married, many can''t control their love for you, like

    moths to a me, trying to rece me."

    "When I decided to be responsible for you, I was ready. If a love rivales, I''ll chase them away. If

    twoe, I''ll chase them away too. You''re my man; unless I don''t want you anymore, no one can

    take you away!"

    Stefan immediately got anxious, saying, "Honey, you can''t not want me. You own my body and soul;

    you have to be responsible for me; you can''t abandon me."

    "By the way, do you know a masked man?"

    Lucinda suddenly changed the subject, asking about the masked man.

    "Mrs. Mitchell, oh, Lilith Darcy came to see me. She divorced George Mitchell and apologized to me

    again. She told me something, and although I have a guess, I want to confirm it. Stefan, you''re

    really a dark horse."

    The deeper she knew his feelings for her, the more Lucinda felt how naive and innocent she was

    when she first hired Stefan as her boyfriend.

    Stefan was a big bad wolf, slowly luring Lucinda, the little white rabbit, into his trap. She was

    completely unaware when he devoured her.

    When she was dating George, Lucinda didn''t even like being close to him; she felt disgusted. Who

    would have thought that within a few days with Stefan, she''d bepletely taken by him and

    actually ept him?

    Was this arranged by God?

    When she''s with him, she''s a normal woman. When she''s with other men, she''s a woman with

    psychological issues.

    George always said Lucinda should go see a shrink.

    "What could I do? You were too young back then, and there was nothing I could do. By the time you

    grew up, I had taken over thepany. In the early days, I was too busy to deal with emotional

    stuff. Plus, I didn''t want to disturb you when I felt helpless, afraid I couldn''t give you happiness."

    "All I could do was knock off those men who fancied you. Like you said, one love rivales, and I

    knock off one. Twoe, and I knock off two. Only George was the exception because you were

    the one who broke the ice. God knows how jealous I was of George."

    "So, you made a bet with George, won him, and forced him to break up with me?"

    Stefan held Lucinda tighter, saying nervously, "Babe, I really love you. I admit I''m a bit of a

    scoundrel, but my feelings for you are real."

    Seeing his nervous face, Lucindaughed, saying, "Rx; I''m not going anywhere. Even though my

    love rivals might keep popping up, the fact that so many people like you just shows how great you

    are. It proves I have good taste. I snagged you for just 500 bucks, haha!"

 Chapter 224

    Chapter 224

    Stefan was not angry when he saw Lucinda, but rxed.

    As long as she''s not angry.

    "Actually, I found the treasure. Ike always praises you. I heard your name a long time ago. Later,

    after seeing you, I gradually began to like you. Now I¡¯ve finally married you, so I can feel at ease.

    Lucy, you are my treasure! I will cherish you, no matter how your identity changes; I will always be

    with you and face difficulties with you until I am safe."

    "We don''t express our feelings for each other any more. Go home quickly. The family is still waiting

    for us to have dinner together in the store. Oh, by the way, I brought you a box of snacks, which

    were made by Janice Blue herself."

    Lucinda didn''t expect Janice to cook such delicious snacks.

    "Put it here first, and I''ll eat it when I''m hungry in the afternoon. I''ll finish the snacks made by Janice

    anyway."

    "I know you are good at pleasing your elders. Both mothers like you very much and forget that I am

    their daughter."

    Lucinda said she was a little unhappy.

    Fiona Lewis Moore, the foster mother, first persuaded Lucinda and Stefan to divorce because she

    was worried that she would get hurt. After she made a choice, Fiona stopped talking about divorce,

    and she was better for Stefan than Ike.

    "The elders are so good to me; in fact, they want me to be better to you."

    Stefan truly understood the hearts of his elders.

    The couple walked out of the office together.

    It''s time to get off work, but Iris hadn''t left yet. When she saw the coupleing out, Iris greeted

    them. When they got into the elevator, Iris began to clean up her desk and get ready to get off work.

    On the way to the Serendipity Cafe, Lucinda returned to the topic of Ruby. She said, "Ruby said that

    she came to see you for business. I think she was really anxious. Did you do something without

    telling me?"

    Stefan asks, "Lucy, what do you think is Ruby''s capital in Pinehurst?"

    "With her own money and Owen Martinez''s backing, most people dare not offend her."

    "We can''t use violence against her; it''s easy for her to go to court, but there are many ways to stop

    her arrogance and even make her wish she were dead. The best way to retaliate against a person

    is not to directly end her life. It is too cheap for her, and making her life worse than death is the real

    revenge. Ruby has transferred all her well-developed businesses abroad back to Pinehurst. On my

    site, she still dares to be arrogant toward you. Of course, I can''t let her business get started. In

    addition to the fact that her detention has affected her business before, I am also suppressing her. I

    let it out. Whoever dares to cooperate with Ruby is my enemy. Ruby has invested too much, and if

    she can''t do business, she will suffer heavy losses. For a long time, she may have had nothing. The

    business environment is like the sea. If you are not careful, you may capsize. How manypanies

    have risen and fallen over the years?"

    "About Owen, I reflected his situation to Trenton at the beginning. Maybe many people thought I

    was too useless, so they had to call toin and didn''t know how to teach Ruby a lesson for

    you. However, the result of myint was that Owen was forced to get married. He married your

    best friend, Cecilia Yates, which prevented Ruby from marrying the Martinez family. With Trenton

    here and Ms. Yates involved, Owen has been restrained. Ruby is used to Owen''s unconditional love

    for her. How can she stand Owen''s love being carved up by others? The contradiction between her

    and Owen will be more and more deep until Owen gives up on Ruby, and Ruby''s dependence will

    fall."

    "Once she has no money, no dependence, and her reputation is ruined. She would be the

    laughing stock of everyone. For Ruby, who wants to be the most distinguished richdy in

    Pinehurst, this is worse than death."

    After Stefan finished, he was silent for a moment and then said, "The only innocent person is Ms.

    Yates."

    Their struggle involved Cecilia, an innocent person.

    "Lucy, some things are Ms. Yates''s own choice. I can''t change her decision, but I can promise you

    that if Ms. Yates is bullied in the Martinez family and needs someone to help her, I will definitely

    stand up for her."

    Cecilia got into this trouble because they were involved.

    "Stefan, I''m relieved to have you. I also want to discuss this with Cecilia as soon as possible and

    make arrangements, and then I will follow you to study. I can''t rely on you for everything. In Ethan

    Blue''s words, I went back to the Blue family to inherit half of my family''s property, and I have to find

    out the ck hand behind the scenes. I am not strong enough. How can I keep everything?"

    Stefan sped Lucinda''s hand and said with deep affection and apology, "Lucy, I originally wanted

    you to live a free life all the time, but your life experience is special, and I have to take you to

    struggle in a troubled world; even if you roll all over with injuries, it is also a life experience."

    The Blue family was a dangerous ce. Lucinda really can''t be like this anymore. She must be

    stronger to keep everything that belongs to her, to get justice for Janice, and to help Ethan.

    "Stefan, with you by my side, even in a dangerous ce, I dare to break into it."

    The husband and wife held hands tightly.

    Although their future was full of storms, as long as they trusted and understood each other and

    faced the storms of life hand in hand, she believed they can wait for the rainbow after the rain.

    Skywatch¡£

    Moonbrook Vi.

    This was a vi built by Nathan Blue, the current owner of the Blue family, for his wife, Janice. No

    other people in the Blue family lived in it, and it was his private property.

    Moonbrook Vi was not inferior to Sunnyde Abbey, and it canpete with Sunnyde Abbey

    in terms of floor space and environment.

    This vi also witnessed the love of Nathan and Janice, the owners of the Blue family.

    Since Janice lost her beloved daughter and became insane, this Moonbrook Vi had never had an

    owner, but there were still people who maintained it at ordinary times.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    The vi, which had been silent for more than 20 years, opened its doors at noon today and

    weed more than a dozen luxury cars.

    The Rolls Royce in second ce was Nathan''s car.

    The noble Rolls-Royce drove directly to the door of the main building before stopping.

    The bodyguard got off the bus first and went forward to open the door for Nathan.

    After everyone in the house came out to see Nathan, they all left the main building under the

    guidance of the housekeeper. Then Nathan''s cronies quickly surrounded the main building and did

    not allow anyone to get close.

    Only then did Nathan say to the people in the car, "You can get off now."

    After Tiffany''s ingenious transformation, Keith Blue, who looked a bit like Baird Anderson, got off the

    car and looked around warily.

 Chapter 225

    Chapter 225

    "No one wille for the time being. Come into the house with me and hurry up." Nathan

    whispered and strode into the house.

    Keith followed closely and followed his father into the house.

    He had some impressions of this ce. When he was a child, his father Nathan tried to bring him

    and his mother Janice to live here, but after Janice left the familiar environment, she cried,

    obviously because she felt unsafe.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    Nathan had no choice but to take his mother and son back to Sunnyde Abbey.

    Keith didn''t understand it before, but now he can understand it a little. Janice knew in her heart that

    her daughter was missing. She didn¡¯t want to leave Sunnyde Abbey, for fear that her daughter

    will not find her home when she came back. Therefore, even if she was humiliated in Sunnyde

    Abbey, she still chose to stay.

    However, Janice ignored the fact that her sister was only half a year old when she disappeared and

    didn''t know her home at all.

    This was just Janice¡¯s obsession.

    The two went up to the second floor and entered Nathan''s study.

    The study was spotless, and the furnishings in it had not been moved, and it had remained the

    same as it was more than 20 years ago.

    As soon as he entered the study, Keith saw his parents'' wedding photos. At that time, his parents

    were really temperamental, like a pair of golden couple. Now, Nathan was 50 years old, but there

    were still young girls like Madeleine who were eager to marry him.

    Nathan closed the door of the study and said to Keith, "There is a sound barrier here. People

    outside can''t hear what we say inside."

    When he first built this vi, he considered the needs of a family of four, so his study was not ced

    in an open ce, but it increased the sound instion effect and he could safely say something

    private.

    "Why didn''t Janicee back with you?"

    "Dad, don''t you think it''s safer for me toe back alone? Janice is out of her mind now, so it''s

    easier to expose our whereabouts by bringing her back. "

    Nathan sat at his desk and asked about his wife: "Is she all right? You found your sister Lucy. How

    did she react? Is there any sign of her getting better? "

    "I thought you didn''t care about Janice anymore." Keith''s response was ironic. "You have been

    ignoring her for more than 20 years, and now you suddenly care. I think it''s ironic."

    Nathan''s face became heavy and seemed angry at this irony, but he didn''t vent it or defend himself.

    "Mom didn''t recognize Lucy after meeting her, but she thought she liked Lucy very much and

    wanted to be close to her. She even regarded Lucy as her peers. However, her state is much better

    than at home, and she often looks like a normal person. "

    After the mother and daughter met, although Janice was not fully awake, her condition improved

    obviously.

    Nathan''s eyes shed a trace of pain, and he whispered, "Is Lucy okay?"

    "Lucy is very good. Everyone in the Moore family regards her as their own daughter and treats her

    very well."

    Keith was full of gratitude to the Moore family.

    "Dad, Lucy is married."

    Keith took Janice across thousands of miles to find his sister Lucy. After flying to Pinehurst, Nathan

    could not sit idly by, and he also arranged for someone to follow them secretly. Although he hadn''t

    seen his daughter with his own eyes, Lucinda''s photo had already been sent to him.

    More than one.

    Since Keith and Janice met Lucinda, his people have helped him record many scenes where they

    got along.

    Late at night, he dared to take out his photos to look closely.

    Nathan felt a little sad that his daughter, who took more than 20 years to get back, was married. In

    his opinion, 24 years old was still very young. If his daughter can grow up beside him, he will

    definitely keep her for a few more years.

    Fortunately, he was satisfied with Lucy''s husband Stefan.

    "Stefan Coleman is the president of PinehurstAscend Global. He is a steady person and is very kind

    to Lucy. Although he also has some pursuers, it is normal. A good man like him is not normal if he

    has no pursuers. "

    Nathan was silent for a long time before he said, "Beauty leads to crime, and men who are too

    good-looking and excellent will also lead to crime."

    He was such a victim.

    The tragedy that happened 23 years ago was really not his wish.

    He didn''t have any affection for Elisa, but Elisa still pestered him despite his marriage and children,

    saying that if she can sleep with him once, she will be satisfied.

    He refused sternly, and Elisa took Lucy away to get back at him because she hated him and

    couldn''t get him.

    In fact, Elisa wanted to take Keith away. After all, the one who would be the heir would be

    more important for Nathan.

    It was Keith who happened to be in the toilet, and Elisa disliked him, so she took Lucinda away in a

    hurry.

    This was when Nathanter found the body of Elisa and found a diary from her.

    Elisa kept a diary of what she wanted to do and what she had done.

    But she didn''t write it down who helped her.

    Keith opened his mouth to say something, but he didn''t know what to say.

    "Dad, are you going to pick up Lucy yourself, or are you going to arrange someone to pick her up?"

    Keith changed the subject.

    After a moment''s silence, Nathan said, "Our whole family is going to get Lucy back."

    "The whole family?"

    "I mean to call your grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins, and let''s meet Lucy by ne. This

    matter can''t be low-key. If it''s low-key, it''s easier to be countered. It''s necessary to deal with it in a

    high-profile way, so that it''s difficult for them to disy their conspiracy with scruples. "

    "So, you know who the mole is?"

    Nathan paused and said, "I''m collecting evidence, and when I can act, I''ll catch them all."

    Keith sneered, "Dad, can I trust you? You know how you have treated Janice and me over the

    years. "

    "Didn¡¯t you grow up safely? Are you spoiled? "

    Keith was stunned.

    ¡°Ethan!¡±

    "Dad, my real name is Keith now, and I don''t want to be your body double anymore."

    Nathan looked at him and smiled and said, "Actually, before you were born, Janice really wanted to

    name you Ethan. Otherwise, your ne won''t be engraved with such words. I personally

    changed your name to Keith after you and Lucy were born. I didn''t expect that when you grew up,

    you insisted on changing your name, and even chose Ethan. You decided to change it to Ethan

    yourself, trying to take my ce in Janice''s heart."

    Keith was speechless.

    "Keith, our family isplex, as you know, external forces are lurking in it, and our family is about to

    undergo a big cleaning. I am getting older, and there will always be a day when I can''t protect you. If

    you are not strong enough, my life''s efforts will be in vain. "

    He can''t grow into a strong person in afortable environment. Only in a dangerous environment

    will he be forced to be a strong person in order to survive.

 Chapter 226

    Chapter 226

    Keith held his tongue.

    "Lucy needs to be as tough as you when she gets back."

    Mentioning his daughter, from whom he had been separated for over twenty years, Nathan''s eyes

    filled with longing.

    If he could, he would rather have Lucy stay in Pinehurst, living a carefree life.

    But once she''s back, there will be more issues to face. She grew up in a sheltered environment,

    was naive to the cunning of people, and might be easily manipted.

    Now, the Blue family had located Lucy, and she had been in danger before. If they didn''t bring her

    back, her safety can''t be guaranteed.

    As Nathan said, since it''s impossible to keep hiding, they must face it head-on.

    Life was brutal. In this world, there''s no such thing as fairness; the strong ruled the roost.

    "Let''s fetch Lucyter, then. Let her enjoy a few more happy days in Pinehurst. With Janice by her

    side, there shouldn''t be any issues."

    Keith didn''t want Lucy to return too soon because he was tired. He was constantly striving, fearing

    that if he rxed for a moment, he could lose everything.

    Nathan was silent for a while, then said, "Is she safe there right now? If she''s really safe, then we

    can bring them backter. It would be even better if Janice could fully recover before shees

    back."

    "She''s safe; the Anderson family can protect her."

    Keith had confidence in Stefan, believing in his abilities.

    "Could you give Lucy a call now? I want to talk to her, preferably via video call."

    Keith knew Nathan must have pictures of Lucy, but he still took out his phone and made a video

    call.

    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Lucinda answered quickly, noticing that Keith still hadn¡¯t changed clothes. She asked with concern,

    "Did you make it home alright? Have you reached home?"

    "I did; I messaged you as soon as I got home."

    Seeing Lucinda, Keith''s expression naturally softened, a smile spreading across his face.

    "Are you having dinner? How''s mom? Did she mention me after I left?"

    Lucinda nced at Janice, who was having dinner with Fiona. They got along well, both loving their

    shared daughter, Lucinda. They chatted while they ate.

    "Janice is fine; she mentioned you, but she still thinks you''re that person. She gets confused

    sometimes; she met Cecilia but forgot the next time she saw her. She once helped out in my shop,

    then she asked me to take her to the shop again."

    Janice''s confusion left Lucinda feeling a bit muddled too. She realized now that she had done the

    same thing twice.

    Keith knew he couldn''t expect too much from Janice in such a short time; she couldn''t recover fully

    yet. But after finding Lucy, Janice had changed significantly. Now, people wouldn''t know she had

    mental issues unless she was holding a doll and calling it her child.

    Lucinda turned the camera towards the two mothers.

    When she turned the camera back, it was no longer her brother Keith on the other side but a man

    who was a stranger to her.

    Lucinda was startled but quickly realized it was her biological father, Nathan.

    She looked at Nathan in the video, her smile slowly fading, her lips pursed tightly, unable to utter a

    word, let alone call him dad.

    Through her brother Keith, Lucinda had pegged Nathan as an irresponsible man.

    "Lucy."

    Nathan spoke first, his voice trembling with excitement.

    "Lucy."

    Nathan called again.

    "Hello, I''m your dad. Keith told you about me, right?"

    Nathan held Keith''s phone, his palms sweating with nervousness.

    Despite experiencing many ups and downs and being a tough guy, he felt at a loss and nervous

    facing his daughter, whom he hadn''t seen for twenty-three years. His heart softened involuntarily.

    "Hello, he mentioned you."

    Lucinda''s cold reply was like a sharp knife stabbing into Nathan''s heart, spreading pain throughout

    his body.

    "You''re having dinner, huh? Is the food good?"

    Twenty-three years of separation had made the father-daughter rtionship a stranger. Even with a

    thousand words, they didn''t know how to express them.

    Nathan tried to find a topic, gingerly maintaining the video call, fearing Lucy would hang up if she

    got upset.

    Over the years, he had forced Keith to grow up in his own way, thinking he was tough enough and

    cold enough not to soften.

    But when faced with his long-lost daughter, seeing her grow from a small bundle to an adult, he

    realized he had a soft side, he had fears, and he was just like everyone else.

    Nathan was just an ordinary man.

    "We''re dining at the Ascend Hotel, one of the top-notch hotels in Pinehurst. The chefs are very

    professional, and the food tastes great."

    Nathan asked a question, and Lucinda answered.

    Nathan gave a fatherly smile and asked, "Is it tasty? Then eat more. You¡¯re too thin; you need to eat

    more. Janice is there too, right? Can I see how she''s doing now?"

    Lucinda hesitated, then quickly turned the camera towards the two mothers.

    Nathan knew what Lucy''s hesitation meant. He felt bitter but couldn''t voice it. Even if he did, it

    wouldn''t erase what he had done.

    He understood that, no matter what he thought, he hadn''t protected his wife and child well over the

    years. They had suffered a lot.

    Lucy''s resentment and reproach towards him were normal.

    "Lucy."

    Janice looked at Lucinda with a sincere smile on her well-maintained face. She was dressed

    appropriately, her long hair pinned up, wearing disposable gloves, and had just peeled a shrimp.

    Janice cheerfully dropped the peeled shrimp into Lucinda''s bowl, grinning as she said, "You''re a big

    fan of seafood, especially shrimp. I''ve peeled it for you, so chow down. Quit staring at your phone;

    seafood isn''t as good once it cools; it gets fishy."

    Nathan was touched.

    It had been a long time since he''d seen his wife acting normally and even longer since he''d seen

    her graceful and elegant beauty.

    Nathan hesitantly spoke up on the other end of the phone.

    "Janice."

 Chapter 227

    Chapter 227

    Janice was glued to her phone when she suddenly snatched it from Lucinda''s hands. She swiftly

    hung up the video call, deleted Keith from Lucinda''s contact list, and even turned off the phone.

    Everyone was stunned.

    Janice returned the phone to Lucinda with a stern look. "Lucy, don''t have anything more to do with

    that guy. He''s bad news!"

    Lucinda took the phone back nervously and asked, "Mom, did he bully you?"

    Janice thought for a moment before replying, "Well, he didn''t exactly bully me. In fact, he''d help me

    when others did. But the way he looked at me, I got the creeps. He''s definitely a bad egg. His gaze

    was devilish."

    Lucinda breathed a sigh of relief.

    She could ept that her biological father, Nathan, was a piece of work, but if he and others were

    bullying her mother, she didn''t know how she could face him.

    "Lucy, listen to me. He''s a rotten apple. Stay away from him. His whole crew is just as bad. He

    might look a bit like my husband, but he''s not him." Janice started spacing out again.

    Seeing this, Lucinda quickly served some dishes to Janice. "Mom, let''s eat."

    "Okay, let''s eat. And you too, stop ying with your phone."

    Lucinda nodded.

    As long as Janice stopped dwelling on the past, she wouldn''t be so confused, and her condition

    would improve.

    Everyone resumed eating. Lucinda felt relieved to see Janice happily eating her meal.

    Lucinda and Stefan exchanged nces.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Stefan gently squeezed her hand. Lucinda replied with a warm smile.

    Fortunately, Stefan had always been by her side.

    He was very considerate and would help her with many things, some of which she hadn''t even

    thought of.

    "Janice."

    Nathan softly called out Janice''s name.

    Unfortunately, the video call had been hung up.

    To make matters worse, when he tried to call back, he couldn''t get through.

    He guessed that Janice had deleted him from her contacts or maybe blocked him.

    Keith watched Nathan''s pained expression, especially when he called out Janice''s name; the

    anguish was palpable.

    He looked at Nathan with mixed feelings.

    Keith thought back to the past. Although Nathan didn''t send Grandma Savannah to take Janice to

    the suburban mansion, he didn''t do much to protect her either. He couldn''t use his busy work as an

    excuse because, as the head of the family, he could have had his trusted people protect Janice and

    prevent her from being bullied.

    In Keith''s eyes, Nathan was terrible, ruthless, and heartless.

    He had always thought Nathan no longer had feelings for Janice, and they hadn''t divorced simply

    because of him.

    He was their only son and the only child who grew up by Nathan''s side.

    Now, seeing Nathan in such pain, Keith was confused.

    What role had Nathan been ying all these years? What else had he been hiding?

    Just as Nathan said, many external forces had infiltrated. Was the Blue family going to face a major

    change soon? How much pressure had Nathan been under all these years? How many unseen

    attacks had he shielded him and Janice from?

    Keith didn''t know and couldn''t ask.

    Before this, the father and son had a strained rtionship and rarely had peaceful conversations.

    People outside were spreading rumors that Keith would be reced sooner orter and that when

    Nathan married Madeleine, it would be the end for Keith and Janice.

    Looking up at Keith''splex expression, Nathan forced a bitter smile. "You think I''m putting on a

    show, don''t you?"

    Keith was silent for a while before he delivered a stinging remark. "You know your own situation.

    Whatever you''ve done behind the scenes, the fact is that you haven''t protected Janice all these

    years. People are saying that once you marry Madeleine, you''ll kick me and Janice out. Seeing you

    distressed when Janice hung up, who are you putting on the show for? It''s ironic to watch."

    Nathan bitterly smiled and said, "Yes, it''s ironic. It''s a show. I can say that I''ve been fair to you, but

    not to Janice. That''s a fact, and I don''t expect Janice to forgive me."

    He just hoped that Janice could recover her health after finding their daughter, Lucy.

    "Dad," Keith suddenly pleaded, "once Janice recovers, let her go. Give her a divorce and let her live

    with me or Lucy. I think she wouldn''t want to stay in the Blue family."

    Nathan picked up a few books and threw them at Keith.

    Keith didn''t dodge and let the books hit him.

    "You ungrateful son, which child wishes for their parents to divorce? Janice doesn''t have many

    people left in her family, with only Hayes Brooks left managing some property. Where would Janice

    go after a divorce? To stay with you? Aren''t you also part of the Blue family? To stay with Lucy?

    Lucy is already married. The Anderson family is influential. If Janice''s rtionship with the Anderson

    family isn''t good, it will affect Lucy''s rtionship with them."

    Keith said bluntly, "Your marriage with Janice is beyond repair, man. Whether she''s crazy or sane,

    she ain''t going to spend her life with you. If you have any ounce of love left for her, let her be. Let

    her have some peace in her twilight years. And besides, you''ve already got a new squeeze. Your

    new chick is younger, prettier, andes with a powerful family background. Marrying her would

    bring the Blue and Porter families together. Why the hell not?"

    Nathan''s face darkened. "You don''t have to stick your nose into my business with Madeleine. But let

    me tell you, Keith, I ain''t divorcing Janice! Janice is mine, in life and in death! Don''t be so damn

    naive. Even if I divorced Janice, they would still be after you two. As long as you and Lucy are still

    breathing, they won''t leave Janice alone. Only when you three kick the bucket will they back off!"

    Nathan''s got billions in the bank. Now, he''s made it clear that his wealth will be split evenly between

    his two kids.

    And the chunk that Nathan got from Blue Corporation was earmarked for his wife, Janice.

    The Dewey family''s gone to pot.

    Janice can''t lean on the Deweys anymore. If Nathan kicked the bucket before Janice, leaving her

    some money, at least she¡¯ll be set for herter years.

    As the head of the Nathan family, he got a pretty penny from Blue Corporation.

    Sometimes, Nathan regretted piling up all that wealth, causing his biological daughter Lucy to

    wander around for over two decades with people out to get her.

    Their goal was simple: they didn''t want Lucy toe back. They didn''t want her to inherit

    everything she''s entitled to.

 Chapter 228

    Chapter 228

    Back in his younger days, Nathan was full of vim and vigor, hell-bent on making a fortune for Janice

    and the kids. Back then, making money was a piece of cakepared to now. Riding the wave of

    the times, he gradually amassed a grand fortune, and now he''s sitting on a mountain of money.

    Nathan was certain that those who didn''t want Lucy to return started their shenanigans only in the

    recent two or three years, because before that, his wealth wasn''t such a jaw-dropping figure. Even

    when he mentioned that his fortune would only be inherited by his kids, nobody batted an eye.

    But now that he''s rolling in money and everyone wanted a piece of his wealth, they were starting to

    act all high and mighty.

    If his wealth was distributed, everyone at Blue Corporation would beughing all the way to the

    bank.

    Ah, sometimes having too much money can be a real pain in the neck.

    Keith asked, "Whose fault is this?"

    "You''re trying to pin this on me, right? Yeah, you''re right, it''s my fault; I''m too loaded, and my status

    is too alluring. If I hadn''t been so sessful from the get-go, you guys wouldn''t have to deal with all

    these issues."

    Keith was left speechless.

    "Are you nning on staying or going?" Nathan changed the subject.

    The strained father-son rtionship was his own doing.

    If he continued on that topic, he was afraid he might tick Keith off.

    "Since you''ve decided to send them all to get Lucy, I don''t have to worry about thepany. Of

    course, I''ll go with Janice and Lucy."

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    He wanted to strengthen the bond between the siblings.

    Seeing the interaction between Lucinda and Ike, Keith felt that he and Lucy were still too distant. He

    envied Ike and hoped that one day Lucy could be asfortable around him.

    "Lucy might lose her happiness when she returns; don''t rush over there; let her enjoy a few more

    days of bliss. And Janice, you''ve seen it; she''s getting better even though she''s not fully recovered

    yet."

    Nathan fell silent. After a while, he gently said, "Go have your meal. I''ll handle the matter of bringing

    Lucy back. Since you''re heading to Pinehurst, don''t dawdle. Head straight to Pinehurst after your

    meal and don''t linger around; especially be careful of the Porter family''s spies."

    The person he referred to from the Porter family wasn''t Madeleine but her father, Mr. Porter, the

    head of the Porter family.

    The Porter family rose to power during the tumultuous times by dubious means. Apart from

    umting wealth, their ruthless nature was also well preserved.

    Even after several generations, the Porter family, although now legit, hadn''t lost its clout; in fact, it''s

    grown stronger. In Skywatch, they''ve swallowed up manypanies, big and small. Anypanies

    that crossed paths with them would either be forced to relocate or be bought over.

    Despite the Blue family being the most powerful in Skywatch, the Porter family was always hot on

    their heels. Madeleine''s close rtionship with Nathan was because Mr. Porter wanted to infiltrate

    the Blue family through her and gradually make the Blue family a part of the Porter family.

    Nathan thought, It¡¯s about time to deal with the Porter issue.

    He was worried that if he couldn''t handle the Porter family, this issue might pose a bigger problem

    for his children.

    If the Porter family always wanted to meddle with the Blue family, why couldn''t he turn the tables

    and meddle with the Porter family with Madeleine''s help?

    "Got it," Keith replied, then got up to leave.

    "Take good care of Janice." Nathan reminded him.

    Keith, who was already a few steps away, turned back to give Nathan a deep look, then nodded in

    agreement to Nathan''s request.

    Even without the reminder, he would take good care of Janice.

    The Scott Garment

    Thispany was established by Ruby before she returned to the country. Apart from setting up

    thepany, she also owned many chain stores, aiming to make a name for herself in the fashion

    world of Pinehurst with her designs.

    Ruby''s fashion brand had been showcased in overseas fashion shows and was quite a sensation

    both at home and abroad.

    Her n was to shift her business back home, let thepany handle other orders, and produce

    mid-to-low-end clothes topete with other clothingpanies, while her chain stores would

    exclusively sell high-end products from her brand, not linked to Scott Garment.

    Her n was foolproof; if it weren¡¯t for Stefan''s meddling, Ruby''s business n could''ve unfolded

    as she expected with Owen''s backing.

    At this point, apart from a few top executives and security guards on duty at the Scott Garment,

    there was no one else, as thepany couldn''t operate normally and there was nothing for the

    employees to do.

    Lots of orders they had once secured were canceled by the clients, which left Ruby fuming.

    Even though thepany couldn''t operate, Ruby still had to pay the employees'' basic sries to

    prevent them from leaving. After all, if she managed to get out of this mess, she would need to hire

    employees again, which would be a real hassle.

    But keeping hundreds of employees like this was like watching money run out of her bank ount

    like water every day.

    A ck Mercedes slowly pulled up in front of the Scott Garment and came to a halt.

    The on-duty security guards were eyeing this car with fingers crossed that it was someoneing

    to do business.

    Even though they punched in every day, if thepany can''tnd any new deals, they''d all be out

    of a job, and thepany would go belly up sooner orter. Once that happened, they''d have to hit

    the pavement and look for other jobs.

    No one wanted to be job-hopping when the pay was still decent.

    The car door swung open, and a man and two women stepped out.

    The man must be the driver. He opened the car door for the two women in the backseat with a lot of

    respect.

    Two women, one in a ck suit and the other in a white long dress, got out of the car.

    "You can wait here." The woman in the ck suit told the driver.

    The woman in the white dress squinted in the sunlight after getting out of the car. She took a look at

    the Scott Garment''s decoration and said, "The Scott Group is pretty big."

    Ruby had guts. As soon as she came back to the country, she dared to start such a bigpany

    and open many chain stores.

    Even though the investment was huge and showed her ambition, she didn''t foresee that she would

    face setbacks in her career.

    "Ms. Scott and Mr. Martinez are very close. Her current predicament is just temporary." The woman

    in ck spoke soothingly.

    Madeleine, the one in the white long dress, flew to Pinehurst at her father Mr. Porter''s prompting.

    Instead of going straight to see Lucinda, she decided to keep her identity under wraps, and with Mr.

    Porter''s introduction, she got in touch with the woman in ck, hoping to get in touch with Ruby

    through her.

    Of course, Madeleine did bring a few big orders this time.

    She hoped to win Ruby''s trust so that Ruby would listen to her advice in the future and be her

    assistant. For that to happen, she needed to make Ruby feel indebted to her first.

    Mr. Porter suggested that Madeleine stay off the grid for now and let Luna handle all the affairs.

 Chapter 229

    Chapter 229

    Even though Madeleine didn''t know Luna well, she couldn''t entrust everything to her, even if Mr.

    Porter vouched for her. She needed to handle things herself to make it clear to Ruby that it was

    Madeleine, not Luna, who was truly helping her.

    "Madeleine, are we going in now?" Luna asked Madeleine.

    Madeleine hid her real surname and called herself Madeleine West, even changing her ce of

    birth.

    All Luna knew was that she came from Kalimdor, nothing more.

    "No, we''re just here to check out the ce today. It''s got a pretty decent exterior."

    Ruby had ambition and was willing to invest. Even for a newly establishedpany, the

    environment was pretty good.

    There was a small garden at the entrance of thepany, filled with various flowers and trees. The

    path was paved with small pebbles, and right in the center of the garden stood a round music

    fountain. The pool was home to both fish and rocks.

    Past the garden was the office building, which was not tall, only five stories. If they exited the office

    building and turned left, they would find the production workshop and warehouses. Between the

    production workshop and the office building was a security booth, with the employee dormitory and

    canteen on its right. Inside the canteen was an employee library for leisurely reading.

    To the far right of the two dormitory buildings was arge basketball court, where they could y

    and enrich their life in spare time.

    Ruby had really invested a lot to create her business blueprint.

    No wonder Ruby couldn''t hold up after being suppressed by Stefan. Even though she knew Stefan

    despised her and didn''t want to see her, she still went to him to plead for mercy.

    However, Ruby ran into Lucinda at Ascend Global and came back down and out.

    "Aren''t we going in?"

    "No rush."

    Ruby hadn''t taken the initiative to find Owen yet.

    Wait until Ruby hit a wall at the Ike group and found herself at a dead end, then Madeleine would

    show up. That way, Ruby''s gratitude towards her would be even stronger.

    Madeleine was in a hurry when she came and left; Ruby didn''t even know she had been there.

    At this moment, Ruby was in her CEO''s office,mbasting her senior managers for their

    ipetence. They had failed to bring in business and secure orders.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    "If this continues, mypany will go bankrupt before it can make a profit."

    Ruby mmed her hand on the desk. Her face under the heavy makeup was anxious and furious.

    She had a fight with Adrienne Dewey and was left with a ck eye. Even though she had applied

    ice for a long time, the injury would still be noticeable without heavy makeup.

    "Ms. Scott, you''re so close with Mr. Martinez; why not reach out to him? At this point, Mr. Martinez is

    the only one who can help us. In Pinehurst, only Mr. Martinez dares to confront Mr. Coleman."

    In Pinehurst, there were several major groups; apart from the Ike group, all the others were

    reluctant to antagonize Ascend Global.

    Hearing this, Ruby was at a loss for words.

    She was waiting for Owen to reach out to her, but.

    What''s going on with Owen? He must know about her business troubles. Why hadn''t he called her

    or offered to help?

    Could it be, as her mother Megan said, that Ruby had been using Owen all this time and Owen

    would eventually be hurt and leave her?

    No, that''s impossible!

    Owen had been infatuated with Ruby for over a decade; how could he abandon her?

    He must be too busy.

    But in the past, whenever Ruby had a problem, no matter how busy Owen was, he would drop

    everything to rush to her side, help her resolve issues, smooth things over, and fight for justice.

    This time, Owen hadn''t appeared in front of her for two days.

    Ruby was a bit anxious and also med Owen''s father, Shane. If it weren¡¯t for his intervention

    forcing Owen to marry Cecilia, Owen wouldn''t have been absent for two days like this.

    Was Owen being held back by Cecilia?

    "All right, all of you get out."

    Ruby waved her hand in annoyance, dismissing the managers.

    After they left, she picked up her car keys, grabbed her bag, and decided to head to Serendipity

    Cafe.

    But Ruby was a bit nervous because of Lucinda''s sharp tongue and Cecilia''s fearlessness.

    Facing the two of them alone, she might lose terribly.

    After some thought, Ruby still decided to go to Serendipity Cafe.

    No matter what the oue, Cecilia would definitely call Owen once she showed up. Owen,

    knowing she was at Serendipity Cafe, would rush over to protect her, and she could tag along with

    Owen, pour out her grievances to him, and once Owen sympathized with her, he would help resolve

    her issues.

    Serendipity Cafe was bustling in the afternoon, with no vacant seats.

    The Blue family''s bodyguards had all voluntarily be free waitstaff.

    Fiona and Janice were happily taking payments at the cash register, while Lucinda and Cecilia were

    helping the pastry chef make desserts.

    When Ruby walked into Serendipity Cafe, she saw this bustling scene of a family peacefully

    enjoying life.

    While her business was being suppressed by Stefan to the point where it couldn''t operate.

    Lucinda''s shop, on the other hand, was thriving thanks to Stefan. Even though it was just a coffee

    shop selling coffee and pastries, it was very profitable with so many customers.

    After Ruby walked in, she wanted to go straight to the cash register.

    She looked around but didn''t see her two rivals. She only saw Fiona sitting inside the cash register

    and a distinguished middle-aged woman sitting next to her, whom Ruby had never met before and

    didn''t know who she was.

    "Are you here for coffee or pastries?"

    Ruby had barely taken two steps when someone blocked her path.

    It was a bodyguard from the Blue family.

    From the moment Ruby walked in, the bodyguard from the Blue family had his eyes on her.

    Ruby''s change in expression, the hatred in her eyes, none of it escaped the sharp gaze of the Blue

    family''s bodyguard.

    They were Keith''s personal bodyguards, having been with him through many life-and-death

    situations. Their insight was particrly sharp, and their skills far exceeded those of ordinary

    bodyguards.

    "Are you new here?"

    Ruby looked the Blue family''s bodyguard up and down, then nced at the other bodyguards. They

    were all tall and strong; they were not bad-looking either. Even though their clothing was a bit

    casual, if they were serving here, they would probably draw in a lot of female customers.

    Was Lucinda using the strategy of attracting females?

    That''s pretty low. Just for the sake of making money and doing good business, they would resort to

    such tactics.

    "You could say that."

    The Blue family''s bodyguard replied.

    They were responsible for protecting Janice and Ms. Moore and apanying the two in running

    the store. But to the customers, they were indeed new.

    But they weren''t waitstaff!

    They were just helping Ms. Moore with some work.

 Chapter 230

    Chapter 230

    "Please call your two bosses. I need to talk to them." Ruby spoke proudly.

    The Blue family''s bodyguard didn''t move; he just looked at Ruby with deep eyes.

    Ruby was so stared at by him that she got angry at once and raised her hand to p the

    bodyguard.

    This bodyguard was the one who risked his life for Keith. He was also the most trusted person in

    Keith¡¯s life and had the best skills.

    How can a woman who had no training want to hit him?

    The Blue family''s bodyguard easily grabbed Ruby''s wrist, pulled it and twisted it, then cut her wrist

    behind her back, and Ruby leaned forward as if bowing.

    The limited-edition designer bag in her hand was almost on the floor.

    She tried to resist, but her other hand was under control. Although embarrassed, the pain changed

    Ruby''s face.

    She screamed, "Let me go!"

    "You''re looking for trouble, aren''t you?"

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    The Blue family''s bodyguards showed no mercy and continued to control Ruby rudely to prevent her

    from attacking again.

    If she dared to be so arrogant in front of him, she may not know what she was doing.

    Ruby was well dressed and looked expensive, and she was holding a limited edition Hermes bag,

    which Owen gave her as a birthday presentst year.

    In the eyes of others, Ruby was rich, and most people didn''t want to mess with her because they

    were afraid of trouble.

    However, the Blue family''s bodyguards were not afraid of trouble.

    Ruby didn''t know the strength and status of the Blue family, but the bodyguard of the Blue family

    was never afraid of getting into trouble. On the contrary, he was even more afraid of doing nothing.

    "You don¡¯t care why I¡¯m here! Let¡¯s go: How does Serendipity Cafe do business? Do you treat VIPs

    like this? Everyonee see how arrogant they are. Let''s all go. Don''t drink coffee here. Who

    knows if it will be poisonous?"

    The bodyguard who controlled Ruby turned ck in an instant.

    This woman was obviously looking for trouble!

    He didn''t speak, and she wanted to teach him a lesson. He had seen so many arrogant women.

    Therefore, he naturally won''t go easy on her.

    Although Keith was alone in the Blue family, he had many suitors because of his outstanding

    appearance.

    Keith said that all women who wanted to get close to him should keep a distance of three meters.

    When some suitors were unfriendly to their bodyguards in order to get close to Keith, they will teach

    each other a good lesson.

    The bodyguard wanted to find something to gag Ruby. It''s best to use smelly socks.

    But now that he''s got Ruby, he can''t take off his socks.

    "Cecilia, Lucinda, you twoe out and have a look. What kind of waiter did you invite? He took

    advantage of me! I tell you, if you don''t let me go, I''ll yell at you for molesting me."

    A sock was really stuffed into Ruby''s mouth.

    Fiona was very satisfied with it. This was the best way to deal with outspoken people.

    "It''s really noisy." The person who said this sentence turned out to be Janice.

    Janice was really imposing! No wonder she was thedy of a wealthy family. Even if her mental

    state was unstable, her natural temperament was notparable to that of a peasant woman like

    Fiona, who worked in the farnd every day.

    Fiona would even apud if there weren''t so many people watching.

    Fiona hadn''t actually seen Ruby, but she once brought people to smash stores, so she rushed to

    the hot topic on the Inte.

    Although Owen tried to calm the matter behind his back, many people saw it.

    Fiona saw Ruby on the Inte, and she remembered this woman who might be Lucinda''s rival in

    love.

    Janice said to the bodyguard, "Push her out. Don''t make any noise here. This is a coffee shop.

    What we need is silence. Let''s see which guests are not sitting quietly." Even if there was a

    conversation, the voice was kept very small and will not affect others."

    This strange woman, in her old age, was still dressed in fancy clothes, but her clothes were pure. At

    first nce, she looked like a scheming bitch.

    Although it was the first time they met, Janice had a very bad impression of Ruby.

    Janice was a gentle person when she was sane. After her insanity, she gave up everything.

    However, if someone identally offended her, she would be furious.

    For example, thest time in the Blue family, she beat Ashley so hard that Ashley had nowhere to

    comin because who can argue with a madman? Ashley can only reap the consequences.

    "Yes Janice."

    The bodyguard immediately rudely pushed Ruby out of the coffee shop.

    Lucinda and Cecilia heard the noise and came out of it.

    The sisters were both shopkeepers anddies from rich families. At the moment, they were all

    wearing chef''s clothes, chef''s hats, masks, and flour on their hands.

    ¡°Ruby¡±

    When they saw Ruby, they both frowned.

    "What are you doing here?" Lucinda took off her mask and asked Ruby, "Are you unwilling? Come

    on, let''s continue to fight."

    Everyone: The fun began!

    The guests in the shop didn''t leave because of Ruby''s noise. Instead, they stood up from time to

    time and looked out through the ss window with a curious face.

    Now who in Pinehurst didn''t know that Serendipity Cafe was run by Mrs. Coleman?

    Come here for coffee and snacks, and it''s easy to meet real rich people. Plus, the coffee here was

    delicious, and the snacks were delicious, so the business was particrly good.

    When Lucinda called Ruby''s name, the people present immediately knew Ruby''s identity.

    So it''s Mr. Coleman''s suitor.

    After Stefan and Lucinda get married, good people will no longer associate Ruby with Stefan, lest

    Lucinda be jealous.

    Those who liked to gossip will continue to regard Ruby as Stefan''s admirer, expecting Ruby to face

    Lucinda. No matter who won or lost, it will be a good show for them.

    "Well."

    Ruby was still under the control of bodyguards, and a sock was stuffed in her mouth, which stank!

    She wanted to throw up!

    Ruby''s tears wereing out.

    She was so old; even if Stefan didn''t love her, he hadn''t treated her like this.

    "Let her go." Lucinda gave instructions to the bodyguard.

    The Blue family''s bodyguard released Ruby, and she was finally free.

    She immediately tore off the smelly socks stuffed in her mouth and rushed to a big garbage bin

    dozens of meters away to vomit.

    No one went to see her.

    "What is this situation?" Lucinda asked the bodyguard.

    "As soon as she came in, she said with arrogance that she wanted to find you and Ms. Yates. I

    thought she was looking for trouble, so I looked at her twice. She actually wanted to p me.

    Naturally, I couldn''t stand by and subdue her."

    The Blue family''s bodyguard felt very wronged after exining it.

 Chapter 231

    Chapter 231

    "Mrs. Coleman, Ms. Yates, she''s actually using me of inappropriate behavior toward her; I swear

    I didn''t! I wouldn''t even do that to a dog!"

    The bodyguard of the Blue family was really feeling wronged.

    The words of the bodyguard and his aggrieved expression made Cecilia burst outughing.

    "Sir. From now on, all dogs will hold a grudge against you for saying such things."

    Lucinda alsoughed.

    Janice, seeing Lucindaughing, considered it for a moment, found it quite amusing, and asked with

    a smile, "Who is she? I feel like she doesn''t have any good intentions toward you. Oh, you call her

    Ruby; is she the one who wants to snatch Stefan away?"

    Keith, as Lucinda''s older brother, hadn''t been in Pinehurst for long, but he had already learned a lot.

    Ruby had been put on the cklist by Keith.

    "Well, she''s just a lovesick girl."

    Lucinda exined to Janice, to avoid any misunderstandings that Stefan was a yboy.

    But Stefan was indeed a person who easily attracted the opposite sex. He was like a ma,

    attracting the admiration of others wherever he went.

    Janice said, "I really can''t stand people like that. Elisa is just infatuated and in love with Nathan; no,

    I suspect she''s after Nathan''s status. When she couldn''t get him, she took my baby away. Where''s

    my baby? Where¡¯s my baby?"

    Each time she recalled the past, when she mentioned Elisa, Janice would think of her child, be

    extremely anxious, and then fall into madness.

    "Here, here."

    Fiona hurried back to the cashier''s desk, took out the doll that was ced next to it, and handed it

    to Janice.

    Janice took the doll, her nervous expression eased, and she gradually calmed down.

    Lucinda looked at Janice with a heavy heart.

    Here she was, a fully grown woman, standing right in front of Janice, who affectionately called her

    Lucy, and she called her mom, but she still treated the doll like a baby.

    Sometimes, Lucinda wished she could be that doll. At least, in Janice''s eyes, the doll was her

    daughter.

    Janice looked at the doll with a gaze full of motherly love.

    Because of past traumas, Janice had a mental breakdown, and Lucinda, no matter how

    heartbroken she was, dared not directly stimte her anymore.

    As everyoneforted her, they gave each other some time.

    She believed that with time, Janice would remember everything and be able to face everything

    calmly.

    "Mom, you guys go in. Ruby is here to see me; I can handle it."

    Lucinda had Fiona take Janice into the shop and also signaled for the bodyguard to go in.

    "Ms. Moore, do you need any help?"

    "Don''t worry, Ruby can''t hurt me."

    Although Lucinda hadn''t received training like Cecilia, she was strong and had yed with the kids

    in the vige when she was young. She had even fought with people when she was a teenager.

    Against a woman like Ruby, unless Ruby brought reinforcements, Lucinda wouldn''t be afraid if it

    was just Ruby.

    "If you need help, just shout."

    "Okay."

    Everyone went into the shop.

    Lucinda stood still, watching her opponent, who couldn''t stop throwing up.

    Ruby was so nauseous, but she still felt a nasty taste in her mouth.

    She turned around, ran to a nearby convenience store, bought two bottles of mineral water, and

    kept rinsing her mouth with the water.

    It wasn''t until she had finished the two bottles of water that she felt slightly better. But having

    vomited for so long, she felt weak. It took her a while to regain some strength.

    Turning around and seeing Lucinda standing in front of the shop door, Ruby was furious.

    Ruby stormed over angrily, looking like she wanted to have a showdown with Lucinda.

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    She looked fierce, so idents could easily happen.

    She only had eyes for Lucinda and didn''t notice the ground. She didn''t notice that someone had

    eaten a banana, and the peel wasn''t thrown into the trash can but was left on the street. Ruby

    unfortunately stepped on it.

    She only felt her feet slip, and before she could react, she fell down.

    Her limited-edition designer handbag flew two or three meters away, which showed how hard she

    fell.

    Lucinda didn''t want tough, but she couldn''t hold it in any longer andughed out loud without any

    hesitation.

    Ruby was really unlucky!

    Lucinda wasughing so hard that she was bent double.

    She really suspected that Ruby came to see her in the afternoon on purpose to make herugh to

    death so she could take over her caf¨¦.

    With this fall, Rubypletely lost her Grandma Savannah.

    Her face was flushed red, and she wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

    God, how could he let her fall in front of Lucinda?

    How embarrassing!

    Losing her face in front of her rival made Ruby feel worse than death.

    Ruby got up awkwardly, not wanting to look at Lucinda''sughing face.

    She quickly picked up her handbag, didn''t bother with Lucinda, and ran to her car, got in quickly,

    and then drove away.

    Lucinda asked in astonishment, "Did you just leave that easily?"

    If Ruby heard her say this, she would definitely be furious.

    She and Lucinda must be fated to be enemies; every time they met, she was humiliated by Lucinda,

    if not humiliated, then embarrassed.

    Ruby was now grinding her teeth in hatred toward Lucinda.

    Ruby, feeling wronged, was initially nning to go to Owen toin as usual, but considering

    that Owen hadn''t appeared in thest two days and didn''t always text or call her like before, she

    changed her mind and didn''t go to Owen toin.

    So who should she go to?

    Stefan definitely wouldn''t care about her.

    If she dared to go to Stefan toin, Stefan would definitely first worry about whether Lucinda

    wasughing so hard that her stomach hurt and be careful not tough too hard, or it wouldn''t be

    worth it if her stomach hurt.

    Besides, Ruby couldn''t see Stefan. That cold and heartless man, not even considering their

    friendship from childhood, didn''t want to see her anymore.

    Just a few days ago, Ruby bumped into Lucinda at Ascend Global and got humiliated so badly that

    she wished the ground would swallow her up.

    Finally, Ruby switched gears and drove straight to Ascend Estate, nning to snitch on Lucinda to

    Grandma Savannah.

    She figured Grandma Savannah still had a soft spot for her, and besides, Grandma Savannah was

    known to y fair.

    Lucinda was clueless about Ruby running to Grandma Savannah to tattle.

    After Ruby left, Lucinda went back to the shop, grinning from ear to ear.

    "Lucy, did that pain in the ass finally leave?" Janice asked, concerncing her voice.

    Fiona also chipped in, "Did she do anything to you? Do you want to tell Ike so he can stick up for

    you? That way, Ms. Scott won''t think you''re all alone with no one to back you up."

    "No worries, I''m all good. I Just had a goodugh, that¡¯s all."

    Lucinda couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter again, recalling the scene of Ruby taking a tumble.

    "Ruby was all fired up, ready to give me a piece of her mind, butdy luck wasn''t on her side. She

    stepped on a banana peel someone carelessly tossed and took a nasty fall. It was epic. I almost

    diedughing."

 Chapter 232

    Chapter 232

    Fiona and Janice didn''t really care how Ruby''s fall turned out, as long as Ruby didn''t mess with

    Lucinda.

    Ruby''s arrival was just an ident. Lucinda was busy making snacks.

    Just then, Stefan called her, and she had to take the call first.

    "Hey, sweetheart."

    As soon as the call was connected, Stefan''s maic voice came through. Cecilia, who was

    nearby, could hear it, so she leaned over to Lucinda''s ear and teased her in a low voice, "Can you

    smell the charm?"

    Lucinda pushed her away, and Cecilia burst intoughter.

    She really envied Lucinda, who lived such a blissful and sweet life.

    "Sweetheart, aren''t you busy?" Lucinda asked softly.

    "Busy, yeah, but I missed you too much, so I found a moment to call you."

    Lucinda giggled, "We just had lunch together."

    "But whenever you''re not by my side, I miss you every second."

    "Lucinda, did something good happen? You sound pretty cheerful."

    Actually, Stefan had just received a report from Zoey. Ruby went to the Serendipity Cafe again.

    With the Blue family''s bodyguard there, Stefan was not worried about Lucinda being bullied, but he

    could not help calling to check. He didn''t want Lucinda to know that he had asked Zoey to secretly

    protect her, for fear that Lucinda would misunderstand that he was spying on her and controlling

    her.

    "How did you know I was in a good mood?"

    "I heard it from yourughter. Come on, share your good news with me so I can have augh, too."

    Lucindaughed, saying, "It''s really nothing. Ms. Scott came to the cafe looking for me, probably to

    cause trouble. But she was out of luck. As soon as she walked in the door, she met the bodyguard

    left by the Blue family. She''s so arrogant, always ready to fight; not everyone is like Owen, who

    caters to her every whim. The bodyguard threw her out, and she even screamed that the bodyguard

    was trying to take advantage of her. Then, her mouth was gagged with a stinky sock."

    Hearing this, Stefanughed and asked, "Did she vomit?"

    "She didn''t die from vomiting, but she vomited pretty badly, worse than morning sickness."

    Stefanughed. "Serves her right!"

    "She got what she deserved. Did she think everyone would let her have her way? She came to

    settle scores with me but ended up embarrassing herself. Stefan, I really suspect she wants to

    make me die ofughter to inherit my shares in Serendipity Cafe."

    Stefanughed, saying, "She''s thest person who would inherit anything."

    "Haha, exactly."

    After telling Stefan the funny incident about Ruby, the two cooed for a while before ending the call.

    Just as the call ended, Owen called.

    Stefan was contemting whether to pick up when Owen hung up, but quickly called back. Before

    Stefan could answer, Owen hung up again. This repeated a few times before Stefan called back.

    Owen picked up right away.

    "Stefan, did you need something? Shouldn''t you be dealing with paperwork, in a meeting, or seeing

    clients at this hour?"

    Owen joked casually.

    Stefan was silent for a while, then said, "Shouldn''t I be the one asking you that? You''re always

    bothering me; what''s your game?"

    "Who said I was bothering you? I just dialed the wrong number."

    Just as Stefan was about to hang up, Owen, as if predicting Stefan''s intention, said on the other end

    of the line, "I need to talk to you; don''t hang up."

    "Spill."

    "Did Rubye to see you?"

    "I didn''t see her." Stefan responded coldly, "If you''re trying to get information about her from me, I''m

    sorry, but you''ve got the wrong guy. I''m married now, and I care a lot about my reputation. Please

    don''t ask me about other women, lest Mrs. Coleman misunderstand me."

    Owen straightened up, furrowed his brows, and asked, "Did Ruby really try to seduce you again?

    Hasn''t she been unsessful for ten years?"

    Stefan was silent.

    "No, she must havee to talk business with you. Stefan, you''re being a bit too harsh. She moved

    all her business overseas, invested a lot of money, and you just destroyed her ns, causing her

    heavy losses."

    Stefan responded coldly, "She brought it on herself. She''s always been incorrigible, bothering me at

    my office in the morning, and just now she went to Mrs. Coleman''s."

    Owen: "She went to bother Mrs. Coleman again? Why can''t she change her ways? Lately, she''s

    either been hurt by your admirers or pissed off by your wife. She''s really stubborn, running off to the

    Serendipity Cafe again. Was anything damaged? Was anyone hurt? I''ll cover the damages."

    Owen wanted to ask about Cecilia. But he swallowed his words.

    He couldn''t be sure if Cecilia had told Lucinda about them. If Lucinda knew, then their enemies

    would definitely know too.

    But Owen hadn''t checked.

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    Thinking of Cecilia''s toughness, Owen felt she should be fine.

    Ruby would only fail when faced with the fearless and bold Cecilia.

    Stefan was silent for a while, then said, "You seem to know a lot about Ms. Scott. The shop wasn''t

    damaged, and no one was hurt, but she keeps bothering Mrs. Coleman. Aren''t you going to do

    something? Don''t you always like to meddle in her business?"

    "How should I deal with her? In what capacity should I deal with her?"

    "Owen, you''re finally clear-headed for once."

    Owen suddenly went silent.

    He was already fed up with Ruby''s coldness. His heart was still cold.

    When Ruby was released from detention, he was the one who picked her up, but as soon as she

    was free, all she could think about was Stefan.

    Just like Trenton said, Ruby wouldn''t change after being released. She would only try harder and do

    whatever she could to sabotage Stefan and Lucinda''s rtionship.

    After a while, Owen finally asked, "Is Ruby okay?"

    He still cared about Ruby, for sure.

    "Mrs. Coleman said Ruby took a tumble, quite the spectacle."

    Ruby''s been having a rough go of ittely. If she''s not getting knocked down a peg or two, she''s

    getting ticked off to the point of going bonkers or stumbling into some kind of mishap.

    "I''ll go find her and have a chat. But I can''t promise I can talk her around."

    There''s a lot of sadness and helplessness in Owen''s voice.

    "How should I know where she''s gone? Didn¡¯t she go to you to vent?"

    Owen replied, "I haven''t been in touch with her for a couple of days."

    "Do you remember from which side the sun rose today? I don¡¯t think it was from the west."

    "Stefan, cut the sarcasm! You''re the one who created all the tension and discord between Ruby and

    me. If you hadn''t snitched to Trenton, Ruby and I would still be getting along just fine."

    Then he wouldn''t have been railroaded into marrying Cecilia.

    If Ruby''s business was in a jam, he wouldn''t just sit by and do nothing.

    Right now, he just can''t afford to butt heads with Stefan for Ruby. Trenton had already warned him

    that if he dared to meddle in Ruby''s business, he won''t consider him his grandson anymore.

 Chapter 233

    Chapter 233

    Owen thought that many people was dependent on him. If Trenton took back everything, those who

    depended on him will be miserable.

    He was not heartless toward Ruby, but he was powerless. He was not as capable as Stefan of

    really taking charge of the group.

    Owen even suspected that Trenton didn''tpletely let him take charge of everything, just to guard

    against Ruby!

    "Owen, you will thank me one day."

    "For what am I grateful to you? Thank you for telling on Trenton and forcing me to marry Cecilia?"

    Owen suddenly stopped.

    What did he say? Told him the secret between him and Cecilia, but he felt relieved inside.

    Hidden marriage was not as good as he imagined.

    "Trenton made you marry Cecilia?" Stefan pretended to be surprised and then said, "Owen, if you

    are still a conscientious person, don''t hurt Ms. Yates. She is a good friend of Mrs. Coleman, and I

    will value anyone who Mrs. Coleman values. If you dare to hurt Ms. Yates, I will get even with you

    as a family member of Ms. Yates!"

    "What''s wrong with Cecilia marrying me? I am handsome, elegant, and young, and Cecilia is really

    lucky to marry me."

    Owen hated to hear Stefan''s remarks, as if he was not good enough for Cecilia, but Cecilia was not

    good enough for him.

    "Are you married?"

    "Why do you care about this?" After a pause, Owen added, "Yes, but it''s a hidden marriage. Stefan,

    I''m so confused. Why am I telling you this? You should keep your mouth shut and not tell anyone.

    Cecilia and I are secretly married!"

    "Don''t worry, it will onlye from your own mouth."

    Stefan already knew about this.

    He just pretended not to know, waiting for Owen to say it himself, and sure enough, Owen couldn''t

    help telling him.

    Although Stefan and Owen were often tit-for-tat, they can actually understand each other.

    Unfortunately, there was a Ruby between them. Every time, because of Ruby, Owen will pick on

    Stefan. This time, Stefan called to tell on Ruby, which was really the first time.

    Owen can''t speak.

    After more than ten seconds, he asked Stefan, "Do you really know that I am married now?"

    "Yes, I just know now."

    "Then why don''t you hang up and call me when you know I''m married? What do you mean?"

    Huh? What did he say?

    "I know you want to cheat, so I just provide you with opportunities. Don''t thank me; I am still very

    generous to you. Goodbye."

    Stefan hung up, as Owen wanted.

    Owen was so angry that he wanted to drop his cell phone.

    "Damn it! Stefan just wants to piss me off! "

    Owen scolded Stefan ten thousand times in the office.

    He scolded his throat dry, poured himself a ss of water to moisten his throat, and then he took

    the initiative to call Ruby again.

    As for whether the two chatted happily on the phone, no one knew.

    Ruby still decided to go to Ascend Estate.

    When her car was halfway there, she stopped because there was a car parked on the side of the

    road in front of her.

    This road led to Ascend Estate, and few people will take this road except those who went to Ascend

    Estate.

    Ruby was not the kind of person who liked to meddle and had no kindness to help strangers. She

    only stopped because she saw two people standing in front of the car, which were Stefan''s parents,

    who hadn''t been home for many months.

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    Stefan''s mother''s name was Jeannie Coleman, and his father''s name was Frederick Anderson.

    The husband and wife had known each other since childhood. Frederick always liked to say that

    Jeannie was born his wife because her name matched him very well.

    Jeannie was the only child of her family, and the Coleman family''s property was inherited by her, but

    the Coleman family people were not willing to let the Coleman family''s assets be the Anderson

    family''s. Even though the Anderson family didn''t have any covetousness for the Coleman family''s

    property, the Coleman family still insisted that Frederick and Jeannie''s first child, whether male or

    female, must be named after the Coleman family.

    Stefan was the child with the surname Coleman, but he hasn''t inherited the family business yet. The

    Coleman family''s property was still in Jeannie''s name, and the Coleman group''s business was

    mainly managed by Stefan''s younger brother because Stefan had to deal with Ascend Global''s

    affairs and he was very busy.

    ¡°Ms. Coleman, Mr. Anderson.¡± Ruby got off the bus, walked quickly over, and asked with concern,

    "What happened?"

    Jeannie and Frederick looked at Ruby, and they nodded their heads in response to Ruby''s

    greetings.

    "Ruby, when did you return home? Our car broke down, and we almost got home." Jeannie said

    helplessly.

    If she had known, she would have called the driver at home to pick them up instead ofing back

    by taxi.

    "I have been back for more than a month." Actually, she was detained for half a month.

    "Ms. Coleman, Mr. Anderson, let me take you there. I happened to go to Ascend Estate, and

    Grandma Savannah said that she was bored. I came to chat with her. "

    Ruby didn''t immediately tell Jeannie her real purpose but made up an excuse.

    She knew that every time Ms. Coleman and Mr. Anderson went out to travel together, they always

    changed their mobile phone numbers in order not to disturb their private world. It was difficult to

    contact them unless they took the initiative to do so.

    Stefan was married, but his parents still didn''t know about it.

    Simrly, they came back from abroad today, and the family certainly didn''t know.

    Jeannie didn''t immediately agree to Ruby''s proposal but asked the taxi driver, "Sir, shall we call

    someone to tow the car?"

    "No, there are tools in the car. I''ll try it myself." The taxi driver declined.

    "I''ll call someone to help."

    Frederick took out his mobile phone and called the housekeeper at home, asking him to arrange for

    someone who knew cars toe and help.

    The housekeeper didn''t seem surprised when he received the phone call, probably because

    Jeannie and Frederick often went out to y by themselves regardless of their families and then

    suddenly came back. He was used to it.

    Jeannie and Jeannie got in Ruby''s car and returned to Ascend Estate after the housekeeper sent

    someone.

    "Ruby, how long will you stay when youe back this time?" Jeannie asked casually.

    Ruby smiled while driving and replied, "I''m not going to leave again when Ie back this time. All

    my business has been transferred back, and my house is being renovated, and I n to live for a

    long time. After living outside for so many years, I still feel that my home is the best, and I feel very

    cordial when I return to my hometown."

    Jeannie''s eyes shed, and she smiled and said, "Are you staying here forever when youe

    back? Are youing back alone? Or is Meganing back with you? Has she retired?"

    Ruby had two brothers, both of whom can take her ce.

 Chapter 234

    Chapter 234

    Ruby replied, "I got back first; my mom came back afterwards, but she only stayed for a while."

    Jeannie just responded with a nod.

    "Ms. Coleman, why didn''t you guys tell me when you wereing back? I could''ve picked you up

    from the airport."

    Jeannieughed, saying, "If we wanted a pick-up, all we needed was a phone call. No need to

    bother you."

    She had two sons. Even if they''re busy, all it took was one call, and they¡¯ll drop everything to pick

    her up from the airport. Or she could call the housekeeper, who would personally go to the airport.

    There were plenty of people around the house; there was really no need to bother Ruby.

    "It''s no bother at all; it''d be my pleasure to pick you up. Ms. Coleman, if you ever need anything,

    don''t hesitate to let me know. You always say that Stefan, being a man, might not think of certain

    things that I might."

    "You just got back home; your business must not have settled down yet, right? How could I bother

    you at such a busy time?"

    Mentioning her business, Ruby fell silent for a moment.

    "What''s up? Are you running into any business troubles?"

    Ruby''s silence alerted Jeannie that something was off.

    Jeannie might be approachable, but that didn''t mean she''s not sharp. She''s lived in high society her

    whole life; she''s seen it all.

    "Ms. Coleman, I did run into some business problems."

    "What happened? What kind of problems?"

    Jeannie was only asking about her problems; she didn''t promise to help solve them.

    Ruby knew that Jeannie might seem easy to talk to, but she''s even more cunning than Olina. Olina

    was just proud, she''s not as deep as Jeannie.

    If it were Olina, she''d definitely say she''d help Ruby with any problem.

    But Jeannie wouldn''t.

    "Ms. Coleman, I haven''t been back for long due to some issues. Stefan and I had a falling out. He

    got mad and started to suppress my business. My business just started here; it''s not stable yet and

    can''t withstand Stefan''s suppression. I''m losing a lot of money now; if Stefan continues like this, all

    the money I made before will be gone."

    Ruby was truly anxious.

    What would she have left if she lost her business?

    Stefan wasn''t hers; Owen had married Cecilia.

    She really would have nothing left.

    Frederick asked calmly, "What did you do to make Stefan mad? He''s always been good at keeping

    his personal and professional lives separate."

    "I didn''t do anything; Stefan was misled by someone." Ruby was reluctant to admit.

    "Even though Stefan doesn''t like you, he''s not the type to harm you just because he doesn''t like

    you. At most, he would avoid you, not answer your calls, and not use his status and power to

    suppress your business. You must''ve done something to really piss him off."

    "You said he was misled? He''s a man of his own mind; who could mislead him?"

    Jeannie knew Stefan very well.

    If Ruby hadn''t done something extreme, Stefan wouldn''t have been so ruthless in suppressing her

    business, making her lose everything.

    "Ruby, even though you''ve known Stefan since you were kids, knowing someone doesn''t equate to

    romance. He never developed romantic feelings for you; you should let go of your obsession with

    him. It''s not good for either of you."

    Jeannie advised Ruby, "I don''t mean to jab at you, but I remember Stefan starting to deliberately

    keep his distance from you when he was twelve. Even at that age, he was aware of romantic

    feelings. A man you''ve known for over twenty years, if he says he doesn''t love you, he really

    doesn''t. If he did, he would''ve expressed it long ago. Even though the Andersons and the

    Martinezes have always been at odds, Owen''s feelings for you were genuine. Ruby, you should

    learn to appreciate what''s right in front of you."

    Ruby didn''t respond.

    She also understood why every time she came back for vacation and wanted to stay at the

    Andersons, Jeannie always refused.

    Jeannie saw it all too clearly.

    Actually, Ruby knew it in her heart too.

    Stefan really didn''t love her. He didn''t love her in the past, doesn''t love her now, and won''t love her

    in the future.

    In Jeannie''s words, they''ve known each other for over twenty years. If he loved her, he would''ve

    shown it long ago.

    Ten years ago, she climbed onto his bed naked, but he didn''t show any desire. He threw her out of

    his room, along with the nket, without a shred of affection.

    If it weren''t for the nket shielding her and being thrown out like that, she would''ve been hurt for

    sure.

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    At the time, Ruby''s face went from red to dark with unbearable shame.

    She was only eighteen then, still very young.

    For Stefan, Ruby even disregarded her own dignity, but he didn''t appreciate it.

    After throwing her out, he told her to get lost, then called the housekeeper to kick her out.

    Ruby was naked; of course she couldn''t let others see her in such a state. She could only pick

    herself up, wrap herself in the nket, and leave in tears.

    Thinking back, Ruby felt even more reluctant.

    Ruby didn''t say anything, and Jeannie knew she couldn''t let go of her fixation with Stefan.

    Jeannie sighed in her heart.

    Perhaps only when Stefan got married and had kids would Ruby gradually let go.

    Speaking of which, both her sons were not young anymore; getting married and having kids should

    be on the agenda!

    She was so focused on traveling the world with Frederick that she forgot to care about her children''s

    life decisions.

    Stefan was twenty-nine and about to turn thirty.

    Even though people always said men were at their prime at thirty. But in normal families, thirty-year-

    old men were already fathers, and their kids might even be old enough to help with chores. There

    were many workers at Ascend Estate who were just over thirty and already had two kids.

    Ruby arrived at the entrance of Ascend Estate with Frederick and Jeannie.

    There''s a security booth at the entrance of the vi, with guards on shift duty around the clock.

    Ruby honked her car horn.

    The on-duty guard saw Ruby''s car but didn''t open the vi''s gate. He came out and politely said,

    "Ms. Scott, Mr. Coleman has made it clear that you cannot enter the vi without his permission."

    At this, Ruby''s face turned gloomy.

    Though she wanted to flip her lid, she held it in. She patiently said to the guard, "Take a look at

    who''s in my car? Mr. Anderson and Ms. Coleman are both here. I''m dropping them off. Hurry up and

    let me in."

    The on-duty guard took a peek into the backseat of Ruby''s car, and sure enough, he saw Frederick

    and Jeannie.

    The guard was instantly caught in a bind.

    He whipped out his phone and called his captain for instructions. The captain would ry the

    situation to Mr. Coleman; all he needed to do was wait.

 Chapter 235

    Chapter 235

    Even though Ms. Scott came back with the Fredericks, unless Mr. Coleman gave the green light,

    neither she nor her car could set foot on the Anderson family''s turf.

    Frederick and Jeannie exchanged nces. They were both aware that something major had gone

    down between Stefan and Ms. Scott during their vacation.

    Stefan had already made it clear: Ms. Scott was not allowed to go into the estate.

    Whether Stefan was right or wrong, they had to back him up for now.

    So they hopped out of the car, grabbing their luggage.

    "Mr. Anderson, Ms. Coleman, why are you getting out? The estate''s main house is still a ways off

    from the entrance. It''ll take at least ten minutes on foot. I can drive you."

    Ruby was caught off guard by the fact that Stefan wouldpletely ban her from the estate. But

    she quickly realized that she had two options at this point: either she could chauffeur the Fredericks

    in, or she was stuck cooling her heels at the entrance.

    "We''re good. We''ve been sitting all day on a ne and then in the car. Our feet are about to swell

    up. A little walk sounds good right about now; it might help with that," replied Jeannie with a calm

    smile. Bag in hand and Frederick dragging their suitcases, they started walking into the estate.

    Seeing this, the security on duty rushed over to help with the luggage.

    Another guard dialed inside, and in no time, the butler had sent a car to pick them up.

    "Ms. Coleman!" Ruby called out in a hurry.

    She could clearly see the entrance to the estate through the wrought-iron gates and panicked when

    she saw the Fredericks about to enter.

    "Ms. Coleman, I''m here for Grandma Savannah. If she doesn''t see me, she might worry."

    Jeannie had just gotten back and wasn''t entirely up to speed, but one of the guards honestly said,

    "Grandma Savannah went down the hill. Patrick Anderson went with her. They''re probably in the

    flower field. No one mentioned anything about Grandma Savannah needing Ms. Scott."

    Besides, there were plenty of workers at the foot of the hill living with their parents. Grandma

    Savannah loved chatting with the elderly. There was no way she''d be bored. She didn''t need a

    young person to keep herpany.

    Ruby shot the guard a re.

    The guard was taken aback. He hadn''t said anything wrong. Why was Ms. Scott ring at him?

    Confident he''d done nothing wrong, the guard stared back at Ms. Scott.

    He hadn''t done anything wrong, so he wasn''t afraid of a stare-down! If it was apetition to see

    who had bigger eyes, he wasn''t convinced he''d lose!

    Jeannieughed. "Ruby, since you''re here for Grandma Savannah, why don''t you head down to the

    flower field where she is? We''ll go in and drop our bags."

    "Alright."

    Ruby was speechless.

    That was just how the Andersons rolled. They seemed polite to Ruby, but the minute she had a beef

    with Stefan, they''d unhesitatingly side with Stefan.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    The young people in the Anderson family might even say, "If we''re not backing Stefan, who are we

    backing? Who gives you the right as an outsider to ask for our support?"

    About ten minutester.

    In the main house''s living room, the Fredericks were sitting on the couch, sizing up Vincent Moore

    across from them.

    Vincent hadn''t gone to the caf¨¦ with Lucinda, nor had he gone down the hill with Grandma

    Savannah. Instead, he chose to hang around the estate, admiring the mysterious Ascend Estate.

    Little did he know that the Fredericks would return from their trip out of the blue.

    Vincent was sitting alone, under the intense scrutiny of the couple.

    "Stefan married your daughter Lucinda?" Jeannie broke the silence among the three.

    After a moment''s thought, Vincent answered, "At first, Lucinda wanted to hire Stefan to pretend to

    be her boyfriend because my wife Fiona kept nagging her to get married. She was at her wit''s end,

    so she came up with this n. Then Stefan suggested they get hitched for real. Lucy''s a simple girl.

    So, they went and got married."

    Vincent gave them an honest ount of how things came about, the whole process, and the result.

    It was a pretty straightforward sequence of events, but the Fredericks were spinning all kinds of

    stories in their heads.

    They knew Stefan all too well. It looked like he had set his sights on Lucinda a while ago.

    That sneaky little bugger.

    They were under the impression that Stefan and Ruby were the real deal. On the surface, Jeannie

    was nice to Ruby, but deep down, Jeannie didn''t want Ruby to be Stefan''s wife, even though

    she never meddled in Stefan''s private affairs.

    Ruby was too greedy! Her ambitions knew no bounds!

    She wanted to have her cake and eat it too, but there was no such thing as a free lunch.

    "Lucy must be a wonderful girl. I can''t wait to meet her."

    Just as Vincent was worried about getting along with the Andersons, Jeannie burst intoughter.

    "Dear, this is a pleasant surprise. Stefan has finally given us a big gift. This is a heartwarming a gift.

    I love it. Haha, I''ve finally leveled up. Now I''ve got Lucy as my daughter-inw. Vincent, rx. We''re

    very open-minded parents. As long as the kids are happy, we''re happy."

    "Lucy, what a lovely name!"

    Vincent spoke honestly: "Uh, my daughter''s name is Lucinda, but she''s not our biological child. We

    found her. Her biological parents just found her, so she might have to change her name to Lucinda

    Blue."

    The Fredericks were taken aback.

    "No matter if she¡¯s Lucy or Lucinda, whether she is your biological daughter or not, she''s Stefan''s

    wife!" Jeannie cackled.

    "Right." Frederick nodded too.

    The couple was itching to express their thoughts to Vincent. They''ve been waiting for this day for

    ages, and now that it''s finally here, they won''t be nitpicking over Lucy''s background.

    Regardless of whether Lucinda was a pretty girl or even a boy, as long as she''s Stefan''s pick, they

    will ept her.

    Vincent totally bought into Stefan''s words.

    As long as Stefan was happy, all the Andersons will ept Lucinda.

    This settled Vincent''s nervespletely.

    Even though the two families started interacting and the Anderson couple got along well, none of

    them looked down on Lucinda''s background. But the Moores still had this nagging worry that

    Stefan''s parents might not take a liking to Lucinda.

    "Whatever Lucinda has to face in the future, the Andersons will be her rock. She can do whatever

    she dreams of, and no matter what challengese her way, the Andersons will back her up."

    Frederick assured.

 Chapter 236

    Chapter 236

    Jeannie''s heart ached for Janice.

    Janice lost her beloved daughter and then went mad for over twenty years.

    Now the mother and daughter were reunited, but Janice was still not back to normal, showing how

    deep the pain of these past twenty years had been.

    Lucinda didn''t know that Stefan''s parents were back.

    Jeannie and her husband weren''t the type to make a fuss; even when they came back home, they

    didn''t tell Stefan. As for the Anderson family, they''ve gotten used to it.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Ever since Frederick retired, the couple had been traveling frequently, enjoying their world for two.

    They said they were busy with work when they were young, and now that they''re retired, it''s time to

    make up for lost time. Once they left, they won''t be back for several months.

    Even when they dide back, they''re just returning home, not being guests from afar, so there''s

    no need for a big fuss.

    So when Lucinda took Janice and Fiona home in the evening and barely stepped in the door, she

    ran into Jeannie.

    Both of them stopped.

    Seeing the familiar-looking, beautiful middle-aged woman in front of her, Lucinda found that Stefan

    and this woman had some simrities.

    Jeannie, on the other hand, looked Lucinda up and down, her smile growing warmer.

    Nice!

    Stefan had a girl in his heart; she looked so nice.

    Her eyes were exceptionally pure, like those of a girl who hadn''t been tainted by society.

    Unfortunately, her background was set to shatter her purity.

    "Lucy, I''m Jeannie; to be exact, I''m your mother-inw." Jeannie took the initiative to hold Lucinda''s

    hand andughed, "I just got back this afternoon; this is our first meeting."

    With that, she let go of Lucinda''s hand, took off the ne around her neck, pulled Lucinda''s

    hand, put the ne in Lucinda''s hand, and said, "This ne is not only beautiful but also

    unique. Although not particrly valuable, it has a significant meaning in our family; it is our family

    heirloom. I''ve been wearing it for decades, and now I can finally pass it on to the new owner. You

    have to ept it and wear it. You can only take it off and give it to your daughter-inw when you

    be a mother-inw."

    Family heirloom?

    Lucinda looked at the ne that Jeannie had stuffed into her hand. There was a pendant in the

    middle of the ne, and a green gem was set in the pendant.

    Although Lucinda came from a wealthy family, she was taken away from the Blue family when she

    was half a year old. Growing up in the Moore family, although she was the darling of the Moore

    family, the conditions of the Moore family did not give her the opportunity to learn to identify jewelry.

    After marrying Stefan, she had a lot of jewelry, but her understanding of jewelry was still very

    limited; she only knew that what Stefan gave her must be good.

    "This is an emerald."

    Although Lucinda didn''t understand jewelry, Janice did.

    Janice hadn''t fully recovered yet, but having Lucy by her side made her feel particrly at ease. No

    one will despise her,ugh at her, or bully her; her life was very peaceful. As long as her child was

    not mentioned, she''s no different from a normal person.

    Janice was born and raised in a wealthy family and married into another wealthy family, so her

    understanding of jewelry was naturally beyond doubt.

    Janice took the ne from Lucinda''s hand, carefully examined the green gem set in the

    pendant, and said with certainty, "This is an emerald."

    Lucinda naturally knew the value of emeralds; she carefully asked, "Mom, really?"

    "Yes, Grace has an emerald diamond ring, which she treasures very much. She doesn''t usually

    wear it; only when attending important banquets does she wear that ring. Ka Blue and Ashley

    have been coveting that ring for a long time, but Grandma Savannah said she wanted to leave it to

    her most beloved granddaughter, Lucy. She said that when she died, the ring would be left to Lucy.

    Lucy. You¡¯re also called Lucy; my baby is also called Lucy. My baby is only half a year old; you''re

    already twenty-four, but I always feel you two are mixed up. When I call you, I always feel like I''m

    calling my baby, but my baby is too young; she can''t even talk."

    Janice looked a bit confused again.

    "Mom, I''m your Lucy; I''m your baby; I''ve grown up."

    Lucinda couldn''t help wanting to wake Janice up.

    Janice stared at Lucinda and suddenly said, "Howe you look so much like my mother-inw

    when she was young? No wonder I found you very familiar at first sight and liked you very much.

    Even though I don''t like Grace, you two look so alike that I still like you."

    Jeannie looked at Lucinda, Fiona, and the few Blue family bodyguards, finallynding on Janice.

    "Janice was stimted by the loss of Lucy and is now a bit out of her mind." Fiona exined in a

    low voice.

    Jeannie said, "I already know Lucy''s background; I thought the mother and daughter recognizing

    each other would improve the situation."

    Now it seemed that Janice''s recovery was slower than expected.

    Considering that Janice had been mad for over twenty years, it''s impossible to fully recover in a

    short time, but at least the situation had improved now.

    Everyone didn''t make small talk when they met, just quietly watching Janice and Lucy, hoping

    Janice could get better.

    Janice murmured, "It''s strange; my baby looks like Grandma Savannah when she was young, so

    Grandma Savannah loves her very much, treating her like a gem. Lucy, howe you also look like

    Grandma Savannah when she was young? What''s your rtionship with her?"

    Lucinda softly responded, "Grandma Savannah is my grandmother, Mom; I''m your real daughter,

    Lucinda. When I was just a baby, your nemesis, Elisa, snatched me away. After a bunch of twists

    and turns, I ended up in Pinehurst, where my foster father, Vincent, found me and took me in. I''m

    not dead; I''m doing just fine now, and I''m twenty-four this year. Mom, I''ve grown up!"

    At the mention of Elisa, Janice''s face changed color. She hurriedly stuffed the ne back into

    Lucinda''s hand, then clung tight to her doll, saying, "Mommy''s right here, baby, don''t be scared."

    "Mom, I''m your daughter, not that doll; that''s just a doll!"

    Lucinda shoved the ne into her pocket, then snatched the doll from Janice''s arms.

    "Give me back my baby!"

    Janice lunged at her like a madwoman, trying to get the doll back.

    The doll fell to the ground.

    "Mom!"

    With tears in her eyes, Lucinda was able to get Janice''s attention. As Janice stood there dazed,

    Lucinda held her tightly, her eyes red. "Mom, I''m your Lucy; I''m your child. Your Lucy is all grown up

    now; she''s twenty-four and not a little kid anymore. Stop calling a lifeless doll your baby. Mom,

    you''ve always loved me and were d to hear me call you ''mom''. Why can''t you remember me? I''m

    Lucy, Mom. I know these past twenty years have been hard for you, but what''s happened has

    happened; it''s all in the past. You¡¯ve got to face reality."

 Chapter 237

    Chapter 237

    "Elisa''s gone, and yeah, she did take your daughter away. But now your daughter''s back. I''m your

    real daughter, your precious one, your Lucy."

    Lucinda dropped to her knees, clutching Janice''s legs, crying her eyes out.

    "Lucy."

    "Lucy."

    Janice, Fiona, and Jeannie were all calling Lucinda''s name. Fiona and Jeannie bent down to try to

    help Lucinda up.

    "Lucy, give Janice some time. Don''t push her. She''s been out of her mind for over twenty years; it''s

    not something she can snap out of in a few days."

    Fiona tried tofort Lucinda while helping her up. It was such a heartbreaking sight.

    Janice, driven mad by the loss of her daughter, had been living in a daze for over two decades. Now

    reunited with her daughter, Janice could not recognize her. Even though she was calling out "Lucy",

    she couldn''t tell who Lucy was.

    Lucinda''s heartbreak was understandable to everyone.

    Janice, head lowered, tried to help Lucinda up.

    With their help, Lucinda stood up, turned around, and hugged Fiona tightly, her tears soaking

    Fiona''s clothes.

    Janice stared nkly at Lucinda, her eyes filled with sympathy and helplessness. Eventually, she

    bent down to pick up the doll, holding it as she spaced out.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    Lucinda had a breakdown for a while, but under Fiona''s silentforting, her emotions gradually

    stabilized.

    Wiping away her tears, she apologized, saying, "I''m sorry you had to see me like this. I really

    couldn''t control myself."

    "I understand, really." Jeannie lightly patted her arm,forting her: "Lucy, don''t rush things. Janice

    needs time to recover."

    Lucinda responded painfully, "I know she needs time, but I really can''t control myself."

    Seeing Janice space out with the doll, Lucinda was filled with heartache. She approached Janice,

    took her arm, and, though her face was still streaked with tears, she managed a smile, saying,

    "Mom, I was wrong before. I shouldn''t have taken your baby. I was just jealous that you cared more

    about it than me. I won''t do it again. Don''t be mad, Mom."

    Janice didn''t say anything. She just stared nkly at Lucinda, then at the doll, and slowly walked

    towards the house.

    Everyone hurried to follow her inside.

    The room was filled with Lucinda''s elders.

    Everyone wanted to greet Janice when they saw here in, but seeing her state, they remained

    silent. They just watched as Janice walked past them, straight up the stairs.

    Lucinda followed Janice upstairs, watching as she walked nkly into her room, closed the door,

    and locked it.

    Lucinda knocked on the door, but Janice ignored her and didn''t open the door.

    "Lucy," Jeannie stood behind her, whispering, "let Janice have some peace. It seems like she''s

    starting toe to her senses. Let her calm down and sort out her memories. Some memories

    might be too painful for her, things she''s been avoiding all these years."

    "I believe she''ll get through this," Lucinda said, nodding in agreement.

    Janice''s madness was the result of the unbearable pain of losing her daughter and her inability to

    face reality. Because of this, Janice''s memory stopped when Lucinda was half a year old. The

    things she talked about with Lucinda were all events from before Lucinda turned half a year old.

    The fact that Elisa took Lucinda away was something Janice could never ept.

    "Let''s go downstairs; let Janice have some peace."

    Jeannie put her arm around Lucinda''s shoulder and led her downstairs.

    Although this was the first time Lucinda and Jeannie had met, they were as close as mother and

    daughter.

    Due to Janice''s state, Lucinda felt down. She tried her best to maintain herposure and

    politeness so as not to embarrass herself in front of her elders.

    By the time Stefan came back, it was already past eight in the evening. He brought Ike and Keith

    back with him.

    Stefan arrived at this time because he had gone to the airport to pick up Keith.

    Ike hade on his own and ran into Stefan on the way, so they came back together.

    Seeing his parents back, Stefan casually led Ike and Keith over.

    "Dad, Mom, you''re back."

    "Mm."

    Jeannie responded, looking at Keith and Ike. She immediately recognized Ike as a member of the

    Moore family. Her face lit up with a smile, and she looked at Ike with even more affection than she

    did at Stefan.

    Then she looked at Keith, frowning, and said, "Baird, did you get stic surgery? You look

    different."

    Stefanughed and spilled the beans: "Mom, this isn''t Baird: this is Keith from the Blue family."

    After seeing Nathan, Keith returned to Pinehurst.

    Although the round trip was tiring, he was happy to do it.

    Stefan quickly introduced Ike and Keith to his parents.

    Frederick rarely praised, saying, "Both are fine young men."

    Ikeughed, saying, "Mr. Anderson tters me. Compared to Stefan, I''m just an average Joe."

    "I can''tpare to Stefan either." Keith alsoughed. He was usually a serious person and didn''t

    like tough, but Ike''s self-deprecating humor made himugh.

    Lucinda was so well-raised because the members of the Moore family were all very good and

    interesting to talk to.

    Jeannieughed, looking at Ike, saying, "Lucinda''s brother Keith and Baird look very simr. I

    thought Baird had gotten stic surgery."

    Jeannieughed, saying, "They really do look alike."

    "That''s Tiffany''s makeup on him. I asked her to make him look like Baird," Stefan added.

    "So it''s Tiffany''s makeup." Jeannie suddenly realized, no longer surprised. Clearly, Tiffany''s skills

    were well appreciated by the Anderson family.

    "Have y''all eaten yet? If not, I can have the kitchen whip up something for you."

    "Mr. Anderson, Ms. Coleman, I''ve eaten, but Stefan and Keith probably haven''t."

    Ike showed up after he''d finished eating.

    Jeannie was busy getting food ready for Stefan.

    Stefan checked with the four elders, and finding out they''d hit the hay, he didn''t bother them. Finally,

    he asked, "Mom, where''s Lucy?"

    There''s no need for much exnation or questioning between mother and son. As soon as the

    parents were home, they''d be in the know about all things Stefan and Lucinda.

    "She''s upstairs. Janice has locked herself in her room; she even refused dinner. Lucy''s worried sick,

    and I¡¯m trying to talk her out of it."

    Jeannie finished exining and let out a sigh.

    Hearing that, Keith bolted upstairs.

    Without any hesitation, Stefan and Ike followed suit.

    "Honey, my heart aches for Lucy." Jeannie sat down and let out a long sigh. "Keith too; he breaks

    my heart even more. I hope God will be kind to them, let Janicee to her senses sooner, and

    really recognize Lucy. Seeing Lucy so heartbroken, Stefan would be devastated if he saw."

    "It''ll get better." Frederick sighed.

 Chapter 238

    Chapter 238

    In her room, Janice was clutching a doll while sitting on the bed. Tears kept falling onto the doll,

    soaking its clothes. Maybe she was reminiscing about something or forcing herself to ept that

    her daughter Lucy had been taken away.

    By afternoon, the sunlight had softened.

    At Sunnyde Abbey, in the master bedroom on the second floor, Janice was sitting by the crib,

    holding her drowsy daughter Lucinda in one hand and gently patting her son Keith on the bed with

    the other. She was softly singing a song, lulling the two children to sleep.

    Keith, however, didn''t seem sleepy at all. He was kicking his short legs and smiling at Janice.

    "Why aren''t you sleeping yet? Your sister Lucy is about to fall asleep."

    Seeing that the little guy was still full of beans, Janice stopped her luby.

    Keith kicked his legs for a while, then started crawling around on the bed, making cooing noises at

    Janice.

    "Don''t be so loud; Lucy''s already asleep."

    Keith''s voice was loud. He tried to sit up on his own, but, unfortunately, being only half a year old,

    he couldn''t. He could only keep calling out to Janice.

    Seeing that Lucy in her arms had fallen asleep, Janice put Lucy in the crib and picked up Keith.

    Held by Janice, Keith wasughing and kicking his short legs non-stop, looking very happy.

    "Knock knock."

    There was a knock on the door.

    "Janice, your milk is heated."

    It was Wendy, the maid, outside the door.

    Janice didn''t move, simply replying, "Come in."

    Wendy came in with a tray in her hands, on which was a cup of hot and fresh milk.

    The two kids were fed a mix of breast milk and form. In order to produce more milk, Janice drank

    a soup that was beneficial forctation and milk, a fresh cup of milk every morning, noon, and night.

    "Janice." Wendy, seeing that Lucy was asleep, lowered her voice. She put down the tray, picked up

    the cup of milk, and said softly, "Janice, let me hold Keith. You drink your milk."

    Janice hummed in response, took the cup of milk, and Wendy freed her hand to take Keith.

    After ying with Wendy for a while, Keith began to yawn.

    "He''s sleepy."

    Wendy smiled. She walked around the room holding Keith, asionally ncing at Janice. Seeing

    Janice slowly sipping her milk, with the cup bing emptier, Wendy''s eyes showed a hint of relief.

    However, her face remained expressionless.

    By the time Janice finished her milk, little Keith was asleep.

    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Janice put down the cup, stood up, took Keith from Wendy, and said, "I''ll be with the kids for their

    nap. I''m not receiving any visitors. No matter whoes, please refuse for me."

    "Okay, Janice."

    Wendy picked up the tray and respectfully left the room.

    As soon as the door closed, she quickly left.

    Janice gently put Keith back in the crib. The two children were sleeping side by side. Looking at the

    peaceful expressions on their small faces, like little angels, Janice''s eyes were filled with

    tenderness.

    She covered the two kids with a thin nket and pulled down the mosquito from the crib.

    She began to feel tired and said softly, "Why am I suddenly so sleepy?"

    Unable to resist the fatigue, she went back to the big bed and soon fell asleep.

    About ten minutester.

    The unlocked door was carefully pushed open, and a young woman quietly entered. She looked

    nervous but acted quickly. Once in the room, she first checked on Janice. Seeing Janice sound

    asleep, a cold sneer shed across her lips.

    Her aplice had told her that he had put some sleeping pills in Janice''s milk, enough to keep

    her asleep till nightfall.

    Then she turned to the two children.

    The woman looked at the two children with a moment of astonishment.

    They were so cute.

    Keith might have been ufortable or restless in his sleep. When the woman lifted the mosquito

    net, he woke up.

    The woman bent over and picked up Keith. When Keith was held by her, he pushed her with his

    little hands, not wanting her to hold him. But his strength was small, and his push had no effect on

    the woman''s intention to take him.

    "Wah!" Keith opened his mouth and cried.

    The woman immediately covered his mouth to silence him.

    Naturally, Keith struggled hard. In his struggle, he pooped a big one. Even though he was wearing

    diapers, the smell was noticeable.

    The woman was obviously a clean freak. Smelling the stench, her face instantly scrunched up, full

    of disgust, and she almost threw Keith away.

    While she was disgusted, Keith pushed away her hand that was covering his mouth and cried loudly

    again.

    The woman panicked, turned around, and threw Keith back into the crib. Then she quickly picked

    up the still-sleeping Lucinda and fled at full speed.

    Wendy was waiting for her outside.

    "Hurry up; use the back door. There are people all the way to assist you; move fast!"

    The woman, carrying Lucinda, ran towards the back door under Wendy''s guidance.

    Sure enough, everything was arranged inside. The woman easily escaped from Sunnyde Abbey.

    Her own car was waiting for her outside. She got in with Lucinda, and the car immediately started

    and quickly drove away.

    Keith, who had pooped, was still crying loudly in the crib.

    Keith was a clean freak from a young age. Every time he pooped, he would wail until someone

    changed him.

    "Janice, why is the door open? Keith''s awake. Is he hungry, or did he poop? Let me see. Where''s

    Lucy?"

    Hearing Keith''s cries, the first person to show up was Shirley.

    Shirley only saw Keith in the crib. She initially thought that Janice was sleeping on the big bed with

    Lucy. First, she changed Keith, and then, holding the still-crying Keith, she walked over.

    As she walked, Shirley consoled Keith, muttering, "Normally, a clean diaper does the trick and he

    stops crying, but why is he still crying today? Janice, he might be hungry. Should we breastfeed him

    or make some form?"

    Reaching the bed, she saw Janice sound asleep. Assuming Janice was worn out from looking after

    two kids, Shirley decided not to wake her. But there was no sign of Lucy on the bed.

    Where was Lucy?

    Carrying the weeping Keith, Shirley circled the bed and even checked under it, worried that Lucy

    might have rolled off the bed.

    But there was no sign of Lucy.

    Recalling that the door was ajar when she entered, she was puzzled. Janice usually kept the door

    closed and locked when she napped, only opening it after waking up.

    But today, the door was open, and Lucy was nowhere to be seen.

    "Something''s wrong!"

    Shirley turned ashen, quickly bending down to shake Janice, calling out loudly, "Janice, wake up!"

    After a few attempts to wake Janice failed, Shirley decided not to waste any more time. She quickly

    pulled out her phone and dialed Nathan''s number.

 Chapter 239

    Chapter 239

    Nathan had just walked into the conference room, about to chair an important meeting.

    Suddenly, his phone buzzed. It was Shirley calling. Nathan picked up in a hurry.

    "Mr. Nathan, we''re in deep trouble. Lucy''s gone missing, Janice is out like a light and can''t be

    woken up, and Keith''s been crying non-stop."

    Nathan jumped to his feet so suddenly that he knocked over the chair behind him. He bolted out of

    the conference room in a sh.

    The other executives were left stunned.

    In the blink of an eye, Nathan had vanished.

    "What just happened?"

    All eyes turned to Hayden Blue.

    Hayden was Nathan''s younger brother and vice president of thepany. But despite their

    rtionship, the executives didn¡¯t think much of his capabilities. Compared to Nathan, Hayden was

    like a drop in the ocean. But he had a silver tongue and was known to be the apple of Grandma

    Savannah''s eye.

    In a prominent family like the Blues, it''s usually the eldest who shouldered the family

    responsibilities, while the younger ones were doted on by the parents.

    Grandma Savannah was indeed fond of Hayden. She had a respectful rtionship with Nathan, but

    itcked the warmth of a mother-son bond.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    Everyone stared at the clueless Hayden, who said, "Nathan got a call and dashed off. I have no

    idea what happened, so stop staring at me."

    He felt quite ufortable.

    "But if something made Nathan dash off like that, it must have been a call from Janice," Hayden

    spected.

    As soon as Janice was mentioned, everyone stopped staring at Hayden.

    Nathan waspetent, handsome, and wealthy. Even though he was already married, he had a

    long line of women after him. Many of his admirers said they didn''t need any status from him; they

    just wanted to be his secret lovers.

    Unfortunately for them, Nathan was loyal to Janice. No matter how many women chased after him,

    he rejected them all, giving them no chance. They could only look on with envy, feeling jealous of

    Janice.

    Especially since Janice had struck gold, giving birth to twins a year after marrying into the Blue

    family.

    This stirred up even more envy and jealousy.

    Nathan''s love for Janice was indescribable. He was always there for her, dropping whatever he was

    doing to rush home when she called.

    Everyone at Skywatch knew Nathan, the head of the Blue family and CEO of Blue Corporation, was

    a man deeply in love with his wife.

    Hayden''s phone rang too.

    Seeing that it was his wife Ashley calling, he smiled at everyone and said, "It''s my wife."

    Everyone tittered.

    Just as Hayden was insinuating that Nathan was too doting on Janice, his own wife had called, and

    he picked up right away.

    Hayden answered Ashley''s call.

    Ashley said anxiously, "You need toe home. There''s been a big incident. Lucy''s been taken.

    The house is in chaos. Grace and Colton have sent people to look for her, but they''re also furious

    and nning to send the servants and bodyguards over to the police."

    Hayden was shocked and asked, "How could Lucy be taken? There are so many people at home,

    and Janice is usually the one taking care of her. Who would dare to take such a risk?"

    "You need toe home now. Oh dear, my stomach seems to be hurting. I think I might be going

    intobor."

    Ashley wasn''t sure if her baby was moving due to her anxiety or if she was actually going intobor.

    Her stomach hurt so much that she couldn''t talk to her husband anymore.

    Her due date was in a few days.

    Hayden was now really anxious.

    Lucy had been taken, but Nathan was on it. However, the baby in Ashley''s womb was his own flesh

    and blood, which was even more important than his niece Lucy.

    So Hayden also rushed home.

    Everyone rted to the Blue family or associated with them in Skywatch was helping to look for

    Lucinda.

    When Nathan got home and saw Janice still asleep, he realized she had been drugged. He

    instructed the family doctor to take care of her, and he began his investigation to find Lucy.

    He was efficient, quickly tracing the events back to Elisa, one of his persistent admirers and the

    most obsessed one.

    He had rejected her multiple times, but she was stubborn. She even went to the Blue family''s house

    to bother Janice, iming she did not want Janice''s position but just wanted to be Nathan''s woman.

    This made Janice very angry, and Nathan felt sorry for her.

    In his anger, Nathan suppressed the Av family. In Skywatch, the Blue family held power and

    influence. The Av family couldn''t withstand the Blues'' suppression and quickly went bankrupt,

    falling into debt.

    The Av family infiltrated the Blue family and took Lucy as revenge on Nathan!

    Nathan was furious, regretting he hadn''t been harsher on the Av family. He should have crushed

    thempletely. But he had been soft-hearted, wanting to earn some good karma for his child. This

    ended up hurting Lucy.

    Nathan led his men to chase after the Av family, who had already prepared their escape route.

    By the time Nathan found Elisa, she was already dead; she had already kicked the bucket in

    Whiterun, shamed to death. It was a gruesome scene. Her bag was still with her, everything inside

    intact, including her ID, bank cards, a bunch of cash, and some jewelry. All the stuff she had packed

    for her escape.

    Inside the bag was also a locked diary.

    Elisa was dead, but Lucinda was nowhere to be found.

    Lucinda was still so little, barely able to sit up straight. There''s no way she could have run off on her

    own. Nathan figured the scumbag who killed Elisa must have taken his daughter.

    Next, Nathan rallied his crew and enlisted the help of a few big-shot families in Whiterun to find

    Lucinda. They turned Whiterun upside down, but with no luck.

    With no signs of Lucinda in Whiterun, Nathan, thinking about his wife and kid back home, left others

    to continue the search while he bolted back to Skywatch.

    Janice''s tears were falling even harder now.

    That memory was a hurdle she just couldn''t get over. She had been a mental wreck for over two

    decades, all because she couldn''te to terms with losing Lucy.

    Was it her fault? She had been negligent!

    Who could''ve guessed that the cup of milk would have sleeping pills mixed in? While she was out,

    Lucy was swiped.

    She had no clue what happened after she fell asleep. All she knew was that when she woke up to

    find Lucy gone, she went batshit crazy, looking for her daughter everywhere.

    Janice''s heart ached as she cried.

    She was wracked with guilt, so much so that she considered ending her own life. She had tried to

    hurt herself and even attempted suicide several times. Only Shirley, holding Keith and begging on

    her knees for her to think about Keith, and Nathan''s careful watch kept her hanging on by a thread.

    But her world had crumbled. Her heart was an empty shell. Her world lost all its light from then on.

    She felt powerless and incapable of protecting her own child.

    Grace was always on Janice''s case too, ming her for sleeping like a log and not even noticing

    when her own child was stolen.

 Chapter 240

    Chapter 240

    The family doctor kept exining that Janice had been drugged, but Grace just couldn''t grasp the

    concept. She med herself for being a heavy sleeper and not taking care of her kid. She was too

    bossy and controlling of Nathan, which led to Elisa being unable to approach Nathan, triggering the

    whole tragedy and ultimately leading to Lucy''s disappearance.

    Was it wrong for her not wanting to share her husband with anyone else? Which wife would?

    Colton and Grace were both getting on in years, and Grace was pretty strict with Colton.

    Why wouldn''t Grace let Colton take other women to social events?

    "Knock, knock."

    There was another knock on the door.

    "Mom, open up."

    It was Keith''s voice.

    Janice snapped back to reality and looked at the doll she had been holding for many years.

    The doll''s clothes were already soaked with her tears.

    Suddenly, she put the doll down, got up, and quickly walked to the door, pulling it open.

    There were several people standing at the door, a young man and a woman at the front who looked

    alike, and the woman looked a lot like Grace when she was young.

    Although Janice harbored resentment towards Grace, seeing this woman made her tears, which

    had just stopped, burst out like a dam had broken.

    "Mom."

    "Mom."

    Lucinda and Keith softly called out.

    "Mom, I''m sorry."

    Lucinda knew she had upset Janice, her eyes red and swollen as she apologized to her mother.

    Janice was crying like rain.

    She quickly stepped forward, trembling hands, and touched Lucinda''s face.

    Her action shocked everyone present; all of them watched quietly.

    Lucinda was surprised, happy, and scared.

    She was happy because Janice''s reaction was different from before; had she finallye to her

    senses?

    But she was also scared this was just a false hope.

    "Mom." Lucinda cautiously called out.

    Janice, with tears in her eyes, touched Lucinda''s face, murmuring, "Lucy, it''s really Lucy, you''ve

    grown up, you''re really grown up, and you''re fine, my Lucy!"

    She hugged Lucinda and wept loudly.

    Her Lucy had been missing for over twenty years, and she thought she would never see her

    daughter again in her lifetime.

    God bless, her Lucy was found.

    Lucy had also grown up, living well, and returned to her side, called her mom.

    The sudden rity, followed by the joy of loss and recovery, made Janice unable to control her

    emotions and cried uncontrobly.

    Everyone who saw this couldn''t help but be moved to tears.

    Keith took two steps forward and hugged his mother and sister.

    "Ethan." Janice mumbled her son''s name.

    Keith''s eyes instantly became misty. His eyes were also red, and the tears in the corners of his eyes

    were about to fall.

    He had grown up with Janice, but he had never enjoyed maternal love.

    Janice spent all day holding a doll, calling it baby,pletely unaware of who he was.

    When he grew up, Janice saw him as his father Nathan.

    For the first time in twenty-four years, he had truly be Janice''s son!

    ¡°No, Ethan, when Nathan went to register, he changed your name to Keith. He said your name was

    too simr to his, and it was distracting me.¡± Janice cried as she spoke.

    She hadpletelye to her senses.

    For many years, she had been unable to face the reality of losing her daughter. When Janice finally

    faced reality, she also sobered up. Fortunately, when she woke up, her children were all well and

    around her.

    Janice held her children tightly, choking back, "I''m sorry, I''ve been lost for over twenty years. I

    haven''t fulfilled my responsibilities as a mother. I''m sorry."

    "Mom, don''t say that. As long as you remember us, we will be very happy." Lucinda wiped away a

    tear. Someone handed her a tissue, and she took it to wipe Janice''s tears.

    Stefan saw their emotions had somewhat subsided, and he handed over a tissue again, saying

    gently, "Mom, Lucy, it''s a good thing that you can truly recognize each other. You should be happy;

    don''t cry."

    He watched them cry with a heavy heart.

    Jeannie and her husband also said, "Yes, this is a great joy. You should be happy, don''t cry."

    Janice looked up at everyone in front of her. Although she had been in a confused state before,

    after she woke up, she could still remember the bits and pieces of her life with Lucinda after she

    found her.

    She first walked towards the people from the Moore family.

    Besides Lucinda, the Moore family stood together, watching as Lucinda helped Janice walk over to

    them.

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    The family of five all wore relieved smiles as if on cue, watching this mother and daughter who had

    truly recognized each other.

    They had raised Lucinda, their precious daughter, for over twenty years. Although she was going

    back to Janice, the Moore family was reluctant, but they sincerely wished Lucinda well.

    Janice suddenly knelt down.

    Lucinda and Keith immediately followed suit.

    "Janice, what are you doing? Get up."

    Fiona and Jeannie hurried forward to help Janice up.

    Vincent and Ike tried to help Keith up.

    Janice insisted on kneeling, gratefully saying, "Thank you, thank you for giving Lucy a second life,

    thank you for your meticulous care for her, thank you! I will always remember the kindness of your

    family.¡±

    ¡°Janice, get up. This is our destiny. We are family. Get up, don''t cry. Look at the two children crying

    their eyes out. Keith just came. Hasn''t even eaten yet.¡±

    Fiona and Jeannie tried to help Janice up again.

    Madison Moore also said, "Stop crying. It''s all in the past."

    Janice was helped up, and Lucinda and Keith stood up, too.

    Janice''s sudden rity brought great joy to everyone.

    Originally, it was supposed to be Ike, Keith, and Stefan having dinner together. They all got so

    excited that they just gathered around for a meal.

    Janice kept dishing out food for Keith and Lucy.

    Lucinda and Keith also served food for Janice.

    Janice didn''t eat much, but she already felt full. Her stomach was filled with a sense of happiness.

    Janice snapped back to reality. She and Lucinda had a lot to talk about. That night, Lucinda

    knocked on Janice''s door with a pillow in her arms. She wanted to sleep with her mom.

    Stefan apanied her to knock on the door.

    There was a hint of sadness in his eyes, but when Janice opened the door, he quickly hid it.

    Although the parent-child identification results of Janice and Lucinda hade out several days

    ago, because Janice was out of her mind at the time, the mother and daughter didn''t really

    recognize each other. Tonight was their real reunion, and Stefan could understand Lucinda''s

    feelings.

    But it will be a long night, and he won''t be able to sleep.

    Although he was reluctant in his heart, he had to act considerate on the surface.

 Chapter 241

    Chapter 241

    "Mom, I''m bunking with you tonight." Lucinda strolled into Janice''s room, pillow in tow.

    Janice was more than willing, but she shot a nce at Stefan.

    Stefan, ever considerate, piped up, "Mom, let Lucy sleep with you; you guys can have a good heart-

    to-heart."

    Since Stefan was on board, Janice was thrilled and shot Stefan a goodnight with a smile, "Stefan,

    night."

    "Night, Mom."

    Stefan looked toward Lucinda. She had already nestled herself in the room, not even bothering to

    bid him goodnight.

    ¡°No biggie,¡± he thought. Seeing her happy was worth letting it slide.

    Janice shut the door.

    Stefan stood at the door for a good few minutes, ensuring it wouldn''t be opened again, before he

    finally trudged off.

    Ike was clumsily guiding a totally stered Keith upstairs.

    "How the hell did he get so wasted?" Stefan quickly rushed over to help steady Keith.

    After ate-night snack, the guys cracked open a few cold ones. Stefan opted out but reminded

    them not to drink themselves under the table.

    But Keith went all out and ended up hammered.

    They managed to get Keith into the guest room and onto the bed. Ike plopped down on the edge of

    the bed, panting, "Except for me, everyone else is out cold. I had to help Keith up the stairs. The

    guy can barely stand. I''m beat."

    "Weren''t you guys told not to get hammered?"

    Stefan bent down to remove Keith''s shoes and socks, then helped him out of his jacket. Seeing that

    Keith was totally sloshed but still had his makeup on, Stefan fetched a basin of water from the

    bathroom. He wet a towel and wiped Keith''s face, scrubbing off the makeup after a few attempts.

    Once Stefan had done everything, Ike said, "Keith said after he became the young master of the

    Blue family, he hasn''t had a single day of peace. The pressure is relentless. It''s rare for him to kick

    back, so he got a little carried away because he was so happy and ended up drunk."

    "I figured since he was finally letting loose, I''d let him drink. His life is really tough!"

    Despite his high status, he was under constant scrutiny. Even his own father, Nathan, might not

    have been on his side. Keith was surely under a lot of pressure.

    Ike even doubted anyone in the Blue family could be a trusted ally for Keith.

    Keith was really pitiful and had a tough life.

    Actually, they, as ordinary people, had it easy. Noplex issues, a small ie, but a

    harmonious family. in days were the real bliss.

    "It''s definitely not easy."

    "Stefan, you have to help Keith and Lucy more in the future," Ike said, "I''ll try my best too, to

    be stronger and be Lucy''s support. With us around, even if the Blue family situation gets

    complicated, it won''t affect her."

    "Those who hurt Janice should get what they deserve. We need to help Lucy and her brother hold

    firmly on to what they want most, and not let them seed!"

    With a cold look in his eyes, Stefan said in a low voice, "Absolutely."

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    "Where were you off to just now?" Ike abruptly asked.

    "Nothing. Lucy wanted to sleep with Janice, so I was just taking her there."

    "On the same floor, and you still need to escort her?" Ike teased, "You want to act generous but

    can''t let go, right? If you can''t sleep because of that, then..."

    "Then I''lle to you..."

    Ike paused momentarily.

    Why came to him? He was a guy!

    "Come to you for a chat." Stefan finished his sentence. Looking at Ike, he said irritably, "Stop acting

    like I want to take advantage of you. I''m only interested in Lucy."

    "Yeah, I know you''re only interested in Lucy. You''ve been interested in her for a long time. If Lucy

    wasn''t so much younger than you, or if you weren''t swarmed with work after taking over the

    company, you guys might even have kids now." Ike asked hurriedly, "Stefan, you and Lucy have

    been married for so long. When can I be an uncle?"

    "I wish I knew when I''d be a father."

    They hadn''t been trying to prevent pregnancy; they were legally married anyway.

    If Lucinda did get pregnant, so be it.

    Stefan looked forward to the day when he''d be a father and have a child with Lucy.

    After a moment of thought, Ike said, "Maybe you guys shouldn''t rush into having kids now. Before,

    whenever you guys wanted kids, I didn''t mind. I''m more than happy to be an uncle. But now

    the situation''s different. Lucy''s found her biological parents, and the Blue family is quite

    complicated. If Lucy goes back to the Blue family, she might face a lot of challenges. Now might not

    be the best time to get pregnant."

    Stefan was silent for a moment, then nodded, "You''re right."

    Once Lucinda got her period and confirmed she wasn''t pregnant, he''d take precautions.

    As Ike said, it really wasn''t the best time to get pregnant.

    They were still young; there was no need to rush. They could consider having kids once things

    settled down.

    "You''ve been drinking. You can''t drive. Stay the night here. I''ll have a room prepared for you."

    Stefan was about to call the housekeeper on his phone, but Ike stopped him.

    "No need; I''ll just bunk with Keith. I have to go to work tomorrow, unlike you, the big boss. Even if

    you don''t show up, no one will say a word. Sigh, I''m just a working stiff."

    Stefanughed, "You''re a shareholder in thepany too, a boss in your own right. Stop

    comining about being a working stiff; what would the actual working stiffs think?"

    "Then just bunk with Keith. There are clothes and toiletries in the closet, all sizes. Pick out

    something that fits. They''re all new and washed."

    Ike was taken aback, "You guys have clothes and toiletries ready in your guest room? How do you

    know what size the guest wears, whether they''re male or female?"

    "Like I said, all sizes are avable for both genders and all age groups."

    Not many people actually got to stay over at Ascend Estate. However, all the guest rooms had

    clothes provided in the wardrobes.

    It was a provision for guests like Ike, who, for whatever reason, couldn''t leave on the same day and

    needed to spend the night at the estate.

    "The Anderson family really got their act together; they''re on the ball," Ike praised.

    And that''s why Stefan had been keeping tabs on Lucy for eleven years, unbeknownst to them all.

    Lucy didn''t just fall into Stefan''s trap; she even thought she''d pulled a fast one on Stefan!

    Ike couldn''t help but facepalm. His sister Lucy was such a numbskull!

    It was also because Stefan kept things under wraps so well. He and Stefan were ssmates for

    four years, and they kept in touch even after they graduated college. They may not have been best

    buds, but they definitely shared some camaraderie as old ssmates.

    Back then, when Ike heard from Gabriel Turner that Stefan was getting hitched, he didn''t even wait

    for Gabriel to tell him who the bride was before he was on the phone to Stefan, excitedly offering to

    be the best man. He thought he was just a bystander, but little did he know that Stefan''s bride-to-be

    was his own sister, Lucinda!

 Chapter 242

    Chapter 242

    At the Martinez family''s crib.

    The lights in the living room were still on.

    Trenton was snoozing on the couch.

    Derek grabbed a thin nket, gently covering Trenton.

    Trenton was a light sleeper. Derek''s movement woke him up.

    He opened his eyes and asked, "Is Owen still not back?"

    Derek replied, "He might not being home tonight. If you need him, you can give him a call;

    there is no need to wait. It''ste; it''s the wee hours."

    Derek softly nudged him to go rest in his room.

    Trenton said, "I didn''t realize it was thiste."

    Trenton pondered for a bit, then said, "I''ll go rest. If Owenes back, wake me up early."

    Derek said, "Sure."

    Derek immediately helped Trenton to his feet.

    Just then, they heard a car outside.

    Trenton sat back down, gesturing for Derek to go check.

    Derek agreed and hurried out.

    Sure enough, it was Owen Martinez.

    Owen was a bit surprised to see the lights in the living room still on. Seeing Dereking out to

    greet him, he guessed his grandpa was waiting for him.

    He was puzzled. What was so important that his grandpa couldn''t just call him but had to wait for

    him toe back?

    Owen walked into the house with questions.

    He approached Trenton and said, "Grandpa, why are you still up? Staying upte is bad for your

    health."

    Trenton said, "You know staying upte is bad for your health? Then why are youing back this

    late?"

    Owen said, "Grandpa, I had obligations tonight; I couldn''t help it."

    Trenton chuckled and said, "The sun might rise from the west tomorrow. How long has it been since

    you had obligations since Ruby Scott came back?"

    Owen said, "I still care about our family business."

    He sat next to Trenton and asked, "What''s wrong?"

    Trenton sniffed him, then said, "You don''t smell like that annoying perfume anymore. You didn''t see

    Ruby today, did you?"

    Trenton didn''t like the smell of Ruby''s perfume. Owen saw Ruby often, so he was familiar with her

    perfume smell.

    As long as Owen had that perfume smell on him, he knew Owen had seen Ruby.

    Owen directly answered, "No."

    He felt his grandpa might think he was idle. But he was busy too.

    Trenton said, "That''s rare."

    Owen said, "Grandpa, stop teasing me. You waited for me thiste; surely you have something to

    tell me. As long as it''s not about moving Cecilia Yates in, I can handle it."

    Owen knew his grandpa well.

    Even though Trenton had promised him not to interfere with him and Cecilia anymore, Trenton still

    hoped he and Cecilia could be a real couple.

    Owen said, "Grandpa, it''s not that I don''t want Cecilia to move in."

    Owen felt the need to exin, so he said, "You know my mom likes Ruby. She''s like a sister to

    Ruby''s mom. If Cecilia doesn''t move in, she and my mom won''t see each other every day, so they

    won''t have any conflicts."

    "Besides, Cecilia likes her current lifestyle. I was forced to marry her, but I will give her due respect.

    Whatever she likes to do, I will respect her decision."

    Owen was telling the truth. His home wasn''t suitable for Cecilia.

    If Cecilia moved in, she and his mother would fight every day. Besides, other people in the house

    loved to stir up trouble; the house would be a mess.

    Cecilia didn''t love him; she was just in for the money. Once his parents started messing with her as

    inws, Cecilia wasn¡¯t just going to take it. She was a strong fighter. His mother lost to her the first

    time and even came crying to him.

    Trenton was silent for a while, then said, "I''ve said before, I won''t interfere with your affairs with

    Cecilia. As long as you don''t regret itter. Ruby''s business is being suppressed by Stefan now. Did

    she reach out to you?"

    "No."

    Owen answered with a hint of embarrassment in his eyes.

    His mother told him that Mrs. Scott had heart-to-heart talks with Ruby several times, persuading

    Ruby to let go of her love for Stefan.

    Ruby seemed to have epted it, but soon she went to find Stefan again.

    Owen was not new to being hurt. He had been hurt countless times by Ruby.

    His heart was also bing colder.

    Like that time, her business was being suppressed. Actually, as long as Ruby went to him, even if

    his grandpa didn''t allow it, he would help her out of the trouble.

    But she didn''te.

    Ever since she was beaten up by Adrienne Dewey, he didn''t go see her and just sent Walter to

    deliver an ice pack, Ruby stopped contacting him and didn''te to see him either.

    Owen knew clearly that Ruby deliberately ignored him, wanting him to take the initiative to find her

    and coax her, like before.

    Owen didn''t expect he could resist not going to see her or not contacting her.

    After not seeing her, he found his thinking surprisingly clear.

    "It''s unexpected. Before, she would call you for even a small injury. This time, she''s almost

    bankrupt, and she didn''t even look for you." Trenton''s words were filled with sarcasm.

    "That''s right. She''d rather go find Stefan time and again, getting hurt by Stefan''s ruthlessness again

    and again, but she never gives up and never realizes your goodness. Owen, you two are actually

    both fools."

    They both knew each other''s feelings, but neither would give up.

    Owen''s face darkened immediately.

    N?velDrama.Org owns all content.

    It turned out that she went to see Stefan.

    He could have helped her, but she didn''t go to him. Stefan suppressed her, but she still went to find

    Stefan.

    "Even though Ruby isn''t looking for you, Owen, I must tell you, even if she goes bankrupt, you''re not

    allowed to help. Our Ike Group''s achievements were hard-earned. You can''t use our family''s three

    generations'' hard work to help unrted people.

    If you''re up for it, why not go and brown-nose your inws a bit more? Their home is getting old.

    You should buy them a fancy vi with a front and back yard so they can livefortably."

    Owen was silent. He looked at Trenton.

    Trenton said, "Don''t look at me like that. I did visit them a few timester, but every time Devon

    Yates kicked me out. That man really holds a grudge."

    Owen sighed.

    In fact, Trenton quite enjoyed chatting with Devon Yates.

    They were both old-timers, having lived through the same era. He also started from scratch and had

    experienced the hardships of life. He enjoyed reminiscing about the past with Devon Yates.

    Owen asked, "What should I do if they kick me out too? They don''t like me either."

    "Even if they don''t like you, you should still try to connect with them. After all, they''re your inws."

    Owen changed the topic and said, "Grandpa, it''s gettingte. You should get some rest."

    He hoped his grandfather would stop bringing up him and Cecilia.

 Chapter 243

    Chapter 243

    Trenton said, "You should hit the hay. You''ve got work tomorrow. I already had a rest, so I don''t feel

    like crashing yet."

    Owen tried to persuade him a few times, but Trenton was still hell-bent on staying up a bit longer.

    So, he didn''t say anything more; he got up and hit the bricks.

    When he was out of sight, Derek poured Trenton a ss of water and asked quietly, "Why didn''t

    you spill the beans to Owen?"

    "Spill what beans?"

    "Mrs. Coleman is a big shot from the Blue family. She''s a force to be reckoned with."

    After giving it some thought, Trenton replied, "Why would I tell him? I not only don''t want to tell him,

    but I also want to keep him in the dark as much as possible."

    "But if Owen crosses her, the Martinez family will have a new enemy."

    Trenton said, "If he knew, Ruby would know. Ruby always thinks she''s the princess of the Scott

    family, but has she ever thought about how much that title is really worth? Does she think her Scott

    family is still the same as it was years ago?

    She looks down on Lucinda Moore and can''t bear to be outdone by her. Let her continue to be

    arrogant and keep poking the bear. If she pisses off the Blue family, they¡¯ll deal with her. The Blue

    family is no pushover. At that point, even if Ruby turns to Owen for help, he won''t be able to do

    anything.

    Cecilia is gradually recing Ruby in Owen''s heart. Only then will Ruby truly leave here, and Owen

    will give up on her and ept Cecilia. No, he''s actually chasing Cecilia, but Cecilia has no feelings

    for him."

    Trenton saw it all clearly. He could tell that Owen''s feelings for Cecilia had changed, but Cecilia still

    didn''t give a damn about his grandson.

    Served him right!

    Trenton had no sympathy for his grandson.

    "Derek, remember, don''t let the cat out of the bag in front of Owen."

    Derek assured him, "Don''t worry, I won''t spill."

    Trenton nodded. He picked up his ss, took a few sips, then set it down and headed off to bed.

    He still had to give his grandson a taste of his own medicine. He nned to set him up with a

    handsome and caring gay guy to fake pursuing Cecilia, which would make Owen green with envy

    and make him see his true feelings.

    ...

    Since she slept with her mother, Janice,st night and talked with her all night, Lucinda was beat

    and didn''t wake up until 8 o''clock.

    Janice was already up.

    In the past twenty years of her mental disorder, her sleep pattern was messed up and her sleep

    quality was poor; she would wake up easily.

    Now that she was back to normal and found her biological daughter. With her daughter''spany,

    even though she only slept for four to five hours, she felt refreshed because she slept well.

    She didn''t wake up her daughter, who was sound asleep.

    Instead of waking her up, she sat on a stool by the bed, quietly watching Lucinda, asionally

    reaching out to touch her face with a tender look in her eyes.

    Although Lucinda was sleeping soundly, her mother''s gaze and touch woke her up.

    When she opened her eyes and saw her mother, she was stunned for a moment. Recalling what

    happenedst night, she softly called out, "Mom."

    ¡°Did I wake you, Lucy?¡±

    Janiceughed awkwardly. ¡°I just wanted to look at you and touch your face. Your warmth makes

    me believe that this is real, not a dream.¡±

    Lucinda held her mother¡¯s hand and pressed it to her face. Feeling each other¡¯s warmth, both

    mother and daughter confirmed that they weren¡¯t dreaming.

    Her mother had truly regained her sanity.

    Janice moved to the edge of the bed. As she sat down, Lucinda rested her head on her thigh, her

    eyes full of love for her mother.

    ¡°Mom.¡±

    ¡°Mom.¡±

    Lucinda kept calling out to her mother. Her voice was soft and coquettish.

    Janice gently patted her, ¡°Lucy, my Lucy, you¡¯re really back. Lucy, I love you both.¡±

    ¡°And we love you too, Mom.¡±

    After a while of intimacy, they got dressed. After a quick wash, they left the room together.

    It was already past nine in the morning.

    Everyone was gone. There was no one downstairs.

    ¡°Stefan went to work. He knocked on the door before he left. I told him you were still sleeping. He

    said not to wake you and let you sleep in.¡±

    Lucinda always felt that her mother''s eyes carried a hint ofughter when she spoke. She felt a little

    shy.

    Her rtionship with Stefan was getting better and better, and they were very affectionate when

    they were together. Cecilia said that those who didn''t believe in love would start to look forward to it

    after seeing them because their love was so sweet!

    The butler walked in from outside.

    ¡°Mrs. Coleman, Janice, good morning.¡±

    ¡°Good morning.¡±

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    ¡°Where are Patrick and Savannah?¡±

    ¡°They went to the mountains to pick fruits.¡±

    Ascend Estate had beautiful scenery. The fields below and several nearby mountains were all

    nted with various crops, flowers, and fruits.

    There were many kinds of fruits in the vi, all seasonal, and there were fruits to pick all year round.

    ¡°There¡¯s a fruit merchanting to collect fruits today.¡± The butler added.

    ¡°Mrs. Coleman, Mr. Coleman called again two minutes ago to remind you to have breakfast. I¡¯ve

    prepared your breakfast. I¡¯ll go get it for you.¡±

    ¡°Okay, thanks.¡±

    Janice said contentedly, "Lucy, the first thing I saw when I woke up was you by my side, and you''ve

    married a good man. Stefan, my son-inw, the more I see him, the more I like him. You must treat

    him well and enjoy every day together."

    "Mom, he''s a smart guy. I can''t control him at all. As long as he doesn''t bully me, I''ll be satisfied."

    Janice gently tapped her forehead, "Even though I was a bit unstable a few days ago, I still

    remember things. Stefan spoils you. He will never bully you; if anything, you''re the one who bullies

    him."

    Lucinda blushed slightly.

    "As long as you''re living a good life, I can rest easy. But your brother still doesn''t have a girlfriend,

    so as his mother, I feel like I haven''t fulfilled my duty."

    Mentioning Keith, the smile on Janice''s face disappeared. She felt more guilty about her son than

    her daughter.

    "Mom, you shouldn''t worry about my brother. He''s so great and handsome. There must be a lot of

    people who like him. Besides, he''s only 24; he''s still young."

    Lucinda was not worried about Keith''s marriage at all.

    Both of her brothers were excellent. There must be people who would love them sincerely and not

    because of their status.

    Janice thought her son was indeed excellent. As long as he was willing, there must be many

    women who would want to marry him.

    The reason Keith was still single then wasrgely due to the influence of her and the Blue family.

    At that time, Lucinda''s phone rang. It was Cecilia calling.

    She answered the phone.

    Cecilia whispered on the phone, "Lucy, a middle-aged man who ims to be your father hase

    to our shop; he should be your biological father."

    Lucinda''s face changed. Her biological father hade?

 Chapter 244

    Chapter 244

    Lucinda shot Janice a quick nce and muttered, "I''ll be right there."

    "Good. You better bring your bodyguards along, just to be safe."

    Even though Lucinda wasn¡¯t a Moore by blood, she was now Mrs. Coleman. Some people might

    have had the nerve to impersonate her.

    "My brother¡¯s back, so I¡¯ll have him tag along. Oh, and Cecilia, I¡¯ve got some great news. Mom¡¯s

    fully awake now. She remembers the past and recognizes both me and my brother."

    Cecilia lit up instantly, congratting her friend over the phone.

    Janice had been mentally ill after losing her daughter. But after finding her daughter, she was

    gradually recovering.

    Lucinda was eager to check out the visitor at the shop, who could be her biological father, so she

    didn¡¯t chat with Cecilia for too long.

    Her biological father hade, but Lucinda hadn¡¯t told Janice yet. She wasn''t sure how her mother

    would handle that shameless man.

    In the Serendipity Cafe, Nathan Blue was sitting alone in a corner. He had ordered a cup of coffee

    and some pastries, which were then in front of him. He wanted to see if his daughter''s shop served

    good food.

    Cecilia was busy serving other customers, so she didn¡¯t disturb him.

    He watched quietly as customers trickled in, found their spots, ordered their favorite coffee or some

    snacks, while slowly savoring their drinks, reading newspapers from the rack, or ying on their

    phones.

    Some came with friends and chatted in low voices.

    Sitting there, listening to the soothing music, and watching peoplezily enjoy their coffee, Nathan

    found this kind of life quite rxing.

    He had never lived such aid-back life before.

    His life had always been filled with scheming. Even at home, he was on guard, fearing being fooled

    by others.

    As the day grew warmer and time ticked away, it was almost noon.

    Lucinda and Keith walked in with two bodyguards.

    "Lucy, Keith."

    Cecilia greeted them. She nced at Nathan in the corner and told Lucinda and Keith, "That''s the

    guy."

    Lucinda looked at Nathan in the corner.

    When Nathan saw his children walk in, he couldn''t help but stand up. He stared at Lucinda, all

    nerves again.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    Without asking, Lucinda knew that it was her biological father.

    They stared at each other, neither taking the first step.

    Keith was the first to move. Seeing his father, he walked over quickly, somewhat agitated. "Dad,

    why did youe alone?"

    It was too risky.

    Nathan pushed him aside a bit because he was blocking his view of his daughter.

    Lucinda walked over.

    As the distance between father and daughter shortened, Nathan looked more excited. His face was

    smiling, but his eyes were reddened. After a while, he trembled and said softly, "Lucy."

    Lucinda''s lips quivered as she tried to call him "Dad," but she stopped.

    "Lucy, I am your father." Nathan said softly again, "Since your brother left, I''ve not been able to

    sleep or eat. I couldn''t help bute see you."

    Lucinda looked at him quietly.

    When she saw her biological mother, she was very emotional.

    But facing her biological father, she felt veryplicated.

    Thinking about what her mother and brother had gone through, she felt resentment towards that

    man.

    But he was still her biological father.

    "Lucy, are... are you okay?"

    Nathan was still careful, smiling as he spoke.

    "Lucy, he is indeed our father." Keith said softly.

    He knew why she was reluctant to call him "Dad". It was because their father had failed to protect

    their mother.

    "Father came alone, which is very risky."

    He still defended their father, hoping she would call him "Dad" and make his efforts worthwhile.

    Lucinda turned her face to look at the busy street outside.

    People wereing and going. Many fathers were holding or carrying their daughters as they

    passed by her shop.

    In the eyes of a child, a father is like a tree or a mountain, providing shelter and protection.

    After taking a few deep breaths, Lucinda turned back to look at her father. She opened her mouth

    and called out, "Dad."

    Nathan responded immediately. He took out a few tissues to wipe his eyes, smiling as he said, "I

    didn''t sleep well, so my eyes are a bit dry and tear easily."

    "Sit down, Lucy, let''s chat." Nathan risked going there to see his daughter.

    The father and his two children all sat down.

    "Lucy, Keith, would you like water or coffee?"

    "I''ll have a ss of water." Lucinda said and nodded her thanks to her friend.

    Keith had a hangover from the previous night, and his head was still aching. He massaged his

    temples and replied to Cecilia softly, "I''ll have a ck coffee."

    "Alright."

    Cecilia turned and left, letting the family of three talk.

    As it was nearing noon, there were fewer customers in the shop.

    The two bodyguards sat at a distance. The staff also prepared some snacks for them.

    "Lucy, I''m sorry."

    Nathan apologized to his daughter.

    After a moment of silence, Lucinda said, "You owe my mother even more."

    When his wife was mentioned, Nathan''s eyes were filled with pain. He couldn¡¯t look at his children;

    he only stared at his coffee cup. In pain, he said, "Yes. The one I owe the most is your mother."

    Then he looked up at his children again and asked, "Have you told your mother that I''m here?"

    Keith said, "Even if we did, do you think she would remember you?"

    They chose not to tell their father that their mother was awake. They needed to probe their mother¡¯s

    attitude towards their father first.

    At his son¡¯s words, Nathan''s face turned gloomy.

    Ever since his wife went cuckoo, she not only forgot their son but also forgot him.

    When Keith grew up, she mistook him for Nathan, calling her son "honey". But when she saw him,

    she always seemed scared.

    Who was to me for that mess?

    Him, Nathan!

    "My mom is having a st now. She''s getting along great with folks like Fiona. She hasn''t been this

    happy and rxed in a long time. If I tell her you''reing, it''ll be like stealing her joy."

    Maybe it was the pain on his father''s face that made Keith soften up, so he added that.

    Hearing his son''s words, Nathan''s eyes lit up.

    He looked at his son. Father and son locked eyes.

    Gradually, a smile spread across his face. It was a joyful smile.

    Fantastic!

    He had found his daughter, and his wife was awake.

    Their family of four''s tough times were about to end.

    Lucinda nced at her father, then at Keith. Her gut told her that the man in front of her knew that

    her mom was awake.

 Chapter 245

    Chapter 245

    She racked her brain for a long time but still couldn''t figure out where Keith had slipped up earlier.

    In the end, Lucinda could only sigh inwardly. Her father and brother were both very clever men.

    Their understanding and tacit agreement were beyond herprehension for now.

    "Dad, don''t take such risks in the future," Keith advised his father once more.

    Nathanughed it off. "It''s okay; I used a stand-in. I just wanted toe see Lucy a bit earlier. I''ll be

    heading back in a few days."

    His original n was toe visit his daughter today and then leave immediately.

    But upon hearing that his wife had woken up, he decided to stay a couple more days before going

    back.

    Although the rtionship between father and son seemed a bit distant, Keith knew his father''s

    intentions well. He frowned and said, "After dinner, you better get going. Even if youe with us to

    Ascend Estate, my mom might not want to see you. You should give her some time to ept the

    fact."

    Nathan''s mood instantly plummeted.

    Regardless of why and what he had done, he had failed to protect her. That was his mistake. He

    couldn''t make excuses for himself.

    He and Janice, in this life, may never be able to go back to how they were at the start.

    Nathan felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife as he looked at his children before him.

    Only after he had eliminated all enemies, changed the family rules, andpletely taken over Blue

    Corporation, if he was still alive by then, could he retire and leave everything to his children to

    manage. Then he could use the remaining time to beg his wife for forgiveness.

    After a while, he quietly agreed, "I''ll head back after dinner."

    He looked at Lucinda and asked, "Lucy, how about we have dinner togetherter? And Stefan too. I

    want to meet my son-inw."

    He had some matters to discuss with Stefan.

    Stefan was five years older than Keith and had already taken over the family business for many

    years, so he was very mature in all aspects. Nathan''s expectations for Stefan even exceeded those

    for his son.

    "Sure."

    Lucinda agreed to his request: "I''ll call Stefan."

    She got up and left the caf¨¦ to make the call.

    Being with his father always seemed to spark an argument, so once Lucinda stepped out, Keith also

    said, "I''m going to get some fresh air."

    He then got up and left.

    Nathan: "You just don''t want to be with me."

    He wasn''t a fool.

    Thinking that his children didn''t really like him, Nathan let out another sigh.

    There''s no such thing as perfection in life. There were always things he couldn''t aplish.

    After finishing her call with her husband, Lucinda turned around to see her brother standing nearby.

    She instinctively asked, "Why are you out here too?"

    "My personality shes with that old man''s; it''s easy to start an argument. Without you in there, I''m

    afraid we might start arguing, so I came out for some fresh air."

    Lucinda: "He''s not old."

    Although their father was already fifty, he had taken good care of himself and now looked more like

    their big brother.

    No wonder his children were already twenty-four, yet twenty-six-year-old Madeleine still wanted to

    marry him.

    "He''s fifty; how is that not old? I insist on calling him an old man. That way, he won''t think he''s still

    an eighteen-year-old and keep wanting to marry an eighteen-year-old woman."

    Lucindaughed and said, "True, good point. First, let him feel old; then he won''t have too many

    ideas."

    She thought for a moment, then said, "Keith, if you meet the right person, try to start a rtionship.

    After mom woke up, she mentioned your marriage to me."

    Hearing this, Keith showed a shocked expression: "No way? She''s actually going to start rushing

    me to get married like Fiona?"

    He knew that the reason Lucinda had willingly fallen into Stefan''s trap was because Fiona had been

    urging her to get married.

    In some ces, many people got married as soon as they reached the legal age to do so.

    Generally, once a person was over twenty-five, their parents started to get anxious. Keith knew

    several of his bodyguards, who were often pressured by their families to get married.

    However, his bodyguards weren''t that young anymore, the youngest being twenty-eight. They

    should indeed be pressured to get married.

    "Maybe. Probably all mothers in the world are the same."

    Recalling her own helplessness when she was being rushed to get married, Lucinda

    sympathetically patted Keith''s shoulder andughed, "It''s okay; you''ll get used to it gradually, and

    then you won''t be affected by mom''s urging. When my mom was rushing my brother, oh, I mean,

    when Fiona was rushing Ike, it was like this. After she rushed him many times, Ike stopped taking

    her words seriously. My mom had no choice but to switch to rushing me."

    Keithughed, "Got it. If mom really starts rushing me to get married, I''ll learn from Ike."

    The brother and sister wereughing and joking; their actions were very affectionate. This scene

    was seen by a person in the distance. She was as excited as if she had discovered a new

    continent, excitedly took out her phone, and started snapping pictures of the siblings like mad.

    Taking pictures wasn''t enough, so she began filming a video.

    This excited person was Ruby.

    She had gone to Ascend Global again, but Stefan refused to see her. This time, she couldn''t even

    get through the door of Ascend Global.

    Out of options, she lurked in the Serendipity Caf¨¦, waiting for Stefan''s appearance.

    She didn''t expect to see Lucinda being so affectionate with a strange man.

    She wanted to make the pictures she took public, then send them anonymously to the elders of the

    Anderson family and Stefan, and finally post the video online.

    Now, everyone in Pinehurst knew that Lucinda was Stefan''s wife.

    Stefan had also exined to everyone that he and Ruby had not been in love since childhood. He

    publicly stated that he had never had romantic feelings for her, and the two had kept their distance

    since they were twelve.

    Thanks to Stefan, everyone knew Lucinda. As soon as the video was posted online, it would

    definitely cause a stir. The mere harassment from media reporters could make Lucinda copse.

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    So what if Stefan loves Lucinda? The thing men hate most was being betrayed by women.

    She didn''t believe that Stefan can calmly continue his life with Lucinda after seeing these photos

    and videos.

    They were definitely getting a divorce!

    Even if Stefan didn''t want to divorce, the elders of the Anderson family will force them to!

    The more Ruby thought about it, the more excited she got.

    It wasn''t until Lucinda and that strange man walked back into the caf¨¦ that Ruby stopped taking

    photos.

    She was itching to walk into the caf¨¦ right now to take a close look at the guy who had the guts to

    challenge Stefan.

    She started her car but then immediately turned it off again.

    She couldn''t go.

    If she showed up in the caf¨¦ now, when she sent out the photos and uploaded the videos online,

    Lucinda would easily suspect it was her doing.

    With that thought, Ruby managed to resist her urge to go see the strange man.

    To avoid Stefan putting more pressure on her, Ruby decided to have someone else expose the

    photos and upload the videos.

    The entertainment journalists in Pinehurst were perfect for the job.

    After all, paparazzi loved sneaking shots of celebrities'' private lives. If she let them do this, when

    Stefan got angry, he''ll onlysh out at the journalists, not her.

 Chapter 246

    Chapter 246

    Ruby didn''t stick around after her sneak shots; she hit the road right away.

    Lucinda didn''t get a whiff of her actions.

    But Zoey and the Blue family''s bodyguards were in the know.

    Keith was always on his toes. His bodyguards came in two vors: out in the open and on the down

    low.

    The undercover bodyguards seldom showed their mugs; instead, they hovered like shadows,

    always a step behind him. Only when the heat was on would they show up.

    As Zoey was ringing Stefan, the Blue family''s bodyguards were dropping a line to Keith.

    Stefan had just hung up with his wife, getting the news that his father-inw wanted to chew the fat

    with him.

    Even if Nathan didn''t show, he had nned to grab a bite with Lucinda.

    Lucinda''s mom had just bounced back, so she''d definitely stick around with her mom for a bit

    longer. Stefan couldn''t be there to keep the bed warm at night, so he had to squeeze in some time

    during the day, lest she missed him.

    No, it was him missing her.

    Not long after he wrapped up the call, Zoey buzzed in.

    Hearing about Ruby snapping shots of Lucinda and Keith from a distance, Stefan had a clear

    picture of Ruby''s game.

    As he got up from his desk, he responded to Zoey, "Copy that. Keep an eye on Mrs. Coleman."

    Edgar walked in as he was about to head out and asked, "Boss, are you clocking out early again?"

    "Yeah, something urgent came up."

    Edgar was curious: "What''s so urgent? Can''t someone else crack it?"

    "Nobody can pinch-hit for me on this one."

    Stefan answered as he headed out. As he passed by Edgar, he patted him on the shoulder and said

    with a straight face, "Especially you; you wouldn''t get it."

    "What''s wrong with me?"

    "You''re a lone wolf."

    Edgar: "You''re off to suck up to your wife again? I thought there was something major."

    "Pleasing my wife is major. Whatever you need, I''m tied up right now. If it''s really urgent, go find

    Liam."

    Edgar followed him, saying, "Okay, I''ll go bug Liam then."

    Liam was as capable as Stefan; he was just a bit of a cker and not too keen on handling things.

    Actually, all the men of the Anderson family''s generation were ckers; none of them wanted to

    take the helm.

    Stefan had no choice; he was raised by his grandparents, and he was the eldest.

    "By the way, Edgar, I want to see the Scott Garment go under. And dig up Ruby''s flings abroad for

    me."

    Stefan turned to Edgar.

    Edgar chuckled. "Herpany''s not getting orders; she doesn''t dare toy off workers and still has

    to pay them. The factory is rented so that''s a daily expense. Her stores may be open every day, and

    people go in to look, but nobody''s buying. Herpany going under is just a matter of time. She''s

    been freaking out and even came to you a few times."

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    As Stefan''s right-hand man, the job of putting the squeeze on Ruby was all Edgar''s doing. Of

    course, this was all ording to Stefan''s orders.

    There used to be a rumor saying Ruby was the girl Stefan had been crushing on since he was a kid.

    People imed he was nearly 30 and still single because he was waiting for Ruby toe back.

    That''s a load of bull.

    Edgar remembered that Stefan had cleared the air, but sadly, nobody bought it. Even he didn''t at

    the time.

    Only after Mrs. Coleman showed up did Edgar believe that Stefan had no special feelings for Ruby.

    Clearly, Mrs. Coleman was his true love.

    "Didn''t she go to Owen?"

    "Not yet, but I heard all the top brass at the Ike group got an email from Trenton, telling them to

    keep their hands off this. He even gave a special heads-up to Harry Martinez to keep a close eye on

    Owen."

    "If Owen steps up like he usually does and helps Ruby, he might as well get ready to be reced by

    Harry. Harry''s pretty good; he¡¯s more suited to be the CEO than Owen."

    Edgar thought that if he were Trenton, he''d definitely boot the overly sentimental Owen and let

    Harry take over.

    Harry was more level-headed and not influenced by emotions. To be honest, besides Owen and his

    mom, nobody in the Martinez family liked Ruby.

    In everyone''s eyes, Ruby was just greedy. She wanted to marry Stefan but also use Owen for her

    own ends. Nobody would like a woman like that. Only Owen and his mom would have a soft spot for

    her. What''s going on in their heads?

    "I''ve never been let down by Trenton''s decisions."

    "Boss, what are you nning to do once Ruby''s dirt is dug up?"

    "Let''s just give people a good show."

    What to do?

    Of course, fight fire with fire.

    Ruby secretly filmed Lucy and her brother being affectionate, trying to smear Lucy''s reputation. If

    that''s the case, he would definitely give Ruby a taste of her own medicine, make her reputation

    plummet, make Owen give up on her once and for all, leave her with nothing, and eventually skulk

    away.

    Edgar chuckled. "I can''t wait for the show."

    The two of them stepped into the elevator, but Edgar quickly got off to find Liam.

    Stefan headed straight for the ground floor.

    About ten minutester, his car pulled up in front of the Serendipity Cafe.

    The proximity was so convenient.

    He barely had to press the pedal to see his wife.

    His wife came out of the shop.

    "Stefan."

    "Call me hubby. I want to hear you call me hubby."

    Stefan got out of the car and gave her a gentle peck on the lips.

    She giggled and pushed his hand away. "My dad and brother are inside."

    "So, I''m off to see the old man. Baby, do you think I''m looking good? How''s my vibe?"

    She gave him a deliberate once-over: "You''ve been running around all morning; you look a bit worn

    out, not your best look. But you''re still handsome, so it''s not a total disaster."

    He took her hand, and they walked back together.

    "I''m not tired; I just didn''t sleep wellst night. When I''m with you, nights always feel too short, but

    last night, it felt way too long. I couldn''t sleep without you."

    Lucinda asked, "How did you handle nights before we got married?"

    "Sweetheart, there are some things you can''t understand until you''ve experienced them, and once

    you have."

    Ouch!

    She stepped on his foot.

    Stefan chuckled softly. Lucy was too sensitive.

    "Oh, by the way, darling, I''ve got something to ask you. Do you think I should call her out after the

    fact or put a stop to it beforehand?"

    "You''re talking about Ruby taking sneaky pics of me and my brother?"

    Stefan eximed, "Look at you, you are the future teller! I haven¡¯t seen you all morning, and you''re

    already reading my mind. You''re amazing! Now predict when I''m going to be a dad!"

 Chapter 247

    Chapter 247

    Lucinda chuckled. "My brother''s bodyguard is around here. Do you think they wouldn''t know about

    this little thing? I should be the one asking you, Who¡¯s been pushing us to have a kid?"

    They''d never discussed having kids before, so if he''s mentioning it now, someone must have put

    the idea in their heads.

    "Keith got drunkst night, and it was Ike who helped him upstairs. I helped too. Then Ike asked me

    when he was going to be an uncle."

    Stefan spilled all the beans.

    He really did want to have a child with Lucinda.

    But Lucinda had her te full at the moment, so it would be better for her if they didn''t rush into

    having kids.

    They could consider it after they officially tie the knot.

    He remembered Keith saying that after Lucinda returned to the Blue family, they would keep her for

    another two years, so there was no rush to get married.

    Stefan sighed inwardly.

    It''s not easy to marry a woman in this day and age. Those without capability and patience were

    bound to fail easily.

    "Well, they''re not going to be uncles this month anyway. I just got my period."

    Lucinda paused, then said, "I''m not nning on having kids anytime soon. Stefan, let''s not talk

    about this for now. We''re still young. You asked me about Ruby secretly filming me earlier, right?

    How did you know? It just happened twenty minutes ago."

    "Your husband has very keen observation and auditory skills. I always find out about the things I

    want to know."

    Lucinda chuckled lightly. "So, how many people have you arranged to secretly protect me?"

    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Stefan said nonchntly, "How could I spy on you? You''re my wife! I trust you 100%."

    "Stefan, do you remember what I do for a living?"

    "You run a coffee shop and write online novels. Oh, your readers have beenining that you

    update too slowly, even threatening to send youint letters in thements. I was thinking of

    investing in a stationery factory to sell to your readers and make money off them."

    Stefan was just joking. If anyone actually sentint letters to his wife, he would surely be

    pissed off.

    Lucinda: "You really know how to do business!"

    She admired his business acumen.

    "What you just mentioned, I''ve written in my novels. The male lead often arranges bodyguards for

    the female lead, but he''s afraid that she''ll think he''s spying on her, so all the bodyguards he

    arranges secretly protect the female lead. Stefan, have you read all the novels I''ve written?"

    Stefan: "Of course I would read the novels written by my wife."

    Hearing him say this, Lucinda knew he hadn''t actually read them. And he indeed didn''t have time to.

    He only followed her novels to tip her.

    Last time, she told him to wait until her birthday to tip her because she wouldn''t have to split the

    revenue with the website on that day. However, taxes would still have to be deducted.

    Lucinda thought about how all her husband''s friends were rich. The tips they gave for her novels

    were sorge that she had to pay a hefty amount in taxes for them. It was such a heartache!

    She should tell his friends to stop tipping and save the money for their wedding presents instead.

    "You don''t need to do anything. Let Ruby do whatever she wants. I enjoy watching plot twists."

    She hadn''t done anything to betray Stefan.

    What Ruby recorded was a video of her and her own brother together.

    If Ruby posted the video online and hired inte trolls to attack her and ruin her reputation, she

    would wait until Ruby thought she had seeded before revealing her true identity. That way, she

    could not only counterattack Ruby but also make her feel furious.

    Did Ruby think that Lucinda wasn''t good enough for Stefan?

    Then let Ruby see who she really was.

    "Alright, since you want to see a plot twist, I won''t stop her. Let her keep thinking she''s ''getting

    revenge''."

    But he still nned to gather all the scandals about Ruby from abroad and give her a surprise in

    return.

    As the couple talked, they walked into the shop.

    As soon as they entered the shop, Stefan put away his yful smile and became gentle and steady.

    He and Lucinda headed towards Nathan and Keith in the corner.

    Nathan thought they were a perfect match.

    Stefan came over with a smile on his handsome face, greeting the two warmly.

    Keith was five years younger than him, but to show closeness, he and Lucinda both called him "big

    brother".

    If Ike was there, he would definitely mock him.

    He only called him big brother when he needed Ike''s help. Otherwise, he just called him by his

    name.

    "Hmm, sit down."

    Keith said it simply.

    Nathan just nodded, showing the dignity of a father-inw.

    He scrutinized Stefan carefully, while Stefan epted his gaze calmly.

    After a while, Nathan said, "It''s a pity you''re too popr with thedies."

    Being too popr with thedies wasn''t necessarily a good thing.

    Nathan knew this all too well.

    "Dad, I''mpletely devoted to Lucy. I would never do anything to hurt her."

    "You don''t need to do anything. Just stand on the street, and there will be plenty of women flocking

    around you."

    Stefan Was speechless.

    Clearly, Nathan hoped he could find a way to fend off the other women.

    What could he do to make those women give up on himpletely?

    Stefan really had to think about this.

    Castrate himself? No way.

    Mutte himself? Also, no way.

    He had been faithful enough to Lucy, but there were still women who wouldn''t give up.

    Then, a light shed in Stefan''s eyes as he thought of a good idea.

    "I booked a table at a hotel when I came here. Let''s go have dinner first."

    Stefan suggested.

    Keith nced at his silent father, then nodded.

    He stood up, but Nathan remained seated.

    Stefan also got up. He made a polite gesture, then stepped forward to help Nathan up.

    Nathan said, "We''re all family; there¡¯s no need to be so formal. I''m not that old that I need your help

    to stand up."

    But he didn''t refuse Stefan''s help.

    Keith whispered to Lucinda, "This old man''s really full of himself."

    Lucinda, looking at the two men walking ahead, whispered back, "Just let him enjoy his moment."

    Then she said, "I''ll go tell Cecilia to join us."

    "Alright. I''ll wait for you outside."

    Keith really liked Cecilia. She was a straight-shooter.

    He thought that the young guy from the Martinez family wasn''t good enough for Cecilia.

    Cecilia was Lucinda''s friend. Keith had gotten to know everyone around his sister. Cecilia and

    Owen''s secret marriage might fool others, but it couldn''t get past him.

 Chapter 248

    Chapter 248

    Lucinda walked up to Cecilia and said, "Cecilia, let''s go, my treat. Let''s hit up the Ascend Hotel."

    Cecilia didn''t y coy; she walked back to the cashier counter to pick up her phone and replied with

    a smile, "Well, I won''t say no to that. I''d love to grab a bite with you."

    "What are you on about? We''re beyond formalities."

    As Cecilia walked out of the shop, she got a call from Owen.

    "Lucy, I gotta take this call."

    "Bet it''s Mr. Malicious."

    Cecilia had a nickname for Owen, which Lucinda had picked up too.

    "Yeah, it''s him; I wonder what he''s up to. I didn¡¯t think I had done anything to annoy Ruby recently;

    we didn''t even do anything to her when she came over."

    Cecilia was muttering to herself, "Even if he''s trying to get back at me for Ruby, it''s a bit toote,

    isn''t it? Not like before when he was quick on his feet."

    When Ruby had just returned from abroad and was dealing with some issues, Owen would rush

    over tofort her and stand up for her faster than a bunny on a sugar rush.

    Still muttering, Cecilia picked up Owen''s call.

    "Mr. Malicious, what''s up?"

    Hearing Cecilia call him that, Owen felt like smashing his phone.

    Biting his tongue, he replied grumpily, "I''ve made a transfer to you, didn''t you see? I can¡¯t even be

    bothered to check your ount when there''s money in it."

    Cecilia responded, "Oh, you transferred me money? I was busy just now and didn''t check my

    phone. What''s the money for? You''re not expecting me to order takeout for you, are you? I''m not

    doing takeout today. If you want some, order it yourself."

    Owen gritted his teeth. "Cecilia, do you get a kick out of annoying me?"

    Cecilia earnestly replied, "Well, yeah. Annoying you does give me a sense of satisfaction, haha."

    "It''s the fee for you holding onto my ck card for two days, totaling four hundred dors."

    "Alright, I''ll ept the transfer right away. Money ising in; I should thank you!"

    Just as Cecilia was about to hang up, Owen cut in, "Hang on, since we''re already on the call, let''s

    chat a bit more. Are you free toe out now? I can take you out for a meal and maybe drop by a

    car dealership afterward. My grandfather asked me to buy you a new car."

    "No need for the meal; someone''s already treating me. As for the car, that''s not part of our

    agreement, so no thanks. I''m just repaying your favor; I don''t want anything beyond our agreement.

    I''m afraid if I ept your car, I''ll owe you again."

    Owen was speechless. "Sometimes my grandfather asks us toe home for meals together; your

    electric bike won''t make it that far. It''s more convenient to have a car; it''s faster. Getting you a new

    car is just for you to y along with my act, not a gift out of the blue."

    Lastly, he emphasized, "Don''t worry, I''m not in love with you. I won''t purposely give you gifts to win

    you over."

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Cecilia retorted, "Even if you were to purposely give me gifts, I wouldn''t ept them."

    Owen was at a loss for words.

    "Who''s treating you to a meal?"

    He changed the topic.

    Cecilia instinctively responded as she looked at the pleasant Blue family father-son duo, "Two good-

    looking dudes."

    Owen didn''t press further, saying, "Well then, go enjoy your meal. Eat more, put on some weight."

    "No matter how much I eat, I don''t gain weight."

    She kept up with her workout routine.

    Owen silently hung up. He had originally nned to invite her for a meal in hopes she''d put on

    some weight, thinking that would keep other guys away.

    She didn''t care about him treating her to a meal, and even when he offered her a new car, she

    turned it down.

    Wasn''t she supposed to be money-minded?

    She even turned down freebies.

    Such a dunce!

    Owen left his desk and stomped out, all the while grumbling in his mind.

    Cecilia was somewhat surprised by Owen''s silence; it wasn''t like him.

    In the past, he would definitely argue with her.

    But it was better that he didn''t; she had a feast to attend and didn''t have time for a quarrel; food

    came first.

    Cecilia epted the four hundred dors from Owen.

    She then put her phone back in her pocket and affectionately linked arms with Lucinda, saying,

    "Lucy, let''s go."

    "Owen wanted to treat you to a meal?"

    Lucinda had overheard their conversation.

    "Yeah, but I turned him down. When we eat together, he''s so picky and dumps all the meat into my

    bowl, saying he can''t eat that much. I suspect he just doesn''t like it, and that''s why he ims he

    can''t eat that much."

    Lucindaughed. "Have you ever considered that he might just want you to eat well?"

    "Here you go again with your novelist imagination, Lucy. How on earth could Owen care about me?

    Want me to eat well? The love of his life is Ruby. As long as Ruby calls him, he¡¯ll forget his own

    name. Besides, he''s never formally asked me out for a meal; it''s always been me treating him to

    takeout. Today he suddenly wants to treat me to a meal; I suspect he wants me to do something for

    him. Maybe he wants me to endure another rejection from Ruby."

    Lucinda looked at her andughed.

    "Lucy, stop looking at me like that. There''s no way anything could happen between Owen and me.

    He won''t love me, and I won''t love him. My story is different from yours."

    "Cecilia, don''t be so absolute about things. If theye back to bite you, it could be painful."

    Cecilia yfully pinched her arm.

    "Looking forward to my embarrassment, huh? No chance; I won''t let myself be embarrassed."

    "What are you two chatting about? You both seem to be having a good time."

    Keith was waiting for them by the car.

    His face was full of smiles; these two might not be siblings by blood, but their rtionship was as

    close as sisters. Keith loved his sister dearly and treated Cecilia the same way.

    "Just some girl talk."

    Lucinda replied with a smile, leading Cecilia into the car.

    The group then headed for the Ascend Hotel.

    Eric Anderson was waiting for them at the hotel entrance.

    As Stefan''s car came to a halt, Eric was right there, all smiles, ready to wee him. He only

    opened the door for the passengers in the back after Stefan and Lucinda got out.

    He didn''t dare get too chummy with Lucinda, fearing Stefan might get ticked off.

    "Nathan, this is my brother, Eric." Stefan introduced Eric to Nathan first.

    Nathan had already done his homework on the Anderson family''s ten sons, so he knew that the

    handsome and dashing guy standing in front of him was none other than Eric from the Anderson

    family.

    "Eric," Nathan said, extending his right hand for a handshake.

    While shaking hands, Eric said cheerfully, "Nathan, we''re all family here; no need to stand on

    ceremony."

    Nathanughed, saying, "Absolutely, we''re all family here; no need to stand on ceremony."

    He was genuinely envious of the harmony in the Anderson family and how all their kids were such

    high achievers.

    If only the Blue family could have half the harmony of the Andersons, they wouldn''t be in the mess

    they were in today.

 Chapter 249

    Chapter 249

    As Eric was about to enter the hotel, a sudden screeching of brakes caught his attention. Naturally,

    everyone turned to look. Several luxury cars parked at the hotel entrance, which wasn''t a parking

    lot. It was just a temporary spot until the drivers could move the vehicles to the underground parking

    lot of the hotel.

    The small parking space at the hotel entrance was now upied by thest two spots for Stefan''s

    cars.

    Parking at the hotel entrance wasn''t a big deal, but these luxury cars were all too familiar, except for

    the Blue family father and son.

    The lead car, the one that had just screeched to a halt, was indeed Owen''s car.

    The car door was pushed open, and Owen''s long legs stepped out first, his polished leather shoes

    catching everyone''s attention.

    Owen, all decked out in his suit and tie, was a handsome sight. But his heart only had room for

    Ruby, causing Cecilia to overlook his good looks.

    Eric, who was in charge of the Ascend Hotel, was the first to speak: "Wow, what''s got Mr. Martinez

    blowing into my neck of the woods today?"

    With a surprised look on his face, he stepped forward and asked with a grin, "Mr. Martinez, are you

    just passing by or are you here for a meal? The cuisine at our Ascend Hotel is on par with your

    Pinehurst Hotel. I guarantee you''ll be more than satisfied after dining here."

    Owen''s gaze firstnded on Cecilia, who was standing next to Keith. Despite his young age, Keith

    was the head of the Blue family and had weathered as many storms as Owen. He exuded an air of

    complex nobility and dominance; it was clear he wasn''t one to be messed with.

    Owen sifted through his memory, confirming that he had never met Keith.

    Seeing Keith and Cecilia standing together gave Owen a strange feeling. They seemed like a good

    match.

    No, they weren''t a good match! Cecilia was his wife!

    Even if they were married by agreement, legally, Cecilia was his wife!

    Owen''s gaze on Keith quickly turned serious, as if he were trying to point out a multitude of

    problems to Cecilia and make her understand that she couldn''t be deceived by this man.

    Seeing Owen''s serious gaze, Keith guessed that Owen was misunderstanding his rtionship with

    Cecilia.

    He sneered inwardly. Owen was always hung up on Ruby, often neglecting Cecilia. Only when

    Cecilia stood beside him did Owen look at him this way. What right did he have to treat Cecilia like

    this?

    Keith looked at Cecilia with a smile on his face.

    He didn''t really have anything to say to Cecilia. He just wanted to make Owen mad.

    He wouldn''t let the Martinez family bully Cecilia just because her family was not well-off.

    He used to not interfere, but now he decided to step in.

    Cecilia was under the protection of the Blue family. If anyone dared to bully Cecilia, they were

    wee to try.

    Perhaps the Anderson family would only suppress Ruby in business, but the Blue family had more

    methods up their sleeves.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    "What''s going on?"

    Cecilia also turned her head to look at Keith with a clear smile on her face.

    This scene, in Owen''s eyes, looked like two people ignoring him and openly expressing love!

    "Mr. Martinez?"

    Eric nced at Owen, then turned to look at the people behind him.

    He wasn''t sure who Owen was looking at.

    Owen was angry but didn''t show it on his face.

    He averted his gaze, no longer looking at the two openly affectionate people, then said to Eric,

    "Eric, has business been bad for Ascend Hoteltely? You''re so stingy with me, your distinguished

    guest. You only gave me a box of mineral water with my VIP card!"

    Eric chuckled, "I thought giving you a box of mineral water was quite generous."

    They were rivals.

    "For others, I wouldn''t even give them water. Only when youe to spend money do I give out

    water."

    "Stingy!"

    Owen reprimanded Eric, then walked past him to Stefan and said, "Stefan, your way of greeting

    guests isn''t working. I''m here at the door, and you''re just standing there, not evening to greet

    me."

    "Didn''t Eric already greet you? Ascend Hotel is Eric''s responsibility; I won''t steal his job."

    Stefan''s words left Owen speechless.

    Ascend Global had many businesses. The Anderson family''s sons, except for the youngest, who

    was still in college and couldn''t take over thepany, all worked together, each responsible for

    different things but all centered around Stefan.

    Stefan was very capable, unlike Owen. Even though Owen was also at the forefront among his

    siblings, he couldn''tpare to Stefan.

    It was so annoying!

    "The wind is really strong today!" said Stefan.

    Owen looked up at the zing sun in the sky, feeling so hot that he was about to pass out. There

    wasn''t a trace of wind!

    "There''s no wind!"

    "There is a big wind. A very big wind. Otherwise, why would someone as important as Mr. Martinez

    get blown over here?"

    Owen gritted his teeth secretly; his peripheral vision couldn''t help but watch Cecilia and Keith''s

    actions.

    "Stefan, these two seem unfamiliar. Could you introduce them?"

    Actually, they seemed a bit familiar, especially the young man next to Cecilia.

    Keith looked a bit like Lucinda, and since Owen often saw Lucinda, he felt very familiar with Keith.

    He just hadn''t realized yet how much Keith resembled Lucinda.

    He was eager to know the identity of this young man so he could ask Walter to investigate.

    He was determined to find out all about this young man''s past to show Cecilia that she needed to be

    discerning in the future and not casually interact with people.

    She could easily be deceived and end up being taken advantage of!

    "Mr. Martinez, nice to meet you. My name is Keith."

    Keith didn''t wait for anyone else to introduce him. He introduced himself and even extended his

    hand for a handshake with Owen.

    So he''s one of the Blues!

    Wasn''t Savannah Blue Anderson part of the Blue family?

    Could this young man be Savannah''s rtive? No wonder he seemed somewhat familiar.

    Knowing the young man''s name, Owen thought he had figured out his identity, and he shook hands

    with Keith. He squeezed hard, wanting to make Keith feel a sting in an attempt to showcase his

    machismo.

    Owen was the real man, while Keith was just a youngd!

    Keith''s lips curled up slightly, and he didn''t hold back either, squeezing back.

    Their hands remained locked in a tight grip.

    Finally, Owen pulled his hand back.

    "This is my dad," Keith introduced his father without expression, not mentioning his name.

    In Skywatch, people called him Ethan.

    All he said was that he was Keith, and Owen wouldn''t connect him to the Blues of Skywatch.

    Then Owen shook hands with Nathan.

    Nathan noticed the redness on the back of his hand and a smug look in his eyes.

    Trying to mess with his son?

    Not a chance!

    It looked like he had had a taste of his own medicine!

    Owen thought: He had initially assumed that Keith was just a youngd, unable to handle his

    strength, but he turned out to be a formidable opponent. His strength could even surpass his own!

 Chapter 250

    Chapter 250

    Owen wanted to grab a bite with Stefan and the gang, but he chickened out at thest second and

    just stood there like a lost puppy as Cecilia walked away with them.

    They were out of sight, and Owen turned to leave.

    He decided he wouldn''t spend a dime at the Ascend Hotel.

    These two hotels were rivals.

    If he were spotted at the Ascend Hotel, god knew what the gossip columnists would say.

    After a few steps, Owen stopped in his tracks.

    He thought it over, turned back, and walked back into the hotel.

    He suspected Cecilia was on a date with Keith!

    The thought of not keeping an eye on her made him uneasy!

    Owen decided to throw his dignity out the window. Even if it meant beingughed at by his rivals, he

    was going to have a meal there, and he''d foot the bill if he had to!

    The Ascend Hotel had a revolving restaurant at the top. Stefan didn''t know what Nathan''s favorite

    food was, so he chose to dine at the restaurant and asked Eric to prepare a variety of delicious

    dishes in advance.

    Whatever Nathan wanted, he had it covered.

    They had just settled down at the restaurant when Eric got a phone call.

    After a few words, he turned to Stefan and said, "Stefan, Owen wants to treat us; should we let

    him?"

    Stefan didn''t answer Eric right away; instead, he asked Nathan for his opinion.

    "Since Mr. Martinez is being so generous, we should give him a chance."

    Nathan was pleased that Stefan asked for his opinion. He was aware of the rivalry between Owen

    and Stefan, so he was willing to help Stefan.

    "You''re right; we should give him a chance to treat us. I''ve known him since we were kids, and he''s

    never treated me to a meal before. This time, I''m going to feast. Eric, order a few more dishes, the

    most expensive ones, and the priciest wine."

    Cecilia chuckled and said to Lucinda, "Owen''s going to feel the pinch this time."

    Lucinda looked at her; her eyes were deep.

    She smiled and said, "It''s a rare opportunity; we should enjoy it."

    "Definitely, we should make him cough up some dough."

    Except for Eric, everyone else was looking at Cecilia, their eyes as deep as Lucinda''s.

    Cecilia thought she had said something wrong andughed awkwardly. "Owen has been a pain in

    our backsides; we''ve always been at odds with him. But he''s loaded, and we''re just small fries; we

    can''t fight him. If we have a chance to make him pay, we sure as hell won''t be polite."

    Lucindaughed, saying, "Right, no need to be polite. Eat up; good thing we''ve got big appetites;

    otherwise, it''d be a wasted opportunity."

    Keith could hardly contain hisughter at the two women''s banter.

    Nathan was looking at his daughter with affection.

    Cecilia blushed a little.

    When Owen walked in, he noticed Cecilia''s blushing face and he was sure she was on a date with

    Keith; otherwise, she wouldn''t be blushing.

    He''d known her for so long and had never seen her blush!

    When she first met him, she dressed so extravagantly that it was almost repulsive; she even ate

    garlic, and her breath was unbearable.

    She did everything she could to fend him off.

    Now, on a date with Keith, she was all smiles!

    Owen was feeling a bit salty, but he couldn''t let it show.

    Among the few people present, Stefan and Lucinda knew about his rtionship with Cecilia, but the

    others didn''t. They had a contract; he couldn''t just announce that Cecilia was his wife.

    Even if it was a contractual marriage, she was still his wife!

    Luckily, Cecilia had moved away from Keith, so Owen had no qualms about sitting next to her.

    He even shot Stefan a dirty look.

    His rival knew about his rtionship with Cecilia, yet he was still encouraging Keith to date Cecilia.

    What was that about?

    Stefan didn''t argue with him; instead, he smiled and said, "Owen, you''re treating us today. We''ve

    known each other for years, but this is the first time you''ve treated me to a meal. Thank you."

    Owen forced a smile. "Eating alone is no fun; I just wanted somepany, that''s all."

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    "I didn''t say you had any other intentions."

    Owen was at a loss for words.

    With Owen around, the Blue family''s real identity was kept under wraps, and everyone was focused

    on their meals.

    Everyone except Owen had a good appetite.

    After the meal, everyone except Owen was satiated. Cecilia even rubbed her full belly and patted

    Owen¡¯s shoulder, grinning, "Mr. Malicious, if you ever lose your appetite again, feel free to call us.

    We''d be happy to join you."

    Owen took the opportunity to grab her hand as she tried to push him away, squeezing it to let her

    know he was not happy.

    As for her calling him Mr. Malicious in front of everyone else, he couldn''t care less.

    At least he was the only Mr. Malicious in her book!

    No one else would call him that, so it was his special nickname from her.

    "Sure!"

    Owen managed to squeeze out a response.

    This woman seemed oblivious to his bad mood, even though he''d squeezed her hand.

    Usually, she was so sharp; maybe her IQ took a hit from overeating.

    As he left the Ascend Hotel, Owen couldn''t follow the others. He had to get in his car.

    He''d spent a fortune treating them, and he hadn''t even had his fill, and now he was heading back to

    the office in a foul mood.

    Owen felt wronged. If it weren¡¯t for the important client he was meeting in the afternoon, and Harry

    Martinez would be there too, he would''ve given Cecilia a piece of his mind.

    Now, he''d have to wait until the evening.

    "Lucy, you and Ms. Yates head back to the shop first. I''ll have Eric drop you off."

    Stefan gave the order. When they were leaving, Nathan gave him a small cough, indicating he had

    something to discuss with him.

    Lucinda gave a nod, her eyes meeting her father''s, who was also looking at her.

    She moistened her lips slightly, took two steps forward, and stood in front of her father. She

    whispered, "My brother said it''s risky for you toe here like this. You better head back. Don''t do

    this next time, okay?"

    Upon hearing this, Nathan nodded happily like a child being praised, saying, "I got it, I got it. I won''t

    do it next time. Lucy, don''t worry, I''ll listen to you."

    Lucinda''s lips moved again, but she didn''t say anything else.

    She turned to her husband and said, "Stefan, I''m leaving dad''s safe return in your hands."

    After she finished speaking, she gave Stefan a hug and said, "Stefan, I love you! Thanks for always

    being there for me!"

    He was a man of great care and thoughtfulness.

    His love for her was genuine and sincere.

    She couldn''t resist his love, and she was already deeply drawn to him.

    And she was more than willing to ept all of this!

 Chapter 251

    Chapter 251

    Before Stefan had a chance to respond, Lucinda had let go of him.

    She said a few words to her father, then turned around and said to Cecilia, "Cecilia, let''s head back

    to the shop."

    "See you, Nathan."

    Cecilia waved goodbye to Nathan.

    Nathan nodded in return.

    After Eric drove Lucinda and Cecilia away, Stefan said to Nathan and Keith, "Let''s go upstairs.

    There''s a little study in my room."

    The ce was perfect for them to discuss some private matters.

    The trio went back to the presidential suite on the top floor.

    The small study was soundproof.

    "Nathan, can I get you something to drink?"

    "No, thanks."

    Nathan declined. He didn''t sit down immediately. Instead, he looked around the study, then walked

    to the desk. On the left side of the desk was arge picture frame. He looked closely and saw his

    daughter in the frame.

    She looked a bit younger. Lucinda''s face still had a hint of childishness. He guessed she must have

    been no older than sixteen or seventeen when the picture was taken.

    Nathan picked up the frame and looked at it attentively.

    He had missed his daughter''s growth, so he was especially curious about how she used to look.

    Compared to her sixteen-year-old self, Lucinda''s looks hadn''t changed much. She used to look

    innocent and naive, but now she carried a mature charm that made her even more attractive.

    "Stefan."

    Nathan turned to Stefan and asked, "Do you have another copy of this photo? Can I have one?"

    Stefan was making coffee. Even though Nathan said he didn''t want any, Stefan still thought it was a

    nice gesture to make him some.

    Hearing Nathan''s question, he looked over and said, "Sure, I always make extra copies of Lucy''s

    photos. Nathan, if you''re interested, I can have a few photo albums delivered to you. They have

    pictures of Lucy from when she was thirteen up until now."

    After Lucinda married him, he stopped having her life photos secretly taken.

    Hearing this, Nathan''s eyes lit up. He smiled and said, "Really? Then have those albums sent over

    quickly. I''ll take them home and look through them at my leisure."

    He regretted not being there as she grew up, and he didn''t know what she used to look like.

    He was surprised to find that Stefan had so many photos, which would help him make up for his

    regrets.

    After expressing his delight, Nathan suddenly asked, "Stefan, why do you have so many photos of

    Lucy?"

    He knew they had known each other for eleven years.

    But he didn''t know Stefan would have so many pictures of his daughter.

    Keith was also watching his brother-inw.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Seeing his proficient coffee-making skills, he could tell he was a regr coffee drinker.

    "Stefan, you didn''t tell me you had so many photos of Lucy," Keith said softly to him.

    Stefan had only been trying to please Nathan by ignoring him.

    Stefan honestly replied, "You didn''t ask."

    Keith was speechless.

    So, if he didn''t ask, Stefan wouldn''t say?

    Stefan: ¡°Those photos are my treasures. My years of affection for her were spent with those

    photos.¡±

    After making the coffee, Stefan poured a cup for both Nathan and Keith, then called Emma.

    Emma was the only one who knew where he kept his photo albums.

    Soon, she answered his call.

    "Stefan, what''s up? Are youing home for dinner tonight? I''ll have the kitchen start preparing

    your loved one''s favorite dishes immediately," Emma said cheerfully, assuming that the couple was

    going to have dinner at home together.

    "Emma, I need you to bring all the photo albums from my study to the Ascend Hotel. Noah can

    escort you."

    Emma was a bit surprised. "What''s going on? Why do you suddenly need those albums? Aren''t

    they your treasures?"

    Those were his loved ones transformations from a naive girl to a beautiful woman.

    They were also a testament of his eleven-year wait.

    Emma always praised his self-control. Deeply in love as he was, he was able to suppress his

    feelings for eleven years, even while watching her date other men.

    "Emma, I need those albums. Please bring them over as soon as possible."

    "Okay."

    Since he said so, Emma naturally agreed.

    Nathan, holding the frame, came over and sat next to his son. His eyes were still on the photo as he

    said, "Stefan, I''ve already familiarized myself with the Anderson family''s affairs beforeing here,

    and I assume you''ve done the same with the Blue family''s situation. We don''t need to beat around

    the bush anymore. You''re married to Lucy now, but she just came back, and we all want to keep her

    here a little longer. Your wedding can be postponed for a while. I''ll take her back home when it''s

    time."

    Stefan pursed his lips. This was just as he had imagined.

    "Don''t worry, I won''te between you and Lucy. You''re attractive to women, and I''m quite pleased

    with you."

    Stefan was speechless. His father was even more attractive to women. At fifty, he still had a swarm

    of women fawning over him.

    "You¡¯ve probably talked to Keith. My assets will be split equally between my two children. What Lucy

    will inherit isparable to your fortune. But things may not go as smoothly as you think, given the

    current state of the Blue family. If you''re worried about getting into trouble, you can divorce her

    before your wedding."

    The Blue family''s situation wasplicated. If the Anderson family was afraid to get involved, he

    could take his daughter back and have her divorce Stefan.

    "Nathan, I''m not afraid of trouble. No matter what Lucy''s status is, she is the woman I love the most.

    Since I''ve married her, I will protect her for the rest of my life!"

    Nathan nodded. "Since you''ve said that, I have nothing more to say. But let me remind you: you''re

    very good to Lucy now, but things may change in the future. If one day you no longer love her,

    please don''t hurt her. Just give me a call, and I''lle to pick her up right away, so she won''t have

    to suffer any longer."

    Stefan said in all seriousness, "Nathan, don''t sweat it; you won''t get the chance."

    His old man had once told him the same thing.

    "For now, I''m not going to bring Lucy back. Let her chill for a bit," Nathan said solemnly. "During this

    time, you could give Lucy the lowdown on the business world. I''ve checked it out, and a big chunk

    of our businesses are in the same ballpark. Spend more time with Lucy; help her learn a thing or

    two. The fortune she''s about to inherit needs her to call the shots."

    "Lucy and I have already chewed the fat on this. Originally, Lucy was nning to work at Ascend

    Global to gain some experience. But with her mom''s situation, Lucy pushed back the timing, and

    she''s starting work next Monday. She says she wants to start from the bottom."

    He''d already brought Tiffany Paisley back.

    Nathan nodded. "I trust you."

    Stefan was a real gem, attentive, considerate, and capable.

    "Janice."

    Mentioning his wife, a pained look crossed Nathan''s face. He gently touched Lucinda''s photo, not

    daring to look at Stefan and Keith.

    He said in a low voice, "When you guys hang out with Janice, could you put in a good word for

    me?"

 Chapter 252

    Chapter 252

    Stefan and Keith locked eyes, but neither of them said anything right off the bat.

    They weren''t unwilling to stick up for Nathan; it''s just that they felt Nathan was so cold-hearted that

    he''d hurt Janice really badly.

    Janice''s mental breakdown didn''t happen overnight; it was more like death by a thousand cuts.

    Nathan might have been too busy hunting for his daughter and running his business to give Janice

    the attention she needed, plus all the me from everyone else at home. Over time, she became

    mentally unhinged.

    One thing was clear: she had lost all hope in Nathan before her breakdown.

    Stefan felt like all this was a private matter between Nathan and Janice, and it wasn''t his ce to

    step in.

    Keith, on the other hand, felt that his dad failed to protect his mom, let her mental health deteriorate,

    and then got close with Madeleine Porter. Madeleine had been eyeing his mom''s spot for a while,

    so Keith hoped his parents would divorce.

    He wanted his mom to stay in Pinehurst with his sister, which he thought was a better setup than

    going back to Skywatch.

    So he wasn''t in the mood to make excuses for his dad.

    Stefan was hoping Keith would speak first, and Keith was hoping Stefan would break the ice, so

    they just sat there eyeing each other, and in the end, neither of them said a word.

    Seeing no response, Nathan took his eyes off the photo and looked up at his son and Stefan.

    They were both smart cookies; they knew everything he had done.

    Their favoritism towards Janice was clear as day; how could they possibly stick up for him?

    "Uh, Nathan, I think you and Janice should sort out your stuff on your own. It''s hard for others to

    step in when ites to rtionship matters." Stefan finally broke the silence.

    Keith, however, didn¡¯t utter a word.

    These were his parents; if he took sides with either one, he¡¯d feel guilty towards the other.

    So he chose to keep his peace.

    Nathan gave a slight smile, but Stefan thought it looked worse than a cry.

    "Yeah, rtionship matters should be sorted out by ourselves. I''ll deal with it when I have time."

    Nathan gave a deep sigh in his heart, considering the current situation, and epted Stefan''s

    suggestion.

    The room fell silent again until Emma¡¯s call came through.

    After answering the call, Stefan told Nathan and Keith, "Nathan, I''m going to get the photo albums."

    Nathan nodded.

    A few minutester, Stefan brought out his treasured photo albums.

    Handing these precious albums to Nathan was a bit painful for Stefan because these were his

    prized possessions.

    Giving these albums to Nathan was also a way to show him his deep affection for Lucinda.

    Nathan took the albums, but before he could flip through them, Keith reached out his hand only to

    get it pped away by Nathan.

    Keith looked at his father, confused and unhappy.

    "You see Lucy every day, yet you still want to steal my chance to look at the albums. Don''t you think

    you''re overstepping a bit?" Nathan said.

    Keith was speechless.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    After finding his sister, he seemed to be even less wee in his father''s eyes.

    "Stefan, thank you." Nathan showed gratitude to Stefan.

    "Nathan, I''d be really happy if you didn''t criticize me for chasing after Lucy too eagerly."

    Nathan: "Actually, I really want to criticize you, but you''ve had your eye on Lucy for a long time and

    only started acting on it this year, so I''ve got nothing to criticize."

    After stabilizing Ascend Global, Stefan started his pursuit, trying to bring Lucy into the Anderson

    family as a family member. His actions were meticulous without any ws, leaving Nathan

    speechless.

    Of course, Stefan was indeed very outstanding andpletely worthy of his daughter.

    If it were someone like George Mitchell, Nathan would kick him out without hesitation. He would

    never marry his daughter!

    Stefan was secretly nervous.

    It seemed that he had passed the test in front of his future father-inw.

    Nathan didn''t immediately look at the albums. Holding them in his hands, his expression was like he

    was holding the world, which made Stefan even more puzzled.

    He always felt that Nathan seemed to have some secrets.

    After lingering in the Ascend Hotel for a while, Nathan, prodded by his son, quietly left Pinehurst.

    However, the news that Lucinda had been found wasn''t kept hush-hush and quickly spread in

    Skywatch.

    The Blue family''s daughter had been taken away by one of Nathan''s exes when she was half a year

    old as revenge for Nathan''s ruthlessness. Despite the Blue family''s influence, they searched for

    over twenty years to no avail, and this incident had gradually been forgotten as time went on.

    Now that the Blue family''s daughter had been found, it was like a stone thrown into a calmke,

    immediately stirring up waves. Everyone in Skywatch, whether high society ormon folk, was

    discussing the matter of the Blue family''s daughter being found.

    The Blue family''s friends and rtives were all happy on the surface; whether they were truly happy

    inside, who knew?

    The media in Skywatch sought confirmation from Nathan.

    Nathan generously held a press conference, admitting that his daughter, who had been missing for

    twenty-three years, had indeed been found and that he and his wife had done a paternity test,

    confirming they were mother and daughter.

    Currently, the Blue family''s daughter was still miles away in Pinehurst and hadn''t returned to the

    family.

    When a reporter asked him, "President Blue, only your wife and your daughter did the paternity test;

    you and your daughter didn''t do it? What if the girl is just your wife''s daughter, not yours?"

    The room fell into silence at these words.

    Everyone''s eyes were on the reporter who asked the question.

    Man, he''s got some guts.

    Daring to hint that President Blue''s wife cheated on him.

    Nathan''s face darkened, and he said coolly, "Ever since my wife married me, she''s never seen

    another man except our rtives. She''s never done anything to betray me. How could Lucy not be

    my daughter when she looks just like my mother?"

    Right then and there, he whipped out two photos, one of Lucinda and one of his mom when she

    was young. The resemnce between grandmother and granddaughter was uncanny, as if they

    were cut from the same cloth.

    If anyone dared to question if Lucinda was his child again, it''s like questioning if he was his father''s

    son. His parents surely wouldn''t sit back and do nothing; they would definitely step in to defend his

    identity.

    When everyone saw those two photos, no one questioned if Lucinda was Nathan''s daughter

    anymore.

    Nathan spoke solemnly again: "When Lucyes back, I''ll have another paternity test done, and

    the results will be public."

    That same reporter, probably egged on by someone, asked an unexpected question and fearlessly

    continued, "President Blue, since you''ve found your daughter, why not bring her back immediately?

    If you were to bring her back, who would you send to get her?"

    Nathan rxed a bit and answered, "My daughter is already married in Pinehurst. The news about

    her true parentage was quite sudden for her; she needs time to process it, and there are many

    factors to consider. I''m not in a rush to bring her back; I''ll go get her when she''s ready toe

    back. Lucy is a part of the Blue family. She was lost for 23 years before we found her. Of course, it

    should be someone from the Blue family who brings her back. That''s the best way to express our

    anticipation and joy for her return."

 Chapter 253

    Chapter 253

    People instantly began to whisper among themselves.

    In order to reim their daughter, the Blue family''s boss was pulling out all the stops. The missing

    daughter, who had not yet returned home, instantly became the most revered and untouchable

    woman in town.

    Meanwhile, at the Porter family residence

    The sound of objects being smashed echoed in the grand hall every now and then.

    The servants were trembling, hiding in corners, trying their best not to draw attention to themselves

    for fear of getting caught in the crossfire.

    After a while, the grand hall finally regained its peace.

    Mrs. Porter, with a pain in her heart, looked at the shards scattered all over the floor and said to her

    husband, "If you''re angry, why don''t you just yell at them? Why smash these antiques? They''re

    worth a fortune."

    Mr. Porter had a gloomy face, with his eyes shing with rage.

    After a while, he said to his wife, "Call Madeleine now. Tell her toe home. Let Luna handle the

    situation over there. Luna will take care of it."

    He knew that Lucinda Blue had been found, and he didn''t just find out today.

    He assumed Nathan would keep the news quiet for Lucinda''s safety, at least for a while.

    But to his surprise, Nathan quickly announced the news. The questions raised by the journalists he

    hired were easily brushed off by Nathan.

    Now, who would dare question Lucinda''s authenticity?

    That would be questioning Grace''s fidelity to her marriage. With Grace now residing in the Blue

    family''s backyard, they shouldn¡¯t underestimate her. She''s a force to be reckoned with. Picking a

    fight with her was asking for trouble.

    Their co-conspirator, Hayden Blue, and other members of the Blue family, due to Grace''s presence,

    found it impossible for them to join him in questioning Lucinda''s authenticity. After all, Lucinda was

    the spitting image of a younger Grace.

    "I''ll call Madeleine now."

    Mrs. Porter understood too. The discovery of Lucinda was a major setback for the Porter family.

    After calling her daughter, Mrs. Porter asked her husband in confusion, "What do you think Nathan

    is up to? He called a press conference before even bringing her home."

    "What does he mean? By making it public, the whole world is watching. Who else can manipte

    the situation? The police are ipetent? The more attention, the safer Lucinda is. We can''t do

    anything at this moment."

    Mr. Porter coldly said, "Nathan is a sly old fox."

    Mrs. Porter paused for a moment, then asked, "So we just sit back and do nothing?"

    "We can do something."

    "What can we do?"

    Mrs. Porter asked, her eyes full of admiration for her husband. She knew her husband was a real

    piece of work!

    Mr. Porter slowly said, "Prepare some gifts and pay a visit to the Blue family. Congratte Nathan

    on finding his biological daughter."

    Mrs. Porter was speechless.

    "Nathan''s rebuttal to the journalist''s questions silenced any doubts within the Blue family. Nathan, I

    knew you were no ipetent fool!"

    Mr. Porter sighed inwardly.

    Lucinda was found by them first, but they failed twice. That girl was lucky. By the time they found

    her, she had already be the daughter-inw of the Anderson family.

    Messing with Stefan at the Anderson''s ce? That''s just asking for trouble.

    "Now we can only hope Madeleine can get her ws into Nathan as soon as possible."

    Mr. Porter sighed, feeling like he had already lost, even though the game was far from over.

    Their n almost seeded back then, but then everything turned on a dime, and they found

    themselves on the back foot.

    "Why not take her out on the way back?"

    "Didn''t you hear how Nathan answered the journalists? The whole Blue family is going to pick up

    Lucinda. It''s a grand affair, and they''re making a big show of it. If we make a move, we''re just asking

    for trouble. We''ll be hunted down in no time. The police have been helping Nathan look for Lucinda

    all along. They take this matter very seriously."

    Everyone in Skywatch knew about the Porter family''s rise to power.

    Although they had whitewashed their history, they still retained their dark power. In this age of the

    rule ofw, no matter what background or influence they have, if they shed with justice, they

    were on the losing side.

    He couldn''t let the Porter family copse under his watch, or he wouldn''t be able to face his

    ancestors.

    "Besides, Lucinda is lucky. Now that she''s part of the Anderson family in Pinehurst, no one dares

    mess with her. When Madeleinees back, let her get a grip on Nathan as soon as possible, get

    pregnant, and then force Nathan to marry her. Only then can our n continue."

    The goal of the Porter family was to annihte the Blue family, swallow all their assets, and be

    the powerhouse of Skywatch.

    When Mrs. Porter thought about her daughter''s years-long obsession with Nathan, even frequently

    staying at the Blue family''s house but still failing to win Nathan''s heart, her confidence wavered.

    Lucinda had no idea what was happening in Skywatch.

    After meeting her biological father, her life returned to normal.

    That night, just as she was about to cuddle up with a pillow to sleep with her mom, her man

    wrapped his arms around her from behind.

    "Sweetheart."

    Stefan''s chin rested on Lucinda''s shoulder, blowing warm breath on her neck.

    Lucinda was ticklish, and his touch made her all tingly. She was quick to push him away.

    "Stefan."This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    "Call me darling."

    "Darling, I am on my period. Even if I stay, we can''t do anything. Be a sport and let me spend a few

    more nights with my mom. She has a lot to talk to me about."

    Lucinda turned to face him, a grin on her face as she gently pinched his cheek. "Or, I could give you

    my used pillow. Cuddle it, and it''d be like you''re holding me."

    Stefan didn''t take her pillow. "Even ten pillows couldn''t rece you, Lucinda. You''re irreceable.

    Darling, I don''t want anything. I just want to chat with you for a bit, then I''ll take you to your mom''s."

    She was on her period; he wouldn''t dare do anything.

    He was just regretting not eating his fill these past few days. Now he''d have to starve a bit.

    Lucinda nced at the time. "Chat about what? It''s gettingte. If I don''t go now, mom will go to

    bed."

    Stefanughed. "If she''s already asleep, then you won''t need to go."

    Lucinda rolled her eyes at him.

    Stefan quickly pecked her on the lips, then said, "I want to talk about your parents'' marriage. I think

    your dad might not be as bad as we thought."

    Lucinda was quiet for a bit, then said, "I only met him today; I don''t know him well. But my brother

    knows him very well. He saw our dad betray our mom. Are you saying his affair with that Madeleine

    was just for show? Madeleine was okay with it being for show? Mom was the victim; that''s a fact.

    Even though he''s my biological dad, what he did, from a daughter''s and woman''s perspective, is

    hard to forgive."

    He was her biological dad; she couldn''t be too harsh on him.

    But to whitewash his actions? No way.

    "Stefan, did you find out anything new?"

    "I didn''t find any new info. Just as your dad mentioned your mom, his expression made me feel like

    he might not be as bad as we thought. It''s a guy thing."

    Lucinda was silent again for a bit, then said, "My brother lived through all this. He''s seen it all these

    years. How could it be fake?"

    Stefan had noeback.

 Chapter 254

    Chapter 254

    A momentter, Stefan said, "Honey, when you chat with your mom, see if you can gauge her

    attitude towards your dad."

    "Okay."

    Lucinda also hoped that her father wasn''t a bad man and that it was all just a misunderstanding.

    Lucinda was troubled, and Janice quickly noticed.

    She asked with concern, "Lucy, is something bothering you? Can you share it with me?"

    "Nothing."

    Lucinda smiled, turning her head to look at her mother, who was gently caressing her face.

    Since Janice had regained consciousness, she had always always loved to touch Lucinda''s face,

    her gaze full of tenderness.

    "I can see it, I can feel it, Lucy. It''s just us two now. If something''s bothering you, tell me. Even if I

    can''t help you solve it, it''s better to let it out than to keep it bottled up."

    Lucinda held her mother''s hand, pressing it against her face, and looked straight at her mother.

    After Janice regained consciousness, the first thing she did was cut her long hair a bit shorter, but it

    still reached her waist, and she could tie it up.

    She had an elegant and gentle temperament, and although she was nearly fifty, her charm still

    lingered.

    "Mom, you''re so beautiful."

    Janiceughed, saying, "I''m old now. You''re the truly beautiful one. I''m d that I can see you by

    my side in my lifetime."

    "Mom, what kind of person is my dad?"

    Lucinda showed curiosity.

    Janice didn''t know that the father and daughter had already met. When she heard this question, she

    didn''t find it strange.

    She reminisced about the past; her expression wasplex, but she didn''t speak.

    Lucinda didn''t press her when she saw her not speaking; she just quietly waited.

    After a while, she actually fell asleep.

    "Your dad, he''s a very outstanding man, but also very cold and merciless."

    Janice came back to her senses, intending to describe her husband''s character to her daughter,

    only to find that her daughter had fallen asleep.

    She firstughed, then watched her daughter quietly.

    After a while, she said in a low voice, "Lucy, I may never forgive your dad in my life. Don''t me

    me."

    She closed her eyes, tears falling from the corners of her eyes.

    The next day, Lucinda was awakened by a phone call from Cecilia.

    She opened her eyes to find that her mother had already gotten up.

    "Cecilia, good morning."

    Lucinda was still somewhat groggy.

    "Lucy, someone sneakily filmed you and your brother together and uploaded it online. They''re

    saying you''re seeing another man behind Mr. Coleman''s back. It''s all over the ce now; even my

    mom asked me if it was true."

    Cecilia had just discovered this as well.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    While eating breakfast, she liked to check the news and gossip on her phone.

    While browsing the news, she saw the video of Lucinda and Ethan.

    The video was short, but it clearly showed the faces of the two siblings and their interaction. Anyone

    who didn''t know the situation could easily misunderstand.

    "Really?"

    Lucinda sat up straight.

    Ruby had finally made her move.

    She had thought she''d have to wait a bit longer.

    She didn''t expect results so soon.

    Cecilia on the other end of the phone sensed her friend''s excitement and asked in confusion, "Lucy,

    it seems like you''re not angry but happy."

    "Haha, Cecilia, you know me so well, you can actually tell."

    Cecilia was speechless.

    "You''re actuallyughing at this? Do you know what thements under the video are like? Lots of

    people love a good drama; they keep sharing the video. Your unfaithfulness to Mr. Coleman is

    bing a hot topic."

    "Has it not be a hot topic yet?"

    Lucinda was a bit disappointed. Ruby was really stingy; why didn''t she pay to make it a hot topic

    and let her top the list?

    Cecilia: "You¡¯re actually disappointed that it''s not a hot topic."

    "Cecilia, you said it yourself; it''s a video of me and my brother. I haven''t really been unfaithful to

    Stefan. Some people think they can get back at me this way, but when I reveal my rtionship with

    my brother, they''ll be so pissed that they''ll cough up blood. This kind of plot twist is rare, you know. I

    only write sweet novels; I don''t write about twists and quarrels because I haven''t experienced those

    things, and without experience, I can''t write about them. Now that I finally have a plot twist, I want to

    wait until the climax to reveal it."

    Cecilia: "If your voice didn''t change, I''d doubt you''re Lucy."

    Lucindaughed heartily.

    "Your mentality is really good, so do you know who did it? Was it Ruby?"

    Besides Ruby, Cecilia couldn''t think of anyone else who would do such a thing.

    "It was her."

    "She really loves to stir up trouble."

    Soon, Cecilia asked, "Lucy, did that not-so-bright rich guy have anything to do with it?"

    "As far as I know, the two of them haven''t seen each other for three or four days; your boyfriend

    probably isn''t involved."

    Owen had unknowingly fallen into jealousy and probably hadn''t recovered yet, so he probably didn''t

    have the mind to care about what Ruby was doing.

    Lucinda cheered for her friend in her heart, hoping that Owen would be swallowed up by jealousy

    soon so that Ruby would be out of the picture.

    Ruby was now wholeheartedly trying to ruin her and Stefan, and by the time she realized Owen was

    drifting further away from her, it might be toote to regret it.

    For women like her, Lucinda hoped that all her efforts would be wasted.

    "It seems things have really changed."

    Cecilia remarked sarcastically.

    Lucindaughed. "Do you wish he was involved?"

    Cecilia suddenly didn''t know how to respond.

    "Cecilia, you''re having breakfast, right? You eat first; I''ll go check online. Oh, our coffee shop might

    be the center of attention againter. Those reporters will definitely seize this opportunity to

    swarm our shop."

    Cecilia couldn''t help butugh: "Our Serendipity Cafe has been in the limelight twice, both times for

    negative news."

    "Whether it''s good or bad, as long as it''s famous, it''s a good thing."

    The bigger the reputation, the more people came for coffee, and the better the business.

    "I¡¯m going to grab breakfast first."

    Knowing that her friend was aware of the situation and was still looking forward to Ruby making a

    fool of herself, Cecilia quietly hung up the phone and continued her breakfast.

    "Cecilia, is Lucy okay?"

    Ba Yates asked with concern.

    While eating, Hudson Yates said, "Mom, Lucy didn''t do anything wrong to Mr. Coleman. What could

    possibly happen to her?"

    Hudson had overheard his sister''s conversation with Lucinda.

    He now knew Lucinda''s true identity.

    The sudden change in the identity of a long-time friend surprised Hudson.

    Ba also knew that Lucinda was the daughter of the Blue family, but she couldn''t help but worry

    about Lucinda, fearing that she might get hurt.

    After all, people can be cruel with their words.

    "Mom, chill. Lucy''s in a great headspace. She saw thising from a mile away. It''s like she''s

    watching a big show y out."

    Ba was speechless.

    Watching her own drama?

 Chapter 255

    Chapter 255

    The doorbell rang.

    Just as Ba was about to get up to open the door, Devon Yates said, "Stay put; I''m done eating.

    I''ll get the door."

    Devon stood up and walked out.

    "Dude, can you save me some grub?"

    Cecilia watched her brother wolf down the food and couldn''t help but say it in exasperation.

    "Firste, first served. I''m not saving anything for anyone."

    Hudson said, pushing the food toward his sister.

    Then he praised their mother: "Mom, your cooking is dope. I could eat it all day, every day, and

    never get sick of it."

    "Oh really? Who was it then that was making excuses to go out for breakfast when I cooked the

    same thing for a month straight?"

    "Mom, it was my brother. He wasining to me at that time, saying he was so sick of eating the

    same thing all the time that he wanted to barf."

    Hudson: "Cecilia!"

    She betrayed him!

    Ba shot her son a dirty look. "Now let me see you barf."

    "Mom, I love your cooking; I really do. You make the best food. Cecilia, don''t talk nonsense."

    Hudson said, grinning at Ba, then quickly grabbed a piece of toast and a ss of milk from the

    table and rushed out.

    Ba tried to smack his hand with a utensil, but missed.

    "Haha, you missed."

    Hudson walked out, breakfast in hand, looking smug. He was runningte for work.

    His sister had it easy.

    Being the boss, she didn''t have to rush like an office drone. She could leisurely have her breakfast,

    sip her coffee, read the tabloids, and still be on time for work at her own shop.

    Hudson bumped into his grandfather in the yard.

    He spilled all the milk he was holding onto his grandfather.

    "Grandpa!"

    Hudson chuckled awkwardly.

    Devon looked down at his clothes, then red at his grandson.

    "Grandpa, I didn''t mean to."

    "Almost thirty and still can''t act your age."

    Devon scolded his grandson, then suddenly changed the subject. "There are some shady

    characters at our doorstep. Grab a stick and see what they''re up to."

    "Shady characters? Where did theye from? I didn''t hear anything."

    Hudson was puzzled but acted quickly. He handed his ss to his grandfather, then bit into his toast

    and picked up a thick stick from the yard to check out the situation at the door.

    He rushed out with the stick, only to find several tall men, each carrying a bunch of packages. They

    looked like they were here for someone.

    Hudson held up his stick and locked eyes with them.

    Owen looked very embarrassed.

    He was the one who had rung the doorbell.

    When Devon came to answer the door, he greeted him politely.

    But instead of inviting him in, Devon scolded him, told him off, and closed the yard gate in their

    faces.

    Owen was extremely embarrassed.

    He couldn''t tell the truth. If he did, Devon would not only yell at him but might also kick him out.

    He stood still for a moment, then decided to leave with his bodyguards. Just then, there was a

    commotion behind him.

    He thought Cecilia hade out and turned around happily, only to see a burly man charging at

    him with a thick stick.

    Faced with Hudson''s might, Owen didn''t know whether to dodge or let him have at it.

    "Mr. Martinez?" As soon as Hudson opened his mouth, the toast fell out.

    Everyone''s gaze fell on the piece of toast on the ground.

    Hudson gave an awkwardugh.

    He wanted to put down the stick, but it was too long. If he put it down, he might hit Owen and his

    men.

    He said awkwardly, "My grandpa said there was a mad dog outside. I was worried that my sister

    might run into it on her way to work, so I wanted to chase it away. It looks like Mr. Martinez has

    already scared it off."

    "I''ll take the stick inside. Mr. Martinez, please step back so I don''t identally hit you with it."

    Owen did as told.

    While he was stepping back, Hudson bent down to pick up the toast from the ground, then took the

    stick inside.

    The gate was open, and Owen thought for a moment before deciding to take his bodyguards into

    the Yates family.

    "Mr. Martinez."

    When Hudson had put away the stick and saw Owen and his mening in, he immediately

    blocked Owen''s path.

    "Mr. Martinez, what''s this all about?" He pointed at the bodyguards and the many gifts they brought.

    Owen made up a serious lie: "Yesterday, Cecilia did me a huge favor. I didn''t get a chance to thank

    her before she left. I believe in paying my debts, so since Cecilia has done me such a big favor, I

    must personally thank her. That''s why I came early, hoping to catch her at home."

    "She did you a huge favor? What favor?" As for Owen''s im of being a man who paid his debts,

    Hudson chose to ignore it.

    If he were such a man, he wouldn''t have threatened his sister to protect Ruby in the first ce.

    "Well, it''s a long story. But Cecilia really did me a big favor. Without her help, I might have lost

    everything. If I didn''t thank her personally, I''d feel guilty for the rest of my life."

    His lie was incredibly smooth.

    Owen said it without batting an eye, as if it were really true, which made Hudson unable to tell truth

    truth from the lie.

    Regardless of whether it was true or not, they were already in the yard, and Hudson could only let

    them in.

    Walter called.

    After answering, Owen simply said, "I know."

    He was talking about the video of Lucinda and Keith together. He knew about it a long time ago and

    guessed it was Ruby''s doing.

    His feelings wereplicated. After being reprimanded by his grandfather, he finally decided not to

    interfere.

    But Keith was Savannah Blue Anderson''s grandnephew. Was it really okay for Lucinda to be so

    close to him?

    Should he give Stefan a heads-up?

    If one day Stefan went bald, he''d be totally screwed.

    Because an emotionally wounded Stefan would blow his top and be all kinds of pissed off. Then

    he''d need to find someone to vent his anger on.

    And who did Stefan love to take it out on when he''s mad?

    His nemesis would be the first in the line of fire.

    Owen decided to give Stefan a callter on to remind him that even if they''re family, they shouldn''t

    get too close. After all, men and women were not the same.

    As soon as Owen walked through the door, he wanted to greet Ba and Devon warmly. But then

    he remembered that his marriage with Cecilia was on the downlow, so he quickly switched gears.

    Cecilia spat out her milk and started coughing.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    He was so quick to change his tune that Ba''s attention was diverted by Cecilia''s coughing fit, so

    she didn''t hear what Owen said.

 Chapter 256

    Chapter 256

    Seeing Cecilia coughing badly, Owen''s first instinct was to go up and lightly pat her on the back.

    But just as he was about to move, he saw Cecilia''s mother gently patting her daughter''s back while

    saying, "Take it easy; no one''speting with you for the drink, and no one''s cracking jokes; how

    can you still choke?"

    Owen quietly backed off the step he was about to take.

    "Mom, I''m fine." Cecilia finally recovered after coughing for a good while.

    Taking advantage of her mom''s distraction, she shot Owen a deadly re.

    She nearly choked on her milk because of him!

    Owen silently epted her stare.

    He felt a little wronged. They were married now; what was wrong with him being friendly towards

    her mother?

    He thought he was doing nothing wrong.

    If Cecilia knew his thoughts, she would throw a fit.

    Who was it that made her give up years of her youth to repay a favor?

    Who said they were only having a sham marriage?

    Who told her not to fall in love with him?

    Since it was a sham marriage and they weren''t a real couple, they should be polite but not overly

    affectionate!

    "Hi, Ba."

    Once Cecilia stopped coughing, Owen greeted her again.

    Because the Martinez family had tricked the Yates family and conned Cecilia''s grandfather into

    setting up a blind date between Cecilia and Owen, the Yates family wasn''t too fond of the

    Martinezes.

    Although Cecilia''s mother wouldn''t kick Owen out, she wasn''t particrly weing him, her face

    devoid of any weing expression.

    She asked indifferently, "Mr. Martinez, what brings you here today? If it''s nothing important, please

    leave. Our house isn''t big; we wouldn''t want you to feel ufortable."

    "Ba, I''m here to express my gratitude," Owen replied politely,pletely devoid of the arrogance

    of a rich man.

    Cecilia quickly finished her breakfast.

    Owen had hoped that she could say something on his behalf, but seeing that she only cared about

    her breakfast, he felt rather frustrated.

    Cecilia quickly finished her breakfast, got up, carried her dishes into the kitchen, and kindly

    reminded her mother, "Mom, he''s a guest; we should be nice to him."

    "Go wash your dishes," was all Cecilia''s mother said.

    Then she turned to Owen, noticing the big and small packages of gifts he brought. She pointed and

    asked, "Mr. Martinez, what''s the meaning of this?"

    "Mom, Mr. Martinez says Cecilia did him a big favor. He brought these gifts to say thank you. He

    says the favor was a big one; without Cecilia''s help, he would have been left with nothing. He felt

    obliged to express his gratitude in person."

    Hudson exined, politely inviting Owen to sit down.

    "You''re almostte for work; get going." Devon red at his grandson and shooed him off to work,

    then he took a seat opposite Owen.

    Ba was a bit skeptical and followed her into the kitchen.

    She nned to interrogate her daughter in the kitchen; how on earth was she able to help Owen?

    Owen noticed the old man liked to smoke, so he wanted to pull out a pack to offer him, only to find

    he didn''t bring any. He was an asional smoker himself, only lighting up when he was in a bad

    mood.

    He turned his head and signaled his bodyguards to put the gifts on the table, then whispered to one

    of them to quickly go to a nearby supermarket to buy some cigarettes for the old man.

    He did prepare gifts for every member of the Yates family; he just forgot about cigarettes. Probably

    because he didn''t smoke regrly, he overlooked the importance of cigarettes in certain situations.

    Devon''s indifference made Owen feel a bit awkward sitting there.

    His grandfather had sent him to the Yates family to make his presence felt, but all he managed to do

    was feel awkward.

    His grandfather didn''t daree himself for fear of being kicked out by Devon, leaving him to deal

    with the awkwardness.

    If it were the old Owen, he wouldn''t stick around for a minute longer.

    However, the current Owen, every time he felt awkward and wanted to leave, would think of Keith.

    The handsome guy who had Savannah as his strong supporter, whose aura was no less impressive

    than his own, and who always made Cecilia smile when they talked.

    Owen thought resentfully that Cecilia was never this nice when she was talking to him, always being

    sarcastic.

    After a while, Cecilia and her mother came out.

    Cecilia kindly poured him a ss of water and kept winking at him as she handed it over, saying, "I

    just found Mr. Martinez''s ck card and returned it to him; it''s the right thing to do."

    Owen''s eyes flickered.

    He had thought about using the ck card as an excuse when he lied, but he didn''t expect Cecilia

    to think the same way.

    Did this mean they were on the same wavelength?

    A smile appeared on Owen''s face, and he gratefully said, "All my wealth was on that card; if lost or

    picked up by someone else, I would have been left with nothing. Luckily, Ms. Yates found it and

    returned it to me; it was a big favor and saved me from bankruptcy. I brought some gifts today to

    express my gratitude, but it still doesn''t seem enough. Ms. Yates, is there anything else you need?

    Just say it; I will meet your needs."

    After he finished, he looked at Cecilia with a smile, almost able to see the expectation in his eyes:

    Come on, tell me what you need! I''m in a good mood; I''ll satisfy you! Money, fancy cars, mansions, I

    can give you all!

    Cecilia: I want a faithful, handsome, and mild-tempered man as my husband; can you satisfy me?

    Owen: How do you think I measure up?

    Cecilia: Get lost!

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    "Thanks, but I don''t need anything right now."

    Ba suddenly asked, "ck card? How could Mr. Martinez''s ck card be lost? And how could

    Cecilia find it? How could Cecilia be sure the card she found was yours? Even if your card was

    really lost, couldn''t you report it lost to minimize the loss?"

    Owen was speechless.

    Cecilia was speechless.

    Damn, moms were tough to fool.

    Owen quickly shot a look at Cecilia.

    Cecilia quickly covered, "I was at the bank that day and happened to see Owening out. He was

    fumbling for his phone in his pocket when his ck card fell out. I picked it up and gave it back to

    him."

    Owen agreed, saying, "Yeah, I didn''t even know I''d dropped my ck card. Lucky for me, Ms. Yates

    found it and gave it back."

    Ba watched the two of them, smelling a rat but without any proof.

    In the end, she could only say, "It''s no biggie, Mr. Martinez. We''re already over the moon with your

    gratitude. You should take these back."

 Chapter 257

    Chapter 257

    Owen didn''t want to leave so soon, but circumstances forced him to.

    He gave Cecilia a meaningful look, but she remained silent.

    "Ba, please ept these gifts; otherwise, I''ll feel like I owe Ms. Yates and always look for

    opportunities to repay her."

    Upon hearing this, Ba immediately objected.

    If Owen continued to seek out her daughter, it could easily lead to misunderstandings.

    "Cecilia, see Mr. Martinez out."

    Ba didn''t mention taking the gifts with him anymore.

    This made Owen breathe a sigh of relief, but he was also very upset.

    Ba quickly epted the gifts, so he wouldn''t have to see Cecilia anymore!

    He was handsome, young, and wealthy. By rights, he should be the ideal son-inw in every

    mother''s eyes, but Ba didn''t want him to associate with Cecilia!

    "I''ll see him out."

    Devon suddenly stood up and said to Owen, "Mr. Martinez, please!"

    "Devon, please sit. I can leave by myself; there¡¯s no need for an escort."

    Maybe Owen got an earful from the old man; afraid of getting another lecture if he was escorted out,

    he quickly asked the old man to sit down, got up, and left the Yates family with his bodyguards in a

    gloomy mood.

    He left awkwardly during his first visit after marriage.

    Ascend Global.

    When Stefan walked into the office building, everyone who saw him was stunned.

    Stefan was speechless.

    He stopped and asked the two receptionists, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

    The two receptionists didn''t dare say that his wife might be cheating; they just smiled and replied,

    "Mr. Coleman, you look great today!"

    Stefan stuck his hands in his pockets and said narcissistically, "When do I not look great?"

    The two receptionists kept their smiles and said, "Right, you always look great."

    Stefan didn''t say anything else and went straight to his office.

    When he took the elevator to the top floor, as soon as he stepped out, he saw his brothers, even the

    youngest one who was about to start school; they were all lined up in suits, looking like they were

    participating in a beauty contest.

    Stefan almost thought he had gone to the wrong ce.

    He turned around to leave, remembered he was indeeding to thepany, then stopped and

    turned around to look at his nine brothers.

    "Stefan."

    His nine brothers called his name in unison.

    "What''s up? Did you guys get yourselves into big trouble and are waiting for me to clean up the

    mess?"

    "Stefan, we just wanted toe and see you."

    Liam was also an older brother to the other eight, so he answered first.

    "You came tough at me, didn''t you?"

    "Stefan, do you know about the video?"

    Liam gave a smallugh.

    Stefan said displeasedly, "You guys all know; how would I not know?"

    He knew about it yesterday.

    Lucy said she wanted to see the embarrassing scene after everyone found out the truth, and she

    told him not to do anything.

    So he just watched the show with everyone else.

    "Clearly, it''s Lucinda and Mr. Blue''s private matter; others may not know, but we all know that those

    videos were manipted just to mislead others."

    Eric felt a wave of relief.

    "I thought I would be needed, but now it seems I''m superfluous. I''m going back to sleep. I stayed up

    all night ying games."

    Judson''s words were cut off by the nine brothers'' res. He immediately tensed up.

    Oh no!

    He said the wrong thing!

    "Someone take him back; each of you give him a few sets of high school test papers to do to

    prevent him from having free time to y games."

    Stefan instructed.

    Judson called out, "Stefan, I''ve been epted to college, school is about to start, and I no longer

    need to do high school test papers."

    In high school, his nine brothers loved to give him test papers as gifts. Under pressure, his test

    scores were very satisfying and didn''t disappoint his brothers.

    After the tests, he finally had a rxed vacation. He didn''t want to do papers anymore; he had a

    fear of it.

    Secretly, after the exams, he spent every day tearing up book pages and test papers to make paper

    folds. His achievements were well hidden, and his brothers didn''t know.

    "If you''re afraid of high school test papers, do high school."

    Stefan''s words were indisputable.

    Judson was speechless.

    That''s Stefan; the more he feared something, the more he found things to give him a hard time.

    "Go back to work."

    Stefan said seriously, "My issue is not so easy to solve."

    As soon as he finished speaking, the young masters ran faster than rabbits.

    "Liam."

    The fastest runner, Liam, was ironically called back by Stefan.

    Liam, who had one foot in the elevator, had to pull it back. When he turned to face Stefan, his

    handsome face was guarded, carefully looking at him.

    "I heard you''ve been outte recently."

    Liam hurriedly said, "Stefan, it''ste by the time I finish work; I don''t want to disturb everyone at

    home, so I stay at our hotel. If you don''t believe me, you can ask Eric."

    "It''s not abouting homete; it''s about noting home at all. Go home early tonight."

    Stefan finished, waved his hand, and said, "That''s all; you can go."

    Liam re-entered the elevator, and as soon as the elevator doors closed, he immediately took out his

    phone to call Tiffany.

    As soon as Tiffany answered, he asked through gritted teeth, "Tiffany, did you tell Stefan I don''t

    come home at night?"

    Tiffany hung up on him.

    "Oh, dare to hang up on me, looking for a fight, huh?"

    Liam cursed in anger.

    A light voice came from behind him: "Liam, you can''t beat Tiffany."

    Liam turned around, a look of horror on his face. "Campbell, how are you here?"

    "I came in with you."

    Liam: "How did I not see you?"

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    Campbellughed, saying, "Liam, I learned how to be invisible; that''s why you didn''t see me even

    though I''m so big and came in with you. When Stefan mentioned you didn''te homest night,

    your mind immediately drifted off to Tiffany."

    That was the main reason Liam hadn''t seen him.

    Liam said, "Campbell, get this straight, it''s not that I can''t handle that bossy woman, it''s just that I let

    her win, got it? She''s a woman; I''m a man; men shouldn''t fight with women; I always let her have

    her way!"

    "Liam, I think Tiffany has a lot of feminine charm, not at all like a bossy woman."

    "If attacking me like that isn''t being bossy, then what is?"

    "Liam, you''re such a gentleman, always letting Tiffany have her way, even when she''s so rough with

    you. I wouldn''t be that gracious; if Tiffany confronts me, I''ll go all out and leave her picking up her

    teeth off the floor."

    Liam was speechless.

    His brother really gave him a headache; can he just disappear for a while?

 Chapter 258

    Chapter 258

    Meanwhile, at the Anderson household

    Under a big tree, a few elderly people were looking at a stack of photos they''d just received.

    "The camera''s resolution is pretty crappy; it didn''t capture Keith''s bravery," Patrick Anderson

    commented.

    "And it didn''t do justice to Lucy''s beauty," Savannah chimed in.

    "Who took these? They made my granddaughter look unttering," Mason Moore grumbled.

    Everyone agreed, "Lucy is actually much prettier in person. Although the interaction between Lucy

    and Keith is really sweet, it warms the heart."

    Madison Moore studied the photos and said, "Watching them interact reminds me of Ike and Lucy.

    They''re the same, always bickering, but actually very close."

    "Ike always talks about Lucy; he really adores her."

    The two elders of the Moore family started reminiscing about their grandchildren''s time together.

    Keith and his mom followed Lucinda to the Serendipity Cafe.

    They hadn''t seen these photos, but they knew about the video. Keith, seeing Stefan''sck of

    reaction, figured it was his sister''s doing. If Stefan wasn''t going to act, he''d sit back and enjoy the

    show.

    People in Pinehurst could take a cool perspective on this, but the father in Skywatch couldn''t stay

    calm.

    Although Nathan had returned to Skywatch, he was still keeping a close eye on Pinehurst since his

    wife and children were there.

    The moment the video was released, Nathan was furious. He didn''t know who had the guts to use

    his children for their schemes and falsely use his daughter of betraying her husband, so they

    were asking for trouble!

    Nathan was always calm, even under great pressure, but this time he wasn''t holding back. He

    alerted his family in the middle of the night, had everyone prepare at dawn, and, including his

    elderly parents, took a few private jets straight to Pinehurst.

    Lucy and her grandmother looked very alike, and having Grace Blue with her, anyone could tell they

    were rted; it was perfect to squash the rumors.

    Nathan decided to openly acknowledge his daughter in Pinehurst!

    He wanted all of Pinehurst to know that Lucinda was not someone to be trifled with. She was a

    Blue, entitled to a vast inheritance. He was going to deal with those who looked down on his

    daughter and thought they were better than her.

    In Nathan''s mind, his daughter was entirely worthy of Stefan.

    If anyone dared to say his daughter wasn''t good enough for Stefan, he would brandish an

    extravagant wedding gift, stunning them and showing their true colors.

    People were waiting for the drama to unfold, quietly anticipating the climax.

    The one who cared for his daughter was rushing over with arge group.

    Those who were gloating were waiting for Lucinda to be thrown out by the Andersons.

    As a fan of the underdog, Ruby was currently in her car. She parked near the Serendipity Cafe. To

    get a better view, she brought binocrs and kept an eye on the cafe.

    Sitting next to her was her mother.

    Megan Scott silently watched her daughter. She didn''t share her excitement; she was just helpless

    and worried. Even though she knew her daughter wouldn''t listen, she couldn''t help but say, "Ruby,

    doing this will only make Stefan dislike you more and suppress you more. You''re neglecting your

    business problems with Owen for this; can''t you prioritize? Besides, what does your video prove?

    That stranger was just joking around with Lucinda, a bit too intimately, but they didn''t do anything

    excessive. You''re using them of having an affair; how many couples in the world are innocent?

    You spent so much money hiring people to attack Lucinda online; what''s the point? Stefan loves

    her; he''s not easily fooled, and I bet he''s investigating now. Once he finds evidence proving it was

    you, we''ll have a hard time in Pinehurst."

    "Mom, stop it; it''s done. What''s the point of saying this now? I can''t stand it; I want to make things

    difficult for them. Even if I can''t break them up, making Lucinda the target of criticism makes me

    happy. The fear of public opinion is real; no matter who that man is, Stefan will care, unless that

    man is Lucinda''s brother!"

    When Ruby decided to do this, she considered the consequences.

    She carefully uploaded the video online, at first nce, it was just paparazzi news, unrted to her.

    "Stefan hasn''t reacted yet; Ascend Global''s PR hasn''t done anything; Lucinda hasn''t responded;

    there must be a secret."

    Ruby excitedly said, "Mom, get ready for the show; look, more and more reporters are surrounding

    the cafe. The moment Lucinda appears, she''ll be swarmed. Even if Stefan loves her, he''s a normal

    man after all; which normal man can tolerate his woman being too close with another man? I also

    sent the photos to Patrick Anderson and the others; they''ll be furious when they see them. Even if

    Stefan can''t bear to part with Lucinda and is willing to forgive her, Lucinda will be seen as flirtatious

    in the Andersons eyes; she''ll have a hard time in the Anderson family. If she can''t take it, she''ll ask

    for a divorce. Haha, if I can''t have Stefan, no one will!"

    Ruby was reveling in the sess of her n, no longer listening to anyone else.

    She was just waiting for Lucinda to be med by the Anderson family and forced into a divorce.

    "Here shees; Lucinda''s here, and she''s actually with that guy. I¡¯ve got to admire her guts.

    Haha, this is even better; it proves they''re really up to something."

    As two cars pulled up along the street in front of Serendipity Cafe, Lucinda got out first, and Ruby''s

    excitement hit a fever pitch.

    The media reporters were waiting at the cafe entrance. As soon as they spotted the main

    characters, they swarmed them like bees to a flower.

    The shop owners on this street were also curiously standing outside the crowd of reporters to

    watch.

    The Serendipity Cafe became famous in Pinehurst because of this incident, which was recognized

    and remembered by everyone.

    "Mom, look, so many reporters. If Stefan believes Lucinda is innocent, his character would make

    him sternly warn the media not to disturb Lucinda."

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Ruby didn''t care whether her mother responded or not and directly said, "He hasn''t done that yet,

    which means he''s doubting Lucinda. He''s so pissed off, he can''t be bothered to protect Lucinda

    anymore."

 Chapter 259

    Chapter 259

    Megan looked at her daughter, who was excited to madness, feeling helpless, and heartbroken.

    She felt her daughter was losing her mind over Stefan!

    What''s wrong with Owen?

    Owen loved Ruby so much, but she''d rather pursue Stefan and face rejection than be with Owen.

    Megan felt that if Ruby continued like this, she might lose Owen.

    After some thought, she called Owen, hoping he coulde and take Ruby away.

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    Owen answered her call.

    After listening to her, Owen was silent on the other end of the phone for a long time. Just when

    Megan thought he wasn''t going to speak, he calmly said, "Mrs. Scott, I''m in a meeting right now. It''s

    not convenient for me toe over."

    "Owen, this is about Ruby. What meeting is more important than Ruby? Hurry up ande take

    Ruby away. She''s about to lose it."

    Megan said naturally.

    He can''t me her for saying this, and it''s a habit Owen had fostered in them.

    In the past, no matter what Ruby did or what happened, as long as they called him, he would drop

    everything and rush to Ruby''s side.

    For Ruby, he was always at her beck and call.

    Owen didn''t want to go, not just because Ruby had broken his heart but also because Ruby was

    near Serendipity Cafe. If he went there, Cecilia might see him, and he didn''t know how Cecilia

    would mock him.

    For some reason, Owen was getting increasingly irritated by Cecilia''s sarcastic remarks about his

    selfless love for Ruby.

    It always made him feel down.

    Moreover, deep down, he was hoping that Lucinda and Keith would be involved in some scandal so

    Cecilia and Keith wouldn''t have a chance to be together.

    "Mrs. Scott, this meeting is crucial, and I can''t stop it. You''re Ruby''s mother. If you can''t persuade

    her, what use would it be for me toe over? The person she listens to the most is Stefan. Mrs.

    Scott, why don''t you call Stefan and have him take her away?"

    Megan was at a loss for words.

    "Mrs. Scott, I have to hang up now."

    Afraid Megan would keep nagging, Owen quickly hung up and even turned his phone on mute.

    He ced his phone on his desk and zoned out.

    "You should have refused her like this. I don''t know how you used to treat Ms. Scott, but I''ve been

    your assistant for several years now, and I''ve seen how you''ve treated her. Ms. Scott treats you like

    a tool but won''t let you have contact with other women. She keeps you to herself while pursuing Mr.

    Coleman. I''ve never seen such a,¡± Walter didn''t finish his harsh words.

    After a long silence, Owen said, "Walter, I know Ruby is using me, but we grew up together.

    Whether it''s love or friendship, it''s been nearly twenty years. I really can''t let go."

    Walter asked him, "Why can''t you let her go? Haven''t you seen Ms. Scott for several days and not

    called her? Mr. Coleman is severely suppressing Ms. Scott''s business. Mr. Coleman threatened her

    while emphasizing that he and Ms. Scott didn''t have the feeling that everyone thinks they have. His

    heart and eyes only have his wife. Despite this, Ms. Scott is still stubbornly clinging on. As far as I

    know, she''s been to Ascend Global several times. She''d rather face setbacks thane to you.

    This shows that in her eyes, Stefan is precious, but you are insignificant! Maybe she''s deluded into

    thinking that even if she doesn''te to you, you''ll still love her deeply and give everything for her

    at the slightest hint. We''re men, and we should have the dignity of a man, stop being a self-

    conscious follower."

    Walter''s words were a bit harsh.

    He was just genuinely looking out for his boss.

    "Walter, stop talking. I''m feeling confused right now. go and do your work. Let me have some

    peace."

    Owen was feeling frustrated and waved Walter away.

    Walter knew it would take time for him to let go of Rubypletely.

    With a sigh, Walter got up and left.

    Trenton felt that he should give him a raise for trying to advise his grandson like this.

    He watched Ruby making trouble for herself but didn''t remind or stop her. Instead, he told Shane

    and Olina, especially Olina, to watch how the woman she approved of was making trouble for

    herself.

    Olina was very angry.

    On the other side, as soon as the Lucinda siblings got out of the car, they were surrounded by

    reporters who had been waiting for a long time. Even with the Blue family''s bodyguards, it was

    difficult for the siblings and their mothers to get into the cafe.

    Cecilia tried to help with a waitress, but despite their best efforts, they couldn''t break through the

    circle of reporters.

    Cecilia, panting, said to the waitress, "Reporters are really desperate for news. It''s scary."

    The waitress was even more exhausted and they both felt like sitting on the ground.

    Hearing Cecilia''s words, the waitress gasped, "Cecilia, should we go back to the shop and get some

    pepper spray to spray them?"

    "That won''t work; Lucy is in the middle of a media storm. If we spray these reporters with pepper

    spray, it won''t help her, and it''ll just hold her back. If only I had a long bamboo pole in my hand now,

    I could knock them all down with one strike."

    The waitress silently looked at her. That would also hold her back.

    "If I had known it would be this intense, I would have brought that bamboo pole from home."

    Cecilia regretted not bringing the bamboo pole to help.

    "Mrs. Coleman, what is your rtionship with this gentleman?"

    "Mrs. Coleman, have you ever thought about how Mr. Coleman feels?"

    Reporters bombarded her with questions.

    Seeing the reporters going nuts, Lucinda decided to y along. She affectionately looped her arm

    through Keith''s and smiled at everyone. "What does this look like to you?"

    Cameras shed like crazy.

    Ike, who arrived on the scene, watched this unfold and felt like face-palming. His sister was such a

    rascal.

    "Lucinda, we heard your marriage to Mr. Coleman is a sham. You couldn''t stand the pressure

    coming from your family to get married, so you thought of hiring a fake boyfriend. You just happened

    to run into Mr. Coleman and hired him, but you two aren''t really a married couple, right?"

    "Lucinda, this gentleman is your true love, isn''t he? Now that you''ve found your real love, are you

    nning to end your fake marriage with Mr. Coleman?"

    When Lucinda looped her arm through Keith''s, the reporters'' address to her changed, no longer

    called her Mrs. Coleman but used her first name instead.

    Lucinda was openly affectionate with this man. What could they be if not lovers?

    They had to say that Lucinda had a good eye. This man, in terms of looks or charm, was no less

    than Mr. Coleman. He arrived in a luxury car with bodyguards, clearly from a wealthy family.

    Lucinda''s luck was off the charts. She faked a marriage and ended up with a rich guy, found her

    true love, and still ended up with a rich guy!

    Meanwhile, a fleet of luxury cars was speeding in their direction from afar.

 Chapter 260

    Chapter 260

    That line of luxury cars was speeding fast, reaching their destination in just a few minutes.

    Lucinda had just answered a question from a reporter when everyone''s attention was suddenly

    drawn to the convoy of luxury cars that appeared out of nowhere.

    Everyone was speechless. What on earth was going on?

    Luxury car exhibitions were not supposed to be on the street, right?

    There were about fifty cars in the convoy, all parked along the side of the street, stretching for

    hundreds of meters and attracting plenty of attention. Many people stopped to look at these cars.

    The media reporters temporarily stopped interviewing Lucinda, chatting among themselves, trying

    to figure out what was happening.

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    If it wasn''t a car show, then some influential person must be visiting. What a grand entrance!

    In Pinehurst, the grandest entrance ever made was probably by Mr. Martinez, but Owen would only

    have a dozen or so bodyguards and three to five bodyguard cars at most.

    This convoy had dozens of cars. The first twenty were Rolls Royce, and every single car behind

    them was worth more than a hundred thousand dors.

    This was not something Mr. Martinez''s bodyguard cars couldpete with. The cars Mr. Martinez

    equipped his bodyguards with were worth just tens of thousands of dors each.

    Nowhere near these specs.

    Other than Mr. Martinez, nobody could think of anyone else who would travel so ostentatiously.

    "Lucy."

    Stefan''s car stopped across from the first Rolls Royce. After getting out of the car, he casually

    nced at the line of luxury cars before quickly running toward Lucinda.

    The crowd and reporters surrounded Lucinda, but seeing the main character appear, they

    instinctively made way, allowing Stefan to reach Lucinda''s side easily.

    Ike took the opportunity to follow.

    Thanks to Stefan''s appearance, he was able to squeeze in.

    "Darling, you''re here."

    Seeing her man, Lucinda was all smiles.

    [Mr. Coleman was betrayed, and Lucinda can still smile sweetly! Wasn''t she afraid Mr. Coleman

    would strangle her in anger? Meanwhile, Mr. Coleman was there, and Lucinda was still arm in arm

    with that man. Regardless of their rtionship, Mr. Coleman would be angry seeing this.]

    Sure enough, Stefan walked over to Lucinda and pulled her to his side.

    The audience''s excitement immediately escted.

    Were they about to fight?

    They were ready to cheer them on!

    Ruby, who had been guessing who the luxury cars belonged to, stopped thinking after Stefan came

    out. She quickly put on her sunsses and mask, preparing to leave the vehicle.

    "Ruby, don''t get out of the car."

    Megan tried to stop her daughter.

    "Mom, they won''t notice me. I want to get out, I want to see Lucinda get hit by Stefan up close, get

    dumped by Stefan!"

    Ruby wouldn''t listen. She was currently immersed in the pleasure of getting revenge on Lucinda.

    She had been angered by Lucinda so many times, and finally, she had won once.

    "Mr. Coleman, are you and your wife a real or fake couple? Your wife seems to be in a rtionship

    with this gentleman. What do you think?"

    "They''re getting out of the cars, and they''re getting out!"

    The reporters had just resumed working when suddenly someone shouted, and then everyone fell

    silent, staring intently at the line of luxury cars.

    The reporters were speechless. Could they continue the interview?

    But they were also curious, wanting to know who was in the luxury cars. The spectacle was so

    grand, it was practically setting a new record in Pinehurst.

    As the people in the luxury cars got out one after another, more and more onlookers gathered.

    To the onlookers, they didn''t recognize anyone who got out of the cars.

    To the entertainment reporters, some of the faces were familiar. They were the gentlemen of the

    Anderson family and their wives.

    As for Keith: wow, they all came!

    All the direct rtives of the Blue family''s head were here. Even the children who also had a high

    status in the family despite their young age, around four or five.

    The little ones, dressed in children''s suits, had stern expressions under the adults'' reminders.

    The adults said they were here today to support Lucinda Blue, who they haven''t met yet.

    Despite their young age, they would band together and cause trouble if anyone dared to upset

    them.

    Whoever dared to bully the Blue family''s daughter was disrespecting these elders!

    In addition to the rtives of the Blue family and the elders of the Anderson family, there was also a

    group of bodyguards who quickly arrived, parting the crowd. Even the entertainment reporters were

    driven away, unable to get close to Lucinda and the others.

    "Janice Blue, Ethan Blue, Ms. Blue."

    After the bodyguards drove away the reporters, they cleared a path for President Blue and the

    others to pass unhindered. At the same time, they respectfully greeted Janice and her son and

    daughter.

    With dozens of bodyguards all greeting at once, their voices were thunderous, causing Ruby to

    stumble, nearly falling over, but luckily, her mother quickly caught her.

    "Mom."

    Ruby sensed something was wrong, so she grabbed her mother''s hand, seeking confirmation:

    "Mom, they didn''t call Lucinda Ms. Blue, did they? How could they possibly call Lucinda Ms. Blue?

    Isn''t Lucinda from the Moore family? How could Lucinda possibly be Ms. Blue?"

    Megan''s face also turned ugly.

    Among those crowded were only Lucinda,a young man, and two middle-aged women. One of the

    women was known to Megan as Lucinda''s foster mother.

    A rural woman couldn''t possibly be the Janice the men in ck were referring to, so it had to be the

    other woman.

    Ethan and Ms. Blue were referring to Lucinda and the young man whose name they didn''t know.

    "Ruby, let''s just watch for now."

    Meganforted her daughter, "Lucinda can''t possibly be Ms. Blue''s; we must have heard it

    wrong."

    Nathan was helping Grace, with Colton Blue in tow, walk at a slow pace.

    Strolling alongside them were the elders from the Anderson family, followed by Frederick Anderson

    and the rest, then came the younger generation or other folks from the Blue family.

    "Lucy, you''re my sweet granddaughter; let me have a good look at you. I''ve missed you terribly."

    Regardless of how Grace felt when Nathan woke her and her husband from sleep and immediately

    put them on a ne, they knew they had to y along with Nathan''s charade.

    Well, it''s not really a charade.

    They validated their newly found granddaughter''s identity, publicly acknowledging her as a Blue.

    With her present, there was no need for a paternity test anymore because Lucinda looked too much

    like her. Anyone who doubted Lucinda being a Blue would be indirectly questioning Grace''s fidelity

    in marriage.

    Grace would im Lucinda back no matter what!

    If anyone still dared to question if Lucinda was a Blue, Grace would surely be the first to give them a

    piece of her mind!

 Chapter 261

    Chapter 261

    Lucinda was stunned as her family suddenly appeared.

    Cecilia and the waitress were also gobsmacked, the waitress''s mouth hanging open wide enough to

    fit an egg in it from surprise.

    Cecilia knew who Lucinda really was, but she didn''t know her family was so powerful. Just their

    arrival required dozens, maybe even hundreds of cars. It was intimidating and scary.

    Cecilia was d she was friends with Lucinda, not enemies. Otherwise, if Lucinda''s family were

    unhappy with her, she could be killed.

    Soon, Grace came over.

    She was carefully looking at Lucinda, tears in her eyes. Suddenly, she hugged Lucinda, crying

    heavily, "Lucy, it''s really you. We''ve finally found you. I''ve been thinking about you every day for the

    past twenty-something years since those bastards took you away. God bless, I found you before I

    died. Seeing you, I can leave this world peacefully now. Lucy, I''m your grandma. look at me, then

    look at yourself in the mirror. You look just like me when I was young."

    While sobbing, Grace expressed her longing for her granddaughter and informed the onlookers that

    Lucinda was the Blue family''s missing granddaughter.

    Everyone: What a plot twist! It''s so dramatic!

    Lucinda was startled by her grandma''s hug and crying. She wanted to push her away but couldn''t.

    Once her grandma mainly had cried it out, she could move her away. Seeing her crying, Lucinda

    instinctively took out a tissue to wipe her tears.

    It was something she just did without thinking.

    Blood ties were genuinely magical. Even though Grace was harsh to Janice, her true feelings were

    revealed when facing her long-lost granddaughter.

    Even if Lucinda had a lot of grievances against her grandma, seeing her crying so sadly, she

    couldn''t help but soften.

    Nathan nced deeply at Janice, then started to look around, looking very angry. Anyone could tell

    he was fuming.

    "Any journalists here, step forward!" Nathanmanded coldly.

    Pinehurst''s journalists: Who the hell were these people?

    The Anderson family''s people didn''t say anything or exin.

    The journalists all looked at Stefan.

    Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.

    Stefan didn''t look at the journalists. He walked two steps forward, respectfully saying, "You''re here."

    Nathan turned his head, ring at him, scolding him, "Could I note? Stefan, my wife and

    children are surrounded, and you don''t even help, but I must travel a long way to help restore my

    daughter''s reputation and protect her."

    Stefan muttered, "It was your precious daughter who wanted to put on a show and told me not to do

    anything. She didn''t even let mee here earlier. I always listen to my wife. What can I do?"

    If Nathan heard him, he would answer, "Yes, you should listen to your wife; you should always listen

    to my daughter!"

    "Dad, don''t me Stefan as soon as you arrive. It''s not a big deal. He''s busy. I can handle my own

    problems, and I don''t need to bother him."

    Lucinda stopped her dad from scolding her husband.

    Nathan growled, "What''s more important than your problems? You and your brother were joking

    around, and someone took a video and posted it online, ndering you for betraying Stefan. I was

    so angry when I saw that video; I just wanted to find the person who filmed it and give them a good

    beating! How did they grow their eyes? Can''t they see that you two look alike? You''re twins; what''s

    wrong with joking around? What''s wrong with some affectionate actions? It just shows that you two

    are close! Those who maliciously nder you are too much! Where are the journalists? Step

    forward, turn on your shlights, and point your cameras at us. Let me tell you, I am Nathan from

    the Blue family of Skywatch."

    He pulled Keith over and roared, "You think Stefan was betrayed, but in fact, the person joking with

    Lucinda is my own son, the sessor of the Blue family. He is a Blue. Lucy,e here. My

    daughter, Lucinda, has been missing for twenty-three years and four months. No matter what she is

    called, she is my daughter! We just recently found Lucy and haven''t had time to bring her home.

    You''re using her rtionship with her brother for news, turning a normal sibling rtionship into

    something improper. This is defamation, and I''m going to sue you for defamation and make you pay

    for emotional distress until you go bankrupt!"

    Nathan''s words were reasonable and caused a great response in the crowd.

    What the hell was going on? It''s so dramatic!

    "Stefan is my daughter''s husband, they''re married, they''re a legal couple, their rtionship is

    perfect. If you dare say there''s a problem with their marriage, I will personally tell you the

    consequences!"

    As the head of the Blue family, Nathan was used to being dominant.

    Not only was what he said dominant, but it was also aggressive.

    "Also, who dares to say my daughter is not good enough for Stefan? None of the elders of the

    Anderson family look down on my daughter! Even though my daughter doesn''t have money, she

    can inherit billions of dors from me; Stefan may not be much richer than her. How is she not good

    enough for him? Stefan is the heir of the Anderson family, and my daughter is the eldest daughter of

    the Blue family. How is she not good enough for him? Are you good enough if you say my daughter

    is not good enough for Stefan? Come here, help my son-inw shine his shoes, see if you''re good

    enough."

    Stefan muttered, "I only love Lucinda. It''s not that Lucinda is not good enough for me; it''s that I am

    not good enough for Lucinda."

    "Listen up, if I ever hear anyone say my daughter isn''t good enough for my son-inw or make fun

    of her for being poor, you''d better whip out your billions of dors in assets before you mock her for

    being poor! Anyone who dares to badmouth my daughter will pay the price!"

    "Lucy." After calling out, Nathan turned to look at his daughter, his face filled with tenderness. He

    reached out, pulled Lucinda closer, and held her tightly. In a gentle and heartbroken voice, he said,

    "Lucy, I''mte, but don''t worry, as long as I''m here, no one can bully you!"

    Lucinda''s eyes welled up with tears, blurring her vision.

    She had intentionally let things escte this way just to embarrass Ruby. But she never expected

    her dad to show up with the family, publicly acknowledge her, and forcefully protect her.

    He had traveled a long distance from Skywatch to Pinehurst. He must have set off early in the

    morning.

    No matter what her dad had done to her mother in the past, his love for her as his daughter was

    real.

    Lucinda was the daughter of the Blue family of Skywatch, who had been missing for twenty-three

    years!

    Ruby''s face turned pale, and her hand was shaking. She took out her phone and used a search

    engine to look up the Blue family of Skywatch. After reading the basic information about the Blue

    family, Ruby felt darkness enveloping her eyes, her legs gave way, and she felt like she was going

    to faint. Could anyone help her?

 Chapter 262

    Chapter 262

    "Ruby."

    Megan immediately rushed to support her daughter.

    "Ruby, how are you doing? Are you okay?"

    Ruby leaned on her mother, barely managing to stand.

    She bit her lower lip hard, the pain sobering her. Clenching her mother''s hand tightly, she spat out

    angrily: "No way! No way! How could Lucinda be the daughter of the Blue family from Skywatch?

    Stefan must have hired someone to make this up."

    She had always felt that Stefan was hers alone, that country bumpkin Lucinda wasn''t even worthy

    to shine Stefan''s shoes.

    She always considered herself far more noble than Lucinda.

    And now they were telling her that Lucinda''s status was many times more noble than hers. How

    could she ept this?

    This was like a punch to the face, smashing her pride.

    The head of the Blue family even said Lucinda could inherit around seven billion dors from him!

    The entire wealth of the Scott family didn''t even reach a hundred million dors!

    Lucinda could inherit around seven billion dors! The difference was astronomical.

    She felt an unbearable gap.

    If all this was true, she was not only inferior to Lucinda, and she wasn''t even worthy to polish

    Lucinda''s shoes.

    She had always thought of herself as a noble girl. In front of Lucinda, who could inherit around

    seven billion dors, she was the country bumpkin!

    "Ruby, let''s go home first; we''ll talk about it at home."

    Megan also hoped all this was a farce, a show put on by Stefan''s hired help.

    But her experience told her it wasn''t a show, it was real.

    Lucinda was the daughter of the Blue family from Skywatch.

    As soon as she came back, she checked Lucinda''s information and knew that Lucinda was not the

    biological daughter of the Moore family. She must have biological parents since she wasn''t the

    Moore family''s biological daughter.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Now, maybe her real parents hade to find her.

    Up close, she also saw the resemnce between Lucinda and Grace. Though Grace was older,

    she was well-maintained, and Lucinda''s features looked a lot like hers. They would look like mother

    and daughter if Grace were a bit younger.

    And that man in the video, if they looked closely, he did resemble Lucinda.

    In this day and age, identifying kinship was not like before, and it now required DNA paternity

    testing.

    Especially for arge family like the Blue family from Skywatch, they would conduct multiple DNA

    tests.

    The people from the Blue family, publicly iming kinship, must have already done the DNA test.

    Also, after the video incident, the Anderson family didn''t react at all. Considering Stefan''s concern

    for Lucinda, how could he not react?

    Because they were siblings.

    Maybe Stefan knew who released the video long ago, and he didn''t react, just waiting for the Blue

    family to arrive and publicly expose her daughter!

    Megan saw things more clearly than Ruby.

    Ruby angrily watched as the head of the Blue family took away Lucinda for the recognition

    ceremony, and the journalists, besides constantly taking photos, dared not do anything else.

    However, the journalists were pretty excited.

    They didn''t get the scoop on Mrs. Coleman''s affair, but they got the knowledge that Mrs. Coleman

    was the eldest daughter of the Blue family from Skywatch.

    Mr. Coleman had good taste!

    He casually rented himself out, got married, andnded the lost daughter of the Blue family.

    Stefan: ¡°I didn''t just rent myself out casually. Who else could rent me but Lucy?¡±

    When he rented himself out to be Lucinda''s husband, he had no idea about her real identity!

    Some journalists asked Nathan if he was sure that Lucinda was his daughter.

    Keith timely revealed the DNA test results of Lucinda and Janice, letting the journalists see the

    resemnce between Grace and Lucinda. What else could they question?

    After publicly acknowledging his daughter, Nathan expressed dissatisfaction with therge audience

    and said to his son-inw: "Stefan, let''s find a ce to sit down and talk."

    Stefan smiled: "Let''s go back to my ce."

    The numbers were huge when looking at the rtives and bodyguards his father-inw brought

    along, plus his own family. The Serendipity Cafe definitely couldn''t amodate so many people,

    so he could only take them home.

    Luckily, Ascend Estate wasrge enough to amodate so many people.

    "Good, our private nes are parked on yourwn."

    So Nathan and his party first went to Ascend Estate, parked their private nes on thewn,

    emptied the Anderson family''s garage, hastily rented many luxury cars, and then rushed over to

    support Lucinda.

    Thankfully, they didn''t arrivete!

    The Anderson family didn''t expect Nathan to act so swiftly, nor did they expect Nathan to bring all

    his direct rtives, even if the children weren''t left behind.

    Since they came to support Lucy, the elders of the Anderson family also came along.

    Of course, the home ground was given to the Blue family.

    The Blue family needed to acknowledge their daughter publicly.

    Nathan said a few words to his personal bodyguard, who waved and announced loudly: "To Ascend

    Estate."

    Everyone started to get in the cars.

    The two families closest to Lucinda by blood hadn''t moved yet. Those were her two uncles.

    At this moment, Nathan walked over to his wife.

    Lucinda and the others were watching the couple.

    Janice, who had been with her daughter all these days, knew better than Nathan about what her girl

    was up to.

    So, she yed along, not rushing to rify the rtionship between her daughter and son.

    She admitted that she also enjoyed seeing Ruby get a hit.

    But none of them had expected the scene to be bigger than they had imagined.

    Nathan, of all people, had rushed over from Skywatch early in the morning, bringing many people.

    Who knew what he had done as the head of the Blue family to rally the n members to support

    Lucinda so unanimously?

    Nathan: ¡°I didn''t do anything. It''s their curiosity that brought them here. Even if I hadn''t called them,

    they would havee independently.¡±

    With a fuss to watch, those folks ran faster than anyone.

    "Janice."

    Nathan looked at his wife, who had regained her senses. Dressed neatly, no longer in a mess, her

    usually loose and long hair was now tied up, exposing her smooth neck.

    She didn''t wear the jewelry he had given her, just a pearl ne. He recognized it as a gift from

    his mother-inw.

    Ever since she became his wife, the jewelry she wore was always his gift. He didn''t allow her to

    wear any she had brought from her home.

    Even when she lost her mind, she was still wearing his gifts.

    Now that she was clear-headed, she had taken off his gifts and put on the ne her mother had

    given her.

    Looking at her slender and delicate hands folded in front of her, they were empty. Their wedding

    ring was nowhere to be seen.

    After staying in Pinehurst for a while, Janice looked well. Her face was no longer as pale as before.

    With regr sun exposure, herplexion had be rosy. Even approaching fifty, she was still

    pretty.

    "Janice."

    Nathan called her carefully, his eyes full of nervousness and fear.

    He didn''t even know how to face his wife but he yearned even more to take a good look at her.

 Chapter 263

    Chapter 263

    Janice turned to leave.

    "Lucy, I ain''t going back. I''ll watch the store for you."

    Janice walked away as she spoke.

    She didn''t want to face her husband.

    Even less so, those who had once hurt her.

    To be honest, she hadn''t even figured out how to deal with her husband.

    That night, when Lucy asked her what her father was like, she was silent for a long time. By the

    time she wanted to answer, Lucy had already fallen asleep.

    There was no denying that before Lucy went missing, he was the best man in the world to her, a

    good husband.

    After Lucy went missing, at first, he was out every day with people looking for Lucy, leaving her

    alone withoutfort. Janice didn''t me him for this.

    Elisa stole her daughter, she would me him if he did nothing.

    While he was out looking for their daughter, she was at home alone, facing the family''s me.

    She put up with these, and she didn''t me him.

    What pissed off Janice was the time when she lost her sanity.

    Even though she lost her sanity, it didn''t mean she lost her memory.

    Now that she was sober and looking back, Janice harbored resentment against her husband.

    As a husband, he failed to protect his wife and child andter had a close rtionship with

    Madeleine Porter. He could have divorced her because she lost her sanity and couldn''t apany

    him to various activities. She was willing to let him be with Madeleine.

    But he didn''t.

    Did he know that keeping her as the wife of the head of the Blue family would only make Madeleine

    want to kill her more?

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    Not only that, but even their child was not safe.

    All in all, Janice couldn''t forgive her husband or face him; they could only divorce.

    Her daughter was found, her son-inw was good, and Janice was already satisfied.

    Whoever wanted the position of the wife of the head of the Blue family can take it; she didn''t care.

    "Janice."

    Nathan instinctively chased after her.

    "Nathan, if you dare to follow me in, don''t me me for chasing you out with a broom!"

    Janice suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at Nathan coldly, warning him.

    Nathan stopped. The deep hatred in his wife''s eyes was like lead, making his legs heavy and

    unable to take a step.

    "Fiona, Cecilia, gal, let''s go inside."

    After preventing Nathan, Janice told Fiona, Cecilia, and the waitress, indicating them to follow her

    in.

    Except for the waitress, Cecilia and Fiona knew that Janice had a brutal past, and the person

    responsible for this was Nathan.

    Nathan''s grandstanding today to recognize and protect his daughter can''t erase his past

    negligence, nor can it erase the fact that he betrayed his marriage.

    Cecilia pulled the waitress and followed Janice into the shop.

    Fiona told Lucinda, "Lucy, you and Stefan take them back to Ascend Estate first. I''ll keep an eye on

    your mom."

    "Mom, I''m worried, I''ll go in first."

    Lucinda couldn''t leave at this time, and she went into the shop with her foster mother.

    "Lucy."

    Nathan said in a low voice to Lucinda, "Tell your mom, no matter what happens, I won''t divorce her!"

    They were a match made in heaven.

    Nathan could guess Janice''s thoughts.

    Lucinda didn''t say anything, just silently walked into the shop.

    After about ten minutes, Lucinda came out.

    Her eyes were red; she had been crying.

    "Dad, don''t bother mom for now."

    Lucinda walked up to her father and softly requested.

    Nathan looked deeply at the Serendipity Cafe, where his wife was sitting at the cash register, but he

    couldn''t see her.

    After a while, he quietly agreed: "Okay."

    The reporters dispersed.

    As the people from the Blue family left, the crowd also dispersed.

    They all thought today''s event was exciting.

    They decided to pay more attention to the Serendipity Cafe in the future, as there was always juicy

    gossip there.

    They all wanted to know what happened to the person who spread rumors online, using Lucinda

    of cheating. Was he scared?

    The Blue family certainly wouldn''t let him off the hook whether he was scared or not.

    The Anderson family would definitely take action, too.

    The head of the Blue family had dered to sue that person for nder to make him go bankrupt!

    Great, once the head of the Blue family sued him, everyone will know who that person was. They

    really wanted to know who the person who got exposed was.

    Cecilia poured Janice a ss of water.

    "Have a drink."

    Janice took the water and said gratefully, "Cecilia, thanks, I''m okay. You guys continue with your

    work, don''t worry about me."

    Fiona looked at her with concern, seeming to want to say something, but stopped herself.

    "You don''t have to say anything either. If a mirror is broken, even if repaired, it will leave traces, and

    he and I can''t make up anymore, especially he doesn''t want to make up with me either."

    Madeleine was still around Nathan.

    The people of Skywatch were all waiting for Madeleine to take her ce.

    There were always women chasing him.

    She had had enough.

    The woman chasing him made her and her daughter separated for twenty-three years.

    Fiona said, "Janice, I didn''t mean to persuade you. We outsiders don''t know about your affairs and

    won''t interfere. But, if you feel sad, you can talk to me about it. If you want to cry, I''ll be by your side

    to support you. Don''t bottle it up."

    Janice said gratefully, "I''m fine. I can handle it. I''ve been through tougher things. Now, I''ve found

    Lucy. you guys raised her so well, and she married such a good husband like Stefan, I''m satisfied.

    I''m not going back to Skywatch anymore. From now on, we can keep each otherpany. If you

    return to the countryside, I''ll be right there with you. I heard from Lucy that your family''s got a ton of

    fruit trees. I want to see what it feels like to just chill in a tree and munch on some fruit. Lucy also

    said that you guys hang a hammock under the tree. Lying in the hammock and reading a book

    sounds pretty dope. I''d like to try that too."

    Fiona couldn''t help butugh, "Lucy loves doing that. When the fruits are ripe, she always insists

    she''s going to ''guard the orchard,'' but really, she''s just lounging in the hammock, engrossed in a

    novel. She''s a total bookworm, and now she''s even started writing her own stories. When she gets

    peckish, she''ll just climb up the tree and pick some fruit to snack on. Whichever fruit is the biggest

    and ripest, that''s the one she''ll pick."

    As Janice imagined this scene, she couldn''t help but crack a smile, a hint of longing in her eyes.

    "You guys don''t scold her for that?"

    "Why would we? It''s our own fruit. She can eat whatever she wants. If anything, we worry she''s not

    eating enough. At our house, she''s the apple of our eye. Everyone dotes on her. We couldn''t bear to

    scold her."

    Because they''d lost a child before, and they knew the pain of that loss all too well.

    So when they adopted Lucinda, they spoiled her rotten.

    Of course, there were limits to their indulgence. They never cked off on educating Lucinda,

    because if they ended up spoiling her into a selfish and wilful girl, that would actually do her more

    harm than good.

 Chapter 264

    Chapter 264

    On their way back to Ascend Estate, Stefan got a call from Edgar.

    Lucinda overheard him telling Edgar, "Give this to Owen and keep a copy for me. I''m going to have

    it out with Ruby. And also, deliver it to the elders and the wives of the Martinez family."

    After hanging up, Lucinda curiously asked him, "What is it?"

    He was going to take it to Ruby.

    While driving, Stefan responded, "Some stuff Ruby did overseas. I''ve had people looking into it and

    gathering intel ever since she got back. Now that we''ve got everything that we need, it''s time to put

    it to use. Let''s just say this will be a real punch in the gut for her."

    Before he married Lucinda, people always said that he didn''t date or marry anyone because he was

    waiting for Ruby toe back.

    He insisted that he and Ruby weren''t what everyone thought, but nobody bought it and thought he

    was just trying to distract them from the truth.

    It seemed people only believed in lies, not the truth.

    Since exining was useless, he stopped bothering about it.

    He was a bachelor back then, so a few jokes at his expense didn''t matter. He wouldn''t go after

    Ruby just because of that.

    But then he married Lucinda, and Ruby came back. She was too cocky, thinking he''d cut her some

    ck because they knew each other, and dared to mess with Lucinda.

    Stefan was going to stick up for his wife. He wouldn''t break thew impulsively. He was aiming for

    the jugr. He''d make Ruby lose everything she cared about, left her with nothing. He''d been

    preparing for this in the shadows.

    "So, Ruby did something overseas that even Owen can''t stomach?"

    Upon hearing about Ruby, Lucinda''s mood seemed to lift a bit.

    "That''s right. Once Owen sees what I''ve got for him, he''ll drop Ruby like a hot potato. Without

    Owen''s backing, and with the Scott family''s business already moved overseas, Ruby''ll be a fish out

    of water in Pinehurst. Didn''t you retaliate in the same way? She posted that video online and even

    hired some inte mercenaries to sway public opinion."

    Stefan nced at her, then back at the road, driving steadily.

    "Everyone has a right to privacy. We can''t just expose people''s private matters without their

    consent. That can seriously impact their lives, and even lead to cyberbullying. It''s illegal and

    hical. She did wrong, but we can''t follow suit. Didn''t you hear your dad saying he''s going to sue

    her? If we do the same as her, exposing her secrets online, she can turn around and sue us."

    Lucinda thought for a moment, then praised her husband, "Stefan, you''re the calmest man I''ve ever

    known. You''re truly deserving of being the head of Ascend Global.

    ¡°I want to spend the rest of my life with you, so I have to consider you in everything I do. I have to

    keep my cool."

    Lucinda immediately felt a wave of sweetness as if she''d just drunk honey.

    What more could she ask for with a husband like this?

    Lucinda wasn''t actually a Moore by blood, something Owen had known for a while, but he never

    imagined that Lucinda''s true identity was so prestigious.

    She was a miss of the Blue family of Skywatch.

    As the heir to the Martinez family, Owen, under his grandfather''s tutge, was well aware of the

    Blue family''s standing in Skywatch.

    Regardless of the internal stability of the Blue family, in Skywatch, they were an unbeatable

    powerhouse that nobody dared to offend.

    They were a billion-dor family.

    Although there were many families, billion-dor families were rare.

    Owen couldn''t deny the fact that the Martinez family hadn''t reached the status of a billion-dor

    family yet.

    But the Anderson family had.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    At that point Lucinda had be a billion-dor miss, wouldn''t her marriage to Stefan be an

    alliance of two major families?

    As for Keith''s identity, Owen had some understanding of it.

    Knowing about it, he felt even more stressed.

    Keith was Lucinda''s biological brother. Lucinda had always been doted on by her brothers. Ike

    spoiled her, and Keith seemed to be a doting older brother as well. Lucinda and Cecilia were good

    friends, so their rtionship was going to get veryplicated!

    Just as Owen was still reeling from the recent revtions, his phone rang.

    It was a call from Megan.

    His brows furrowed, knowing Megan was probably calling him to console Ruby.

    Previously, whenever Ruby was upset, Owen would drop everything tofort her. But not now he

    was more inclined to head to Serendipity Cafe and get more info from Cecilia.

    Right, he was just curious, wanting to know more.

    It wasn''t because he missed Cecilia.

    But Owen still answered Megan''s call.

    "Mrs. Scott, I''m in a meeting."

    Owen made up an excuse.

    He was getting used to lying.

    All because of his secret marriage to Cecilia. One lie needed countless other lies to cover it up. The

    lies were piling up, lying had be a habit for him.

    "Oh, Owen."

    Megan said, "Owen, you need toe over. Ruby''s crying and throwing a fit, wrecking everything.

    I''m afraid she might just hurt herself. Owen, you''ve probably heard by now, right? Lucinda is

    actually the heiress of the Skywatch, the Blue family. The guy in the video isn''t her boyfriend, but

    her own brother. I won''t lie to you anymore, the video was shot by Ruby. She''s the one who paid

    people to post it online and spread fake stories, ndering Lucinda of having an affair. If Lucinda

    sues her, she''s toast. Owen, Ruby didn''t expect things to go south like this, you got to help her out."

    Owen kept silent and kept on listening.

    "Owen, trust me, this will be thest time Ruby pulls a stunt like this. Once this blows over, I''ll talk

    some sense into her. I''ll tell her to back off from Stefan and stop targeting Lucinda. She''s too

    immature, and not clever enough, always messing up and leaving others to clean up her mess. I

    won''t let her continue like this. I''ll persuade her to be with you, you two are the perfect match.

    Owen,e over, let''s have a face-to-face talk."

    At that point, Megan really wanted to chew out her daughter.

    Ever since her daughter came back from the detention center, she had been trying to convince her

    to let go of Stefan and choose Owen.

    Stefan just didn''t love her, no matter what she did, she can''t change that fact.

    And Owen loved her so much, she would only be happy if she was with him.

    But her stubborn daughter just won''t listen to her. She tried so much to talk some sense into her.

    Megan was so frustrated she could cry.

    In the past, Ruby had Owen''s help in everything she did, making her think she was smart and

    capable. But when she tried to do things on her own, all her faults were exposed, showing how

    weak she really was.

    Megan was really worried, what would happen to her daughter if Owen also decided to give up on

    her?

    Which guy could stand it when the woman he loved was constantly throwing herself over another

    man?

 Chapter 265

    Chapter 265

    Owen was not as thrilled as he expected to be when he heard Megan''s words, which surprised him.

    He used to be over the moon when Megan said something like this, but at that time, he was more

    annoyed than anything. Perhaps, he was genuinely hurt by Ruby for his feelings to be that way.

    After mulling it over, Owen agreed to visit the Scott family. Megan was finally relieved only after

    knowing that Owen was willing toe visit them. Owen had always been infatuated with Ruby, so

    he wouldn''t easily let go of his feelings for her.

    After hanging up the phone with Megan, Owen had been silent for two minutes before he finally left

    his office.

    Just as he opened the office door, he saw his male secretary holding a document bag. The

    secretary was about to knock when Owen stepped out.

    "Boss."

    The secretary handed the document bag to Owen and said, "This is from Edgar of Ascend Global.

    He asked me to give it to you."

    Hearing this, Owen became even more curious. He took the document bag and asked, "I have no

    business dealings with Ascend Global. Why would Edgar send me documents?"

    Was Edgar nning to betray Stefan by sending him confidential documents from Ascend Global as

    a condition for the exchange?

    Owen opened the document bag, which contained several papers and a bunch of photos. He stared

    at the photos and waspletely puzzled while the secretary curiously peeked over.

    Owen held onto the photos tightly, not letting him see and ordered him,

    "Get back to work."

    Owen said sternly, then quickly headed to his private elevator with the photos and what seemed to

    be medical records.

    Once in the elevator, he began to go through the photos again. The more he looked, the worse his

    facial expression became.

    The photos were all intimate pictures of Ruby with different men.

    If the photos had brought down Owen''s mood, then the papers hadpletely cooled his feelings

    for Ruby.

    They were records of a surgery Ruby had done abroad, a hymenosty.

    The photos and papers, like autumn leaves, slipped from Owen''s hands and scattered all over the

    elevator floor.

    Owen was pale. He leaned against the elevator wall, refusing to believe that what he saw was real.

    Owen wasn''t surprised that Ruby had been dating abroad. In his eyes, she was a beautiful woman.

    It was impossible to think that no one would pursue her. It was only normal for her to try to forget

    Stefan, who had previously left her for a new rtionship.

    But she had portrayed herself as so faithful to him yet she wasn''t willing to admit her overseas

    rtionship.

    What hurt Owen the most was that Ruby had been sexually active with other men but had

    undergone a hymenosty before returning to the country. Was she trying to fool Stefan into

    thinking she had remained virgin for him?

    Stefan didn''t care at all about what she had done because Stefan didn''t love her. All she was doing

    was causing him pain and suffering.

    It was hard to ept that his idol was frivolous.

    It was not that Owen only liked girls who weren¡¯t sexually active, but he just didn''t want to be

    deceived by Ruby.

    Oh, right. Ruby wasn''t trying to deceive him, but Stefan.

    Owenughed bitterly, "Ruby, do you even find deceiving me too much of a hassle? Am I just

    someone you can take or leave as you please in your eyes? I''m such a fool, such a fool!"

    Owen suddenly burst intoughter.

    Everyone said that he was a fool.

    He believed it. He was a fool. What a fool!

    Walter had advised him, ¡°There are many good people in the world, so why obsess over one

    person? Especially one who isn¡¯t sincere to you!¡±

    The elevator took Owen to the ground floor, but he didn''t leave right away. He just stayed in the

    elevator until his emotions calmed down and then picked up the photos and papers.

    It was time to give up!

    He wasn''t incapable of finding a girlfriend, so why was he constantly pining over someone who

    wasn''t his?

    When he stepped out of the elevator, his expression was so serious that it was scary.

    Without his bodyguard, he drove out of thepany alone.

    He didn''t go to the Scott family.

    He turned off his phone, cut off all contact with the outside world, and drove aimlessly.

    He just kept driving, not knowing where to go.

    As long as there was a road ahead, he just kept going forward.

    He didn''t know how long he had been driving or how far he had gone.

    Eventually, he stopped his car on a cliff by the sea.

    After parking, he didn''t get out of the car.

    He just sat in his car, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

    The sun rose from the east, moved to the center, and then slowly sank into the sea.

    Night fell.

    The city lights were twinkling.

    Finally, Owen moved.

    He opened the car door, got out, and walked to the edge of the cliff. He stood there, feeling the sea

    breeze, listening to the waves, and looking into the distance. For a moment, he didn''t know where

    he was or whether he was awake or dreaming.

    A crescent moon quietly rose into the night sky, its soft, bright light trying to bring light to the

    darkness.

    The sky was full of stars, the moonlight was bright, and the night view was stunning.

    But Owen really wasn''t in the mood to appreciate the beauty of the night sky.

    Suddenly a light shone over, it was car headlights.

    Someone wasing!

    Owen snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at the car approaching from afar.

    Who else was as messed up as him,ing to the cliff to feel the sea breeze?

    The car stopped behind Owen''s.

    Soon, he saw a familiar figure get out of the car.

    The car didn''t turn off, and by its light, he saw that Cecilia running towards him.

    It was actually Cecilia!

    Why was she there?

    How did she know that he was there?

    "Mr. Malicious, get over here! What are you trying to do? Jump off the cliff? Go ahead! Before you

    jump, write your will and leave all your assets to me. It wouldn''t be a wasted trip then."

    Cecilia was a bit worried.

    But mostly, she was angry.

    The elders of the Martinez family had found her and begged her toe over. The old folks were

    about to kneel to her, so she had no choice but toe.

    She didn¡¯t expect Owen to hide here.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    It was strange that the elders of the Martinez family, having found Owen''s location, didn''t send

    someone from the family to bring him home.

    She stopped a few meters away from Owen, shouting for him to leave a will before jumping off the

    cliff.

    Owen retorted, "Cecilia, can you stop always talking about money?"

    Cecilia impatiently said, "Is there anything else we can talk about besides money? Are you going to

    jump or not? If you are, you better leave a will. After you jump, I''ll call the police to rescue you. If

    your body isn¡¯t devoured by fish, with some time, we can still retrieve it for a decent funeral. If you

    don''t want to jump, thene back. You''re an adult now, what''s bothering you so much that you''d

    want to jump off a cliff here?"

    Owen was left speechless.

 Chapter 266

    Chapter 266

    "Cecilia,e over here."

    Cecilia stood rooted to the spot and said, "I''m not going over there; you''re standing in a dangerous

    ce. If you slip and fall, and take me with you, I''m done for. I still want to live. I still want your

    wealth."

    Owen''s face turned gloomy.

    The car lights were dim, and Cecilia couldn''t see his expression clearly.

    Even if his face turned sour, he was still handsome.

    "So, you''re hoping for my death?"

    "I was hoping for your death before, and even more so after marrying you. Ha, once you kick the

    bucket, I can inherit your wealth."

    "If you really want it so badly, I''ll transfer all my assets to you when we get back. Don''t always wish

    for my death. From your words, it feels like I''ve died ande back to life hundreds of times."

    Cecilia burst outughing, "Really? Then let''s go do the paperwork tomorrow. You give me your

    shares, real estate, shops, and savings, then I''ll be the richest woman in Pinehurst, haha!"

    Seeing her happy, Owen''s gloomy mood lightened up.

    He couldn''t help butugh, "Cecilia, you''re the most self-deprecating woman I''ve ever met. You''re

    not greedy, yet you always portray yourself as such. You''re kind, yet you always portray yourself as

    wicked."

    "You''reughing, looks like you don''t want to die anymore. If you don''t want to die, thene over

    here. If you identally fall, I''ll be devastated."

    Owen looked back. It was indeed very dangerous.

    He didn''t look back at the cliff and just started walking in the opposite direction.

    As he got closer, Cecilia took two steps forward, pulled him over, and started hitting him.

    Owen was all confused, not understanding why she was hitting him.

    "You jerk, why are you trying to copy others by jumping off the cliff? Why do you want to disappear?

    What''s the point of having a phone? Why did you turn it off? Who are you trying to scare? Who are

    you trying to make worried? Is it Ruby? Let me tell you, when your phone was off, Ruby didn''t care

    where you went or what you did. She only cared when you woulde tofort her and solve her

    problems. She couldn''t find you and even called me, ming me for hiding you and not answering

    her calls. If she dares toe to the coffee shop to find me, I''ll definitely give her a good beating.

    Why do your problems with her have to involve me? If I didn''t owe you a favor, I wouldn''t care less if

    you died. Why would I hide you from her? You''re not some valuable treasure that increases in value

    when hidden. Being hidden only makes you older and devalues you. Then what''s the point in

    collecting you? By doing so, Ruby isn''t worried about you at all. Only your grandfather is worried

    about you. He was trembling and came to find me with his cane. He was crying, worried that you

    might faint at any moment. To get me toe to find you, your grandfather almost knelt down to

    me, he was practically shortening my lifespan. You''re such an idiot, haven''t you seen women

    before? Is it worth it to jump off a cliff for Ruby? Let me tell you, if you really died, Ruby wouldn''t

    even shed a tear. What do you think you are in her heart? You''re not evenparable to Mr.

    Coleman''s little finger."

    Cecilia was continuously hitting and scolding Owen.

    Her scolding was powerful.

    Her words were like needles, piercing Owen all over.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    Owen suddenly grabbed her and stopped her from hitting him.

    Cecilia struggled in his arms, and angrily said, "Mr. Malicious, let me go. I haven''t hit enough yet."

    "You''ve been hitting and scolding me for so long, you must be tired. Rest in my arms."

    "Rest! What rest? Let me go; I don''t want to rest in your arms at all. You think your arms are

    attractive?"

    Owen didn''t let go.

    He forcefully pressed her head into his chest.

    Her struggle was like tickling to him.

    "Cecilia, let me exin, I didn''t want tomit suicide or jump off the cliff. I don''t even know how I

    ended up here. I felt that this ce was good for me to regain myposure, so I stayed here."

    Holding Cecilia, Owen''s cold heart gradually warmed up.

    "How can a positive person like memit suicide? I definitely won''t jump off the cliff. Besides,

    people who drown are bloated and ugly. I''m too handsome to die in such an ugly manner."

    Cecilia couldn''t break free from his hug, so she twisted his arm hard.

    He screamed in pain.

    After he finished screaming, Cecilia cleaned her ears and said in disgust, "You scream so horribly,

    even pigs being ughtered don''t scream as horribly as you."

    "It hurts so much!"

    "Good, you deserve it!"

    "Yes, yes, I deserve it."

    Owen let go of her, rubbing the ce she had twisted, and asked her, "Was it really my grandfather

    who asked you toe find me? Or, was it you who wanted toe look for me?"

    "Do I have spare time toe find you? I was afraid your grandfather would kneel to me and

    shorten my lifespan, so I came to find you. Mr. Malicious, I''m providing extra service now, you have

    to pay me a service fee."

    Owen found her amusing, "We''re a married couple after all, don''t always talk about money with me."

    "What kind of couple are we, don''t you have a clear understanding? Don''t y the husband role in

    front of me, we''re just business partners."

    Seeing that he was okay, Cecilia turned around and left, saying, "You hugged me just now,

    remember to pay a thousand dors for the service fee."

    Owen was speechless.

    He followed her and suddenly asked, "How much does it cost to sleep with you?"

    Cecilia suddenly stopped, turned around, and tried to kick him. Owen dodged quickly, otherwise, he

    would have been kicked into the sea!

    "What do you take me for?"

    Owen also suddenly realized that this question might make her misunderstood as a prostitute, and

    hurriedly apologized, "I''m sorry, I''m sorry, Cecilia, I didn''t mean it, I was just talking too much, I''m

    brainless!"

    "Get lost!"

    Cecilia scolded him and headed back to her car, quickly reversing to a wider spot and driving off.

    At that point she was not worried about leaving Owen behind at all.

    "Cecilia, Cecilia!"

    Owen chased after her and tried to reason with her, "Why are you so impatient, getting angry over a

    small thing. Cecilia, wait for me, I haven''t gotten in the car yet! Weren''t you here to pick me up, I

    haven''t gotten in the car yet!"

    Owen gave chase for a bit, but maybe because he hadn''t eaten or drank anything all day, at that

    point he felt both hungry and thirsty. He was so exhausted that he couldn''t chase anymore.

    He stopped, huffing and puffing.

    After catching his breath, he quickly turned back and ran to his car. Like Cecilia, he reversed the car

    to a spot where he could turn around, switched directions, and then floored the gas pedal.

    Just two minutes into his drive, the car came to a halt!

    He was out of gas!

    Oh my God, what was he going to do?!

    There were no gas stations around, and even the nearest one was far off.

    Cursing a bit, Owen quickly pulled out his phone. After turning it on, he began to dial Cecilia''s

    number non-stop.

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267

    He called several times before Cecilia finally picked up.

    Cecilia teased, "Decided to turn your phone on, finally?"

    "Cecilia, I''m out of gas, what should I do?"

    "Out of gas? Haha, even God''s fed up with you. Who told you to go to such a remote ce? You

    were asking for trouble!"

    Owen retorted, "Can you save the mockery forter? Come pick me up first."

    "I''m too far away, I can''te back for you. What if I run out of gas too? Your phone''s still working,

    right? Call your bodyguards, let theme and get you. Mr. Martinez needs to maintain his image,

    you can''t just sneak back to town, you need to do it in style - bang!"

    Owen''s face changed dramatically, he shouted, "Cecilia, what happened? Are you okay? Did you

    have a car ident? How did you get your driver''s license?"

    Cecilia had indeed hit a tree by the roadside.

    But fortunately, she was okay.

    The front of the car was a bit deformed, but it could still be driven back to town.

    After checking the car, Cecilia responded to Owen on the phone, who was already starting to run

    forward in worry, "I got my driver''s license fair and square. It''s because you distracted me that I hit

    the tree. Owen, this car belongs to your family, and I crashed it."

    "As long as you''re okay, it doesn''t matter if the car is damaged or not. We have many cars in our

    garage, you won''t be asked to pay for the repairs."

    "That''s a relief."

    Cecilia heaved a sigh of relief.

    The car she was driving was a luxury car, and the repair cost for such a crash would be high. She

    could afford it, but it would be a bit ufortable even for her.

    "Are you running?"

    "No!"

    Owen denied being scared to death by the "bang".

    If something happened to Cecilia because of him.

    Well, he hadn''t figured out what he would do yet!

    He would let everyone know when he figured it out.

    "Alright, it''s fine, you can go back. I''ll call my bodyguards toe and get me."

    Cecilia hung up the phone.

    Owen moved his phone away from his ear, seeing that she had hung up, he suddenly felt a void in

    his heart.

    He muttered to himself, "She really hung up, she doesn''t care about me at all!"

    Ten minutester.

    Owen sat in the passenger seat, looking at the night view outside the window, a smile never leaving

    his face.

    He was afraid Cecilia would see, so he kept looking out the window.

    Serendipity Cafe.

    As soon as Stefan''s car stopped, Lucinda jumped out and walked quickly into the coffee shop.

    "Wee! Lucy?"

    Janice thought a customer wasing in, ready to say wee. But then she saw it was her

    daughter and corrected herself.

    "Mom."

    Lucinda called out to Mom twice.

    Both moms responded to her.

    Fiona walked over to her first and asked softly, "Did everyone leave?"

    "The rest of the tribesmen left in the evening, my father and the twodies from the Blue family

    haven''t left yet."

    Lucinda then asked, "Mom, where''s Cecilia?"

    Fiona replied, "Owen left thepany this morning, we don''t know what happened. No one knows

    where he went, and his phone was off. His grandfather was very worried about him, so he sent

    people to look for him and asked Cecilia for help. Cecilia went out to help find him. I called her just

    now; she informed me that she found Owen and is on the way back to town."

    Lucinda''s eyes sparkled.

    Others might not know why Owen suddenly disappeared, but she surely did.

    It must be because the gift from Stefan shocked him and caused his emotional copse.

    Lucinda still didn¡¯t know how shocking the gift Stefan gave Owen was, which made Owen turn off

    his phone and disappear for a day, it must be interesting.

    She wonder if Owen was still so obsessed with Ruby after receiving that gift.

    By the way, Owen''s grandfather was a very smart man.

    This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.

    He sent people to find Owen, he must have been able to find him, but he asked Cecilia for help,

    obviously trying to create an opportunity for them to spend some lonely time.

    Owen was in a state of heartbreak, and Cecilia''s appearance was like a ray of light illuminating the

    darkness in his heart.

    "That''s good."

    Lucinda walked towards her mother, asking, "Mom, have you eaten yet?"

    This question was intended for Fiona.

    Both moms answered her, "We''ve eaten."

    Janice then asked her, "You haven''t eaten yet?"

    Fiona said to her new son-inw who just came in, "If you two haven''t eaten, I''ll go get some food

    for you now."

    Lucinda rented a house nearby and still owned it now. So Fiona bought some vegetables from the

    supermarket across the street in the evening, cooked them in the rented house, and brought them

    to the shop to eat with Janice.

    Janice just found out that her daughter had rented a house nearby.

    Fiona said that the key to the rented house was in the pen holder on the right side of the cash

    register.

    "Mom, no need, Lucy and I have eaten. Lucy was just worried about you, so she came over to

    check on you."

    Stefan didn''t go over to disturb them, so he found a chair to sit on.

    Fiona didn''t go over either.

    There were no customers in the shop at that time.

    Lucinda was calling Cecilia while walking towards her mother. After a brief inquiry and confirming

    that both were okay, she hung up the phone.

    "Mom."

    Lucinda walked to the cashier and hugged her mother affectionately.

    Janice quickly looked at Fiona, seeing that Fiona didn''t show any displeasure, she was relieved.

    Although Lucy was her biological daughter, she was raised by Fiona. The Moore family had done a

    lot for Lucy.

    She had found her biological daughter, which was already very satisfying. She never thought about

    competing with Fiona for Lucy, Lucy was their shared daughter. Lucy was more affectionate towards

    her; so she was worried that Fiona would be unhappy about it.

    Fortunately, Fiona was very generous and willing to share the filial piety of their daughter with her.

    Janice was immensely grateful to Fiona in her heart. Although Fiona was an ordinary mother, she

    was also a great one.

    "Lucy."

    Janice lightly touched the back of Lucinda''s hand, her voice steady as she said, "If you''re about to

    make excuses for your dad, save it. I don''t want to hear it. Whatever happiness I had with your

    father, it''s history. I''ll do my best to file for divorce and from then on, I''ll be here for you. Sure, being

    the matriarch of the Blue family might seem morous and I''ve held that position for a long time.

    Since there are so many people longing for it, let them have it. All I want for the rest of my life is to

    be with you and your brother. As long as you two are happy, I''m good."

    Janice had lost all hope for Nathan.

    Lucinda stayed silent for a while before saying, "Mom, Dad says he''s not getting a divorce."

    She was at a loss for words, unsure of what to do at that point.

    From her mom''s perspective, her dad''s actions were unforgivable. Was she supposed to continue

    living with a husband like that?

    But he was still her dad.

    She agreed to the idea of her parents getting a divorce, but her dad kept insisting that he wouldn''t

    divorce for the world!

    Her dad was the head of the Blue family. If he didn''t want a divorce, even if her mom filed for one, it

    might not go through.

    Man, she felt like she was stuck between a rock and a hard ce.

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268

    "He isn''t nning to divorce."

    Janice went quiet for a moment, then turned to her daughter and affectionately said, "Lucy, we''ll

    handle our own problems. You don¡¯t have to worry about it too much. As long as you are doing well,

    I will be doing just fine."

    "Mom, I''ve been doing great. Before I was married, my parents and brother took really good care of

    me. After marrying Stefan, he spoiled me rotten. Now, having found you guys again, my life is even

    better."

    When it came to her son-inw, Janice looked towards Stefan. He was amazing with both her and

    her Fiona, always so patient. He''d sit with them, chat about this and that, just being an all-around

    awesome guy.

    A smile spread across Janice''s face as she said contentedly, "Not only did I find you again, but I

    also got a perfect son-inw. It''s enough to make me smile in my sleep."

    Despite Stefan being as dashing and wealthy as her husband, his family''s attitude was nothing like

    that of the Blue family¡¯s. The Andersons always stood firmly by Lucy''s side. The men in the

    Anderson family, once they got married, stuck to their vows, forever and always.

    It was the ideal marriage.

    After spending a few days with the Andersons, Janice found herself wanting to stay there long-term,

    the atmosphere was just that good and weing.

    No wonder the Andersons were top dogs in Pinehurst.

    A harmonious family led to prosperity and who could argue against that?

    The Andersons were the perfect example. They had a big family and a lot of wealth, but they always

    kept a low profile, never showing off.

    Janice even saw the Andersons'' grandmother sitting in a field chatting with the local farm-workers

    about crops. If she didn''t know any better, she would think that she was a lifelong farmer.

    Who would''ve thought that in her youth, she was a fierce woman standing by her husband''s side in

    the business world?

    "Mom, don''t be like that, I''ll get jealous. You guys are all so nice to Stefan."

    Janice patted her nose affectionately and said, "Well, his family treats you even better, don''t they?

    So, of course, we must be extra nice to him. It''s all about give and take. If you only take and never

    give, it''ll eventually hurt the other person."

    Lucinda immediately thought of Owen and Ruby.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Owen was all in when it came to Ruby.

    But Ruby, all that she knew was to take and never give. In time, Owen''s heart would naturally grow

    cold.

    Today, after exposing Ruby, Lucinda hoped that once Owen received the gift Stefan had for him, he

    would finally let go of Ruby. Then, Ruby would truly have nothing.

    Thinking about this oue, Lucinda couldn''t help but want to burst outughing.

    Would people think she was mean for taking such pleasure in another''s misfortune?

    Who cared? Even if they did, she''d stillugh. If Ruby ended up with nothing, she''d be happy and

    she''dugh. Haha!

    "Lucy, I heard Stefan has a vi somewhere else, I''ll move there in a couple of days. I don''t want to

    face your father and your grandmother."

    Lucinda replied, "Alright, I''ll move into the Diamond Ridge Estates vi with you. I know Stefan has

    a lot of properties, but I didn''t ask for the specifics, so I''m not exactly sure about his wealth."

    Stefan actually wanted to hand all his wealth over to her to manage, but she was afraid that having

    such arge sum of money would make her worry about it all the time and keep her up at night, so

    she tly refused his proposal.

    Surprisingly, her biological father was also very wealthy. Byw, she could inherit half of his estate,

    which would roughly amount to several billion. It seemed like she couldn''t escape from her fate of

    being a billionaire!

    So, she would eventually have to ept the reality.

    Next Monday, she would dutifully start work at Ascend Global.

    Tiffany was already staying with the Andersons, ready to help her with makeup every day so she

    could hide her identity when she went to work at Ascend Global.

    Knowing that her biological mother didn''t want to return to Ascend Estate, Lucinda went over and

    sat next to her adoptive mother, telling Stefan, "Stefan, my mom says she doesn''t want to go back

    to Ascend Estate. She''ll be staying at your Diamond Ridge Estates vi starting tonight."

    Stefan nodded understandingly and agreed to the proposal, saying, "Alright, we''ll stay with Mom."

    Lucinda then asked her adoptive mother, "Mom, do you want toe with us? But my dad is still at

    the mansion."

    "You guys aren''t going back to the mansion, right? Then I''ll just stay at your rented ce for a

    couple of nights. You haven''t canceled your lease yet. If no one stays there, it''ll be a waste of rent.

    Lucy, you can cancel your lease."

    "Okay, I''ve already talked to thendlord about canceling. It will be done by the end of the month."

    "Mom, if you''re not going back to the mansion, you can move into Diamond Ridge Estates with us. If

    you want to go back to the mansion, then I''ll take you there first."

    Stefan felt that having his mom stay at a rental ce didn''t just feel right.

    Fiona chuckled and said, "I''m pretty busy. I have toe to the shop to help tomorrow. It''s

    inconvenient tomute from the mansion. Staying at the rental ce is much more convenient as

    it is only a few minutes'' walk. You guys don''t need to persuade me. I''ll stay at the rental."

    Fiona chose not to move into Diamond Ridge Estates with them because she wanted Lucinda to

    spend more time with her biological mother. She thought that if she was around, Lucinda would be

    torn, afraid of neglecting either one of her mothers. Fiona didn''t want to see her daughter so

    stressed, so she chose to step back.

    Lucinda had been with her since she was a child, and even if she found her biological mother, she

    wouldn''t abandon Fiona.

    Whypete for affection with Janice?

    What was wrong with stepping back?

    Besides, living in a rental ce was morefortable for her. She never quite got used to living in a

    mansion.

    Stefan and Lucinda tried their best to convince Fiona to move into Diamond Ridge Estates, but all to

    no avail. They eventually gave up.

    ¡°Lucy, it''s gettingte, you guys should head back. We can handle the closing up.¡±

    Checking the time, Fiona urged them to take Janice back with them to rest.

    The shop was pretty quiet during the night, just some cleaning and tidying up stuff were left.

    Lucinda tried once more to persuade her mother toe with them. After being turned down by

    Fiona, she could only head back to their vi at Diamond Ridge Estates with her husband, taking

    her mom with them.

    "Mom, I have no idea if Cecilia will be back or not. If she does indeede back and it''s not too

    late, ask her to give me a call.¡±

    Fiona saw them out, ¡°Got it.¡±

    "Fiona,e back with us."

    Janice tugged at Fiona''s hand.

    Fiona chuckled and said, ¡°Janice, you don¡¯t need to keep trying to persuade me. I¡¯m not a fan of

    moving around, and there¡¯s no room for me to stay in the shop. If there had been, I would have

    moved in a long time ago. Now, you just go back and get some rest, don¡¯t overthink things, just go

    with the flow. You don''t need to be so stubborn about some things. Being too stubborn can make

    you paranoid. Sometimes, we need to understand that there may beplicated reasons behind

    some decisions. Sometimes, what you see isn¡¯t necessarily true, and what you hear isn''t

    necessarily false. Everything has two sides, try looking at things from a different perspective, and

    you might discover a new understanding."

    Fiona had a good mindset, being older and having more life experience than Janice.

    She noticed that Nathan''s attitude towards Janice wasn¡¯t exactly heartless.

    No matter what, they were still Lucy''s biological parents. Fiona still hoped that Lucy''s biological

    parents could somehow get along so that Lucy could live a happy life when she returned to them.

    "Thank you, I''ll keep that in mind,"

    Janice said gratefully.

 Chapter 269

    Chapter 269

    "Time for you all to head home, it''s reallyte, don''t worry about me. I''ll wait a bit longer for Cecilia,

    if she doesn''t show up, I''ll close up shop and head back to my rental to rest."

    Under Fiona''s repeated urging, Lucinda and her husband had no choice but to leave that ce with

    Janice.

    Fiona watched them leave before she turned back to the store.

    "Miss, you''re really something else."

    The shop assistant gave her a thumbs-up and said, "Lucy is lucky to have a mom like you. My own

    mom doesn''t do half as good a job as you do. All she cares about is me giving her money. But no

    matter how much I give her, she hoards it all for my little brother to spend."

    They were both her parents'' children, but all the love went only to her brother, while she was treated

    like an ATM.

    "Did you give all your sry to your mom?"

    "No, I told her I don''t make much. Half of my monthly wage goes to her and I keep the other half. I

    don''t really spend much since I get food and drinks at the store, so I save most of it. I dare not let

    my family know about it, they''d take it all and spend it on my brother if they did. My brother is dating

    now. And he''ll need a house and a car when he gets married. If they found out about my savings, I''d

    be working for nothing. As long as they don''t know I have money. If they want to keep supporting

    my brother, it''s their business, they can''t rely on me. As for their retirement, I''ll just do my duty, but I

    won''t give them any extra money."

    The girl''s family favored their son and neglected their daughter. Her parents were keen on her

    helping her brother, but luckily, she had the presence of mind to hide part of her wage from them.

    She knew that she had to n for her future.

    Fiona asked, "Won''t your mom think your wages here are too low and force you to quit?"

    "She tried but gave up quickly. Because Lucy married Mr. Coleman and became thedy of the

    Anderson family. My mom believes that there''s a future for me working with Lucy and hopes that I

    could marry into a rich family too and give her a big chunk of money."

    Fiona looked at her speechlessly.

    "Please, don¡¯t look at me like that, I don''t have such thoughts, I know my limits. Lucy and Mr.

    Coleman are old friends. I don''t want to marry into a rich family either. Why drag others into this

    mess when I''m already being exploited by my mom?"

    If she married into a rich family, her husband''s family would be treated like an ATM by her family.

    "Girl, you''re clear-headed, I support you. Tomorrow I''ll talk to Lucy about giving you a raise. Don''t

    tell your family about the raise, save it for yourself. You''ll need a lot of money when you get married

    and have kids. If you can save enough, it''s best to buy a house for yourself before getting married.

    Even if it''s small, it''s important to n for yourself."

    "I have such thoughts too."

    While they were chatting, Cecilia and Owen returned.

    The car stopped in front of the store, Cecilia unbuckled her seatbelt and said with relief, "Thank god,

    just enough fuel."

    Owen, being surprised, asked her, "Why didn''t you refuel when we passed the gas station?"

    "I forgot, why didn''t you remind me?"

    Owen kept silent.

    He had been chuckling all the way and forgot too.

    "What are you waiting for, get out,"

    Cecilia scolded him and got out of the car first.

    After being scolded by his wife, Owen touched his nose and mumbled, "After driving for so long,

    you''re still angry."

    Cecilia''s ears were sharp and heard his mumble, turned her head and red at him, asking sternly,

    "What are you mumbling about?"

    Owen was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "I was saying how wonderful you are,

    beautiful, kind-hearted, gentle, the best girl in the whole world. Everyone loves you, flowers bloom

    when they see you."

    "Go on, I''m listening."

    Owen scratched his head, speechless.

    "You can''t even tter properly."

    Cecilia turned and walked towards the store.

    Owen quickly followed, saying, "I have no experience in ttering."

    "What else can you do besides jumping off cliffs?"

    "Cecilia, I told you that I didn''t want to jump off the cliff, I just wanted some peace."

    "Oh."

    Owen then asked, "Why are you so cold?"

    "I''m starving, I don''t have the energy to talk. When I''m full, if you give me money, I can be less cold.

    It''s all extra service, and it''s definitely not free."

    Owen didn''t speak anymore. He was feeling depressed. Everything between them seemed to be

    about money.

    More money, less love!

    It seemed like she was always hurting their rtionship.

    Cecilia asked, ¡°Do we have a rtionship?¡±

    Owen was speechless.

    "Cecilia, you''re back."

    Fiona and the shop assistant both came to greet them.

    The pastry chef who lived far away had already gone home.

    "Fiona, is there anything to eat in the shop? I''m really hungry."

    "Yes, yes, let me get it for you. Girl, go get Cecilia somete-night snacks."

    Fiona went to get the pastries, and the shop assistant quickly ran to a nearby fast-food restaurant to

    get takeout for them.

    "Here, have some pastries to fill your stomach for now."

    Fiona brought out several pastries, put them on the table, and poured a ss of water for Cecilia,

    telling her to drink some water before eating the pastries so she wouldn''t be thirsty.

    She also handed Cecilia a wet wipe to wipe her hands and to clean them before eating.

    Owen didn''t get such good treatment.

    Fiona wouldn''t even look at him, let alone pour him a ss of water.

    Owen felt guilty, and didn''t dare to let her serve him. He poured himself a ss of water, drank it,

    then poured another one, carefully sitting down next to Cecilia with the water.

    He didn''t dare to sit toofortably on the chair, only taking up a small portion.

    So that if Fiona reprimanded him, he could get up faster.

    Owen was also very hungry.

    He didn''t like sweets, but he was so hungry at that time that he didn''t mind the sweets, reached out

    to grab a pastry, only to be pped away by Fiona.

    He looked at Fiona with pity and grievance.

    He moved his lips gently and whispered, "Fiona, I''m really hungry."

    "What does your hunger have to do with me? Isn''t it what you deserve? If you want to eat, wait till

    Cecilia is full. If there''s any left, then you can eat."

    Fiona turned on her heel and started to leave, muttering as she went, "Can''t even bother to wash

    your hands before you eat. Even kindergartners know that you''re supposed to wash your hands

    before a meal. You''re worse than a three-year-old, and you''re supposed to be a big-shot CEO, huh!"

    Owen''s face turned beet red in an instant.

    Lucy''s mom had a way of scolding people without resorting to swearing that could still leave them

    red as a tomato.

    He nced at Cecilia, who was wolfing down her food, and said, "You didn''t wash your hands

    either. Howe Fiona didn''t say anything to you?"

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    "I''m like a daughter to Fiona. And who do you think you are? Trying topare yourself to me,

    thinking Fiona actually cares about you?"

    Owen was left speechless.

    He had just gone to the edge of the cliff for a quiet moment, and somehow it felt like he''d stirred up

    a ho''s nest, not a shred of good mood to be found.

 Chapter 270

    Chapter 270

    "What are you doing still here? Go wash your hands, or do you need me to do it for you?"

    Owen nodded, getting up to wash his hands.

    By the time he came back, Cecilia had already devoured half of the pastries.

    As he sat down, he said, "Cecilia, you look like you''re still hungry. Will you still be able to eat

    peacefully if I join in?"

    "Why don''t you just watch me eat then?"

    Owen was felt speechless. He was just trying to show concern, and her response was pretty blunt.

    Cecilia found it amusing that he was indeed just sitting there, watching her eat, so she slid half of

    the cake to him. "Eat up, otherwise, if you starve to death, I won''t have anyone to foot the bill, and

    all my efforts will be in vain."

    Owen didn¡¯t wait for a second and started munching on the pastries.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    Her words were a little harsh, but she was actually very kind-hearted.

    He decided not to talk too much. The more he said, the more likely he would say something wrong.

    Better just eat the pastries.

    By the time the waiter returned with theirte-night snacks, the two had already finished the

    pastries.

    "Cecilia, Mr. Martinez, yourte-night snacks are here."

    After the waiter distributed the packed food, Owen thanked the waiter. He then turned to Cecilia,

    "Cecilia, you should give this employee a raise."

    Such attention to detail, even remembered to pack histe-night snack.

    After saying that, he suddenly realized he may have talked a bit too much, and quickly added, "I

    don''t mean to meddle in your business, I just think good employees should be rewarded."

    "I heard Walter is also a great employee, Mr. Martinez, don''t forget to give him a raise too. In my

    shop, good employees naturally get raises. Since this waiter is doing such a good job, Mr. Martinez,

    you should not only say it but also show it, like leaving a tip or something."

    "Cecilia, there''s no need."

    Cecilia nudged the waiter under the table, and the waiter immediately stopped speaking.

    Owen was taken aback, then quickly pulled out his wallet, casually taking out some money to give

    to the waiter, saying, "This is my tip for you."

    The waiter nced at the stack of money, about two hundred dors, she dared not ept it.

    Cecilia nudged her again, and she finally epted it.

    "Cecilia, Mr. Martinez, enjoy your meal, I''ll clean up and clock out."

    The waiter quickly left, also pulling Fiona along with her.

    They hid in the pastry room, the waiter counted the money, less than two hundred dors, one

    hundred and eighty. She counted sixty for herself, another sixty for Fiona, and stuffed the remaining

    sixty into Fiona''s hand, whispering, "This is for Cecilia."

    Fionaughed, "Are we really going to ept this?"

    "Cecilia told me to take it, so I did. You were the one who had me pack thete-night snacks, this tip

    should include your share. Cecilia has brought me so much good fortune, there should be a share

    for Cecilia as well. This way, we are sharing the good luck among ourselves."

    Fiona smiled and did not refuse. After all, Owen was Stefan''s enemy, and he willingly gave a tip. If

    he was willing to give, then why not take more from him? Maybe soon enough he would go

    bankrupt, and then he would have no confidence to oppose her son-inw.

    Maybe Owen was not thinking, ¡°Fiona, are you really hoping for my bankruptcy?!¡±

    After Owen''s bodyguard filled up his car at the gas station, he drove it to the Serendipity Cafe, left it

    there and hurried off.

    Owen messaged his bodyguards, telling them not to track him anymore, better yet, turn off their

    phones, making him unreachable, giving him the opportunity to have Cecilia drive him home.

    The Martinez family''s bodyguards all cursed Owen for being shameless in their hearts!

    After the two had their fill, the night grew darker.

    The staff had already gone home, and Fiona was about to close the shop and go back to her rented

    room for rest.

    "Cecilia, can you give me a ride home?" Owen shamelessly asked Cecilia.

    Cecilia had already taken her electric scooter keys, ready to ride home. Owen stopped her, she

    raised an eyebrow, saying, "Mr. Martinez, don''t overstep. The reason I went to the cliff to save you

    is out of respect for your grandfather. You''ve had your fill and must be energized now, why can''t you

    drive yourself home? Didn''t your bodyguard already bring your car back? If you don''t want to drive

    yourself, then call your bodyguard toe drive."

    Owen pleaded pitifully, "I''ve already called, but for some reason, they either don''t pick up or they''ve

    turned off their phones. I can go home myself, but I''m afraid my grandfather will beat me when I get

    home."

    "What''s that got to do with me? You''re the one who''s going to get beaten, not me, I won''t feel a

    thing."

    As Cecilia spoke, she pushed him aside and walked out of the shop, not forgetting to tell Fiona,

    "Fiona, I''ll lock up for you. You should go rest, it''s almost midnight."

    Fionaughed, "It''s fine, I''m staying at Lucy''s ce tonight, it''s nearby. You guys go ahead, I''ll lock

    up shortly. Oh, Lucy asked you to call her. But it''s sote now," Fiona forgot to tell Cecilia.

    Cecilia checked the time, it was not convenient to call her friend, so she just sent a WhatsApp

    message instead. If Lucy replied, it meant Lucy hadn''t gone to sleep yet, and they could talk on the

    phone then.

    "Cecilia."

    Outside the shop, without Fiona watching, Owen started acting up. He stopped Cecilia from leaving

    again, not letting her ride her electric scooter away. He was trying to entice her, "Cecilia, if you drive

    me home, you''ll get to see my grandfather scold me, maybe even hit me. This is a rare opportunity;

    it would be a pity to miss it."

    Cecilia chuckled, grabbed his cor and pulled him close. She leaned in, their distance so close

    they could almost feel each other''s breath.

    Owen''s heart instantly tightened, he stared at Cecilia''s smiling face, thinking in his mind, ¡°Is she

    going to kiss me? If she''s going to kiss me, should I let her or not? Forget it, just let her!¡±

    "Owen, are you asking for trouble or what? You''re just itching for me to see you make a fool out of

    yourself, aren''t you? If I had the time, I''d love to watch. But it''s toote now, and I''m not going. Can I

    even make it back if I go with you? Your grandpa would never let me leave. It''s pretty clear that

    you''re trying to put me in a tight spot, even a fool could see that."

    Cecilia gave Owen''s face a pat, let go of his cor, and then gave his chest a couple of pats and

    then said, "Drive yourself home. I have no idea what beef you have with Ruby that''s got you so

    worked up, but if you''re feeling down, just chill at home. I''m off."

    Cecilia sidestepped him, hopped on her electric scooter, and took off.

    Owen turned around and watched her receding figure, touched his face where she had patted, and

    then his chest. He muttered under his breath, "Why didn''t she kiss me?"

 Chapter 271

    Chapter 271

    Because Cecilia didn''t give him a lift, Owen had to drive himself home.

    On the way home, his phone buzzed a dozen times, all from Ruby, but he didn''t pick up any of the

    calls.

    He was driving, and taking calls would distract him, which could turn out to be dangerous. He didn''t

    want to risk an ident because of her.

    Frustrated by Owen''s silence, Ruby threw her phone on the floor in a fit of anger. Seeing this,

    Megan rushed to pick it up.

    "Ruby, what''s the point in getting mad? I''ve told you countless times, but you never take my words

    seriously. Look at how you treat Owen. How could he not be upset? You run to him when you need

    him, and to Stefan when you don''t. What do you think he is? A convenience store? When you need

    him, you call him over. When you don''t, you ditch him. See, you''ve broken his heart. When I called

    him, he wasn''t very keen toe over, although he finally agreed toe and see you. But who

    knows, he didn''t show up and turned off his phone for a whole day. Ruby, either Owen is

    heartbroken and doesn''t want to deal with your drama anymore, or the elders of the Martinez family

    are controlling him, not letting hime. When you called that girl, what did she say?"

    Ruby snapped, "Cecilia gave me a good scolding on the phone. I think she might hit me, so I dare

    not go to Serendipity Cafe to find her."

    Cecilia was Owen''s wife. In Cecilia''s eyes, Ruby was the one who destroyed their marriage. It was

    reasonable for Cecilia to want to hit Ruby and to make her suffer.

    Ruby was scared, so she didn''t dare to find Cecilia. She could only vent her anger at home by

    smashing things.

    "Owen wouldn''t treat me like this. It must be one of the elders controlling him, not letting hime

    to see me, not letting him help me. Mom, what should I do? Now that I know Lucinda''s real identity, I

    know that she is powerful. I''m in trouble with both the Blue family and Stefan. Stefan can easily find

    out that I did it. He loves Lucinda so much, he''s definitely going to settle the score with me."

    Ruby was extremely anxious, feeling like this time she was really screwed.

    If even Owen wouldn''t help her, then she wouldn''t be able to survive in Pinehurst.

    Why did things turn out like this?

    It was Lucinda!

    Yes, it was certainly Lucinda!

    Lucinda turned out to be the youngdy of the Blue family!

    Thinking of the Blue family''s status in Skywatch and the wealth of the Blue family''s master, Ruby

    was insanely jealous.

    "Lucinda must know it was me. She intentionally didn''t rify, letting things escte, so she has

    evidence to sue me for defamation. She''s watching my performance like watching a monkey show,

    watching me being self-satisfied and excited until I think I''ve won, then she slowly rifies the

    sibling rtionship. She''s so cruel!"

    Ruby was crazy for a whole day, but when she calmed down a bit, she realized that she had fallen

    into a trap.

    "Ruby, stop pondering about why things have happened. Go find Owen now, he''s yourst hope. If

    you push Owen away too, what else do you have?"

    Megan was both angry and heartbroken for her daughter.

    Ruby was stunned. Would she even lose Owen, herst hope?

    She never thought she would lose Owen''s love. Owen was so affectionate towards her.

    In the past, no matter what she did, Owen would understand her, and forgive her.

    No, Owen wouldn''t leave her. He was not answering her calls at that point, it must be the elders of

    the Martinez family interfering with him.

    Why won''t that old man just kick the bucket!

    Once he was gone, Owen can truly take over the family business, and no one will be able to stop

    him from helping her in the future.

    Ruby was very annoyed with the elder of the Martinez family.

    Trenton, ¡°The more you resent me, the longer I''ll live, up to 120 years old, till you''re old and still

    can''t marry into the Martinez family!¡±

    "Mom, I''m going to find Owen now."

    Ruby finally listened to her mother''s advice.

    She grabbed the car keys and took back the phone that she had thrown on the floor from her

    mother''s hand, and then hurried out.

    As soon as she opened the door, she saw a servant. The servant seemed to want to knock on the

    door, but she came out first.

    "What''s up?"

    Ruby asked with a nk expression.

    The servant hurriedly said, "Miss, Stefan is here."

    Stefan?

    At first Ruby was surprised, then scared.

    If this was before, she''d be over the moon if Stefan came looking for her, but now she did something

    wrong and felt guilty. Thest thing she wanted was Stefan toe to find her.

    He must be here on behalf of Lucinda.

    Ruby turned around to go back to her room.

    "Miss, Stefan said, if you don''te downstairs, then don''t me him for being rudeter."

    Ruby stopped, turned her head and worriedly asked, "Did hee alone?"

    "He brought six bodyguards."

    Ruby felt uneasy in her heart and instructed the servant, "You go downstairs and tell Stefan, I''ve

    already gone to bed. Whatever it is, we''ll talk about it tomorrow. Don''t say I don''t want to see him,

    he''s not an unreasonable person. If you say this, he won''t do anything to you."

    The servant gave a bitter smile, "He said, even if you are sleeping, I have to wake you up. He gave

    you ten minutes to think about it. If you don''te downstairs in ten minutes, he won''t be polite."

    "What happened?"

    Megan came out and curiously asked.

    "Mom, Stefan is here, he must be here to vent for Lucinda. Mom, I''m scared, can you go downstairs

    to deal with him?"

    Ruby grabbed her mother''s hand, pleading.

    Thank God her mother came back from abroad because she was worried about her, otherwise, she

    would have no one to rely on.

    "Avoiding the problem won¡¯t solve anything. Let''s go, I''ll go down with you. I want to see what he

    can do to you!"

    Megan pulled her daughter downstairs.

    Ruby was nervous, but being pulled by her mother, she had no choice but to go downstairs.

    Stefan was sitting on a single sofa. The six bodyguards he brought with him were standing behind

    him.

    He had a serious look on his face, holding something that looked like a folder in his hand. Ruby had

    no idea about what was in it.

    Ruby guessed it was evidence that he had gathered. The fact that he was here on behalf of his wife

    meant that he must have had solid proof, enough to make her feel guilty in denial.

    "Stefan, long time no see."

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Megan had already startedughing while she was still on the stairs.

    "Coming to visit me thiste, what''s up?"

    Stefan looked at them coldly. As they approached him, he said indifferently, "Megan, where''s your

    bathroom? I think you might need to take a look in the mirror and see if you''re worth it."

    Megan was stunned for a moment, her smile frozen on her face.

    Soon, she said, "Stefan, don''t get so worked up, I''m good friends with your mom. You used to call

    me Mrs. Scott. Is there something you want to talk to me about tonight?"

    "My mom''s friends have never included Megan. Megan, don''t be so full of yourself, and don''t act like

    an elder in front of me."

    Stefan was very cold towards Megan, and he stood up.

    His eyes were cold as ice as he stared at Ruby, taking a step forward.

    "Stefan, stay away, what are you trying to do?"

    Ruby was terrified. Seeing him approach, she screamed and turned to run.

    "Bring her back to me!"

    Stefan gave the order to his bodyguards.

    Two of the six bodyguards he brought with him quickly ran towards Ruby, who had already run up

    the stairs, grabbed her, and without hesitation, brought Ruby back.

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    Chapter 272

    "What on earth do you think you''re doing? Let go of my daughter, now!"

    Megan was heartbroken to see the Anderson family''s bodyguards handling her daughter.

    She yelled, rushing forward to rescue her daughter from their grip.

    Turning to Stefan, she shouted out, "Stefan, you''ve crossed the line! This is the Scott family, not the

    Anderson family. What you''re doing here is wrong, and I won''t hesitate to call the police!"

    Stefan just stood there, his lips curled up in a cold and cruel smile.

    They were no match for the Anderson''s bodyguards.

    The bodyguards roughly dragged Ruby over. Ruby''s hair was messy from struggling, her high heels

    were lost, and she was barefoot. They dumped her at Stefan''s feet, looking utterly disheveled.

    "Stefan! Don''t you dare go too far! What has Ruby done wrong to deserve this? Her only mistake

    was falling in love with you!"

    Megan was so angry that her face lost all color. She lost control and rushed over, punching Stefan.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    Stefan didn''t even need to lift a finger, and his bodyguards pushed Megan away. Megan tried to

    rush at him again, only to be kicked to the ground by a bodyguard. The pain made her stop in her

    tracks.

    "The boss doesn''t like other women touching him."

    One of the bodyguards said coldly.

    "Mom."

    Ruby rushed to help her mother up, the two of them huddled together, looking up at Stefan.

    Stefan looked down on them, making Ruby realize that she had always looked up to him. No matter

    how hard she tried, she could never reach his level.

    If Stefan truly loved her, he would cherish her like a treasure.

    When he didn''t, even if she died in front of him, he would find her annoying.

    "Stefan!" Ruby wanted to question Stefan, but he harshly threw a file at her face.

    Ruby was in pain but she didn''t dare to say anything.

    She tremblingly picked up the file. Inside were papers and a bunch of photos.

    The papers were about her uploading videos to the inte and hiring inte trolls to manipte

    public opinion. There was also evidence of her undergoing a hymen restoration surgery abroad.

    Ruby''s face went white when she saw the evidence of the hymen restoration surgery.

    She couldn''t believe that Stefan knew about what she had done abroad!

    When did he start collecting these? Was it since she came back, or even before?

    Ever since he was 12, understanding the difference between boys and girls, he had been distant

    from her.

    She and Owen spread rumors, trying to make it seem like they were childhood sweethearts.

    He had tried to rify, but she used her mother''s rtionship with his mother to often visit the

    Anderson family. No one believed his rification.

    After multiple failed attempts at rification, he stopped trying to exin.

    Ruby thought he epted their rtionship, but in reality, he was waiting for Lucy to grow up, for

    her to enter his world, to share his ideas truly, and then he started dealing with her.

    This man had a lot of patience, but he was also scary.

    He would only strike when she thought her n had seeded, delivering a fatal blow.

    "These photos?"

    Megan was shocked by the photos, too.

    Her daughter did have several boyfriends abroad, both foreigners and international students.

    She always reminded her daughter to keep clean, respect herself, and not casually date boys.

    Her daughter told her that even though she had many boyfriends, she felt Stefan was the best. The

    other boyfriends weren''t even as good as Owen. She said she wanted to return to Pinehurst, marry

    into the Anderson family, and be a rich wife, and she would never do anything irresponsible.

    If she wouldn''t do anything irresponsible, what about these photos?

    Megan picked up a paper that slipped from Ruby''s hand. After reading it, she couldn''t believe it and

    turned to her daughter, "Ruby, what is this? Is this true?"

    "Mom."

    Ruby couldn''t refute it because she did do such things.

    How could she maintain her chastity while dating her boyfriends in such an open ce abroad?

    She was cautious not to get pregnant, that was already good.

    When she decided to return home to pursue Stefan, she secretly underwent restoration surgery.

    "p!"

    Megan pped Ruby.

    She was really pissed at her daughter!

    She was almost thirty, and she got detained after only a few days back home. 15 days of detention

    wasn''t enough to sober her up, she was still doing abnormal things after getting out.

    Making Stefan start to strike back and retaliate. Even Owen didn''t want to deal with her anymore.

    The angrier Megan got, the more she couldn''t help but p Ruby again.

    She pped Ruby''s face several times, making it swell before finally stopping.

    She turned to Stefan, "Stefan, I''m embarrassed to apologize for what Ruby has done. You have the

    evidence; do whatever you think is right. I won''t me you. Once she gets out, I''ll take her abroad,

    and we won''te back, we won''t disturb you guys anymore."

    Ruby''s nder of Lucinda having an affair, if Nathan didn''t publicly admit his daughter, this would

    still affect Lucinda. Stefan had the evidence and could sue Ruby for defamation.

    "Mom!"

    Ruby cried, covering her face, "I don''t want to go in. I don''t want to go to jail! Stefan, I know I was

    wrong. I did all this because I love you too much. I was jealous of Lucinda. Please don''t sue me,

    and I''m willing topensate, however much you want, I''ll pay you, pay Lucinda. I don''t want to go

    to jail!"

    Ruby had been detained before, and she vowed never to set foot in such a ce again.

    Detention would onlyst for a few days, but if Stefan decided to press charges, she could be

    looking at real jail time, and that wouldn''t just be for a few days.

    She didn''t want to go to jail!

    "You need topensate for the damages, apologize publicly, and pay for your actions!" Stefan

    said coldly. ¡°Megan, it''ste. I won''t bother you with disciplining your daughter anymore."

    Stefan had aplished his mission, so he left with his bodyguards.

    With the evidence at hand, Megan would definitely give Ruby a piece of her mind. He didn''t need to

    get his hands dirty.

    He would do what he had to do.

    Ruby had topensate for the damages, apologize, and then be sent to jail. Not a single step

    could be skipped!

    Using thew as a weapon against the bad guys could not only punish them but also protect the

    victim. That was how Stefan continuously operated.

    "Stefan!"

    When Ruby saw Stefan leaving, she immediately got up and chased after him.

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    Chapter 273

    "Stefan, I know I messed up. I swear I won''t repeat the same mistakes again. Can you please give

    me another chance? I promise I won''t bother you. Stefan!"

    Ruby tried to approach Stefan, but she couldn''t even touch the hem of his clothes as his bodyguard

    blocked her. When she attempted to force her way, the bodyguard mercilessly pushed her away,

    causing her to fall to the ground.

    Stefan didn''t show any mercy, and neither did his bodyguard.

    They wouldn''t dare to raise their voice at her if it was Owen''s bodyguard.

    "Stefan, I don''t want to go to jail, I really don''t!"

    Ruby sat on the ground, sobbing.

    She regretted her actions so much she could puke.

    She had known his cold-heartedness ten years ago.

    And yet, she still poked the bear, and it was like she was asking for trouble.

    She always thought that he would show her some leniency due to their childhood friendship.

    Boy, was she wrong!

    His past leniency was only because he didn''t have enough evidence against her. It wasn''t that he

    had spared her. It was that she hadn''t indeed crossed his line yet!

    Stefan left under the protection of his bodyguards.

    The domestic staff of the Scott family all hid, afraid of bearing the brunt of thedy and Missy''s fury.

    They were all curious.

    Stefan didn''t do anything to Ruby, and he just threw a folder at her. Ruby started crying as if it was

    the end of the world, and thedy even pped her hard.

    That''s Stefan''s way. He could hurt people without making a sound and wouldn''t break anyws!

    "Mom, what should I do? I don''t want to go to jail!"

    Ruby saw her mother approaching, and she immediately hugged her leg, crying, "Mom, help me.

    Let''s find Jean and Owen. Jean loves me the most, and so does Owen. They will definitely help me.

    Yeah, let''s find Owen, I''ll go find him now!"

    Ruby stood up, wiped her tears, and was ready to find Owen. After a few steps, she turned back

    and said to her mother, "Mom, hit me a few more times to make my face swell more. That way,

    when I find Owen, he will feel bad for me and help me unconditionally."

    Following her instruction, Megan hit her a few more times, making the swelling on her face more

    noticeable.

    Ruby''s face felt like it was on fire.

    The pain made her tear up.

    Megan also felt heartbroken; tears welled up in her eyes.

    "I will listen to you, and I''ll listen to you from now on. I''ll find Owen. I was stupid not to appreciate

    Owen''s kindness. Instead, I messed with Stefan, and look at me now, it''s all my fault."

    Ruby was crying and regretting.

    She wanted to leave, but her mother held her back.

    "Ruby, it''ste now. If you go find Owen, you will disturb his rest. Let''s wait until tomorrow morning.

    Don''t go to the Martinez family; find him at his office."

    "By the time it''s morning, my face will have gone down; how will he feel bad for me then."

    Megan growled, "I can always help you make your face swell again."

    Ruby was speechless.

    Her mother started pointing at her forehead, reprimanding her while pointing, "Didn''t I warn you?

    You agreed verbally, but what about your actions? What have you done? Look at you now, and you

    are about to face legal consequences; this is all on you! I told you, Stefan doesn''t love you. If he did,

    you wouldn''t have gone abroad ten years ago. You were young and beautiful back then, and he

    didn''t love you. Now, you''re almost thirty and can''tpete with Lucinda''s youth and beauty. What

    makes you think you canpete with her! You used to say Lucinda couldn''t even find her own

    parents? look at her now! Her real parents have found her. The Blue family from Skywatch! That''s a

    wealthy family! The head of the Blue family is a multi-millionaire. That''s a level we can''t even dream

    of reaching! How can you be so unlucky to have such a strongpetitor? No, Ruby, you haven''t

    understood yet. Stefan doesn''t love you, and it has nothing to do with your age or looks. He just

    doesn''t love you, no reason!"

    Ruby felt wronged.

    "I know I messed up. I still have Owen. Owen loves me so much that he won''t abandon me. He will

    help me. As long as I get through this crisis, I''ll let things take their course. I''ll marry Owen!"

    Megan said coldly, "Marry Owen? It''s toote; Owen already has a legal wife; Cecilia is his wife

    now!"

    Ruby looked at her mother with tears in her eyes, and her mother was even putting her down!

    Was she being abandoned by everyone?

    "I might lose to Lucinda, but I won''t lose to Cecilia. I have faith in Owen, Mom, I''m going to the

    Martinez family right now!"

    After saying that, Ruby ignored her mother''s objections and headed directly to the Martinez family.

    Stefan didn''t care about their quarrel. He knew once he left, Megan would continue to scold Ruby.

    She was Ruby''s mother. Whatever she did to Ruby, it was none of Stefan''s business.

    When he returned to Diamond Ridge Estates, it was already 3 a.m.

    The surroundings were quiet.

    Stefan asked a bodyguard in a low voice, "Did you get the video of Ruby being scolded?"

    A bodyguard quickly replied, "I filmed the whole process."

    "Send the video to me."

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Stefan instructed quietly.

    If he woke up his wife when he returned to the room, he''d show her the video of Ruby being scolded

    to cheer her up.

    The bodyguard quickly sent the video he had taken to Stefan''s mobile phone.

    "Alright, you guys can rest now."

    Stefan received the video, dismissed his bodyguards, and quietly approached the main house.

    The front door of the main house wasn''t locked. He had instructed Emma to leave the door

    unlocked before he left.

    As he gently pushed the door open, the light turned on before he even entered.

    Emma turned on the light.

    "Sir, you''re back."

    Emma waddled her plump body and quickly reached Stefan, asking with concern, "Is everything

    settled?"

    Stefan smiled, "See, Emma, I told you I''d handle it. Thedies didn''t wake up when I left, right?"

    "Nope, they were sleeping like babies."

    Suddenly, Stefan fell silent.

    "What''s up?"

    Stefan said, sounding down, "I forgot that Lucy has been staying over at her mom''s these past few

    days. I was nning to sneak back into the room without disturbing her."

    Emma was left speechless for a moment.

    "Are you hungry, sir? I can whip up something for you."

    "I''m not hungry, and I''m not in the mood to eat either. I''m going to head back to my room."

    Stefan walked past Emma and headed upstairs.

    Emma turned around and watched the man she had raised walk the stairs. Thinking of his

    expression just now, she couldn''t help but chuckle and mumbled to herself, "Even the boss has his

    childish moments. Guys in love, they''re really something else."

 Chapter 274

    Chapter 274

    Late into the night, Stefan returned after seeking justice for his wife from the Scott family.

    After climbing the stairs, he first went to Janice''s room. He didn''t knock, though, figuring they were

    all probably in dreand by now, so he didn''t want to disturb them.

    He wondered if Lucinda was dreaming about him?

    He stood in front of Janice''s room for several minutes before returning to his own.

    His big bed was lonely with only his pillow and a thin nket and no beloved wife in sight.

    Unable to sleep with his wife, Stefan could only hug his pillow and brave the rest of the night.

    The next day, he woke up at his usual time.

    After putting on his sportswear, he prepared to go for a morning run. Just as he opened the door, he

    bumped into Janice, who was about to head downstairs.

    "Janice."

    "Stefan, you''re up early."

    Seeing it was him, Janice smiled and said, "Why not catch some more z''s?"

    "I''m used to waking up at this time. Did you sleep wellst night?"

    "Slept like a baby."

    After being talked down by Fiona, she wanted to take a break from the mess of her marriage to

    Nathan and just enjoy the good times with Lucinda. The rest could wait.

    Less stress, better sleep.

    Janice seemed to be in a much better mood today.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Stefan''s gaze moved beyond Janice.

    "Lucinda''s still catching some Z''s. She looked so peaceful, so I didn''t have the heart to wake her.

    Go on, Stefan, go get your workout in. I''ll whip up some breakfast for you guys."

    "Janice, let''s leave that to Emma."

    Stefan followed Janice downstairs.

    "No biggie; I just felt like doing something. I want to cook something good for you guys. Lucinda''s

    never had my cooking. Back when things were good between Nathan and I, I loved cooking for him.

    I''m pretty good in the kitchen."

    Since this was for Lucinda and it was Janice''s wish, Stefan didn''t say anything more.

    Stefan did a couple ofps in the yard and then headed back.

    Janice was still busy in the kitchen, with Emma helping her. The two of them were chatting and

    laughing away. Stefan stood at the kitchen door and listened for a bit. Emma was sharing some of

    Stefan''s old stories with Janice.

    Stefan gave a chuckle and then headed upstairs.

    Since Janice wasn''t in the room, he went right in and saw Lucinda still asleep. He walked over,

    deliberately sat on the edge of the bed, and watched her.

    He wanted to see if his gaze could wake Lucinda from her dreams.

    After a moment of watching and seeing Lucinda still asleep, Stefan couldn''t help but reach out and

    touch her face and lips, and then tugged lightly at her ear in a yful manner.

    In her dream, Lucinda encountered an annoying fly. She tried to swat it dead with an electric fly

    swatter but couldn''t find it. So she tried to swat the fly away with her hand.

    But every time she swatted it away, the fly returned.

    Suddenly, Lucinda got angry and swung her hand with force.

    But instead of hitting it, her hand was caught by the fly. But flies didn''t have such big mouths, did

    they?

    Lucinda quickly opened her eyes, only to see her husband''s smiling eyes.

    Lucinda blinked. She seemed to have gone to bed with her motherst night, so why did she wake

    up to Stefan''s face?

    Was she dreaming?

    Lucinda closed her eyes again.

    There was a familiar masculine scent on her lips.

    This was real; she wasn''t dreaming.

    Lucinda opened her eyes again, trying to push the man kissing her away, but he caught her hands,

    pinning them above her head. His lips pressed harder against hers, giving her a deep kiss.

    "Good morning, sweetheart."

    Stefan, who took advantage of his wife''s drowsy state to steal a kiss, grinned like a kid who had

    stolen a treat.

    His eyes were full of sweetness.

    Waking up to such a handsome man every morning was a treat, filling her day with happiness.

    "Sweetheart."

    Lucinda sat up, then rested her head on his thigh. "How did you get in? Where''s my mom?"

    "I walked in. Your mom is downstairs, making breakfast for us. She said we''ve never had her

    homemade breakfast, so she''s making it."

    Lucindaughed: "My mom''s cooking is probably the best in the world!"

    "That''s debatable. My mom''s cooking, I mean, I really question it. Only my dad can stomach the

    food she cooks. My brothers and I can''t eat it. Every time my mom says she''s cooking, my brothers

    and I find an excuse to leave. The fastest to leave are always our grandparents."

    Lucinda: "Is it really that bad?"

    Stefanughed, saying, "Next time my mom cooks, I''m willing to take one for the team and have

    you taste her cooking. I guarantee you, once you''ve had it, the next time you''ll definitely run. In our

    house, my dad''s cooking is the best. But he rarely cooks for my brothers and me. He always waits

    until we''ve gone to work before making something delicious for my mom. When we get back, my

    mom brags about it, making us drool."

    Lucinda thought Stefan''s parents sounded really interesting.

    She hadn''t spent much time with them yet and didn''t know them well, only knowing that they really

    liked her.

    "By the way, where were youst night?" Lucinda suddenly asked.

    Stefan''s eyes flickered as he asked her, "How did you know I went out?"

    They didn''t sleep together.

    "I was about to fall asleep when you left so I heard some noise. I wanted to ask you when you got

    back, but the next thing I knew, it was morning."

    Stefan took out his phone.

    He opened a video sent by his bodyguard, then handed the phone to Lucinda, smiling, "I didn''t do

    anything; I just found something interesting to cheer you up."

    Lucinda took his phone.

    "What interesting thing?"

    The video was captured perfectly. After watching it, Lucinda handed the phone back to him.

    "Sweetie, how do you feel? Are all yourints addressed now?"

    "I wasn''t reallyining; all this was done on purpose. Seeing Megan pping Ruby and Ruby

    looking at you as if she''d seen a ghost, it all made me quite happy. Darling, you did a great job!

    Haha, seeing Ruby like this, I feel so satisfied. I want tough some more, haha!"

    Lucinda was patting her husband''s shoulder, praising him for a job well done, all the whileughing

    heartily.

    Stefan grabbed her hand, his eyes crinkling with a smile. "Since I''ve done so well, I guess you owe

    me a reward."

    Lucinda, being a generous woman, hugged him and nted two kisses on his face. She then

    whispered something in his ear, making him break into a wide, unstoppable grin.

 Chapter 275

    Chapter 275

    Lucinda snuggled up to her husband and asked, "Sweetie, do you think Ruby will go find Owen?"

    "Obviously, she will definitely go to Owen. I''m just not sure if Owen can firmly reject her this time."

    Stefan sorted out what Ruby had done abroad and sent a copy to Owen and Trenton.

    Owen might soften, but Trenton definitely wouldn''t let him down.

    "Babe, do you want to watch the drama unfold?"

    "Can we? You don''t get along with Owen. Even if we want to watch the drama, we don''t have an

    excuse to visit him."

    Who didn''t love a good show? Especially Ruby''s drama, Lucinda loved it the most.

    "As long as you want to watch, I''ll take you. Just because I don''t get along with Owen, it gives us a

    chance to watch his drama. If we were on good terms, it would be awkward to watch him in trouble."

    Lucindaughed, saying, "Then let''s hurry up and go."

    Stefan indulgently said, "Alright."

    If Owen knew his archenemy was bringing his wife over to his house to watch the drama, he might

    die of anger in advance.

    Owen came hometest night. Luckily, his grandfather wasn''t waiting in the hall to scold him.

    He sneaked back to his room like a thief and went straight to sleep.

    When dawn broke, he woke up but still felt unrested, so he called Walter to tell him he wouldn''t be

    going to thepany today and all meetings needed to be rescheduled.

    After he hung up, he went back to bed to continue sleeping.

    Unfortunately, someone didn''t want him to sleep. The knocking on the door was deafening.

    "Who is it?"

    Owen was disturbed and angry; he shouted at the door-knocker while getting out of bed.

    "Mr. Martinez, it''s me, Derek."

    Owen went over and opened the door, red at Derek, and said displeasedly, "Derek, do you want

    me to sleep at all? Knocking so loudly in the early morning, are you trying to break the door?"

    "Mr. Martinez, Ms. Scott is lying at the front gate and we don''t know if she''s dead or alive. The

    security guard on duty said she arrived in the middle of the night and wouldn''t leave."

    Derek was really reluctant to bring him this news.

    He and Trenton both preferred Ms. Yates but Owen was infatuated with Ms. Scott.

    If he wasn''t afraid of Owen ming himter, he wouldn''t care about Ms. Scott at all.

    Derek thought that after he said this, Owen would rush out as usual.

    But this time, he just stood there, unmoving.

    Owen thought of the "gift" he received, and his face turned very ugly. Rubying to find him now

    was probably because Stefan found evidence to hold her ountable, so she was afraid of being

    put in jail, then she came to seek his help.

    If Stefan didn''t hold her ountable, she probably wouldn''te to find him.

    She was always like this, turning to him when she needed help and going to Stefan when she didn''t.

    She had been using him. He was just a tool for her totch onto Stefan.

    "Mr. Owen, are you okay?"

    Derek asked with concern.

    Owen turned around and walked back into his room.

    Derek was stunned. Was Owen scared? Why would he react like this? He didn''t run out, nor did he

    instruct them to rush Ruby to the hospital.

    Something was off!

    Instinctively, Derek followed Owen into the room and said, "Mr. Owen, did you hear what I just said?

    Ms. Scott arrivedst night and has been guarding the gate all night. She''s still lying there and we

    don''t know if she''s asleep or fainted."

    "People like her won''t easily get into trouble." Owen finally said something.

    But for Derek, his reaction was still unusual.

    Of course, Derek also hoped that Owen could treat Ruby as coldly as Stefan. After all, Owen was a

    married man now.

    "Mr. Owen, aren''t you going to check on her?"

    Owen turned to look at Derek, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Derek, aren''t you the same

    as my grandfather, disliking to see me with Ruby?"

    "Mr. Owen''s private matters are not my business. I''m just worried about you because you''re acting

    unusually."

    Owen said lightly, "Derek, go wake Ruby up and ask her what she wants. If there''s nothing, let her

    leave. I''m busy and I don''t have time to see her, nor do I have time to help her with anything."

    Derek was stunned. He couldn''t believe what he heard.

    If these words came from Stefan, Derek would find them normal, buting from Owen, he found

    them very unusual.

    Of course, this was a good thing.

    Owen finally learned to let go of his feelings for Ruby.

    How good was Owen''s wife? Owen should learn to cherish her.

    Derek came back to his senses and said, "Mr. Owen, are you sure about this?"

    "If you can''t remember what I said, you can record it on your phone and y it for Ruby to hear."

    Owen walked to the closet, opened the door, and took out his clothes. Without looking at Derek''s

    expression, he said lightly, "I guess you guys can''t persuade Ruby to leave either, so just record it. If

    she still won''t leave after hearing what I said, you don''t need to worry about her. She can lie there

    as long as she likes."

    Derek quickly took out his phone and said, "Mr. Owen, can you repeat what you said? I''ll record it

    and y it to Ms. Scott."

    Owen waited for him to get ready, then repeated what he had just said.

    After recording, Derek yed it back to make sure it wasplete, then smiled at Owen and said,

    "Mr. Owen, take your time getting dressed. I''m leaving."

    Then he left cheerfully.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    Seeing the delighted look on Derek''s face, Owen was stunned.

    It seemed that, apart from his mother and Ruby''s mother, no one else approved of him being with

    Ruby.

    Seeing him gradually grow cold towards Ruby made even Derek happy.

    When he first heard that Ruby was lying at his front door, Owen almost ran out immediately.

    When he snapped back to reality, he remembered the tantly obvious hints he''d received

    yesterday. The impression Ruby had given him was that, despite having lived abroad for many

    years and having had several romances, she''d never really fallen for anyone. Her heart was

    apparently reserved for Stefan.

    This stirred up a jealousy in him towards Stefan, a jealousy so intense it felt like he was going nuts.

    Now he finally understood. Ruby had been lying. She''d actually had a hymenosty. She was just

    fooling herself.

    If a person told a lie and thought they''ve covered it up well, they''ll convince themselves they hadn''t

    done anything wrong. Just like Ruby, who, because she''d gotten surgery, felt that all those years

    abroad, she was still keeping her virginity for Stefan.

    This kind of thinking might have even blurred reality and illusion for Ruby herself.

    She always felt that she was destined to be part of the Anderson family, so of course she couldn''t

    give up her chastity. She believed she was still preserving her virginity for Stefan, which would

    surely move him deeply. But in reality, she was just deceiving herself.

 Chapter 276

    Chapter 276

    Recalling Ruby''s attitude toward him over the years, Owen suddenly halted his steps.

    He should kick it to the curb! He didn''t want to be anyone''s second choice anymore, nor did he want

    to have anything to do with Ruby. He knew if he kept this up, he was only going to be left hurt.

    When he decided to ditch Ruby, Owen suddenly felt his world brighten up, and the road ahead was

    full of sunshine.

    He remembered Cecilia, her words echoing in his ears.

    A chuckle escaped from Owen.

    Because of Ruby''s exit, his mood got a whole lot better.

    Derek recorded Owen''s words and left all pumped up.

    Ruby rushed to the Martinez familyst night, but the security guards wouldn''t let her in. They were

    worried about disturbing Shane Martinez''s rest. Ruby had no choice but to call Owen, but he didn''t

    answer.

    She then called Olina, but the phone hung up after only a few rings.

    Ruby suspected it was Shane who hung up. She had no proof.

    Ruby had to wait at the gate. She was exhausted, so shey down on the ground.

    The sun was blindingly bright.

    Ruby couldn''t fall asleep again. She opened her eyes. She was blinded by the sunlight, squinted

    her eyes shut, then, after a while, opened them again and sat up.

    She found herself still at the entrance of the Martinez family.

    Owen hadn''te out to take her in.

    Ruby med the security guards. They didn''t help her notify Owen.

    After waking up, she touched her face, then turned on her phone''s camera. Looking at her face, she

    saw that it was still swollen. Her mother had hit her hard. After several hours, her face was still

    badly swollen.

    She wasn''t beautiful anymore.

    Would Owen despise her current look?

    No way!

    Owen loved her so much. Even if her looks changed, he''d still love her. Her current look wasn''t

    disfigurement; it was just a swollen face from her mother hitting her.

    Ruby got up and walked to the gate.

    She banged on the gate, shouting into the security room.

    The security guard came out, still polite to Ruby because she was Owen''s girl.

    The guard said, "Ms. Scott, we''ve already told Derek. Wait for his notice; just hang in there."

    Trenton should be up by now, but he didn''t like Ruby, so the security didn''t dare let Ruby in without

    his say-so.

    Ruby said, "I''m Ruby. Are you guys blind or something? Open the damn gate; I need to see Owen."

    Ruby was used to being spoiled by Owen, so she was a bit haughty.

    The guard looked at her, clearly in a bind, but he didn''t open the gate until Derek came.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Ruby dusted herself off.

    She thought Derek was there to take her inside.

    But before Derek got close, she asked, "Derek, where''s Owen? He should be up by now. Why

    hasn''t hee out to meet me?"

    Derek smiled. He didn''te out but stood in front of Ruby, separated by thetticed gate.

    "Ms. Scott, sorry, Owen said he''s tied up right now. He asked you to go home."

    Ruby''s face twisted. She clung to the gate, veins bulging on her hand from the effort.

    "Derek, do you know what you''re saying? You dare to change Owen''s instructions; are you tired of

    your job?"

    Derek still wore a smile. He slowly took out his phone, turned on the recording, and yed Owen''s

    words for Ruby to hear.

    After listening, Ruby became more agitated, her hand reaching through thettice gate, trying to

    snatch Derek''s phone, screaming, "No way, no way, Owen wouldn''t do this to me! You''re lying,

    you''re lying!"

    "Owen, Owen,e out,e out!"

    Ruby couldn''t get the phone. She shook the gate madly, but the Martinez family''s gate wasn''t

    something she could shake. She was just wasting her strength.

    "Owen, Owen,e out; why aren''t youing out to see me? You can''t do this to me; how could

    you do this to me?"

    Ruby screamed madly. She couldn''t ept that Owen was ignoring her too.

    If even Owen ignored her, what did she have left?

    She had nothing left, and she was also facing imprisonment due to Stefan''swsuit!

    She was used to Stefan''s coldness. Ruby could bear it, but Owen suddenly being cold to her, not

    caring for her like before, she wasn''t used to it; she was scared, really scared, as if it was the end of

    the world.

    "Ms. Scott, I suggest you stop yelling here. Owen''s room is quite a distance from here. Even if you

    used a loudspeaker to yell, Owen wouldn''t hear it in his room."

    Derek kindly advised, "I see your face is swollen like a loaf of bread. Why don''t you go home and

    put some ice on it?"

    "I''m not going anywhere; I want to see Owen. Owen wouldn''t treat me like this. It must be Trenton

    forcing him to say this!"

    Ruby screamed. Her eyes were red, and tears swirled, soon sliding down her cheeks.

    "The sun''s pretty hot; I''m getting old; I won''t keep youpany here in the sun."

    Seeing Ruby disregarding his advice, Derek left her alone, leaving a sentence behind, and walked

    away.

    "Derek,e back,e back! Call Olina out; she knows I''m here, and she''ll definitely let me in.

    Olina, Olina!"

    Ruby banged on the gate madly, screaming at the top of her lungs like a madwoman.

    The security guards on duty were scared back a few steps by her madness.

    Derek heard Ruby''s screams, but he didn''t pay any attention to her.

    So what if Olina knew? He was following Owen''s instructions.

    Last night, Olina didn''t get a call from Ruby. Instead, a servant told her about it.

    Knowing Ruby had been left outside for a whole night, her cheeks red and swollen, Olina was

    heartbroken. Despite Trenton''s objection, she rushed downstairs, nning to go out and find Ruby.

    "Olina, where are you headed?" Trenton, lounging on the sofa reading his newspaper, didn''t even

    bother to look up as he casually tossed the question Olina''s way.

    There was a file bag on the table in front of him.

    Even though she was in a hurry to find Ruby, Olina felt obliged to answer Trenton''s question.

    "Dad, I heard Ruby got left out in the cold, so I''m going to hit the road and find her. Our doorman is

    really dropping the balltely and he even had the nerve to leave Ruby out on the street."

    "Why don''t youe over here first? I''ve got something to show you." Trenton continued reading

    his newspaper and calmly said, "It''s on the table. Check it out, then go find Ruby."

 Chapter 277

    Chapter 277

    Olina furrowed her brows, what the hell was so important?

    But since Trenton asked, Olina thought for a moment and decided to go and see. It wouldn¡¯t take

    too much time.

    ¡°Dad, what is this?¡± she asked, picking up the envelope from the table.

    Trenton didn¡¯t answer her.

    Olina didn¡¯t mind; she just asked casually. It didn¡¯t matter if Trenton didn¡¯t respond; she got what

    she needed anyway.

    She opened the envelope, reached in, and took out what was inside.

    The first thing she touched was a photo, followed by a few papers. She looked down at the photos

    pulled from the envelope with a puzzled look, and her eyes widened in surprise.

    She started to look through the photos one by one.

    Her expression changed as she did, first shock, then anger.

    After a while, she had a sudden realization and said to Trenton, ¡°Dad, who gave you these photos?

    They all look like Ruby took them abroad, right? Ruby''s so pretty, I''d be surprised if she didn''t date

    anyone while living abroad. As long as she¡¯s still virginal, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    When Ruby returned home, Olina tried to pry into Ruby¡¯s personal life. Ruby had told her that she

    hadn¡¯t dated anyone during her years abroad.

    With that, Olina was relieved.

    She trusted Ruby very much because she knew she was deeply in love with Stefan. If Ruby had

    been up to no good abroad, she herself would feel guilty towards Stefan.

    Even if these photos looked suspicious and made her feel a bit uneasy, she still believed in Ruby.

    Trenton''s gaze was still on the newspaper. He didn''t want to watch Olina''s foolishness; he just said

    lightly, "Are you done?"

    ¡°What else is there? Just a few papers.¡±

    Olina said, bending her head to look at the content of the papers.

    It looked like a hospital record.

    When she saw what was written, her facial expression became incredibly colorful, just like a palette,

    constantly changing.

    Finally, she grabbed the items and stormed out.

    As soon as she left, Trenton closed the newspaper with a a faint smile on his lips. He called Derek

    over and asked, ¡°What did Owen have you do just now?¡±

    Derek grinned. ¡°Trenton, Owen¡¯se to his senses now. That¡¯s thanks to Ms. Yates.¡±

    ¡°Cecilia does deserve some credit, but it''s mostly down to Ruby''s stupidity; she gave me a big gift. I

    need to pay a visit to Patrick Anderson and thank him for raising such a fine grandson!¡±

    Trenton''sst sentence was heavy.

    He was so envious of the Anderson family!

    The descendants of the Anderson family were more level-headed than Owen; even Lucinda was

    impressive.

    Watching Ruby¡¯s retaliation, Trenton had to admire Stefan''s cunning! He was much smarter than

    Owen.

    ¡°Alright, I''ll prepare the gift right away. Trenton, I have a recording for you to listen to.¡±

    Derek took out his phone and yed the recording for Trenton.

    After listening, Trenton said with satisfaction, ¡°Not bad; he hasn''t been stupid to the point of no

    return. Owen still has hope. Did you find the person I asked you to find?¡±

    Derek paused, quickly ncing upstairs to confirm Owen hadn¡¯te down. He asked in a low

    voice, ¡°Trenton, Owen seems to have taken a liking to Cecilia. Do we still need that person¡¯s help?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Owen''s infatuation with Ruby is deep. Now that we have these photos and this

    document, it can make him give up temporarily. But who can guarantee he won''t fall for her again?

    Look at those drug addicts; when they first quit, they all said they wouldn¡¯t do it again. But once

    they''re out, many are tempted again. Owen''s feelings for Ruby are just like an addiction. We need

    to quit for good. Take this opportunity to be determined to make him give up on Rubypletely.

    He''s starting to like Cecilia. ording to my n, he will pay more attention to Cecilia every day,

    and Ruby will gradually be neglected.¡±

    After thinking for a moment, Derek gave Trenton a thumbs up, praising, ¡°You''re brilliant.¡±

    Trenton snorted, ¡°Even if Owen were smarter, he couldn''t surpass my strategy. Derek, you did well

    today so your bonus for this month will be doubled.¡±

    Derek smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Trenton.¡±

    Trenton remembered Walter; he was the chairman, although he didn''t seem to be in charge

    anymore, he could know anything he wanted to about thepany. Walter had always advised

    Owen to give up on Ruby.

    He was good too, deserved a raise.

    ¡°Come on, apany me to see how Olina deals with Ruby. She alwaysins about me

    because of Ruby. Now I¡¯m watching her deal with Ruby herself, I''ll enjoy that. I can¡¯t miss this

    opportunity.¡±

    Did Trenton remember that this actually involved his grandson?

    Derek still went out with Trenton.

    Before they got to the front, they saw several cars parked at the entrance. The cars weren''t

    important but the people standing in front of them were. It was Stefan and his wife, and the people

    behind them were the Anderson family''s bodyguards.

    Trenton stopped, somewhat displeased, and said to Derek, ¡°Derek, I don''t want to see Stefan right

    now; what should I do?¡±

    He wanted to see Olina dealing with Ruby, but he didn''t want to see Stefan. Every time he saw

    Stefan, he got really annoyed. Why can''t Stefan be his grandson?

    Can the Anderson family swap with him?

    ¡°Trenton, why don¡¯t we just watch from here? Look! Ms. Scott is clutching Olina''s clothes and crying.

    Seems like she¡¯s about to kneel down. Olina must be having a hard time right now; knowing her

    temper, she''ll probably p Ms. Scott a few times next.¡±

    No sooner had Derek finished speaking than Olina pped Ruby across the face a few times in a

    row. Ruby was seeing stars, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth. Her already swollen

    face was even more puffy.

    Derek flinched.

    That looked like it hurt. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t his face that got pped.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Trenton paused for a moment, then after a while said, ¡°We''re a bit too far away to see clearly, and I

    can''t hear very well either. Let''s move a few meters closer, as long as we''re not directly facing

    Stefan. Every time I see Stefan''s face, I feel suffocated.¡±

    Derek nodded and helped Trenton walk a few meters forward.

    All Olina felt was a strong surge of anger because Ruby had actually deceived her!

    She had been so good to Ruby, and Ruby was always taking advantage of her son. That was bad

    enough, but to actually deceive her?

    If Trenton hadn¡¯t shown her all this, she would have remained in the dark. If her son really was with

    Ruby, she had no idea how many times she had been betrayed.

 Chapter 278

    Chapter 278

    Olina''s top priority was that her future daughter-inw must be of good character. There''s no way

    she would let Owen pick a woman with a bad record.

    With Owen being so amazing, there were plenty of good women out there.

    Why would he pick a woman with a bad record?

    "Olina, let me exin."

    Ruby knelt in front of Olina, gripping her clothes tightly and not even flinching from any blows.

    Through tears, she pleaded, "Olina, it''s all a misunderstanding. I was framed. Listen to me, I really

    didn''t."

    "Shut up! Who would frame you? If you didn''t do those things, who could frame you? Why didn''t

    anyone frame Lucinda?"

    Lucinda, who was spectating, couldn''t help but interject, "Olina, please don''t drag me into this. I''m

    innocent. The one who tried to frame me got their just desserts. I was not harmed."

    Olina struggled to shake Ruby off, turning to Lucinda and saying, "Lucinda, I know who tried to

    frame you. It was Ruby¡¯s doing!"

    "I know, I''m just enjoying the sight of my husband standing up for me."

    Ruby was so angry she could faint. Olina was panting heavily.

    "Olina!"

    "Don''t call me! Hearing you call me makes me sick! I was so good to you, and you deceived me. I

    hate being lied to the most. Go away right now; the further, the better. Don''te to our house

    anymore; you''re not wee. And don''t go looking for Owen. If I find out you''re bothering Owen, I

    won''t go easy on you!"

    Olina''s hatred for Ruby was as strong as her previous affection.

    Thinking about how she treated Ruby and Megan made Olina''s face burn. When she looked at

    Ruby, her eyes were zing. She couldn''t help but kick Ruby away.

    She didn''t want to let Stefan and his wife continueughing at her, so she turned and walked away.

    "Olina, Olina." Ruby got up and grabbed one of Olina''s legs, crying, "Olina, will you listen to me?

    Olina, you watched me grow up. You and my mom are so close; don''t you trust me or her?"

    "When there are no issues, your mom and I are good friends. But when there''s a conflict, your mom

    will definitely side with you. Ruby, I may not be a genius, but I''m not stupid."

    She had won Shane over with her beauty when she was young.

    Olina admitted she didn''t have the high EQ of Jeannie Coleman, but she wasn''t a fool.

    "Ruby, don''t me me for being ruthless. You brought this situation on yourself. The man you''ve

    secretly loved for over a decade brought his beloved woman to watch your downfall. The man who

    loved you for so many years was so fed up with your antics that he didn''t even want to look at you."

    Olina once again pushed Ruby away and walked into the house.

    Ruby sat on the ground, crying.

    Why didn''t Owene out to see her? Did Owen despise her too?

    "Owen, Owen,e out,e out!"

    Ruby kept calling for Owen.

    She ignored Stefan and his wife, who were watching them with smug expressions. She didn''t care

    about her image anymore and she just wanted to see Owen and ask if he still loved her.

    Owen dide out, not disappointing Ruby.

    "Owen."

    Seeing Owen step out, Derek reminded him, "Owen, remember Cecilia."

    Owen didn''t answer and he just walked straight out.

    When he saw Stefan with Lucinda, he stopped, looked at Stefan for a while, and said, "It¡¯s really

    windy today. It even blew Mr. Coleman over."

    Stefan chuckled and said, "We came for the show."

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    He added, "My wife likes watching dramas, making it a good one."

    Owen felt ufortable. His mood was low, but hispetitor was acting affectionately in front of

    him, like he didn''t have a wife!

    He had a wife too!

    Lucindaughed and said, "Mr. Martinez, the stage is yours; enjoy."

    Owen: "You two really are a match!"

    They knew how to push his buttons.

    "Owen."

    Ruby stood up, crying, "Owen."

    Owen finally looked at her.

    Her current state was pitiful; her cheeks were red and swollen, and herdylike demeanor was

    gone. Her grace was all an act, and Owen had been fooled by her fa?ade all along.

    After all, she was the woman he had loved for over a decade. Seeing Ruby in such a pitiful state

    made Owen''s heart ache.

    It took a lot of effort for him not tofort her, let alone hold her like before.

    Ruby was disappointed. She didn''t get the answer she wanted.

    She was right in front of Owen, in a pitiful state, but the way Owen looked at her was different. His

    pained expression made Ruby panic.

    Owen''s broad and warm embrace was no longer her safe haven.

    "Owen." Ruby, tears welling up, her lips trembling, choked out, "Do you still love me?"

    Owen was silent for a long time before finally saying, "Ruby, I waited for you for over a decade, and

    you never saw the good in me. Now, I don''t want to wait anymore."

    As he said this, Ruby started crying, and she fell to the ground.

    She felt hopeless! No one would wait for her forever.

    Owen had been behind her for over a decade, and she never looked back.

    When she wanted to look back, Owen had already turned and walked away.

    Olina was right; this was all her karma!

    Seeing Ruby crying her heart out, Owen pulled out a pack of tissues. Instead of handing them to

    her, he crouched down and ced the pack of tissues on the ground in front of Ruby.

    Then he stood up, looked at Ruby for a while, and turned to walk away.

    After a few steps, he stopped, turned back, and said to Stefan and his wife, ¡°Since you guys are

    here, why don''t youe in and have a seat?"

    Stefan gave Ruby a nce, then turned his gaze to his wife, asking, "Lucy, want to go in and take a

    seat?"

    Lucinda noticed Trenton was also present and said, "We came for the fun of it, but we didn''t bring

    any gifts. With Trenton here, would people think we''re rude if we go in empty-handed?"

    Stefan chuckled. "Even if we brought gifts, they might not dare to ept them, thinking our gifts

    might be poisoned or something."

    Owen: "Stefan, don''t make us sound so paranoid. Although my grandpa might be a little wary of

    gifts from others, hepletely trusts anything from the Anderson family."

    The integrity of the Anderson family was obvious. Even if they were on opposing sides, Owen

    wouldn''t let his biases make him badmouth the Andersons.

 Chapter 279

    Chapter 279

    Lucinda nced at Ruby, her brows furrowed in thought. She then turned to Stefan with a smile and

    said, "Darling, since Mr. Martinez invited us, it would be rude to decline. We need to respect him for

    Cecilia''s sake."

    "Alright, then let''s go in."

    Owen felt a pang of bitterness. Would they have epted the invitation if he wasn''t involved with

    Cecilia?

    Stefan took Lucinda''s hand, and they walked past Ruby.

    Ruby wept bitterly, her face a mess of anguish. She nced up suddenly, her eyes filled with hatred

    towards the couple who came to see her in her lowest moment.

    Lucinda! Unbearable!

    Not only did she have Stefan, but she also came to gloat when Ruby was down.

    Upon seeing Owen trailing behind Stefan and Lucinda, Ruby couldn''t help but scream, "Owen!"

    Owen paused for a moment but didn''t look back. Soon, he had disappeared into the distance with

    Stefan and Lucinda.

    Ruby pounded the ground in frustration.

    She had lost Owen! She had nothing left!

    After what felt like an eternity of crying, Ruby finally managed to call her mother to pick her up. She

    couldn''t drive herself home, fearing she might cause an ident.

    Megan didn''t need to ask her daughter what was wrong for it was all too evident. She had warned

    Ruby to let go of her obsession with Stefan and ept Owen''s love instead. Ruby didn''t listen, and

    now she was paying the price.

    A few minutester.

    In the opulent living room, Owen''s father smiled warmly at Stefan and his wife, looking at them as if

    they were his own grandchildren.

    Derek presented a box of jewelry. He handed the box to Owen''s father.

    Owen''s father epted the box and turned to Lucinda with a kind smile, saying, "Ms. Moore, I didn''t

    have a gift for you thest time we met. I hope this makes up for it."

    With that, he handed the box to Lucinda.

    Lucinda stood up gracefully and thanked him, "Mr. Martinez, thank you for your gift. You''re too kind."

    Owen''s father expected Lucinda to decline and prepared himself to persuade her to ept the gift.

    He was surprised when Lucinda epted it without hesitation.

    She might be thinking, It¡¯s a gift from the enemy''s grandfather; why would she refuse it and lose

    out?

    No wonder Stefan had his eyes on her; she was a girl with potential.

    "By the way, I had some interactions with your grandparents in the past. Now that they''re in

    Pinehurst, I hope to catch up with them."

    Lucinda, sitting back next to Stefan, smiled and said, "My grandparents are nning to go back to

    Skywatch today. If you want to visit them, it might take some time since Skywatch is quite far."

    "They''re leaving so soon? Why not stay a few more days?"

    "They said they couldn¡¯t sleep well in a new ce. It makes them ufortable."

    Trenton was taken aback and at a loss for words.

    After a moment, he turned his attention back to Stefan, whom he liked very much.

    "Stefan, you''re a lucky kid."

    Trenton nced at Owen with a hint of dissatisfaction. "You''re much better than our Owen."

    Stefan replied confidently, "I''ve always been better than Owen. I''m a lucky person. Many people say

    that God is on my side."

    Trenton and Owen thought to themselves, Stefan had no shame!

    "Stefan, there''s something I need to thank you for."

    "No need to thank me. You should thank my wife. It''s all her idea."

    Every time Trenton chatted with Stefan, he felt a bit ufortable. Soon, he made an excuse about

    being tired and needing to rest.

    Stefan stood up and said, "Trenton, we won''t disturb your rest. We''ll leave now. We''ll invite you for

    coffee some other time."

    Lucinda also stood up and graciously added, "I''ll treat you to coffee, Trenton. As many cups as you

    want."

    Trenton''s face twitched. At his age, one cup of coffee would keep him awake all night. Lucinda was

    offering multiple cups; was she trying to turn him into an insomniac?

    This couple was truly ridiculous.

    "Owen, see Stefan out."

    Trenton instructed the silent Owen to see Stefan and Lucinda off.

    Owen got up silently and saw off the annoying couple.

    Lucinda didn''t forget to take the gift Trenton gave her.

    Watching her take the jewelry box and leave, Trenton''s face twitched again. He had underestimated

    Lucinda. He thought she was just a pretty and ordinary girl when he first saw her at the cafe. He

    didn''t expect Stefan would fall for her.

    Now he finally understood.

    Owen only escorted them to the door and then stopped. "I''ll stop here."

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Stefan said impatiently, "You make it sound like we''re close! If you''re upset, just cry it out. You can

    cry in front of me. I promise I won''tugh."

    Owen retorted angrily, "If you didn''tugh at me, the sun would rise from the west."

    Stefanughed heartily, patted his shoulder, and said, "You really know me well. Alright, I know

    you''re upset. No need to see us off. You did well today; keep it up!"

    Owen red at him angrily.

    Stillughing, Stefan went to his wife. Under Owen''s sullen gaze, they left.

    Owen stood at the door for a long time before reentering the house.

    His grandfather was no longer in the hall, probably in his room.

    After scolding Ruby, his mother also went upstairs, probably to chastise Megan over the phone.

    Owen was standing there, totally lost, having no clue what to do.

    Even though he was no longer head over heels for Ruby, their decade-long rtionship still felt like

    a knife twisting in his heart.

    If he said he wasn''t hurting, he''d be totally bullshitting!

    He pulled out his phone, thinking about giving Cecilia a ring, but as soon as the call connected, he

    quickly hung up.

    He was in desperate need of somefort right now, but Cecilia''s words might just end up being

    another stab in the heart.

 Chapter 280

    Chapter 280

    Stefan drove Lucinda back to the Serendipity Cafe.

    Before they even got close, they could see a few cars parked outside the cafe.

    "Dad''s here."

    Lucinda guessed her father might be there just by looking at those cars.

    "Your mom''s here too."

    Lucinda felt a bit nervous, fearing her parents would start arguing.

    "Don''t worry, Dad won''t fight with Mom, and Mom won''t argue with Dad in the shop. They''ll consider

    how it might affect your business."

    Stefanforted his wife.

    After they parked the car, Lucinda got out and walked into the cafe.

    "Lucy, you''re back."

    Cecilia saw her friend return, and quickly came up to her, whispering, "Your parents are arguing."

    Fiona also came over, whispering to Lucinda, "We can''t stop them."

    Following their gaze, Lucinda saw her father piling money on the table, taking up most of the space.

    Her mother stood on the side with a nk expression, apparently trying to get Nathan to leave.

    "What are they arguing about?" Lucinda asked quietly.

    Fiona was the first to arrive and saw everything, so she answered, "Your dad was already waiting

    here when I came to open up this morning. As soon as I opened the door, he came in and sat down,

    but he didn''t order any coffee or food. When your mom arrived, she saw your dad, and her face

    changed. She walked straight up to him and told him to leave. Your dad said he was a customer

    who came for coffee and snacks and that it''s not good business to drive customers away."

    Lucinda asked in a hushed tone, "What''s with all the money?"

    "That''s because your mom said she wouldn''t serve him and wanted him to leave, so your dad

    withdrew a lot of money from the bank as soon as it opened and piled it on the table. He told your

    mom that as long as she made him coffee and snacks, she could earn tens of thousands of dors

    for the shop."

    Lucinda thought to herself, "This scene seems familiar."

    She looked at her friend, Cecilia.

    Cecilia wondered, "Lucy, why are you looking at me like that? I can''t make tens of thousands of

    dors with a cup of coffee and a te of snacks."

    The world of the rich was beyond her reach.

    Being around these rich people every day was really depressing, you know!

    Seeing her friend''s confusion, Lucinda didn''t say much else, handed the jewelry box in her hand to

    her mother, and told Fiona, "Mom, this is a gift from Mr. Martinez. Please keep it for me. I''m going to

    go talk to them."

    Fiona took the jewelry box and said, "Was the show good? Stefan really loves you; he actually took

    you to the Martinez family to watch the drama. When I heard your mom talking about it, I didn''t

    know what to say."

    Lucinda felt a bit embarrassed and stuck out her tongue.

    Ruby was so eager to see her embarrassed, so she had to be a witness when Ruby was at her

    most awkward. Otherwise, it would be too unfair to Ruby.

    Cecilia casuallyined, "Why didn''t you invite me when you went to watch the drama?"

    When Stefan walked in, Cecilia immediately changed her tone: "Thank god you didn''t invite me,

    otherwise I would have been the third wheel."

    Regrettably, they did not see Ruby''s embarrassment or Owen''s troubles.

    Owen thought: Thank God I didn''t seekfort from you; otherwise, your words might have killed

    me.

    Cecilia thought, If you''re going to die, remember to leave a will. I''m still waiting to be the

    richest person in Pinehurst after your death!

    Owen thought, I''m already on my way to death!

    Owen had to discuss money with Cecilia every day; otherwise, she would feel ufortable.

    Owen transferred two hundred dors to her every day and also gave her thirty thousand dors a

    month for spending money.

    When Stefan walked in, he felt the atmosphere in the room was a bit off.

    He looked at Janice and Nathan and thought it was best not to go over.

    So he asked Fiona, "Mom, is there anything I can help with?"

    Fiona picked up a cup of coffee that was already packed from the cash register, handed it to Stefan,

    and said, "Finish this coffee and then go back to work. From now on, don''t just listen to Lucy all the

    time."

    Stefanughed and said, "Mom, Dad said that listening to your wife can make you rich. I think I''m

    not rich enough. I need to listen to my wife more to be the richest man in the world."

    Fionaughed and said, "Alright, alright, I can''t argue with you. Just finish your coffee and go back

    to work. I won''t be looking after you guys tomorrow."

    "Mom, are you leaving?" Stefan quickly asked.

    He didn''t want Fiona to leave.

    "Tomorrow is the weekend," Stefan realized.

    He was startled and he thought Fiona was leaving.

    Right, tomorrow is the weekend. They had already promised to take Lucy to their ind for the

    weekend. They could take Fiona and Janice too.

    Stefan understood, and without disturbing the angry Janice and Nathan, he quietly drank the coffee

    that Fiona had prepared for him.

    Lucinda sat in front of Nathan.

    She patted the money with her right hand and smiled at her father, saying, "Dad, you know I''ve

    never seen so much cash before. Did you take it out just to show me? Let me count it. I''m going to

    count money until my hand cramps."

    Nathan moved her hand away from the money and said, "Lucy, this is my money for coffee and

    snacks. Your mom said I can''te to her cafe to buy things, so you''ll just have to watch this

    money fly by without touching it."

    Janice said expressionlessly, "As if I''ve never seen your money."

    "Our daughter has never seen so much money. Didn''t you hear what Lucy just said? She said she''s

    never seen so much cash and wants to count money until her hand cramps. We went to great

    lengths to find Lucy; can''t you even fulfill this small wish of hers?"

    Janice looked helpless.

    Nathan red at Lucinda.

    Lucinda thought, I''m innocent!

    She had seen a box of cash before, which Stefan had borrowed to deal with George Mitchell, but

    she thought the money was props at the time and never really touched it.

    Lucinda chuckled, unsure of what to say.

    "Stefan." Janice suddenly called out to Stefan, who hadn''t dared toe over to greet them yet.

    Instantly, Stefan put down his coffee and stood up, quickly walking over as if oblivious to the

    awkward tension between the couple. He asked with a smile, "Mom, what''s up? I''ll get right on it."

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Lucinda softly mocked him, saying, "You sure know how to butter people up."

    Janice''s face rxed, a smile appearing on her lips. This prompted Lucinda to sarcastically remark,

    "Even your attitude towards me isn''t as good as the sugary-sweet smile you give Stefan."

    "Stefan, do you have any spare cash at the moment? Could you lend me some? It doesn''t have to

    be much, just a bit more than this shameless old man."

    Man, this was a tough one. Caught between Nathan and Janice, Stefan felt that he was truly stuck

    between a rock and a hard ce!

 Chapter 281

    Chapter 281

    Nathan was staring at Stefan.

    Janice and Lucinda were also staring directly at him.

    The air conditioning in the caf¨¦ was already on, but Stefan was still feeling hot like he was about to

    break a sweat.

    He sought help with his eyes from Lucinda, not knowing which side to take.

    Lucinda subtly pointed at her mother.

    "Janice, how much money do you need? I''ll go get it right now."

    Stefan instantly chose a side.

    His wife hinted for him to side with her mother, and he remembered what Nathan had once told him

    which was to always listen to his wife.

    So, that was what he did.

    Nathan''s eyes bulged upon hearing Stefan''s decision, ring at him.

    Stefan and Nathan locked eyes, Stefan with an innocent look on his face.

    Nathan was so frustrated by his innocent look that he was almost spitting blood.

    "Get as much as you can, as long as it''s more than him."

    "Alright."

    Stefan was about to turn and leave, but after thinking for a moment, he turned back to his wife and

    said, "Honey, I''m a bit scared to withdraw so much money all by myself, afraid that I might get

    robbed. Can you pleasee with me?"

    Lucinda quickly replied, "I''m also notfortable with you withdrawing so much money alone. I''ll go

    with you. I''m strong, I can help you carry a whole box of money."

    The couple swiftly left that ce.

    Only Nathan and his wife were left, staring at each other.

    Once out of the caf¨¦, Stefan asked his wife to clear out the confusion, "Are we really going to

    withdraw the money?"

    "You promised to loan my mom some money, right? Are you having second thoughts now?"

    "She''s your mom."

    "I''m siding with my mom right now. Although my dad hasn''t been good to my mom, now that she''s

    wised up, he wants to turn back. That''s not happening. Even if he doesn''t want to divorce my mom,

    we can''t let him have his way. Does he think my mom will forgive him that easily?"

    Stefan was silent momentarily, then wrapped his arm around her shoulder and said gently, "Anyway,

    I''ll do as you wish. Your dad also told me to listen to you. I will keep my word, so he can''t me me

    later."

    Lucinda looked worried and said with concern, "It''s not a solution for my parents to be in such a

    standoff. Darling, you''re the smartest, think of a way to separate them, otherwise, they''ll be stuck in

    this deadlock all day."

    Stefanughed and said, "That''s easy, I''ll call my parents and ask them to take your mom for a tour,

    just to let her get used to the environment faster."

    "Then you should call them right now."

    He gazed at her lovingly.

    They had been married for a while at that point, so Lucinda knew what he intended to do. She

    blushed and said angrily, "We''re in the middle of the street."

    "What''s wrong with the street?"

    Stefan teased her again, asking, "What''s wrong with the street?"

    Lucinda gave him a yful pinch, "It''s the perfect ce to pinch you."

    Stefanughed out loud, then quickly kissed her, saying contentedly, "Being pinched by you is a

    kind of happiness. Owen wishes his wife would pinch him."

    Owen must be thinking right now, ¡°Why do you have to mention me when you two are flirting?¡±

    So, heartbreaking.

    Stefan then made a call to his mother.

    Ten minutester.

    Stefan, holding a box of cash, approached Janice.

    "Janice, here''s the money you asked for. I''ve withdrawn it all."

    Janice simply responded with a grunt, took the cash box from him, and ced it on the table,

    making a crisp sound.

    Janice, unfazed by Nathan''s disgruntled look, opened the cash box, messing up the neatly stacked

    piles of cash, making the already full box look even fuller.

    "Lucy,e here."

    Upon hearing her mother''s call, Lucinda immediately walked over and sweetly called out, "Mom."

    Janice patted the full box of cash and told her daughter, "Lucy, I can make you count money until

    your hands hurt. Some money that we don''t need, even if we make it, I will still feel ufortable."

    Hearing that, Lucinda immediately nodded in agreement and said to herself, ¡°My mom is so cool!¡±

    Nathan was speechless. He looked at Lucinda and Stefan with a bitter face. None of them was

    standing on his side.

    Stefan lovingly looked at Lucinda.

    Lucinda just looked up at the ceiling, not looking at her father.

    Nathan was speechless. Were not daughters supposed to be considerate of their fathers?

    Lucinda: ¡°Dad, I''m kind of drifting away from you now.¡±

    "Nathan, there you are. I was wondering where you went this morning."

    The voice of Frederick Anderson suddenly rang out. Then he and Jeannie Coleman walked in

    through the door.

    "Fiona."

    Upon seeing Fiona, they warmly called out her name. Fiona returned the smile, sensing that they

    were there to ease the tension, and gestured to them.

    Jeannie gave Fiona a reassuring look. Then she and her husband approached the deadlocked

    couple.

    "What''s going on? Why is there so much cash?"

    Jeannie asked Janice with a puzzled look, then linked arms with her, "Janice, I want to go shopping,

    will youe with me? Bring this box of cash, we can shop to our heart''s content."

    Janice, who highly respected Jeannie, gently replied, "I happen to be free, so let''s go shopping.

    Let''s ask Fiona to join us."

    Jeannie nodded. She locked the cash box for Janice and said with a smile, "Janice, do you prefer

    using cash?"

    "Yes."

    "I''ll have someone help you with the cash box. Let''s go. I saw a few outfitsst time and I''m going to

    buy them today."

    Jeannie, holding the cash box in one hand and Janice''s arm in the other, was ready to leave that

    ce.

    She also called Fiona to join them.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Stefan had a job to do. He stepped forward and helped his mother carry the cash box. He saw the

    three women out.

    The Blue family''s bodyguard automatically followed them, and the Anderson family also had a

    bodyguard to help carry the cash box.

    In just a matter of few minutes, Nathan was the only one left in the shop.

    He looked at the cash on the table, feeling a bit at a loss, and said to his daughter, "Lucy, help me

    put away this cash."

    Lucinda nodded and immediately started hustling to gather up the cash.

    Frederick sat across from Nathan, grinning and saying, "Hey Nathan, how about we go for a stroll?

    It¡¯s your first time at Pinehurst, right? Let me show you around, and get you acquainted with the

    ce."

    Nathan eyed Frederick for a moment and wanted to tease him by asking, "Frederick, you''re pretty

    whipped by your wife, aren''t you?"

    "You know, it''s a thing in our family. The guys really respect their wives. Don''t worry, Nathan,

    Stefan''s got that gene in him too. He''ll definitely be all about Lucy, doing whatever she says."

    Nathan was speechless. His conversation had been railroaded by Frederick.

    But for the sake of his daughter''s happiness, he had to swallow his irritation towards Frederick.

    "Come on, Nathan, let''s get going. I''ll find us something fun to do. Thedies will probably be

    shopping all day, it''s going to be a boring time if we tag along. Let''s go find something interesting

    instead."

    Frederick stood up, urging Nathan to join him.

    With his wife gone, Nathan couldn''t stay there all by himself for long. After a moment of silence, he

    finally got up and followed Frederick out.

    The tense atmosphere that had engulfed the caf¨¦ finally lifted, and tranquility was restored.

 Chapter 282

    Chapter 282

    After her husband went back to his office, Lucinda sat behind the cash register,ining to her

    friend, "I''ll never be able to live a peaceful life again."

    "If life is too peaceful, it bes boring. If it''s too boring, it''s dull. Isn''t it better to have a lively and

    interesting life with new things happening every day?"

    Cecilia handed her a cup of coffee and addressed her concern, "You''ve got dark circles under your

    eyes. Haven''t you been sleeping well recently?"

    Taking the coffee from her friend, Lucinda took a few sips and said, "These past few days have felt

    like years. I''ve been thinking about more things than I have in my entire twenties, so, yeah, I haven''t

    been able to sleep well."

    Plus, the period made her sleep even more unsteady.

    "Tell me about the juicy stuff you went to see. How''s Owen? Did hefort Ruby and promise to

    help her?"

    Cecilia propped her hands on the counter, eagerly asking her friend. ¡°You and your husband are

    something else, even taking your bodyguards to go watch the show."

    Lucinda put down her coffee cup. Taking advantage of the fact that there weren''t many customers in

    the shop, she took out herptop from her bag, ced it on the counter, and as she turned it on,

    she answered her friend, "If you''re so curious, why don''t you ask Owen directly? I bet he''d be over

    the moon if you called him now."

    Cecilia retorted, "I don''t care about him. I just want to know about Ruby''s miserable fate. Your family

    must have hit her hard. I want to set off fireworks to celebrate her downfall."

    "Setting off fireworks in Pinehurst is prohibited."

    Lucinda opened her writing software but didn''t immediately start writing. Instead, she opened her

    publishing website, checked her works on the bookshelf, and quickly blocked a fewments

    because they were threatening the author.

    "Looks like your folks have given up on Ruby. She was pretty ragged today, her face all swollen

    from crying. She pleaded with Owen, even asking if he still loved her?"

    Cecilia hurriedly asked, "What did Owen say? He loved her so much that even if Ruby deceived

    him, he''d soften up as soon as she cried. If he could really get over Ruby, the sun might rise from

    the west tomorrow."

    "I''ve only finished half of the piece I''m writing, but I don''t have time to write it now. I haven''t updated

    it recently. Cecilia, should I tell my readers that I''m going home to inherit a huge fortune and won''t

    write novels anymore?"

    Ceciliaughed, "You could say that, then you''d be famous in the online literary circle."

    Lucinda had already closed the website, reopened her writing software, and said, "I''ll just write

    4,000 words, update it when I''m done, and finish it slowly. I won''t start any new novels in the future.

    Starting from next Monday, I won''t be able to help out in the shop. Cecilia, I''ll give you all my shares

    in Serendipity Cafe, because you''ll be the one running it."

    She couldn''t stay at Serendipity Cafe anymore.

    Even her hobby, writing novels, had to be put on hold. There were too many things waiting for her to

    do.

    "It''s okay, I can manage the coffee shop. Go do what you want to do. I''ll give you a share of the

    money I earn. If you feel guilty about taking advantage of me, you can give me a higher share. That

    way, you won''t feel guilty anymore."

    "This is our first shop. Remember when we first opened it, we were full of ambitions, saying we

    wanted to open dozens of branches of this shop. Also, this is where you met Mr. Coleman. Are you

    really willing to give it all up?"

    Lucinda stopped writing for a while and said, "I''ll just keep the shares. I''lle over at the weekend

    to check on the shop, and you can rest then. Otherwise, I''ll give you all the shares."

    "Alright."

    Cecilia didn''t argue with her about this. After all, she was the one managing the ounts. Even if

    the profits were still split equally as before, Lucinda wouldn''t know that.

    "Owen told Ruby that he has been waiting for her for over a decade and doesn''t want to wait

    anymore."

    Lucinda suddenly returned to the previous topic.

    Cecilia paused, thenughed, "He''s finally woken up a bit. I thought he''d keep ying the fool.

    Lucy, I feel like having prawns today."

    "Okay, you want it, you got it. After I finish updating, I''ll go to the supermarket across the street to

    buy some seafood. We''ll sort out lunch ourselves. Owen must be in a lot of pain right now. Cecilia,

    do you want to take a day off tofort him?"

    Lucinda asked with a teasing tone.

    Cecilia chuckled, "If I went to him, you''d probably be buying flowers for the Martinez family soon

    because Owen would be dead from my nagging. Seeing him just makes me want to scold him. If I

    could scold him to the point where he was emotionally broken and he couldn¡¯t even speak anymore,

    I''d be so happy I could even eat two extra bowls of rice."This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Lucinda said, "No wonder your eloquence is getting better, it''s all from the experience of scolding

    Owen."

    The phone suddenly rang.

    It was Cecilia''s, alerting her to a new message.

    Cecilia stood up straight, took her phone out of her pocket, opened the message, and found out that

    Owen had transferred her some money.

    Receiving money, Cecilia was quick to ept without any hesitation.

    She had just received two hundred dors, and soon he transferred some more again.

    Then, the transfer messages kept oning as he kept on transferring her money, each time two

    hundred bucks.

    Cecilia frowned.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Lucinda noticed her friend''s strange expression and asked in concern, "Who''s texting you?"

    "It''s Owen. He''s really a fool with money. When he''s in a bad mood, he just spends money

    recklessly. Look, these are all transfer messages."

    Cecilia showed her phone to her friend, "Lucy, should I ept it or not?"

    "ept, of course! It''s his money, not making a profit is a waste."

    Lucinda said, as she helped her ept the money a few times.

    "Right, it''s a waste not to take his money. Since he''s willing to spend money recklessly, I''ll just take

    it."

    Cecilia dragged over a chair and sat across from her bestie, her heart filled with joy as she admired

    her growing fortune. She said, "Lucy, you focus on making money from your writing, I''m making

    mine, no wonder everyone loves wealth so much, this growth is so thrilling! If it keeps up like this, I''ll

    soon be the richest woman in Pinehurst."

    Lucinda chuckled, "Once I inherit the wealth that my father is about to leave me, I''ll be richer than

    Owen. If you want to be the richest woman in Pinehurst, you''ll have to beat me first."

    Cecilia said with a smile, "Lucy, can you not talk about your huge inheritance in front of me? It''s so

    envious!"

    "No worries, you''ll get used to the envy after a while."

    "Alright, you just enjoy your wealth, I need to finish my work ASAP and then go buy you some

    seafood."

    Cecilia praised happily, "Lucy, you''re the best friend in the world!"

 Chapter 283

    Chapter 283

    "Someone''s here."

    Cecilia instantly replied with augh, "You got to keep your work updated, or your readers will really

    flip."

    She headed towards the person who had just pushed open the ss door, took a nce, and

    couldn''t help but marvel.

    He was such a hunk.

    She kept on looking at the guest''s face, which resembled a movie star¡¯s face. She was searching

    her mind for words to describe that handsome man, like debonair, unmatched, but in the end, she

    decided that handsome was the most fitting!

    Simple and clear.

    "Is this a coffee shop?"

    The man was a bit embarrassed by Cecilia''s intense gaze, he looked around and then asked

    Cecilia.

    Did he get the wrong address?

    The address given to him was of this ce.

    The photo given to him was of this girl.

    Avery Cooper mumbled to himself, ¡°Could the target be actually someone who''s crushing on him?¡±

    He was just there to do his job, and he didn''t want any trouble. What if she really fancied him? What

    would he do in that situation?

    Within a minute, Avery had already thought through all the possible scenarios.

    "Yep, this is a coffee shop, called Serendipity Cafe. In Pinehurst, our shop is quite famous."

    Cecilia''s surprise onlysted for a minute, quickly, she returned to her normal self, and greeted

    Avery with a smile, "Find a spot to sit, want coffee or tea? Our desserts here are pretty good too,

    many people loveing here, want to give it a try?"

    The other customers thought to themselves, ¡°We''re actually here to see her.¡±

    Avery breathed a sigh of relief; it was good that he hadn''t gone to the wrong ce.

    "I thought I had walked into a dating spot because your gaze scared me as soon as I walked in."

    He felt like amb to the ughter.

    Ceciliaughed out loud, "Have you ever been to a dating spot? How was it? Are all the guys there

    just as handsome as you?"

    She wanted to take a look too. The so-called dating spot.

    "Nah, I''ve never been there."

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Avery sat down at a table by the window, casually saying, "If you''re interested, you can check it out

    and share your experience with me when youe back, satisfy my curiosity."

    Saying that, he took out a business card and gave it to Cecilia, "Just give me a call when you get

    that experience."

    Cecilia was even more amused. She was just joking, but she didn''t expect the guest to have such a

    sense of humor, even giving her a business card.

    She took the card, looked at it, and it turned out that he was a model for a male fashion brand, no

    wonder he had such a great figure and was so handsome.

    "Mr. Cooper, what would you like to drink?"

    "I worked until 3 a.m.st night, and I have work againter, I''m not in the best state right now, I

    need a cup of coffee to pick me up, I''ll have atte."

    "Do you want any pastries?"

    Avery replied with a smile, "This is my first time visiting the Serendipity Cafe, but like you said, your

    coffee shop is quite famous in Pinehurst, I''ve heard about it for a while, and since I was passing by

    today, I decided toe in for a taste, since I''m here, may as well serve me some pastries too. If I

    find it to be good, I will introduce more friends toe visit your shop."

    "Mr. Cooper, don''t worry, I guarantee you''ll be one of our regrs. Please wait a moment."

    Cecilia took Avery''s card, turned around, and casually put it in her pocket.

    When she first saw Avery, she was indeed attracted by his looks, but she wouldn''t really be

    infatuated with him. After all, she had seen many handsome guys, like Mr. Coleman, Lucinda''s two

    brothers, and even her own brother, they were all very handsome.

    Even her husband was handsome enough to be a pop idol.

    Lucinda looked up at Avery while she was writing, she heard their conversation but didn''t think

    much of it.

    Cecilia was pretty straightforward, most people liked to interact with her except for people like Ruby.

    Avery also looked at Lucinda, who was looking at him, their eyes met, and Avery marveled.

    Everyone said that the two bosses of the Serendipity Cafe were young and beautiful, naturally

    beautiful, and he believed them when he saw these twodies that day.

    He smiled at Lucinda. Lucinda also returned the gesture.

    The server brought out the pastries that Avery ordered.

    Lucinda turned her attention back to her writing. As she was no longer under financial pressure, she

    slowed down her writing pace.

    She used to rely on writing to alleviate financial pressure, working hard every day, often so tired that

    her back ached and her legs cramped, she was worried that she would contract some upational

    diseases at a very young age.

    She tried to propose to her editor to end the writing early, but neither the editor nor the website

    agreed to that, as her work was still doing well and it was a finalized work, unlike revenue-sharing

    works that could be ended at any time.

    The website required her to write at least 1.5 million words, as many rmendations required

    more than a million words to be listed.

    She had no choice but to grit her teeth andplete it, otherwise, if she ended it casually, the

    website would find someone to continue writing using her pen name, and the ie from thetter

    part would have nothing to do with her and she would not get any profit.

    As a writer, she was used to treating her works like her children, and no one wanted their child to be

    taken away by someone else after they had put the effort to raise them.

    After a while, Cecilia came out with a cup of coffee.

    When she passed by, Lucinda heard her phone keep ringing.

    Owen was really sshing out.

    Lucinda thought that her friend and Owen were very eye-catching, she had written a few thousand

    words of a new story with her friend as the main character, but unfortunately, she was too busy

    recently and had no time to continue writing, and she didn''t really have time to write novels in the

    future either.

    She had to put it aside for that time.

    Lucinda felt that she had missed the opportunity to be famous.

    "Mr. Cooper, here''s your coffee."

    Cecilia put down the tray and ced the cup of coffee in front of Avery. Seeing that Avery had eaten

    half of the pastries, she curiously asked with a smile, "Mr. Cooper, how do you find our pastries?"

    "They''re delicious, I like sweets."

    Cecilia''s eyes shimmered, "I rarely see men who like sweets."

    Averyughed, "Now you''ve met one."

    He was a total sucker for desserts, and his lover even went out of her way to learn how to whip up

    all kinds of sweet treats to please him. It was a bummer though; their rtionship wasn''t exactly

    embraced by society.

    His lover''s business had hit a roadblock at that time, and his boss offered to lend a hand, but only if

    he agreed to his boss'' terms and conditions.

    All in all, if it meant helping his lover and getting some dough in return, Avery didn''t think twice

    about saying yes to that proposal.

    Once he met the target, he thought she was a real catch. He couldn''t believe his boss'' grandson

    couldn''t see her worth!

    Ceciliaughed, "Mr. Cooper, take your time and enjoy. I''ve got to run."

    "Alright."

    Avery gave Cecilia the nod to leave, then pulled out his phone to snap some pics. He took photos of

    the desserts, the coffee, and even managed to sneak in a shot of Cecilia''s back when she wasn''t

    looking.

 Chapter 284

    Chapter 284

    The photos were taken to prove to his boss that he was working as per contract, not cking off.

    Cecilia got back to the cashier''s desk and whipped out her phone again to receive some more

    transfers.

    In the end, she replied with a "thank you" emoji.

    Owen, after sending Cecilia a mountain of transfers, waited for her reply on his phone, only to be

    met with a "thank you" emoji.

    "You''re so stingy, can''t even bother to type me a few words?" He retorted.

    "You must know I''m not in a good mood right now, Lucinda probably spilled the beans to you. Can''t

    you even bother to give me a call tofort me?" Owen was grumbling.

    Getting bored with his phone, he decided to check Facebook for some new stuff online.

    The moment he opened Facebook, he saw a post by Cecilia from a minute ago. It was a photo of a

    handsome guy, with the caption, "A handsome guy came into the shop today. He''s a stunner from

    every angle."

    In addition to the caption, Cecilia added a drooling emoji.

    Owen looked at the photo and had to admit that the guy was indeed quite a looker, the type of guy

    women went crazy for.

    So, Owen decided to give Cecilia a call.

    Seeing Owen''s iing call, Cecilia picked up, delighted.

    "Cecilia!" He said, emphasizing each syble.

    "Are you still mad?" Cecilia could hear the anger in his voice and giggled, "Want to send more

    transfers? I''m free now and my inte''s fast, I can ept however many you send."

    "I was sending them only to you, who could snatch them from you?" He said, sounding annoyed,

    "You knew I was transferring money, and clearly knew that I was upset."

    "Of course, I knew that. You always send me money when you''re angry, I wish you were angry 24/7

    so I could receive endless transfers."

    Owen was left speechless.

    He knew that she had a knack for making people ufortable with her words, she wasn''t really

    one forforting words.

    But he still couldn''t resist hearing her speak.

    "Cecilia, I''ve given you so much money, can''t you do something for me in return?" Owen sounded

    frustrated. "Didn''t Lucinda tell you? Can''t youfort me a bit?"

    "Forget it, Lucy didn''t even invite me to watch a movie with her, I''m still feeling left out. It''s a good

    thing you send me transfers when you''re angry, at least with so many transfers, I can keep my

    regrets out of my mind. What should I do? What''s the point of what I do? Mr. Martinez, the one you

    love is Ruby, only she can calm your anger. I don''t have that power; we only quarrel when we

    meet."

    Owen was speechless. "Don''t mention Ruby to me anymore."

    "As if the sun would rise from the west," Cecilia mumbled.

    Owen heard Lucinda joining in, "Really? Then I must get a telescope right away, let''s watch this

    miracle tomorrow. I''ve lived for 24 years and never seen the sun rise from the west."

    He hung up the phone without saying anything else.

    If that continued, he was sure to be driven mad by Cecilia.

    And that Lucinda was just as infuriating, he had no idea what Stefan saw in her that made him like

    her.

    "Lucinda''s good points are none of your business, as long as I know them, that''s enough," Stefan

    retorted.

    Cecilia found the other end too quiet, took her phone away from her ear and saw that he had hung

    up. Sheughed and said to her friend, "He''s such a pushover, couldn''t even handle a little

    argument and hung up."

    Lucinda wasughing so hard that she was clutching her stomach, "I wonder how much mental

    pressure Owen is under right now."

    Cecilia joined in theughter. She just couldn''t help herself.

    Every time she encountered Owen, even if it was just a phone call, if she didn''t throw a few

    sarcastic remarks at him, she''d feel ufortable.

    Another customer walked in.

    Cecilia went to greet the customer with a smile, leaving Lucinda to continue writing.

    She was still waiting for Lucinda to finish updating so she could go buy seafood and cook a seafood

    feast for her at Lucinda''s rental ce for lunch.

    After Cecilia stopped talking to her, Lucinda plunged back into her writing. Writing required

    immersion, without it, she felt that the contentcked soul.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    She was a fast writer and finished the update by 11.

    Seeing that Cecilia and the staff could handle the cafe, she shut down herptop, picked up her

    phone, and told Cecilia as she walked out of the cashier''s desk, "Cecilia, I''m going to buy shrimp."

    "Great, get plenty of them."

    "Don''t worry, I''ll cook you a seafood feast for lunch, you can eat as much as you want. You and

    Basil don''t need to order takeout at noon, join us."

    Basil was the pastry chef.

    The female staff happily agreed, "Sure."

    After discussing with Lucinda, they decided to give her a raise.

    The staff were working even harder.

    The boss was easy-going and promising, she intended to stick with it until Serendipity Cafe went

    out of business.

    No, Serendipity Cafe wouldn''t go out of business, it would only grow bigger in theing days.

    Lucinda went to the supermarket across the street to buy seafood, and didn''t forget to call her man,

    inviting him over for lunch.

    Hearing that she was going to cook, Stefan immediately wanted toe over and help, but was

    rejected by Lucinda. Lucinda even threatened him, saying that if he came over before work ended,

    she wouldn''t give him any food.

    As for the three shoppingpanions, Lucinda had called them too, but all three of them said that

    they''d eat out.

    With a count of how many people were eating, Lucinda was set.

    Just two minutes after she left, a red Ferrari convertible, like a ball of fire, roared up and parked in

    front of Serendipity Cafe.

    Everyone in the cafe was drawn to the shy red car.

    Cecilia saw Owen getting out of the car.

    She looked behind the car, hmm, no entourage.

    That was unusual for him. This show-off usually never left home without his bodyguards.

    Wasn''t he supposed to be in a bad mood? Yet here he was, driving around in this eye-catching car.

    Owen had even changed into a white suit. Already handsome, he looked like a prince straight out of

    a fairy tale in that white suit.

    After getting out of his car, and jangling his car keys, he walked straight into the coffee shop. As

    soon as he stepped in, he took a look at the customers in the shop only to find that the hot dude

    who was secretly photographed by Cecilia was still there.

    Owen''s face turned dead serious.

    What''s with the coffee drinking, huh? Been sipping all morning and still not leaving!

 Chapter 285

    Chapter 285

    "What brings you here at this hour?" Cecilia asked casually after serving a customer some pastries.

    She whispered, "You''re all dolled up like you''re going on a date, driving a fancy sports car. You

    seem to be in a pretty good mood."

    Owen straightened up, and as she was about to walk away, he followed her and said, "I can''t eat

    when I''m alone at home, so I came here to have a meal with you. Maybe then I''ll be able to eat

    something."

    She didn¡¯t eat like those so-calleddies who nibbled and said that they were full after just a few

    bites. She ate whatever she wanted, as much as she wanted, and didn¡¯t care if she looked messy

    while eating.

    Of course, she didn¡¯t look bad when she was eating.

    Anyway, Owen found it enjoyable watching her eat. It whetted his appetite and made him feel

    hungry too, so he could eat to his heart''s content.

    "I''m busy," Cecilia returned to the cash register as another customer came to settle the bill.

    Owen had to make way for the customer. After the customer left, he admired, "Business seems to

    be doing pretty well here."

    "Of course. Look at who''s running this ce. With me and Lucy as bosses, how could business not

    be good?"

    Owen was stunned.

    Indeed.

    Those two had be famous young female entrepreneurs in Pinehurst, especially Lucinda, who

    was as famous as a top celebrity.

    "Are you going to order take-out for lunch again? Don''t eat so much junk food, it''s not healthy."

    Owen rested his hands on the table, his gorgeous eyes fixed on her, saying, "Now that you''re free,

    let me take you out for lunch. If you''re worried about leaving your shop unattended, I can call

    someone to help you. Where''s Lucinda? Howe I never see her every time Ie to the shop?

    Both of you own this shop; why is it always you managing everything, and she doesn''t do anything?

    She''s like a boss who doesn''t do anything but still shares the profit. Cecilia, don''t you think you''re

    getting the short end of the stick?"

    Before he could finish, Cecilia started rummaging around.

    Owen, a bit confused, asked her, "Cecilia, what are you looking for? Tell me, I''ll help you find it."

    "Hand me the broom."

    Owen turned to where Cecilia was pointing, and fetched the broom for her, thinking he was being

    considerate, "Are you going to clean up? I can help you.Cecilia, why are you hitting me!"

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    Cecilia didn''t hesitate a bit to whack him with the broom.

    "That''s what you deserve. You''re always badmouthing Lucy in front of me, trying to sow discord

    between us. Owen, I''m telling you, I''m not falling for it. I didn''t listen to a word you said."

    Owen took a few hits from her, and after hearing what she said, he felt wronged and stepped back,

    putting some distance between them so she couldn''t hit him anymore.

    While rubbing the hit spots, he protested, "Didn''t I just state the facts? Every time Ie here, isn''t

    it always you taking care of the shop? You''re too busy even to have lunch with me, yet Lucinda gets

    to spend every day with Stefan."

    Cecilia charged out from behind the cash register with the broom, heading straight for him.

    Owen retorted, "Cecilia, if you hit me again, we''re through!"

    He didn''t run or dodge, took a few more hits, and justined loudly. Seeing that Cecilia didn''t

    stop, he had no choice but to take the broom away from her.

    The customers watched the event unfolding in front of them with great interest.

    Avery was relieved that he was just a customer there. If he were with a girl who would brandish a

    broom at the drop of a hat, he feared he might get beaten half to death.

    His boyfriend was the best, spoiling him rotten, never raising his voice at him, let alone resorting to

    domestic violence.

    "Owen, get out of here right now!"

    Without anything to hit him with, Cecilia angrily pointed at the door, ordering Owen to leave

    immediately.

    "You''re always stirring up trouble when youe here. Do you know where Lucy is? I wanted to eat

    seafood so she is out buying seafood. She''ll cook it for meter! I''m telling you, if you badmouth

    Lucy in front of me again, I''ll seal your mouth."

    Owen then addressed his feelings for her, "I just care about you, I just think you deserve better."

    "If you want to care about me, go care about your goddess. I dare not ept your care. Who knows

    if your goddess wille and wreck my shop when she finds out."

    "Cecilia."

    "I''m very angry; get out."

    "I''ll send you a transfer."

    "Who gives a damn about your stinking money, thinking you''re all that just because you''re rich."

    Owen was surprised and then said, "I just sent you a transfer, you seemed quite happy to ept it."

    Cecilia red at him angrily.

    Owen shrank back a bit.

    He handed the broom back to her, looked at her, and said quietly, "I spoke without knowing the full

    story, don''t be mad. Anger makes a woman age. I''ll get you some skincare products, take good care

    of yourself. If you like seafood, just tell me. I''ll treat you to a seafood feast, no need to bother

    Lucinda."

    Cecilia took the broom and poked him in the chest with it, saying grumpily, "All talk, no action. You

    said you''d take me to your beach house this weekend to enjoy the freshest seafood feast."

    "I''ll arrange it right away. We can go this afternoon and spend the weekend there."

    Cecilia was speechless.

    Why did it feel like this guy was just waiting for her to bring up the vacation, was all these a set up?

    For the first time since they had known each other, Cecilia felt that she''d been tricked by Owen.

    However, soon after, Cecilia said, "Never mind. Lucy said she''d take me along."

    "People go on weekend getaways as couples, you would just be a third wheel."

    Owen tried his best to persuade Cecilia to go on that beach vacation with him.

    "Lucy''s parents, grandparents, and two brothers are all going. With so many people, one more

    person won''t make any significant difference. I have thick skin, I''m not afraid of being embarrassed."

    Owen was left speechless.

    After all the fuss, Cecilia calmed down, sat back at the cash register, picked up her phone, and said

    to Owen, "What about the transfer you just promised? There''s no sign of it."

    "It was you who clearly said you didn''t want my stinking money."

    Cecilia chirped excitedly, "I''m very happy now, so you can send as much as you want. The happiest

    thing for me is to turn your money into my money."

    Owen whipped out his phone and started transferring money to her. After a bunch of transfers, he

    even handed all the cash he had with him to Cecilia. Then, he said, "Seeing cash feels a bit more

    real, the money in the bank ount just seems like a bunch of numbers."

    "I love seeing a bunch of numbers in my bank ount, the more the merrier. Having a lot of cash

    seems like a pile of money, but the more of this kind of money, the better."

    Owen indulgently stroked her forehead, "What a little money-grubber you are."

    Cecilia gently swatted his hand away.

    "Watch your words, and don''t just touch me. Do you want to get smacked?"

    "As a girl, you should be more polite and gentle, or else you might end up an old maid."

    Cecilia grinned proudly, "I''m already married."

    Owen was left speechless.

 Chapter 286

    Chapter 286

    Yep, she was definitely hitched, and she was hitched to him!

    Yes, they tied the knot secretly.

    "Hey, gorgeousdy boss, I''m ready to pay up."

    Avery gave Cecilia a wave. Cecilia was on her feet in a heartbeat.

    Owen muttered, "Usually folks walk to the register to pay, but he''s just sitting there expecting you to

    come over so that he can pay the bill."

    "If this handsome dude calls for me, I''m more than happy to go. What''s it to you? Quit cramping my

    style and go hang somewhere else!"

    Cecilia walked past Owen. Owen saw her looking at the handsome man, all smiles and felt a sting

    in his heart. She was always so good to others but so cold to him, her husband! There was a stark

    contrast between her behavior with others and with her husband.

    She only seemed happy when she was making a buck. The moment she got paid, her face

    changed.

    Cecilia expressed her feelings, saying, ¡°I just love the smell of cash.¡±

    Owen was speechless.

    After Cecilia took Avery''s money, she even walked him out, saying cheerily, "Mr. Cooper, we''re

    always d to have you."

    Averyughed, too. This girl was really cute, he thought, her smile was so natural, it made him feel

    at home.

    "Your Serendipity Cafe really lives up to its name. Great coffee, great pastries, I really like it here. I''ll

    be dropping by every day."

    Cecilia was grinning from ear to ear, "Thanks for thepliment, have a great day."

    Avery waved goodbye and then made his way to a sedan.

    Soon, he was out of Cecilia''s sight.

    "He''s long gone and you''re still standing there grinning like an idiot."

    Owen said sarcastically, "He sat here all morning, had one cup of coffee, two tes of pastries, and

    spent a few bucks. Clearly, he''s just enjoying your cafe''s ambiance, hogging a spot to use the Wi-Fi.

    I have remembered his license te number and I¡¯ll have someone look him upter."

    "Mr. Martinez, if you''re in a bad mood, just stay home, daydream or drink or whatever, don''te

    here spreading your negativity. And quit being so sarcastic."

    Cecilia told him off and then turned to walk back inside, leaving him standing there.

    Owen''s face grew darker and darker.

    He really wanted to leave right then and there, didn''t want to be snubbed by Cecilia any longer. But

    his legs felt like they were full of lead, too heavy to move.

    After a while, he slowly went back inside and sat down where Avery had been sitting. When no one

    was looking, he kept shifting in his seat.

    He was trying to rub off Avery''s scent!

    If Cecilia saw that childish behavior, she''d dieughing.

    At ten past twelve, Stefan arrived at Serendipity Cafe right on time.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    He noticed a snazzy sports car parked at the entrance and nced at the license te. It was his

    familiar rival''s car.

    Shouldn''t a heartbroken man be crying at home?

    Driving such a fancy sports car here, was he trying to show off how cool his car was?

    At noon, the cafe was usually quiet with very few customersing at that time.

    Owen was sitting by the window. There were two cups of coffee and two tes of pastries on his

    table.

    He hadn''t touched them; his eyes were on Cecilia. Cecilia wasn''t looking at him, she just checked

    the time and said to the barista, "Can you mind the store for a bit? I''m going to help Lucy cook. I''ll

    call youter and you and Basil cane over. Mr. Martinez is here; Mr. Martinez can help us mind

    the store."

    She handed the barista twenty dors, "This is for Mr. Martinez''s help."

    The barista took the money, and wanted to say something but didn''t know what. She could only

    watch as Cecilia left the store, went up to Mr. Coleman, said something to him, then got in his car

    with him, and they drove off.

    Owen blinked; he didn''t quite understand what had just happened. Cecilia got in Stefan''s car and

    just left!

    He quickly got up to follow.

    "Mr. Martinez."

    The barista quickly stopped him and handed him the twenty dors, "Mr. Martinez, Cecilia''s going to

    help Lucy cook. We hope you can help us mind the store; this is for your trouble."

    Owen''s eyes widened, he couldn''t believe it. "Cecilia''s paying me twenty dors to help you mind

    the store! Does she even know how much I charge? I make more than twenty dors a minute!"

    "Mr. Martinez, Cecilia doesn''t know how much you charge. Twenty dors is not a small sum. We

    just need an hour to have lunch. You don''t have to do anything, just sit here and enjoy your coffee

    and pastries. Easy twenty bucks, isn''t it great?"

    Owen stared at the barista; she was as hard to read as her boss.

    He took the twenty dors and reached for his wallet to add some more money, only to find it was

    completely empty. He had given all his cash to Cecilia earlier.

    Cecilia was using the money he gave her to ask him for help. In reality, she didn''t spend a dime!

    Sneaky!

    She said he was sneaky, but she was no saint herself.

    "What''s your social media handle? Give it to me."

    "Mr. Martinez, we can''t exchange social media handles."

    The barista wasn''t dumb, she could see that Mr. Martinez and Cecilia were together.

    "You''re overthinking. I''m adding you to send you money. You mind the store, I''ll go eat."

    "Thank you, Mr. Martinez, but I can''t eat what you eat. I''ll eat by myself."

    Owen red at the barista.

    The barista quickly shouted to the kitchen, "Basil, we''re going to Lucy''s for lunch."

    "Alright!"

    Basil replied cheerfully.

    The boss was treating them to a feast.

    After informing Basil, the barista quickly made her exit, reminding Owen on her way out, "Mr.

    Martinez, Cecilia rarely asks for your help, you must do a good job. We will be back as soon as we

    finish eating."

    Owen was speechless. He was livid! He must have beef with Serendipity Cafe.

    Every single time he came here, he got pissed off.

    At Lucinda''s rented house, she was cooking crabs. Seeing her husband and friendsing in, she

    casually said, "Didn''t we agree, you guys were supposed to wait till I finish cooking beforeing?"

    Stefan walked in and grabbed an apron from behind the kitchen door. As he tied it on, he said,

    "Babe, what else do we need to cook? I''ll help you out."

    "I still have ms and shrimp to cook, everything else is done."

    "Smells delicious."

    Ceciliaplimented, then picked up her utensils and tasted some dishes. She said while eating,

    "So yummy!"

    Lucindaughed and said, "Didn''t have much time, so I didn''t buy a lot of ingredients. But it should

    be enough to fill you guys up."

    As she spoke, she made room for Stefan.

    "Are the crabs ready? You two go ahead and take it out to eat."

    "It''s almost done."

    Lucinda took out her phone and called her staff at the store. The staff answered quickly and before

    Lucinda could speak, they happily said, "Lucy, open the door, Basil and I are here already."

    Lucindaughed as she said, "You guys have such sharp noses, came right away when you

    smelled the food."

    "I''ll go open the door."

    After Cecilia tasted a dish, she slipped away, giving Stefan and Lucinda alone time.

 Chapter 287

    Chapter 287

    As soon as Cecilia left, Stefan turned to Lucinda and and addressed his concern, "You''ve been so

    busy; are you tired?"

    "Well, I wasn''t really busy all morning. Only after I finished the updates, then I went to do some

    grocery shopping and then cooking."

    Seeing that her hair was a bit messy, Stefan smoothed it out for her and tucked it behind her ear, "I

    did offer to help you know, but you wouldn''t let me. Look at you, even your hair''s all over the ce."

    Lucinda caught his hand and chuckled, "Nah, I''m not tired. Having you take care of me like this,

    even if I''m exhausted, it''s all worth it."

    "Everyone''s here. We''ve got two more dishes to make. Let''s each do one."

    "You only have one pot, right?"

    Lucindaughed, "I have two pots. I''ll go get the other one."

    "No need. Those two dishes won''t take too long to prepare. You go and chat with them. I''ll whip

    them up in no time."

    "Okay then, I''ll head out. Holler if you need me for anything without any hesitation."

    Stefan gave his face a little p indicating something to Lucinda.

    Lucinda nced at the kitchen door, quickly pecked him on the cheek, and before he could react,

    she hurriedly left the kitchen. Once outside, she casually walked towards her partners as if nothing

    had happened.

    "Is the shop locked?" Lucinda casually asked as she sat next to Cecilia.

    "Cecilia asked Mr. Martinez to watch it for now. We''ll take over after lunch,"

    A staff member answered.

    Lucinda nced at her friend teasingly, making Cecilia want to pinch her.

    "Owen agreed to watch the shop for us?"

    Cecilia sat up straight and replied, "I''m paying him, it''s not like it''s charity. An hour for twenty bucks,

    where else can you find such a sweet deal? Back when business wasn''t going so good, we couldn''t

    even make twenty bucks in a whole day."

    Lucindaughed and said, "Yeah, yeah, such good fortune is hard toe by for many people."

    Owen might feel hard done by.

    "Where''s Mr. Coleman?"

    Basil felt a bit awkward being the only guy sitting there.

    "He''s in the kitchen. Let me tell you, Stefan''s cooking skills are amazing. Their family education is

    holistic. Everyone is self-reliant. Even without the family''s protection, they can fend for themselves."

    Lucinda had been married to Stefan for a while at that point and their rtionship had only got

    better. But she rarely talked about her husband in front of her staff. That was the first time she

    praised Stefan in front of them.

    Stefan, in the kitchen, heard Lucinda praising him and couldn''t help but giggle.

    "Just look at the difference between Mr. Coleman and Mr. Malicious, and you''ll know whose family

    education is superior."

    Cecilia also grabbed a handful of seeds to munch on.

    In the Martinez family, the only one who was truly awake was Trenton. They said Harry Martinez

    was also a decent young man, but Trenton favored Owen more, hence the CEO position fell on

    Owen.

    Cecilia believed Trenton''s attitude towards his two grandsons indicated a deeper love for his first

    wife and less affection for his second wife.

    Hence, his emotions tended to lean towards the descendants of his first wife.

    The group chatted for a while before Stefan announced from the kitchen, "Food''s ready!"

    Everyone quickly tidied up the small dining table, arranged the chairs, and then went to the kitchen

    to help bring out the hot dishes.

    Apart from one vegetable dish, everything else was seafood, even the soup. It was a feast of

    seafood.

    "Basil, do you want some booze?"

    Lucinda opened the mini fridge door and asked Basil.

    "I''ve got to workter, so I''ll pass. Besides, I can''t hold my liquor. A little sip and I''m out for the day."

    Lucinda promptly closed the fridge door andughingly said, "Then you''d better not. We''re counting

    on you to make some snacks."

    Everyone had a goodugh.

    Stefan drove here, so he naturally wouldn''t be drinking.

    "Lucy, do you have a thermal lunch box? Can I borrow one?"

    "Sure, I''ll go get one for you."

    Lucinda got up to fetch a thermal lunch box for Cecilia. After cleaning it, Cecilia filled half of it with

    rice, then brought it out and added a bit of each dish into it, stuffing the three-tiered lunchbox full.

    "Do you want some soup?" Lucinda asked her, "I''ll find a big bowl for you."

    "No need, just these dishes are good enough for him."

    Since she insisted, Lucinda didn''t go looking for a big bowl.

    Everyone was in sync, eating very slowly. Only Cecilia ate at a normal pace.

    Lucinda subtly suggested, "Cecilia, if you''re full, you should head back to the shop. The food in the

    lunchbox will get cold. Seafood doesn''t taste good when it''s cold."

    Cecilia sat there for a few more minutes, then picked up the lunchbox and quickly left for their shop.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    No one else said much. They had long epted Cecilia and Owen as a single entity.

    Skywatch. The Porter family.

    After being hung up on yet again, Madeleine Porter angrily put her phone on the table and

    comined to her mother, "Mom, that woman has recovered. As soon as she got better, Nathan''s

    no longer as nice to me as he used to be. Today, we only chatted for more than ten minutes, and he

    hung up on me. This is the tenth time he''s done that."

    Mrs. Porter couldn''t help but poke her head, saying, "You''re aware that this is the tenth time he''s

    hung up on you. It''s only halfway through the day and you''ve already called him ten times! He''s

    already very patient to chat with you for ten to twenty minutes each time. If I treated your father this

    way, he wouldn''t want to chat with me even for a minute anymore."

    "Mom, I''m just worried. I was about to rece that woman, and then they told me that Lucinda was

    found. The moment the woman saw her daughter, she recovered so quickly. I thought she had gone

    insane for over twenty years and wouldn''t recover even if Lucinda was found."

    Every time Madeleine thought of Janice waking up and of Nathan''s deep affection for Janice back in

    the day, she''d get scared, fearing that all her efforts over the years would evaporate into thin air.

    Even though she was a daughter of the Porter family, and her family''s influence even surpassed

    that of Janice''s family, she was not officially Nathan''s wife yet, even though everyone thought that

    she could take Janice''s ce. She knew what was really going on.

    The position of the leadingdy of the Blue family was still Janice''s!

    "Worrying now is pointless, Janice is awake, and Lucinda has been found. We tried our best to

    prevent it, but Lucinda''s luck is just too damn good. Madeleine, while your dad''s not around, I want

    to have a heart-to-heart with you. You mustn''t tell your dad, or he''ll give me an earful."

    Mrs. Porter lowered her voice and suggested, "Maybe, you should consider stepping down. Nathan

    is old enough to be your dad. No matter how well he takes care of himself, it can''t change the fact

    that he already has a pair of 24-year-old kids."

 Chapter 288

    Chapter 288

    "You''re only 26, not even married into the Blue family yet. Even if you do, the old man won''t be

    around for too many years. How much happiness can you really enjoy?"

    Mrs. Porter quickly nced at the room entrance to make sure no one wasing in. She then

    whispered, "Your father is madly ambitious, wants to swallow the Blue family whole and make our

    Porters the top dogs in town. But the Blues have been rooted in this city for centuries. You think

    they''ll be easily gobbled up?"

    "Mom, you don''t get it." Madeleine''s voice was equally low.

    She knew that her father treated her mother well, but he never allowed her to meddle in any matter.

    "The Blue family is in chaos, not as calm as it appears to be. Twenty years ago, Lucinda was taken

    away. It just shows how disordered they are. And I''ve been working hard over the years, winning

    over many people. Unless I die, I won''t give up."

    Madeleine''s eyes shed with determination. "Mom, don''t interfere or say too much about me and

    Nathan. My father will help me sort it out."

    Seeing her daughter¡¯s determination, Mrs. Porter sighed helplessly, "You''ve been headstrong since

    you were little. Your father always said that if you were a boy, you''d be the one to inherit all the

    wealth of the Porter family. Since you don''t want me to interfere in your matters, I won''t. But don''t

    trust your father too much. He''s just using you."

    "Mom, my father and I are blood. He uses me, I can use him, but our interests align. Don''t mention

    this again, or it may just piss my dad off and he''ll me you for being ignorant."

    Mrs. Porter nodded silently, indicating she won''t say it again.

    Madeleine picked up her phone again, and dialed a number. Mrs. Porter had no idea who she was

    calling, just heard her instructing, "Give Blue Corporation a bit of a headache. The kind that would

    cost them billions if they couldn¡¯t solve it."

    After giving her instructions, Madeleine hung up.

    "Who were you calling?" Mrs. Porter curiously asked.

    "Mom, don''t ask. Even if I told you, you wouldn''t understand. A bit of trouble for Blue Corporation,

    and Nathan will hurry back."

    Madeleine couldn''t stand Nathan always being around Janice even though his trip to Pinehurst was

    only for a couple of days.

    "The moment Lucinda returns, she''s mistaken for having an affair. Nathan went to back up his

    daughter, publicly acknowledging her. It''s normal for him to stay a few more days. Madeleine,

    maybe Nathan went just for his daughter, not for Janice. Don''t overthink. You''ve been the one by

    Nathan''s side for all these years. You''re young and pretty. I can''t believe Nathan is really indifferent

    to you."

    Madeleine fell silent for a moment before saying, "Mom, I''ve been with him for years, yet I''m still not

    his woman. He''s so mature and steady, so gentle and polite. I''ve wanted to be his woman for years.

    I had feelings for him even before I was of age."

    As an unmarried woman, Madeleine blushed as she spoke.

    Mrs. Porter also fell silent. She thought for a while before saying, "When I was chatting with my card

    friends, I heard about a special kind of incense. When you light it and smell it, it will make you feel

    excited and agitated. You''ve tried many methods without being sessful, maybe we can also try

    this incense. It''s not a strong smell. When you''re alone with Nathan, you can find an opportunity to

    light the incense and ce it in a corner of the room. He might not even notice the smell. Then

    everything will proceed smoothly."

    Hearing that, Madeleine''s eyes sparkled as she wanted to make sure if it was really authentic,

    "Mom, is that true?"

    "Why would I lie to you? I heard it''s very effective. Some of them have tried it."

    Mrs. Porter''s friends were all older women. Even with great maintenance, they were still old in their

    husbands'' eyes, unable topete with young girls. Many men had affairs after achieving sess

    in their respective careers. It was amon scenario. As housewives, sometimes they had to

    resort to certain measures to maintain their marriages and their husbands¡¯ interest.

    "Mom, please get some for me. Nathan will be back soon. The moment he''s back, I''ll use it. Once

    we''ve been intimate, even if Janice wakes up, they''ll have to divorce. She won''t forgive Nathan."

    Everyone had seen Nathan''s indifference towards Janice and his harshness towards Keith over the

    years.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Janice might ept being neglected, but if he was not nice to her biological son Keith, as a mother,

    she definitely couldn¡¯t tolerate it.

    "Alright, I''ll get some for you."

    Seeing her daughter''s determination, Mrs. Porter, who loved her daughter dearly, decided to assist

    her wholeheartedly.

    "Thank you."

    Mrs. Porter gently touched her daughter''s face, "I hope your persistence will bring good results."

    "Mom, I''ll definitely have a good ending!"

    Madeleine''s eyes were filled with determination, madness, and even ruthlessness.

    Lucinda was now in Pinehurst, protected by the Anderson family, she couldn''t touch her. Once

    Lucinda returned to the Blue family, she could easily take action against her.

    In Pinehurst.

    When Lucinda returned to the store, Owen had his fill. Although there were still dark circles under

    his eyes, his mood was noticeably better.

    Lucinda was secretly happy.

    With Cecilia stepping in, Owen obediently followed orders. What did Ruby have to worry about?

    She just loved watching Ruby get nothing.

    "Lucy, what are you smirking about?"

    Cecilia nudged her friend lightly, catching her in the act of giggling.

    Lucinda pointed at Owen who was busily wiping down the table with a rag. In a hushed voice, she

    laughed, "For just twenty bucks and a lunch box, you got him happily working away. Such a steal.

    You should film it, so next time you''re in a bad mood or you are quarreling with him, you can watch

    this video andugh your socks off."

    Cecilia just rolled her eyes. She tapped Lucinda on the head lightly, "Novelists like you always let

    your mind wander. You think I''m the heroine in your book, like every man in there smitten and head

    over heels for me."

    "The protagonist could get shot ten times, but as long as the author doesn''t want him dead, he''ll

    survive through any difficulty."

    Lucinda couldn''t help butugh, "Please bear with my novelist''s mind. I love to think out of the box,

    integrating real-life people and events into my stories. As the saying goes, life imitates art. Real life

    can be just as dramatic."

    They say that those involved in the situation can''t see it clearly, while onlookers can see the bigger

    picture.

    There was some kind of chemistry between Cecilia and Owen, these two who were attracted to

    each other yet always at odds. Or perhaps it was more urate to say that Owen had been

    captivated by Cecilia without even realizing it, while Cecilia remained clear-headed and hadn¡¯t fallen

    head over heels yet.

    Watching Owen woo his wife in the future would probably be quite entertaining.

    Lucinda decided to stock up on snacks. Watching the whole thing unfold while munching on

    something would be a total st!

 Chapter 289

    Chapter 289

    Ascend Global.

    Liam knocked on the CEO''s office door and only entered upon receiving a response.

    "Stefan."

    He walked over with a handful of documents and handed them to Stefan.

    "Why are you here in person?"

    Stefan took the documents and casually tossed them onto the desk, asking Charles without giving it

    much of a thought.

    "Is there something you need to tell me?"

    Liam chuckled as he took a seat, "You really know me well."

    Stefan looked at him, "Out with it, what''s so important that you had toe in person."

    "Um, has Tiffany really moved into my house?"

    "Tiffany?"

    Liam rified and wanted to make it easy for him to understand, "The bossy woman."

    Stefanughed and genuinely asked, "In what way is Tiffany bossy? She''s gorgeous, with an

    incredible figure like a model, she''s like a ma wherever she goes, attracting countless men''s

    attention. She''s the dream girl of many guys. But in your mouth, she turns into a bossy woman."

    "Holt Wilson is a man, does that mean he''s a sissy to you?"

    Stefan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Holt is a bit feminine, if it wasn''t for the fear of shocking

    his family, he might have already had a sex-change operation. Tiffany didn''t move into your house

    yesterday, but you''re asking about it now. Liam, what are you up to?"

    Liam said, being a bit embarrassed, "I''ve been too scared to go home, but I left some important stuff

    there. I wanted to sneak back and get it, so I''m here to ask for leave."

    Stefan then teased him, "Are you still a man, being this scared of a woman? You were there every

    time when Tiffany was in trouble. Why did you always run away so fast? Back in school when she

    was in a fight, you didn''t even have time to notify us, you just rushed to help her on your own,

    almost getting yourself expelled from school. You''ve done this kind of thing more than once."

    "Well. I just didn''t want her to get beaten up, then I wouldn''t have anyone to fight with me. Who

    would worry about her? With her quarrelsome nature, I wouldn''t worry about her."

    "You always lose to her, isn''t it because you''re not capable? Or are you just going easy on her?"

    Liam sat upright and said, "I''m a man, I don''t hit women and I really can''t beat her, she''s trained in

    Sanda, Taekwondo, Tai Chi, she was like a boy when she was young, she would learn any martial

    art that she heard was good, and she was even better than me!"

    Stefan stared at Liam for a while, then finally said, "Liam, I seriously suspect that you''re targeting

    her because you''re jealous of Tiffany being better than you."

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    "Jealous of her? Does she think she''s great? If she''s so great, why doesn''t she get married? She''s

    so bossy and crude, who would dare to marry her? I''m a cultured man, I won''t say nasty words, lest

    she hears it andes to argue with me."

    "Why haven''t you found a partner if you''re so great? Your parents keep trying to introduce you to

    new people, they think you''re leftover good and you still dare to mention Tiffany."

    Liam then said, "Stefan, I''ve noticed that you''ve changed since you got married, you love to unt

    your love in front of us, stimte us singles, and like to show your authority as an elder brother,

    starting to pressure us to get married. When you were single, we could always push you forward

    whenever the elders brought up the topic of marriage, but now."

    Liam was stared at by Stefan and felt too embarrassed to continue.

    "Stefan, I''m taking a vacation. I need to hurry back and get my stuff when she''s not home, you

    mustn''t tell her."

    With that, Liam stood up, didn''t wait for Stefan to sign the documents, he left without even taking

    back the files.

    Stefan looked at the closed office door andughed, "You specifically came to ask for leave, isn''t it

    just to let me tell Tiffany that you''reing home? Obviously, you like her, but you just don''t want to

    admit it, I''m curious about how long you guys can keep this up."

    He picked up his phone and called Tiffany. After she picked up, he said, "Tiffany, Liam ising

    home."

    Tiffany responded with an "oh", then asked, "Has Liam gotten fat?"

    "Anyway, it''s enough to make your mouth water."

    "Who wants to eat him, he''s a tough nut to crack."

    Tiffany''s words were full of disdain.

    Stefanughed and said, "You must be busy, then you go ahead, I can''t interfere with things

    between you and Liam, I was just saying. I have to get busy too, we''ll chat when we have time."

    Tiffany wanted to say that she wasn''t busy that day, she didn''t go out in the morning and stayed in

    the Anderson family''s vi, eating and drinking, watching TV, ying cards with the maids, winning

    a lot of money. The maids didn''t want to y cards with her anymore as they thought she had too

    much luck and they would only keep on losing money if they continued ying.

    But before she could finish her words, Stefan hung up her call.

    She didn''t mind, put her phone down, held the fruit te, ate the fruit and said to the maids who

    were still ying cards, "Liam ising back, y a few more rounds and then stop, so he won''t

    me me for leading you astray."

    It was actually them who led her astray.

    "As long as Ms. Tiffany is here, Liam won''t see us ying cards even if hees back."

    Ann, the housekeeper, stated the truth.

    Liam and Ms. Tiffany had been together since they were young, but their way of getting along was

    quite special.

    They seemed to be always bickering, but they actually cared deeply for each other.

    It was just that both of them were stubborn, neither willing to confess their feelings first, maintaining

    this status quo.

    "You guys are too much, not wanting to y cards with me and ming it on me. Come on, let me

    y a few more rounds."

    Tiffany got up and headed towards Ann and the others, "I rarely have free time, considering that I''ve

    brought you guys so many good skincare products, it''s not right for you to exclude me like this,

    doesn''t your conscience hurt?"

    Annughed, saying, "Ms. Tiffany, our wallets hurt more!"

    Compared to their conscience, they valued their wallets more.

    Ms. Tiffany wasn''t originally a card yer. They only roped her in because they were one yer

    short. They thought they''d all be good buds and could take a good chunk of change off Ms. Tiffany.

    However, Lady Luck was on Ms. Tiffany''s side. She picked up the game really quick, like a duck to

    water.

    Then, she went on a winning streak, leaving them all in the dust. The bonus that Liam had just

    given them all went straight to Ms. Tiffany''s pocket. This time around, Liam had given them a fatter

    bonus than usual. They were over the moon for a few days, but before they could even enjoy the

    dough, it all went to Ms. Tiffany, and they were left with nothing again.

    Ann started to smell a rat. She suspected that the extra bonus Liam gave them was actually a

    roundabout way of getting them to lose their money to Ms. Tiffany.

 Chapter 290

    Chapter 290

    "If you guys won''t let me join your game, then fine, I won''t. But I''ll set a trap for Liam that will knock

    his socks off. You all need to keep this hush-hush. If anyone dares to spill the beans, I''ll make them

    cough up all their savings."

    The servantsughed, "Liam is like your ything, Ms. Tiffany. You can mess with him however you

    want. We won''t object."

    For them to interfere would be like having a screw loose.

    Tiffany took off.

    The servants continued their card game until they heard a familiar car sound. They quickly wrapped

    up their game and by the time Liam walked in, everyone had scattered.

    "Ann."

    Liam called out to the butler as soon as he stepped inside the house.

    "Liam, why are you back at this hour?"

    Acting nonchntly, Ann emerged in front of him. He would never be able to guess that she was

    one of the card yers just moments ago.

    "I came back to grab something. Why is it so quiet here?"

    With a twinkle in her eyes, Ann replied, ¡°Everyone has finished their chores in the afternoon, so it

    has gone quiet. Liam, what kind of bustle are you looking for?¡±

    "No big deal, it just felt a bit too quiet. How''s Ms. Tiffany doing? Didn''t she invite you guys for a card

    game?"

    Ann chuckled inwardly. Liam was clearly concerned about Tiffany yet trying to avoid her.

    "Ms. Tiffany is quitefortable here as if it is her own home. Your parents are quite fond of her

    and have told her she can stay as long as she likes. Ms. Tiffany is so busy; she barely has time to

    y cards with us. But today, she did join us for a game and as luck favored her, she won all the

    bonuses you gave us."

    Liam couldn''t help butugh, "She''s got quite the hot hand. No worries, I''ll give you guys more

    bonuses next time. Whenever she''s free, you guys can y a few rounds with her."

    Ann was speechless and thought in her mind, ¡°Liam, if you want to give Ms. Tiffany pocket money,

    just give it to her directly. Why do you have to use us as a conduit? Losing money all the time hurts,

    you know?¡±

    "You can go about your work. I''m heading upstairs to grab something."

    Knowing that Tiffany was having a st and had won a lot of money, Liam was in high spirits. He

    couldn''t help but smile as he headed upstairs with his car keys.

    Watching Liam''s retreating figure, Ann thought, "Didn''t Ms. Tiffany say she was setting a trap? Liam

    seems none the wiser."

    Liam thought: Ann, do you really enjoy seeing me get pranked?

    Liam was speechless.

    Upon reaching the second floor, Liam first went to the room in the east. It had the best lighting of all

    the rooms on the second floor. Tiffany always stayed in that room whenever she visited. Although it

    was a guest room, it wasrger than the master bedroom and had a simryout to Liam''s room.

    He stood at the door, tried the doorknob, and sessfully opened the unlocked door. But he didn''t

    walk in, just stood in the doorway, peering inside for a moment before closing the door and turning

    away.

    When he got to his own room, Liam hesitated.

    Ann had mentioned that she and Tiffany had yed a few rounds of cards earlier, which meant that

    Tiffany had been at home today. But he hadn''t seen her since he arrived. Could she be hiding in his

    room to surprise him?

    Liam''s room had a password lock, but he hadn''t changed the password since Tiffany found out what

    it was.

    She could easily be waiting in his room to surprise him.

    She had been hiding for a while, and she was probably not too happy about it. He wondered what

    she would do to him.

    Liam turned around and headed straight to the study. The item he wanted was in there.

    When he got to the study, he walked right in. As soon as he entered, a bunch of stuff fell on him

    from above, squirming and slippery, like snakes.

    Liam instinctively jumped, swatting away the faux creatures that had fallen on him. As he hopped

    around, he stepped on something and slipped, falling forward.

    Right on a pair of long legs.

    Following those legs upward, he hadn''t seen anything yet when Tiffany pulled a bag over his head.

    Then, she pulled him up and pushed him backward. With so many beans scattered on the shiny

    floor, he slipped.

    Who on earth bought these beans?

    Oh, the workers at the farm below the manor grew quite a lot of beans.

    With a farm, they certainly weren''t short on anything!

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    Liam was pushed to the wall by Tiffany, his entire body pressed against it, his head hitting the wall.

    By the time he came to his senses, Tiffany was leaning over him, her hands on either side of his

    head, smiling at him. This position was somewhat suggestive.

    "Tiffany!"

    Liam was not amused by her activity and red at Tiffany.

    "Why are you yelling? I can hear just fine."

    Tiffany grinned and tugged at his ear, "Did I scare you? Don''t worry, those are just fake snakes, not

    real ones. I couldn''t get my hands on real snakes to y with you."

    Pissed, Liam retorted, ¡°Are you even a girl? Always buying fake snakes to scare people, Tiffany, I''m

    warning you, if you keep this up, you''re going to end up an old maid. What man would want

    someone as rough as you?"

    "Do you know why I didn''t go to work today?"

    "Who knows why you didn''t go to work."

    "Someone introduced me to a man and asked me to meet him for dinner tonight. To prepare for this

    blind date, I took the day off to better my condition. If I want to get married, I can get married

    tomorrow with this guy. Just like Stefan and Lucinda, a shotgun wedding."

    Liam teased, "You need someone to set you up?"

    "Of course, I''m too busy to meet handsome guys. I heard that my blind date for tonight just returned

    from abroad. He''s not old and is quite aplished. Liam, are you free tonight? Apany me on

    this blind date."

    Liam was fuming. Not only did she not hide her blind date from him, but she also had the audacity

    to ask him to apany her!

    Well, he was looking to stir up some trouble anyway and that was a clear opportunity for him to do

    so. Since she asked, he would oblige.

    She always liked to buy fake snakes to prank him, so he would fill her bag with fake snakes. When

    she met her blind date, he would pull out the snakes. That would surely scare the guy half to death,

    and no one would even think of marrying such a fierce girl.

    "You''re asking me for a favor, there got to be something in it for me, right?¡±

    Tiffany chuckled, ¡°I''ve prepared lots of really good men''s skincare products for you, as a token of

    my gratitude. You''re not getting any younger, you know. You should take care of yourself, or you

    might look too old to find a wife and end up single for the rest of your life.¡±

    ¡°I''d rather be single for life than marry just anyone. I want to marry the girl I love.¡±

    ¡°So, which family does the guye from?¡±

    ¡°The Frost family.¡±

    Liam furiously said, ¡°Cedric Frost?¡±

 Chapter 291

    Chapter 291

    "You and Cedric go way back. Do you really still need Auntie to set you up? Plus, Cedric swings the

    other way!"

    The Frosts and the Paisleys were old neighbors, the Paisleys and the Andersons were long-time

    pals, and Tiffany and Liam got acquainted through Cedric.

    "Let me guess, Cedric wants to y matchmakers with you, right? The Frost group is in hot water,

    and funds are tight as a drum, they''re a hair''s breadth from going belly up. Once that happens, the

    domino effect will kick in. The Frost group will go down the drain if nobody lends a hand."

    Being part of the Anderson n, Liam might not be as famous as his big brother, but he knew more

    about business than Tiffany did.

    "Cedric wants to tie the knot with you, hoping to pull the Frost group out of the fire with the Paisleys''

    backing. If that doesn''t cut it, he wants the Paisleys to lean on the Andersons. We go way back, and

    if Cedric bes your son-inw, we''ll consider helping out. Cedric''s as sly as a fox. He''s clearly

    not into women, but he''s got a male model on the sly. Does he think I don''t know? What''s Auntie

    thinking, trying to set you up with a guy like that? You''d be better off as a free agent than hitched to

    Cedric. At least you won''t have to deal with family drama and a whole mess of trouble."

    Tiffany: "Are you sure Cedric swings the other way?"

    No wonder he''s still single in his thirties. Auntie said it was because he was all wrapped up in work

    and neglecting his personal life. She also mentioned that their families were old and neighbors and

    knew each other well. If she married Cedric, she''ll live close to her childhood home.

    Knew each other well, huh?

    Tiffany scoffed. If they knew each other so well, why didn''t she know that Cedric was gay?

    "I caught Cedric red-handed with his boyfriend. Out of respect for his dignity and considering the

    LGBTQ+munity is a bit sensitive, plus he''s the CEO of the Frost group, I kept my mouth shut."

    But when Cedric started eyeing Tiffany, Liam couldn''t stand by.

    "Yes, I do know the Frost group is in a bit of a bind. Han Frost reached out to my dad, but my

    brothers now run our family business. My dad just said he''d discuss it with them, no promises to bail

    the Frost group out."

    Her dad''s retired now, living a quiet life with her mom. He said it''s what he owed her mom.

    "My Auntie is just a distant rtive."

    Tiffany circled back to the main topic, grinning at Liam, "Will youe with me to the date? Let''s go

    find Cedric''s boyfriend and see what kind of person he is. I mean, Cedric''s a catch. He''s gentle and

    polite and always greets me with a warm smile. I kind of have a soft spot for our neighbour. I find it

    hard to believe he''s gay. Plus, you have no proof. Seeing is believing. Are you sure you didn''t

    mistake someone else for him?"

    Liam snorted, "I''ve got sharp eyes. No way I''d mistake him for someone else. Plus, the car I saw

    was definitely Cedric''s."

    People in the same social circle knew each other.

    Liam would stake his life on not mistaking the person.

    "Alright, I''ll apany you on the date tonight."

    Upon learning that Cedric was Tiffany''s suitor, Liam was fuming. The Frost group dared to deceive

    Tiffany, trying to save their family through marriage. But Liam wasn''t worried about Tiffany falling for

    Cedric''s tricks since Cedric was gay.

    He hadn''t seen the male model in person, but he heard he''s the face of a menswear brand, a real

    hunk, bursting with vitality.

    It just went to show people can''t judge a book by its cover. Who would''ve thought he was gay?

    Tiffanyughed, "To show my gratitude, I have a gift for you. Close your eyes, and I''ll show it to you.

    It''s definitely a surprise."

    "What could possibly surprise me?"

    Liam was intrigued. What rare treasure hadn''t he seen?

    The jewels in their family vault would have women drooling, refusing to leave.

    "You just need to close your eyes."

    Liam grumbled a bit, but his curiosity got the better of him. Plus, he''d never received a gift from

    Tiffany before, so he dutifully closed his eyes.

    Tiffany looked at Liam, pushed against the wall by her. They''ve always been at each other''s throats

    since they were kids, constantly bickering. But when he''s not being a pain, he''s quite attractive.

    "Hurry up and show me what it is!"

    Even with his eyes closed, Liam could feel Tiffany watching him, which made him somewhat

    uneasy.

    "Tiffany, I''m warning you, if you give me a rubber snake as a gift, I''m never speaking to you again!"

    "Don''t worry, it''s not a rubber snake. They''re only good for scaring you, not edible. How can they be

    a gift? If I were to give you a snake, I''d buy a few and cook them with some chicken to make a

    soup. Now that''s a treat."

    Liam was speechless.

    After waiting for what felt like an eternity, he was about to ask when his mouth was suddenly

    covered by something warm and soft. Judging by the feel, it was a pair of lips, not a thing.

    Tiffany kissed him!

    Liam''s eyes popped open, and he was stunned, his eyes wide as saucers, staring at the person in

    front of him.

    Her scent was intoxicating, a fragrance he knew all too well.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Her lips were warm and soft. When they pressed against him, it felt like he''d been zapped with

    electricity.

    What floored Liam was how she could take the initiative to kiss him! Wasn''t that supposed to be a

    guy''s job?

    And also, under what pretext did she kiss him?

    As an arch-enemy?

    A kiss from an arch-enemy!

    Suddenly, Liam thought of his brother and Owen. They were also arch-enemies, Huh?

    What the hell was he thinking?

    "Liam, so this is what kissing feels like. It''s not as intoxicating as they make it out to be in novels."

    Tiffany pulled away from the kiss, looking as cool as a cucumber, while Liam failed to notice the

    panic in Tiffany''s eyes.

    She was a brave girl.

    When she was interested in something, she would go ahead and try it.

    Being in her twenties, she wanted to experience the sweetness of a kiss. Of course she would

    experiment with a friend.

    However, the result was not as beautiful as described in novels.

    Tiffany was a bit unsatisfied. Liam''s lunch tasted of onion.

    "Did you have onions for lunch? I don''t like the taste of onions."

    Tiffany gently patted his chest, "Hey, you back to earth yet? I''ve paid you already. Remember to

    cancel all your ns tonight to go on a blind date with me."

    With that, she turned and walked away.

 Chapter 292

    Chapter 292

    "Tiffany!"

    Liam snapped back to reality and yelled.

    Tiffany, who had already left the study, stopped in her tracks and turned around at the sound of his

    voice. She smiled and said, "You''re such a slowpoke, but I find that adorable. It shows you''re still so

    innocent."

    Liam had zero experience with love.

    Tiffany was satisfied with Liam''s innocent behaviour. No matter how much Liam freaked out, Tiffany

    would justugh and leave.

    Liam hurriedly chased after her, or rather, he skated out on the soybeans scattered all over the floor.

    Because the floor was covered in soybeans.

    In haste, he slipped on the soybeans and fell t on his face.

    He fell like a hungry wolf pouncing on its prey.

    Luckily, no one saw his embarrassing fall.

    Picking himself up, Liam rushed to the staircase and looked down. Tiffany was already chatting

    away with Ann, both of themughing.

    "You scoundrel, you just kissed me and left before I even had a chance to react. That''s so unfair.

    Unfair!"

    Liam was so frustrated he was practically pacing at the top of the stairs.

    Then he scolded himself, "Why did you just stand there, you idiot? She kissed you, an opportunity

    that''s hard toe by, and you just stood there like a dummy, missing the chance to kiss her back.

    And she didn''t like the taste of the kiss because of the onion? Whoever puts onions in my food from

    now on is my enemy!"

    Liam, Tiffany disliked for having an onion-vored kiss, swore he''d never eat onions again, no

    onions in his food.

    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

    Liam, who hadn''t really tasted the sweetness of a kiss, spun around in ce for a while before he

    finally epted the sad reality.

    It was over! His first kiss was over just like that!

    "Ann!"

    Liam shouted from the top of the stairs.

    Ann quickly responded, "Mr. Liam, what''s the matter?"

    "Get someone to clean up all the soybeans in my study. Not a single one should be left! From

    tomorrow on, I want fresh soymilk!"

    He''d have all the soybeans made into soymilk, so Tiffany wouldn''t have the chance to mess with

    him using soybeans!

    "Alright, I''ll get right on it."

    After Ann agreed, she exchanged a few words with Tiffany and then quickly went upstairs to clean

    up the soybeans.

    Tiffany looked up at Liam with a smile as bright as the sun outside. She kissed him, didn''t wait for

    his response, and left.

    Damn it! She teased him and then ran off!

    By evening, all the shoppers had returned.

    All the moms went straight back to the Serendipity Cafe. Lucinda felt they must be tired from

    shopping all day and suggested they go home and rest.

    Janice remained silent.

    Fiona and Jeannie looked at Lucinda, their meaning clear.

    Lucinda understood. She went and sat next to Janice, asking with a smile, "Mom, what did you buy

    after shopping all day?"

    "I bought a lot of clothes. They''re all in the car, and there were too many to bring in."

    "Not bad, quite a haul. I can''t wait to see how beautiful you''ll look in your new clothes, mom."

    Janiceughed. "They''re for you."

    Lucinda was a bit surprised. "For me? They''re all for me?"

    "Who else would I buy them for? Your brother has so many clothes his closet can''t fit them all. Plus,

    he''s very picky. His everyday wear is custom-made by brand-name designers. I can only buy some

    for you. I wanted to buy some for Stefan, too, but I didn''t know his size, so I decided to wait and buy

    him some another time."

    Lucinda said, "Thank you, mom. You''re the best."

    Although she already had too many clothes to wear, she didn''t dare say anything. Her mom felt she

    owed her a lot and was trying her best to make up for it. Even if her mom bought all the clothes in

    every store for her, all she could do was smile and ept them.

    "Mom, it''s getting dark. Business here isn''t busy anymore. Why don''t you guys go home and rest?"

    Janice paused before saying, "I don''t want to see your father, Lucy. You and Stefan mentioned

    going to the private ind for vacation tomorrow. If your father is going too, then I won''t go."

    "My dad is very busy, and he might have to go back to Skywatch tomorrow. Mom, you don''t

    necessarily have to go back to Ascend Estate. You can go back to the vi we stayed atst night.

    That way, my dad won''t be able to see you."

    Currently, all Lucinda could do was send her mom home to rest. As for whether to bring her dad on

    vacation tomorrow, she still had to discuss it with her brother.

    She was caught between a rock and a hard ce. Her father on one side, her mother on the other.

    She didn''t know what to do.

    Lucinda looked at Jeannie, asking, "Mom, could you please take my two moms to Stefan''s vi at

    Diamond Ridge Estates to rest?"

    Jeannieughed and replied, "It''s no bother at all. I''ll apany them. Lucy, you guys keep busy.

    I''ll take my two sisters-inw and head out."

    Jeannie gestured for Fiona to help, and the two of them escorted Janice out.

    As long as they didn''t have to return to Ascend Estate, Janice didn''t care where they went to rest.

    After sending off the three moms, Lucinda told her friend, "On one side is my dad, on the other is

    my mom. No matter who I side with, the other party will get hurt. I can''t make decisions for them

    regarding their rtionship."

    She paused, then sighed. "Actually, I hope my dad wouldn''t pressure my mom. She just recovered.

    She should be able to enjoy a few peaceful days. They can deal with their marital issuester."

    There was still a Madeleine in Skywatch.

    Her dad hadn''tpletely cut ties with Madeleine yet, but he wanted to win her mom back. No

    wonder her mom didn''t want anything to do with him.

    Cecilia patted her shoulder. "I understand how you feel."

    The two of them sat down at the cash register together.

    A phone call had called Owen away that afternoon. Some urgent matter at thepany needed his

    attention. Before leaving, he told Cecilia he''d return to take her out for dinner after handling the

    situation.

    "I''ll call Keith and discuss my parents'' situation."

    Ike was a bro, Keith was also a bro, and Lucinda thought it''s easy to mix up if she called everyone

    bro, so she might as well just call them by their names.

    "Alright, you make the call. That hottie is here again."

    Cecilia, spotting Avery pushing the door open, immediately circled around the cash register, a broad

    smile on her face, and strode over.

    If Owen saw this, he would be green with envy.

    Lucinda gave Avery a quick nce, then started chatting with Keith.

    She informed Keith about the vacation ns for the next day.

    Hearing this, Keith said, "Lucy, Dad''s back at Ascend Estate too. I''ll have a good chat with him.

    There''s a lot going on at Skywatch, and he can''t just stay here all the time. Tell Mom, eat when she

    wants to eat, y when she wants to y, no one here will oppress her with house rules, and

    grandma won''t scold her, as long as she''s happy, that''s all that matters."

    In the Blue family, Janice didn''t have a happy life.

    Before she lost her marbles, she was always restrained by house rules, can''t do this, can''t do that,

    like a canary in a gilded cage, rich but not free.

    After she flipped, things got even worse. Apart from Keith, her own flesh and blood, who was

    genuinely nice to her, it was already pretty good that others didn''t bully her.

    "I''ll persuade Dad to go back to Skywatch first so that mom can have a few days of peace."

    True to their twin nature, they always seemed to be on the same page.

 Chapter 293

    Chapter 293

    Keith said, "Lucy, chill out about this. I''ve got it covered. You and Mom can have a st tomorrow."

    Lucinda asked, "Bro, aren''t youing with us?"

    Keith replied, "I''ve been loafing around for a few days, which is a luxury for me. So, I''ll pass. I have

    to hit the road back to Skywatch early tomorrow. There''s a ton of stuff waiting for me to deal with."

    Keith didn''t spell it out, but Lucinda knew the drill at Skywatch.

    Even if Keith kept mum, she knew he''s having a tough time at Skywatch. She needed to get a grip

    on some business knowledge and helped him out at Skywatch, rooting out the rotten eggs.

    Years of old scores needed to be settled.

    Lucinda says, "Bro."

    Keith responds, "Lucy, don''t go all soft on me. I''m a man. A little hardship, a little exhaustion, it''s all

    good for me. Actually, I''m more worried about you. You were thrown into all this, and it''s rocked your

    peaceful life."

    It was inevitable. Lucy was his sister. She was born into this family feud.

    Lucinda said, "Bro, I''ll shoulder my responsibilities. I''ll strive to be stronger. You won''t have to

    fight your battles alone."

    Keith smiled and said, "I know. I''ve been over the moon since I found you. At least, apart from Mom,

    I have you to worry about. Having someone to worry about is a kind of happiness. Alright, Lucy, I''ve

    got to go talk to Dad. You keep doing you. As long as you and Stefan are happy, that''s all that

    matters. Oh, and if you can, pop out a nephew for me sooner rather thanter. I''d love to be an

    uncle."

    The ones nagging her to have a kid were her two brothers.

    First, it was Ike, now him.

    They all wanted to be uncles.

    After hanging up, Keith headed towards his father, who had just returned to Ascend Estate.

    Keith called out, "Dad."

    Nathan stopped and watched him approach. Nathan can tell that Keith had been happy in Ascend

    Estate.

    Nathan felt a bit helpless.

    After leaving the family, Janice had been happy, too.

    So had his son.

    The Blue family did wear people out.

    If only the Blue family could be as harmonious as the Anderson family.

    Unfortunately, in affluent families like the Andersons, such harmony was rare. Even in many

    ordinary families, siblings can turn against each other over money and status.

    The Andersons'' family values were really great.

    Lucy marrying into the Anderson family was a blessing.

    Nathan was getting more and more satisfied with his son-inw, Stefan. Of course, if Stefan could

    help him reconcile with Janice, that would be even better.

    Stefan said, "Dad, I have to listen to my wife."

    Nathan was speechless. After all, his son-inw''s wife was his daughter.

    Nathan casually asked, "What''s up?"

    Nathan and Keith''s rtionship had always been strained for over a decade. Even after they found

    Lucy, their rtionship was still tense. They didn''t act like father and son but more like enemies.

    Of course, the other Blues were more than happy to see this.

    "I want to talk to you about Mom."

    Nathan coldly said, "You don''t need to meddle in our affairs."

    "Dad, I''m 24 now, I''m not a kid. Dad, would you like to take a walk with me around Ascend Estate?"

    Nathan didn''t look pleased, but he didn''t refuse in the end. He wandered around Ascend Estate with

    his son.

    "Ever since I can remember, Mom hasn''t been well. You know how she''s been doing, I don''t need to

    say. After finding Lucy, Mom woke up. She''s been happy here, and you can see it. If you still care

    for her as a husband, I hope you''ll return to Skywatch soon and stop bothering Mom."

    Nathan was not pleased. He coldly said, "Keith, she''s my wife!"

    Keith stopped in his tracks, his tone turned cold, and he scoffed, "Do you even remember that she''s

    your wife? What about Madeleine? You''ve been with Madeleine for years and are still with her. Do

    you want a wife at home and another one outside?"

    Nathan was left speechless, apart from anger.

    In his anger, Keith blurted out, "What do you think of my mom? When she was ill, you were with

    Madeleine. Now that she''s well, do you want to y happy couples? Have you no shame?"

    Nathan raised his hand to hit him, but seeing the cold look in his son''s eyes, his hand never came

    down.

    He remembered the first time he hit his son. Keith gave him the silent treatment for a whole year.

    Even after he apologized, that p still stung.

    After a while, Nathan lowered his hand. He turned and walked away, not wanting Keith to see the

    struggle and pain on his face. His voice was still cold when he spoke, giving Keith no hint of his true

    feelings.

    "Tomorrow, I''ll go back to Skywatch with you."

    Keith heard his father''s words and watched him walk away. He found his father''s figure somewhat

    lonely.

    But then he thought of his father and Madeleine, and he dismissed the thought. His father can''t be

    lonely, and he''s living it up!

    After a while, Keith sent Lucinda a message telling her to just go on vacation with Mom tomorrow.

    Lucinda knew Keith had persuaded their father.

    She felt a bit uneasy.

    Then, Stefan gave her a ring, telling her he had a night out and asked her to go home first, no need

    to wait for him at the caf¨¦ anymore.

    "Lucy, Lucy."

    After seeing off Avery, who just popped in to grab some pastries, Cecilia darted to her best friend,

    leaning over the counter, ncing around as if she was afraid someone might overhear her.

    Lucinda brushed off her troubles and asked with a grin, "Did you think of something amusing or

    hear a funny joke?"

    "Lucy, don''t you feel any regret rushing into marriage like this? Like, you never really enjoyed the

    passion of youth before you tied the knot."

    Cecilia''s eyes sparkled. Seeing her like this, Lucinda knew she was suggesting they do something

    daring.

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Back then, they had done some audacious stuff on the down-low without telling their parents.

    "Just now, Avery mentioned Neon Nectar Nightclub. Ever heard of it? Loads of dishy guys there. It''s

    a hit with well-off lonelydies, you know." Cecilia winked at Lucinda, whispering, "Actually, it''s a

    ce where men keepdiespany. We''re on vacation tomorrow and don''t need to return to the

    store tonight. Stefan''s got another gig tonight, and our folks are all at home. How about we sneak

    off to Neon Nectar Nightclub?"

 Chapter 294

    Chapter 294

    Taking her friend''s advice, Lucinda dropped her voice. She said in a hush, ¡°We¡¯re pretty famous

    now and can''t go anywhere without being recognized by the general crowd. Can we even sneak out

    for fun?¡±

    Serendipity Cafe had made it to some trending topics. As the owners, they were indeed public

    figures, especially Lucinda.

    Just stepping into Neon Nectar Nightclub, she¡¯d be instantly recognized.

    Although her friend hadn¡¯t left yet and Stefan wouldn''t punish her at that time, he would remember

    that. The moment her friend left, he¡¯d probably have her bedridden for three days straight.

    Cecilia, ¡°That''s true, the women who can afford to go there are all wealthy. If they see you in the

    club, it would be really awkward.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m quite curious about that ce.¡±

    Lucinda was also full of curiosity about the club and wanted to check it out in person.

    Before, she had the guts but not the money to pay a visit to that ce.

    But now, she had the money but not the guts. The situation was reversed.

    ¡°Why don''t I go there myself and tell you about it when I return?¡±

    Cecilia was relieved that her marriage to Owen was still somehow kept a secret.

    ¡°Cecilia, we are best friends. We promised to share happiness and face difficulties together, how

    could you leave me and go alone?¡±

    Cecilia chuckled, ¡°There''s no other way. Who told you to be so impulsive and marry Mr. Coleman so

    quickly? I warned you not to be fooled, but you said you''ve known each other for eleven years,

    huh.¡±

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Lucinda blushed, ¡°How was I to know that even someone I¡¯ve known for eleven years would hurt

    me. I simply don¡¯t care. If I can¡¯t go there, neither can you,¡±

    Lucinda stubbornly expressed her feelings.

    Cecilia deliberately brought up an old matter, ¡°When you went to see Ruby make a fool of herself,

    you didn¡¯t take me with you.¡±

    Lucinda was speechless.

    ¡°No, I need to figure this out,¡± Lucinda''s curiosity was piqued by her friend. If she didn¡¯t check out

    Neon Nectar Nightclub, she wouldn¡¯t be able to have a sound sleep at night.

    ¡°It would be great if we could disguise ourselves.¡±

    Cecilia sighed, ¡°Like the characters in novels, changing their appearances so much that even their

    parents wouldn¡¯t recognize them.¡±

    Lucinda''s eyes lit up at the idea, and she said with a smile, ¡°I''ll call someone for help.¡±

    ¡°Call them quickly.¡±

    Upon hearing that there was hope, Cecilia hurriedly urged her to call.

    Lucinda found Tiffany''s contact. Knowing Tiffany would eventually be a member of the

    Anderson family, she took her contact. Since they would be rtives in the future, it would be good

    to chat and build rtionships.

    Tiffany answered Lucinda''s call and after hearing her request, she didn''t immediately agree to her

    request. She asked Lucinda, ¡°You want me to do your makeup? Why do I feel like you''re about to

    do something shady? Lucinda, unless you rify the situation to me, I can''t help you. If you mess

    up, Stefan will me it all on me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I''m not looking for trouble. It¡¯s just that I''ve been in the public eye too much recently.

    As soon as I go out, I get mobbed, photographed by the media, it¡¯s really inconvenient. I just want

    you to help me with low-key makeup so I can shop in peace and avoid public attention.¡±

    Tiffany chuckled, ¡°Lucy, you can''t fool me.¡±

    Lucinda just kept silent.

    ¡°If it''s really as you say, all you need to do isin to Stefan a few times and he can solve the

    problem. No one would dare mob you or take your photos when you go shopping.¡±

    Lucinda was left speechless.

    ¡°Lucy, be honest to me. If I can help, I definitely will.¡±

    Lucinda grumbled, ¡°If I tell the truth and you tell Stefan, I¡¯m screwed.¡±

    ¡°Anything that can¡¯t be disclosed to Stefan can¡¯t be good. Lucy, where do you actually want to go?¡±

    ¡°Forget it, I won¡¯t go.¡±

    Although Lucinda and Tiffany had interacted a few times, they weren''t close enough, so she dared

    not to tell Tiffany where she wanted to go for fear of being betrayed.

    ¡°Lucy, do you want to go to Neon Nectar Nightclub?¡±

    Lucy was taken aback.

    Without a second thought Tiffany urately guessed it. She was really smart.

    ¡°Where are you? I''lle over to do your makeup, I guarantee no one will recognize you.¡±

    Hearing that, Lucinda tentatively asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been there before?¡±

    Tiffanyughed, ¡°Of course. In Pinehurst, I go wherever I want.¡±

    And she wouldn¡¯t be recognized.

    Lucinda asked curiously, ¡°How is their service?¡±

    Tiffany curiously asked, ¡°Lucy, you aren¡¯t nning to try their services, are you?¡±

    Actually, she just wanted to check out the handsome men in the club. After all, it was said that the

    men there were very attractive, which was why many wealthy women went there in the first ce.

    Hearing Lucinda''s blunt question, Tiffany couldn''t help butugh, and she said, ¡°I just go to look

    around, besides eating and drinking, I don¡¯t need other services. So, I really don¡¯t know how their

    services are, dare to give it a try?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Lucinda answered quickly.

    She couldn¡¯t even handle Stefan at that time, let alone having the courage to try. She was just

    curious.

    ¡°Lucy, send me your location, I''lle over right away.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Since Tiffany had been to the club and was willing to take her and Cecilia there to broaden their

    horizons, Lucinda no longer had to worry about Tiffany tattling.

    To go to Neon Nectar Nightclub, Tiffany even gave up an opportunity to interact with men. She

    called Liam and told him, ¡°Something came up, I can''t make it. If you go, inform Cedric when you

    see him.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going? What happened?¡±

    Even though Tiffany''s no-show was a bit of a relief for Liam, he had made a point to dress to

    impress for her meeting with Cedric. New clothes, new shoes, spanking new watch, even his hair

    was styled to perfection. All with the intention of showing off a bit in front of Cedric.

    But at that time, he was sitting face to face with Cedric.

    And then out of the blue, Tiffany decided she wasn''ting.

    So, at that point it felt like he was having a romantic tete-a-tete with Cedric.

    The guy opposite him was all smiles and soft gazes, looking at him like he was the apple of his eye,

    which was making Liam incredibly ufortable.

    "Cedric, Tiffany suddenly had some urgent stuff to deal with, so she can¡¯t make it."

    Cedric replied gently, "That''s okay, having the chance to meet you is an honor."

    Liam thought to himself, he didn''t really want to have anything to do with Cedric.

    "Cedric, we''re not that close. You can just call me Mr. Liam."

    "We''ve known each other for over twenty years, I think we''re quite close."

    Liam said, "Cedric, you and Tiffany were supposed to be here to bond. Even though Tiffany can''t

    make it, it''s the same if I observe you on her behalf."

    "Actually, you guys don''t need to bond at all. You live really close to each other. Let me tell you a

    secret, she''s already got her eyes on someone. She''s been into this guy for years. He''s more

    awesome than you, hotter than you, basically, he''s just better than you in every way imaginable."

 Chapter 295

    Chapter 295

    Cedric chuckled, "I know Tiffany already has a crush. We''re just neighbors from childhood, no

    special feelings between us. The matchmaker was just too enthusiastic, thus the date tonight. If

    you''re busy, you can head out first."

    Cedric would love to chat more with Liam, but he could tell that Liam¡¯s mind was elsewhere and he

    was just not interested in talking with him.

    He kindly suggested Liam to leave first.

    Liam was thrilled after receiving Tiffany¡¯s call. Upon hearing Cedric¡¯s words, he didn¡¯t hesitate one

    bit to take his leave.

    The moment he left, Avery arrived.

    Hearing that Cedric was going on a date, Avery was a bit green with envy. He wanted to see with

    his own eyes who that woman was. To his surprise, he only found Cedric alone.

    ¡°Avery.¡±

    Even with Avery¡¯s arrival, Cedric still wore a gentle smile. He beckoned Avery to sit, ¡°Everyone¡¯s

    gone, but the food I ordered hasn¡¯t arrived yet. Since you''re here, why not join me for dinner?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s your date?¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t show up.¡±

    Avery¡¯s face softened a bit.

    ¡°Cedric, I told you. I¡¯ll figure out a way to help with yourpany¡¯s issues. You don¡¯t have to

    sacrifice yourself,¡±

    Avery was jealous, but he also cared for his lover.

    Their rtionship was kept under wraps, not many knew that they were a couple. Most thought that

    they were just good friends.

    After the Frost Group faced financial troubles, Avery dipped into his savings to help Cedric out of

    troubles. But his hundreds of thousands of dors couldn¡¯t make a dent in the problems of such a

    big corporation.

    The Frost Group needed an investment to solve their problems.

    Cedric agreed to date Tiffany in hopes that the Paisley Group would lend a helping hand.

    But business people were sly.

    The Paisley Group may not help him out eventually. They agreed to a date, but she didn¡¯t show up

    when the time came.

    That was the Paisley Group¡¯s attitude.

    ¡°Business issues are not your forte, Avery. You can''t help me. This isn''t something that can be

    solved just by giving me some money. Ourpany needs a powerful corporation to invest in us for

    us to bounce back. Otherwise, the Frost Group will go bankrupt sooner orter due to the rupture of

    the capital chain."

    The business world was like an ocean, filled with ups and downs.

    Even powerfulpanies were bound to face difficulties.

    Cedric had already asked for help from many friends in the business world, but no one had reached

    out a helping hand yet.

    ¡°Cedric, the Ike Group has the ability to help the Frost Group. You can ask their chairman for

    help.¡±

    Avery suggested, which was actually an agreement between him and Trenton. As long as he went

    to approach Cecilia, deliberately pursued Cecilia to stimte Owen, thetter would be willing to

    help the Frost Group.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    The Frost Group was a big corporation in Pinehurst, but it couldn''tpare to Ascend Global and

    the Ike Group.

    Frankly speaking, Cedric couldn¡¯t even find Liam at Ascend Global, also Liam wasn¡¯t even the

    person in charge of Ascend Global.

    Cedric quietly looked at Avery¡¯s face. After a while, he asked, ¡°What have you been hiding from

    me?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t betray you. I just did Trenton a favor. He promised me that if I help him, he will help your

    company in return. Cedric, you should go to the chairman as soon as possible, he will definitely help

    you.¡±

    Cedric frowned, ¡°I don''t have any business rtionship with the Ike Group nor any connection

    with Owen. Why would the chairman help me? I won''t go to him unless you tell me what favor you

    did for him.¡±

    Avery looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to their conversation, then

    whispered the agreement between him and Trenton.

    After listening, Cedric sighed for a long time, ¡°Trenton really broke his heart for Owen.¡±

    His grandfather also broke his heart over his marriage. In the end, he disappointed his grandfather

    and left the world with regret.

    He was only interested in men.

    Lucinda and the others didn''t know about the lovers'' situation.

    When Tiffany arrived at Lucinda''s rented ce, she did makeup for Lucinda and Cecilia. But it

    wasn¡¯t ugly makeup.

    ¡°Ugly makeup is too obvious, especially for newbies, it can easily attract attention. Normal makeup

    is way better to avoid public attention. Even if you''re newbies, others will only think you are

    daughters of a rich family.¡±

    Tiffany did makeup for them, put on wigs for them, and let them wear a pair of ordinary sses

    each.

    "Look at yourselves in the mirror."

    Tiffany handed the mirror to Lucinda andughed, "I guarantee that even your mom won''t be able to

    recognize you."

    "Is this really me? I don''t look like myself at all. Tiffany, your hands are magical. You are a

    professional makeup artist."

    Lucinda looked at herself in the mirror, feeling like she was looking at a stranger.

    "Of course. I''ve been studying for over a decade. You guys change your clothes, don''t wear your

    usual ones to avoid being recognized by acquaintances."

    Tiffany took out two new outfits from the bag she brought and handed them to the two.

    "Ms. Tiffany, your bag is really magical. Always seeing you pulling out stuff, it¡¯s like a bottomless pit,¡±

    Cecilia joked.

    Tiffanyughed, "Didn''t you see I brought two bags? Hurry up and change. I need to change my

    look too. We''ll rent a car to go. Also, you guys go first, I''ll follow. We can''t leave this ce together."

    Cecilia instinctively asked, "Why?"

    Tiffany nced at Lucinda, "Lucinda is being followed."

    Lucinda asked Tiffany, "How do you know?"

    She wasn''t even aware of it herself.

    ¡°How could Stefan, with such deep feelings for you, do nothing? Even if he doesn¡¯t, your biological

    father and brother will have arrangements.¡±

    Cecilia overheard the conversation and it all clicked.

    There was a bodyguard secretly protecting Lucinda.

    "Alright, we''ll do it your way and follow your lead."

    Whenever Lucinda thought about someone constantly monitoring her every move, she felt like her

    privacy waspletely stripped away. However, she knew that it was Stefan who was looking out

    for her, worrying about her safety. Based on what she knew about him, he would have someone

    secretly protect her but would not interfere with her activities.

    If he didn''t say anything, she would y dumb.

    After changing their clothes, the two left their rented house first.

    Tiffany was following them closely behind.

    Zoey and Zack saw Tiffany enter the apartment building where Lucinda was staying, but after a long

    time, they did not see anyonee out.

    Both knew Tiffany well, so they quickly realized that something was off.

    Zoey immediately called Stefan, "Ms. Tiffany came to see the madam. They''re both in the madam''s

    rented house, but it''s been a couple of hours and no one hase out. I think something''s fishy."

 Chapter 296

    Chapter 296

    Neon Nectar Nightclub wasn¡¯t really a male escort joint, but rather a club that only hired good-

    looking young guys, catering mostly to women. Many affluentdies in Pinehurst enjoy splurging

    there.

    It was not unusual for the situation to escte beyond friendship once the guests and staff got

    chummy.

    If a staff member got snagged by a wealthy female client and became her sugar baby, the club

    would politely show him the exit.

    Many worked there for the high pay, while others saw it as a steppingstone to climb the social

    ladder.

    Even though it was not officially a male escort club, people stillbeled it as one due to those

    circumstances.

    Lucinda and Cecilia, all dolled up, took a cab to Neon Nectar Nightclub and only went in once

    Tiffany arrived.

    Tiffany knew that ce like the back of her hand. She was a regr in a heartbeat.

    Lucinda and Cecilia quickly confirmed their suspicions as many people inside knew Tiffany. Of

    course, they all called her by her alias.

    The wealthydies greeted Tiffany enthusiastically when they saw her.

    Lucinda nudged her and whispered, "Do you visit this ce like every day or something? Seems

    like everyone knows you."

    "I''m here to pitch my men''s skincare products, these wealthydies are also my clients," Tiffany

    exined quietly. ¡°Everything I do is for the dough. It''s tough to make a buck on my own without a

    family backing me."

    Lucinda said, "I heard from my husband that you just don''t want to rely on your family, not that you

    don''t have one to rely on. I think it''s great that you''re building your own business."

    "Thanks for thepliment. I initially came here just to broaden my horizons. Out of professional

    instinct, I started selling skincare products from the Paisley group. They loved the results and

    gradually, people here started buying products from me. Not only did I make money, but it also

    boosted the poprity of the Paisley group''s skincare products."

    The Paisley group made their name in skincare.

    As a professional make-up artist, Tiffany knew skincare products inside out. She rmended

    different products based on each person''s skin condition and appearance. Naturally, people had

    faith in her once they saw the noticeable results from using the products rmended by her.

    Cecilia asked curiously, "Aren''t these wealthydies your regr clients? Hasn''t anyone recognized

    you?"

    "The women whoe here aren''t from the real upper crust. The real cream of the crop wouldn''t

    dare to be seen here. They care deeply about their own and their family''s reputation, being spotted

    here could tarnish their family''s reputation, even jeopardize their marriages," This was why Tiffany

    needed to wear makeup.

    Even though she was unwed, she was Miss Paisley from the Paisley Family, real blueblood.

    "But some out-of-town female executives whoe to Pinehurst on business do like to unwind

    here."

    As for how far the service went, that was anyone''s guess.

    Cecilia nodded, "I get it now," Wealthy women didn''t necessarily mean they belonged to high

    society.

    Thinking about her current situation, Cecilia puffed out her chest, she was a richdy at that point.

    As for those from high societies, Cecilia had no intention of joining them. Like the Martinez family,

    even if she did join, she wouldn''t be bullied too badly, but she wouldn''t be able to livefortably

    either.

    She''d better wait for her divorce from Owen.

    But at that time, Owen seemed to havepletely given up on Ruby, did she still have a chance to

    get a divorce?

    Thinking about it, Cecilia felt she needed to discuss the divorce with Owen sooner.

    She just wanted to repay a favor and make a little money on the side but she didn''t want to be tied

    down by him.

    "I have some business to attend to, so I won''t be able to join you. Tonight''s expenses are on me,

    hope you have fun."

    A familiar voice came.

    It was Owen!

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Cecilia saw him and instinctively shrank back, hiding behind Lucinda.

    Tiffany immediately pulled her out.

    Cecilia remembered that she was unrecognizable after Tiffany''s makeover. She and Owen were

    only married in name, they didn¡¯t know each other for long, so he shouldn''t be able to recognize her.

    With that thought in mind, Cecilia was no longer nervous.

    She curiously watched Owen and the female CEO.

    After bidding the CEO farewell, Owen prepared to leave that ce with his bodyguards.

    He ran into the three of them head-on.

    Lucinda and Tiffany were calm, only Cecilia was a bit flustered. But seeing Owen just nce at her

    without giving her a second look, Cecilia immediately breathed a sigh of relief as he was unable to

    recognize them.

    When Owen passed her, she even waved at him, "Hey, handsome."

    The moment she opened her mouth, Lucinda felt something was off.

    They could disguise their appearances with makeup, but their voices remained the same, once they

    started talking, it would definitely raise suspicions.

    As expected, Owen stopped in his tracks when he heard Cecilia''s voice, turned his head and stared

    directly at her.

    His gaze was like a sh of lightning, deep and sharp.

    His face was serious, his lips tightly shut.

    Cecilia had never seen Owen so serious and sharp.

    "Hey, handsome, want a drink? My treat."

    Tiffany tried to divert Owen''s attention.

    She wasn''t familiar with Owen, so he wouldn''t recognize her voice.

    Owen''s gaze soon shifted from Cecilia to Tiffany, but quickly returned to Cecilia, and he slowly

    walked towards her.

    Cecilia was scared to death, ¡°oh crap!¡± She was too impulsive!

    ¡°Don''t be scared, you are covered with make up, Owen will definitely not recognize you!¡±

    Cecilia kept telling herself not to be afraid, Owen wouldn''t recognize her.

    She still wore a smile on her face. As Owen stood before her, she grinned at him and said, "Hey

    handsome, fancy a drink? Join us for a couple of rounds."

    Owen sized her up and down. Her voice sounded a lot like Cecilia''s.

    Her clothes were new; he had never seen Cecilia in such attire. It was a bit provocative, but the

    fabric was top-notch, a designer brand, easily worth a few thousand bucks. Cecilia was too frugal to

    splurge on such expensive clothing.

    That woman''s figure and height were strikingly simr to Cecilia''s.

    Up close, Owen found that woman even more familiar. If not for the intense perfume that clouded

    her natural scent, he would almost suspect that woman to be Cecilia.

    Looking at that woman''spanions, all unfamiliar faces. But the figure of the woman next to her

    reminded him of Lucinda.

    Lucinda was the wife of his nemesis and a good friend of Cecilia''s. He had a decent understanding

    of Lucinda and was very familiar with her figure.

    "Handsome, why don''t you join us for a few drinks?"

    Cecilia had already started flirting, she could only keep it going.

    She needed to dispel any doubts Owen might have about her.

    Usually, she didn''t flirt with Owen. Most of their encounters were filled with debates.

 Chapter 297

    Chapter 297

    "Why the hell are you so rude?"

    Owen''s bodyguard barked angrily, only to be halted by Owen himself.

    Owen said calmly, "I''m inviting you threedies for a drink, and I''ll join you for a few. But it might not

    be lively enough with just me. You can go ahead and book a room. I''ll call some friends over to

    make it more fun for you guys."

    "You guys go with them to book the room. I need to make a phone call."

    Owen instructed his bodyguards to apany them, and then he took off.

    Lucinda and the other two girls were taken aback.

    Cecilia felt like she might have stirred up some trouble.

    She thought that if she teased Owen a bit, he would drop any suspicions, ignore her or scold her,

    and then leave.

    But it was out of her imagination that Owen would actually ept their invitation and join them for a

    few drinks.

    He even said that he would bring over more people to make things livelier.

    "What do we do now?" Cecilia whispered to her friends.

    "I have a bad feeling about this."

    Lucinda whispered back, "Me too."

    "Ladies, this way please."

    Owen''s bodyguards surrounded the three of them, preventing them from leaving, and gestured for

    them to follow.

    Looking at the tall and formidable bodyguards, Cecilia thought Owen was really overdoing it,

    bringing so many bodyguards just to meet a client.

    Tiffany was the calmest. She nonchntly instructed the Martinez family''s bodyguards, "Room

    eight."

    Upon hearing the room number from Tiffany, Owen''s bodyguards immediately led them straight to

    that room.

    Cecilia and Lucinda exchanged nces.

    Since they were already there, they had to go through with it.

    As long as they didn''t remove their makeup, even if Owen had doubts, he wouldn''t be able to

    confirm their identities.

    With thatforting thought, they felt a bit better and followed Tiffany, even cracking a few jokes

    along the way.

    After leaving the club, Owen called Stefan.

    As soon as Stefan answered, he asked without preamble, "Mr. Coleman, is your wife at home?"

    "What does my wife''s whereabouts have to do with you?"

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    "It doesn''t concern me, but if she''s been a bad influence on Cecilia, then it absolutely does."

    Stefan frowned, "Owen, if you have something to say, just spit it out. Don''t beat around the bush."

    "I''m at the Neon Nectar Nightclub."

    "Seems like your clients all like to spend their money in such ces,"

    Stefan shot back at him sarcastically. Then he asked, "Owen, did you see Lucy at the Neon Nectar

    Nightclub?"

    Only the barista and Basil were left in the coffee shop.

    Cecilia and Lucy were nowhere to be seen.

    He called, but it was the barista who answered. She told him that a friend hade to see Lucy

    and she had left with her. They had left in such a hurry that they even forgot their phones.

    Stefan also called Cecilia''s phone, again it was the barista who answered.

    He knew that something was off.

    They had deliberately left their phones behind in the coffee shop so he wouldn''t be able to reach

    them.

    After getting a call from Zoey, his suspicions were confirmed. But even Tiffany''s phone was off,

    leaving Stefan clueless about his wife''s whereabouts.

    And when Stefan received Owen''s call, everything clicked into ce.

    "I can''t be sure if she''s Lucinda. She didn''t speak, so I couldn''t recognize her voice. Her features

    don''t resemble Lucinda''s either, even though I hate to admit it, Lucinda is a beauty. But her figure is

    very simr to Lucinda''s. I can''t be sure, so I wanted you toe and confirm."

    "Are there two other girls with her, one of them resembling Cecilia?"

    Stefan''s face turned grim. He never thought Lucinda would dare to go to the Neon Nectar Nightclub.

    "Yes, one of the girls resembles Cecilia. She sounds like her, and her height and figure are simr

    too. If her features weren''t so different, I would''ve easily figured out that she was Cecilia."

    Stefan''s voice was low, "No need to doubt, it''s them. The other girl must be Tiffany. Owen, you have

    to keep an eye on them. I''m on my way."

    "Tiffany?"

    Owen furrowed his brow as he curiously asked, "You mean Liam''s girlfriend?"

    "Who else could it be?"

    "Tiffany! Tiffany! The one who can change her face with makeup so much that even her own mother

    wouldn''t recognize her! Cecilia!"

    Regardless of Stefan''s mood on the other side of the phone, Owen immediately hung up and

    stormed back into the club.

    He knew it, that voice was too familiar.

    Too much like Cecilia.

    Her figure also was strikingly simr to Cecilia.

    If she hadn''t spoken up, he wouldn¡¯t even notice them.

    This little girl, thinking he wouldn''t recognize her with makeup on, dared toe to a ce like this

    and even dared to flirt with him to his face!

    How could Owen not know about the situation at the Neon Nectar Nightclub?

    It was precisely because he knew too well that he was so angry.

    Was he inferior to the staff there?

    When Owen walked into room 8, the scene he saw was both amusing and perplexing.

    The unfamiliar person had to be Tiffany, right? She was actually selling skincare products for men to

    his bodyguards. His usually silent and loyal bodyguards were all digging into their pockets to buy

    those skincare products from her.

    Owen was puzzled by that scene.

    Food and drinks were already served.

    Lucinda and Cecilia were eating, but not drinking, probably out of fear of getting drunk and causing

    more trouble.

    Cecilia was especially reluctant to drink. Despite her high tolerance, her behavior when drunk was

    out of her control. When she was drunk, she might get handsy with any handsome guy at that

    ce.

    She''d only been drunk once in her life, during her sophomore year in college. ording to Lucinda,

    if it weren''t for her and another ssmate holding her back, she would''ve stripped another

    ssmate naked.

    It was an incredibly embarrassing moment.

    After that incident, she never dared to get drunk again. Even when she did drink, she made sure to

    keep it to a moderate level.

    Knowing that her recklessness had drawn Owen''s suspicions, Cecilia was filled with regret.

    Seeing Owen leave and thene back, she didn''t dare to open her mouth again. But Owen went

    straight to her and sat next to her.

    Soon, an empty ss was passed to her.

    Owen looked at her, a smirk at the corner of his mouth, showing his signature smile, then said,

    "Babe, didn''t you say you were going to buy me a drink? Pour me a ss, let''s have a toast, what

    do you say?"

    Cecilia thought to herself, ¡°Go ahead, dream on!¡±

    Owen then continued, ¡°It was you who said you wanted me to join you for a drink, what, getting cold

    feet now?¡±

    Cecilia retorted, ¡°I was just saying, is that not allowed?¡±

    Owen chuckled.

    Cecilia wished she could find a hole to crawl into.

    At that point she deeply understood the meaning of ''out of the mouthes evil''.

    Why did she have to open her mouth!

    Lucinda looked at her sympathetically: You made your bed, now lie in it.

 Chapter 298

    Chapter 298

    Owen''s eyes were glued to Cecilia. Remembering the agreement between them, she was just

    returning his kindness. They were a married couple only in name, so their private lives were none of

    each other''s business.

    She never interfered with his activities even when he was getting cozy with Ruby.

    So, if she wanted to go out and broaden her horizons, check out some different types of hotties,

    what right did Owen have to stop her from doing so?

    With that thought in mind, Cecilia felt a surge of confidence.

    She picked up the wine bottle, filled Owen''s cup to the brim, and poured herself a full ss as well.

    After putting down the bottle, she picked up her ss and said with a smile, "Come on, handsome,

    cheers."

    She took the initiative to clink sses with Owen. Owen tried to wrap his arm around her, but was

    swiftly pushed away by her other hand.

    As she pushed away his hand, Cecilia was still smiling, "Handsome, I don''t even have a boyfriend

    yet."

    Owen''s eyes were deep as he teasingly said, "I can be your boyfriend."

    Cecilia took a sip of wine, heard his words, leaned towards him, deliberately touched his face, and

    said, "You look familiar, have I seen you somewhere before?"

    Tiffany chimed in, "I also feel like this handsome guy looks familiar. Now I remember, isn''t this

    Owen, the president of the Ike group? The heir of the Martinez family, worth billions!"

    "Owen." Cecilia drew out his name.

    Hearing her speak like that, Owen''s cheek twitched.

    Knowing her, the next thing she said won''t be pleasant to his ears.

    Sure enough, Cecilia said disdainfully, "So you''re the one who got dumped."

    Everyone was left speechless.

    Owen''s face changed, almost unable to resist sshing his drink on her face.

    "Everyone knows how obsessed Owen is with Ruby. The whole thing about men and women is just

    like that, two people with so many years of feelings, if you say nothing happened, I really don''t

    believe it. If Owen has been used by someone else, I''ll pass. I''m a clean freak, I''d rather go barefoot

    than wear someone else''s worn-out shoes."

    As Cecilia mocked Owen, she was still ncing at him to observe his reaction.

    He just changed color for a moment, then started drinking, without refuting her, let alone getting

    angry, Cecilia was baffled.

    Although Owen''s expectations of Ruby fell through, after so many years of feelings, Owen couldn''t

    completely let go of it overnight. His protection of Ruby was well known.

    To Owen, she was at that point a stranger, and not even a good-looking one. She mocked him in

    front of Owen, he just changed color for a moment, then started drinking as if he didn¡¯t care about

    her anymore.

    When did Owen be so good-tempered?

    Cecilia''s heart tightened, guessing that Owen had already recognized her because her voice didn''t

    change.

    Suddenly, Owen''s handsome face leaned towards her, almost touching her face. If she slightly lifted

    her head, her lips would touch his.

    He just had a drink, and the smell of alcohol was strong.

    "You haven''t tried, how do you know I''m second-hand?"

    Cecilia retorted, "How do you try a man?"

    Owen''s eyes deepened. Cecilia felt that he seemed a bit like a cunning fox at that moment. Just as

    she was about to push him away, he suddenly hugged her waist, and the next moment, she was

    tightly held in his arms, and then, he whispered a few words in her ear.

    Cecilia''s face turned red hearing those words.

    She pushed Owen away forcefully.

    Lucinda and Tiffany were stunned, and they were eager to know what Owen had said to Cecilia that

    made her blush and look so angry suddenly.

    Considering the topic they were discussing earlier, Lucinda suddenly understood.

    Only she had such an experience, she understood.

    Lucinda quickly poured herself a ss of wine, took a sip to steady her emotions.

    She was sure, Owen must have recognized Cecilia.

    Otherwise, he wouldn''t have acted like that.

    Owen''s obsession with Ruby, in their eyes, was like a fool. But from another point of view, his

    obsession with Ruby hadsted for over a decade, which showed his loyalty to the person he loved.

    Over the years, he had never had any scandals with other women, let alone provoking other

    women.

    He was always waiting for Ruby, waiting for Ruby to realize the goodness in him, change her mind,

    and eventually be with him.

    Lucinda believed that he was a novice in male-female rtionships, inexperienced.

    She had a deep understanding of the process of a boy bing a man. Stefan was also very

    awkward, thinking he had a problem.

    "What are they whispering about?"

    Tiffany leaned close to Lucinda''s ear and asked quietly, "Are they discussing how to prove that a

    man is not second-hand? How should it be tested?"

    She also wanted to test her man.

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    But her man would freeze even with a kiss. It seemed that he was still very pure, waiting for her to

    teach him.

    But she didn''t have any practical experience either, how would she be able to educate him?

    Lucinda''s face also turned red, she pinched Tiffany quietly, and whispered, "I don''t know, I''m still a

    child, just in kindergarten."

    Tiffany was left speechless.

    Only Lucinda was not a child, okay!

    Saying that there was a child in Lucinda''s belly, she could believe that.

    "Oops!"

    Cecilia identally knocked over a bottle of wine, the wine spilled on the table, and some sshed

    on her clothes. She quickly wiped it with a tissue, and then said to everyone, "Sorry, I''m going to the

    restroom."

    Actually, she wanted an excuse to leave that room and be out of their sight.

    She felt that Owen had recognized her.

    It was all her fault for not being careful enough with what she was doing!

    Owen didn''t stop her from going to the bathroom, but when Cecilia left the room, Owen gave the

    bodyguards a look, all the eight bodyguards understood what he wanted them to do, and followed

    her out of the room.

    Lucinda and Tiffany exchanged a look, then Tiffany said to Owen, "Handsome, only my friend is

    interested in you, we two are not interested in you. You wait here for my friend, we are going to find

    other handsome guys, we''re leaving first."

    Tiffany pulled Lucinda up and they left.

    Owen didn''t say anything and didn''t stop them from leaving either.

    After they left the private room, Tiffany led Lucinda towards the bathroom.

    Lucinda nervously asked, "Tiffany, I think we''ve been found out, what should we do? Owen didn''t

    stop us, he might have his bodyguards waiting for us at the exit."

    There were eight bodyguards at the club''s entrance, even if they could get out of the private room,

    they couldn''t leave the club.

    "So, we need to change our looks ASAP, I''ll call someone to bring us three sets of clothes."

    "Alright."

    Lucinda felt extremely lucky to have Tiffany by her side, otherwise, she and Cecilia would surely get

    caught.

 Chapter 299

    Chapter 299

    The two walked into the restroom, where they ran into Cecilia.

    "What the heck are you guys doing in here too?"

    Lucinda said, "I have a hunch that Owen has already spotted us. We got to split."

    Cecilia apologized, "My bad, we got exposed before we could even achieve our goal. I didn''t even

    get to flirt with a single hunk."

    Tiffany pulled out her phone, turned it on, and called a friend of hers. This friend was one of the

    managers at Neon Nectar Nightclub. Once the call was answered, Tiffany asked for three sets of

    clothes to be sent to the first restroom.

    Upon hearing that, the other party replied, "I don''t have women''s clothes here, only men''s."

    "Men''s it is then. Make it formal and bring it over ASAP."

    "Alright, I''ll have someone bring it over right away."

    "Thanks, I have stuff to deal with. Got to hang up now."

    After she finished speaking, Tiffany immediately hung up and then turned off her phone.

    Just in case Liam decided to call to check up on her.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Neither Lucinda nor Cecilia had brought their phones, so they could only watch.

    "Are we going to change clothes and split?" Cecilia asked with concern in her voice.

    "Unless you want to stay here and have a drink with Owen?"

    Lucindaughed and said, "Why did you have to get his attention? If you hadn''t, we wouldn''t have

    to bail as soon as we got here."

    Her biggest fear was that Owen had recognized them and told Stefan.

    Given Owen''s character, he would definitely do that.

    Ceciliaughed awkwardly as she said, "How was I supposed to know his eyesight was so good?

    He''s never been this observant. He''s been looking at Ruby for years and still hasn''t figured her out.

    I just changed my makeup, and he started getting suspicious."

    As Tiffany was quickly helping them change their makeup, she said, "I can change your makeup,

    but I can''t change your voice or body shape. If someone familiar with you hears your voice or sees

    your body shape, they''ll get suspicious. And if they find out you''re with me, they''ll definitely know it''s

    you. I sometimes change my makeup when I go out and I never dare to meet Liam."

    They had known each other since they were kids and were very familiar with each other.

    Even if she changed her makeup a lot, Liam would still be able to recognize her.

    Looking from another angle, this was also kind of sweet. It showed that she was unique in his heart,

    he remembered her voice and smile, so he could easily recognize her.

    "Do you think Owen would call Stefan?"

    Tiffany curiously asked, "Lucy, do you always have a hunch that something is about to happen?"

    Lucinda hesitated, "I''m not sure; it¡¯s just a feeling. I think Owen would tell Stefan. Tiffany, we need to

    speed up. If Stefanes, there won¡¯t be any room left for us to leave this ce anymore."

    Tiffany picked up the pace.

    Everyone was praying that Owen wouldn''t call Stefan because of their conflict.

    Tiffany''s friend quickly arranged for the clothes to be delivered.

    She helped Lucinda change her makeup and then gave her a set of men''s formal wear, saying,

    "Lucinda, quickly put on this suit and you go first. We can''t leave together, the Martinez family''s

    bodyguards might be guarding the club''s entrance."

    "Oh, and remember to find a hot guy, chat with him while leaving and keep your cool."

    The Martinez family''s bodyguards weren''t the security personnel there, so they wouldn''t dare to

    stop people randomly.

    With the suit on and her makeup changed, she looked like a powerful woman fully focused on her

    career.

    Lucinda quickly changed her clothes and then left the restroom.

    Following Tiffany''s advice, she randomly picked a handsome guy, told him that it was her first time

    there, the ce was too big, and she got lost, asking him to show her the way out.

    The guy was happy to oblige and guide her.

    After a while, Tiffany and Cecilia did the same.

    Lucinda managed to leave the club smoothly. She was loyal, even though she was sessful in

    leaving that ce, she didn''t abandon her friends and run. Instead, she hid in a corner, keeping an

    eye on the club''s entrance waiting for her friends toe out.

    Before her friends coulde out, she saw Stefan and Liam rushing over.

    She was so frightened that she immediately turned around, her back to them.

    She couldn''t see them, and they shouldn''t be able to see her either.

    Thankfully, she was hiding in a corner.

    However, she heard Stefan making a call, his voice faintly audible but she couldn''t really make out

    the words.

    Stefan and his brother stopped at the club entrance, asking the Martinez family''s bodyguards,

    "Where''s Owen?"

    "Inside."

    "Did you see them leave?"

    "No."

    Then Stefan asked Owen on the phone, "Are they still there?"

    "They''ve hidden in the restroom, probably trying to figure out how to escape. Don''t worry, I''ve got

    people guarding the front and back, they can''t escape from this ce."

    Owen took a sip of his drink, confident that he could catch the audacious women.

    Stefan asked him, "How long have they been in the restroom?"

    "About half an hour."

    "Owen! They''ve been in the restroom together for half an hour and you''re still sitting there? They

    might have changed their makeup and escaped."

    Stefan was disgusted with his clueless teammate who was still so calm.

    The people had left, and Owen was still oblivious.

    Owen was frustrated, "Damn! I forgot about Tiffany!"

    He immediately hung up, put down his drink, and rushed out of the private room.

    Stefan was speechless.

    He called him to catch people, but they might have already left.

    "Darn it!"

    When Tiffany saw Liam, she immediately turned around and walked back, quickly telling the

    handsome guy who was helping her to leave, while pulling Cecilia along.

    "What''s going on?"

    Seeing her panicked look, Cecilia quickly asked, "Did Lucinda get caught?"

    "Lucinda got out fine, but Stefan and the rest are already here. Lucinda is such a jinx!"

    Cecilia asked with concern in her voice, "Can we still get out dressed like this?"

    "Liam''s eyes are sharper than a hawk''s, he''d recognize me even if I turned into ashes. We better

    bolt out the back door, and Lucinda will just have to pray she got lucky."

    Tiffany was trying to skedaddle out the back door, dragging Cecilia along.

    "Tiffany!" A creepy voice echoed from behind.

    Tiffany was scared as she said, Oh my gosh, did she get busted this quickly?

    The moment Liam walked in, he spotted a familiar figure from afar.

    He yelled out, then said to his brother, "Bro, I spotted them."

    No sooner had he finished his sentence than his brother took off like a bat out of hell.

    Liam was trying his best to keep up with his brother, "Bro, wait up, wait for me!"

    A few minutester.

    "Tiffany, Cecilia? Where''s Lucy?"

    Stefan and Liam cut off Tiffany and Cecilia. Liam grabbed Tiffany by the wrist, and then, the

    remaining figure wasn''t Lucy''s. Stefan recognized that it wasn''t her, and soon enough he figured out

    that it was Cecilia.

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    Cecilia eyed Stefan''s angry face, nervously saying, "I''m not sure either. Lucy left before us."

    Stefan had a stormy look on his face. He whipped out his phone and dialed Owen, "Owen, get over

    here; Cecilia''s with me."

    "Where are you?" Owen asked.

    He was standing near the restroom, unsure whether he should go in to look for someone.

    Stefan nced around and said, "I''m not sure where I am. It''s my first time in a ce like this."

    Tiffany chimed in, "Just go straight from the right exit. It''ll take you to the back door..."

    Before she could finish, two members of the Anderson family were giving her the evil eye.

    Tiffany realized she might have said something wrong and wished she could hide. She felt exposed.

    Cecilia looked at her sympathetically.

    Tiffany turned to Liam.

    Liam looked furious. He growled, "Tiffany, you''re a regr, huh? You know your way around here

    well?"

    Tiffany gave an awkwardugh and said, "It''s for business. I''m promoting Paisley Group''s new

    men''s skincare products. The staff here earn good money and like to take care of themselves, so I

    targeted them as customers. It''s profitable."

    "Why haven''t you promoted any new products to me? I make good money too, and I like taking care

    of myself."

    Tiffany said, "Don''t worry, I won''t overlook you. I do like good-looking guys."

    "Am I not good-looking? I''m handsome too. Feel free to sit down and admire!"

    Tiffany fell silent.

    Liam''s words left her speechless, and she chose to remain silent.

    Their situation becameplicated because of one small action from Cecilia.

    Sometimes, silence was the best choice. Otherwise, it might cause trouble.

    "Bro, I''m going first." Liam was about to leave with Tiffany.

    Stefan stopped him and said, "You help Owen look after his girlfriend first. I''ll go find Lucy."

    Owen had just found out their location through the phone and was rushing over.

    "Tiffany, Cecilia, you better tell me where Lucy is now."

    Cecilia awkwardly said, "Lucy left before us. I''m not sure where she is now. But she probably left

    through the front door. If she didn''t wait for us, she might have hitched a ride with someone else. If

    she was waiting for us, she might still be near the front door."

    Stefan looked at their outfits and had an idea. Seeing Owen rushing over, he left them and turned to

    leave.

    Neon Nectar Nightclub wasn''t really a male host club, but it was a mixed ce that could easily

    cause trouble. And the people who came here all had certain statuses and backgrounds.

    Among Ascend Global''s partners, there were several female CEOs who had privately expressed

    curiosity about Neon Nectar Nightclub, but Stefan never arranged for them toe. If they wanted

    toe themselves, that was their business.

    Therefore, tonight was Stefan''s first time setting foot in this club.

    As an adult man, he avoided ces like this, but he didn''t expect Lucy toe here with Tiffany.

    Tiffany was even worse. She was so familiar with this club, obviously a regr. It was typical of her

    bold and carefree attitude to show up here.

    Anyway, it was his brother''s problem to worry about.

    Stefan just wanted to take Lucy home and give her a good scolding.

    Oh, she was on vacation right now, so he would keep a tally and settle the score once her vacation

    was over.

    After Stefan left, Liam also left with Tiffany.

    Only Cecilia was left to face Owen.

    Now, she was no longer afraid.

    She even tugged at her suit, asking Owen, "Do I look good in this suit? If I cut my hair short, I''d

    definitely look like a cool guy."

    Owen grabbed her wrist and led her away.

    "Let go, I can walk myself. It''s okay if you recognize me. There is no need to call a cab. I can hitch a

    ride with you. Don''t worry, I''ll pay you for the ride. I won''t let you work for nothing."

    Cecilia tried to break free from Owen''s grip.

    His hand was like iron, gripping tightly.

    She tried her best but still couldn''t break free.

    She had no choice but to follow him.

    Owen looked gloomy, and although he was angry, he didn''t make a scene in public. He just wanted

    to take her home and settle the score.

    The Martinez family''s bodyguard was standing at the door, seeing their boss leaving with a strange

    woman. This woman was different from the one before. Her makeup was changed, and so were her

    clothes.

    One of the bodyguards cautiously asked, "Sir, are you sure you didn''t mistake the person?"

    "Stefan and his brother could tell the difference; it can''t be wrong! As long as you hear her speak,

    you''d know it''s her."

    Cecilia asked, "Is my way of speaking that unique? "

    Cecilia looked around, but didn''t see Lucy. She didn''t know if she had been taken away by Stefan or

    if she slipped away on her own.

    The bodyguard who asked the question earlier kindly said, "Mrs. Anderson was taken away by Mr.

    Coleman."

    Cecilia was taken aback.

    It was all her fault!

    After leaving the club, Cecilia was roughly shoved into a car by Owen.

    Usually, when they quarrel, Cecilia always had the upper hand, and Owen was always the loser.

    Cecilia thought Owen was easy to bully. It was only tonight that she realized he was actually very

    strong. Even if she had training, if he took her seriously, she would be no match for him.

    Was he usually letting her win?

    On the way, Owen remained silent.

    He didn¡¯t speak, and Cecilia didn''t either.

    When she realized he wasn''t driving towards the store or her home, Cecilia asked him, "Mr.

    Malicious, where are you taking me?"

    Owen ignored her.

    "I want to get off!"

    No one responded to her.

    "Owen, I want to get off!"

    "What, scared now? You dare to go to Mr. Coleman''s club, and you''re afraid of going with me? Am I

    dirtier than those club employees?"

    Cecilia locked eyes with him.

    Owen''s eyes were aze with anger, and Cecilia felt like he wanted to burn her alive.

    "Owen." Cecilia moved in closer, cing her hand on his shoulder, and leaned into him. She

    deliberately taunted him as she said, "You look like you''re jealous. Are you?"

    Owen shook off the hand she ced on his shoulder and said expressionlessly, "Although we were

    secretly married, you are already my wife. You''re embarrassing me when you go to that ce.¡±

    "So you can go, but I can''t?"

    "I''m a man!"

    Owen growled under his breath.

    Cecilia shot back and said, "Who knows, maybe you''re bisexual."

    Owen''s temples throbbed, veins bulging.

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    He red at her, his face dark and stormy.

    Cecilia held her head high, her chest out, showing no fear.

    After a while, Owen turned away, staring out at the scene through the car window.

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    Chapter 301

    Cecilia breathed a sigh of relief, shifting away from him quietly.

    She was scared whenever he stared at her.

    Owen brought Cecilia back to his private vi.

    After a lot of hustle and bustle, the night had fallen.

    Except for the butler, who rushed to open the door after receiving Owen''s call, the servants taking

    care of the vi were all fast asleep.

    The silence of the whole vi made Cecilia uneasy.

    Would Owen do anything to her?

    He loved Ruby so deeply, so faithfully. He wouldn''t do anything to her.

    Besides, she knew some self-defense skills. If he dared to do anything to her, she would fight back.

    The housekeeper saw Owen bringing a girl she had never seen before into the main house. It took

    her a while to snap back to reality. She couldn''t help but ask a bodyguard, "Who is the girl that

    Owen brought back?"

    It wasn''t unusual for Owen to bring girls home, but it was always Ms. Scott.

    The housekeeper had been guarding the vi for ten years. This was the first time she saw a

    woman other than Ms. Scott being brought back by Owen.

    The bodyguard replied, "I know who she is, but without Owen''s permission, I can''t tell you."

    The housekeeper fell silent.

    This was frustrating. She was so curious, but the bodyguard wouldn''t tell her who the girl was.

    "She looks pretty ordinary, not the type that Owen would like. But Owen looks upset, like a betrayed

    husband, both angry and lost. Who is this girl?"

    The housekeeper was very curious.

    The bodyguards knew the girl''s identity but wouldn''t tell her.

    This was so unfair!

    "Owen, let go of me! If you don''t let go, I''m gonna do something!"

    Cecilia was really scared now.

    With one hand, Owen led her into the house, then straight upstairs through the hall.

    Hearing her warning, he coldly replied, "Shut up!"

    "You tell me to shut up, and I should just shut up? Who do you think you are? Owen, did you forget

    what our rtionship is? Why are you angry? Why are you throwing a fit? We are just partners; I''m

    here to act for money!"

    Owen stopped.

    Cecilia thought he was going to reason with her, ready for a big fight, when she suddenly felt empty

    beneath her feet.

    Owen picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, marching straight upstairs.

    This was Cecilia''s first time being carried like this, making her ufortable. She hit him angrily,

    pulled his hair, tugged his ears, all sorts of retaliation.

    But he took it all.

    He carried her through the door and closed it behind him.

    Within a few minutes, Cecilia felt dizzy and was dumped on a big bed by Owen.

    She reacted quickly, rolling off the bed as soon as she was thrown onto it. Seeing the height of the

    bed, she crawled under it without hesitation.

    She was twenty-four years old, and for the first time, she felt so embarrassed, so frightened.

    Owen was so dominant; it turned out he could be so intimidating.

    Oh my God, he grabbed her feet.

    Cecilia struggled desperately, trying to break free from his control. But she failed.

    The bed was high. She could crawl under it but couldn''t sit up. She could only lie t on the floor. In

    such a situation, it was really hard for her to break free from his control.

    Soon, she was dragged out from under the bed.

    Like a dead dog...

    At this moment, Cecilia could actually think of such a description.

    After being dragged out from under the bed by Owen, Cecilia wanted to fight him, but he used his

    physical advantage to pin her down on the bed.

    His weight made her breathless.

    Normally, he was really considerate of her. Otherwise, with her ability, she could never fight him.

    Owen grabbed her hands, pushing them above her head, his body pressing hard against hers,

    making it impossible for her to move. He lowered his head, panting heavily, staring at her.

    Cecilia tried to break free from his control but failed.

    She was also panting heavily, looking up at him, her eyes full of fear.

    The struggle left her exhausted.

    A few minutester, both of them had caught their breath.

    Cecilia said seriously, "Owen, let me go!"

    "Cecilia, you have quite the courage to go to that ce. I''m impressed by your bravery."

    "I can go wherever I want; you have no right to interfere! Owen, we''re just husband and wife in

    name!"

    Owen growled and said, "I can make us a real husband and wife at any time!"

    Thinking of her possibly flirting with other men there, Owen wanted to take her right away.

    He was furious!

    Instead of chasing a rich, handsome man like him, she went after those men!

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    "You dare!"

    "You can try and see if I dare!"

    Cecilia was speechless. She didn''t dare try.

    "Speak!"

    "Speak what?"

    Owen''s face darkened.

    Cecilia blinked, then said, "I say, I say, you''re handsome and more handsome than the men there.

    Are you satisfied?"

    Owen said, "I''m not asking you topliment me. I''m asking you who suggested going there.

    Lucinda or Tiffany?"

    Cecilia retorted,"I suggested it."

    Owen''s face turned green, "You suggested it? How did you know about that ce?"

    "Avery told me."

    "Who is Avery?"

    Hearing her mention another man''s name, Owen was even unhappier. He didn''t even know he

    could get so jealous.

    She was Cecilia, not anyone else. He was actually jealous because of her.

    "He''s a handsome guy."

    "Another handsome guy! How many handsome guys do you know? Name them all!"

    He was going to find them one by one!

    "Is it Mr. Cooper from the coffee shop?" Owen remembered there weren''t many guys that could be

    called handsome by her.

    Cecilia answered honestly, "Yes, it''s him."

    "Is he a waiter in that club?"

    "Owen, you can''t nder him like that; he''s not a waiter there."

    "Any decent man wouldn''t talk about what happens in a club. Cecilia, you should keep your

    distance from him; be careful he doesn''t use you. You''ve worked hard to be a rich woman; if

    he takes advantage of you, all your effort will be in vain."

    Cecilia answered coldly, "You''ve been there too; that means you''re not a good man either."

    Owen was left speechless.

    Seeing her in another man''s suit pissed him off big time. He wanted to rip it right off her.

    Without wasting a second, he grabbed Cecilia''s hands with one hand while the other tried to

    undress her.

    Cecilia, who had just calmed down, was now freaking out again.

    She struggled hard, trying to break free from Owen''s grip, shouting, "Owen, if you dare force me, I''ll

    hate your guts forever!"

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    "Aren''t you all about Ruby? Go find Ruby and leave me alone. You jerk, stop pulling my clothes!"

    Owen turned a deaf ear and kept tugging her suit.

    Luckily, Cecilia hadyered her clothes when she got dressed, so she just put on the suit.

    After he ripped the suit off her, he left her alone. He tossed the suit onto the floor, even stomped on

    it a few times, then left.

    Cecilia fell silent.

    She was scared out of her mind, thinking that he wanted to force himself on her. Who knew he just

    wanted to rip her clothes?

    Soon, Owen came back.

    Seeing him return, Cecilia quickly grabbed a nket and wrapped herself up.

    Owen tossed her another suit. Standing beside the bed, he looked down at her and said coldly, "Go

    take a shower, change out of your clothes, and put on what I gave you."

    Cecilia blinked, made sure he wasn''t going to explode again, quickly sat up, picked up the suit he

    threw her, and asked, "Is this yours?"

    "What else could it be if I took it out of my closet?"

    Cecilia pouted and said, "How is this different from the suit you ripped off me?"

    Owen red at her and said, "It''s not for the same person."

    What was the difference? They were both for men to wear.

    Cecilia only dared to mutter to herself, not daring to voice out. So as not to set this man off again.

    "Have you worn this suit before?"

    "I have."

    "And you want me to wear it after you have?"

    Cecilia slid off the bed, holding the suit.

    Owen snapped and said, "Am I not cleaner than the guys at the Neon Nectar Nightclub? You can

    wear their worn clothes, but you can''t wear mine?"

    Cecilia was speechless.

    Holding the suit, she cautiously said, "Mr. Malicious, I can''t help but feel you are jealous of me! It''s

    rare that I could outshine your crush, ha!"

    Before Owen could react, she ran into the bathroom with the suit.

    Owen turned to look at the bathroom door that she had mmed shut, both angry and amused.

    Cecilia took a hot shower and washed off her makeup.

    Although she didn''t like Owen''s clothes, she didn''t want to provoke him again, so she obediently

    wore his clothes out.

    Owen was tall and big; his clothes were baggy on her.

    "I feel like a kid wearing adult clothes." Ceciliained.

    Owen paused for a moment and said, "There are no clothes for you here. Just bear with it."

    He walked over.

    Cecilia instinctively stepped back.

    Owen sighed and said, "Don''t worry, I won''t force you."

    Forcing her would traumatize her, and it would be disrespectful to her.

    He was angry and wanted tosh out at her, but he held back, not wanting to hurt her and affect her

    future life.

    After all, they were husband and wife for a lifetime.

    He couldn''t just think about the present; he needed to consider the future.

    Cecilia sighed in relief, gave him a thumbs up, and praised him, "Owen, you''re such a stand-up

    guy!"

    Owen walked over and pulled her to sit on the bed.

    This move made Cecilia extremely nervous, fearing that he would change his mind.

    The next moment, she wanted to roll off the bed because Owen started undressing.

    "Owen, what are you doing?"

    "Taking off my clothes."

    "Why are you taking off your clothes?"

    Owen pinched her face, and it felt pretty good. He said, "Going to sleep."

    "Aren''t you going to take me home?"

    "You''re staying here tonight."

    Cecilia was surprised.

    Thinking of his terrifying anger, she flinched, not daring to argue with him on this. If she pissed him

    off again, and he did something to her, she wouldn''t be able to divorce him with his money and

    marry a handsome guy.

    Owen took off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. Soon, he was bare-chested.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Cecilia wanted to scream like a pure heroine in a TV drama and then cover her face, but she didn''t

    want to miss seeing his muscr body, so she just boldly appreciated it.

    Not bad at all!

    She was enjoying the view and waiting for Owen to remove his pants, but he didn''t.

    Her reaction amused Owen. He wouldn''t dare take off his pants.

    He got under the covers,y down next to her, turned on his side, stretched out his long arm, pulled

    her closer, let her face rest on his chest, and said softly, "Go to sleep."

    Cecilia fell silent for a moment.

    She pushed him away, "Am I supposed to sleep in your suit?"

    Owen loosened his grip a bit, looked deeply into her eyes, and said, "If you want to take it off, I don''t

    mind. But, if you''re naked, I can''t promise I won''t do anything. After all, I''m not a saint. I can be

    tempted."

    Cecilia poked his smooth chest with her finger. Seeing his gaze darken, she quickly withdrew her

    finger; she knew that was a provocative move.

    "Can I sleep in the guest room? Owen, do you remember our agreement?"

    He said he was not a saint, and even if she was dressed in formal attire, perhaps he would take

    advantage of her drowsy sleep and act on her, and everything would naturally happen.

    Cecilia was scared.

    "I''m too sleepy to remember our agreement. All I remember is that you and I went to the city hall

    and got our marriage certificate. You''re my wife!"

    Owen yawned, didn''t give Cecilia another chance to speak, pulled her back into his arms, and

    threatened, "If you make another sound, I''ll shut you up with my mouth."

    Cecilia stopped talking.

    This jerk!

    He was thinking of going back on his word!

    Wasn''t this just another Stefan?

    Cecilia thought she wouldn''t be able to sleep under these circumstances.

    But she fell asleep and slept soundly.

    When she woke up, it was bright daylight, but the environment in the room seemed to have

    changed.

    Cecilia quickly sat up and first checked her clothes. Everything was still intact, and she felt no

    difort.

    She dreamed that Owen kissed her a few timesst night. His kissing skills were not very good due

    to ack of practice and experience.

    Huh?

    What was she thinking?

    There was a skirt on the bedside table, and it looked new.

    Underneath the skirt was a note. Owen''s handwriting was messy; Cecilia held it and stared at it for

    a while but couldn''t make out what he had written.

    She hopped out of bed, grabbed the dress, and tried it on. It was a perfect fit.

    The note, presumably, was instructing her to wear the dress.

    She wasn''t a big fan of dresses, but anything was better than continuing to wear Owen''s suit. So,

    she took the dress and went into the bathroom.

    Owen was already in the room when she came out of the bathroom.

    His eyes seemed to light up when he saw Cecilia.

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    Chapter 303

    "Have you showered yet?"

    He did notpliment her.

    "Yeah."

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    "Let''s get going downstairs for some grub."

    Owen spun around and walked off, but after a couple of steps, he turned his head back to her and

    said, "It''s your favorite seafood feast."

    Cecilia followed his steps and asked, "Seafood feast this early?"

    "It''s ten in the morning now, not too early."

    "I can''t believe I slept till now!"

    Cecilia eximed. Her phone was still in the coffee shop, and there was no rm to wake her up.

    "Mr. Malicious. Do you hear the wind? And something like the sound of waves?"

    Cecilia did hear it; she thought she was hallucinating.

    She remembered when Owen brought her back to a vi under his namest night, and there was

    no sea around.

    She could hear the sound of the waves, even though she was not by the sea. It was unclear

    whether she was hallucinating or her hearing had be superhuman after waking up.

    "We are now on the Anderson family''s private ind."

    Cecilia was shocked.

    Immediately, she turned around to go back, saying as she walked, "I must have woken up wrong.

    How could I possibly be on an ind?"

    Owenughed and pulled her back, took her downstairs, and exined, "I told you before that I

    would take you to the seaside for a vacation this weekend. The Anderson family''s private ind has

    great views; it''s a great ce for vacation."

    "You slept very soundly this morning, so I carried you out and came here with them for vacation."

    Cecilia was confused.

    "What do you mean by waking up wrong? How many ways do you have to wake up?"

    Owen said with augh.

    Downstairs, Cecilia saw the two friends fromst night.

    Upon seeing Cecilia in a dress, Tiffany even whistled. Liam looked over gloomily. She hurriedly

    whistled at Liam several times, making him helpless.

    ording to Stefan''s n, he would also take the elders on vacation.

    The elders went out with them, but they wisely chose not to stay in this sea view vi with the young

    people.

    Several sea view vis were built on the ind for vacation. In addition to the vis, there were also

    small airports, shopping malls, parks, etc.; it was like a small city.

    All the people on the ind were employees of the Anderson family, protecting this beautiful ind

    that had also been turned into a vacation holynd.

    The ind would be open to the public every month for five days. During these five days, anyone

    who could afford toe by boat or ne could have a pleasant five days on the ind.

    This was also done to allow the employees who do seafood business on the ind to make money,

    promoting the ind''s economy.

    The Anderson family''s vacation holynd in Pinehurst was very famous. The rich all lined up

    wanting toe to this ind, and the employees never had to worry about their seafood not being

    sold.

    After the meal, Cecilia finally had a chance to chat with her two friends.

    The three women sat on a fewrge rocks by the sea, looking out at the sea.

    The sea breeze was strong.

    The waves rhythmicallypped against the shore.

    "Lucy, you didn''t have any problems, did you? Did Stefan lose his temper with you?"

    Cecilia gently nudged her friend, asking curiously.

    Lucinda replied, "You have the nerve to ask; it''s all because of the things you shouldn''t have said

    that aroused Owen''s suspicion, causing us all to get caught. Lucky I had friends around. Otherwise,

    I wouldn''t be able to get out of bed today."

    Lucinda thought back to the events ofst night and still felt a little scared.

    When Stefan found her, the look on his face gave her nightmaresst night; it was too scary.

    He even hurt her lips over and over again.

    Until she begged for mercy, promised not to go to the Neon Nectar Nightclub again, and coupled

    with her coaxing and expression of love for him, he stopped.

    "Owen was very angryst night. I was very scared, but luckily, he was a gentleman and didn''t do

    anything to me; he just denied our agreement. Lucy, you were right. Everything you said before has

    come true."

    Cecilia said gloomily, "I just wanted to repay his kindness; I never thought about spending the rest

    of my life with him."

    Lucinda said, "This is the inevitable result of the plot development. We novelists like to write like

    this, and readers like to see you bring it on yourself."

    Cecilia said, "Ruby disappointed him. If he loses hope in Ruby, wouldn''t he hold on to you?"

    Lucinda was quite happy to see her friend suffer.

    Because her friend had watched her suffer before.

    Among friends, happiness should be shared, and difficulties should be faced together.

    Suffering should be shared too!

    "I''ll try talking to him about divorce in a few days. He''s not in a good mood these days, so I won''t

    provoke him."

    Lucindaughed and said, "As if he would agree to a divorce. Like when I was with Stefan, was he

    willing to divorce?"

    "Lucy, can''t you give me some hope?"

    "I''m preparing you mentally."

    "The rabbit I raised tastes pretty good, Lucy. I''ve tried it." Tiffany, who had been silent all along,

    suddenly said something with satisfaction.

    Lucinda immediately looked at her.

    Cecilia looked very confused and asked Tiffany, "You ate a rabbit? Why didn''t you invite me? I want

    to taste it too. How did you cook it?"

    Tiffany replied, "There are all kinds of cooking methods. Anyway, it''s very delicious. Cecilia, this is

    the rabbit I raised; I can''t let you eat it."

    Cecilia retorted, "Although we have only known each other for a short time, we have a very good

    rtionship. You are too stingy. It''s just a rabbit, can''t you give me a little bit? If you don''t want to, I

    can buy some rabbits for you."

    Lucinda couldn''t help butugh as she said, "Cecilia, the rabbit Tiffany is talking about is Liam. Do

    you still want to eat him?"

    Cecilia was stunned.

    "How did Liam turn into a rabbit?"

    She thought Tiffany was unwilling to share her rabbit meat.

    "It''s their love game."

    Lucinda was amused by her friend''s words andughed till her stomach hurt.

    When Cecilia realized it, she immediately grabbed Tiffany''s shoulder and gossiped, "What did you

    try?"

    Tiffany''s face turned as red as a tomato.

    "Lucinda gets it," she said.

    Pushing away Cecilia''s hand, she slid off the rock and said over her shoulder, "I pigged outst

    night and need to chill at home. If you guys have other ns, don''t bother waiting up for me."

    Cecilia watched Tiffany retreating back, then turned to her friend and asked, "What''s she got her

    knickers in a twist about?"

    Lucinda''s face was also flushing as she said, "Didn''t you get her drift? All those novels you''ve read

    have gone to waste. My grandparents are fishing over there; I''ll go check on them."

    To avoid further questioning from her friend, Lucinda also slid off the rock, left Cecilia behind, and

    made a beeline out of there.

    Cecilia was at a loss for words.

    After a moment of thought, she finally got the gist and muttered to herself, "So she just found out

    that Liam''s still a virgin. Why didn''t she just say so?"

 Chapter 304

    Chapter 304

    Lucinda and Tiffany had both left. Cecilia sat around for a bit but got bored, so she got up, turned

    around, and was about to jump off the rocks. That was when she saw Owen heading her way,

    carrying a few big bags that looked like they were full of food.

    Cecilia waited for him to get closer.

    The sea breeze was messing up her hair and her long skirt.

    The scene had a sort of ethereal beauty to it.

    Cecilia usually didn''t wear skirts, and her sharp tongue often made Owen overlook her feminine

    charm.

    But when she put on a skirt, he suddenly noticed how beautiful she really was. She was like a

    ma, attracting his attention so much that he even forgot who Ruby was.

    He couldn''t let Cecilia know that, or she would get a big head.

    "Why are you here? Aren''t you supposed to be hanging out with them?" Cecilia asked.

    Owen put the food and drinks he had brought on the rock, then climbed up.

    "I don''t vibe with them. It would be a real buzzkill," he added, "And don''t forget, I''m Stefan

    Coleman''s arch-nemesis. He charged me a pretty penny just to grant you your vacation wish."

    In the past, he would never have set foot on the Anderson family''s private property.

    Cecilia was busy bending over to pick up the bags he brought; she opened one to take a look and

    said, "All freshly packed, huh? And there''s beer."

    "Yep, how about we eat and drink some beer? Doesn''t that sound nice?"

    She didn''t seem to care much about what he said, which kind of bummed Owen out.

    Her attention was always a bit offbeat.

    Before long, the two of them were sitting on the rock, eating the seafood Owen brought and drinking

    beer.

    Owen didn''t bring any cups, so they just drank straight from the bottle, clinking them together every

    now and then. It was pretty chill. The atmosphere between them was also particrly good.

    "Here, this is for you." Owen suddenly pulled out a new phone from his pocket and handed it to

    Cecilia.

    "If you don''t have any photos to remember your vacation by, you''ll regret it. This phone is brand

    new. It takes much better photos than your old one."

    Cecilia put down her beer bottle, took off her disposable gloves, and took the new phone from him.

    It was thetest Apple model, she said, "My old phone was cheap, and I''ve been using it for years.

    It sometimes freezes. Of course, it can''tpare to this one."

    Cecilia said happily, "Thanks, I''ll pay you backter."

    Seeing her happy face, a smile spread across Owen''s face, and his eyes were filled with a doting

    look he wasn''t even aware of. He said, "No need, it''s a gift from me."

    "No free lunch in this world. You suddenly giving me a new phone makes me a bit nervous. Owen,

    what are you up to?"

    "Just giving you a phone, what''s there to be nervous about?"This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    To him, the money he spent on this phone was nothing. He could give her many more if she was

    willing to ept it.

    "It''s weird, I pissed you off, and you gave me a new phone. Doesn''t that make me think that I can

    get lots of new phones as long as I piss you off?

    If that''s the case, I don''t mind pissing you off every day, then I''ll just invest in opening a phone store.

    No matter how many phones you give me, I''ll ept them all and then resell them for profit."

    Hearing her words, Owen felt like he was pushed to the brink of jumping into the sea.

    "All right, then let''s deduct the cost of the phone from your management fee. Is that okay? Every

    time we talk about money, you''re so obsessed, counting every penny, like you''re taking advantage

    of me. Yet when I actually want to do something nice for you, you still want to talk about money. You

    always want to talk about money."

    "Some money, I can ept. Some benefits I can''t. I have principles."

    Owen let out augh.

    She also said she wouldn''t submit for the sake of money.

    When he offered her a hundred thousand, she immediately sent him her bank ount number and

    urged him to transfer the money.

    So mercenary. It was just that when the money was small, it was not that appealing to her.

    "Then I''ll use it without worries."

    Cecilia immediately started happily taking photos of the blue sky, white clouds, and the sea, along

    with a few selfies. But she took photos of the sky, the earth, and everything but the person who

    gave her the phone.

    Owen didn''t mind though.

    While she was happily taking photos everywhere, he secretly took a photo of her happy face with

    his phone, saved it to his photo album, then chose the photo he thought was the most womanly and

    beautiful and set it as his phone wallpaper.

    That way, every time he opened his phone, he could see Cecilia''s healing smile.

    Owen was seriously heartbroken. Ruby hadn''t given up; she still called him every few days, but he

    never picked up.

    Although he couldn''t let go of Ruby immediately, he was hurt so deeply by her that he came to his

    senses, and he would ruthlessly kicked her out of his heart.

    When in love, he was willing to give it his all and love passionately.

    When he broke up, he was decisive and upromising, cutting off the rtionship cleanly.

    No dragging it out.

    Looking at Cecilia in front of him, even though she always pissed him off to the point of questioning

    his life, he had to admit ever since he met her, as long as he was with her, he felt especially rxed.

    When he was with her, he couldn''t think of anyone else. All he saw was her.

    Maybe it was because she was so good at talking. She made him forget about everyone else; he

    only wanted to argue with her, but he could never win.

    The person who could bring him happiness was the right person for him.

    When he got back, he needed to pull out their agreement and tear it up.

    And also Cecilia''s copy, he would quietly take it back and tear it up. When Cecilia reminded him

    about the agreement, he could deny everything!

    Without evidence, no matter what she said, he wouldn''t admit it!

    He only admitted to the marriage certificate, with their names and information on it; it was legal and

    real. They were husband and wife!

    However, doing this might make him feel really awkward.

    But to keep her, he was not afraid of anything.

    Stefan persisted like this, and that was how he got his happy life now.

    With such a good example to follow, he''d be a fool not to imitate it.

    "Want to show off in front of Lucinda?" Owen saw her stop taking photos and handed her another

    pair of disposable gloves.

    Cecilia chuckled and said, "You actually thought of gifting me a brand new phone for me to snap a

    pic andmemorate? Do you think Mr. Coleman wouldn''t have thought of that? Mr. Coleman is

    way more attentive and understanding than you."

    Owen retorted, "Can''t you just praise me for once? I do some things better than Stefan."

    Cecilia thought for a moment, then said, "You indeed do some things better than Mr. Coleman, like

    your superhuman tolerance, just like a ninja!"

    Owen got her point right away.

    His face fell instantly, knowing he couldn''t extract apliment from her!

    Even gifting a phone was useless!

 Chapter 305

    Chapter 305

    Over yonder, Lucinda leaned into her hubby Stefan, sitting under a palm tree with a pair of

    binocrs in her hand, eyeing a couple of lovebirds on a rock. She then said to Stefan, "Looks like

    your nemesis is now smitten by my best friend."

    Stefan nted a kiss on her lips, grinning as she said, "Isn''t that what you''ve been rooting for?"

    Lucinda put down her binocrs, wrapped an arm around his neck, andnded a smooch on him.

    Stefan didn''t resist; he even deepened the kiss.

    After the lip-lock, the woman in his arms smelled as sweet as an orchid. He wanted to get closer,

    but she needed to rest for a week.

    After her break, they had to wait another three days to start their lovey-dovey life again.

    It was all for her sake; she needed enough recovery time after her "monthly visitor." Starting their

    intimate life too soon could harm her.

    He loved her, so he gave her body enough rest.

    He had waited for so long. A few more days wouldn''t hurt.

    "I don''t know if Owen has really lost interest in Ruby this time."

    "Judging by his reactionst night, he''s totally over Ruby. He might have started to care about your

    friend or realized his feelings for Cecilia during his time with her." Stefan paused, then said, "In the

    past, whenever Ruby was involved, Owen would be all over the ce, like a lovesick puppy. I

    should thank Ruby; without her, I might not alwayse out on top in mypetition with Owen.

    Being head over heels for someone can make you blind."

    Love was the easiest thing to make you lose your mind.

    "If he didn''t care about Cecilia, he wouldn''t care where she goes. Only when you truly care about

    someone, would you get mad about her actions."

    Stefan lightly pinched her face and said, "If you ever follow them to those ces again, I won''t let

    you off the hook like yesterday."

    Lucinda quicklyughed and said, "I wouldn''t dare, I wouldn''t dare."

    "Humph!"

    "I''ve found all the men there are not as handsome and gentlemanly as my hubby. I would be a fool

    to look at other men when I have such a handsome husband. I may do something stupid once, but

    never twice. Honey, let''s just forget about it."

    Lucinda sure knew how to survive.

    "There are a lot of my photos in the new phone I gave you. When you want to see a handsome guy,

    just look at that phone. I guarantee you''ll be thrilled."

    Lucinda immediately took out the new phone from her pocket and retorted, "I didn''t even notice

    there were photos in the album. Honey, do you have any pictures without clothes? Those are the

    ones that really excite me."

    Stefan said, "You''ve seen them already, and I¡¯m worried that constantly looking at those photos

    would get you too excited."

    Lucinda burst outughing.

    Looking at the photos in the phone album, she said, "Honey, I never knew you were so fun. These

    photos are really good. From now on, I''ll only look at you; I''ll never look at other men again."

    Hopefully, he wouldn''t bring upst night''s incident again.

    "Owen also bought a brand-new phone for Cecilia. Though he only decided to do it after seeing me

    buy a new one." Stefan added.

    Same phone, different prices.

    The staff at the phone store were all the Anderson family''s workers. They didn''t dare to take

    Stefan¡¯s money. He gave them the cost price, as he didn''t want them to lose out.

    But it was different for Owen. They wanted to make a few thousand bucks off him.

    Business on the ind wasn''t usually bustling. After all, it was not open to the public, but once it

    opened, the ie from one time was enough for them to spend for three years.

    There were five open days a month, which made all the merchants here rolling in dough.

    Except for those who had worked for the Anderson family for many years, nobody else could do

    business on the ind. They were all loyal to the Anderson family; some of their fathers witnessed

    the rise of the Anderson family, and by their generation, it could be said that three generations have

    worked for the Anderson family.

    Lucinda giggled and said, "It''s nice that he could do these things for Cecilia and willingly let you

    charge his money."

    "I once said that their story could be written into a novel. It would be very popr. Back then, I

    thought Cecilia would be the first to fall into the love trap. I was worried she would get hurt, but now

    it seems it''s Owen who fell in love first; it''s quite fun to watch him chasing after his wife."

    "I need to jot these down when I have time; I''ll write a new novel. I believe readers will love it."

    She was an avid bookworm and read a lot of romance novels; she found the way Owen and Cecilia

    interacted very interesting. If she wrote a novel based on them, readers would surely like it too.

    "Actually, I think our story could also be written into a novel¡­ Honey, don''t worry, I absolutely won''t

    write you into the novel, you''re mine! I won''t share you with readers!"

    Stefan flicked her forehead lightly and said, "You''re such a cheeky monkey."

    At that moment, his phone rang.

    He took out his phone and nced at the caller ID, then said to his wife, "It''s Edgar."

    "Pick it up, see what news he''s got."

    Lucinda knew Edgar was her husband''s right-hand man, and he was helping to investigate who was

    behind her kidnapping years ago.

    The incident had passed more than twenty years; many clues were thoroughly cleaned up by the

    mastermind, making the investigation very difficult.

    Even her own brother had looked into it for a long time. Although there were suspected targets,

    there was no evidence, so they couldn''t publicly use them.

    What her brother could do now was to try his best to suppress Pete, not to let him hold too much

    weight in thepany.

    After talking with her brother, Lucinda also knew that if she returned to the Blue family, she would

    havepetitors. She didn''t want to fight for her grandmother''s love, but to get back at them, she

    had to!

    In Stefan''s words, "The more they care about it, the more they want it, the more we gotta snatch it

    away from them. Make sure they can''t get their hands on it. That''s the kinda revenge that''ll really

    twist the knife."

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    "Alright, cool your jets."

    First, Stefan soothed his wife''s emotions. Then, he promptly picked up Edgar''s call.

    "Boss, I''m on vacation."

    Edgar whined over the phone.

    Stefan held his tongue for a moment, then said, "After you wrap up what you''re working on, I''ll give

    you a week off."

    Edgar immediately cracked a smile, "Well, thanks in advance, boss. But hey, when you do give me

    time off, don''t let the cat out of the bag to that girl from the Howard family. She really gives me the

    creeps."

    "I wouldn''t spill the beans. But if you''re not around, and shees looking for you, someone''s

    bound to let the cat out of the bag."

    Edgar said, "Boss, let''s circle back to the main point here. I dug up some dirt on thatdy. She''s the

    niece of Elisa, who took your wife away twenty-three years ago. The Av family was driven to

    bankruptcy by your father-inw back then. The folks from the Av family left Skywatch, but

    they''ve been holding a grudge against the Blue family ever since."

 Chapter 306

    Chapter 306

    "Thatdy''s name is Aurora Av. She''s 28, and she''s quite the social butterfly in Whiterun. She''s

    pretty chummy with the rich folks in town, but the wives of these rich dudes can''t stand her. She

    doesn''t have a steady job, and her livinges from these wealthy guys."

    "She can booze like a champ, and she''s in good with a bunch of top dogs in variouspanies,

    always wining and dining with them and taking the bullet when ites to drinking."

    Edgar ended with, "She''s a home wrecker."

    Stefan got the drift.

    A woman who sweet-talked men with her looks and milked them for their money.

    She lived a high life because she chose rich corporate bigwigs.

    Some men who couldn''t bear to part with their money for their wives were all too ready to ssh the

    cash on their mistresses. Aurora was young and beautiful and knew how to handle herself in

    business settings, so she raked in more.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    At the same time, she was able to establish good rtions with these rich folks through these social

    exchanges, using their wealth and status to her advantage.

    "Boss, your wife has been targeted twice, and each time, it was Aurora who paid the bill."

    Stefan coolly said, "There must be someone else backing Aurora. Besides these rich guys, does

    she have any other friends?"

    "She''s got plenty of friends, mostly the mistresses of thesepany executives. There''s no one

    she''s particrly close with. Most of her friends are residents of Whiterun. I''ve checked out the

    backgrounds and movements of these rich Whiterun folks and confirmed that they have nothing to

    do with this."

    The money Aurora got went into her bank ount. Most of this money came from her being the

    mistress to thesepany executives, and she saved it all.

    In Whiterun, Aurora, the social butterfly, was loaded.

    "I''ve also checked out the backgrounds of the women she hangs out with. One of them is a woman

    named Betty, who has financial dealings with her. Aurora transfers money to Betty, but the amounts

    are small, mostly in the thousands. Betty is also someone''s mistress, but she''s not in Whiterun.

    She''s in Echoville."

    Stefan quickly said, "Focus on Betty, dig deeper."

    Edgar was puzzled as he asked, "What''s wrong with Betty? Even if she and Aurora do have

    financial dealings, it''s only a few thousand. It couldn''t possibly be amission; I reckon it''s just

    some female expenses."

    "Aurora and Betty both love to y cards. Betty''s sister is also a mistress to apany executive in

    Whiterun and has connections with Aurora. The intersection between Betty and Aurora could be

    through her sister. The money transactions could be because they lost at cards and transferred

    money to each other."

    "I have a hunch that Betty could be our breakthrough. Whether she''s problematic or not, we need to

    investigate thoroughly. If they do transfer money to each other because they lost at cards, we also

    need to investigate the other women who y cards with them regrly. From them, we can find

    out if it''s always Betty who wins Aurora''s money when they y cards."

    Edgar suddenly got it as he said, "You suspect they''re conducting transactions under the guise of

    ying cards? Alright, I''ll have someone look into Betty in detail to see if we can find Betty''s lover."

    Stefan said solemnly, "Don''t tip them off at this stage. The information you uncover is evidence.

    Bring it all to me.

    After collecting all the evidence, hand it over to my brother-inw, who will arrest those people

    together."

    "All right."

    After ending the call, Stefan called Keith Blue, who had just returned to Skywatch.

    Grace Blue and others returned with them.

    Although everyone at Ascend Estate treated the Blue family as VIPs, Grace and the others always

    felt ufortable. They stayed for a few days, and when Keith decided to return to Skywatch, they

    left Pinehurst with him.

    "Stefan, I just got off the ne, and your call came."

    Keith was very happy to receive Stefan''s call, thinking he was concerned about him.

    Stefan took the opportunity to ask, "Was the trip home smooth?"

    "Couldn''t have been smoother with Dad."

    Keith had to admit the genius of his father''s arrangement. The wisdom of the old man was

    unmatched.

    He always hoped to keep a low profile when he went out, not to be noticed. But this made it easier

    for others to plot against him. Simply put, if something happened, no one would know.

    Like his father, being tant, attracting the attention of countless people. With his every move under

    the public eye, who would dare to make trouble?

    "And my sister?"

    "She''s right next to me."

    Keith''s attitude immediately changed. He said with a chuckle, "Let my sister pick up. I started

    missing her the moment I left."

    The usually cold Keith, only in front of his twin sister would he reveal his true character.

    Stefan silently handed the phone to Lucinda.

    Her brothers were very fond of her. Fortunately, he made Lucinda fall in love with him first and stand

    on the same line with him. Otherwise, with two brothers who dote on their sister, their marriage

    would definitely have a lot of trouble.

    "Brother."

    "Where were youst night? Lucinda, don''t think that because Stefan spoils you, you can do

    whatever you want. Can you go to ces like that? You want to see handsome guys, isn''t the man

    next to you handsome enough? Stefan, your brothers, is there one that''s not handsome?"

    One minute, Keith wasughing. The next, as soon as the phone was handed to Lucinda, he

    immediately scolded her.

    Lucinda quickly moved the phone away from her ear, stretching her hand far away. This way, the

    sound of her brother''s voice would be reduced.

    She red at the man next to her; she didn''t expect him to tell her brother.

    "Lucinda, don''t me Stefan. I was with him before he went to find youst night."

    Lucinda asked, "Brother, do you have superpowers?"

    Keith snorted, "I know all about your little tricks. Stefan digs you; he wouldn''t harm a hair on your

    head. But don''t take his affection as a free pass to do whatever you want. Can you go to such a

    ce? Remember, you''re now Mrs. Anderson and Miss Blue. Your actions reflect on both the

    Anderson and Blue families.

    People might think there''s trouble in paradise if you''re seen looking for fun in such ces. Nasty

    folks might even question Stefan''s abilities."

    Lucinda fell silent.

    Stefan''s abilities were in question?

    Ha, if there was something wrong with him, then all the men in the world were screwed.

    Top-tier men like him couldn''t be belittled.

    "I''ve got my face on; I''m just going there to broaden my horizons, find some material for my novel.

    Life informs art, right? I need to experience things to make my stories real for my readers."

 Chapter 307

    Chapter 307

    Keith frowned and said, "Don''t use the readers as an excuse, and don''t mislead them. Even when

    writing a novel, it should be filled with positive thoughts. Don''t taint their innocent minds."

    Lucinda was muttering something under her breath.

    "Lucy, what are you mumbling about?"

    "I was saying how my brother is such a moral guy. I wonder which lucky girl gets to have you. I

    promise you that I won''t go to those ces anymore. I''ll always consider the interests of the

    Andersons and the Blues in everything I do."

    She was now Stefan''s wife, publicly known to everyone in Pinehurst.

    Given Stefan''s social standing, if her actions were found to be improper, it would indeed tarnish both

    Stefan''s and her own reputation.

    He always thought of her in everything he did, so she should also consider him.

    After a stern lecturing from her older brother, Lucinda realized her folly fromst night. Before that,

    she was only regretful that she got caught before she could enjoy herself properly.

    Keith sighed and said, "Lucy, if circumstances allow, I would love to indulge you, let you do

    whatever you want. But, we are often helpless."

    "Brother, I know I messed up."

    "Has Stefan done anything over the line to you? If he dares to hurt you, you tell me." After scolding

    his sister, Keith started worrying about whether Stefan would punish her.

    He believed it was their duty to discipline his sister if she messed up. If Stefan dared toy hands

    on his sister, that was domestic violence!

    Although he thought Stefan wouldn''t hurt Lucinda, he still couldn''t help but ask. If Stefan really did

    hurt Lucinda, he''d have a reason to take her back to the Blues sooner.

    Marriage can be annulled; his sister need not worry about not being able to get married.

    Lucinda quickly reassured him, "Brother, Stefan is good to me. He won''t hurt me. My hair falling out

    is my own doing. It''s worse when I wash it. In any case, my hair loss has nothing to do with Stefan."

    Keith said, "Your hair loss is severe. You might be overthinking. You need to take care of yourself.

    Alright, give the phone back to Stefan. He wouldn''t call me if there''s nothing."

    "You knew he had something to talk about, yet you still scolded me first." Lucinda grumbled,

    handing the phone back to Stefan.

    Stefan said quietly, "Can you investigate if any male members of your family have mistresses?"

    Thinking about his father and Madeleine Porter''s close rtionship, Madeleine could be considered

    his father-inw''s mistress. He added, "Besides your father."

    "OK. Stefan, I''m not there anymore. Take good care of Lucy. Don''t spoil her too much; she''ll

    be arrogant. If anything happens, you''ll be the one to clean up the mess. I''m safely home now,

    and you guys have fun. Take care of mom. Nothing else, that''s all."

    With that, Keith hung up the call.

    Stefan looked at his phone for a moment, then held his wife tightly.

    Seemed like things at Skywatch were getting serious.

    Once Keith returned to Skywatch, all their phone conversations were just small talk.

    However, Keith understood his intentions, and he understood Keith''s.

    He just felt sorry for his future wife having to face harsh realities.

    In life, we have to experience twists and turns and all sorts of feelings.

    "Dear, no matter what happens in the future, wherever you want to go, I''ll always support you."

    Stefan said calmly, "I won''t let you struggle alone."

    "Dear, thank you. I''m so lucky to have you!"

    Lucinda hugged him affectionately.

    After Keith ended the call with Stefan, his handsome face instantly turned cold. Apanied by his

    bodyguard, he walked briskly towards the mansion with the elders.

    Their private nes were all parked at their own small airport.

    "Nathan Blue."

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Madeleine greeted Nathan, smiling.

    "Why are you here?" Nathan''s voice was calm, his emotions unreadable.

    Madeleine warmly looped her arm through Nathan''s, walking with him with a smile on her face. "I

    heard you wereing back today, so I waited at home for you."

    She treated the Blue family as her own, making no distinction.

    Seeing Madeleine approaching his father, Keith''s expression turned even colder.

    He was silently ming his father. In Pinehurst, seeing his mother awake, he acted concerned,

    sticking to her.

    Once he returned to Skywatch, he was again affectionate with Madeleine.

    Wanting both stability at home and novelty outside, he was too greedy.

    His mother didn''t want to reconcile with his father, but want a divorce, which was understandable.

    Both he and his sister supported their mother''s decision to divorce.

    Leaving the Blue family would make his mother''s life easier and happier.

    Keith hoped his father would let his mother go.

    "Nathan."

    Madeleine''s voice had a coquettish tone as she said, "I heard that Lucy was found. Which one is

    Lucy? Quick, introduce us."

    Nathan replied, "Lucy hasn''te back. She''s staying in Pinehurst for now; she needs some time

    to adjust. When shees back, I''ll introduce you all. I think you guys can get along."

    Hearing his father''s words, Keith wanted to reprimand him again.

    Hoping for Lucy and Madeleine to get along, wasn''t that hinting that he and Madeleine would end

    up together?

    Madeleine was ambitious. These past years, she had been targeting him openly and secretly. How

    could his father still say such things?

    During those few days in Pinehurst, Nathan and Keith couldn''t get as close as a typical father and

    son, but it was better than it was in Skywatch. At least they could have a decent conversation

    without losing their tempers.

    As soon as they hit Skywatch, even before stepping into the house, Madeleine made their

    rtionship frosty in an instant.

    Listening to Nathan''s words, Madeleineughed joyfully, showing an understanding of the bigger

    picture. She said, "Lucy is your daughter, and I''m sure we can get along fine. We''re not far apart in

    age, so there won''t be anymunication barriers. I''m sure we can findmon ground.

    Oh, by the way, Lucy didn''te back with you guys this time, and you didn''t give me a heads up. I

    had prepared many gifts for Lucy and even had the kitchen whip up a bunch of delicious dishes.

    Now it seems like I''ve wasted my efforts."

    "Can''t I eat the food that was prepared?"

    Nathan retorted.

    She immediately giggled and leaned her head on his shoulder, saying, "I prefer cooking for you

    myself. As for the gifts I prepared for Lucy, do you want to hold onto them, or should I put them in

    her room? I''ve had her room cleaned and tidied up as well."

    She appearedpletely in the role of thedy of the Blue family.

 Chapter 308

    Chapter 308

    Keith was itching to kick this woman out. He couldn''t stand to see her all over his dad anymore, so

    he decided to leave.

    "Take the gift back for now. Give it to her when she gets back."

    After answering Madeleine''s question, Nathan whirled around as if he had eyes in the back of his

    head and asked his son, "Keith, where are you off to?"

    "None of your business!"

    Keith retorted coldly. Nathan was ticked off and cursed at his son''s retreating figure, "This ungrateful

    brat, trying to give me a heart attack, huh? If you weren''t my son, do you think I''d give a damn?"

    Madeleine quickly tried to soothe him as she said, "Nathan, calm down. Keith is just like that. He''s

    always ignored you. You''ll just tire yourself out if you keep getting worked up over him. It''s not worth

    it."

    Nathan grimaced and said, "Ungrateful brat, why do I have such an unfilial son? With his attitude,

    how is he going to shoulder responsibility in the future!"

    Hearing his words, everyone present seemed to perk up.

    Nathan always seemed to have a special disdain for Keith, thinking he couldn''t bear any

    responsibility, yet he had to make Keith his heir because he was his only son.

    If Nathan had two sons, Keith''s position would be in jeopardy.

    Nathan''s wife was nearing fifty. Even if she were to regain her health, she could no longer bear him

    a son. Their rtionship wasn''t great either. Everyone who''d been to Pinehurst knew that after

    Janice Bright recovered, all she felt towards Nathan was resentment. Love was nowhere to be

    found.

    Janice even proposed divorce to Nathan.

    If Nathan wanted another son, his only hope was Madeleine.

    Madeleine was thinking along the same lines.

    She was hoping for Nathan and Keith''s rtionship to worsen.

    Unfortunately, despite being by Nathan''s side for years, she still hadn''t borne any children.

    Even if she wanted to give Nathan a son, it wasn''t something she could achieve on her own. But

    there was still a chance.

    Nathan was back. Her mother had found someone to prepare an aphrodisiac for her, and she could

    use it when the time came.

    "Keith is still young; kids his age are like that. The more you nag him, the more annoyed he gets.

    Let him be, stop being angry; let''s go inside."

    Madeleine gently tried to persuade Nathan to stop quarreling with his son.

    Ashley chimed in and said, "Keith''s always been like this. He''s never shown respect to us older

    folks, even towards his grandparents."

    Ka echoed her sentiment.

    The family patriarch turned around and red at them, sternly saying, "You guys keep your noses

    out of this; focus on your own kids."

    Hayden Blue quickly defended them, "Dad, they didn''t mean anything by it. It''s just that Keith is the

    heir to the Blue family. With his attitude, how is he going tomand respect when you step down

    and he takes over?"

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Nathan''s brother didn''t say anything but nodded in agreement.

    Everyone had a low opinion of Keith, much to Madeleine''s delight.

    Nathan looked around at everyone present and said calmly, "This is a private family matter. We''ll

    discuss itter."

    Madeleine''s smile faltered for a moment. But it quickly returned to normal.

    After lunch, Nathan sat on the couch.

    He asked Madeleine with concern, "Madeleine, how''s your father beentely? If there''s anything

    you need help with, just say the word. I''ll do my best to help or figure something out if I can''t."

    Madeleine''s eyes twinkled, and her smile was full of gratitude. She sat down and cuddled up to

    Nathan, "Nathan, thank you. My father''s doing well. He''s just too busy toe today. I''ll pass on

    your words; he''ll be thrilled you take the Porter family matters so seriously."

    Nathan held her and chuckled, "We''re all one family. Madeleine, you''ve been working hard these

    years."

    Madeleine''s heart pounded.

    Was Nathan about to give her a formal status?

    She stroked Nathan''s chest. He might be fifty, but he still exercised every day and took good care of

    himself, making him look much younger. If you said he was only in histe thirties, people would

    believe you.

    "As long as you know the sacrifices I''ve made." She said softly.

    She truly loved Nathan. Otherwise, as a Porter family daughter, she wouldn''t need to stoop so low.

    For years, she had been Nathan''s mistress, even though people believed she would soon marry

    into the Blue family, recing Janice.

    But till now, Janice was still thedy of the Blue family.

    All she could be was Nathan''s mistress, with no power or status, getting nothing out of being a

    mistress!

    Thinking back on the years she''d spent with Nathan, Madeleine felt wronged.

    "Nathan, why didn''t your wifee back with you? I heard she''s recovered. Is that true? Now that

    she''s recovered, she can fulfill the duties of a wife when you need a femalepanion. After all, I''m

    not really part of the Blue family; it''s not quite right for me to always take up her duties."

    Madeleine was suggesting Nathan divorce and marry her.

    "In the past, you thought she was mentally ill, and she only had a nephew with limited abilities. If

    she left the Blue family, she might be left out in the cold, so you kindly didn''t divorce her and let her

    stay in the Blue family. But now, she''s recovered... Nathan, tell me the truth. Do you still love her?"

    Madeleine looked up, staring straight at Nathan.

    Nathan looked down at her and replied, "She''s the mother of my child."

    Madeleine quietly looked at him, then wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his head lower,

    trying to kiss him.

    "Achoo!"

    Nathan suddenly sneezed.

    He quickly pushed Madeleine away and grabbed a few tissues to wipe his nose.

    When he sneezed, all the smell sprayed onto Madeleine''s face. She couldn''t help but cover her

    nose and told Nathan, "You need to tell the chef not to add so much onion and garlic and stuff.

    Sure, they make the food taste better, but the smell when you sneeze is just too much."

    But Nathan really liked these ingredients. Sometimes, he could even eat a whole te of roasted

    garlic.

    Madeleine just couldn''t understand what was so good about these foods.

    Nathan retorted, "Didn''t you ask the kitchen to make today''s meal?"

    Madeleine was left speechless.

    Nathan replied, "Madeleine, I just love these. They smell good when I eat them, and I don''t mind the

    lingering smell when I talk."

    If someone didn''t want to smell it, they could just not talk to him!

    Madeleine was left speechless.

    It was always like this, how was she supposed to kiss him?

    Nathan thought to himself, if she didn''t want to kiss him because of this, that was right. In this way,

    he wouldn''t feel like he had wasted so many scallions and garlic

 Chapter 309

    Chapter 309

    Keith split from Sunnyde Abbey, rolling out with a bunch of bodyguards and heading straight for

    the Dewey family.

    The Deweys were big shots back when Janice was just a kid.

    But, three months into Janice''s marriage, the Dewey parents and their two sons, along with a

    daughter-inw, decided to take a trip abroad and ended up in a ne crash. From then on, all that

    was left of the Deweys was married Janice and her brother''s wife.

    The brother''s wife had been home pregnant, so she didn''t join the family trip and dodged the bullet.

    The whole ordeal almost crushed her and Janice.

    With the support and encouragement of their family, she managed to pull herself together.

    Five monthster, she gave birth to herte husband''s son, Hayes Brooks. She took over the

    Dewey business, but she was out of her depth, and the Dewey reputation never bounced back.

    When Janice''s daughter Lucinda Blue was taken by a rival, Janice spiraled into madness out of guilt

    and grief for her daughter, and the Dewey business went down the drain even more.

    Everyone started to think the Deweys had gone belly up.

    Especially in the first few years after Nathan''s daughter was taken, he was too busy looking for her

    and left thepany to his two brothers. When the brothers took over, they did everything they

    could to help the Blue family.

    Their cooperation with the Deweys was either put on ice, or their orders were massively reduced,

    making things even harder for the Dewey group.

    It wasn''t until Nathan gave up hope of finding his daughter that his attention returned to the

    company, and he took back control. By then, the cooperation between the Blue family and the

    Dewey group had been cut off by the Hayden brothers.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Nathan gave his brothers a good dressing-down, cleaned out their people from Blue Corporation,

    stripped the brothers of their positions, and resumed cooperation with the Dewey group.

    That was what kept the Dewey group afloat until now.

    But Janice''s brother''s wife didn''t live to see Hayese of age. She passed away when Hayes was

    only 14. This left only Hayes and the mentally unstable Janice in the Dewey family.

    Hayes took over the Dewey group at 14. But what could a junior high school student do in the

    business world?

    Nathan hired a professional manager to handlepany affairs, and whenever he had time, he

    would let Hayes and Keith learn the ropes together.

    Even though Nathan and his son didn''t get along. He always educated his son himself, fearing

    others would lead him astray.

    To the folks at Skywatch, if it weren''t for Nathan, the Dewey family would''ve gone under a long time

    ago.

    So, no one took the Dewey family seriously.

    Keith and his cousin were tight. When he got to the Dewey family, Keith didn''t wait for a servant to

    open the door. He used his own key and drove right in.

    He barely parked the car when Hayes stepped out of the house.

    "Why''d youe out? You just got out of the hospital, and you should be resting. I have a key; I

    can let myself in."

    After getting out of the car, Keith walked towards Hayes.

    "Once I heard about Lucy, I wanted to go, but I just had my appendix out. I couldn''t. And when

    everyone went, it was all so rushed. By the time I got the news, it was already dawn." Hayes felt

    really bad for Janice and his cousins. He still hadn''t seen his cousin to this day.

    "Your health is the most important thing; I already told Lucy about your situation. Lucy''s a really kind

    girl; she won''t mind any of this."

    Keith tried to help Hayes into the house, but Hayes refused.

    "Did you have another fight with your dad?"

    Hayes knew all about Keith and his dad. They''d start a fight every time they saw each other.

    The Blue family people just came back from Pinehurst today, and Keith came over here; you didn''t

    have to be a genius to figure out he''d had another fight with his dad.

    "I heard Madeleine''s waiting for you at your ce; she really thinks of the Blue family as her home."

    "That woman, I get pissed off just thinking about her. She acts like she owns the Blue family. Seeing

    her cozying up to my dad makes me want to hurl; it''s just disgusting."

    As they walked into the house, Keith keptining about Madeleine.

    "How''s Janice?" Hayes asked with concern, "As long as she recovers, she probably won''t want to

    make up with Nathan."

    For years, the thing with Nathan and Madeleine had been like a thorn in their side.

    "Now that we''ve found Lucy, with Lucy around, my mom''s recovered; she''s a lot happier now, looks

    a lot healthier, even her appetite''s back. When I left, Lucy and her husband were taking her on

    vacation. My mom wants a divorce."

    Hayes was silent for a moment, then said, "After all these years, I''ve seen everything with Nathan

    and Madeleine; as a member of Janice''s family, I support her. Tell her the Dewey family will always

    wee her; she doesn''t have to worry about not having a home after the divorce."

    "My mom still has me and Lucy."

    Hayes''s eyes were full of relief, "Yes, Janice still has you and Lucy. We''re all backing her up."

    "Hayes, I haven''t eaten yet. Got anything to eat?"

    "I haven''t eaten either. I was waiting for you so we could eat together."

    Keith was busy pulling up charts as they entered the restaurant. He was still scolding him, "You just

    had surgery. You need to take a good rest. Why did you wait for me? What if I didn''te?"

    "Madeleine is at your ce, and I don''t even want to go there. I knew you woulde."

    ...

    It was past ten in the evening when Madeleine finally got home.

    Upon entering the house, she saw her father sitting in the living room, looking at her with

    disappointment.

    "Dad."

    Madeleine knew why he was disappointed, and she was disappointed too.

    She casually walked over, sat next to him, and hugged his shoulders like a little girl, saying, "Dad,

    don''t be angry anymore. It''s bad for your health. I don''t want my handsome dad to get old."

    Mr. Porter gently pushed her away, "I thought, thiste, you wouldn''te back, but you..."

    "Nathan was really busy today. He didn''t have time to be with me in the afternoon. I was waiting for

    him until he called me to say he was still meeting with an important client and wouldn''t be back

    soon. He told me to go home first and not to wait for him anymore, so I had no choice but toe

    home first."

    "So you''re saying that you spent a lot of time and effort at the Blue family just to have a meal with

    Nathan?"

    Madeleine pouted and asked, "Dad, I''m already feeling down. Are you still going to be mad at me?"

    Mr. Porter was speechless.

    "Nathan also knows it''s not fair to me. He even told me that if I have any difficulties in the future, I

    can turn to him. He will help if he can, and even if he can''t, he will help us because of me."

    Hearing this, Mr. Porter''s eyes flickered uncertainly.

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    Chapter 310

    Skywatch was pouring rain, but Lucinda managed to stay dry.

    She and her mom spent two fabulous days on the Anderson family''s private ind and left on

    Sunday night. Apart from Patrick Anderson and his wife, the rest of the family was still on the ind,

    enjoying the peaceful andid-back lifestyle.

    Back in town, Lucinda and Cecilia headed straight to their coffee shop.

    The moment the staff saw their bosses back, she rushed over to wee them.

    "Lucinda, Cecilia, you''re finally back. A woman named Ruby has been here quite a few times these

    past couple of days."

    Lucinda frowned and asked, "Ruby? What''s she doing here? She hasn''t been causing trouble, has

    she?"

    "I''ve no idea what she wants. She justes in, parks herself in a seat, orders a coffee, and sits

    there all day."

    Cecilia chimed in and said, "And hogging our seats, making our customers scram. What a pain in

    the butt!"

    The staff continued, "Avery Cooper does the same. Hees early in the morning, orders a coffee

    and a pastry, and then just sits there all day."

    Suddenly, Cecilia changed the topic, "Mr. Cooper''s quite a looker though. He''s like a live billboard

    for our shop, attracting more female customers. Our food and coffee are great, and they get to drool

    over a hunk. A win-win, right?"

    Lucinda and the staff just stared at her, thinking she was got a screw loose.

    "As long as she''s not causing trouble, just ignore her." Lucinda said.

    The staffughed and said, "She wouldn''t dare. Honestly, I feel like no one in the whole of Pinehurst

    dares to mess with us. Lucinda, I feel so badass walking down the street these days. Everyone

    knows I work at Serendipity Cafe and that I''ve earned your trust. Everyone''s so nice to me; even my

    parents have been treating me better."

    She wore a proud grin that made Lucinda and Cecilia burst intoughter.

    As they walked away, Cecilia asked the staff, "Has anyone been asking about me?"

    The staff honestly replied, "Yes, quite a few people have been asking if you''re single. They want to

    pursue you, saying you''re Lucinda''s good friend and that they can count on Lucinda if they''re in a

    rtionship with you. Especially Mr. Cooper, I think he''s into you."

    Cecilia let go of her, "Next time anyone asks you if I''m single, tell them I¡¯m a mom of soon-to-be

    school-going children. I give birth twice a year, one at the beginning and one at the end. That''s six

    kids in three years. No one''s gonna use me!"

    Lucinda and the staff fell silent.

    Cecilia stated coldly. She wouldn''t allow anyone to take advantage of her rtionship with Lucinda.

    "Cecilia, giving birth twice a year, wouldn''t you be pregnant all the time?"

    "So what? In my dreams, I could have octuplets."

    The staff was left speechless. Anything was possible in dreams, after all.

    "Ms. Yates, you''re back." A gentle and charming voice rang out as the ss door swung open, and

    Avery Cooper walked in.

    His eyes lit up when he saw Cecilia.

    Lucinda exchanged a nce with the staff and quietly slipped away.

    Before leaving, Lucinda patted Cecilia on the shoulder and whispered a warning, "Remember what

    you once warned me about... Don''t y with fire. Your boyfriend is a very jealous man."

    Owen''s jealousy was even more intense than Stefan''s.

    Cecilia whispered back, "I think Mr. Malicious has been a lot more stabletely. I''ll bring up divorce

    when the time is right."

    Lucindaughed and walked away.

    If divorce was that easy, she wouldn''t still be Stefan''s wife.

    The feud between Owen and Stefan was simply due to their simr personalities and behaviors.

    Instead of being friends, they became enemies.

    Stefan seemed easygoing. When she brought up divorce, Stefan not only disagreed but also used

    his charm to entangle her in an emotional web, putting her in a tough spot.

    Owen was even worse.

    Lucinda was sure that Owen would persistently pester Cecilia, even if it meant ying an annoying

    role.

    "Ms. Yates." Avery walked over to Cecilia and asked with a smile, "I''ve beening to see you

    these past few days, but you were not here. Your staff told me you were on vacation. Did you have

    fun?"

    "Doing nothing, just eating, drinking, and having fun all day, plus having money, if that''s not fun, I

    don''t know what is."

    Cecilia invited Avery to sit down,ughing.

    She helped manage Owen''s ck card, receiving a daily allowance of two hundred dors.

    Avery chuckled.

    "What would you like to eat?"

    "Dinner time already, Ms. Yates. Would you like to have dinner together?"

    "Sorry, she doesn''t have time." A chilly voice suddenly echoed.

    Sitting at the cashier counter, Lucinda saw Owen and his bodyguards push the door open. She

    immediately straightened up, allowing her a clear view even from behind the counter.

    They all returned from the vacation together, but Owen went home first after they got back to town.

    Lucinda could''ve guessed that Owen would show up.

    Owen strode over to Cecilia, red at Avery until Avery became nervous, then turned to Cecilia.

    His face tense, he blurted out, "Darling, I''m here to take you home for dinner."

    Cecilia quickly stood up and covered his mouth.

    Unfortunately, everyone in the shop heard Owen''s loud promation. It was so loud that they''d

    have to be deaf not to hear.

    Cecilia snapped and said, "Owen, what the hell are you talking about? I''m warning you, you can''t

    just spout nonsense. Since when did I be your wife?"

    Owen shoved away her hand that was covering his mouth and retorted, "Dare you say you''re not

    my wife? Weren''t you the one who got the marriage certificate with me?"

    Cecilia was speechless.

    She surprisingly found herself at a loss for words. She was indeed the one who went for the

    marriage certificate with him.

    From a legal perspective, she was his wife!

    "Owen, step outside with me!" Cecilia yanked Owen to move.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Avery instinctively piped up, "There are more people outside."

    Cecilia paused her foot that was about to step out and held back.

    Owen red at Avery, coldly stating, "My wife and I are having a conversation; you have no right to

    butt in. Someone, take him away."

    "Owen, Avery is my guest. I dare you toy a finger on him!"

    "I won''ty a finger on anyone except him!"

    It was Avery who lured Cecilia to the Neon Nectar Nightclub for some fresh experiences.

    He didn''t look like a good guy at all. He was definitely a bad boy who crawled out from some

    sketchy ce!

 Chapter 311

    Chapter 311

    Owen gave a wave, and two bodyguards immediately stepped forward, hoisting Avery up and

    forcibly ejecting him from the coffee shop.

    Cecilia watched Owen''s boorish behavior, flushed with anger.

    In a huff, she snapped and said, "Owen, have you forgotten the promises we made when we got

    married? You''re interfering in my business now and breaking our agreement. I have the right to

    terminate this agreement to end our marriage. Conveniently, tomorrow is Monday; we can head to

    the city hall to process the divorce papers. You have responsibilities, and you better pay up the

    compensation you promised!"

    Even when contemting an early end to their marriage, Cecilia didn''t forget to demand

    compensation.

    Owen''s face fell, and the pair locked eyes. The tension was palpable.

    Lucinda watched from the side, musing that if Cecilia had a knife right now, she''d probably go

    straight for Owen.

    A female cashier sidled up to Lucinda, half-leaning on the counter, she whispered, "Lucy, did Lucy

    really marry Mr. Martinez?"

    She could tell they were a couple but didn''t know they were already married.

    Lucinda murmured back, "You heard it all. No need to ask."

    "I see."

    The cashier nodded and turned away, quickly returning with some pastries. She ced the pastries

    on the counter, pulled up a stool, and joined Lucinda, munching on pastries and watching Cecilia

    and Owen.

    They overheard Owen ask Cecilia, "You say we have an agreement? Where is it? Show me, I don''t

    remember us having an agreement?"

    Upon hearing this, Cecilia was ready to blow a gasket.

    "Owen, are you ying dumb?"

    Lucinda whispered to the cashier, "Oh boy, Lucy''s in a pickle."

    The cashier asked, "Lucy, should we help Lucy out? Find the agreement and throw it right in Mr.

    Martinez''s face."

    After munching on a pastry, Lucinda responded, "We can''t do that. It''ll only y into Owen''s hands."

    The cashier looked puzzled.

    Just as Lucinda was about to exin, she saw Cecilia storming over.

    "Lucy, move."

    With that, Cecilia roughly opened the drawer as soon as Lucinda moved, rummaged through it for a

    while, found a book, and took out the agreement she had hidden inside.

    To keep it from her family, she had hidden the agreement in the shop. Even Lucinda had no idea

    that her marriage agreement was in the drawer of the cash register.

    "Cecilia." Lucinda tugged at her hand, trying to calm her down, but Cecilia was too angry. She

    shrugged off Lucinda''s hand and said, "Lucy, don''t try to stop me. I have to argue with this

    scoundrel. I have clear evidence; he still dares to y dumb."

    With the marriage agreement in hand, she walked determinedly towards Owen.

    "Owen, take a good look. This is the agreement we signed!"

    Cecilia forcefully pped the agreement against Owen''s chest.

    Lucinda covered her face, and she couldn''t bear to watch!

    Owen immediately took the agreement, and without even ncing at it, he tore it into pieces.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Cecilia tried to snatch it back, but it was toote.

    At this point, the Martinez family''s bodyguards sprang into action, separating Owen and Cecilia.

    After Owen had shredded the agreement into pieces, fearing that Cecilia would try to patch it back

    together, Owen actually took out a lighter and burned all the pieces to ashes.

    Now, even if Cecilia were superwoman, she couldn''t turn ashes back into paper.

    Owen came prepared. He brought a lighter just to destroy this agreement.

    Cecilia''s face went through a spectrum of colors.

    "Owen, you bastard! Scoundrel!" Cecilia cursed in rage.

    She had thought the agreement was her safeguard, but now that Owen had torn it up, she was at a

    loss.

    Afterpletely destroying the agreement, Owen grinned and signaled the bodyguards to make

    way. He approached Cecilia and asked with a smile, "Dear, can we go home for dinner now?"

    "No!"

    "Then I''ll go visit your mother."

    With that, Owen turned to leave.

    Cecilia quickly grabbed him, biting down hard on his hand in her fury, leaving a deep bite mark.

    "Owen, if you dare to go to my mom, I won''t let you off."

    Owen winced from the bite, but he didn''t get angry. Instead, he chuckled and said, "We have a

    lifetime to squabble."

    "You bastard, shameless!"

    "I''ve been shameless in front of you for a long time, haven''t I?"

    Cecilia was speechless.

    Whenever they quarreled, Cecilia usually had the upper hand, but now, she was on the back foot,

    very passive.

    "Wife..."

    "Don''t you dare call me wife! You''re the one who kept reminding me not to fall in love with you! You

    didn''t want anyone to know about our rtionship!"

    Owen winked and said, "Really? I don''t remember saying anything like that. Cecilia, let''s go home.

    Grandpa is waiting for us."

    He paused, then added sternly, "As long as I''m around, don''t even think about going out to dinner

    with Avery, not unless you step over my dead body!"

    Cecilia shoved his hand away and turned to leave.

    Back at the counter, she saw Lucinda and the cashier watching her.

    Cecilia couldn''t help but say to her friend, "Lucy, you didn''t even try to stop me."

    Lucinda replied innocently, "I did try to stop you, but you shrugged off my hand and stormed off with

    the agreement."

    Cecilia said, "You should have stopped me."

    After a moment''s thought, Lucinda said to Cecilia, "I was worried that I wouldn''t be strong enough to

    knock you out. I could have just ended up hurting your neck for a few days."

    "I''m so mad, so mad." Cecilia sat in the chair behind the counter, fuming.

    Lucinda gave Cecilia a nce, then turned to Owen. She walked over to him and said, "Mr.

    Martinez, can we have a little chat in private?"

    Owen shot Cecilia a deep look before trailing after Lucinda out of the coffee shop.

    Cecilia couldn''t make out what they were discussing outside. But she trusted that her bestie was

    totally on her side.

    Sure enough, about ten minutester, Owen was ready to take off with his bodyguards.

    But before he left, he turned around, standing at the entrance, and said to her, "You''re my wife! I''m

    not getting a divorce. You''re stuck with me for life."

 Chapter 312

    Chapter 312

    Cecilia scanned the room, considering what object to chuck at him.

    Before she could find anything tounch, Owen was already out of sight.

    "Lucky bugger. If he was a bit slower, I''d have definitely nailed him!" Cecilia picked up the Maneki-

    neko, a beckoning cat figurine, from the cash register, looking like she was about to clobber

    someone.

    Lucinda quickly snatched it away from her, "This is our shop''s mascot. You can''t use it to bash

    people. If you really want to hit him, I can bring some fist-sized rocks from home tonight, specifically

    for whacking Owen."

    Cecilia was still seething with anger.

    "I''ve seen shameless people, but I''ve never seen anyone as shameless as him. He and Ruby really

    are a match made in heaven, both so bloody shameless.

    We had an agreement that I''d help him keep his position and pretend to marry him. After the

    wedding, we wouldn''t interfere with each other and keep a low profile. He even feared that I might

    fall in love with him and kept emphasizing not to."

    Lucinda chuckled and said, "I''ve been fooled by him once, and you fell for it too. If all men were

    reliable, pigs might fly."

    Cecilia nced at her friend, "Lucy, why do I feel like you''re gloating?"

    Lucinda tried to suppress herughter, "No, I''m absolutely not gloating."

    "Sure, you are. Look at the pastries; you haven''t even finished them yet. You and the cashier munch

    on treats while watching me get bullied by Owen, not even trying to help me snatch back the

    agreement."

    The cashier quickly slipped away.

    Cecilia finished off all the pastries on the te.

    Her friend nudged her suddenly.

    "Lucy, I''m not in the mood. Don''t touch me."

    "No, it''s just that Owen hasn''t left. Ruby''s timing is impable, and she''s intercepted your Owen."

    Lucinda pointed outside the shop.

    Cecilia stood up and looked; it was indeed so.

    Ruby was actually there to find Lucinda. She didn''t expect to run into Owen.

    Seeing Owen, Ruby became excited.

    Sadly, Owen was no longer like before, showing a heartbroken expression every time she got hurt.

    Now he was expressionless, his gaze icy cold. She had only seen this look from Stefan.

    Owen could actually look at her this way.

    Ruby''s heart ached as if being cut by a knife. She regretted it a lot. She had thrown away all her

    advantages.

    Despite her mother''s advice, she didn''t listen. She always thought no matter how much drama she

    created, Owen would always support her. As long as she was willing to marry, Owen would be over

    the moon to marry her.

    Turns out, Owen could also leave her.

    "Owen."

    Ruby saw that Owen made no move, so she took a few steps closer with tears in her eyes. But as

    she approached, Owen backed away.

    His bodyguard saw this and immediately stepped in front of him, preventing Ruby from getting

    closer.

    "Owen, can you listen to my exnation? Don''t abandon me because of one thing."

    Ruby cried miserably.

    She had lied to everyone; she had undergone surgery. Just because of this one thing she did wrong

    to Owen, Owen wanted topletely abandon her, not even giving her a chance to exin.

    In the past ten or so years, was his love for her all a lie?

    If he really loved her that much, why couldn''t he ept her past?

    "Ruby, you don''t need to exin. It''s not just this one thing that disappointed me, but many things.

    You know my feelings for you, but what about your attitude towards me?"

    Owen said coldly, "In the past, I truly loved you, but now I havepletely given up. Ruby, I hope

    you don''t call me in the future and don''te looking for me. I have a family now, and your

    constant pestering will give my wife the wrong idea."

    After Owen said this, he turned his head and pulled the spectating Cecilia to his side. He put an arm

    around Cecilia''s waist and said to Ruby, "In the past, I didn''t see clearly, but now I hope to adjust

    myself properly. The only one who can make me happy is Cecilia, my wife!"

    Ruby''s eyes were swollen from crying, and she pointed at Cecilia as she said, "Owen, how is she

    worthy of you? You''re the eldest son of the Martinez family. Who is she? She''s not even fit to carry

    your shoes."

    Cecilia immediately took off her own shoes and handed them to Owen.

    Owen was a bit confused but still took her shoes and said to her, "Why are you taking off your

    shoes? The floor is cold. Put your shoes back on; be careful not to catch a cold."

    After that, he squatted down to help her put on her shoes.

    Cecilia let him attentively help her put on her shoes.

    Even though she was still angry, it didn''t stop her from making Ruby even angrier.

    "Ms. Scott, you see, I''m not carrying his shoes; instead, he''s carrying mine. He''s also worried about

    me catching a cold without shoes, disregarding his dignified status as the eldest son of the Martinez

    family, squatting in front of me, personally helping me put on my shoes."

    Lucinda and the cashier both wanted to p.

    Ruby was infuriated; she pointed at Cecilia and started cursing, calling Cecilia shameless, and even

    dragged Lucinda into it, saying they both like to steal other people''s men.

    Lucinda couldn''t stand it.

    Neither could Cecilia.

    The two women acted quickly. Cecilia first pped Ruby, stars dancing in front of Ruby''s eyes, and

    then Cecilia pinned her down. Lucinda wanted to stuff something into Ruby''s mouth but couldn''t find

    anything.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "Lucy, here you go."

    The cashier brought a wet cloth from the shop. It had a strong smell.

    Lucinda took the cloth, rolled it into a ball, and stuffed it into Ruby''s mouth, then pped her hands

    and said, "My mum always said, when someone curses at me, just gag them to shut them up!"

    After the cloth was stuffed into Ruby''s mouth, she struggled violently. Cecilia couldn''t hold her down

    anymore and had to let go.

    Once freed, Ruby immediately pulled the cloth out of her mouth, frantically spitting out saliva as if it

    was incredibly spicy.

    Lucinda asked the cashier, "What did you put on the cloth?"

    "Mustard."

    Ruby''s face crinkled, "It''s too spicy!"

    She didn''t like spicy food.

    But the cashier did. In the shop, only she used mustard.

    "If you dare to cuss out people like that again, I''ll teach you a lesson just like this. If you''re not

    scared, bring it on." Cecilia returned to her friend, gave apliment about the store, and then

    grabbed her friend, saying, "Let''s go."

    As they passed by Owen, Cecilia paused, wearing a sarcastic smile, "Are you feeling sorry for her?

    If you are, hurry up and take her home. Cool her down with some ice cubes."

    Owen gripped Cecilia¡¯s wrist tightly, speaking to Lucinda, "Lucinda, I can''t be too soft with Cecilia. I''ll

    take her home for dinner first; your hubby is already here."

 Chapter 313

    Chapter 313

    As he spoke, he forcefully pulled Cecilia towards him. He bent down, hoisted her up, and headed

    towards his car.

    He had initially nned on taking Lucinda''s advice, giving Cecilia some time to cool off, but now he

    figured he needed to strike while the iron was hot, or else when would they have a kid?

    What could Lucinda say? She was speechless.

    She and the shop assistant could only watch helplessly as Cecilia was carted off by Owen.

    Soon, Owen''s convoy was gone.

    Ruby didn''t realize Owen had left until the spicy taste in her mouth subsided.

    She immediately burst into tears. "Owen, you''re so heartless. You''ve already forgiven me countless

    times. Why can''t you forgive me one more time? As long as you forgive me this time, I promise to

    follow you faithfully from now on."

    "People''s patience has its limit. Ruby, you brought this on yourself."

    Lucinda didn''t have a shred of sympathy for her opponent.

    Seeing her husband parked the car, she didn''t head over. Noticing Ruby, Stefan quickly came over,

    worried that Ruby might pose a threat to his lover.

    Upon arrival, he immediately shielded Lucinda, and said to Ruby coldly, "What are you doing here?

    Stop your crying. Don''t bother Lucinda with your tears. If you want to cry, cry at home!"

    With tears streaming down her face, Ruby looked at Stefan, "Stefan. I''m sorry, I know I was wrong,

    can you forgive me?"

    She quickly wiped her tears and said to Lucinda, "Lucinda, I came here to apologize to you. I''m

    publicly apologizing to you. I filmed that video without your knowledge. I thought you were betraying

    Stefan, so I hired some online trolls to smear your name. That was my fault. Lucinda, I''m sorry. I''m

    so sorry!"

    Ruby bowed deeply in apology.

    Her mother had been advising her for two days to publicly apologize to Lucinda, and then ask

    Lucinda to plead with Stefan for her. As long as Stefan didn''t press charges, she wouldn''t have to

    go to jail.

    Otherwise, if sued and found guilty, she would have to serve time. Even just a year or two in prison

    would be enough to drive her insane.

    She didn''t want to go to jail. Living without freedom was too unbearable!

    With his arm around his lover, Stefan coldly interrupted Ruby''s apology, "Ruby, an apology needs to

    be sincere, and you''re not there yet. Come back to apologize to Lucinda when you truly mean it.

    Remember, it needs to be a public apology!"

    He then tenderly said to Lucinda, "Lucinda, let''s head home."

    Lucinda nodded and told the shop assistant, "Go back to the shop. If there are no customers, you

    can knock off early. Starting tomorrow, I''ll only be here on weekends."

    "Alright, Lucinda." The assistant smartly returned to the shop.

    Working for such exciting bosses promised a bright future and the enjoyment of their influence and

    resources. They treated her well and had even given her a raise. She was determined to give her all

    to the job. Every day brought something new and interesting, plus there was a paycheck at the end.

    Such jobs were hard toe by even with hard work.

    Stefan left with Lucinda.

    Ruby didn''t dare to stop them, and she could only watch helplessly as they left.

    Seeing that everything had concluded, bystanders left one after another.

    Nowadays, the neighbors of Serendipity Cafe loved to hang around there. There was always news

    about the eldest son of the Anderson family. In the past, whether it was the eldest son of the

    Anderson family or the Martinez family, they were untouchable.

    Not to mention hearing their news, they couldn''t even see them in person.

    Ever since Lucinda became the wife of the eldest son of the Anderson family, they had had the

    good fortune of meeting many big shots in the business world.

    From now on, they had to frequent Serendipity Cafe. Even if they didn''t need anything, they would

    go there for a cup of coffee, have some pastries, andwork.

    There would only be benefits and no drawbacks to this.

    "When I came here, I saw Owen. What was he doing here?"

    Stefan asked while driving.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Lucinda chuckled, "What could he possibly be doing here? Isn''t it just arguing with Cecilia?

    Watching them argue every day makes my life more colorful."

    She told her husband about how Owen had deliberately yed dirty, and how Cecilia, in a fit of

    anger, had brought out the hidden marriage agreement in the shop to confront Owen, only to fall

    into his trap.

    Stefanughed. "I knew he would be crafty one day. You''re so close to Cecilia, and why didn''t

    you warn her? Letting Owen get his way so quickly shortens the process and makes it less fun."

    Owen thought, "My nemesis just waits to see me screw up!"

    Stefan thought, " I''m just watching your show. What are you gonna do about it? Dare to hit me?"

    Owen thought, "No, I''m afraid my wife will misunderstand our rtionship."

    "I did warn her, but she was too impatient and was driven mad by Owen''s shamelessness. My

    warning didn''t help."

    "They''re just a pair of lovebirds, just like Liam and Tiffany."

    Liam and Tiffany had slept together, but Tiffany was not ready for marriage.

    The next day, Liam proposed to Tiffany, but was rejected. Now, Liam was also troubled.

    He had slept with Tiffany, but she gave nothing in return, just like dining and dashing.

    "I''ve seen Liam looking troubled and anxious these past few days, as if something big has

    happened. Have you asked him about it? You have many friends, if he has any problems, you guys

    can help him solve it."

    Lucinda was also paying attention to Liam and Tiffany.

    "Isn''t it just that Tiffany refuses to marry him now? In his words, she''s irresponsible, purely

    freeloading. He''s worried about it."

    Lucinda burst intoughter. "He didn''t even pursue Tiffany, let alone confess his feelings, did he?

    Does he think he can just score a beauty without lifting a finger? Dream on."

    Stefan''s eyes flickered a bit. So that was the case.

    His little brother had been whining to him.

    Stefan was puzzled as to why Tiffany didn''t want to get hitched.

    But once his wife filled him in, he got the picture.

    Not everyone liked to cut to the chase, and most preferred to take things step by step.

    "I''ll have a chat with Liam when I go back, and get him to start making moves on Tiffany, so he can

    win her heart sooner."

    Lucinda nodded.

    Now all her friends had settled down. The people she cared about, including her two brothers, were

    still single.

    Rumor had it that Ike had fallen for one of his clients, a tough yet gentledy.

    For now, Ike was still stuck in the friend zone.

    During this vacation, Lucinda had tried to convince her brother to bring his girlfriend along, but he

    admitted he was still pining away, and he was too chicken to confess his feelings.

    So, up to now, Lucinda was still in the dark about who her brother was crushing on.

 Chapter 314

    Chapter 314

    Not to mention her own Keith.

    Aside from being tender to her, he was quite cold to everyone else. He was always surrounded by a

    bunch of serious bodyguards, and people would avoid him from afar. Love was something very

    distant for him.

    She needed to keep an eye out for her brother. As his sister, she should help him find some

    potential partners.

    "I have to go to work tomorrow."

    Stefanughed, "Alright, we''ll leave and return home together, so that we can spend our days in

    each other''spany."

    "When I''m at work, I can''t appear as your wife. In thepany, darling, you have to pretend you

    don''t know me."

    Stefanughed, "What if I¡¯m no good at acting?"

    "Who would believe that? You¡¯re such a great actor, even I was fooled by you. Anyway, at the

    company if we run into each other, I¡¯ll call you Mr. President, and you can''t call me darling."

    "Okay, okay, whatever you say."

    Stefan was most afraid of his wife bringing up old matters.

    "We can leave the house together every day, but when we get near thepany, you have to let

    me off and I''ll walk in myself."

    She needed to dress up before going to work. She didn¡¯t want people to know she was the wife of

    the president. Only by hiding her identity could she better integrate into thepany and

    umte some work experience.

    "You¡¯re the boss. I''ll listen to you."

    They chatted andughed and soon returned to Ascend Estate.

    "Stefan ." Just as the car stopped and before they even got out, Liam had already walked over.

    Stefan got out of the car and Liam followed him around the car to the passenger side, watching as

    his brother considerately helped his wife out of the car.

    Liam thought their behavior was like showing off their love to stimte him.

    Lucinda was not immobile. Did she need Stefan''s help to open the door?

    Even though he had this thought, Liam didn''t dare to voice it.

    "What''s the matter now?"

    After helping his wife out of the car, Stefan slowly asked his brother.

    "Did you have another fight with Tiffany?"

    Liam looked at Stefan enviously. "Why can¡¯t that woman be as considerate as Lucinda?"

    When Stefan said he wanted to get married, they just went to register, and Lucinda cooperated.

    Liam and Tiffany had had sex a few times, but she just wouldn''t marry him.

    He proposed several times a day, but Tiffany ignored him.

    Liam was really anxious.

    What if the next proposal wasn''t sessful? Tiffany already had a child in her belly.

    He didn''t want his child to be illegitimate.

    Stefan rolled his eyes, saying unhappily, "This is your problem, not Tiffany''s. Think about it. Where

    did you go wrong? Also, pursuing a wife is something you have to do yourself, because it''s your

    happiness, and you have to fight for it. Don''t alwayse to me. I''m not a love expert."

    It wasn¡¯t easy for him to get a wife either.

    He had waited for eleven years.

    If it wasn''t because he happened to see Lucinda being forced to get married, wanting to find

    someone to pretend to be her boyfriend to deceive her parents, he might still not figure out when he

    could marry Lucinda.

    Liam said, "Stefan, among the brothers, you''re the only one who''s married. Who else can I ask for

    advice if not you? Where did I go wrong? I haven''t made her angry recently. I really don''t

    understand what I did wrong."

    Lucinda listened to the two men''s conversation and couldn''t help butugh.

    She guessed why Tiffany refused to get married, but she didn''t want to tell Liam. She thought that

    Tiffany should get to experience being pursued.

    "Stefan, I''ll go in first, you guys have a good talk."

    After Lucinda finished speaking, she was about to go in.

    Stefan grabbed her shoulder and walked in with her. "Solve your own problems. I have nothing to

    talk about with him. Darling, we have more interesting topics to chat about."

    Liam watched them walk into the house.

    After a while, heined, "What a biased brother!"

    Stefan said it was his problem. Where did he go wrong?

    Under a gazebo in the yard, Tiffany was sitting there, enjoying the beautiful scenery in the yard, and

    also admiring Liam''s handsome face.

    Even though Liam was anxious, Tiffany was not in the least bit.

    Even though she was the one who seduced him, it was because he was easily seduced, and once

    seduced, he couldn''t help himself.

    However, she didn''t want to rush into marriage, at least she wanted to experience the feeling of

    dating first. So that in the future when she looked back, at least she would have the experience of

    dating.

    A few minutester, Liam walked into the gazebo.

    He sat down casually across from Tiffany, staring straight at her.

    "Tiffany, tell me the truth. Where did I go wrong? What about me are you not satisfied with?"

    Tiffany locked eyes with him for a while, then she stood up and patted Liam''s shoulder. "Think it

    over. When you seed in satisfying me, then we''ll get married. Otherwise, even if I carry your

    child, I won''t marry you. After the child is born, I am capable of raising him, so whether there is a

    father or not doesn''t matter."

    "What are you talking about?! The child is mine! He must call me Dad!"

    The child must call him dad, dare Tiffany let the child call him uncle?

    "If you can''t satisfy me, in the future I¡¯ll let the child call you uncle!"

    Even though Tiffany had seen through his thoughts, she still said that, making Liam jump in anger.

    Then she walked out of the gazebo nonchntly.

    Liam watched her receding figure, feeling very frustrated.

    He knew this woman was hard to handle!

    That night, while some slept soundly, others tossed and turned, feeling unable to sleep.

    The passage of time would not stop because of what you were doing, it would move forward at its

    own pace, never stopping.

    After the darkest moment came dawn, the transition between night and day was quietlypleted

    during this process.

    Lucinda opened her sleep-filled eyes to see Stefan lying on his side, propping his head up with his

    hand, smiling at her.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Seeing the handsome smile of her husband, Lucinda couldn''t help but recallst night.

    After sending off her old friends, they finally had some intimate momentsst night.

    He was like a wolf who had been hungry for a long time.

    "Good morning, darling."

    Then Stefan nted warm kisses on her face, forehead, and lips.

    Only after receiving his affectionate kisses did Lucinda push him away. "What time is it?"

    "It''s still early, and we''ve got time for a bit more snuggling."

    No sooner had he spoken than his wife gave his arm a pinch.

    "I have an interview today, and I have to work."

    "I''ve already got someone to sort that out for you. You just need to show up for the interview and fill

    out the paperwork."

    Stefan pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly, and he managed to quell his longing for a

    moment.

 Chapter 315

    Chapter 315

    Lucinda gave a nce at her phone, "It''s almost seven o''clock, I gotta get up pronto. I have a

    makeup appointment with Tiffany at seven."

    Stefan watched her scurry out of bed and his embrace, then he clung to the pillow she once slept

    on, like a man feeling the sting of loss.

    When Lucinda finished changing and cleaning up, she saw him still on the bed hugging the pillow.

    She went over, chuckling as she took the pillow from him and said lightly, "Come on, get up. Tiffany

    will be here soon. Never mind, keep hugging the pillow. I''ll go to the guest room with Tiffany."

    She stuffed the pillow back into his arms and turned to leave.

    "Sweetie." A pitiful voice came from behind. Lucinda quickly turned and said, "Stefan, don''t call me

    with that tone. It makes me ufortable."

    "Sweetie, you''re ignoring me. You''re all about work now, and you probably can''t even remember

    your husband''s name."

    Lucinda said, "My husband''s name is Stefan. You go to work too, but have I ever acted like you?"

    "Come here, give me a kiss, and I won''t feel so lost."

    In the end, Lucinda turned back. She gave him two kisses, and then left.

    Anyone who saw Stefan like this might be shocked.

    Just out of the room, she saw Tiffanying up the stairs.

    "Tiffany, morning."

    Tiffany yawned and then chuckled, "Lucy, morning."

    After saying that, she yawned again.

    "Stefan is still in the room. Let''s go to the guest room."

    Lucinda led Tiffany into the guest room. Seeing Tiffany constantly yawning, she felt sorry and said,

    "Tiffany, I feel bad for you. You have to get up so early to do my makeup."

    "It''s part of my job, no big deal. I didn¡¯t sleep well, not because of getting up early, but because Liam

    was pestering me all night, asking what was wrong with him. It pissed me off. I kicked him off the

    bed and locked the door to get some sleep."

    Lucindaughed, "Liam just isn''t sensitive enough. He can''t see where the problem lies. He even

    went to his brother a few times, but even Stefan doesn''t know what''s wrong."

    "If I hadn''t argued with him often and developed feelings, he''d probably be alone forever. He''s not

    romantic at all. He just keeps asking me what''s wrong with him, where the problem lies, and he

    doesn''t even know how to send me a bouquet of flowers. There are so many roses in his garden,

    but he never cut one for me."

    "He really doesn''t get romance."

    Stefan would prepare a room full of new clothes, jewelry, and endless surprises for her.

    His deep affection and carepletely captured her heart.

    But Liam had no clue what to do.

    "Lucy, we''re both experienced people now. I don''t mind if youugh at me. If I hadn''t taken the

    initiative, I guess he''d never have taken any further steps with me. How did I fall for him!"

    Lucinda sat at the dressing table. Tiffany opened her makeup box and began to do Lucinda''s

    makeup.

    "Once this makeup is set, you''ll have to put it on every day. You need to think it through. Do you

    want to make it look better? The workce ispetitive. You''re a neer, if you don''t look

    good, you might be bullied, regardless of gender. If you look better, your male colleagues might help

    you solve some problems when they see your face."

    Lucinda thought for a moment, "Let''s use the makeup look from the night we went to the club. It''s

    not beautiful, but it''s not ugly either. It''s very ordinary."

    Tiffany paused, "Won''t that look remind you of the bad memories about your partner?"

    Lucinda was speechless.

    He hadn''t even brought that up with her yet.

    "Then you decide, as long as people can''t tell I''m Stefan''s wife. I believe you can do it!"

    "Alright, I''ll make the decision."

    Tiffany had an idea.

    By the time Stefan came out of the room, Tiffany had finished her work.

    She was sitting on the sofa downstairs, sipping a fresh hot milk.

    She had already had breakfast, and she just hadn''t finished the milk yet.

    Liam, who was waiting for her toe home for breakfast, was getting impatient. He came to find

    Tiffany, and he was just in time toe in.

    He came in and Stefan went down.

    "Tiffany, where''s Lucy?"

    "Tiffany, aren''t you hungry? I told you, I''ll make breakfast for you. Go back and have breakfast after

    you''re done. I''m waiting for you, but you''re here leisurely drinking milk."

    Liam''s words were full of resentment.

    Stefan couldn''t even bear to watch.

    Couldn''t Liam be a little more gentle?

    But, they''ve been dealing with each other like this since they were kids. If one of them suddenly

    turned gentle, the other one would definitely be ufortable.

    Sure enough, looking at Tiffany''s indifferent expression, Stefan knew that Liam''s attitude couldn''t

    affect her.

    "Lucy went to work. She''s having a packed breakfast on the road. She told me to tell you that you

    don''t need to send her."

    Tiffany stayed here just to deliver this message.

    She didn''t respond to Liam''s words.

    "We agreed to go to thepany together. Why did she leave?"

    Stefan looked regretful. He was only in the room for a while, and Lucinda had left him.

    Tiffanyughed, "Lucy doesn''t want people to know her real identity. If she''s a working-ss person,

    she has to look like that."

    What else could Stefan say?

    "Lucy''s message is delivered. If there''s nothing else, I''ll go first."

    Tiffany finished her milk and handed the cup to Liam, "Could you wash this for me? Enjoy your

    breakfast. I''m off to work."

    Liam grabbed Tiffany, "You should eat something too. My homemade breakfast is full of love."

    "I''m already full."

    "I''ll pack it for you. You can take it to work and eat it when you''re hungry."

    Seeing Liam''s pleading eyes, Tiffany softened a bit. "Alright then."

    Liam immediately showed a joyful smile.

    The two left happily. However, as soon as they left, Stefan heard them arguing again.

    Stefan was at a loss for words.

    He knew their peaceful situation wasn''t going tost very long.

    Fast forward forty minutester.

    Ascend Global.

    "Mr. Coleman."

    Stefan walked in with a confident stride, and everyone he passed greeted him cheerfully.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Lucinda, who just finished filling out her employment forms, was led out of the HR department by a

    staff member, just in time to bump into Stefan.

    The staff member immediately stopped, and a smile spread across her face. As Stefan passed by,

    she greeted him respectfully, "Good day, Mr. Coleman."

    Lucinda watched her husband intently.

    The staff member nudged her gently, whispering, "That''s our boss."

    Lucinda snapped back to reality, hurriedly chiming in, "Good morning, boss!"

    Stefan paused in his tracks.

 Chapter 316

    Chapter 316

    He suddenly stopped, freaking everyone out. Everyone was watching him nervously.

    Stefan turned his head and looked at Lucinda.

    Lucinda, looking very respectful, gave him a secret wink when no one was looking.

    Before she had left home, Stefan was still sulking in the room and hadn''t noticed her makeup for the

    day. Thankfully, the voice was familiar, as was the figure.

    At that moment, Stefan realized how his wife was seen in thepany.

    He walked up to Lucinda.

    Everyone was watching his every move, especially the HR assistant, who was sweating bullets,

    scared that the new employee might tick off the big boss.

    "A new employee?"

    Stefan asked in a soft voice.

    Lucinda looked up at him briefly, then lowered her head. She made herself look scared to look at

    him directly and answered respectfully, "Yes, I just started today."

    "Keep it up!"

    Stefan said kindly, then turned around and walked away.

    After he left, the assistant let out a sigh of relief.

    It wasn''t until Stefan entered the elevator that the assistant dared to lead Lucinda further inside,

    saying as they walked, "That really spooked me. I thought the boss had a bone to pick with you. If

    you managed to tick off the boss on your first day, you wouldn''tst long here."

    Lucinda replied, "I''ve just started, haven''t done anything yet. I shouldn''t have pissed off the boss,

    right? By the way, you guys are all scared of the boss, aren''t you?"

    The assistant looked at her and said, "Aren''t you scared?"

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Lucinda feigned fear and said, "I''m scared too."

    "That''s more like it. There aren''t many people in thispany who aren''t scared of the boss. Even

    though he''s not a cold-hearted person, his presence can be quite intimidating. I, as a minor

    employee, rarely get the chance to see him. I guess I lucked out today."

    Then the HR assistant whispered, "Actually, I''d rather not have run into him. I was really scared,

    especially when he walked up to you. I was sweating bullets."

    Lucinda echoed, "I was pretty nervous too."

    The HR assistant continued, "By the way, you''re also called Lucinda, same as the boss'' wife. I got a

    shock when I saw your name, thinking that the boss'' wife wasing."

    The assistant was a chatty person, constantly finding topics to chat with Lucinda while leading her

    to her workstation.

    Lucinda smiled and said, "There are many people in the world with the same name."

    "True, but fates are different. The boss'' wife has the same name as you, and you''re about the same

    age. She''s lucky, having married the boss. Before this, we all thought the boss stayed single

    because he was waiting for the girl he fell for since he was a kid."

    "Now we know that the boss had been waiting for his wife all along. They''ve known each other for

    eleven years. The boss had his eyes on her from the very beginning, waiting for her to grow up.

    Think about it, she''s really lucky!"

    The assistant''s words were filled with envy towards Lucinda.

    All Lucinda could do was tough and echo, "She is indeed very lucky."

    Even though Stefan had deceived her, she had to admit, marrying him was truly a bliss.

    Lucinda hadn''t worked in apany since graduating. Although her major was design, due to her

    lack of work experience, she had to start from scratch.

    As a neer and quite ordinary, her current job was nothing more than a bunch of odds and

    ends. Wherever she was needed, she went.

    Stefan wanted to go downstairs several times to check on her, but he held back each time.

    Lucinda had once said, in thepany, they were strangers.

    The morning flew by quickly.

    Stefan went downstairs earlier than usual, thinking he could have lunch with Lucinda. He texted

    Lucinda, but she replied that she was having lunch in thepany cafeteria.

    Stefan stared at his wife''s reply, speechless.

    It seemed that he could only see her when they returned home.

    While Lucinda was preparing to take over thepany in the future, Cecilia was struggling to get

    Owen to agree to a divorce.

    Last night, she was taken back to the Martinez family''s mansion by Owen. She wasn¡¯t willing to go

    but thinking of Trenton, she held back and stayed for dinner at the Martinez family.

    Shane''s attitude towards her was okay, but Olina couldn''t stand her.

    Cecilia knew that Olina was very fond of Ruby and wanted Ruby to marry Owen. If it weren''t for

    Stefan uncovering the truth about Ruby being abroad, Olina wouldn''t have given up on Ruby.

    However, even though the situation of Ruby made her unhappy and she no longer persuaded her

    son to be with Ruby, she would not ept Cecilia as her daughter-inw easily.

    In Olina''s view, Cecilia was just a girl from an ordinary family. Whether her status or vision, she

    couldn''tpare with the Martinez family in any way.

    After dinner, Cecilia wanted to go home, but Owen didn''t want to drive her home. She warned him

    that if he dared to force her to stay at the Martinez family overnight, she would cut him off.

    In the end, he still drove her home.

    This time, he wanted toe in, but Cecilia didn''t let him.

    Owen left with a gloomy face.

    Cecilia let out a deep sigh.

    No one responded.

    "It''s so annoying."

    She sighed again.

    Still, no one responded. She nced around and realized that there was indeed no one else

    around, Lucinda was not there.

    Cecilia mumbled to herself, "Lucy''s gone to work, I''m so bored on my own."

    The business in the shop was still booming.

    Even though Lucinda had gone to work, many people didn''t know and they still came because of

    Lucinda''s identity.

    "Ms. Yates."

    A familiar voice rang out.

    Without looking, Cecilia knew it was Avery.

    Seeing Avery, Cecilia''s eyes lit up, finally, someone to chat with.

    "Mr. Cooper, you''re here."

    Cecilia got up excitedly, went around the cash register, and walked towards Avery.

    She had thought that Avery, after being chased away by Owen once, would not dare toe back.

    It seemed this guy still had some guts.

    Avery gave a bitter smile to himself. He was here for his boyfriend''spany, like it or not.

    He noticed that even without his provocation, Owen had already shown interest. His presence only

    added fuel to the fire.

    Cecilia let Avery to sit down.

    "Bring out two desserts for Mr. Cooper."

    "Sure thing."

    Avery scanned the room, ensuring he wouldn''t run into Owen again, his tension eased a tad.

    "Ms. Yates, no need for more desserts. I''m feeling a bit down today and would love to have

    someone to dine with. Ms. Yates, our chats are always so delightful, could I possibly persuade you

    to join me for dinner?"

    His boss had instructed him to get as close as possible to Cecilia, to get her to agree to meals and

    shopping sprees together. So, he began to shower Cecilia with gifts. The money for the gifts was all

    on his boss, not a penny from his own pocket.

    Avery felt the mission was getting riskier and riskier.

    When Owen had kicked him out yesterday, the pain was excruciating.

    Almost broke all his limbs.

    If Owen found out he was still dining and shopping with Cecilia and giving her gifts, Avery was afraid

    he''d end up with broken legs and missing teeth.

    Owen was one hell of a jealous guy!

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    Chapter 317

    "My shop is swarming with many customers right now, so I can''t step out. If Mr. Cooper doesn''t

    mind, how about treating me to takeout right here?"

    Avery pondered for a moment before saying, "Sure thing, I''ll get on it right away."

    He whipped out his phone, ready to order two servings of takeout.

    The ss door swung open. Avery, with his sharp hearing, detected the familiar, steady footsteps.

    Looking up, he saw Owen striding in with his bodyguards.

    Holy moly!

    ¡°It''s him again! My luck''s really in the pits!¡±

    Avery''s instinct was to dive under the table, out of Owen''s sight.

    But Owen had already seen him.

    Because Cecilia was sitting right across from him.

    What''s worse, Cecilia was staring right at him.

    This got Owen fuming.

    Cecilia had her back to the entrance. Unaware that Owen was the neer, she continued to

    admire the guy before her, leaving store staffs to greet the customers.

    Avery gave her a wink, then another.

    Cecilia couldn''t help but ask, "Avery, are your eyes bothering you? You keep blinking. If they''re

    ufortable, you should see a doctor or get some eye drops."

    Avery seemed tense.

    "Why are you suddenly so nervous? Weren''t you just about to order takeout? Never ordered takeout

    before, or don''t know which ce serves good food? Let me help you order. How much can you

    eat? Want me to order double?"

    Cecilia whipped out her phone, ready to order takeout.

    Suddenly, a hand swiped her phone away.

    She immediately turned around to see Owen standing beside her, ring at her ominously.

    And it looked like his hand was about to crush her phone.

    "You again?"

    Cecilia stood up and snatched her phone back from Owen.

    "Cecilia!"

    Owen growled through gritted teeth, "You''re hanging out with this buffalo again!"

    Avery, who was trying to sneak away, paused in his tracks. Buffalo?

    How could he, a refined and handsome man, bepared to a buffalo?

    "Who I hang out with is none of your business! Jerk!"

    Owen looked embarrassed.

    "I''m not a jerk!"

    Cecilia retorted, "You''re a promise breaker, and that''s a jerk in my book!"

    "How did I break any promises? Do you have any evidence?"

    Cecilia was left speechless.

    "Avery, let''s go eat."

    She grabbed Avery, who was trying to leave.

    Avery immediately put on a helpless expression.

    He suspected his boss had assigned someone to tail him. Every time he sought out Cecilia, Owen

    would show up, making the situation more stimting.

    Unfazed by Avery''s reaction, Cecilia grabbed his hand and made her way out.

    If Lucinda were present, she wouldn''t have been able to bear watching.

    This was risky.

    Owen was already jealous, and here she was, holding Avery''s hand. It was pouring fuel on the fire.

    Sure enough, Owen grabbed Cecilia''s wrist, pulled her back, and swung a kick at Avery.

    To protect himself, Avery immediately let go of Cecilia''s hand and backed away, narrowly dodging

    Owen''s kick.

    "Kick him out, and from now on, stay here to protect Cecilia. Kick him out the moment he shows

    up!"

    Owen ordered his bodyguards to kick Avery out while leading Cecilia away.

    He was still unsure of the man''s identity.

    He had investigated all the information in Pinehurst, but couldn''t find the man''s identity. He

    suspected the man had hidden his identity.

    If Trenton were here, he would say, ¡°with me here, you can find out nothing.¡±

    Seeing Owen leading Cecilia away, the store staff, too frightened to intervene, could only call

    Lucinda. After Lucinda answered the phone, she told Lucinda, "Lucinda, Cecilia and Mr. Martinez

    are arguing again."

    Lucinda was helpless, "They''re arguing again?"

    "Mr. Cooper came. In a short time, Mr. Martinez followed. Seeing them together, he got angry."

    Lucinda said, "Did Owen put a tracker on Avery? He always seems to show up at just the right

    moment. But it''s fine, Owen won''t hurt Cecilia. Just focus on your work."

    After a few words with the staff, Lucinda hung up.

    She had finished her meal and was still sitting in thepany cafeteria, chatting with some new

    colleagues.

    Then, she and her colleagues left the cafeteria together.

    "Mr. President."

    On hearing someone¡¯s greeting respectfully, Lucinda turned her head to see her husband emerging

    from another cafeteria.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Ascend Global is enormous, with many canteens and restaurants. Lucinda, as a regr employee,

    didn''t dine with the management.

    She didn''t expect her husband to be dining at the cafeteria.

    Not just Lucinda, but everyone in thepany was surprised.

    The President choosing to eat at the cafeteria made the staff nervous, worrying that their cooking

    would be found out problems.

    Upon hearing the news, other senior managers started choosing to dine at thepany''s cafeteria

    the next day.

    After a while, the food in thepany''s restaurants improved significantly, with a variety of dishes,

    freshness, and generous portions.

    The employees were all very pleased.

    No one knew that the person who inadvertently brought about these changes was the neer

    who seemed ordinary but shared her name with the President''s wife.

    Stefan had seen Lucinda a long time ago.

    He acted naturally, chatting with Edgar while walking over.

    Everyone greeted him as he passed by.

    Lucinda quickly lowered her head, trying to pretend she hadn''t seen him.

    Stefan saw her reaction, wanted tough, but held it back.

    He thought Lucinda was like a turtle, retracting her head into her shell thinking no one could see

    her?

    As Lucinda walked on, she realized that her colleagues were no longer by her side, and there were

    no more greetings to the President. She thought Stefan had left. When she turned her head, she

    really didn''t see Stefan.

    She breathed a sigh of relief.

    No need to worry about him calling her darling in front of everyone.

    This morning, she could tell that he was almost about to call her darling outright.

    Oh dear, she bumped into someone!

    Not only did Lucinda bump into someone, but she almost fell. Instinctively, she reached out to grab

    something, and she actually got a hold of a rope.

    She held onto the rope tightly, saving herself from a close encounter with the ground.

    But why was there a big, strong hand circling her waist?

    Lucinda regained her focus, only to see her husband right in front of her.

    It turned out that what she was holding onto wasn''t a rope, but Stefan''s tie. Because of her pulling,

    Stefan had no choice but to wrap an arm around her waist, leaning forward with her movements to

    lessen the distance between them.

    This scene...

    It was so intimate!

    Everyone went silent.

    Even Edgar was taken aback.

    This new employee, not only bumped into the boss, but also grabbed onto his tie when she was

    about to fall. Was she trying to choke him to death?

    Most likely, this new employee would onlyst a day at Ascend Global.

    Edgar felt sorry for her in his heart.

 Chapter 318

    Chapter 318

    Lucinda instantly let go, with Stefan steadying her. He had the urge to touch her forehead gently but

    ultimately held back.

    "Boss, I''m really sorry."

    Lucinda immediately apologized, lowering her head. She whispered a reminder to him, "Can we try

    to avoid each other in the office as much as we can? Every time I see you, I''m afraid you''ll spill my

    real identity."

    This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Stefan was speechless.

    "Be careful next time when you walk."

    After saying this, Stefan turned around and left.

    Edgar nced at Lucinda, then at the retreating boss, and said to Lucinda, "You''re lucky today. The

    boss is in a good mood and didn''t hold it against you."

    He checked out Lucinda''s ID badge, and after seeing the name on it, he took another look at

    Lucinda. She looked nothing like the boss'' wife.

    Probably someone with the same name, he thought.

    Edgar walked off, quickly catching up with the boss'' pace. He casually mentioned, "That new

    employee''s name is the same as your wife''s. She doesn''t look like her though, otherwise, I would''ve

    thought she was your wife."

    Stefan didn''t respond.

    Edgar nced at him, thinking for a moment, then asked cautiously, "She... she''s not actually your

    wife, is she?"

    Stefan shot him a look, saying impatiently, "Man, don''t be such a gossip queen."

    Edgar chuckled, "No, no! Aside from your wife, no other woman could get close to you. That new

    employee not only bumped into you but also grabbed your tie, and you even held her waist. Such

    an intimate encounter, yet neither of you blushed or panted."

    "This means, you guys must have done more intimate things, so such interaction is normal for you.

    Her name is also Lucinda, so she must be your wife. Did she have stic surgery? Or did she

    change her appearance?"

    Stefan was itching to kick this overly sharp assistant out of the elevator.

    Seeing his response, Edgar knew his guess was spot on.

    He asked in confusion, "Why would your wife change her appearance to work at Ascend Global?"

    Is she supposed to keep an eye on the employees for the boss?

    Everyone would be wary of upper management and leaders, but they''d never suspect a low-level

    employee.

    However, those low-level employees, because they do a lot of work, often shuttle between

    departments and can see a lot of things the boss can''t...

    The more Edgar thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He instantly felt a sense of dread. It

    seems he couldn''t badmouth the boss behind his back anymore.

    If Lucinda were here she might say, ¡°Edgar, you''re overthinking this. I''m just here to learn.¡±

    "Lucy wants to gain some experience. Her background has been cleared. She''s returned to her

    biological parents and is preparing for a business fight. She worries that if she goes into the

    company as the boss'' wife, everyone will fawn over her, try to please her, and won''t let her do

    anything, she won''t learn anything."

    That was how Stefan exined why Lucinda changed her appearance to work at thepany.

    Edgar nodded, "That makes sense. Many rich kids will enter their family''spanies in low-key

    ways, starting from the bottom. Nobody would know they''re the boss'' children."

    "But boss, since your wife changed her appearance to join thepany, you should avoid creating

    such idents in the future, to prevent rumors of affairs. Your wife would also be mistaken as a

    marriage-wrecker in thepany, especially as her current appearance isn''t too appealing, people

    might criticize her with inappropriate words."

    "Imagine if your mother-inw doesn''t know the truth, that would be interesting."

    Stefan looked tense, "You''re right. I''ve been negligent on this matter, always wanting to see her."

    "You''re married, isn''t seeing each other at home enough?"

    "It''s never enough. I want to see her all the time, every day, every moment. I won''t talk about it with

    you. You''re single and won''t understand how I feel wanting to see my wife."

    Edgar was speechless.

    Now he knew how much they loved each other.

    ......

    Skywatch.

    The Porter family.

    "Mom, couldn''t you have waited until I got home to tell me this?"

    Madeleine Porter''s voice came in before she did.

    Mrs. Porter came out to greet her, asking, "You didn''t tell your father, did you?"

    "You told me toe back quietly without letting dad know, so I didn''t tell him."

    Madeleine hooked her arm around her mother''s as they walked inside, asking, "Mom, what

    happened?"

    "Did you forget? What did you ask me to do for you?"

    Upon hearing this, Madeleine excitedly asked, "Mom, did you get the aphrodisiac incense?"

    "I had someone use many ways to help you buy this special aphrodisiac incense, and I made sure

    no one knew I was the one buying it. This kind of behavior isn''t quite appropriate, and if word gets

    out, it wouldn''t be good for our family''s image."

    Mrs. Porter whispered, "And we can''t let your father know. He''s suspicious, and if he knew about

    the existence of aphrodisiac incense, he would suspect that I''ve used it on him."

    She had never used such a thing on any man.

    If it weren''t for chatting with her friends, she wouldn''t even know such a thing existed in real life,

    since she thought it was only on TV.

    "Mom, don''t worry. Only you and I know about this, no one else will."

    Madeleine also knew that using this method was somewhat unfair, but she had no choice.

    That Nathan Blue had too much self-control.

    No matter how she tried to seduce him, he would not fall for it.

    They hadn''t even kissed yet.

    Every time she tried to kiss him, he would sneeze, with a strong smell of garlic or onions, which she

    hated the most.

    "You often stay overnight at the Blue family''s, find a chance to light this incense in a corner of his

    room. As long as he enters the room and smells this incense, he will be affected."

    "Is it really that effective?"

    Madeleine was particrly excited, thinking about the chance to get close to the man she had been

    fond of for years, she was thrilled, wishing she could put the incense in Nathan''s room right away.

    "I heard it''s very effective. I''ve never used it, but we have to give it a try."

    Madeleine nodded and hurriedly asked, "Mom, where''s the thing?"

    "It''s in my bag, sealed very tightly. You absolutely can''t open it to smell it."

    In case it''s really effective, she would be affected if she smelled it.

    "I''ll give it to you in the room."

    Madeleine caught on to what this meant.

    The two of them whispered as they climbed up the stairs.

    Back in her room, Mrs. Porter took out a small bottle of powder from her bag and said to her

    daughter, "You can roll this powder up in a piece of paper and then light it up, the scent will waft

    around the room."

    "But before you do all this, put your mask on, better a face shield. Don''t take a deep breath before

    rolling it into a stick, just in case you knock yourself out. If Nathan isn''t back yet, that''d be a real

    pain."

    If there''s a misunderstanding or even a slip-up, the consequences would be irreversible.

    Madeleine, who originally wanted to open the bottle, dropped the idea after hearing her mother''s

    words.

 Chapter 319

    Chapter 319

    Madeleine was convinced she¡¯d hit the jackpot with some sort of philter and would quickly establish

    a steady rtionship with Nathan.

    However, when she went to the Blue family, she waited all day but Nathan never returned. He had

    gone on a business trip, leaving Keith Blue at Blue Corporation in Skywatch.

    She was seething but powerless.

    As the head of the Blue family, Nathan was obviously a busy man.

    In the evening.

    After work, Lucinda, being the newbie, didn¡¯t have to work overtime. She texted her husband,

    saying she¡¯d drop by the coffee shop first.

    Just as she sent the message, Stefan called.

    She quickly nced around to make sure nobody would overhear her phone conversation before

    she rxed.

    ¡°Darling.¡±

    Normally, she¡¯d address Stefan by his name, but to avoid arousing suspicion, she sweetly called

    him darling. A smile tugged at Stefan''s lips.

    ¡°Darling, aren¡¯t we having dinner together?¡±

    ¡°No, I ordered takeout to the caf¨¦. I¡¯ll go help out there first.¡±

    She was also worried about her friend''s situation.

    She wondered how Cecilia and Owen were doing.

    Stefan was silent.

    ¡°Darling, tomorrow, I¡¯ll definitely have dinner with you. Don''t be mad.¡±

    Hearing her cajoling him, Stefan chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m not mad. Your husband is very magnanimous, not

    petty at all. Fine, we¡¯ll let it slide tonight, but the day after tomorrow, you have toe with me to a

    social event. You have to learn not just thepany operations, but also socializing.¡±

    Lucinda''s social circle was too narrow at the moment.

    ¡°Sure, darling. You go eat, don¡¯t starve.¡±

    ¡°Miss me?¡±

    Stefan¡¯s voice dropped, sounding incredibly attractive. Lucinda hadn¡¯t really cared about other

    people''s voices before, but since knowing Stefan, his voice was her favorite.

    Lucinda left thepany and walked to the side of the road. A bus passing by the Serendipity Cafe

    just happened toe by, so she got on.

    ¡°I miss you.¡±

    Hearing her say she missed him, Stefan chuckled lowly, ¡°Tonight when I get home, show me just

    how much you miss me.¡±

    Lucinda blushed slightly, replying, ¡°I¡¯m on the bus now, Let¡¯s chatter.¡±

    Reluctantly, Stefan hung up the call.

    No sooner had their call ended than Keith called.

    As soon as Lucinda answered, her brother asked, ¡°Lucy, who were you just talking to? I tried calling

    a few times but you were always on a call.¡±

    ¡°I was talking to Stefan. What¡¯s up, big bro? Is everything okay with you and Dad?¡±

    ¡°What could possibly happen to us? We¡¯re totally fine, don¡¯t worry. How was your first day at work? I

    held off calling you all day so I wouldn¡¯t interrupt your work, but I couldn¡¯t help it anymore. Actually,

    you didn¡¯t need to join Ascend Global. After you came back, I could¡¯ve trained you myself.¡±

    ¡°Lucy, don¡¯t overwork yourself or push yourself too hard. If you really can¡¯t learn it, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll hire

    some professional managers to handle the business and you just need to collect the money.¡±

    In the end, Keith was still worried about his sister who had finally returned. He was afraid she¡¯d

    overwork herself.

    ¡°Bro, I can take care of myself. I really like my current lifestyle.¡±

    Before she went to work in the afternoon, Ike had called to ask about her adaptation to work.

    Lucinda felt her brother''s concern and felt like a kid in front of him.

    Keith sounded a bit disappointed, ¡°You really like working? I thought you were tired and wanted to

    quit. You can choose not to work, I can support you.¡±

    Lucinda could hear the disappointment in her brother''s voice and couldn''t help butugh.

    So her brother was hoping she wouldn''t adapt to work so they could protect her like a treasure.

    She began to feel like the pampered child of the family.

    She really liked this role and felt incredibly lucky.

    ¡°Bro, I can support myself.¡±

    ¡°When you and Stefan get married, I¡¯ll give you some gifts to ensure you won''t have any worries.

    You take the bus to work? I heard the bus announcement. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. If there¡¯s

    anything, remember to call me first. I¡¯m always here for you.¡±

    Ascend Global was not far from Serendipity Cafe, just a few minutes by bus.

    The staff greeted Lucinda with a smile when she arrived, ¡°Wee, there are still seats avable,

    pleasee in.¡±

    She didn''t recognize Lucinda.

    Looking around the caf¨¦, Lucinda noticed there were a lot of customers.

    Cecilia came out from the pastry room and joked when she saw Lucinda, ¡°You haven¡¯t moved out of

    your rental yet? Go remove your makeup. See, even the staff didn¡¯t recognize you.¡±

    The staff was left speechless.

    Lucindaughed, ¡°Can''t fool you.¡±

    Ceciliaughed, they were good friends. Even with different makeup, Cecilia could recognize

    Lucinda from her figure.

    Lucinda spent about ten minutes removing her makeup before returning to the caf¨¦.

    After the customers had left in dribs and drabs, they finally had some free time.

    The takeout had also arrived.

    However, Ruby came in with the delivery guy.

    Seeing her, the smiles on Lucinda and the others¡¯ faces faded.

    ¡°Cecilia, can we talk?¡±

    Surprisingly, Ruby didn''te to find Lucinda, she was looking for Cecilia.

    Cecilia responded coldly, ¡°Ms. Scott and I are not close, there''s nothing to talk about.¡±

    ¡°Let''s talk about Owen.¡±

    Cecilia looked at Ruby. Her makeup was still exquisite, but she looked haggard andcked the pride

    and confidence she had the first time she came.

    ¡°In reality, Owen and I are just a couple in name. I think he¡¯s told you why we got married. Ms. Scott,

    if you want to get Owen back, you should go find him, not bother me.¡±

    Ruby looked embarrassed.

    She wanted to get Owen back.

    But when Owen loved her, his affection was real. No matter what she did wrong, he would forgive

    her, tolerate her, help her solve problems, withoutint or regret.

    Now he said he''s totally over her, and he meant it. He became heartless, no matter how much she

    cried, he just didn¡¯t give a damn anymore.

    Growing up together, Ruby realized she didn''t really know Owen that well. His coldness was no less

    than Stefan''s.

    "Cecilia, I won''t keep you long."

    Cecilia looked at her for a while, thinking about herplicated rtionship with Owen. That guy

    refused to admit their marriage was a sham, saying they were both willing when they got their

    marriage certificate.

    What a sneaky guy!

    "Fine, I''ll give you half an hour, spit it out."

    Cecilia picked up her takeout, headed to a corner, and sat down. This was her way of showing

    enough respect to Ruby.

    Ruby was silent for a moment, then she chose to bite the bullet, walked to the corner, and sat

    opposite to Cecilia.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

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    Chapter 320

    "Is that all you''re eating?" Ruby couldn''t help butment as she watched Cecilia open a takeout

    box containing nothing more than a bit of meat and some vegetables. It looked in and not very

    appetizing.

    For the wife of the Martinez family, she was eating quite simply!

    Cecilia continued to eat as she responded, "What''s wrong with this?"

    She nced up at Ruby, "I can''tpare to you, Ms. Scott, you always eat richly."

    Ruby made a face, "Hasn''t Owen given you any living expenses? Your shop seems to be doing

    well, can''t you afford nicer food? The wife of the Martinez family eating so simply. This would tarnish

    the Martinez family''s reputation if it got out. Cecilia, you and Owen aren''t a good match."

    Cecilia replied, "You''d be a good match with Mr. Malicious, but you can''t marry him. You could only

    watch as I became the wife of the Martinez family."

    Ruby choked at her words.

    Cecilia, like Lucinda, always leaves her speechless.

    They were both Ruby''s pain points.

    One stole Stefan whom she liked, and the other stole Owen who liked her.

    "Mr. Malicious?" Ruby noticed Cecilia''s nickname for Owen.

    Frowning, Ruby said, "How can you just give Owen a nickname like that? As his wife, you should

    protect his reputation and status."

    "People''s reputation and status is for them to uphold. If they don''t do well, no one can protect their

    reputation; if they do well, no one can tarnish it. People aren''t blind."

    Cecilia paused, "What reputation does Mr. Malicious have to speak of? His reputation as a rich fool

    is already known because of you. Only a girl with a kind heart like me, who can''t bear to see him

    alone for life, would be willing to marry him."

    "Otherwise, who would want to marry him with that sort of reputation?"

    Ruby snapped back, "I would marry him."

    "Hah, as foolish as he is, he doesn''t want to be betrayed. No one, man or woman, likes being

    betrayed."

    Ruby''s face changed. She gritted her teeth and asked, "Did Lucinda tell you?"

    "Mr. Malicious told me. The night you hurt him, he wanted to kill himself by the sea, and I saved

    him."

    If Owen were here he might say ¡°I wasn''t going to kill myself. I just wanted to calm down by the

    sea!¡±

    Upon hearing this, Ruby''s eyes lit up, "Owen wanted tomit suicide because of me."

    Cecilia nced at her, then continued to eat her meal.

    Seeing her enjoying her food, whether due to hunger or temptation, Ruby couldn''t help but swallow,

    cursing Cecilia in her heart. She was talking to her, but she was just focusing on her food.

    "Ms. Scott, why don''t you tell me what you''re here for instead of sitting here ruining my appetite?"

    "You seem to be enjoying your meal, not bothered at all."

    "I rarely eat just one portion of meal, but with you here today, I''m only eating one. If you came to find

    me every day, I might even start filming weight lossmercials. Have everyone eat in front of you,

    guarantee they''ll lose weight."

    Lucinda stifled augh at her friend''s words.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Ruby was spoiled by Owen, now she didn''t realize how overbearing she was. If they really argued,

    even she wouldn''t be able to win, let alone Cecilia.

    Ruby''s face became angrier at those words.

    After a while, she managed to calm her anger, then took out a cheque that had been prepared in

    advance from her bag and ced it in front of Cecilia.

    Cecilia nced at it, it was only fifty thousand dors.

    She pushed the cheque back to Ruby, "Ms. Scott, I don''t need this money."

    Without exining why she was giving her money, Ruby saw her push the cheque back, took out

    another cheque from her bag, put it together with the first one, and pushed them back towards

    Cecilia.

    Cecilia finished her meal, then asked her friend, "Lucy, where''s my soup?"

    "Right here."

    Lucinda handed over her soup, then curiously looked at the amounts on the two cheques, one for

    fifty thousand, the other for a hundred thousand.

    She nced at Ruby, who was looking rather sour and seemed not in the mood to deal with her.

    "Ms. Scott, are you having some financial troublestely?"

    Lucinda teased.

    Ruby didn''t respond, knowing she couldn''t win against Lucinda. Thest time Lucinda had made

    her so angry she''d nearly vomited blood.

    Since then, she''d avoided arguing with Lucinda to prevent another such incident.

    "True, you''ve moved all your business back to your home country, but there''s been no improvement.

    You''re nearly out of capital, you''re definitely having financial troubles."

    Lucinda didn''t care that she wasn''t responding, so she continued to talk, sessfully making

    Ruby''s face turn green.

    Ruby wanted to retort, but she couldn''t bring herself to.

    She had to hold back, she couldn''t argue with Lucinda!

    She''d argued with Lucinda a few times, and lost every time.

    Ruby took out another cheque from her bag.

    Lucinda said to her, "Ms. Scott, if you want to use money to win Owen over, I suggest you bring out

    all your money at once, instead of giving it out bit by bit."

    Ruby was furious, "Do you think I''m tipping you? I''ve been giving you cheques for fifty thousand, a

    hundred thousand each time!"

    "If you can, bring it all out at once."

    Lucinda smiled, "I don''t need to buy a man with money. Oh, I did rent a husband though, only costs

    five hundred dors a month. Stefan is easy to take care of, and he doesn''t even spend all of it,

    giving me the money left."

    Ruby said,"Lucinda, I didn''te here for you today, can you please leave!"

    The man she couldn''t get, Lucinda could score with just $500 a month.

    The man she once loved, she now had to buy with money.

    Regret hit Ruby like a brick wall!

    "Alright, I won''t interrupt your negotiation with Cecilia," Lucinda said, grinning as she walked away.

    Pissing Ruby off made her day.

    After a few check handovers, Ruby stopped.

    Finishing the soup offered by the fast-food joint owner, Cecilia asked Ruby, "Did you pull out all the

    checks?"

    Ruby didn''t respond.

    So, they were all out.

    Cecilia took the checks, counted them - seven in total. Three of them were for a hundred grand and

    four for fifty grand. Altogether, they were worth five hundred grand.

    In Ruby''s mind, that''s what Owen was worth!

    Sure, for the average people, that''s a ton of dough.

    But for the high society, it seemed a bit cheap for Owen, the big cheese of the Ike group.

    "Ms. Scott, what''s the deal?" Cecilia asked, flipping through the checks.

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    Chapter 321

    Ruby said with a straight face, "Cecilia, I''ll give you money if you leave Owen. Once you''re out of

    the picture, he''lle back to me. Your situation isn''t the same as Lucinda''s. Lucinda''s parents are

    loaded, but the Yates family isn''t exactly rolling in dough. Half a million is a hefty sum for you."

    "I''m a local of Pinehurst, and there''s no way I''m leaving my hometown for half a million. But I could

    sell Owen to you for that price."

    Ruby fell silent for a moment before saying, "Just one year. Leave Pinehurst for just one year."

    Seeing that Cecilia wasn''t biting, she continued, "Half a year. Three months! Cecilia, think of it as a

    vacation. Just leave Pinehurst for three months. During this time, you switch off your phone and

    can''t contact Owen."

    "I have to mind the shop. I can only leave for a few days at most."

    Ruby frowned, "What can be done in a few days?"

    Ceciliaughed, "If you''re capable, you could win him over in an hour."

    Ruby had nothing to say to that.

    "Ms. Scott, you''re giving me half a million to buy Owen. You can check it. If you can''t win him over,

    that''s your problem, not mine. Once sold, there are no returns or refunds, and definitely no after-

    sales service."

    Ruby was speechless.

    Lucinda was alreadyughing her head off on the table.

    Cecilia could really make half a million by selling her husband. Hrious!

    After a while, Ruby asked Cecilia, "This is a big transaction, Cecilia. Can''t you give me some sort of

    guarantee?"

    Cecilia shook her head, "As I said, you go win him over."

    "Cecilia."

    Lucinda, struggling to suppress herughter, waved her over.

    "I''m just going to chat with my friend."

    Cecilia got up and walked over to Lucinda.

    "Lucy, what''s up?"

    Lucinda cautioned her, "Cecilia, you''re pushing it. Don''t take Ruby''s money. If Owen finds out, he''ll

    be furious!"

    If Owen found out that Cecilia had taken half a million from Ruby and sold him, he would flip his lid.

    "I want a divorce, but he refuses. It''s perfect. Ruby can take him and I make half a million. Not

    everyone stumbles upon such a good deal."

    Lucinda said, "Cecilia, this is too risky."

    "Well, he''s the one refusing the divorce! He''s the one being heartless, so I''ll be merciless!"

    Cecilia had been really angry with Owen these past few days.

    Lucinda looked at her for a moment, then asked, "Don''t you have any feelings for Owen? Forget

    about his past infatuation with Ruby. He''s actually a good guy, worth entrusting your life to."

    "He does have feelings for you now. Why not give it a try?"

    "I don''t really dislike him, but I don''t like that he''s not keeping his promise in this matter. If he really

    likes me, he can pursue me again after we divorce, and I can willingly marry him again."

    Cecilia always felt that her marriage to Owen was based on a transaction, and she didn''t like that

    kind of marriage.

    Lucinda understood.

    "Lucy, let''s not discuss this anymore. Can you help me think of a way? Ruby wants some sort of

    guarantee before giving me half a million. What can I give her? Owen isn''t an object. He can walk

    away freely. I take the money, and he might juste back."

    Lucindaughed, "Then you sell him again."

    Cecilia was speechless.

    After thinking for a moment, Lucinda whispered a few things in Cecilia''s ear, reminding her, "Don''t

    say I told you this. I just don''t want to see my friend missing out on a money-making opportunity."

    Ceciliaughed, "You''re a clever novelist, quick to think on your feet. I''ll do as you suggest. Don''t

    worry. I might betray my husband, but I''ll never betray my friend."

    She sat in front of herputer, opened a document, and started typing quickly.

    After a while, she printed a divorce agreement.

    Then she signed her name on the divorce agreement, stamped her fingerprint, and handed it to

    Ruby, saying, "Ms. Scott, this is the only guarantee I can give you. Just give it to Owen."

    Ruby read through the divorce agreement and asked, "What were the original terms you agreed

    on? You''re not asking for a share of Owen''s assets, are you?"

    "Don''t worry, I''m not that greedy. Most of Owen''s assets were acquired before our marriage. I won''t

    im any of it. He''ll understand. You just give this to him."

    Ruby was somewhat dubious, but she considered how readily Cecilia had signed the divorce

    agreement. For only half a million, Cecilia was willing to leave Owen. It was clear Cecilia had no

    feelings for Owen and was only interested in the money.

    This provided Ruby with an opportunity to reveal to Owen that Cecilia was a gold-digger.

    "Cecilia, are you serious about this?"

    "As long as your check is real, I''m dead serious."

    Ruby quickly assured her, "My check is absolutely real. You can cash it anytime."

    "Deal." Ruby immediately handed Cecilia the seven checks and called Lucinda over, saying, "Could

    you do us a favor and record a video? Cecilia and I are making a transaction."

    Lucinda generously agreed, "Okay, I''ll record the video for you."

    She shot videos for two people and then sent them to Ruby. Ruby saved the videos and, with the

    divorce agreement Cecilia gave her, left Serendipity Cafe in high spirits.

    Cecilia, on the other hand, waved the seven checks at her friend with a smug smile, saying, "Lucy,

    selling husband is a neat business. I didn''t even have to put any money into it and I made a cool

    half a million. Wanna give it a go?"

    Lucindaughed and said, "Nah, I wouldn''t do that. Stefan''s my golden goose, no way am I letting

    him go for cheap. He''s worth way more than half a million to me. Cecilia, you actually were at loss.

    Look at Owen''s status, his moneymaking ability, you only sold him for half a million, you definitely

    got the short end of the stick. If Owen knew, he''d be upset you sold him so cheap."

    Cecilia blinked and said, "Now that you say it, I do feel like I lost out. When Owen himselfes

    back, I''ll just sell him a few more times, then I won''t be at a loss."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    She was just d Owen wasn''t there, or she would have to call an ambnce for him on the spot.

    She was afraid that before the ambnce could even arrive, she''d have to dial up the funeral parlor.

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    Chapter 322

    "Cecilia, Cecilia."

    Lucinda suddenly called out in a panic.

    Cecilia, who was busy counting seven checks, asked her, "What''s up? Why the jitters?"

    "He''s here, he''s here."

    Lucinda was genuinely anxious, "Mr. Malicious is here, you gotta hide."

    Cecilia was momentarily startled, but quickly gathered up the seven checks. This was her money

    from selling her husband.

    "Is he really here?"

    "Take a look outside. What a coincidence, Ruby just left and before she even got in the car, she saw

    Owen''s entourageing. Oh right, didn''t Owen leave two bodyguards to protect you at the door?

    It must be them who notified him."

    Stefan also arranged bodyguards to protect Lucinda, but they were hidden. Even if Lucinda knew,

    Zoey and Zack were still protecting her from the shadows.

    They didn''t want Lucinda to feel like she was constantly being watched.

    Owen was more straightforward, his two bodyguards had been squatting around Serendipity Cafe

    all day.

    Cecilia couldn''t ignore them even if she wanted to.

    Ruby came in following a delivery guy, the Martinez family''s bodyguards thought she was here to

    see Lucinda, so they didn''t react.

    But when they saw Ruby was talking to Cecilia alone, they realized something was off and quickly

    notified Owen toe. They were watching from outside, but didn''t see a catfight between the two

    women.

    However, they saw Owen seemed to have received something from Ms. Scott and gave Ms. Scott a

    piece of paper, then Ms. Scott came out all joyful.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Upon receiving the bodyguard''s notification, Owen was also worried about a catfight between

    Cecilia and Ruby. He wasn''t worried that Cecilia would be at a disadvantage, he was worried that

    Cecilia would hurt her hand from hitting someone, so he rushed over to see if he could be of any

    help.

    However, just as he arrived at the entrance of Serendipity Cafe, he saw Ruby walking out in high

    spirits.

    It seemed like they didn''t have a fight.

    Owen suddenly wanted to hide, not wanting to confront Ruby face to face.

    Unfortunately, he didn''t have the ability to be invisible.

    Ruby recognized his convoy and saw himing. She quickly walked over with a sweet smile on

    her heavily made-up face.

    In the past, whenever he saw her smile like this, Owen would feel ttered. But now, he always felt

    that when Ruby smiled, her mouth was stretched too wide, it wasn''t pretty. Cecilia''s smile was much

    brighter.

    "Sure enough, he''s here. These two really have a knack for running into each other." Cecilia sighed.

    Lucinda urged her, "What are you still doing here? Take advantage of Mr. Malicious being held up

    by Ruby, and the Martinez family''s bodyguards have also gone over, you''d better run."

    "Why should I run?"

    Cecilia was still clueless, "I''ve never been afraid of Mr. Malicious."

    Lucinda chided her, "You just took fifty thousand from Ruby and sold Mr. Malicious. Any man would

    be furious if he knew his wife sold him. Who knows what he might do in his anger."

    Cecilia said, "You''re right, I better run away now. Lucy, I''ll hide at your ce."

    "My rented ce has a very flimsy door which can easily be broken down, so you''d better go home

    as soon as possible. There are people at your ce, and your elders. Even with all the courage in

    the world, Owen wouldn''t dare to do anything to you at your home."

    "Okay, I''ll go home right away, I''ll leave immediately. I''m going to turn off my phone. Lucy, can you

    help me find someone to cash these checks at my ce? I need to cash these checks as soon as

    possible, otherwise Mr. Malicious might snatch them away."

    Lucinda chuckled, "This is arge sum of money and very unsafe to cash it like this. Besides, most

    people can''te up with that much cash at once, you''ll need to make an appointment at least."

    Cecilia had already opened the door of the store, taking advantage of Owen being held up by Ruby

    and the bodyguards'' attention being on them, she quickly left.

    Only when she had run a good distance did she g down a bus on the street, got on the bus, and

    felt much safer.

    Not long after Cecilia got on the bus, Owen finally got rid of Ruby. He walked into Serendipity Cafe

    with a gloomy face, clutching the divorce agreement that Ruby had shown him.

    Lucinda was working inside the cashier''s counter.

    Seeing hime in, she pretended to just notice him.

    "Mr. Malicious, howe you have time to drop by? Don''t you have social obligations to attend to?"

    Owen threw the divorce agreement on the cashier''s counter, his face bing even gloomier,

    "Lucinda, Cecilia can call me Mr. Malicious, but you can''t call me Mr. Malicious!"

    Lucinda was not scared by his anger, she nodded, "True, Mr. Malicious is Cecilia''s nickname for

    you. Mr. Martinez, what''s the meaning of this? If you damage my cashier''s counter, I don''t care who

    you are, I''ll make you pay for it."

    "Why do you and Cecilia only care about money, always talking about money, talking about

    compensation."

    "I''m talking about principle."

    Owen was left speechless.

    "Where''s Cecilia?"

    Owen looked around, there were no customers in the store now. Basil was in the pastry room, the

    staff was wiping tables with a cloth.

    But Cecilia was nowhere to be seen.

    Lucinda casually replied, "I''m not in the store during the day, I onlye over in the evening to take

    over, so Cecilia can rest at night. As for where she goes, I have no idea. I''m just her friend, not her

    psychic."

    Owen gave her a cold stare.

    Lucinda picked up her phone from next to theputer, turned on the camera function, and started

    recording Owen.

    "Lucinda, what are you doing?"

    Owen reached out to grab her phone, but she leaned back, creating some distance. Owen didn''t get

    the phone.

    Lucinda sent a short video she had taken to her boyfriend, along with a voice message. Owen only

    heard her saying, "Honey, your arch-nemesis is ring at me. I''m so scared."

    Owen shouted, "Lucinda!"

    This woman actually snitched!

    So evil!

    Hasn''t he suffered enough from Stefan?

    "What can you do other than snitching to Stefan? If you''re gutsy, confront me directly."

    "Stefan, don''t listen to your wife''s nonsense. I''m just pissed off by Cecilia, I''m not ring at your

    wife, I''m ring at... Anyway, even if you gave me all the courage in the world, I wouldn''t dare to

    mess with your wife, because behind your wife is the Blue family, and I''m scared."

    Owen felt that ever since he met Lucinda and Cecilia, he could never hold his head high in front of

    Stefan.

    Lucinda didn''t actually send the message to Stefan, she sent it to Cecilia.

    But Cecilia''s phone was off, so she couldn''t see the message Lucinda sent yet.

    Lucinda sessfully made Owen panic, then she put down her phone, looked at her unfinished

    manuscript, and said to Owen, "Stop ring at me, I''m just telling the truth. If you don''t believe me,

    go find out yourself, don''t disturb my work."

    Owen was left speechless.

    He had already had someone monitoring Cecilia, who was in the shop.

    Even though Lucinda didn''t want him to find Cecilia, he had to find out this heartless Cecilia!

 Chapter 323

    Chapter 323

    ¡°She just sold him off for just half a million? That''s really maddening! Is she that hard up for cash?¡±

    Owen thought.

    He gave her thirty grand a month aspensation, plus two hundred bucks a day. It was in the

    name of managing his ck card expenses, but everyone knew it was just a cover-up. That two

    hundred bucks was her pocket money.

    Even if that was not enough, his card was in her hands. He had given her the password. She could

    splurge as much as she wanted.

    But ever since the card was handed over to her, she hadn''t swiped a single cent.

    She was not a money-grubber, but she always made herself look like one.

    She even wrote a divorce agreement, signed it, and handed it to Ruby to take it to him!

    He''d better not find her.

    If he did, he would sure give her a harsh lesson she wouldn''t forget.

    Selling him off for such a low price, she could''ve at least sold him for a few hundred million, he was

    worth that much.

    Huh?

    No way, he was priceless, so she couldn¡¯t sell him off!

    She should treat him like a valuable treasure, and keep him safe and sound. He could earn her

    much more than half a million.

    What a lousy calctor she was!

    That was a major loss!

    She wanted to run a business, but she couldn¡¯t even do basic calctions. She would run it into the

    ground.

    As Owen cursed Cecilia''s stupidity in his mind for selling him off cheap, he searched every nook

    and cranny of Serendipity Cafe for her. He even checked the bathroom, but there was no sign of

    Cecilia.

    He got his bodyguards to help.

    They had searched every inch of Serendipity Cafe, but they couldn''t find a trace of Cecilia.

    Owen returned to the cash register, raising his hand to m it down. But remembering that Lucinda

    might go tell his enemies, he reduced his strength by half, and then by half again, so that his hand

    didn¡¯t hurt when itnded.

    "Lucinda, where the hell is Cecilia?"

    "I''ve told you, Cecilia has the night off. I don''t know where she''s gone."

    Owen went quiet for a moment, his voice softening, almost pleading, "Lucinda, tell me, where is

    Cecilia? I promise I won''t lose my temper at her."

    "Mr. Martinez, as I''ve said, Cecilia looks after the shop during the day, and I do it at night. Every

    night after six, Cecilia is free to do as she pleases, I truly don''t know where she is."

    Owen was livid, pointing at Lucinda, "Lucinda, Lucinda..."

    "If you point at me one more time, I''m gonna chop off your finger!"

    Lucinda really hated being pointed at.

    Fuming, Owen picked up the divorce agreement and told his bodyguards, "Let''s go!"

    After getting out of the coffee shop, he left two bodyguards behind.

    Once in the car, he tried calling Cecilia again, but her phone was still switched off.

    She was definitely feeling guilty!

    After Owen left, Lucinda tried to call Cecilia too, but to no avail. So she called Ba instead.

    Ba picked up quickly.

    "Ba, has Ceciliae home?"

    "Ceciliae home? I haven''t seen her yet. Lucy, is something up? Why would she need toe

    home? She usuallyes homete at night."

    Lucinda quickly exined, "Nothing big. I have other things to take care of during the day, so I can''t

    run the shop. So Cecilia and I agreed that she''ll look after the shop during the day, and I''ll do it at

    night. She''s already left for home. It''s rush hour now, and there''s a lot of traffic. I''m just a little

    worried about her safety, so I thought I''ll check."

    "I see, her phone''s switched off?"

    "Yes, she switched it off."

    "She must''ve run out of battery watching videos and forgot to charge it. I''ll have to have a talk with

    her when she gets home. She spends all day watching videos,ughing like a loon. If only she were

    as enthusiastic about finding a boyfriend, I would be a grandmother now."

    Afterining about her daughter for a bit, Ba brightened up and asked Lucinda, "How are

    you doing, Lucy? How are your moms?"

    "Thanks, Ba, my two moms are doing well. They''re on vacation right now and will be back soon.

    Ba, I miss your cooking."

    Baughed, "If you''re craving it,e over anytime. I''ll always have something ready for you.

    My kids are alwaysining about my cooking, it really hurts my feelings."

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Luckily, Lucinda loves her cooking.

    If Cecilia and her brother were here, they would say, " we''ve been eating the same dishes every

    day, can you me us for not liking it?"

    "I''lle over this weekend." Lucinda said.

    "You''re always wee. Bring Mr. Coleman and your brothers along. Your brothers love my

    cooking too."

    Ba had considered Ike as a son-inw, even Lucinda as a daughter-inw, but it never worked

    out.

    Ike treated Cecilia like a sister, she knows that well.

    Her own son had some feelings for Lucinda at first, but as they spent more time together, those

    feelings faded away, reced by a brotherly affection. It was a shame, really.

    "Sure."

    Lucinda happily agreed.

    "Mom, grandpa, I''m home."

    Cecilia''s voice came in. Ba told Lucinda over the phone, "Lucy, Cecilia''s home."

    "That''s a relief. Ba, you go ahead, I have a customer. I need to attend to them."

    After ending the call, Lucinda heaved a sigh of relief.

    Her friend was finally home safe.

    As long as Cecilia stayed at home tonight, Owen couldn''t do anything to her.

    As for tomorrow, well, we would cross that bridge when we get to it.

    Lucinda greeted the customers, then went back to the cash register. She still needed to write

    another four hundred words for her update today.

    She quickly typed out the remaining words, quickly corrected a few typos, then logged into the

    authors'' backend, uploads two chapters she had written, and waited for the editors to review it.

    But the system quickly rejected one of the chapters, citing explicit content.

    Lucinda was speechless.

    Her writing was very clean, and they''re using her of explicit content.

    The system just grabbed stuff based on keywords without considering the context. Sometimes, a

    perfectly normal sentence could get rejected and needed edits just because it contained some dirty

    words.

    All she could do was swapping out those few words gged in red with synonyms. She was

    muttering under her breath as she did so. "Readers are always griping about how I skim over the

    intimate scenes between the male and female leads, without painting a detailed picture. But it''s not

    that I don''t want to write, I just can''t. If I really put it all out there, there''s no way it would pass the

    review! And so, I''ve cut out ten thousand words...Long story short, they turned off the lights, and ten

    monthster, they were parents.¡±

    The update was finally uploaded today. It wasn''t until she saw the approval in the backend that

    Lucinda finally logged out of the author''s backstage.

    She gave it some thought, and decided to start on the opening of a new piece. It was a new work

    featuring Owen and Cecilia as the main characters, and it was gonna be a love-hate rtionship

    kinda thing.

    Even though she was not short on cash right now and didn''t have much time for writing.

    But it was such a good theme, and it would be a shame to let it go.

    She had a hunch that the new work was gonna be a hit.

    Any author who didn''t aim to write bestsellers wasn''t a good author, and she had always been a

    top-notch one!

 Chapter 324

    Chapter 324

    "Lucinda." Ike pushed open the door and walked in to find Lucinda sitting at the cashier''s desk,

    furiously typing away at herputer. Clearly, she was working on her novel again.

    "Ike, aren''t you pulling an all-nighter tonight?"

    Ike''s arrival made Lucinda pause hertest piece.

    She got up and walked over to Ike.

    "I''m off to a party soon." Ike looked around, "Where''s Cecilia?"

    "I''m covering her shift tonight. She''s already gone home. Do you need her for something?"

    "I was hoping she could do me a favor, but if she''s not here. Never mind."

    Lucinda yfully put her hand on Ike''s shoulder and asked, "Ike, something''s eating you. Tell me."

    Ike blushed.

    "Ike, are you nning to have Cecilia as your arm candy for the party, to make my future sister-in-

    law jealous?"

    Ike tapped her forehead lightly, "Lucinda, sometimes I wish you weren''t so sharp."

    "Don''t y that old trick. It could backfire if not yed right. If my future sister-inw gets the wrong

    idea, you won''t be able to talk your way out of it. Plus, if you get Cecilia involved, Owen won''t be

    pleased."

    "Just so you know, Owen''s fuming now. He''s looking for someone to vent on, so don''t poke the

    bear."

    Ike was speechless.

    "Are you trying to see if my future sister-inw actually cares about you? There are other ways to

    test that without dragging someone else into it."

    "Really?"

    Lucinda looked at Ike. She shook her head and sighed, "You guys are all the same."

    He was smart but emotionally clueless.

    "Why not get a few drinks at the party, y drunk and see if she cares or worries about you? If she

    does, that means she has feelings for you. Isn''t that a better way to test than having a stand-in

    date? Plus, you don''t have to worry about her getting the wrong idea."

    Ike said, "But, I noticed she treats all men the same, like friends. Plus, a lot of women seem to like

    her, too."

    Lucinda looked surprised, "What? Is she lesbian?"

    "No, she''s not lesbian. It''s just that she always dresses in a gender-neutral manner, and with her

    being a strong career woman who''s serious and cool like a guy, she tends to attract women as well.

    I''ve seen her being hassled by other women a few times."

    Lucinda''s interest was piqued, "Ike, tell me. Who is my future sister-inw? I''m attending a party

    with Stefan in a few days. Maybe we''ll bump into her, and I can say hi and get in her good books."

    Ike looked horrified. "Are you trying to steal my girl?"

    Lucinda said, "No, I just want to build a good rtionship with my future sister-inw in advance."

    "Hmph!"

    Lucinda secretly smirked. When it came to the person he liked, Ike was unusually sensitive.

    "I''m not telling you for now. Since I don''t need Cecilia anymore, I''ll make a move first. You do your

    thing."

    Ike didn''t even sit down. He came in a hurry and left in a hurry.

    Lucinda was left curious,ining about his irresponsibility. She was hung in the middle of a

    conversation, and her curiosity was triggered.

    A person who always dressed in a gender-neutral manner and was popr with both men and

    women. Stefan would definitely know who she was.

    Lucinda decided to have a good chat with him about this person when she got home that night.

    Meanwhile, Owen finally found out where Cecilia was.

    He stormed over to the Yates family''s mansion with his bodyguards, fuming.

    But when he got to the door, his anger subsided.

    He stood there for a moment before turning around and walking away.

    The bodyguards silently followed, not daring to ask any questions.

    Across the road from the alley they came out of was arge supermarket. Owen led his bodyguards

    into the supermarket and started shopping.

    Food, drinks, daily necessities. As long as they were expensive, he took them.

    Each of his bodyguards pushed a cart, following Owen around. Each cart was filled to the brim.

    Then they all went to check out.

    In the evening, the supermarket was crowded.

    There were long lines at the checkouts.

    Owen and his entourage were already eye-catching. They were tall and imposing, well-dressed,

    and very handsome. They had attracted a lot of attention since they entered the supermarket.

    Now, with their carts full of items, they attracted even more attention.

    It looked like they were going to buy out the supermarket.

    Owen also pushed a cart himself, filled with all kinds of dolls that girls liked.

    No need to guess, those dolls were all for Cecilia.

    To the left of the supermarket entrance was the jewelry counter.

    Owen hadn''t noticed it when he came in, but he saw it while waiting in line to check out. He asked a

    bodyguard to watch his cart while he went to check out the jewelry counter.

    The supermarket staff were eagerly hoping Owen would sweep their counter clean, but Owen was

    picky. He chose only high-quality genuine pieces.

    The staff could tell that he knew his stuff.

    Although they still smiled, they felt challenged.

    It was only when Owen had picked out all the genuine pieces and bought them all that the staff''s

    smiles became genuine.

    When Owen came out of the supermarket, his bodyguards looked like movers, with bags in their

    hands and on their shoulders.

    The bodyguards were all expressionless.

    This was their first time being treated like movers.

    Owen led his group of "movers" in a grand procession towards the Yates family''s mansion.

    Along the way, he was still the center of attention.

    Seeing Owen heading directly for the Yates family''s house, the neighbors started to specte.

    The Yates family had an unmarried daughter.

    Once again standing at the door, Owen adjusted his clothes and asked his bodyguards, "How do I

    look?"

    The bodyguards all chorused, "Sir, you''re looking sharp as hell!"

    Owen even whipped out his phone to snap a selfie, but the streetlight at the entrance was too dim

    for his liking. After a quick nce, he ditched the idea. He shoved his phone back into his pocket

    and rang the doorbell.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    "Who''s there?"

    Owen heard an unfamiliar male voice.

    The Yates family was a small one, and Cecilia''s dad was the only member Owen hadn''t met.

    Hearing this unfamiliar and somewhat stern voice, Owen spected that this must be his future

    father-inw.

 Chapter 325

    Chapter 325

    The guy who answered the door was none other than Kevin Yates.

    He¡¯d barely stepped foot back in the house, hadn¡¯t even sat down when the doorbell rang. So, he

    got up to answer it.

    Seeing a group of people standing at the door, Kevin stood there, puzzled, and asked, "Who are

    you looking for?"

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Owen, polite as ever, handsome face graced with a smile, called through the peephole, "Dad."

    Kevin was speechless.

    "Dad, I¡¯m your son-inw. I¡¯ve brought some stuff for you guys. Could you open the door? Our

    hands are kind of full.¡±

    Kevin stared at Owen and his entourage of bodyguards for a moment, then turned to yell into the

    house, "Cecilia, get out here!"

    Owen imed to be his son-inw, but he only had one daughter--Cecilia.

    But Cecilia didn¡¯t even have a boyfriend. Where did this man calling him dade from?

    Although Cecilia had hidden herself away at home, she was still incredibly on edge.

    She was constantly worried that Owen would show up at her house, even though Lucy had assured

    her that Owen wouldn¡¯t dare. But she still feared that Owen might impulsivelye looking for her.

    She was constantly on alert for any signs of trouble outside.

    When she heard the doorbell ring, it sent her heart racing.

    In less than two minutes, she heard her father¡¯s calls and knew something was wrong.

    Owen hade after her.

    "Mom, I¡¯m feeling really hot, and I¡¯m all sweaty. I¡¯m going to take a shower. Could you go see what

    Dad want?" Cecilia quickly excused herself and left.

    "We¡¯re about to eat. Why are you taking a shower now? Your father was calling for you. Why are

    you running off? Did you do something wrong, and now someone''s came toin?" Ba

    asked, confused.

    "Cecilia! Get out here!" Kevin¡¯s voice became louder and louder.

    Hearing the anger in her husband''s voice, Ba hurriedly told Devon, "Dad, you start eating. I''ll go

    see what''s going on."

    "Alright." Devon continued eating his dinner calmly.

    "Honey, why are you yelling so loud? You¡¯re disturbing the neighbors."

    As Ba scolded her husband, she stepped outside, only to be taken aback by the sight at the

    front door. She asked her husband, "What was going on?"

    Seeing Ba, Owen grinned and called, "Mom."

    Ba was stunned.

    She tugged at her ear and asked Owen, "Mr. Martinez, I remembered you. What did you just call

    me?"

    "Mom, you¡¯ve got good eyes. I¡¯m your son-inw, Owen."

    Ba was stunned. Son-inw!

    "Hold on, Mr. Martinez. Don¡¯t call me mom just yet. Can you exin what''s going on? Are you here

    to propose to my daughter?"

    So this was why he was calling her mom?

    "Mom, can you let me in first? We can talk about it inside."

    Seeing the group of bodyguards behind Owen, all of them loaded down with stuff, Ba had no

    choice but to open the door and let them in.

    "Thanks, mom." After calling her mom once, Owen found it a lot easier to do it again.

    Hearing him call her "mom" repeatedly, Ba was utterly confused about what was going on.

    She watched Owen directing the bodyguards to bring in all the stuff, then turned to her husband,

    who was looking rather grim, and asked, "What happened? When did Cecilia get a boyfriend? And it

    was Mr. Martinez?"

    Their family couldn¡¯t hold a candle to the Martinez family.

    Even they¡¯d heard that Mr. Martinez was infatuated with Ruby.

    Especially their daughter, who was always badmouthing Owen to them, so they didn¡¯t have a very

    high opinion of him.

    Kevin replied with a dark expression, ¡°How would I know what¡¯s going on? Go ask your daughter!¡±

    "Why are you taking it out on me? She''s your daughter too, not just mine."

    "Cecilia''s already gone upstairs to take a shower. I thought it was strange! Why would she go take a

    shower right before dinner? Turns out she''s stirred up trouble, and someone''se looking for her,

    so she''s hiding!"

    Once Ba realized what was going on, she stormed off with her husband into the house.

    A few minutester.

    The three elders of the Yates family squeezed onto a two-seater sofa while Owen sat across from

    them under the stern gaze of all three.

    The stuff Owen had bought filled the Yates'' living room to the brim, with gifts everywhere.

    "Mr. Martinez, you said you and Cecilia were married? Since when?" Kevin asked coldly.

    Ba also chimed in, "We couldn¡¯t possibly not know about something so important."

    "Mr. Martinez, you couldn''t just say things liked that. Cecilia was single. You can¡¯t ruin her reputation

    and affect her marriage prospects, Mr. Martinez will have to take responsibility."

    After saying this, Ba felt like she might have said something wrong.

    Owen replied, "Mom, I will take responsibility for Cecilia."

    Ba was speechless.

    "We¡¯ve been married for a while now, and I didn''t bring the certificate with me, so I can''t show you.

    But you can take a look at this."

    Owen took out the divorce agreement that Cecilia had given Ruby and spread it out on the coffee

    table in front of the three elders.

    Kevin picked up the paper and saw that it was a divorce agreement.

    His brows furrowed, and he asked shakily, ¡°You''re getting divorced? My daughter''s signature is on

    it. Did she ask for the divorce?¡±

    "Are you really married?¡±

    If they weren''t married, why would they be talking about divorce?

    Since his daughter had written a divorce agreement, it meant that they really were married.

    How could she not tell her family about something as big as getting married and to a family they

    couldn''t possiblypare to?

    Now, what was Owen doing here?

    "Mr. Martinez, why are you here tonight?"

    "Dad, when Cecilia and I tied the knot, it was kind of a rush job, and we kept it under wraps. The

    screw-up was all on me, and I was the one pushing for a secret wedding. Now, I''m eating humble

    pie, and I wanted toe clean about our marriage. I''m here tonight to said sorry for going behind

    your back and getting hitched. Also, I wanted to say to Cecilia, there was no way I will sign any

    divorce papers. I''m here for life, even in death. Since we''ve been intimate, she should take

    responsibility for me."

    At this, the three elders of the Yates family didn''t utter a word.

    Cecilia, who had been eavesdropping from the top of the stairs, was near to blowing a gasket when

    she heard Owen talk about their intimacy. She shouted back, "Owen, what the hell are you

    spouting? When have we ever been intimate? I''ve never evenid a smooch on you!"

    She only ever dreamed about him, where they shared a few kisses.

    Even in her dreams, she was picky about his kissing technique. When he kissed her, it didn''t feel

    like how Lucy described in the novels, like sitting on a cloud, feeling absolutely heavenly.

 Chapter 326

    Chapter 326

    All eyes were on Cecilia.

    Cecilia wanted to bolt, but it was toote.

    Her dad barked, "Cecilia, get your butt down here!"

    Usually, he would call her Cecilia warmly, but now he called her name coldly. Clearly he was pissed

    off.

    Cecilia slowly came downstairs.

    "Dad, mom, grandpa," Cecilia greeted quietly in front of her family.

    Her father handed her the divorce agreement and yelled, "What on earth was happening? When did

    you marry Mr. Martinez?"

    "Mr. Martinez imed you tricked him, and you owe him. Was he the liar, or was it you?"

    Cecilia carefully exined, "Dad, hear me out. It wasn''t what you think. I didn''t do anything to Mr.

    Martinez. He wasn''t a straight shooter. You can''t trust his words."

    "Here''s the thing. When Lucy was in trouble, I was freaking out and asked Mr. Martinez for help,

    which left me in his debt. Mr. Martinez''s grandpa forced him to get married, so he asked me for help

    and then we ended up in this contractual marriage. But he tore the contract, so I can''t show it to

    you."

    Cecilia turned her back and yelled at Owen, "Owen, you''ve crossed the line!"

    "So you''re saying you guys have been married for a while?"

    Cecilia nodded.

    Ba chimed in, "How did you get the marriage license? You never asked me for the required

    documents. How did you get married? Did you get a fake marriage license?"

    Cecilia took a couple of step back and replied in a whisper, "I sneaked into your room when you

    weren''t paying attention, stole the necessary documents, went to the marriage registry, and put the

    documents back. Mom, I knew I screwed up, don''t be mad. That broom was for cleaning, not for

    hitting me."

    Seeing her mom holding up a broom, Cecilia quickly dodged.

    Owen, desperate, stepped in front of her, facing an angry Ba. He said, "Mom, don''t hit Cecilia.

    Hit me if you have to. I can take it."

    Ba didn''t dare hit him.

    After several attempt of not hitting her daughter, she yelled in frustration, "Cecilia, you''ve lost all

    respect for us. Keeping such a big secret and stealing documents to get married!"

    "Now you''re holding a divorce agreement. Are you regretting it and want a divorce?"

    "Mom, I won''t divorce Cecilia!"

    Ba red at him, "I didn''t ask you."

    This marriage was forced by debt and pressure, and her daughter was wronged.

    They must get a divorce! Owen was a bit scared because Ba was exceptionally fierce tonight.

    However, he could understand.

    Anyone would be pissed off if they found out their daughter got married behind their back.

    "Mom, I was just helping Mr. Martinez with his problem. Now that his problem is solved, I think our

    agreement should end. Besides, his girlfriend came to me and offered me 500k to leave him. Our

    marriage was fake to begin with, so if we divorce, he can be free again."

    "Cecilia, I''ve broken up with Ruby. I don''t have feelings for her anymore."

    Cecilia said to Owen seriously, "That''s your business. Owen, I''ve repaid my debt to you. Let''s get a

    divorce. We can part way amicably and not be awkward when we met in the future. If you kept this

    up, we''ll be like strangers when we meet."

    "I won''t agree to a divorce!" Owen was set on sticking it out.

    Cecilia was speechless.

    She said to her mom, "Mom, I will get a divorce. You have to ept me after the divorce, and you

    can''t kick me out."

    As soon as she finished, Ba''s broom swung over.

    Owen instinctively blocked it, and the broom hit the back of his hand, it was quite painful.

    "Dear, get the stick. If I don''t beat her to death tonight, I''m not her mother! She''s made a mockery of

    marriage, marrying, and divorcing as she pleases. How infuriating!"

    Kevin actually went to get a stick.

    Owen quickly exined, "Dad, Mom, don''t me Cecilia. It was all me. I forced her to marry me to

    repay a debt. It''s all my fault. If you want to hit someone, hit me."

    After Kevin fetched the stick, Ba snatched it and ordered her husband, "You take your son-inw

    aside; don''t get in my way of disciplining my daughter."

    She pointed the stick at Cecilia and yelled, "You want a divorce, right? Fine, divorce. If you don''t

    divorce, I''ll beat you to death!"

    "Mom, I can''t get a divorce!"

    "If you can''t divorce, it meant you didn''t want to. Let''s see how I beat you!"

    Ba really took a swing with the stick.

    Cecilia was a bit stunned after being hit by Ba because it didn''t hurt.

    Ba winked at her. Cecilia immediately understood and started to pretend to cry.

    When Ba swung the stick again, Cecilia dodged and cried out in pain, running around like a

    monkey. But Ba''s stick was always close behind.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Owen watched in pain.

    He rushed over with his bodyguards to rescue his wife.

    "Kneel!" Ba yelled.

    Cecilia didn''t dare to run anymore, and she knelt in front of her mother.

    Owen immediately followed suit and said to Ba, "Mom, it''s all my fault. I forced Cecilia to marry

    me. And now I don''t want a divorce. It''s all my fault. Don''t me Cecilia; don''t hit her. You can hit

    me and scold me."

    "Mr. Martinez, stop taking all the me. I knew my own daughter. She must have been charmed by

    your good looked and wealth."

    "That''s not true, Mom."

    Ba didn''t give Owen a chance to finish. She continued to shout at her daughter, "You''re still not

    willing to divorce and want to continue this. If you don''t agree to a divorce tonight, you''re no longer

    my daughter!"

    "Mom!" Cecilia cried out, her eyes red.

    "Don''t call me ''mom'', do you even see me as your mother anymore? You didn''t even bother telling

    me about something as big as getting married. Clearly, I''m not your mother in your eyes anymore.

    Fine, if I''m not your mother, then leave. Don''te back to this house, and don''t call me ''mom''

    anymore!"

    "Mom, Cecilia wasn''t the one who pursued me. It was the other way around! She never nned on

    marrying into a wealthy family like ours, let alone marrying me. I was the one chasing her, not the

    other way around!"

    Owen didn''t expect things to escte to this point.

    When he saw that Ba was seriously about to kick Cecilia out and sever their mother-daughter

    rtionship, he blurted out in panic, "Mom, I agree to divorce Cecilia. Don''t me her any longer.

    She was really pushed into a corner by me. Now my issues are sorted out, and I should give her

    freedom back."

    After the divorce, he could pursue Cecilia again, make her and the Yates family ept him, and

    then he could officially marry Cecilia once more.

 Chapter 327

    Chapter 327

    Now, even though they were hitched, Cecilia still ended up with the short end of the stick.

    Truth be told, given Cecilia''s personality, if they were to divorce, it''d probably take him ages to woo

    her back.

    Man, winning back his wife was no walk in the park.

    But he couldn¡¯t just sit back and watch Ba kick Cecilia out, let alone stand Baying a hand

    on her.

    Who would have thought that Ba, who usually seemed so sweet, could actually hit her own kid?

    "Mr. Martinez, get up," Ba gestured for her husband to help Owen up.

    "We can take our time to talk about your divorce from Cecilia. Don''t worry, we won¡¯t touch your

    money."

    Cecilia''s mom was hoping they''d split.

    After reading the divorce agreement her daughter wrote and hearing her exnation, Cecilia''s mom

    couldn''t help but feel sorry for her.

    Even if Owen was reluctant to divorce because he had feelings for her daughter, Ba still felt bad

    for her.

    This marriage had to end.

    After the divorce, whatever Owen wanted to do, she couldn¡¯t control.

    The bottom line was that she couldn''t let her daughter suffer!This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Even if it meant ying the viin, she would make Owen agree to the divorce.

    An hourter, Owen left the Yates'' ce with a bunch of bodyguards.

    He was now holding a ck card that Cecilia had returned to him.

    After agreeing to the divorce, Cecilia started to square ounts with him. She didn''t ask for any

    compensation. Instead, she returned all the money he had given her.

    Except for the hundred grand he paid her the first time he hired her to be his fake girlfriend, she

    gave all the other money back to him.

    In her words, that was her fee, what she deserved.

    She had epted all the money he gave her under various pretexts, but she never spent it. She

    saved it all and returned it to him when they divorced.

    Owen was super bummed.

    He knew Cecilia wasn''t really all about the money. Her pretending to love money was just to get on

    his nerves.

    Now, aside from the money she deserved, she returned everything else to him.

    She proposed a divorce before his grandfather passed away, which broke their contract, so she

    didn''t want to ept the rewards he promised her.

    As for the half a million she got from selling the ring Ruby gave him, she gave him back four

    hundred grand, keeping only a hundred grand, saying it was his payment to her.

    Cecilia also asked him to cough up another hundred grand to make up the half a million to return to

    Ruby.

    Because once they go through with the divorce procedures tomorrow, he wouldn''t be her husband

    anymore, and she couldn''t use him to make money.

    Remembering the tone Cecilia used when she said this, Owen felt like he was about to spit blood.

    Cecilia was really unreasonable!

    She even blocked his way out.

    She was afraid he''d insist on giving her a lot of money, so she took a hundred grand out of the half

    a million she got from Ruby, saying this way they''d be even.

    On the way home, Owen was in a foul mood, and the bodyguards didn''t dare to breathe loudly.

    "Where is Stefan now?" Owen suddenly asked.

    "I need to check," the bodyguard replied cautiously.

    "No need to check," Owen said coldly, "I''ll go directly to Diamond Ridge Estates to wait for him."

    "What if Stefan goes back to Ascend Estate?"

    "It''s not the weekend, and he won''t go back to Ascend Estate, it''s too far from his workce."

    The bodyguards didn''t say anything more. They just changed their route and drove towards

    Diamond Ridge Estates.

    Finally, Cecilia saw Owen off, breathing a sigh of relief.

    "Mom, you really pulled it off. I finally got rid of Owen. He''s been such a paintely. I didn''t know

    how to deal with him."

    Ba pped her arm.

    "Ouch, mom, you hit too hard, it hurts!"

    "You better know it hurts!"

    Ba pped her again, "You deserve it for hiding such a big thing from us. Owen agreeing to

    divorce you showed that he cared about you. He''s fond of you."

    Cecilia was silent for a moment, then said, "I know what he meant. It''s just that I feel like our

    rtionship is just a contract, and living with him like this for the rest of my life, I always feel

    uneasy."

    "I understand. If you two going on like this, you''ll never be happy."

    Ba knew her daughter very well.

    If she didn''t let them divorce, Cecilia would always feel that their rtionship was forced, a means

    for Owen to solve problems, and this idea would affect their feelings.

    Besides, it hadn''t been long since Owen and Ruby broke up. Cecilia really didn''t dare to believe that

    Owen would fall in love with her so quickly.

    She would doubt their marriage from time to time, and it would be strange if they could be happy.

    "Not many people know about your secret marriage, right?"

    Cecilia shook her head, "We got married in secret. Not many people know."

    "That''s good then. You two quietly divorcing won''t do much damage to your reputation, and you''ll

    have more options."

    Ba sighed, "Owen is a good guy, but his feelings for Ruby are too deep. I don''t feel secure about

    it. And the gap between our two families is too big, and if there are better options, you shouldn''t

    choose him."

    Kevin and Devon also agreed with this view, and they didn''t want Cecilia to marry Owen.

    Thinking of Owen''s personality, Cecilia said softly, "I''m just afraid he''ll go and make a big show of

    our divorce tomorrow, letting everyone know I''ve been divorced."

    If he kept pestering her, even if she had a better choice, the other party would have to consider

    whether they couldpete with Owen.

    That guy was just unreasonable!

    The Yates family.

    Ba pped her again, and Cecilia cried out in pain.

    Devon has a real soft spot for his granddaughter and said to Ba, "There''s no point in blowing

    your top at Cecilia now. What''s done is done. It''s the Martinez family''s problem anyway. I bet

    Trenton was the one who pushed Owen into this."

    "Dad, you spoil her rotten," Ba said. "She''s so coddled she doesn''t even know what she''s doing

    anymore. She''s bold enough to do anything, even something as big as getting married behind our

    backs. If it weren''t for Owen spilling the beans at our house, she would''ve probably waited until the

    divorce papers came before telling us anything."

    "It''s clear that Owen wanted to stick with her. If it weren''t for me, she wouldn''t even dream of getting

    a divorce."

    Ba was really ticked off, and Kevin was siding with his wife.

    If Owen didn''t have such a soft spot for Cecilia, even Ba''s intervention wouldn''t have convinced

    him to agree to a divorce.

    Devon tried to say something, but the words just wouldn''te out.

    Finally, he got up and said to his granddaughter, "Cecilia, you''ve really stirred up a ho''s nest.

    Even your grandpa can''t bail you out of this one. Watch your back."

    Her mom had already given her a piece of her mind. Was she going to get an earful from her dad,

    too?

    Who could help her out? She was really up the creek without a paddle!

 Chapter 328

    Chapter 328

    "What''s with that face?" Ba asked, looking at her daughter.

    Cecilia hastily forced a smile. "Mom, I know I screwed up. Don''t be mad, and it will age you and turn

    your hair white."

    Ba pointed at her own forehead. "How could you do something like this? If it happens again, I''ll

    come down hard on you."

    "I was just returning a favor." Cecilia tried to charm her with a smile. "Actually, I didn''t lose out.

    Owen is a great guy. After the divorce, I''ll get a payout for returning his favor. Sounds good, doesn''t

    it?"

    "Humph, if he''s such a good guy, then why do you call him Mr. Malicious?"

    Cecilia had noeback.

    "Did he every a finger on you?"

    "No, absolutely not. He loves Ruby so much. How could he touch me?"

    Ba snorted coldly. "He said he broke up with Ruby, and he seemed to care about you a lot. After

    your divorce, you should change your phone number and take a long vacation."

    "But mom, I have to manage the store. Lucy is working at Ascend Global now, and she can only

    come at night."

    "Your grandfather and I will help you manage the store. You''ve had the cafe for a while now, and

    you''ve hired a few employees. Even if you''re not there, we can take care of it."

    Cecilia pouted. "Mom, are you worried that Owen will keep pestering me after the divorce?"

    "I''m not worried, I''m sure of it. If you don''t want to get away for a while, does that mean you like him

    too?"

    In front of her mother, Cecilia didn''t hide anything. She honestly said, "At first, I hated him. But as

    we spent more time together, I started to enjoy arguing with him. Every time I made him so angry

    that he looked like he wanted to choke me but didn''t dare to, I felt really happy."

    "And then? Did you like him?"

    "I wouldn''t say I like him, but at least I don''t hate him anymore."

    Ba looked at her daughter in silence for a while, then sighed and asked, "Have you met his

    family? Are they easy to get along with?"

    "I''ve met them all. Except for his grandfather and one of his sisters, the rest are hard to deal with.

    One of his rtives and his father are half-brothers. There''s tension between the two families, but

    they haven''t openly split because of Trenton. His mother always considered Ruby her daughter-in-

    law, so she doesn''t like me. She thinks I tricked his grandfather into marrying Owen. She thinks I

    only married him for the Martinez family''s money."

    After hearing this, Ba became even more serious. Kevin directly said, "You two are not suitable.

    The gap between our family and the Martinez family is too big. When Lucy married Mr. Coleman,

    even though there was a big gap in reality, the Anderson family all liked Lucy, and no one ever

    looked down on her. But the Martinez family thinks you''re not good enough for Owen, and they

    suspect you married him for money. Even if Owen cares about you, if he pursues you again after

    the divorce, you can''t ept him. Cecilia, marriage is not just about two people, and it''s also about

    two families. Our two families can''t coexist peacefully. If you decide to be together against all odds,

    there will be many problems. To say nothing else, your rtionship with his mother alone is enough

    to cause you trouble."

    "Cecilia, your father was right. The path you and Lucy were on seemed the same, but it was

    different. Before Lucy found her biological parents, the Anderson family weed, respected, and

    approved of Lucy. But the Martinez family was full of dissatisfaction toward you."

    Cecilia understand the gap between her and Owen and the problems they would face.

    In the past, she didn''t care about Owen, and she didn''t care about the attitude of the Martinez family

    towards her.

    If she fell in love with Owen, she would definitely want to be epted by the Martinez family. But

    Olina would never ept her.

    "Dad, Mom, I know. I won''t easily ept Owen. Let''s talk about it after we get divorced tomorrow.

    Maybe after the divorce, his family will immediately arrange a better marriage for him."

    Her mother-inw in name was very dissatisfied with her. As soon as they divorced, Olina would

    certainly be the happiest.

    Ba worriedly said, "Cecilia, you should do as I said. Regardless of what Owen does next, after

    the divorce, you should go on vacation for a while. You cane back when Owen gets married."

    Cecilia frowned and said, "I''m not in love with him now. Why should I avoid him? We''re just

    guessing right now, and things might not turn out the way we think. Dad, Mom, look at your

    daughter. I''m not a fairy, rx. If he really pursues me, let''s see if he has the ability. Ah, I always

    feel like we were bragging when we talk like this. Maybe we were just worrying too much."

    Cecilia had always been optimistic. It''s just love. What was the big deal?

    If Owen could make her fall in love with him, she would be willing to risk marrying him. Even if there

    were countless difficulties ahead, she would dare to take the risk.

    She, Cecilia, was always bold in love and hate and definitely not a deserter in love.

    "Mom, I''m going to eat something. I''m starving."

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Cecilia temporarily put aside the matter of Owen and cheerfully went to find food.

    To her, nothing was more important than satisfying her own appetite.

    The Yates couple watched silently as their daughter casually brushed aside the matter and

    nonchntly went to find food.

    As if, after she divorced Owen tomorrow, they could really live separate lives.

    However, even if Owen pestered Cecilia again after the divorce, their daughter could handle it with

    her optimistic personality.

    "Forget it, Cecilia is over twenty now. She''s an adult and has her own way of doing things. I believe

    she can handle her situation with Owen. Whether she decides to firmly reject him or eventually

    ept him, we as parents can only watch from the side, unable to make decisions for her."

    When it came to their children''s major life decisions, they could only offer advice and express their

    opinions, not dictate what their kids should do.

    If their kids insisted on marrying someone they didn''t like, then whether they were happy or not after

    the marriage was their own business. They had to bear all possible consequences of their choices.

    Of course, if their kids were wronged, as parents, they would always be there to support them. Their

    home would always be open to them.

    Ba sighed, "If Owen could really get over Ruby and fall for our Cecilia, then she wouldn''t be able

    to escape him. That man is so stubborn. Look how many years he''s been obsessed with Ruby. He

    was a one-woman man when it came to love. If he truly fell for Cecilia and they could ovee

    real-life obstacles, they''d probably be pleased."

    Owen was really stubborn when it came to love, and once he''smitted, he''s all in.

    It was a lucky thing to be loved by a man like that. If two people can love each other, it was

    something to be envied.

 Chapter 329

    Chapter 329

    Diamond Ridge Estates.

    Fresh out of the shower, Lucinda, her hair still dripping wet, stepped out of the bathroom.

    Just then, Stefan walked in, looked at her wet hair, and scolded, "It waste, and you were washing

    your hair."

    "I''ve got a hairdryer, and it''ll dry in no time. You''re one to talk aboutte,ing home at this hour."

    As she spoke, Lucinda crossed to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

    Seeing his wife''s spontaneous affection, Stefan can''t help but feel happy. He wrapped one arm

    around her waist, his other hand went to the back of her head, and he leaned down to kiss her.

    After the kiss, Stefan whispered into her ear, "I''ll try toe home earlier."

    It''s only ten now, which, by their standards, was early.

    "I''ll help you dry your hair. Try to wash it during the day from now on. You''ve got such thick, long

    hair. Drying it takes time."

    He led her to the vanity, had her sit down, and went to get the hairdryer.

    "Sweetie."

    "Hmm?"

    "Can you help me find someone?"

    "Who? A man or a woman?"

    Seeing Stefan''s anxiety made Lucinda chuckle, "Don''t worry, it was a woman. My brother liked her,

    but he won''t tell me who she was."

    Stefanughed, too. "I trust you, and I trust myself. You''ve got me as your husband. No man out

    there canpete with that."

    He''s actually afraid that Lucinda might be interested in other men.

    Ever since Lucinda was thirteen or fourteen, plenty of boys have had crushes on her. He''s had to

    beat off a fair number of her admirers.

    She once said he''s like a ma, attracting people wherever he went, and she''s the same.

    "Who''s this woman your brother liked? Tell me what she looks like, and I''ll have someone look into

    it. I promise not to let her find out."

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    "She''s in business with hispany. She always dressed like a tomboy, and whether you''re a man

    or a woman, you can''t help but be attracted to her. He''s seen her being bothered by women a

    couple of times."

    Stefan: "Belinda Bishop?"

    "Belinda?" Lucinda turned to look at Stefan, "You know her?"

    Stefan turned off the hairdryer, "Belinda was the helmsman of the Bishop Group. She always

    dressed like a tomboy. She kept her hair as short as mine and was always in ck suits. She was

    cool and steady. If you didn''t know better, you''d think she was a man. The Bishop family has passed

    down their business from generation to generation, and in Belinda''s parents'' generation, they had

    two children, both girls. Belinda was raised like a boy. When she was fifteen, her parents had an

    ident at sea. The ship sank, and both of them died. Her grandmother fell ill from the shock and

    died not long after, leaving only her elderly grandfather to hold up the Bishop family. During that

    time, the Bishop Group''s business plummeted. Good luck doesn''tst, but bad luckes in

    waves. Her grandfather was old and had lost his son and wife in quick session. Both his spirit

    and body were exhausted, and he died within half a year."

    With a sigh and a look of respect in his eyes, Stefan murmured, "Belinda was only sixteen then, still

    a high school student, but she had to take over the Bishop Group, managing thepany during

    school holidays. The business world was ruthless, and the Bishop family suffered one disaster after

    another. Everyone, from distant rtives and friends to the senior figures in thepany, saw

    Belinda and her sister''s youth and wanted to divide up the Bishop family''s assets. But Belinda held

    on to the Bishop Group. The hardship she went through was unimaginable to ordinary people."

    Lucinda felt sorry for Belinda.

    "What happened next?"

    "Belinda managed to hold on to the Bishop Group, but the business couldn''t recover its former glory

    and was pushed out of Pinehurst''s top five groups. However, once Belinda graduated from college

    and focusedpletely on thepany, she worked hard to turn the situation around. The Bishop

    Group is gradually recovering now, and given a little more time, I believe she can restore its former

    glory."

    Stefan rarely admired anyone, but Belinda was one of the few he did.

    "Your brother''spany doing business with the Bishop Group means Belinda recognizes your

    brother and hispany. But she''s tough, so it won''t be easy for him to court her."

    "Sweetie, when can you arrange for me to meet her? With my brother and me together, how could

    she resist?"

    Stefan tapped her head lightly and chuckled, "Are you nning topete with your brother for a

    woman?"

    "Why do you sound like my brother? I just want to build a rtionship with my future family. By the

    way, did Belinda have any weaknesses?"

    "Everyone has weaknesses."

    His weakness was her.

    "Belinda''s sister was two years younger than her, the same age as you. Ms. Darlene was her

    weakness. She''s very protective of her sister, so if you want to get close to Belinda, you might want

    to start with Darlene Bishop."

    "Sweetie, I''ll apany you to all sorts of parties in the future and find a chance to interact with

    Ms. Darlene."

    "Darlene rarely attends parties. I''ve never even seen her. Belinda does a good job of protecting her,

    so not much is known about Darlene."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    "If you wanted to meet Darlene, I can have someone kept an eye on the Bishop family. When

    Darlene came out, you could ''identally'' bump into her. Whether you can be friends was up

    to you."

    "I''m going all out to help my bro score his future wife. I got to make Darlene seen me as a friend,

    just liked me and Cecilia," I said.

    Stefanughed, "Then you better get cracking!"

    Stefan''s phone began to buzz.

    Pulling it out, he checked the caller ID and frowned, "What''s Owen thinking, calling me at that

    hour?"

    Lucinda took the hairdryer from him and started drying her hair, "He surely wants to have a heart-to-

    heart with you."

    Cecilia was divorcing Owen.

    If Owen didn''t want the divorce, there would surely be a conflict between him and Cecilia. Owen

    wanted to avoid hurting Cecilia while resolving the issue, so he might think about seeking advice

    from Stefan.

    Stefan and Lucinda also got hitched by contract.

    Stefan skeptically answered Owen''s call.

    "Stefan, are you at home?"

    "Spit it out, what''s up?"

    "I''m outside your house right now. If you''re home,e out. I''d like to invite you for a drink, and

    we''ve got stuff to talk about."

    Stefan coldly replied, "I don''t think you and I have anything inmon to talk about. We''ve got

    nothing to discuss."

    "Stefan, considering I gave you a heads upst time about finding your wife at the club, we can

    chat."

    Stefan was silent momentarily, then said, "I can only give you twenty minutes, so make it snappy."

 Chapter 330

    Chapter 330

    "Are youing out, or should I go in?"

    Stefan frowned, "Can''t we discuss this over the phone?"

    "I''d like to talk face to face."

    Owen said irritably, "Stefan, I''m begging you, can we meet in person?"

    Stefanughed, "Owen, you''re actually begging me."

    "That''s right, I''m begging you. So, are youing out, or should I go in?"

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Owen felt like he''d lost all dignity in front of Stefan because of love.

    He used to do this for Ruby, and now it''s for Cecilia.

    "Alright, considering you''ve helped me out before, you cane in. I''ll have Emma open the door

    for you."

    Stefan stoppedughing and agreed to let Owen in.

    Owen expressed his thanks and then hung up the phone.

    "What''s going on?"

    Lucinda asked concernedly, "What was Owen begging you for?"

    "He didn''t say, just mentioned that he had something important to discuss with me. I''m not sure

    what he and I can possibly talk about. From his voice on the phone, I could tell he was really

    stressed out."

    Stefan took the hairdryer from Lucinda again, "Let me dry your hair first before I go see him."

    "I can do it myself, and you go see him, see what urgent matter he needed your help with. When I

    had problems before, although it was Cecilia who asked for his help, he still helped out. We owe

    him a favor."

    Stefan said, "I''ve already thanked him personally and even paid him a sum of money as a reward.

    Your good friend paid with her marriage for this. If anything, you only owe your friend, not Owen."

    After drying Lucinda''s hair, he handed the hairdryer to Lucinda for her to finish up.

    "Lucy, do you want something to eat?" Stefan asked before leaving the room.

    "I won''t eat. Eating at this time will make people gain weight. I''m already fatter than before. If I eat

    more, I''ll turn into a ball."

    Stefanughed, "You''re not fat at all. You''re skinny, just like a model. Even if you get fat, I''ll still love

    you, and I won''t mind because I''ll probably be fatter than you, so we won''t judge each other."

    Lucindaughed, "Okay, you better go now, don''t keep Owen waiting. He might just barge upstairs

    to find you."

    Stefan muttered and left the room.

    As soon as he reached the ground floor, Emma led Owen in. Owen''s bodyguards didn''te in.

    "Mr. Coleman, Mr. Martinez is here." Emma led Owen to the sofa and turned to Stefan.

    "Emma, get Mr. Martinez a ss of water," Stefan instructed Emma as he walked over.

    Emma responded and went to get the water.

    "Please, have a seat."

    Stefan gestured for Owen to sit. Only after Owen sat down did he take a seat across from him.

    "I prefer coffee."

    When Owen sat down, he startedining about Stefan, "Don''t you have any decent coffee left?

    Ie to your ce, and you only offer me a ss of water."

    Stefan looked at him, responding, "You''re so full of rage. You''re about to burn yourself up. I asked

    Emma to get you a ss of water to help you cool down. You really should be more grateful. I

    meant well."

    Owen was speechless.

    This was his enemy, who could tell he was angry just by looking at him.

    "You came to my ce in the middle of the night and didn''t even bring a gift."

    Owen kep silence.

    He actually brought a lot of things, but those were supposed to be gifts for the Yates family.

    However, under the pressure of the Yates family and his wife, he reluctantly agreed to a divorce,

    and all the gifts were returned. They''re still in his car.

    Even though the gifts were returned, Owen didn''t n to give them to Stefan.

    In the future, he would again bring those gifts to the Yates family. If he couldn''t give them away the

    first time, he would try several more times until he seeded.

    "Spill it. What kind of trouble has the Ike group gotten into? Let me make it clear. I only acquire,

    not finance."

    Owen looked displeased, "Stefan, can''t you be more polite?"

    Stefan retorted, "Have you ever heard me say anything nice?"

    Owen was taken aback.

    "Other than business matters, I can''t think of anything we can talk about that would make youe

    to see me in the middle of the night."

    Owen said, "You seem upset too like you''re not getting what you want."

    Stefan replied, "My wife and I are very much in love, so what you''re suggesting is impossible. It''s

    more suitable for you."

    Stefan reminded him, "Owen, I can only spare twenty minutes. See how much time you''ve wasted."

    Owen: "You''ve been talking about irrelevant things, causing me to waste time. Stefan, you and I are

    in the same boat. We both have contractual marriages. You and your wife, me and Cecilia."

    Stefan leaned back slightly on the sofa, smiling, and said, "So you''re here for Ms. Yates. You should

    be talking to Lucinda, not me, because Lucinda and Ms. Yates are good friends."

    "If I were to talk to Lucinda, you wouldn''t even let me in the door."

    "You can call her, and I don''t mind. I''m very generous. I''ll give Lucinda her freedom and won''t

    interfere with her personal life."

    Owen snorted, "Nobody is generous in the world of love."

    Stefan gestured for him to continue.

    Emma brought a ss of water for Owen and a cup of coffee for Stefan.

    "Emma, prepare some snacks for me." Stefan was really getting hungry.

    He nced at Owen and added, "Make an extra serving."

    Emma agreed and then headed to the kitchen.

    "The sun will rise from the west tomorrow, Stefan. You''re actually inviting me to eat."

    "Well, you might as well just pull an all-nighter tonight, staring out west to see if the sun decides to

    rise from there tomorrow. You''re such a pain in the ass, I try to be nice to you, and you still find

    something to bitch about. You''re just itching for me to sic my dogs on you, aren''t you? I''ll make sure

    to fulfill that wish next time. I''ll starve a couple of dogs, and as soon as you show up, I''ll let them

    loose. They''ll be on you like white on rice, craving some meat."

    Owen was furious. "Stefan, when Lucinda found out about your true identity, did she ever think

    about filing for divorce?" Owen finally got to the point.

    He felt a bit awkward asking this question.

    Because he was the one who had spilled the beans about Stefan''s real identity to Lucinda in the

    first ce.

 Chapter 331

    Chapter 331

    "Was Cecilia wanting to divorce you? Or did the Yates family discover your little secret and demand

    Cecilia to break it off with you?"

    Owen''s handsome face flushed a bit, but he nodded nheless.

    Well, wasn''t this just the chickensing home to roost?

    He had deliberately spilled the beans about Stefan''s true identity back then, almost causing Stefan''s

    marriage to hit the rocks.

    And now, he found himself seeking Stefan''s help.

    "Serves you right."

    "Yeah, I know I had iting. I shouldn''t have messed with you like that, Stefan. How did you fix

    this when it happened to you?"

    "Got through it somehow."

    "How did you get through it?"

    "My journey wasn''t something you can replicate."

    Owen wasn''t ready to give up, "Why can''t I? Back then, Lucinda''s real identity wasn''t exposed

    either. The status of the Moore family wasn''t matching with yours, the Andersons. But your family

    didn''t object. I bet your elders are all open-minded. That''s one thing I envy you for. Did your mother-

    inw ask for a divorce, too? How did you convince her to ept and approve of you? Stefan,

    share your wisdom with me. I''ll pay you. Consider it as a consultation fee."

    "I charge an arm and a leg."

    "Name your price. I''ll pay up."

    Stefan thought momentarily, "I''m not sure how much I should charge you. I''ll discuss it with my wife

    and then get back to you. You can pay me then."

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Finally, he added, "At our home, my wife called the shots."

    Owen silently epted this fact.

    He was desperate, his love life in turmoil, and he had to watch Stefan unting his happy life.

    He was angry but had nowhere to vent.

    "Owen, I told you the path Lucy and I took can''t be copied by you and Cecilia. For one, Lucy and I

    have known each other for eleven years. Also, we became a real couple soon after we got married.

    Do you dare to get intimate with Cecilia?"

    Owen, "I wanted to, but I didn''t dare. I''m scared she''ll hate me."

    "That''s why you can''t walk the path Lucy and I did. I had to win Lucy''s heart and impress my

    mother-inw. But mostly, it was about Lucy. She chose to be with me, and my mother-inw

    respected her decision. My family was also super supportive. They were nothing but kind and

    respectful to Lucy, never looking down on her for her status. They were just grateful she agreed to

    marry me. As we got older, our elders saw us as leftover stock and couldn''t wait to find buyers to

    take us off their hands. They were relieved to get rid of me when Lucy agreed to marry me. Owen,

    can your family do that? Parents who genuinely care about their daughter will discuss potential

    marital issues with her. They won''t just consider your background, and they''ll also look at your

    family background and character."

    Owen fell silent. He respected Cecilia. Even though every cell in his body craved her, he wouldn''t

    touch her without her consent.

    He couldn''t do what Stefan and Lucinda did.

    By Stefan''s logic, he and Lucinda had known each other for eleven years, which made it easy for

    Lucinda to ept Stefan.

    When Stefan was nice to someone, he could easily win their heart.

    Lucinda''s defenses were no match for Stefan''s charm offensive.

    The Moore family was liberal. They respected Lucinda''s decision to be with Stefan despite their

    worries.

    And the Andersons were super nice to Lucinda.

    When Owen thought about his own family, except for his grandfather, no one weed Cecilia.

    Even his grandfather chose Cecilia because her family was poor and powerless. They wouldn''t

    interfere even if Cecilia wasn''t happy in the Martinez family, let alone affect the Martinez family''s

    interests.

    So, except for him, nobody in his family genuinely cared about Cecilia.

    His parents would be thrilled if they found out he was divorcing Cecilia. They wouldn''t lift a finger to

    help him salvage the marriage.

    "Have you truly let go of Ruby?" Stefan''s expression turned serious. "Everyone knew you''ve been

    fascinated with Ruby for over a decade in Pinehurst. You''ve done so much for her. Cecilia didn''t

    know about it before. But after meeting you, she saw everything you did for Ruby. No one wouldn''t

    care about that. Unless she doesn''t love you. If she didn''t care about you, she wouldn''t mind who

    you like or what you do for them."

    Owen answered thoughtfully, "Ruby has never loved me. I used to think that as long as I kept

    waiting, Ruby would eventually give up on you, notice my feelings, and ept me. But then I

    realized, if she doesn''t love me, she just doesn''t. She won''t be moved no matter what I do for her or

    how much I give. Instead, she takes it for granted and takes advantage of my feelings."

    He smiled bitterly, "You can''t force love. We''ve known each other since we were kids and grew up

    together. If she loved me, she would''ve fallen for me long ago. Why wait till now? I was just being

    stubborn and refused to face reality. Actually, I didn''t mind her getting a virginity restoration surgery.

    I''ve truly let go and epted reality. Even though she came to me, cried, and begged for another

    chance, we didn''t have a past to begin with. How could we start over? She never truly loved me.

    She was just at her wit''s end. She thought losing you, and then me was too much. She was spoiled

    by me and couldn''t handle being left alone. Stefan, even though we''ve had our differences, it''s not

    like we''re sworn enemies or anything. I don''t mind if youugh at me. You''ve been doing that for

    years anyway. I used to be head over heels for Ruby, but I''ve truly moved on now. When ites to

    love, I''m all in. When I love, I love deeply and passionately. But once I decide it''s over, it''s really

    over. No ifs, ands, or buts about it."

    Stefan looked at him, and Owen met Stefan''s gaze without flinching.

    After a moment, Stefan said, "I believe you''ve moved on, but me believing you don''t cut it. You need

    to make Cecilia believe you, and you need to make the Yates family believe you. Winning over your

    love, no one can do that for you. It''s all on you. Show them through your actions, win them over with

    your sincerity. Do your best to get your family to ept Cecilia, and you''ll have solved all your

    problems."

    Owen said in frustration, "Ba is insisting that Cecilia and I get a divorce tomorrow, saying if we

    don''t, it means Cecilia can''t bear to leave, and she''ll beat Cecilia up. Seeing her treat Cecilia so

    harshly breaks my heart. I agreed to start the divorce process tomorrow, but I won''t give up on

    Cecilia."

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    Chapter 332

    Stefan watched his rival in silence for a moment before saying, "You''ve already made up your mind,

    so why are you here bothering me?"

    "I just needed someone to vent to. Both of our marriages are contract-based so I figure we can

    rte to that."

    Owen was seriously getting on his nerves.

    Given Owen''s character, if he truly wanted to spend his life with Cecilia, he wouldn''t agree to a

    divorce. But he couldn''t just stand by and watch Cecilia get hit by her mother, even if it was all an

    act. What if she really hit Cecilia?

    If Cecilia got hurt, it would torment him.

    Stefan chuckled, "The path I and Lucy took can''t be replicated by you and Cecilia."

    Owen paused.

    "Stefan, you were lucky dude. What others can¡¯t get, you got without batting an eye, status, look,

    and even love. You have it way easier than the rest of us."

    Life was unfair to everyone.

    "You''re not doing so bad yourself. Your love troubles are born from your own stubbornness. You

    never listen to advice until it''s toote. If you''d listened, you might have had a kid by now.¡±

    At the mention of a child, a sh passed through Owen¡¯s eyes. He asked Stefan, "You and Lucinda

    have been married for a while now. When are you nning to have the wedding? When are you

    nning to have a kid? Can I call dibs on being the godfather?"

    "Owen, have you forgotten our history? Do you want to be my kid''s godfather? Being a godfather

    wasn''t as simple as just calling yourself one."

    Owenughed, "Even though we''re always at odds, we don''t really hate each other. If pushes

    to shove, I''d help you out, and you wouldn''t ignore me either. What''s wrong with me being your kid''s

    godfather? Given your wife''s rtionship with Cecilia, Cecilia was bound to be the godmother. So,

    the godfather has to be me!"

    Owen was adamant, and he was determined to be with Cecilia.

    "Don''t worry, I won''t shortchange your kid. If it''s a girl, I''ll prepare a generous gift for her when she

    gets married. If it''s a boy, I''ll gift him a vi and a luxury car when he gets married. They won''t be

    calling me godfather for nothing."

    Stefan couldn¡¯t help butugh, "You''re pulling out all the stops for Cecilia. Owen, you''re rather

    emotional, aren''t you? Alright, in a few years, when I have a kid, they can call you godfather."

    "In a few years? You''re not nning on having kids soon?" Owen asked, his tone suggestive.

    "Don''t talk about me being emotional. You''re the same when ites to your wife, Lucinda. You''re

    reckless when it came to her. Stefan, you finally have a weak spot. If I wanted to take you down."

    Owen stopped there. He remembered Lucinda''s true identity. She was an heiress of the Blue family,

    and he had witnessed the Blue family''s influence firsthand.

    If he dared to harm Lucinda, not only would he antagonize both the Anderson and Blue families, but

    Cecilia would also stop him.

    "Lucy ns on returning to Skywatch to take over the family business. We''re not nning on having

    kids anytime soon. You better start saving up. When my wife and I eventually have kids, you can gift

    us some vis.¡±

    Owen, "How many kids are you nning on having?"

    "As for how many kids we''re having, we haven''t decided yet. You just need to have your money

    ready."

    Owen was speechless.

    Was Stefan nning on making money off him by having kids?

    Nevertheless, he got the answer he wanted and already had a n in mind.

    In the next two years, he would pursue Cecilia, make her his wife again, and then they''d have a

    child early. Then, he could surpass Stefan.

    Thinking of this, he was ecstatic.

    Stefan: ¡°You''re getting a divorce tomorrow!¡±

    Owen: ¡°I justughed a little, and you''re already raining on my parade.¡±

    Emma came over and said, "Mr. Coleman, dinner is ready."

    Stefan asked him, "Want to join?"

    "Of course. How could I pass up the chance to have you treat me to a meal? It''s a rare opportunity."

    Stefanughed, "Try Emma''s cooking."

    "Emma''s cooking must be amazing. You''re a picky eater, and she wouldn''t havested as your

    housekeeper if her cooking wasn''t up to par."

    Emma smiled and said, "Thank you for thepliment, Mr. Martinez."

    The two rivals ended up having dinner together.

    After a satisfying meal, Owen was in a better mood. He was kicked out of the vi by Stefan and

    had no choice but to go home.

    The next day, Ruby showed up at Stefan''s vi with a bunch of reporters. Her mother was with her.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    She went to the Serendipity Cafe in the daytime, but Lucinda wasn''t there.

    Stefan insisted she apologize to Lucinda publicly and sincerely, so she came early in the morning

    with a bunch of reporters. That should show sincerity.

    Since Lucinda and her husband didn''t return to Ascend Estate, Tiffany rushed over to do Lucinda''s

    make-up. Liam also came along.

    As soon as they entered the house, they heard that Ruby had arrived.

    Ruby had changed into simple clothes, wore in shoes, and had no make-up on. She looked a bit

    old without make-up, nearing thirty.

    But to satisfy Stefan, Ruby had to do this. She had to apologize to Lucinda in the humblest manner.

    Looking at Lucinda standing next to Stefan, Lucinda''s outfit seemed simple, but the material was

    top-notch.

    Ruby could tell at a nce that Lucinda''s outfit, including the hair essory, were incredibly

    expensive, worth tens of thousands at least.

    The first time sheid eyes on Lucinda, she had a hunch that Lucinda might be bad news. Turned

    out, she was spot-on, and all her efforts went down the drain, nearly losing everything she had.

    Deep down, Ruby was boiling with rage towards Lucinda and Cecilia.

    On the surface, though, she had to put on a sincere act.

    "Lucinda, I''m sorry. The whole video fiasco was my doing. I smeared your reputation, made you the

    target of insults, and was misunderstood by others. There are no two ways about it. It hurt you

    badly. I''m sorry!¡±

    Ruby forced herself to apologize to Lucinda sincerely, bowing deeply to her.

    "Lucinda, I''m begging for your forgiveness. I swear I won''t be a pain in your neck anymore.¡±

    Stefan was never hers, to begin with!

    She should''ve woken up and smelled the coffee sooner. If she had, she wouldn''t have lost Owen,

    who once loved her deeply.

    Thinking about not getting what she pursued and losing what she had, a flicker of resentment

    shed through Ruby''s eyes.

 Chapter 333

    Chapter 333

    Worried about being spotted by Stefan, she lowered her head, making herself appear really sincere

    and filled with remorse.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Stefan, Lucinda, Ruby knows she messed up big time, and you guys are so generous. Could you

    forgive her just this once?"

    Megan pleaded on behalf of her daughter in a gentle tone.

    She had someone present the gifts and said, "Lucinda, Ruby is sincerely apologizing to you. We

    hope you can ept these gifts."

    Seeing Stefan''s icy expression and Lucinda''s silence, Megan quickly added, "Stefan, Ruby did

    mess up, but once she''s apologized to you guys. I''ll apany her to turn herself in. I promise we

    won''t bother you guys ever again."

    She apologized and voluntarily offered to turn herself in to avoid Stefan taking control of the

    situation, which would be very unfavorable for Ruby.

    "Once Ruby is out, I''ll take her abroad, and we''ll never return to Pinehurst."

    Megan knew if she didn''t make these promises, Stefan wouldn''t stop, and her daughter''s career

    would be ruined.

    Although it was almost ruined now, there was still a glimmer of hope.

    As long as they left Pinehurst, kept their distance from Stefan and Lucinda, and moved to a different

    city, it was possible for her daughter to make a fresh start with her abilities.

    Today''s humiliation, if she could rise one day and retaliate, it wouldn''t be toote.

    Ruby lifted her head to look at Lucinda, and she said, "Lucinda, what my mom said was also my

    decision. Rest assured, from now on, I won''t disturb you and Stefan."

    Sheughed at herself, "Stefan was never mine. I was too full of myself. Now, I''ve got nothing, and

    it''s all my own doing. Lucinda, can you forgive me?"

    The media recorded the entire process.

    Lucinda was silent for a while, then she said, "I ept your apology. But I don''t want these gifts,

    you take them back. As for turning yourself in, if you say it but don''t do it, I don''t mind personally

    sending you in."

    Through Ruby''s incident, she could also tell the world that spreading rumors was not without

    consequences, and she can''t just walk away scot-free. It depended on whether others would sue

    her.

    As long as there''s enough evidence if one¡¯s reputation was infringed, they would definitely win a

    lawsuit.

    Ruby bit her lower lip and nced at Stefan again. Seeing his icy expression, she felt heartbroken.

    After all, he was the man she deeply loved.

    He never showed her any pity.

    He was not ungentlemanly, and it''s just that his gentleness was only for Lucinda.

    In the past, she would mock Lucinda for not being good enough for Stefan, thinking that she was

    better than Lucinda. After knowing Lucinda''s real identity, she realized that she wasn''t even worthy

    to carry Lucinda''s shoes.

    "Lucinda, I''ll turn myself in and take responsibility for my actions."

    She would learn her lesson. If she ever did something like this again, she''d make sure it''s foolproof

    so that Stefan wouldn''t find any evidence.

    Uh?

    Ruby was confused for a moment. Was she still not over Stefan?

    She should be trying to make up with Owen. That would have a better chance.

    She wanted to turn herself in to pay for her rumors, but by the time she got out, the situation in

    Pinehurst might have beenpletely different.

    She ended up with nothing!

    "I''ll be waiting."

    Ruby''s voice choked up a bit.

    The two looked at each other with nothing more to say.

    The apology ceremony ended here.

    The journalists shared what they witnessed on the inte, letting everyone in Pinehurst know the

    truth about Mrs. Coleman''s alleged "affair."

    The matter ended after Ruby apologized and expressed her willingness to turn herself in.

    After Ruby left with the journalists, Tiffany quickly did Lucinda''s makeup. Lucinda didn''t even have

    time to eat breakfast and rushed to work with Emma''s newly bought electric car.

    "Mrs. Coleman, your breakfast has been packed."

    Emma was chasing with the packed breakfast when Lucinda''s figure had already disappeared.

    "Mr. Coleman, Mrs. Coleman left without having breakfast."

    Emma, holding the lunch box, said to Stefan, who came out.

    Stefan took the thermal lunch box from her and said, "I''ll deliver it to her. I won''t let her go hungry."

    His concern for Lucinda exceeded Emma''s.

    Lucinda was unrecognizable after makeup.

    Emma admired Tiffany''s makeup skill, and she could make one person look like another.

    Stefan handed the thermal lunch box to Tiffany and said, "Tiffany, do me a favor. Wait for me at the

    company''s entrance. When I get there, give me the lunch box, and I''ll give it to a random employee

    to eat."

    That employee was his wife.

    Before Tiffany could take the lunch box, Liam was unhappy, "Stefan, solve your own marital issues,

    don''t involve Tiffany, don''t let others misunderstand that she has special feelings for you."

    Tiffany was his!

    Stefan was speechless.

    Tiffany took the thermal lunch box and asked the two men, "Was all this fuss necessary? I can go to

    thepany''s entrance and give the lunch box to the security guard."

    Tiffany left with the thermal lunch box, leaving the two brothers staring at each other.

    "You can be stupid sometimes." Liam was somewhat proud.

    "You''re acting as if you''re brilliant," Stefan said and walked past his brother towards his car and

    drove off soon.

    Liamughed triumphantly and said to Emma, "Emma, my brother''s dumb look was a once-in-a-

    blue moon sight."

    "Mr. Liam, you''re exaggerating. You and Mr. Coleman''s agesbined are not even a hundred

    years yet."

    Liam was taken aback, then said, "Emma, you''re too serious. I know you''re my brother''s

    housekeeper, always speaking for him."

    Emma turned around and went back, "As long as Mr. Liam knew."

    Liam was speechless.

    On the other end.

    By nine o''clock, Cecilia was waiting for Owen at the city hall entrance.

    It''s past nine now, and Owen hasn''t arrived. He''s not thinking about backing out, was he?

    Cecilia whipped out her phone and dialed Owen''s number.

    It took Owen a hot minute to answer.

    "Owen, where the heck were you? Did you leave your ce? We agreed to meet at the City Hall at

    nine, it''s past nine now, where the hell are you? Don''t tell me you''re chickening out. If you bail on

    me, my mom''s going to lose it, and she''ll me me for not wanting to divorce and kick me out of the

    house. She won''t even acknowledge me as her daughter."

    "I''m on my way." Owen huffed into the phone.

    Cecilia asked curiously, "What are you up to? Why are you huffing and puffing?"

    "I''m cycling from my house to City Hall. It''s a long way, I''ve been pedaling non-stop. Even a top

    athlete would be winded. That''s why I''m panting."

    Cecilia, "Owen, you''re not telling me you''re biking over, are you?"

    "Cecilia, you''re sharp as a tack. Hit the nail on the head, and I''m indeed biking over."

    Cecilia was annoyed.

 Chapter 334

    Chapter 334

    "Where did you spend the night?" Cecilia asked Owen, trying to grasp at straws.

    Like Stefan, Owen owned a ton of properties. He usually picked the one closest to hispany for

    convenience.

    The ce wasn''t too far from the city hall.

    "I was at home. I had to tell my grandpa about the divorce," Owen said.

    Owen had hoped his grandpa would step in to stop their divorce. But to his surprise, despite having

    insisted on him getting married, Grandpa just looked at him with an obvious disapproval when he

    announced the divorce.

    Maybe it''s because he failed to keep Cecilia.

    Owen felt devastated; even his grandpa didn''t have his back.

    "Owen, are you doing this on purpose? It''s an hour''s drive from your house to the city hall. You, on

    the other hand, rode a bike. By the time you got there, the city hall was closed."

    Riding a bike would take up more time.

    Cecilia didn''t understand why these wealthy people liked to live in the suburbs.

    The Martinez family lived in a huge mansion located in the suburbs, which was too far from the city.

    She had no say in where they wanted to live, but right now, she felt so annoyed.

    "Everyone in the city knows my license te. Do you want us to divorce in a high-profile manner? If

    you don''t mind, I can go to the city hall with all guns zing. We''ll be the talk of the town tomorrow,"

    Owen said.

    Cecilia was stunned for a while.

    "Check if there are any restaurants or coffee shops near the city hall. Have something to eat. I left

    early in the morning and rode for so long. I''m tired, hungry, and thirsty. I need to find a ce to eat."

    Cecilia was speechless.

    The city hall was probably closed when he got there by bike because of the long distance. By the

    time they had something to eat, it would be dark.

    He must be doing this on purpose. But what could she do?

    Ride her electric scooter to pick him up?

    Her electric scooter wouldn''tst the round trip, not to mention the time wasted.

    Cecilia hung up the phone,pletely pissed off.

    Frustrated, Cecilia needed someone to vent to, and the only person she could turn to was Lucinda.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Lucinda had already started her work. As a low-level employee, she had to sneak into the bathroom

    to answer the phone.

    Crouched in thest stall of the bathroom, Lucinda couldn''t help butugh after hearing her friend''s

    rant. "So what are you going to do? Wait for him to get to the city hall. It''ll be dark by then. How are

    you going to get a divorce?"

    "He''s so annoying. I was right to call him Mr. Malicious."

    After venting her anger on Owen over the phone, she turned to Lucinda. "Lucinda, can you contact

    your husband? I need him to help me find out where Owen is hiding. I''ll ask my brother to drive me

    there."

    "Of course, if it''s about giving Owen a hard time, Stefan would be more than happy to help. Are you

    sure you want a divorce?"

    "I''m sure. I didn''t want to marry him in the first ce. He didn''t marry me out of love, and I didn''t

    marry him because I wanted to. It''s like a forcefully plucked melon. Even if you let it ripen, it doesn''t

    have the sweet taste of naturally ripened ones."

    Lucinda understood Cecilia''s doubts. Cecilia had said that if Owen could win her heart again and

    make her fall in love with him, she would remarry him.

    This would be out of true love, not out of obligation, with no contracts and no problems solved with

    money.

    "Then I''ll text Stefan and ask him to help you find out where Owen was."

    "Lucy, thanks for the help."

    "There''s no need for thanks. If anyone should apologize, it should be me. You signed a marriage

    contract with Owen because of me. Owen says Mr. Malicious is your exclusive nickname for him, so

    I can''t call him that anymore."

    Ceciliaughed, "Sometimes he was like a three-year-old."

    "His emotional world was so simple. Before, his heart only had room for Ruby, but now he''s starting

    anew. I think you''ll fill his heart."

    Regardless of Owen''s past, he was a man worthy of Cecilia''s trust.

    Now, they were getting a divorce, but given Owen''s dedication to love, he would try to win Cecilia

    back.

    Lucinda silently wished them luck. Now, it was up to Owen to win his wife back.

    After asking her friend for help, Cecilia texted Owen, asking him to share his location.

    Owen wasn''t stupid, and he replied, [I have no signal, no inte.]

    Cecilia responded: [If you have no signal, no inte, how did you receive my message and reply?]

    Then, his phone supposedly crashed!

    Cecilia: [You think I can''t do anything about this, Owen? Don''t underestimate me.]

    Luckily, she had asked Mr. Coleman for help.

    Upon receiving the message from his beloved wife, Stefan fell into deep thought.

    Campbell Anderson, who hade to report work to him, asked curiously, "Stefan, what''s wrong?

    You look serious all of a sudden."

    "Campbell, Lucy asked me to give Owen a hard time. Should I do it?"

    Campbell was speechless. "Was it something illegal?"

    "Not really. She just asked me to find out where Owen is now."

    Campbell was puzzled, "Why would she ask that?"

    "Her best friend is Owen''s wife. They''re getting a divorce today. Owen loves his wife very much and

    doesn''t want to divorce. So he''s ying some tricks, and now his wife is asking for my help."

    "Owen got married in secret? I thought he''s been hung up on Ruby?"

    "His situation isplicated. Campbell, tell me, should I help Lucy''s friend or not?"

    Even though he got a kick out of messing with Owen.

    But, if he tantly did this thing, Owen would be all over his case.

    He didn¡¯t fancy seeing Owen whining in his face every day.

    Saying how because of him, Owen lost his wife and he would be driven up the wall by Owen.

    They''ve known each other since they were kids, and Stefan knew all about Owen''s clingy ways.

    "This is between you and your wife, and I ain''t getting involved." Campbell made his stance crystal

    clear right away.

    "Stefan, I''ve reported everything about work. I got to get back to it."

    Fearing getting dragged into this, Campbell quickly stood up, grabbed his stuff, and bolted.

 Chapter 335

    Chapter 335

    Campbell was in charge of Ascend Global''s entertainmentpany. There was so much happening

    in the entertainment industry that he had got his te full every day, leaving him no energy to worry

    about Lucinda anymore.

    Stefan watched him leave, a frown on his face.

    After giving it some thought, he texted his sweetheart, telling her to tell Cecilia that Owen would

    hurry to the city hall before his shift was over.

    Then, quite strangely, he shot off a text to someone.

    That someone was going to move heaven and earth to get Owen to the city hall to divorce Cecilia. If

    Owen didn''t want to bug her, he''d go to city hall of his own ord and quickly, too.

    That way, Owen wouldn''t suspect a thing.

    In the morning, Ruby, who had apologized to Lucinda with the media in tow, locked herself in her

    room aftering home, not seeing anyone.

    Until she received a text from Stefan.

    Ever since Stefan turned twelve, that was the first time he had initiated contact with her.

    After going through Stefan''s text, Ruby sprang into action.

    She might not be able to find Owen, but she knew the route like the back of her hand.

    From the Martinez family to downtown, she knew every inch of the way.

    Owen might try to stall. He would definitely avoid the easy route and choose the longest one

    instead. If she followed that route, she was sure to find Owen and give him a ride.

    At ten in the morning.

    Owen stepped out of a coffee shop, satisfied.

    He leisurely strolled, pushing his bike.

    At that rate, the city hall staff would have surely finished their work hours by the time he got there.

    He wanted to drag out the time as much as possible.

    "Honk¡ªhonk¡ª"

    The ring car horn broke Owen''s leisurely mood. He turned around, ready to give a piece of his

    mind to the person honking incessantly. He was casually walking by the side of the road, not

    blocking anyone''s way, so why the honking?

    He was somewhat surprised when he saw a familiar car.

    Why was Ruby there?

    Ruby stepped on the gas, speeding past Owen and pulled up in front of him.

    "Owen, what''s up? Where are you headed? I can give you a lift,"

    Ruby got out of the car and strolled over, talking in a friendly manner,

    "Is there something wrong with your bike?"

    Ruby inquired with concern, then muttered to herself, "You still like to cycle to keep fit."

    "Why are you here?" Owen asked her with a cold re.

    "I was just passing by. I saw you and thought I was seeing things. But then I took a closer look and

    realized it was really you. Why are you here alone? Where''s your bodyguard?"

    Owen retorted coldly, "Can''t I go out on my own? You can leave. My bike is fine. I don''t need a ride."

    With that, he mounted his bike and was about to leave.

    Ruby grabbed onto the bike, trying to stop him from leaving, and said enthusiastically, "Owen, I

    would have left if I hadn''t seen you. But now that I have, I must help you. Look at how bright the sun

    is shining; you''ll be sweating buckets if you cycle back to town. Let me give you a ride."

    Owen was not happy with her stopping the bike, "Ruby, let go!"

    "I''ll give you a lift, just put your bike in my trunk."

    Ruby stubbornly held onto the bike.

    Owen was cursing in his heart.

    He didn¡¯t expect to run into Ruby, and as she was trying to win him back, there was no way she was

    going to miss the opportunity to give him a ride.

    If he had known earlier that he would run into Ruby, he wouldn''t have cycled.

    He was going to the city hall to divorce Cecilia. If Ruby took him there, there was no way he was

    going to be with Cecilia!

    He wasn''t going to let that happen.

    "Ruby, let go. If you don''t, I won''t be polite!"

    "Owen, how can you yell at me like this? You''ve never done this before."

    Ruby looked as if she was wronged and was on the verge crying.

    But Owen wouldn''t feel sorry for her crying anymore.

    Seeing that Ruby still wouldn''t let go, he stopped his bike, went up to her, forcibly pried her hands

    off the bike, and pushed her back to her car. She leaned against her car and didn''t fall to the

    ground.

    While Ruby was still looking at him in disbelief, Owen took the opportunity, pushed his bike and ran.

    He mounted his bike while running and took off.

    "Owen, Owen!"

    Ruby came back to her senses, got back in the car, and chased after Owen.

    Owen pedaled with all his might, wishing he could make his bike fly and leave that woman behind.

    There was no alley he could take on that road, otherwise, he would have shaken her off.

    That was so annoying!

    That was not going smoothly!

    "Ring, ring, ring." Cecilia''s call came again.

    Owen had to slow down and free one of his hands to answer Cecilia''s call. He didn''t wait for Cecilia

    to speak, but said breathlessly, "Cecilia, I''ll be there soon."

    "Good, I''ll wait for you. Anyway, if I don''t see you today, I''ll just sleep at the city hall."

    Owen was at a loss for words.

    She was really going all out to divorce him!

    If he had known he would fall for her, he would never have forced her.

    Sadly, there were no ifs.

    He had reminded Cecilia more than once not to fall for him. His heart had already belonged to Ruby,

    and there was no room for her.

    And look how his emotions had changed for them at that time!

    Ha, how ironic!

    In order to stop Ruby from pestering him, Owen cycled as fast as he could.

    Luckily, he was on a non-motorizedne, and Ruby couldn''t just cross the road like she did earlier.

    Back then, he had just left the shop and hadn''t gotten on the road, which was why she was able to

    stop him in his tracks.

    Back in town, Owen purposely chose the smaller streets, sessfully shaking off Ruby''s pursuit.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    By the time he got to the city hall, it was already half past eleven.

    "Hurry up, there''s only half an hour left before the staff knocks off."

    Cecilia saw Owen and trotted over.

    Seeing Owen all sweaty and flushed, she considerately handed him a bottle of water to quench his

    thirst.

    "You have a car, yet you chose to cycle. It''s so hot and you''re all sweaty. Your shirt is soaked

    through. If someone who didn''t know the situation saw you, they might think you fell into a river."

    Owen took the water she handed over, throwing her a disgruntled look.

    She had the nerve to mock him!

    She had no idea how worn out he was from dodging Ruby''s pursuit.

    Ruby probably knew that he wouldn¡¯t get in her car, but she was relentless, trailing behind him at a

    slow pace, keeping him on his toes. As soon as he let his guard down, Ruby would close the

    distance between them.

    "You hungry? I got you a burger."

    Cecilia handed over a burger, urging Owen to eat something as he seemed very tired. She was

    worried that he might be too famished to apany her in the divorce proceedings.

    Owen didn''t know how to describe his feelings at that moment.

    Touched?

    They were here to get divorced after all.

    Angry?

    Faced with her enthusiastic care, he couldn¡¯t muster any rage.

    Cecilia was definitely sent by God to torment him!

    He was such a jinx!

 Chapter 336

    Chapter 336

    "Let''s get a move on and get in there before the workers clock out,"

    Cecilia was thoughtful, having brought him water and a burger, but she didn''t forget their objective

    for the day.

    As Owen started to munch on the burger, she made a move to hook his arm, ready to guide him

    inside the city hall.

    "I haven''t finished my burger. I''m hungry, I have low blood sugar. When I''m hungry, I get shaky, and

    I won''t be able to sign anything in that condition."

    Owen was standing solid. Although Cecilia had some strength, she was no match for the skilled

    Owen.

    In the past, Owen always gave way to Cecilia.

    Cecilia was trying to pull him along, but he was too stiff, so she couldn''t budge him.

    "Can''t you eat and walk at the same time?"

    "No can do, it''d be embarrassing. I''m representing the Martinez family."

    Cecilia was speechless.

    They were right at the city hall entrance, yet she couldn''t get him to go inside.

    "Mr. Martinez, are you nning to wait until the workers clock out, so you won''t have to go through

    the procedures?"

    Owen, still munching on his burger, gave her a deep look, then honestly said, "Yes, I''m stalling. I

    actually don''t want to divorce you."

    He had reluctantly agreed to her mother''s request to file for divorce the previous night.

    As soon as he agreed, he regretted it.

    Ever since he met Cecilia, it seemed like he made a lot of decisions he would regret.

    "Cecilia, can we not divorce?"

    Owen looked at her deeply, asking seriously.

    "I know we got married because I owed you a favor. We even signed a contract; it was a contract

    marriage. I warned you not to fall in love with me. At that time, I was still in love with Ruby. It was my

    grandfather who forced me to marry you. But during our time together, I slowly epted the role of

    a husband, really treating you as my wife. When you have troubles, I want to help you. Whatever

    you like, I want to buy it for you. Seeing you with that man, I get angry, ufortable; like it is

    jealousy. No, it''s definitely jealousy!"

    Upon hearing him mention ''that man'', Cecilia curiously asked, "Who''s the man you''re talking

    about?"

    "Avery Cooper."

    "Cecilia." Owen held Cecilia''s hand tightly, pleading, "Give me a chance, can we start over? In the

    past, I loved Ruby, did a lot of things you thought were foolish for her. When I love someone, it''s real

    love. But once I let go, it''s for real. I won''t get back together with Ruby."

    Heughed at himself as if he was mocking himself, "She doesn''t love me. Even now, she doesn''t

    have any real feelings for me. She just can''t ept me letting go of her, she''s used to my tolerance

    and unconditional giving."

    Cecilia lightly mocked him, "Didn''t expect you to finally understand that she''s just using you."

    "I know, I''ve always known. It''s just that I used to hold a sliver of hope, thinking that someday she''ll

    see my good points, let go of Stefan, and fall in love with me. Some people, no matter how

    persistent you are, they just won''t fall in love with you."

    Talking about his infatuation with Ruby, Owen gave a bitter smile.

    His heart was still aching.

    After all, Ruby was the woman he had loved from the start. He loved her for over a decade. Even

    though he had given up on her at that point and didn¡¯t want to continue loving her anymore, ending

    a rtionship still hurt.

    "Cecilia, I like you now. I like being with you. Even if I get annoyed by your mockery every day, I still

    enjoy it. Can we start over? Just give me a chance."

    Cecilia was quiet, looking at him.

    After a moment, she said, "Owen, when we got our marriage certificate, we didn''t get anyone''s

    blessing. We were both forced into it, even signed a contract. You gave me money and I was just

    doing a job. This kind of marriage was like a thorn, pricking my heart. Whenever I think about our

    rtionship, I remember everything you did for Ruby. I remember you, trying to protect your status,

    forcing me to sacrifice my marriage to repay your favor. I felt that I was being forced. Even if you

    have feelings for me now, I can''t forget your actions back then. I''m willing to give you a chance, but

    we have to divorce first. Only after divorce can we truly start over. I haven''t fallen in love with you

    yet, I just think you''re not as foolish anymore. When you say ''give you a chance'', you mean to let

    you pursue me, right? Okay, you can pursue me. If you can make me fall in love with you, willing to

    marry you, and our elders, friends and family all ept us together, give us their sincere blessings,

    then we can get married again. Owen, even though I''m carefree, I''m still a girl with dreams. Who

    doesn''t want to walk into a marriage with everyone''s blessings? I''ve never been pursued by you and

    we''ve never had a date. Even if we don''t divorce, keep going like this, but when I look back, all I can

    remember is everything you did for Ruby, even including marrying a woman you don''t like. You''re

    willing to sacrifice your own marriage to continue supporting Ruby, just to keep your status. Tell me,

    can such memories be sweet? I hope, in the future, when I look back at our past, they''ll be our

    happy times, not built on your sacrifices for Ruby. Once, Lucy said we would end up like her and Mr.

    Coleman. On the surface, our paths seemed simr, but in reality, they were quite different. We

    can''t replicate her love with Mr. Coleman, ."

    Owen quietly listened to Cecilia voicing her feelings.

    So, what she really wanted was for them to truly start a family, not getting married for Ruby.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    What she said next reminded him of Stefan. Stefan had also said his rtionship with Lucinda was

    unique.

    Stefan had clearly exined why.

    Indeed, it couldn''t be replicated.

    Even if they walked the same path, everyone''s pace was different. It was impossible topletely

    follow in the footsteps of others, in the end, they would carve their own path.

    "Owen, I''ve said everything I wanted to say. If you still can''t make up your mind, let''s go back. Clear

    your head, think it through, and then we cane back to take care of the procedures."

    After finishing, Cecilia pulled her hand from his, turned around, ready to leave.

    "Cecilia."

    Owen called her to stop.

 Chapter 337

    Chapter 337

    Cecilia paused, turning back to look at him.

    Seeing his handsome face filled with a conflicted expression, it seemed like he had made up his

    mind.

    "Let''s go, let''s get this done. We''ve got about ten minutes, if we hurry, we should be able to get all

    the paperwork sorted."

    Owen hung his half-eaten burger along with the bag on the front of his bike.

    He took out the marriage certificate and all the necessary documents, grabbed Cecilia''s hand, and

    led her into the city hall.

    His mind had been elsewhere during his previous two visits to that ce.

    He hoped that his third visit would be filled with joy.

    And it would be thest time!

    When they exited the city hall, they were single again.

    The past of being forced into marriage evaporated the moment they received the divorce papers.

    For others, divorce might mean an end.

    But for Owen and Cecilia, divorce wasn''t an end, but a new beginning.

    Looking at the much more rxed Cecilia, Owen suddenly realized that this divorce was like

    untying a knot in her heart, lifting a burden off her shoulders.

    If he truly loved her, he had to make her happy.

    Their lives were still long, and he was confident that he could marry her again!

    "Cecilia."

    As Cecilia was about to head to the bus stop, Owen called out to her.

    "What''s up?"

    Owen smiled at her. His smile was as warm as the spring breeze and almost made Cecilia''s heart

    flutter.

    She teasingly said, "Don''t sh that charming smile. You know you''re handsome, and you''re even

    more attractive when you smile. You could make anyone swoon."

    "Can I make you swoon?"

    "Not yet. I''ve seen a lot in my life. Your smile can''t affect my mood yet. Try harder, maybe one day

    you''ll make my heart flutter."

    Owenughed and proposed to spend some time together in peace, "Forget about the bus. I''ll take

    you on my bike. Let''s find a ce nearby to eat first, then we can leisurely head home. Consider it a

    breather."

    "Owen, we just got divorced."

    "Yes, we''re free now, but I also said that we''re going to start anew. From the moment we step out of

    the city hall, I''m going to pursue you. Cecilia, if you want a romantic date, I''ll give it to you. If you

    want to enjoy the sweetness of being pursued, I''ll grant you that too. Just talking about things we

    can do is valueless. I''ll prove it to you through my actions."

    Cecilia was left speechless.

    "Alright, let''s go eat then."

    Cecilia wasn''t one to y hard to get.

    She said that she would give him a chance, and she would.

    Giving him a chance was also giving herself a chance.

    Owen rode his bike over. He sat on it, smiling at Cecilia, gesturing to her to hop on.

    Cecilia hopped on.

    He started pedaling, taking her forward.

    "Riding a bike to get a divorce. After the divorce, riding a bike to take your ex-wife home. Owen,

    we''re one of a kind."

    While pedaling, Owen responded, "As long as you know."

    "But you didn''t pull any tricks this time. I see you in a new light. I won''t call you Mr. Malicious

    anymore, after all, you''re not bad anymore. What should I call you? Owen? That''s what Ruby calls

    you; I need to find a different nickname."

    Cecilia was actually concerned about Ruby''s significant role in Owen''s life.

    "From now on, I''ll just call you by your full name."

    At least it was not the same as Ruby addressed him.

    "You can call me Owen."

    "Owen?"

    Cecilia felt a little ufortable, but she figured she would get used to it after calling him that a few

    times.

    "It''s too hot."

    Owen quickly added, "When we''re eating, I''ll notify the bodyguards toe over. By the time we

    finish eating, they should be here."

    He had been riding his bike all morning and was pretty tired.

    The weather was just too hot and being outside for too long would cause sunburn.

    He didn''t mind the sun, but he didn''t want her to get sunburned.

    Her skin was delicate, and sunburn would be bad for her.

    Cecilia had no objections to his arrangements.

    A visitor arrived at Ascend Global.

    Hayes Brooks.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    He was Janice''s nephew, and her only rtive.

    Janice was at that time vacationing on the Anderson family''s private ind.

    Lucinda didn''t need to ask, Stefan''s mother would send her updates about her mother''s situation

    every day, letting her know that her mother was having a great time.

    They even took a lot of happy pictures of her mother.

    Looking at the pictures, Lucinda was relieved that her mother was indeed very happy.

    They all knew that the Blue family was a nightmare for her mother. They all supported her mother''s

    decision to divorce.

    However, her father didn''t agree to divorce.

    Lucinda had been troubled by her parents'' rtionship problems in the past. Stefan advised her that

    it was their parents'' business. As children, they couldn''t understand their parents'' feelings. He told

    her not to interfere in their rtionship, as it would hurt either parent no matter which side she took.

    Stefan also said that she had just reunited with her biological parents and there was a lot that she

    didn''t understand. What she had heard might not necessarily be the truth.

    If her father deliberately hid things that even her brother didn''t know, her rash decisions would hurt

    her father.

    Lucinda felt that her husband made a lot of sense.

    So, at that time she had let go of her worries about her parents'' marriage.

    Even if they were really divorced, they would still be her biological parents.

    Hayes didn''t reveal his identity, but he knew that Stefan wasn''t easily essible. If he were a

    stranger, he wouldn''t be able meet Stefan ording to the rules. So, he mentioned his cousin

    Lucinda to get to Stefan.

    As soon as the security guard at the door heard it was rted to the CEO''s wife, he immediately

    reported it to his superiors.

    Before long, the door was opened. Hayes got the permission to get in and stepped into Ascend

    Global.

    Hayes came by ne, and then took a taxi.

    The receptionist didn''t stop him because he had permission from the higher-ups. So, without any

    obstacles, he made his way to the top floor smoothly, where he was received by Iris.

    "Sir, our CEO is currently in a meeting and can''t see you right now. But he has instructed me to let

    you wait in his office," She politely told him to wait.

    Iris didn''t have a clue who Hayes was, but on the boss'' orders, she led him into the CEO''s office.

    This tipped Iris off that this mystery guy she''d never met must be a big shot. Otherwise, the boss

    would''ve stashed him in the VIP room to cool his heels.

 Chapter 338

    Chapter 338

    Iris led Hayes into the CEO''s office, gestured to him to sit down on the couch, and then poured him

    a ss of water.

    "Thanks,"

    Hayes politely thanked her.

    Iris smiled and requested him to wait a bit longer, "The boss will be back shortly. Hang tight."

    "Alright," Hayes nodded.

    "I''ve got some other stuff to deal with, so give me a shout if you need anything."

    Hayes nodded again.

    Iris left the CEO''s office.

    Hayes picked up the ss of water, took a sip, and then started to look around Stefan''s office.

    He didn''t wander around, but stayed seated on the couch until Stefan entered the room.

    He put down his ss, stood up, turned around, and watched Stefan walk in from the door.

    Keith had once told him that his cousin''s husband was a man who seemed gentle on the surface,

    but was actually very tough.

    Without a certain ability and wrist, how could he support such a bigpany?

    "Mr. Coleman."

    As Stefan approached, Hayes stepped forward. He greeted politely, then introduced himself, "My

    name is Hayes."

    "Cuz, how''s it going?"

    Stefan called him "cuz", which caught Hayes off guard.

    Stefan casually put his hand on Hayes''s shoulder like a friend and gestured to him to sit on the

    couch.

    Hayes was taken aback by his actions.

    "Cuz, why didn''t you give me a heads up beforeing over? I could''ve arranged for someone to

    pick you up."

    After sitting down, Stefan noticed that there were only some seasonal fruits on the table, so he got

    up and walked away.

    Hayes didn''t know what he was up to, and watched him leave, saying, "I didn''te over on

    purpose. I had some stuff to take care of, and Keith asked me to bring you something. I thought I''d

    drop by and check on you and Lucy."

    In Skywatch, as the only rtive of the Blue family''sdy, he kept a low profile. And the Dewey

    family was at that time in dire straits, barely surviving with the help of Nathan.

    No one took the Dewey family seriously anymore.

    So, his visit to Stefan wouldn''t attract much attention.

    Stefan brought back two tes of pastries and fruits, put them on the table, and told him to have a

    taste, "These are from Lucy''s shop, they taste pretty good. Give it a try."

    Hayes had already inquired about his cousin''s situation in Pinehurst beforeing.

    Heughed, "I''ve heard from Keith that the pastries at Lucy''s shop are both good-looking and

    delicious. Even Keith, who doesn''t usually have a sweet tooth, can eat two pieces."

    Speaking of Lucinda, Stefan showed a gentle smile on his face, and his eyes also lit up, saying,

    "These are all made by Basil, Lucy helps out when she has time."

    "Isn''t she writing novels when she has time?"

    "Do you read her novels?"

    Hayesughed, "How could I not support the novels written by my cousin? I''ve tipped her a lot.

    Honestly, this is the first time I''ve read a romance novel in my life."

    Stefan pulled out his phone, saying, "Me too, because of Lucy, I downloaded a novel reading app

    for the first time."

    He opened the app where Lucinda posted her novels, found Lucinda''s novel, read it for a while,

    frowned, and said, "Someone threw eggs at Lucy''s novel."

    Hayes was tasting a pastry. Hearing Stefan''s words, he quickly asked, "What''s wrong with throwing

    eggs? Each egg requires 100 coins, equivalent to one dor, the same value as diamonds."

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    "Throwing eggs means dissatisfaction, it''s not apliment, and Lucy gets no ie out of it."

    Hayes was surprised by that information and said, "What should I do? I threw a lot of eggs. I

    thought they were allpliments, so I clicked on all of them."

    Stefan was speechless.

    So, it was Hayes who threw the eggs.

    He didn''t really understand the situation, so there wasn¡¯t any reason to me him.

    But if Lucy knew that she would definitely be heartbroken.

    "I''ll exin to her when I see Lucyter."

    Hayes felt a bit guilty, he tossed some coins without knowing the situation, and ended up throwing a

    bunch of bad reviews.

    Their greeting gift was those bad reviews!

    "It''s okay, you didn''t understand the app, don''t me yourself. What did Keith ask you to bring to

    me?"

    Stefan changed the subject to ease Hayes''s guilt.

    Hayes reached into his suit pocket and pulled out several photos and several pieces of paper, all

    folded up.

    "Keith asked me to give these to you."

    Hayes handed the photos and the papers to Stefan.

    Stefan took the photos and papers, nced at the photos, and then read the papers. The papers

    contained information about the people in the photos.

    He had previously asked Keith to investigate the lovers of the male members of the Blue family.

    Keith acted very rapidly and found a lot in such a short time, but there was no woman mentioned by

    Edgar.

    Could it be that they were looking in the wrong direction? Or did Keith not find out?

    Or maybe the other party was too cunning.

    Hayes saw Stefan fall silent, he wanted to ask, but didn''t dare to interfere in his personal matters.

    Although Stefan was his brother-inw, that was their first meeting. Even though Stefan was very

    familiar with him, if Stefan didn''t take the initiative to speak, Hayes wouldn''t ask.

    Stefan put away the information and photos of those people.

    He would hand them over to Edgarter for a detailed check.

    Perhaps, the enemy had sensed something and used means to hide.

    "Are my dad and brother okay?"

    Stefan didn''t tell Hayes. Some things, the less people know, the better.

    He also understood the situation of the Dewey family in Skywatch and Hayes''s ability. After all, they

    were rtives, he needed to understand clearly.

    "Nathan has been very busy since he came back from Pinehurst. Keith told me that he hasn''t been

    home for several days. Keith is also very busy, but he seems to be in a much better mood than

    before, sometimes, I even see him smile."

    Hayes looked pained when he mentioned Keith.

    As a cousin, he couldn''t help Keith, instead, he always needed Keith''s help.

    "Keith is in a tough spot, under a lot of pressure. I guess you know the drill with Nathan, so I won''t

    go into that. But hey, he''s still my elder and he''s done a ton for the Dewey family. If we ignore the

    crappy stuff he did to Janice, he''s practically a savior to the Deweys."

    Without Nathan''s help, the Dewey group would''ve probably been toasted by that point.

    Without Nathan, he wouldn''t have been able to take over the Dewey group smoothly.

    Since he was a kid, he was educated alongside Keith, and Nathan always treated him like one of

    his own. Nathan taught him everything he could and basically, he learned just as much as Keith, but

    without his knack.

    "By the way, where''s Janice? I came to drop something off, but mainly to see Lucy and Janice.

    She''s been out of it since I can remember, she probably wouldn''t even know who I am."

    Worry was written all over Hayes'' face.

    But then, he thought his aunt was mentally back in the game at that moment, which was a good

    thing. No need to be worried anymore.

    He believed that a peaceful and happy life was waiting for his aunt.

 Chapter 339

    Chapter 339

    "Janice is still vacationing on our ind. She''s really digging it."

    Hayes looked a bit let down, but upon hearing that she was happy, he said with a relieved smile,

    "As long as she''s sane and happy, we can rest easy."

    In the twenty-something years that Lucy was missing, Janice''s life was hell; she was like a walking

    dead.

    Stefan shot his mom a text and in no time, she was on a video call with him.

    "Stefan, you free today? Where''s Lucy?"

    Stefan chuckled, "Mom, I''m at work right now, Lucy''s not with me. Are you guys having fun?"

    "Absolutely! Why, missing your mom?"

    Stefan didn''t respond, just chuckled.

    Jeannie Coleman knew her son well; sheughed and said, "I know you won¡¯t tell me you miss me;

    your sweet talk is probably saved for Lucy."

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Mom, is Lucy''s mom there?"

    "Lucy has two moms, who are you asking about? Both are here. One''s over there chowing down on

    seafood, the other one is over there enjoying the sea breeze, watching the sea, pondering life."

    Jeannie turned the camera to aim at the two women.

    Fiona was sitting under a sun umbre, enjoying seafood and chatting with her husband, both

    laughing heartily.

    Janice was standing not too far away from them, dressed in a in long dress, her hair fluttering,

    her back to everyone, gazing into the distance.

    That silhouette reminded Stefan of Lucinda.

    Lucinda''s figure was somewhat simr to her biological mother''s, only their faces were different.

    "Mom, Lucy''s cousin is here, he wants to meet Lucy''s mom."

    Upon hearing Stefan''s words, his mom knew that he was looking for Janice, so sheughed and

    said, "Alright, hang on, I''ll fetch Janice."

    Soon, Janice appeared in the video.

    Stefan passed his phone to Hayes.

    Taking the phone, Hayes looked at Janice in the video. She looked much better, her eyes were

    more lively, and not as dull as before.

    "Auntie!" Hayes called with a smile, but he felt a pang in his heart.

    "You''re Hayes? You''ve grown so much. If you hadn''t called me ¡®auntie¡¯, I wouldn''t have recognized

    you."

    Janice remembered that she had a nephew, but she had been insane for over twenty years, she

    didn''t even remember her own son, let alone her nephew.

    If Hayes hadn''t called her auntie first, even if they met on the street, she wouldn''t have recognized

    him.

    "Keith and Lucy are both so big, and I''m even older than them."

    Janiceughed, "True, I''ve been out of it for so long, I''ve neglected you. Thankfully, you''re all doing

    well."

    Even though Nathan had betrayed her in their marriage, he had still supported her nephew. At least

    her son and nephew hadn''t been ruined by Nathan.

    For that, Janice was grateful to Nathan.

    Despite her gratitude, her marriage with Nathan was already over.

    People always said that one can mend a broken mirror, but in reality, once a mirror was broken,

    even if it was fixed, there would still be cracks.

    Since he had a new lover, he should let go of his old one. She was even willing to bless him and his

    new lover.

    "Hayes, howe you''re with Stefan? Are you in Pinehurst now? Did Keithe with you? How''s

    he doing in Skywatch? Everything okay?"

    Janice would keep in touch with the kids, but her son always liked to share only the good news and

    not worry her about the disturbing ones.

    Despite being away for over twenty years, Janice still knew what was going on in the Blue family.

    In the past, those people wanted Nathan to rece Keith, to strip him of his inheritance in the Blue

    family, so he wouldn''t be eligible to inherit anything from Nathan.

    They had at that time found Lucy.

    That was good news for them, but definitely bad news for others.

    Some people, for fame and fortune, could do just about anything.

    Janice was very worried about her son, but she knew that was something he had to face.

    And Lucy.

    She knew that Lucy had started working at Ascend Global in preparation to take over the family

    business back in Skywatch.

    If she could, she''d wish her daughter could stay in Pinehurst forever, continue running her coffee

    shop, writing her novels, and living a peaceful life. But Nathan''s personal fortune was over 10

    billion, if her own children didn''t ept that inheritance, they''d be handing it to others.

    Janice could never do that.

    "Keith is still in Skywatch, he''s very busy, so he didn''t have time toe. Nathan''s on a business

    trip again, and he has left thepany to Keith. Don''t worry. Keith may be busy, but he''s doing

    great, and he''s finally in a good mood."

    With his real sister found, a kind brother-inw, and a now sane mother, Keith was indeed in a good

    mood.

    Of course, if he didn''t have to see Madeleine again, he''d be in an even better mood.

    "That''s good. Hayes, since you''re here, stay in Pinehurst for a few more days. I''ll be back soon; we

    can meet up and catch up. I''ll bring you fresh seafood, I caught a lot of fish at the beach yesterday."

    Janice was in a very good mood at that moment, alwaysughing when she spoke.

    "Alright, I''ll stay a few more days and wait for you toe back. Go have fun, I have to hang up

    now, Stefan has to work."

    "Okay."

    They ended the video call.

    Hayes returned the phone to Stefan, and thanked him solemnly, "My aunt''s doing really well now.

    Stefan, thank you."

    The Anderson family was the top wealthy family in Pinehurst, but they were low-key and had good

    family values.

    Lucy was extremely lucky to marry into such a family; he was happy for her.

    Stefan casually said, "We''re family, no need to be formal. I''ll text Lucy, let''s have lunch together."

    "Alright."

    Hayes delightedly epted his proposal.

    Stefan shot a text to his wife first, telling her that her cousin was in town and they were gonna grab

    lunch together.

    Then he dialed Eric Anderson to get the menu sorted out, and shot a message to his bros currently

    in Pinehurst that they were gathering for a lunch meet-up at Ascend Hotel, to wee Hayes.

    Upon receiving the text from her husband, Lucinda was about to reply when a co-worker called her

    name. She quickly shoved her phone back into her pocket and walked over to her colleague. The

    lady had been with thepany longer than her, so Lucinda treated her with respect as she asked,

    "Jennifer, what''s up?"

    Jennifer handed her a stack of papers, saying, "These documents are useless now, get rid of them.

    And stop messing with your phone during work hours. Less talk, more work. Don''t get too

    comfortable just because you''re in Ascend Global, you''re still on probation, you know."

    "You''re absolutely right, I''ll deal with these useless documents right away,"

    Lucinda didn''t argue and took the papers from Jennifer, turning to leave.

    "Hold on, make me a cup of coffee, will you? You saw that my cup was empty but didn¡¯t even bother

    to pour me some water. I''m parched!"

    Jennifer chided Lucinda for being inattentive and handed her the cup.

 Chapter 340

    Chapter 340

    Lucinda stayed mum for a bit, but ultimately didn''t say anything.

    She put down the documents she was holding, took the cup of water Jennifer handed her, and

    headed to the staff break area to make Jennifer a cup of coffee which she wanted.

    At that time, her workspace was on the third floor, a mixed office space for the staff of various

    departments.

    Although Lucinda''s title was assistant manager, she had never met her direct superior and was

    always stuck doing all the grunt work. Anyone could boss her around since she was the new kid on

    the block.

    After Lucinda left with the cup, a woman said to Jennifer, "Jennifer, you shouldn''t treat her like that.

    Even though she''s new, you can have her print documents or deal with useless paperwork, but

    making her brew coffee for you is a bit too much."

    Jennifer scoffed, "I''m her senior, she''s supposed to make coffee for me. What''s so wrong with that?

    When we first started, we did the same. Anyone with professionalism wouldn''t even need me to ask,

    they''d be proactive about making me coffee, even getting me breakfast andte-night snacks. If you

    guys are jealous, you can have her do stuff for you too. She''s new, so she won''tin. I don''t

    know what she was hired for, thepany hasn''t even given her a specific job. I bet HR only hired

    her because of her name. It''s the same as the boss'' wife, but she doesn¡¯t have the same status.

    She''s so in, even if the boss was blind, he wouldn''t give her a second look."

    The woman shot back, "I only said a couple of things, and you''ve gone off on a tangent about the

    boss'' wife. Do you think you''re qualified to talk about her? There are plenty of people with the same

    name in the world, her being called Lucinda doesn''t affect you. Don''t get ahead of yourself just

    because you''ve seen the boss, thinking you''re the heroine of some novel. You don''t dare say

    anything to the boss'' wife, so you are taking it out on the newbie with the same name."

    Jennifer immediately bristled, "Linda, are you saying you never dreamed of such things? Our boss

    is young and talented, he''s a cut above no matter how you look at it. I like him, what''s so wrong

    about that? Is it a huge crime for me to like him?"

    Linda fired back at her, "Sure, I''ve dreamed of that, but at least I''m still single. Your daughter is

    already in kindergarten, he wouldn''t be interested in you even if he couldn''t get a wife. We all know

    what you''re thinking and doing. You treat Lucinda like a maid every day, you''re not even her direct

    senior."

    While Linda was defending Lucinda, she was really just fed up with Jennifer.

    Lucinda came out with Jennifer''s cup, hearing Linda and Jennifer''s quarrel, she inwardly smirked, ¡°It

    turns out that there are a lot of people here who likes Stefan.¡±

    She had only just started working there and had already heard female colleagues talking about

    Stefan more than once in private.

    Almost everyone on that floor had never seen Stefan.

    The only exception was her.

    Jennifer had never seen Stefan up close, she had only seen him from afar.

    Even so, the female colleagues couldn''t help but fantasize about bing the heroine of a novel,

    starting a fairy-tale love story with the boss.

    But the boss was taken by a girl named Lucinda.

    At first, they heard that Lucinda came from a humble family and only got to know the boss because

    of her brother. Then, Lucinda''s background was revealed, she was the young miss of the Blue

    family, set to inherit billions from her biological father.

    She and Stefan became a match made in heaven.

    But those who admired Stefan were very jealous of Lucinda.

    All the dramatic plot points from the novels happened to Lucinda. She became the luckiest woman!

    Who would dare to disrespect the boss'' wife at Ascend Global?

    At that moment, they found a newbie with the same name as the boss'' wife to bully without restraint.

    Lucinda walked past as if nothing had happened.

    "Jennifer, your coffee is ready," She handed the coffee to Jennifer.

    Jennifer took the cup, opened the lid, took a sip, and immediately started to berate Lucinda, "What

    kind of coffee did you make? This coffee is too bitter and too hot, are you trying to scald me to

    death? Lucinda, are you upset with me for bossing you around, so you deliberately made such a

    disgusting coffee with such hot water so that I can¡¯t even enjoy it?"

    With Jennifer''s loud criticism, everyone in the office looked over at them.

    Lucinda maintained her poise and she said, "The coffee in the break room is brought from home by

    everyone, the boxes of coffee all have everyone''s names on them, I used the coffee you brought

    from home."

    If she had aint about the coffee, it was her own coffee.

    If Jennifer wanted her to brew high-grade coffee from ordinary coffee, she was sorry she didn''t have

    that kind of skill.

    Jennifer was left speechless.

    "The water for brewing coffee is supposed to be hot. If you somehow want coffee brewed with cold

    water, I can use cold water next time. I''m a newbie so I still don''t understand everything. I''m grateful

    that Jennifer gives me the opportunity to do things, rather than letting me sit around doing nothing,

    why would I hold a grudge against her?"

    Everyone letting her do things, even if they were trivial, it was better than sitting around and doing

    nothing.

    She just graduated and started a coffee shop with Cecilia. She knew how to make coffee, make

    pastries, but she really didn''t know anything about office work.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Doing odd jobs, running around, she could familiarize herself with the officeyout of different

    departments, understand everyone''s job scope, and get a lot of inside info.

    "Linda, you hear that?"

    Jennifer provocatively called out Linda.

    Linda nced at Lucinda and said, "Lucinda, you don''t have to be afraid of Jennifer. We all see it,

    Jennifer''s only picking on you because you''re new. If you have anyints, just let us know."

    "I don''t have anyints."

    Lucinda might be a rookie in the workce, but she was no fool. And Linda was no Good

    Samaritan; she was just setting up traps for her.

    She picked up the useless files that Jennifer had her rip up, and told the two, "I''m gonna deal with

    this junk."

    And with that, she scooped up the pile of papers and beat it.

    A few steps out, she spotted Edgar.

    She wasn''t sure what Edgar was doing downstairs. He was tailed by a bunch of people in suits, all

    looking at him with reverence.

    The moment Jennifer and the others noticed Edgar, they put on a show of being engrossed in their

    work.

    No one knew how long Edgar had been there or what he''d seen or heard about the recent incident

    on their floor.

    Jennifer and Linda were scared out of their wits, worried that Edgar might have overheard their

    conversation.

    That day was a really weird day. Edgar had actuallye up to the third floor.

    For the rank and file, Edgar was like thepany''s big shot, someone they couldn''t just run into.

    Bumping into Edgar was like amoner running into the Emperor.

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    Chapter 341

    Lucinda halted and shed a professional smile, greeting Edgar, "Hey Edgar, how''s it going?"

    Edgar didn''t smile, but his face was amicable. He gave a slight nod in response to Lucinda''s

    greeting.

    Lucinda assumed that he would walk past her, so she stepped aside.

    But Edgar didn''t move. Instead, he stood there, looking at Lucinda holding a pile of materials to deal

    with, and curiously asked, "What are you up to?"

    "Jennifer said that these materials are no longer needed, so I''m assigned to dispose of them."

    "Is that part of your job description?"

    Lucinda was slightly taken aback. Her job title, printed on her badge, was assistant to a certain

    manager, but she had no clue what that manager looked like because she hadn''t seen her direct

    superior since she started that job.

    Later, she learned from others that her boss was at that time on a business trip.

    So, her official duties were still unclear. She carried out whatever tasks people gave her.

    "I didn''t have other tasks, so I just thought I''d give Jennifer a hand."

    Hearing Lucinda''s answer, Edgar fell silent for a moment. In the midst of everyone''s nervousness,

    he calmly said, "Yeah, newbies should learn more and do more. No matter the size of the task,

    doing it yourself would always teach you something."

    Nobody started off handling big deals. Everyone started small.

    Everyone''s experience started from scratch.

    Lucinda thought so too. She thanked Edgar, "Thanks for the advice, Edgar."

    "But don''t let people push you around. If anyone at Ascend Global bullies the newbies just to ck

    off, they''d get the boot."

    Edgar''s words implied that he had heard a lot.

    This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.

    Jennifer broke into a cold sweat, and even Linda started to get nervous after hearing his words.

    They feared that their actions had been observed by Edgar and other higher-ups. Could they hold

    onto their jobs?

    Lucinda responded with a smile, "Thanks Edgar. I won''t let people walk all over me."

    Edgar admired Lucinda''sposure, revealing no weaknesses. He thought to himself, ¡°Just like the

    boss'' wife, acting so convincingly, this calmness is just like the boss.¡±

    Turning to Jennifer and Linda, Edgar gave a little smile. He had to tread carefully around Lucinda,

    afraid of being caught out by her stealthy actions. Those people dared to openly set a trap for

    Lucinda, they really didn''t fear trouble. Did they really think finding a job was that easy?

    "Get back to work."

    Lucinda''s acting was convincing, and Edgar yed along just as well. No one could tell that Edgar

    held a secret respect for Lucinda.

    Lucinda left with the pile of materials to be dealt with.

    Edgar and a group of senior executives lingered for a moment, without saying a word, then they

    also left.

    After he left, everyone in the office looked at each other, reading each other''s thoughts from their

    eyes.

    Jennifer kept on wiping the cold sweat off her forehead with tissues as she was still trembling with

    fear.

    She never thought that Edgar woulde to the third floor with the senior executives. That had

    never happened before.

    Thinking back to their climb up the corporatedder, some people appeared to be highly capable,

    but in the end, they were unable to get a promotion. Everyone began to wonder if those who were

    promoted had special backgrounds. As it turned out, it was because the higher-ups would secretly

    observe their attitude and behavior in an office environment.

    They would secretly observe their conduct.

    Among two equally capable individuals, it was always the one with better conduct who got

    promoted.

    Lucinda didn''t know how everyone perceived that issue. Before she handled any documents, she

    would read them carefully first, and then dispose of them.

    Company documents, regardless of their relevance, shouldn¡¯t be leaked. They must either be kept

    safely or destroyed.

    Under the same sky, different people were doing different things in different ces.

    Skywatch, Blue Corporation.

    A red sports car parked in front of thepany, and Madeleine honked her horn impatiently.

    The on-duty security guard had already noticed her, but he didn''t open the gate as he didn¡¯t know

    why she was there for. Hearing her honk, he approached her politely, asking, "Ms. Porter, who are

    you here for?"

    "Don''t waste my time! Open the gate, I need to get in."

    Madeleine said coldly, and then demanded the security guard to open the gate.

    The security guard hesitated, "Ms. Porter, the deputy CEO has stressed that if youe, we need

    his approval before letting you in."

    The CEO was away, and the Blue Corporation was at that time under the deputy CEO''s control.

    Despite several deputy CEOs in thepany, the two older deputies were the CEO''s brothers, and

    the younger one was his biological son.

    Regardless of rumors about President Blue''s dissatisfaction with his son and their poor rtionship,

    as long as President Blue didn''t have a second son, the future of the Blue family was in Keith''s

    hands.

    Everyone understood that.

    Madeleine frowned as she warned him, "You should know who I am. Be sure of it before you talk to

    me."

    The young and confident security guard deliberately rubbed his eyes, looked at Madeleine and said,

    "Ms. Porter, I see clearly. You are indeed Ms. Porter, not an impersonator."

    Madeleine''s face turned pale with anger, "You know who I am and you still won''t open the gate! Do

    you want to lose your job?"

    "Ms. Porter, the deputy CEO said that without his permission, we cannot let you in."

    "Keith dares to stop me! Does he think Blue Corporation is his?"

    The security guard muttered under his breath, "Isn''t it his?"

    "What did you just say?"

    The security guard quickly said, "Ms. Porter, please wait a moment. I''ll report this for you. If the

    deputy CEO agrees to let you in, I''ll open the gate for you right away."

    After saying that, he returned to the security office to make a call.

    Madeleine was so peeved by his stubbornness that she felt like ramming her car into the door, but

    then she thought about how her car was no match for the Blue Corporation''s front door. Even if she

    did hit the door, her car would take the full brunt of it. Keith, who loathed her, wouldn''t pay a penny

    for her car damage.

    She had no choice but to swallow her anger and wait out there.

    Once she saw Nathan, she would make sure he gave Keith a piece of his mind!

    When Nathan wasn''t around, that was how she was treated. God knew what would happen if she

    were to marry into the Blue family. Keith needed to be dealt with!

    Madeleine was seriously ticked off at Keith.

    Before security could get back to her, she was already on the phone with Keith.

    Keith took an eternity to pick up her call as he was in no mood to talk with her.

    "Keith, I need to see you,"

    Madeleine tried her best to keep her anger in check and sound calm.

    "What''s up?"

    Keith''s voice was frosty, and he reluctantly said, "Unless it''s something major, I don''t have time for

    you."

    "Don''t act all high and mighty. I want to see you now. Don''t think they can stop me!"

    Keith was silent on the other end for a while, and then said, "You have five minutes."

    Then he hung up, no matter how Madeleine reacted.

    Madeleine felt the urge to chuck her phone.

    She was Miss Porter, Nathan''s girlfriend, and possibly going to be Keith''s stepmom. How dare Keith

    treat her like that?

 Chapter 342

    Chapter 342

    Ten minutester.

    Madeleine strutted into the office with an air of superiority. Rocking her hips in high heels, she made

    her way into Keith''s office in a seductive manner.

    Keith''s secretary nervously exined to him, "Mr. Vice President, Ms. Porter insisted on seeing you.

    I couldn''t stop her."

    "Got it, you go get on with your work."

    Keith gestured to his secretary to leave.

    Madeleine was always pushy and aggressive. Even if he didn''t want to see her, the moment she

    barged into Blue Corporation, his secretary could do nothing to stop her from doing what she

    wanted.

    Madeleine walked up to him, leaning on his desk and looming over Keith.

    Keith bore some resemnce to his father but was not as mature and steady as Nathan.

    In Madeleine''s eyes, Keith, two years her junior, was just a youngd. Although he had some skills,

    she didn''t take him quite seriously, thanks to her reliance on the Porter family and Nathan.

    Recalling her failed attempts to undermine Keith, Madeleine quietly toned down her arrogance.

    She needed to take Keith seriously at that time.

    He was her number one enemy. Only when Nathan had no heir would he be desperate enough to

    have a child with her.

    Keith lifted his wrist, nced at his watch and said coldly, "One and a half minutes of your five are

    already gone."

    Madeleine calmly said, ¡°Keith, I just have a few questions for you. Where is your dad?¡±

    Without Nathan around, she had nothing to lean on and couldn''t be pushy.

    Madeleine slightly toned down her aggressive attitude.

    Keith said coldly, ¡°My father is closer to you than me. Where he went, shouldn¡¯t you know that

    better? He never tells me where he''s going or what he''s doing. Sometimes, I even have to learn

    about his whereabouts from you.¡±

    ¡°Don''t y the victim card. You''re his son. Even if he''s displeased with you, he''s still your father.

    How could he not tell you where he''s going? He said he was on a business trip. Where is he on a

    business trip? Does he need to hide it from me?¡±

    She had gotten an aphrodisiac, nning to use it on Nathan, but he hadn''t been home for days,

    leaving her with the aphrodisiac but nowhere to use it.

    Madeleine knew that Nathan was very busy, but her patience had worn thin as she was eager to

    settle that matter.

    Before Janice eventually returned, she had to truly win over Nathan. Only then could she make

    Janice mad enough to ask for a divorce, leaving a spot for her.

    Keith coldly said, ¡°This is an internal affair of the Blue family. If my father didn¡¯t tell you where he

    went on a business trip, it definitely means that he doesn¡¯t want you to know. Ms. Porter, I¡¯m busy.

    Please leave and stop wasting my precious time.¡±

    Madeleine''s face turned cold. She red at Keith for a long time, snorted, and then turned to leave.

    Shortly after she left the room, Nathan called his son using a different phone number.

    ¡°Is everything okay at thepany?¡± Nathan inquired.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Keith''s tone was cold, not saying a word more than what was necessary to his father.

    Luckily, his mother was staying at his sister''s house. If she had returned with Keith and his father,

    she would have fallen sick from Madeleine¡¯s antics.

    His mother was a gentle and graceful woman with a mild temper, no match for Madeleine and her

    dirty scheme.

    In fact, it was Janice who no longer wanted to fight. If she wanted to, Nathan would certainly return

    to her.

    When Nathan chose her as his wife, it wasn''t just because he loved her. If she was too weak, the

    head of the Blue family wouldn''t have agreed to their marriage.

    Sensing his son''s coldness through his voice, Nathan fell silent for a moment, and then asked, "Did

    Madeleinee to see you?"

    "She has just left. She was very arrogant, acting like she was the mistress of the Blue family."

    Keith''s words were dripping with sarcasm, "You two have such a great rtionship. You''ve only

    been away for a few days and she''s already missing you like crazy,ing to me for answers.

    What an honor!"

    Nathan was speechless.

    ¡°Your mother and I,¡±

    "Stop mentioning my mom. You''re not worthy of her. You should have granted my mom a divorce

    sooner. You should be grateful that she''s not like other women who refuse to divorce and drag their

    husbands down. She''s generously letting you be with your new lover. Only you couldnd such a

    generous wife."

    "Keith, you and Lucy should stay out of your mom''s and my business. Perhaps one day you''ll

    understand. There''s no use talking about it now. Anyway, I won''t divorce your mother. Unless I die,

    she won''t be single again."

    Keith looked grave.

    Unfortunately, they were talking on the phone and couldn''t see each other''s facial reaction.

    "I''m going to hang up now. If anythinges up, contact me on this number. Only you know this

    number."

    Not wanting to argue with his son and sensing the tense atmosphere, Nathan ended the call quickly.

    Keith ced his phone on the desk and muttered, "As if I''m dying to know your exclusive phone

    number."

    Despite his words, he picked up his phone, saved the number, andbeled it "Hill".

    They said a father''s love was like a mountain, and in a child''s heart, a father was a Hill.

    In the evening.

    After getting off work, Lucinda, as usual, went to the Serendipity Cafe to take over from Cecilia and

    let her rest.

    As soon as she got out of the taxi, she was attracted by the sea of flowers at the entrance of the

    coffee shop.

    Many people were gathered around the flower disy, constantly taking photos.

    Countless roses piled together forming a big red heart. It was indeed something beautiful and

    attention-grabbing.

    Lucinda squeezed into the crowd to observe thatrge red heart up close. She didn''t need to ask

    around to guess who was responsible for that.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    She and Stefan had been married for quite some time. Stefan was also romantic, but he wouldn''t

    set up a flower disy for no special asion. It had to be Owen.

    That day, Owen and Cecilia officiallypleted their divorce proceedings.

    They were both single again.

    Owen was fast off the mark and started hitting on Cecilia right away, wasting no time.

    He moved real quick.

    His pursuit was so ardent, he made it clear to everyone that Cecilia was his girl.

    Any no-hoper thinking ofpeting with him, step off!

    Worried that too many spectators might spoil his game, Owen arranged for bodyguards to protect

    his flower field, allowing only viewing, no touching of those flowers.

    "Wow, he''s so hot!"

    Someone murmured in awe.

    Lucinda squeezed her way out of the crowd, just in time to see Owen with a massive bouquet of

    flowers, stepping out of his fancy car and striding towards the caf¨¦.

    Handsome and holding a huge bouquet of flowers, he was every bit as impressive as the heart-

    shaped pattern outside the shop.

    Lucinda made her way into the caf¨¦ first.

    Once inside, she saw Avery actually giving Cecilia a bunch of roses.

    Lucinda paused in her tracks.

    Looking at Avery, her eyes were full of admiration. From the moment that good-looking customer

    first came to their caf¨¦, she knew that he had a thing for her friend.

    Look, their rtionship had progressed to the flower-giving stage.

    Avery had guts, even though he was once kicked out by Owen, he still dared toe back for

    Lucinda.

    That young man had some balls, good for him!

    Avery exined his situation, ¡°You guys have no idea the pain I''m going through. I''m literally risking

    my life delivering these flowers!¡±

 Chapter 343

    Chapter 343

    "Lucy, you made it!"

    Cecilia was torn about epting Avery''s bouquet when she saw her friend walk in. She immediately

    bypassed Avery with a smile and headed towards Lucinda.

    Avery let out a sigh of relief.

    Despite the functioning air conditioning in the caf¨¦, he covertly wiped away some cold sweat from

    his forehead.

    Thank goodness Cecilia didn''t ept his flowers.

    He should be able to live.

    "Hmm, I just got off work and rushed over."

    In a low voice, Lucinda asked her friend about the situation she had just witnessed, "What''s going

    on with you and Mr. Cooper? You didn''t catch themotion outside, did you?"

    "I have no idea, it''s all so weird."

    Cecilia imed innocence.

    After Owen bought a bunch of flowers and arranged them into a heart-shaped sea of flowers at the

    cafe''s entrance, Avery popped up out of nowhere and also brought a bouquet.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    He said that he liked her and wanted to give her flowers.

    Cecilia appreciated good-looking guys, purely as eye candy, but she was not interested in Avery.

    Just because she was a bit careless, it didn¡¯t mean she was not perceptive. She could tell that

    Avery didn¡¯t have romantic feelings for her from their interactions.

    Avery''s gaze was calm when he looked at her, unlike Owen''s, which always carried a hint of

    turbulence.

    "Every time Mr. Cooper shows up, Owen alsoes. Cecilia, do you think Mr. Cooper might have a

    tracking device on him nted by Owen? Or is he sent by someone?"

    It was just too coincidental.

    Lucinda couldn¡¯t help but let her mind wander.

    There weren¡¯t that many coincidences in life, most of the time was all arranged by someone.

    Just like her and Stefan.

    When she was unaware, she thought everything was a coincidence, a result of her and Stefan''s

    fate.

    But once she found out the truth, she realized that she had long been his prey. He wasn''t in a hurry

    to catch her, but he never stopped watching her. Any guy who tried to pursue her or get close to her,

    Stefan would secretly interfere and push them away from her.

    It was all Stefan''s doing.

    Therefore, every time Avery showed up, Owen would follow, leading Lucinda to suspect that all of

    that was orchestrated.

    Cecilia curiously asked, "Who would arrange all this?"

    Lucinda couldn''t think of anyone either, she then whispered, "Owen''s here. I''ll go remove my

    makeup; I''ll be quick."

    "Let hime, I''m not afraid of him now."

    She wasn''t afraid before, and now she was divorced, she was free and even less afraid.

    Lucindaughed, so it was true, both had gone through the divorce procedure. Without the

    constraint of that piece of paper, Owen really had no right to interfere with who Cecilia was friends

    with anymore.

    Lucinda grabbed a small, exquisite bag from the cash register and then slipped into the restroom to

    remove her makeup.

    The small bag contained the makeup remover that Tiffany had given her.

    Not wanting to run back to her rented house, she removed her makeup in the cafe''s restroom.

    As soon as Owen appeared, the onlookers dutifully made way, no longer crowding around the sea

    of flowers.

    Seeing that Owen was still holding arge bouquet of flowers that looked like it was made out of

    money, everyone took a closer look, and sure enough, it was made out of money, it looked so

    beautiful!

    "I really want a bouquet like that."

    "Me too."

    Everyone present at that ce, regardless of age or gender, obviously loved the flowers made of

    money.

    Owen''s expression looked very smug.

    His physical appearance ranked among the top in Pinehurst, the only ones who could surpass him

    were the Andersons.

    When he saw through the ss door that Avery was also present there, holding a bouquet of

    flowers clearly intended for Cecilia, Owen''s face immediately darkened.

    He was so annoying!

    Normally, he just came here to have some coffee, eat some snacks, and chat with Cecilia at most.

    But that day, he actually dared to give her flowers.

    Did the news of their divorce get leaked? Did Avery seize the opportunity to make a move?

    Owen immediately felt tense.

    He thought that even if they divorced, as long as he didn''t let go, Cecilia would still be his and no

    one would dare topete with him.

    But he was wrong!

    There were plenty of people in the world who weren¡¯t afraid of his threat!

    Owen, clutching the bouquet of money-made flowers, strode into the cafe.

    Cecilia had be very calm.

    Seeing Owen striding towards her, she evenughed and said, "The wind blew Owen in here."

    Owen first gave her a deep look, and then walked straight towards Avery.

    Cecilia didn''t say anything.

    What was he up to?

    There were a few customers in the shop, all eagerly watching Owen''s actions.

    Seeing Owen walk to Avery, extending the bouquet of money-made flowers in his hand to touch the

    bouquet in Avery''s hand.

    Both were bouquets.

    But everyone felt that Owen''s bouquet was more magnificent.

    Avery was stunned, looking at Owen, and then at the bouquet of money-made flowers Owen was

    handing him.

    There was nothing but surprise and confusion on his face.

    Should he actually ept Owen''s bouquet?

    If he did, it would be a betrayal to his boyfriend.

    Although their love wasn''t epted by everyone, he was very loyal, willing to stay by his boyfriend''s

    side no matter how exciting the world outside was, he wouldn''t leave his boyfriend behind.

    Cecilia was also baffled by Owen''s actions.

    She kept on watching as Owen made his move.

    Avery didn''t dare to ept the money-made flowers, just staring at Owen, not making a move.

    Owen''s face was dark, his posture unchanging.

    Time seemed to stop, no one spoke, and no one stepped forward to separate them.

    When Lucinda came out after removing her makeup, she found the atmosphere in the shop strange

    and saw the two men in a standoff.

    She walked over to her friend, nudged her in confusion as she couldn¡¯t figure out anything by

    observing the situation and whispered, "What happened?"

    "I have no idea, is Owen trying to give Avery flowers?"

    Cecilia was sure that Owen wasn''t gay. He loved Ruby for over a decade. If he were gay, he would

    be in love with Stefan, not Ruby.

    If he was not gay, why would he give flowers to Avery?

    "Just be silent and enjoy the show."

    Lucinda was also confused, but sheughed, pulled her friend back to the cash register, took out

    her phone ready to record a video, and joked, "I''m going to show this to Stefan, it will be enough to

    make himugh for a year."

    Cecilia looked at her drama-loving friend, opened her mouth wanting to say something, but didn''t

    know what to say. So, she just stood there wide-eyed as her friend finished recording the video and

    sent it to Stefan.

    In no time, Stefan replied to his beloved wife.

    When the voice message he sent was yed, Cecilia could hear it clearly.

    First, he wasughing his head off.

    A twitch ran through Cecilia''s lips, she knew that Mr. Coleman would be cracking up like crazy.

    The funny thing was, she noticed that Mr. Coleman and Owen, who were always at loggerheads,

    seemed to be less hostile towards one another at that time.

    "Lucy, Owen is actually quite normal, don''t get him wrong. He''s not sending flowers to that dude,

    he''s justpeting with him to see whose bouquet is bigger, and more expensive!"

    Both Lucinda and Cecilia were speechless.

 Chapter 344

    Chapter 344

    Stefan then sent over a few voice messages.

    "Owen wants to scare off the other guy but also wants to keep his cool, without resorting to

    violence. However, his approach is easily misunderstood."

    Stefanughed so hard that his belly hurt.

    His arch-nemesis was definitely sent by the heavens to make himugh.

    Not everyone could understand Owen''s thoughts and actions.

    After her husband''s exnation, Lucinda got it.

    Sheughed so hard that she was pounding on the table.

    Cecilia felt super awkward and said to her friend, "Lucy, I''m off work, you manage the shop."

    She was ready to go home, as she couldn''t stand the drama anymore.

    Lucinda teased, "Don''t you want to see how long their standoffsts?"

    Cecilia awkwardly said, "I can''t take it anymore."

    Lucindaughed till her stomach hurt and said, "Cecilia, you really picked a clown. If you two get

    back together, life would surely be a riot."

    That was just too funny!

    She couldn''t understand at all how Owen''s move was meant to make his rival feel the danger and

    back off.

    Thank God for Stefan''s exnation.

    Both were childhood rivals and knew each other very well.

    If they were a boy and a girl, she and Cecilia surely wouldn''t stand a chance.

    "Cecilia."

    Seeing Cecilia was about to leave, Owen and Avery shouted her name at the same time.

    Owen, being more shameless, even grabbed Cecilia''s hand.

    Seeing Avery also calling Cecilia''s name, Owen pushed the flower bouquet made of money in front

    of Avery and said, "Mr. Cooper, don''t you think you''re broke? Flowers wilt and can''t be eaten or

    used, who would want them?"

    Avery was speechless.

    Broke?

    He looked at Owen''s flower bouquet made of money, very bright and won''t wilt.

    Although it couldn¡¯t be eaten, it could be exchanged for lots of food, very practical.

    Compared to that, well, he was indeed broke.

    At that point, everyone finally got it.

    Avery''s face turned bright red.

    He didn''t know if it was because he misunderstood Owen or because he felt that his flowers were

    shabby.

    "Cecilia, this flower is for you."

    Owen finally handed the flower bouquet made of money to his ex-wife.

    She was his wife in the morning, and now she was his ex-wife.

    Cecilia shook off his hand and said, "Thanks, but I''m off work, got to go. You guys carry on."

    Then, she turned around and walked out of the coffee shop.

    Seeing the big red heart at the door, she paused slightly but didn''t linger. She walked down the

    stairs to her electric bike, hopped on, and quickly left that ce.

    The people watching as Cecilia left were still mulling over what had just happened in front of them.

    "Mr. Cooper, Cecilia is mine!"

    Owen growled at Avery.

    Avery was uneasy, but he had to do what his employer wanted from him. So, he stood tall and

    responded, "We''llpete fairly."

    Owen quickly had to go find Cecilia and didn''t have time to argue with Avery. He red at Avery,

    picked up the money flower, and left the coffee shop in a hurry.

    Lucinda smiled and said to herself, "Owen is such a lovesick fool, acting so immature."

    She couldn''t help butugh.

    In order to keep his cool in front of Cecilia, Owen wouldn''t use violence or bully people with his

    power. But his actions were hard to see through.

    In the eyes of others, Owen was just an immature man.

    Afterughing, Lucinda felt a bit regretful. She had to mind the coffee shop and couldn''t see what

    happened next.

    The next part would definitely be even more exciting, and she was going to miss out on the fun.

    Looking at the customers in the coffee shop, Lucinda rubbed her chin in thought. She wanted to

    expand the coffee shop so that more customers had a ce to sit.

    Thanks to Ruby''s rmendation, Serendipity Cafe was bing known in Pinehurst. With her

    background, many people came to check in every day.

    The coffee was good, the pastries were delicious, and there were always interesting things

    happening in the shop to hold onto the attention of the customers.

    Serendipity Cafe was the perfect ce to watch a show.

    Yeah, if she expanded the shop, business would definitely improve.

    With that thought in mind, Lucinda decided to act on it.

    The two shops next door were clothing stores and didn''t seem to be doing very well. She nned to

    ask the owners if they were willing to sublet, and she could rent the two stores, connect them to

    Serendipity Cafe, and renovate.

    The onlookers hadn''tpletely dispersed.

    Some of them were tired from standing and came in to sit. Feeling awkward about taking up space,

    they ordered some food and drinks.

    Soon, all the seats in the shop were filled, and the peopleing in couldn''t find a ce to sit.

    That made Lucinda even more determined to expand the shop.

    Not making money when she could was stupid!

    If Cecilia knew that her friend was not only using her and Owen as writing material but also nning

    to write a story about them and using her as a bait to attract more customers and expand business,

    she''d definitely regret it and think she made a poor choice in friends.

    Owen drove to find Cecilia.

    Cecilia was riding an electric bike, which couldn''t outrun his car.

    But he didn''t dare to forcibly stop Cecilia.

    They were divorced at that moment, and when Owen chased Cecilia, he had to be very careful

    because he had nothing to rely on.

    If Cecilia frowned, he''d have to worry about his status dropping.

    Right at that time, in Cecilia''s heart, he probably had scored 60 points. Any lower and he''d fail.

    He wasn''t like Lucinda, who had a bunch of readers giving her good reviews and boosting her

    score.

    And so, Owen silently drove his luxury car, trailing behind Cecilia''s electric bike. Cars behind him

    kept honking, but he didn''t care and let them pass when they could.

    The drivers who overtook his car were all thinking, ¡°So, even luxury cars can drive this slowly.¡±

    They arrived at the alley where the Yates family lived. Owen''s car was too big to get into the alley.

    Afraid to block traffic, he had to park near a supermarket, then got out of the car, took the flower

    bouquet, and ran after Cecilia.

    The alley was uneven and crowded. Cecilia drove slowly, and Owen caught up to her and sat on the

    back of her bike.

    Cecilia''s bike wobbled. She quickly braced herself with her foot, stopped the bike, and then turned

    around to look.

    "Cecilia." Owen wasughing his head off, his smile more stunning than the sunset.

    "Get off!"

    "I ain''t getting off!"

    "Cecilia, let''s scoot. People behind are honking non-stop, we shouldn''t be blocking the traffic."

    Cecilia saw a bunch of e-bikes behind them. Everyone there was ustomed to using e-bikes to

    get around. After all, that was the old part of town, with tinynes and bumpy roads. The streetlights

    at night were dim, and many of them weren''t working.

    She freed one hand and gave Owen''s thigh a hard twist. Only after hearing his yelp of pain did she

    start the bike again.

    Even though Cecilia had twisted Owen hard enough to make him yell, he still stayed on her bike. He

    held the flower bouquet made of money in one hand, and casually wrapped the other around

    Cecilia''s waist.

    Cecilia almost fell off the bike when he pulled her in like that.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

 Chapter 345

    Chapter 345

    "Owen, back off. It''s notfortable with you clinging onto me like that!"

    Cecilia tried to shake off his arm, but without sess. She was worried about falling off the scooter,

    so she quickly grabbed the handlebars again.

    Innocently, Owen said, "I''m just afraid I might fall off. It''s safer to hold onto you."

    Cecilia''s face turned sour at his shamelessness, but she was helpless against him.

    He was such a rascal.

    If it wasn''t for her mom stepping in, he might never have agreed to divorce her.

    Luckily, the ride from the alley to the Yates family''s ce wasn''t far, and they soon arrived at their

    gate.

    Cecilia parked the scooter, and struggled to get his hands off her.

    Hearing footsteps in the yard, Owen quickly let go of her.

    He got off the scooter, smiling.

    Although he hadn''t gained anything, at least he got to hold her. He felt like he''d scored.

    Cecilia red at him, whispering, "Owen, just because I agreed to your pursuit doesn''t mean I''ve

    epted you. I''m not your girlfriend yet. You should respect me, not take advantage of me."

    She hadn''t followed her mom''s advice to change her number, to disappear for a while. Giving Owen

    a chance was also giving herself a chance, but it didn''t actually mean she had epted him.

    With a serious face, Owen said, "Cecilia, I didn''t take advantage of you, I was just worrying about

    my safety. How about this, if you feel you''ve been wronged, you can hold onto me. For as long as

    you want. I''ll let you get thepensation you deserve."

    Cecilia was exasperated.

    "Cecilia, you''re back."

    Wilma came out of the house.

    She was visiting the Yates family.

    Seeing it was Wilma, Owen breathed a sigh of relief.

    He had thought that it was the elders of the Yates familying out.

    "Yeah, I just got off work. Wilma, have you had dinner yet?"

    "I haven''t eaten yet, I was about to go home and cook. Cecilia, is this your boyfriend? He looks

    familiar, like the taxi driver? The one you mentioned before."

    Owen''s face darkened.

    She actually introduced him like that.

    Wasn''t he worth being known to everyone?

    "Wilma, he''s my friend, Owen."

    Cecilia didn''t say he was her boyfriend; she just introduced him as her friend.

    A friend of the opposite sex was usually assumed to be a boyfriend.

    While sizing up Owen, Wilma praised Cecilia with a smile, "Cecilia, you''ve got good taste. This

    guy''s pretty good in all aspects, well done!"

    Seeing the bouquet in Owen''s hand, Wilma stared at it for a while, asking, "Young man, is this

    bouquet made of real money or fake? It looks so real, and it''s pretty as a bouquet. You young folk

    sure know how to have fun."

    Owen just smiled, saying, "Wilma, you''ve got a sharp eye."

    He didn''t say whether the money was real or fake, he justplimented Wilma, making herugh.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    After chit-chatting for a while, Wilma told Cecilia, "I have to go home and cook now, I don''t want to

    interrupt you and your friend. You should go inside."

    "Goodbye, Wilma."

    Owen bid Wilma farewell in a friendly manner.

    Wilma left with a smile, saying, "This young man sure knows how to talk."

    After Wilma left, Cecilia pushed the scooter into the yard. Her family had a tin garage in the yard

    where she parked the scooter. She took the keys and turned to go inside, but found Owen was

    gone.

    She looked around, but didn''t see him.

    She found it strange; did he go inside?

    There was no sound of him talking in the house, only the sound of the ys her grandfather was

    watching.

    Cecilia''s grandfather loved two things, ying chess and watching ys.

    At that moment he was watching Othello.

    Cecilia went outside again to look, but still didn''t find Owen anywhere.

    There was no way he would just leave like that.

    He had followed her all the way to her house, how could he just leave so easily?

    He must have gone inside.

    Cecilia turned and went back into the house.

    As soon as she entered, she looked around but didn''t see Owen.

    Cecilia''s grandfather was cleaning the table. They must have had coffee when Wilma was visiting.

    When Cecilia went in, she saw her grandfather pouring out a cup of unfinished coffee.

    "Cecilia, you''ve beening home quite early these days."

    Seeing his granddaughter, Cecilia''s grandfather made a casual remark.

    "Grandpa, I''ve told you before, Lucy watches the shop in the evening now. She usually gets off work

    at half past five, so I cane home at around six. Grandpa, you didn''t forget to make dinner for

    me, did you?"

    Cecilia''s grandfatherughed, "No matter when youe home, there''s always dinner for you."

    Cecilia gave a smile.

    She put the keys where they usually went, then walked over to the fruit bowl on the table, picked up

    an apple, and while eating, she asked, "Grandpa, is it just you at home? Where''s my mom?"

    "Your mom went to your uncle''s ce, she should be back soon. I''ve already made the rice, just

    waiting for your mom toe back and cook the dishes. If you''re hungry, I can start cooking now."

    Cecilia quickly said, "Let me do it, Grandpa. You just watch the opera here. And don''t get mad if

    someonees."

    Cecilia''s grandfather wasn''t foolish, hearing his granddaughter say that, he frowned and asked, "Is

    Owen still bothering you? By the way, your mom asked you two to divorce, have you done the

    paperwork? Let me see the divorce certificate."

    "How could I not listen to my mom''s orders."

    While eating the apple, Cecilia showed her grandfather the divorce certificate.

    Cecilia''s grandfather looked at the divorce certificate and said, "So this is what a divorce certificate

    looks like. It''s my first time seeing one."

    Just as his words fell, the doorbell rang.

    Cecilia''s grandfather handed the divorce certificate back to his granddaughter, saying, "I''ll go see

    who it is."

    "Grandpa, you just watch the opera here, I''ll get the door."

    Guessing it was Owen, Cecilia told her grandfather to sit down, and went to answer the door

    herself.

    To Cecilia''s surprise, the person standing at the door wasn''t Owen, but Trenton and his butler.

    Behind them stood two bodyguards.

    The two bodyguards were holding many gifts in their hands.

    "Trenton, is that you?"

    Cecilia stuffed the unfinished apple into her mouth, only opening the yard door after mping the

    apple between her teeth.

    With a hint of disappointment, Trenton said, "Cecilia, why aren''t you calling me Grandpa anymore?"

    Initially, he forced his grandson to marry Cecilia to keep him away from Ruby, and also because his

    grandson was almost thirty. The only young woman around him, besides Ruby, was Cecilia.

    Let''s not get into the other reasons.

    After spending some time together, Trenton genuinely fell for Cecilia.

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    Chapter 346

    What a shame that his grandson was such a failure that he couldn''t even keep a hold of his wife.

    Cecilia calmly said, "Sir, you know the situation between Owen and me. We are already divorced

    and I am no longer his wife, so I can''t call you grandpa anymore. Was there anything you need?"

    Ever since her grandfather found out about Trenton''s deception, he had forbidden him from visiting.

    Trenton had probably been pampered all his life, so he had never been turned away from

    someone''s door. Even when he knew he was wrong, he wasn''t willing to admit it. So, he hadn''t

    stepped foot on the Yates family''s doorstep for quite some time.

    "Cecilia, could you let me in to sit down? By the way, is your grandfather home?"

    Cecilia led Trenton into the house, saying as they walked, "My grandfather is home. Are you here to

    apologize to him, sir?"

    Trenton''s face turned slightly red but quickly returned to normal. "In the past, I was wrong. I

    deceived your grandfather, who treated me as a friend. I can''t me him for being angry. Anyway, I

    should apologize to him in person."

    Cecilia defeated Owen.

    Although the Yates family was ordinary, they were honest. Cecilia was sharp and not afraid of Olina.

    Trenton thought that Cecilia was worthy of being the next matriarch of the Martinez family.

    Olina was not qualified. While Shane was handlingpany affairs, Trenton didn''t want to hand

    over the Martinez family to his daughter-inw but waited for Cecilia to step in and be the matriarch

    of the Martinez family, bypassing Olina.

    He had to take the Yates family seriously, starting with apologizing to Devon Yates.

    Cecilia led Trenton and his people into the house.

    "Grandpa, Trenton is here."

    Upon seeing Trenton, Devon''s face darkened. He looked around, seemingly looking for something

    to kick this old trickster out.

    "Devon, I''m sorry. I was wrongst time. I shouldn''t have deceived you. I came here specifically to

    apologize to you. Please forgive me this time."

    Trenton didn''t wait for Devon to kick him out. He walked over and apologized sincerely.

    "It''s all your fault that my granddaughter, Cecilia, had to go through a divorce without even having a

    romance. If it weren''t for you forcing her, we wouldn''t be in this mess. Your rich people''s games are

    something we poor can''t afford. Get lost!"

    Devon was really annoyed with Trenton.

    And he med himself.

    He had originally thought of helping his granddaughter find a boyfriend when Trenton mentioned his

    unmarried grandson. Who would have thought that he would push his granddaughter into a pit of

    fire?

    "Yes, yes, yes, I''m the old trickster. It''s all my fault. Devon, you can scold me. Even if you scold me,

    I can take it. I just hope you can forgive me this time. I promise I won''t deceive you again."

    Trenton lowered his stance.

    He exined, "I didn''t want to harm Cecilia. I really hoped that my disobedient grandson could live

    a good life with Cecilia. Devon, we are both grandfathers. You love Cecilia and hope for her

    happiness. I love Owen and hope for his happiness, too."

    Devon hummed, "You can''t force someone to love you. Don''t you know that? You''ve lived a long

    life, but you still don''t understand this. You''ve wasted your life."

    "I was wrong, Devon. I was really wrong. Please, forgive me this time."

    Devon still hummed coldly, but he started to make coffee for his guests.

    Seeing that the two old men wouldn''t start arguing, Cecilia quietly slipped out.

    She saw two bodyguards from the Martinez family carrying gifts and wondered where Owen had

    gone.

    He must have gone to buy gifts.

    Indeed, as soon as she stepped out of the house, she saw Owening back, one hand holding a

    bunch of money flowers and the other carrying a bunch of gift bags. He looked ratherical,

    which made her want tough.

    When he approached her, she teased him, "Are you parading around with these money flowers?

    You''re lucky you haven''t been robbed."

    "Other people thought it was fake money. Besides, I''m big and strong. Who would dare to rob me?"

    He was trained, so any thief who dared to rob him of his money flowers would be digging their own

    grave. He could make the thief rot in jail!

    "I thought you were afraid of being kicked out by my grandfather and ran away."

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Cecilia took some things from his hand so that she wouldn''t be burdened by the weight.

    "You bought so many things, my family may not ept them."

    "Whether they ept it or not is up to them. I can''te empty-handed. That would be impolite. I''m

    still in the stage of seeking approval, I can''t lose points for not following the rules."

    Owen handed the money flowers to her. After she took them, he took the gifts back from her,

    saying, "These things are a bit heavy. You don''t need to carry them. By the way, I saw two cars that

    looked like my grandfather''s when I returned. I don''t know if I was seeing things."

    "It''s your grandfather''s car. He''s here too, apologizing to my grandfather in the house."

    Owen followed her into the house. Hearing that his grandfather was really here, he muttered, "He

    only apologized after I got divorced. What does that mean? If he had apologized earlier, maybe my

    mother-inw wouldn''t have forced us to divorce. By the way, was my mother-inw at home? Will

    she hit you with a stick when she sees me? Cecilia, if your mom hits you again, just run. I''ll block

    her for you. Let her hit me. I have thick skin, I''m not afraid of getting hit."

    Cecilia looked at him. He had instinctively shielded her from the stick, showing that he really cared

    for her.

    However, Ruby was still clinging to him. Even if he could cleanly break free from her, the timing was

    too short. She needed to observe more.

    In any case, she wouldn''t let herself be wronged again, nor would she be willing to be a substitute

    again.

    One day, if she were ever to set foot again in the grand doors of the Martinez Manor, she would do

    so with her head held high, with dignity and honor.

    "My mom went over to my uncle''s ce. Don''t worry, she won''t hit me anymore."

    That was meant tofort Owen.

    But deep down, Owen knew the truth.

    He cared about Cecilia so much that even if his mother-inw was just pretending, he was scared.

    He would rather file for divorce than let his mother-inwy a hand on Cecilia again.

    Together, they entered the house.

    Whether the two elders in the house had reconciled, Cecilia had no idea.

    All she knew was that when she entered, she saw the two old folks sitting on the couch, listening to

    an opera together, sipping coffee.

    Gifts were piled upon a single-seater couch. Derek was peeling an apple with a fruit knife, the fruit

    tter already filled with freshly cut apple slices.

    "Grandpa."

    Owen sweetly called out to Grandpa.

    Not distinguishing byst name was akin to addressing both grandpas.

    Devon didn''t even have a chance to refute him.

 Chapter 347

    Chapter 347

    Trenton watched his grandson walk inden with various bags; a slight smile yed on his lips.

    Despite his satisfaction, he wore a stern expression, "Owen, what brings you here?"

    "I came to bring Cecilia home."

    Owen''s answer was matter-of-fact.

    Devon raised an eyebrow, "Cecilia just got home all by herself."

    "Grandpa, I was with Cecilia. When we reached the house, I went out to buy something, and Cecilia

    went in. Look, she waited for me at the door."

    Cecilia thought to herself: Such a thick skin!

    However, this guy had always been as thick-skinned as a chopping board.

    Indeed, the two of them had returned together, and Cecilia had no way to refute.

    Seeing his granddaughter silent, Devon knew Owen was not lying. After a moment of silence, he

    said to Cecilia, "Your mother will be hometer. We have guests, so go and get some food for these

    two old and young tricksters to eat."

    Old trickster was in dumb silence.

    Trenton, who was usually addressed respectfully as Mr. Trenton or Chairman, couldn''t retort when

    Devon called him an old trickster. He couldn''t afford to look bad if he was kicked out.

    The Yates family was indeed unique, not fearing the power and status of the Martinez family at all.

    Seeing his grandson happily cing the items on the coffee table, Trenton cheerfully said to Devon,

    "We''re not picky. No need to go out of your way."

    Trenton sighed inwardly: Fine, for the sake of my grandson''s happiness, I''ll ept the title of an old

    trickster. After all, he did deceive others at the beginning.

    "You''re thinking too much. I''m afraid you two will eat all our food, leaving us with nothing. That''s why

    I asked Cecilia to get more."

    Owen was still cheerful, "A bowl of rice is fine. Even better if we get soy sauce."

    Trenton struggled to keep a straight face, stifling hisughter.

    Owen''s shameless demeanor resembled him when he was young, relentlessly pursuing his wife

    with no shame. Unfortunately, his wife passed away shortly after giving birth to their two sons.

    Although he remarried, his feelings for his second wife were never as strong as for his first.

    This was probably why Ashley''s eldest son was more mature than Owen, but Trenton chose Owen

    as his sessor.

    Devon red at Owen, "Next time youe for dinner, I''ll just serve you soy sauce."

    "Then I''lle every day for it."

    Devon was speechless.

    Where did he go wrong?

    "Cecilia, I''ll apany you to buy groceries."

    Owen was thrilled now that he had Devon''s permission toe over for meals. He was in a good

    mood.

    Cecilia took the money and turned to leave.

    It was then that Devon noticed the bouquet of flowers in her arms seemed different. However, his

    vision wasn''t as good as it used to be, and Cecilia walked away with the flowers before he could get

    a proper look.

    Cecilia took the money upstairs to her room and then came down.

    A few minutester, the two of them left the house together.

    "I''ve heard about how the CEO of the Ike group is mature and graceful. I always thought you and

    Mr. Coleman, being the youngest CEOs in Pinehurst, would be the same. But now, well, you''re quite

    the rogue."

    Owen walked beside her, not taking offense at her sarcasm. Since he met her, she had always been

    cold to him. Strangely, he was beginning to enjoy it.

    All he wanted was a chance to win her back.

    When pursuing a wife, dignity was not that important.

    Especially since he and Cecilia had a whirlwind marriage and divorce, and now he was pursuing her

    again, his dignity was worth even less to her.

    "My roguery was only for you."

    Cecilia nced at him sideways.

    He chuckled softly.

    Hisughter made Cecilia itch to kick him.

    "Cecilia, where should we buy the groceries?"

    "There are many delis nearby. We can just buy some deli food."

    Her grandpa allowing the two of them to stay for dinner was already quite generous. Expecting a

    feast? Impossible.

    Plus, it was quitete, and it wasn''t convenient to prepare too many dishes. It was easier just to buy

    some deli food and make do.

    If the two of them were not satisfied, all the better. They could stop visiting, making things easier

    and quieter for her.

    Owen nodded, following her to the deli. This was his first time buying groceries like an ordinary

    person.

    He tried to hold her hand a few times, but she avoided him. He gave up, following her obediently to

    buy the groceries.

    Cecilia bought roast goose, braised pork, and meatballs for soup.

    Owen watched her buy the food and then tried to pay.

    Cecilia wouldn''t let him, "We''re even now, don''t think you can make me owe you again."

    She paid the bill and started walking back.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Owen caught up with her, "It''s just over a hundred dors. It''s nothing to me. I won''t ask you to

    repay me."

    Cecilia ignored him.

    When they returned to the Yates family, Ba had alreadye back.

    Knowing Owen and Trenton were staying for dinner, Ba didn''t smile, but she didn''t say anything

    either. She quietly prepared dinner in the kitchen.

    She had brought back half a cooked chicken from her family, who insisted she take it home after a

    visit.

    Along with the food that Cecilia had brought back from the deli, the dinner table was full.

    Ba even ced two boiled eggs in front of Owen.

    "Eat the eggs," she told Owen.

    "Thanks, Mom. Oh, I mean, thanks, Aunty."

    Owen thought Ba was being considerate. He happily picked up an egg, gently tapped it to crack

    the shell, then peeled it and ced it in Cecilia''s bowl. "Here, one for you."

    Cecilia nced at him, then at her own mother, silently moving the egg back into his bowl.

    Under the table, Derek subtly nudged Mr. Martinez''s foot.

    Owen looked over at Derek.

    Derek was making faces, but Owen was left puzzled. Derek was too embarrassed to say it outright.

    Ba had specially served Mr. Martinez a boiled egg, a way of telling him to ''take a hike'' after he

    was done eating.

    And yet, Mr. Martinez was all smiles.

    When he got home, he''d have to have a word with Mr. Martinez.

    Despite the tension, the dinner was surprisingly cheerful.

    Although the Yates family didn''t particrly like this grandfather-grandson duo, they were polite

    hosts.

    After the meal, Trenton also felt it inappropriate to linger.

    Owen wanted to hang out longer with the Yates family, but a stern look from his grandfather told him

    otherwise. He knew his grandfather had something to discuss with him. Reluctantly, he left the

    Yates family''s house with his grandfather.

 Chapter 348

    Chapter 348

    When they stepped out of the Yates family estate, Owen turned to Derek. "What did you mean just

    now, Derek?" he asked.

    "Mr. Martinez, I believe you''re trying to win Ms. Yates back, aren''t you?" Derek replied. "Ba

    invited us for dinner, but she only served you an egg. It''s her way of showing disapproval, implying

    that you should scram once you¡¯re done eating."

    Owen blinked in surprise. "I didn''t know an egg could carry such meaning. I''m aware that my

    mother-inw doesn''t like me for now. If she did, Cecilia and I wouldn''t have divorced."

    Owen''s face fell momentarily at the veiled dismissal from his mother-inw. However, he quickly

    recovered his usualposure.

    Trenton nced at him with distaste and then walked away, ignoring him. He left with Derek and the

    bodyguards.

    Owen sighed, feeling once again rejected by his grandfather.

    At ten in the evening, Stefan went to pick up Lucinda from the Serendipity Cafe.

    "Where''s my cousin?" Lucinda asked as her husband helped to close and lock the shop''s security

    shutters.

    They had all eaten lunch together, and in the afternoon, Hayes Brooks had left with Stefan and his

    brothers to return to theirpany. Lucinda had taken the bus back to the office to avoid the

    suspicion that she was the CEO''s wife.

    "He sat at the office for a while, then I had someone take him back to the Ascend Estate," Stefan

    replied.

    Lucinda nodded. "My mother said she''ll be back tomorrow."

    "I''ll arrange for someone to pick them up."

    Stefan opened the car door for his wife. After watching Lucinda get in, he closed the door, walked

    around the car, and returned to the driver''s seat.

    "Lucy, will you apany me to a banquet tomorrow night?"

    "Sure, will we get to meet President Belinda?"

    Ever since Lucinda learned about Ike''s crush on Belinda Bishop, she had been eager to meet her.

    "I''ve looked into it for you. Belinda will be attending the banquet tomorrow night, along with Ike and

    his partners."

    What his wife wanted, Stefan always knew how to provide.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    The couple chatted about various topics during the drive. They talked about work and family, and

    inevitably, the topic of Owen and Cecilia came up. Naturally, this led to a discussion about Avery,

    Owen''s rival in love.

    Lucinda voiced her suspicions, "Every time Averyes to see Cecilia, Owen always shows up.

    Stefan, do you think Owen has nted a tracker on Avery?"

    "Considering Owen''s capabilities, I find it strange that he lets Avery appear in front of Cecilia

    repeatedly. He gets so jealous whenever Avery is around."

    "I feel like it''s all part of a y. Someone is pulling the strings."

    Stefan chuckled, "That''s Owen''s business, not ours. It''s good for him to have a rival. It keeps him on

    his toes. If he can''t stop Avery and can''t find out who''s behind him, it''s highly likely that it''s his

    grandfather''s doing."

    Trenton was a crafty old fox.

    The Ike Group might seem to be under Owen''s control, but in reality, Trenton still had the reins.

    "That''s probably why Owen loses to him. I have full control in Ascend Global, while Owen still has

    his grandfather watching over him."

    "His grandfather?"

    Lucinda had never considered this.

    Her impression of Trenton was that he was a kind old man, much like Stefan''s grandfather. Both

    were friendly towards her.

    "Last time, he even gave me a very expensive gift."

    Trenton may thought in his mind. ¡°Oh dear, let''s not talk about gifts. I thought you would refuse, so I

    prepared an especially expensive one. But you epted it so quickly!¡±

    "Why would Owen''s grandfather do this?"

    "To hold him back, I suppose."

    "So, he doesn''t like Cecilia, and he''s trying to spur Owen on by using someone else."

    Stefan reached over to gently touch his wife''s face, praising her, "You''re as smart as I am, Lucinda.

    I''m proud of you."

    "Don''t tter yourself. They say that a child''s intelligencergelyes from the mother."

    Stefanughed, "Then our child will definitely be brilliant, seeing as his mother is so smart."

    "You''re making me blush."

    Lucindaughed at her husband''s words.

    "Stefan, do you think I''m selfish for not wanting to have a child so soon?"

    He seemed to be a man who loved children.

    "Of course not. Even if I didn''t know your true identity, I wouldn''t want you to have a child so soon.

    We should enjoy a couple of years to ourselves first. If we have a child too soon, all your attention

    will be diverted to the baby. Where would that leave me?"

    Lucindaughed, "But that''s your child. You''re jealous of your own child?"

    "The child would be my biggest rival. And the worst part is, I can''t do anything about it."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    Since Hayes was at the Ascend Estate, the couple decided to spend the night there. However, by

    the time they arrived, it was alreadyte, and Hayes had gone to bed.

    They tiptoed into the house, not wanting to wake anyone.

    The lights in the living room were still on.

    Upon entering, they saw a figure sprawled on the sofa.

    Lucinda didn''t recognize him at first, but Stefan immediately knew it was his younger brother, Liam

    Anderson.

    He walked over to him.

    "oh, you''re back."

    Liam heard their footsteps and opened his eyes. He hadn''t really been asleep. He sat up from the

    couch, clutching a pillow, looking somewhat embarrassed.

    "What are you doing? You have a home but don''t go back and even you sleep on the sofa?"

    Liam''s face turned red, and he said nothing.

    Lucinda tactfully excused herself, "You two should talk. I''ll go upstairs first."

    Once Lucinda had gone upstairs, Stefan furrowed his brows and asked, "What happened?"

    "I got kicked out."

    Upon saying this, Liam''s face flushed even more.

    Stefan was stunned.

    They had been slept for several times, yet he still got kicked out.

    Without asking, it was clear that Liam kept pestering Tiffany about why she wouldn''t marry him.

    "That''s your house, and you get kicked out?"

    Liam replied, "If I hadn''t left, she would have, and it would have been a real struggle to get her back.

    So, I left."

    All he did was ask before bed, asking her what was wrong with him. If she would just tell him, he

    would change.

    All this just to persuade her to marry him sooner, to avoid the potential scandal of having a child out

    of wedlock.

    "Bro, you say it''s my fault, too. Can you tell me what''s wrong with me? I just can''t figure it out. I''m

    desperate. If we have a baby, would Tiffany really put her surname first, raising the child in the

    Paisley family?"

    "If it''s Tiffany''s child, born of Tiffany, why not take Tiffany''s surname? If Lucinda wanted to put her

    surname first, I wouldn''t mind."

    Stefan didn''t insist on having the child take his surname, given that he himself took his mother''s

    surname.

    In the future, if he had a child and Lucinda wished to do the same, he would have no objection.

 Chapter 349

    Chapter 349

    Liam was about to speak, but he remembered that Stefan took after their mother''sst name. Any

    argument he could make about whether a child should take the father''s or mother''s surname would

    be pointless in front of Stefan.

    So, he changed his approach. With a bitter smile, he said, "Stefan, let''s not worry about the child

    issue for now. It''s not as if I''m going to be a father right away. I just want to marry her. I know

    she has feelings for me too. She was the one who made the move that night."

    That was the night they returned from the club. He was furious, but she suddenly flirted with him.

    Liam had always been secretly in love with her. Even without any provocation, they were like a

    tinderbox ready to ignite.

    They had known each other since childhood, like two peas in a pod. Liam knew Tiffany''s character

    very well.

    She wouldn''t have flirted with him if Tiffany didn''t love him. Now, she was living in his house,

    effectively sharing a home with him. Although she was straightforward and didn''t care about what

    others said, he didn''t want her to suffer any indignities.

    Since they were already living like a married couple, he wanted to marry her and fulfill his

    responsibilities as a man.

    But, to his surprise, she refused his proposal.

    Now, Liam was confused. Wouldn''t it be better for them to be married and live together legally

    rather than the way they were now?

    In the eyes of both the Anderson and Paisley families, they were already a couple.

    Whenever his grandparents saw Tiffany, their eyes would soften as if they were looking at their

    granddaughter-inw.

    Seeing his cousin''s confusion, Stefan struggled with whether to tell him the truth.

    "Stefan, Liam, you guys haven''t called it a night yet? I saw the light on and thought I''d check in,"

    Eric called out as he walked in.

    Seeing Liam''s frustrated expression, Eric asked, "Liam, what''s wrong? Got a problem? Please

    share it with us. Maybe we can help."

    Noticing the pillow on the couch, Eric realized that Liam had been kicked out of his room again.

    "None of your business, Eric. Go back to your own house," Liam snapped, annoyed at being called

    out by his cousin.

    Eric, however, was not fazed. He continued to tease Liam, "Still troubled about proposing, huh? You

    really don''t understand Tiffany at all."

    "Do you know what she''s thinking then?" Liam challenged.

    Eric was all smug, "I''m smarter than you, Liam. I understand women. Even if I can''t guess exactly

    what she''s thinking, I''m usually in the ballpark."

    Liam scoffed, "You don''t even have a girlfriend, and yet you im to understand women. What do

    you think Tiffany is thinking about, then?"

    "Hmm, Liam, I can''t figure it out right now. I''ll think about it at home. You can stay on the couch in

    the meantime."

    Eric was about to reveal the problem, but then he remembered that if Liam got married, he would be

    next in line. He didn''t even have a girlfriend yet and didn''t want to be pressured into marriage. It was

    better to let Liam continue being the shield.

    "I knew you were just boasting," Liam muttered.

    Eric just chuckled and said goodnight to his cousins before quickly slipping out.

    "He understands nothing but food," Liam grumbled, disappointed that Eric had raised his hopes only

    to let him down.

    "Eric did guess the reason, but he doesn''t want to tell you," Stefan revealed.

    "Why? Is he even my brother? Can he bear to see me not getting married?" Liam asked, frustrated.

    Stefan simply smiled, "That''s the price of being the eldest."

    "Is there a problem with that? I am older than him."

    In their family, they all considered themselves the eldest, except for the youngest brother.

    But when it came to urging them to marry, the elders followed the order of their ten brothers.

    Seeing Stefan smile and remain silent, Liam suddenly realized what he meant. He immediately

    started cursing Eric, "That little guy thinks he can escape by using me as a shield. Tomorrow, I will

    suggest to our grandparents that we host a party and invite all the youngdies of the city. It will be

    a disguised matchmaking event for Eric, no, for all our younger brothers except the youngest."

    Thinking of how Eric used him as a shield, Liam was furious.

    "I suppose the next party will be for grandma''s birthday next month," Stefan said.

    Liam nodded vigorously, "Exactly! Let''s see who can escape then!"

    "Liam, go home. If you''re still confused, download the novel app and read the novels your sister-in-

    law wrote. The plot of the overbearing CEO falling in love with a girl may be clich¨¦, but with your

    intelligence, you should be able to figure out the reason from it. Remember to tip your sister-inw,

    but don''t throw any eggs," Stefan warned.

    Hayes once threw thousands of eggs under Lucinda''s novel without understanding the situation,

    which put Lucinda on the egg leaderboard. On that website, everyone was curious about what

    Lucinda wrote, which angered the readers so much that they threw thousands of eggs at her.

    Stefan didn''t even want to imagine his wife''s face when she saw those thousands of eggs.

    "Read novels? Stefan, I''m past the age of reading novels."

    In high school, he did read quite a few novels, but they were all thrillers or horror stories with little

    romance.

    Romance novels? Liam had never read them.

    "If you want to find the reason, go read it. Remember to tip generously with diamonds, flowers, or

    directly with gold coins as a fee for seeking advice from your sister-inw."

    Liam was speechless.

    Stefan patted his brother''s shoulder a few times, then went upstairs.

    Watching Stefan leave, Liam took out his phone with a puzzled look, downloaded the app as Stefan

    suggested, and started searching for his sister-inw''s pen name.

    Back when Stefan first started courting his wife, he posted her novel''s title on Facebook, and all

    their friends and family flocked to it, giving her tips and helping him win her over.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    He found the novel Lucinda had written.

    It was a story about reincarnation.

    Upon reading the premise, Liam couldn''t help but mumble, "Isn''t this misleading? Who actually gets

    to go back in time after dying? Wouldn''t all the folks struggling in life just off themselves, hoping to

    rewrite their fate in the past?"

    He skimmed through a couple of chapters, but he just couldn''t get into it.

    Forget it, he thought. It''s better to go back and sweet-talk Tiffany. Maybe he''ll even get lucky tonight.

 Chapter 350

    Chapter 350

    When Stefan came back to the room, Lucinda had already taken a shower.

    She was sitting up against the headboard in her nightclothes, flipping through a book. When she

    saw him, she shed a smile, ¡°Did your brother leave?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if he left or not, and I don¡¯t have time to babysit him on the couch.¡±

    Stefan walked over, bent down, and nted a gentle kiss on Lucinda¡¯s cheek, ¡°My love, you smell

    delightful.¡±

    He was about to copse on her when she pushed him away, ¡°Go take a shower.¡±

    ¡°Alright, wait for me. I''ll be quick.¡±

    He stole another kiss on her lips before heading towards the bathroom, a satisfied grin on his face.

    For the young couple, the night was filled with passion.

    But for another, it was filled with torment.

    After a few days on a business trip, Nathan returned to his home in Skywatch on his private jet in

    the early evening.

    Exhausted, he didn''t return to the office but went directly home.

    Once home, there was a slew of household matters that required his attention.

    Madeleine showed up after taking care of things at home, and he had to muster all his energy to

    deal with her.

    Madeleine had been waiting for Nathan to return. She even visited Keith during the day.

    She and Keith didn¡¯t get along, and everyone in Skywatch knew that. If she were to marry into the

    Blue family, she would be Keith''s stepmother, a stepmother who was only two years older than

    her stepson. The potential for conflict was obvious to anyone.

    So, their dislike for each other was an open secret. Normally, Madeleine wouldn''t visit Keith, and he

    wouldn''t want to see her either.

    But now that Nathan was back, Madeleine would not miss her chance. She decided to spend the

    night at the Blue mansion.

    At this point, it waste at night. Except for the master of the house and Madeleine, everyone else,

    including the servants, was asleep. Even if they were awake, they wouldn''t dare to venture out.

    Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Madeleine had given them plenty of incentives to stay in their rooms for the night. Unless the sky

    was falling, they were not to disturb them.

    "Nathan, it''ste, and I know you''re tired from your trip. Let me take you to your room to rest."

    Madeleine nced at the time, guessing that Keith would be back soon. She thought getting

    Nathan to bed before Keith returned would be best.

    Her ultimate goal was for Keith to see them entering the room together and then notice the lights

    going out. That would surely infuriate Keith and also push Janice further towards a divorce from

    Nathan.

    Madeleine had been frustrated by Keith earlier in the day. She returned home and discussed with

    her father the possibility of assassinating Keith. If Keith were to die, even if Lucinda returned to the

    Blue family, she would not pose a threat to Madeleine.

    Lucinda had grown up in Pinehurst and had not been involved in the family business for over twenty

    years. She merely ran a service-oriented coffee shop and couldn''t possibly take over the massive

    Blue Corporation, even if she married into the Anderson family, the wealthiest family in Pinehurst.

    In the end, Madeleine¡¯s father remained silent. He neither agreed nor disagreed with her n.

    Madeleine knew what her father was thinking about. If they did send an assassin after Keith and the

    attempt failed, they would lose one of their assassins.

    Training an assassin was not an easy feat.

    Madeleine, for now, shelved the idea of having Keith killed. Her current priority was to seduce

    Nathan.

    Nathan rubbed his temples, "I am rather tired. The moment I got back, I had to deal with so many

    household matters. It''s given me a headache. I guess I''m getting old. I should let Keith help me out."

    "He is the heir, and it''s only right that he shares some of the responsibilities."

    Madeleine felt a pang of unease at his words.

    "Nathan, you should help your son find a wife. Once a man settles down, he bes more mature

    and responsible. Then he''ll have the patience to help you with the household matters. Even if he

    doesn''t have the time, his wife, as thedy of the Blue family, can assist."

    Nathan''s eyes sparkled, and his mouth curved into a smirk. "Now that Lucy''s hitched, Keith can''t

    even snag a girlfriend. He''s no spring chicken anymore and should be thinking about settling down,

    but he''s as dense as an old oak. Trying to get him to marry is like pulling teeth."

    "Ah, well, let''s not bother about his love life for now. He''s only twenty-four, still a whippersnapper. A

    man marrying at thirty isn''t consideredte. Let him sow his wild oats for a few more years.

    Madeleine, let''s head upstairs to rest."

    Madeleine, scheming about orchestrating Keith''s matrimonial affairs, took Nathan''s words as a

    weather vane for her n. Hearing Nathan''s suggestion, she looped her arm in his with a smile,

    saying, "I''ll walk you to your room."

    Nathan chuckled, not resisting.

    They ascended to the second floor together.

    Nathan didn''t rush to his room. Instead, he paused at the doorway, ncing at another room. It was

    Janice''s room, formerly their matrimonial bedroom.

    When Janice lost her mind, he had to reluctantly move out and take up residence in the guest room

    to avoid triggering her.

    That brief relocation turned into a couple of decades, the guest room essentially bing the

    master bedroom.

    "Do you think Janice resents us for being together now that she''s lucid?" Madeleine quietly asked.

    Nathan retracted his gaze, his tone indifferent. "When we lost our beloved daughter, she gradually

    sumbed to madness. Now that Lucy''s back, she''s returned to her senses. Naturally, she wants

    to stay by her daughter''s side, to mend their mother-daughter bond. Whether she harbors

    resentment or not, what does it matter?"

    He had crossed that bridge.

    Whether she resented him or not, it was water under the bridge. There was no turning back. If he

    died one day and she still shed tears for him, that would be enough for him.

    Sitting in his position, there were so many things to consider, so many sacrifices to make.

    Sometimes, neglect was a form of protection.

 Chapter 351

    Chapter 351

    Madeleine watched as Nathan''s expression remained unfazed, a sense of relief washing over her.

    What she feared the most was that once Janice recovered, Nathan might return to his old love.

    After all, back in the day, the couple was affectionate.

    If it wasn''t for Janice''s mental breakdown and her inability to fulfill her duties as the matriarch,

    coupled with Madeleine''s shameless pursuit of Nathan, he wouldn''t have epted her, allowing her

    to apany him to various social events, assuming the responsibilities of a matriarch.

    She had worked so hard and endured so much for so long she couldn''t let all of it go to waste.

    Seeing Nathan''s expression, Madeleine felt slightly relieved, believing that it was impossible for

    Nathan and Janice to return to their old ways. Janice may have aged well, but she was nearing fifty.

    How could shepete with Madeleine''s youthful twenty-six?

    To Nathan, she was a flower in full bloom.

    Compared to a wilting flower, everyone preferred a blooming one.

    As Nathan opened the door to his room, Madeleine followed him in.

    There was no scent of incense in the room yet.

    The aphrodisiac incense was still in her purse.

    And her purse was in her bedroom.

    This wasn''t Madeleine''s first time in Nathan''s room. She walked over to the wardrobe like a wife

    would, picked out some clean clothes for Nathan, and then proceeded to the bathroom, where she

    prepared a bath for him. Calling out, "Nathan, I''ve got your bath ready, go freshen up."

    Nathan grunted in acknowledgment.

    He stood at the bathroom door, watching Madeleine, his mind filled with images of Janice, who used

    to take care of him in the same way.

    A sweet scent filled the air.

    Snapping back to reality, Nathan found Madeleine already in front of him.

    "What are you thinking about?"

    Madeleine noticed him staring at her with a gentle gaze, a smile tugging at his lips. She involuntarily

    softened her expression, her eyes filled with tender affection.

    She reached for his cor with both hands, ready to help him unbutton his shirt.

    "Madeleine." Nathan reached out and held her hands, speaking gently, "You''ve been so good to

    me."

    "Only now, you realize?"

    Nathan chuckled, "It''ste. You should go get some rest, too. Let''s have breakfast together

    tomorrow."

    Madeleine snuggled into his arms, her hands around his waist, softly pleading, "Nathan, can I stay

    here and take care of you?"

    With a gentle embrace, Nathan gently pushed her away.

    "Don''t say ''take care of,'' it makes me feel like I''m in my eighties, incapable of taking care of myself."

    Madeleine yfully hit him, "In my eyes, you''re still young. When you''re with Keith, you look like

    brothers. Don''t say you''re old, and I don''t like hearing it. We''re the same age!"

    "Hahaha."

    Nathanughed heartily.

    "Alright, alright, we''re the same age. I''m not old. Now stop teasing and go get some rest. It''s really

    late."

    Madeleine pouted.

    This man was so clueless.

    "Got it."

    She pulled Nathan into the bathroom, saying, "Take your time. I''ll go back to my room first."

    Nathan smiled and lightly touched her forehead. She blushed and turned to leave the bathroom.

    Once she was gone, Nathan quietly locked the bathroom door to prevent her from barging in while

    he was undressed.

    It wouldn''t be the first time something like that happened.

    But tonight, Madeleine had no intention of barging into the bathroom. As soon as she left, she

    rushed back to her room, picked up her purse, and took out the aphrodisiac incense and lighter.

    She silently returned to Nathan''s room.

    She lit the incense in a corner of his room. Worried the scent wouldn''t be strong enough, she lit

    some more under the bed and closed all the doors and windows, even pulling the curtains shut.

    The incense under the bed burnt out quickly. By the time Nathan came out of the bath, only the

    scent remained.

    As soon as Nathan stepped out, he smelled the incense. He sniffed a few times before walking over

    to Madeleine, who was sitting on the couch ying with her phone. "Madeleine, why haven''t you

    returned to your room to rest?"

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "I wanted to talk to you. You''ve been away for a few days. Didn''t you miss me?"

    Madeleine put her phone down, stood up, and wrapped her arms around his neck, coquettishly

    saying, "I missed you so much."

    Nathan pulled her hands away, but she stubbornly pulled him down to sit on the couch with her. She

    even pushed him down onto the couch, positioning herself on top of him.

    "Nathan."

    Madeleine had been exposed to the scent of the aphrodisiac incense longer. While waiting for

    Nathan on the couch, she started to feel the effects.

    Internally, she apuded the effectiveness of the incense.

    At that moment, her cheeks were flushed. She pinned Nathan down, her gaze bing hazy. She

    lowered her head to close the distance, aiming to kiss Nathan.

    Suddenly, Nathan sat up. Caught off guard, Madeleine fell to the floor.

    "Madeleine."

    Nathan quickly helped her up.

    "Madeleine, do you smell something? I can''t quite identify the scent."

    Madeleine''s failed attempt to kiss him and her fall to the floor left her feeling indignant. The effects

    of the incense had amplified her feelings.

    When he helped her up, she immediately wrapped her arms around him again, nuzzling into his

    chest, her breath sweet, softly saying, "It might be the flowers from the garden. Their scent must

    have drifted in."

    The Blue family''s garden was filled with a variety of flowers. When they bloomed, the sweet

    fragrance filled the air.

    "Nathan, I love you. Nathan, can we have a child?"

    Madeleine looked up, her gaze bing unclear. She wrapped her arms around Nathan''s neck,

    pulling his head down, once again offering her lips for a kiss.

    Nathan dodged her kiss, trying to push her away. But she clung to him like an octopus, mumbling

    incoherently. Her cheeks were flushed, and Nathan couldn''t be more certain about what was

    happening.

    He raised his hand and struck the back of Madeleine''s neck, knocking her unconscious.

    He caught her limp body andid it down on the couch.

    Nathan quickly realized something was amiss.

    He found himself wanting to kiss Madeleine, even desiring to share a passionate night with her.

    He had been ensnared!

    Nathan swiftly moved away from the couch, cing a considerable distance between himself and

    Madeleine.

    When had he fallen into the trap?

    Nathan hadn''t been exposed to the fragrance for as long as Madeleine, and he still had his wits

    about him.

    At this moment, he didn''t have the leisure to analyze when or how he fell into the trap.

    He turned and walked away.

    Pulling open the door, the fresh air from outside seemed to momentarily quell the heatwave inside

    him.

    In an instant, Nathan recalled the scent he smelled when he stepped out of the bathroom.

    That fragrance was suspicious!

    Madeleine had tried to manipte him more than once, but each attempt was skillfully dodged.

    He hadn''t expected her to use perfume this time. No wonder she didn''t bother him as usual when

    he was showering. She must have lit some scented candle while he was bathing. He had never

    thought Madeleine would use such a tactic, and he fell for it.

    Downstairs, familiar footsteps echoed.

    It was Keith returning.

    Along with Keith''s footsteps, there were Hayden''s.

 Chapter 352

    Chapter 352

    The two seemed to be in a heated debate.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Nathan nced at Madeleine, who was lounging on the couch, his gaze icy and intense.

    He left the room, the door left ajar and descended the stairs.

    "Hayden, my mind is made up. It''ste and you should head home."

    Keith''s face was hardened, his expression as cold as ice.

    Upon entering the room, he didn''t even sit down, and he headed directly for the stairs. He had only

    taken a few steps when he saw his father descending from upstairs, his face flushed, possibly from

    too much whiskey.

    "Big bro."

    Upon seeing his older brother, Hayden bypassed Keith, elerating up the stairs. "Big bro," he

    started, "Pete made a small mistake, and now Keith¡¯s shipping him off to a branch office."

    Keith responded icily, "Pete''s mistake wasn''t small. He cost thepany a billion-dor deal."

    Hayden ignored Keith, who never missed an opportunity to put his son down. Pete was

    exceptionally talented, holding a vice president position when he first entered thepany.

    However, after the incident with Keith''s wife and sister-inw, he was severely disciplined by

    Nathan.

    Ever since then, Pete had been the target of Nathan and Keith''s retaliation. He held the title of vice

    president but was reduced to doing an assistant''s work under Keith''s thumb and at his mercy.

    Hayden was seething with resentment.

    "Big bro, Pete has been working like a mule for thepany, even harder than Keith. He just made

    a judgement error this time, and it cost thepany a billion-dor deal. We, the Blue family, can

    afford to lose that deal. Keith has already blown up at Pete in the office, threatening to dock his

    bonus for a year. Wasn''t that enough?"

    Even though Pete was being sent to a branch office as a manager, thepetition within the Blue

    Corporation was fierce. If Pete were kicked out of the headquarters, it wouldn''t be easy for him to

    return.

    Nathan tried to suppress his difort, speaking in a low voice. "Let''s deal withpany matters

    tomorrow at the office. Hayden, I''m not feeling well, and Madeleine is sleeping in my room. Could

    you please send her back to the Porter family?"

    Hayden instinctively responded, "Don''t we have plenty of rooms here? Madeleine often stays

    overnight. Why not let her stay since she''s already asleep? Why bother sending her back to the

    Porter family?"

    He then asked with concern, "Big bro, are you okay? Your face was quite red. Do you have a

    fever?"

    Keith, too, looked at his father. After a moment of silence, he said, "If you''re not feeling well, we

    could call a doctor. Or we could go to the hospital."

    Nathan touched his own face. It was burning. He continued, "I think I caught a cold yesterday. I took

    some medicine, thinking it would help, but it seemed I have a high fever now. Keith, could you take

    me to the hospital? It''ste, we shouldn''t disturb Dr. Louis."

    Dr. Louis was the Blue family''s personal physician.

    But neither Nathan nor Keith trusted him.

    Whenever they fell ill, they would go to their family''s private hospital. The director of the hospital

    was a trusted confidant of Nathan''s.

    "Okay."

    Although the father-son rtionship seemed strained, Keith was genuinely concerned for his

    father''s well-being. Despite his exhaustion from work, he immediately assisted his father down the

    stairs and out the door.

    Leaving Hayden behind, they departed. Before leaving, Nathan reminded his brother to send

    Madeleine back to the Porter family.

    After they left, Hayden muttered to himself, "She''s stayed here countless times before. She wouldn''t

    be clinging onto Nathan so tightly if she was concerned about her reputation."

    Nheless, he went upstairs.

    He was curious as to why Nathan insisted on sending Madeleine home. Had something happened

    between them?

    Madeleine had imed that she hadn''t slept with Nathan yet, a fact that surprised Hayden. He had

    assumed that they had been intimate on numerous asions.

    Perhaps Madeleine had tried to seduce Nathan again that night, which was why he had insisted on

    sending her home.

    Hayden was skeptical that Madeleine was merely asleep.

    Given Nathan''s fever, wouldn''t Madeleine be by his side, caring for him? It would be strange if she

    were asleep.

    Upon reaching the second floor, Hayden approached Nathan''s room. The door was slightly ajar. As

    he pushed open the door, a wave of perfume hit him. He took a deep breath, unable to identify the

    fragrance.

    Seeing that the windows were closed, he entered the room and opened a window. He muttered to

    himself, "What''s with all this perfume? It stinks."

    He didn''t understand why women were so fond of perfume. His wife was the same, always

    delighted when he bought her a new bottle. The women he kept on the side were no different,

    always appreciative of perfume and skincare products.

    Madeleine was no exception.

    After opening the window, Hayden returned to the couch, looking down at Madeleine.

    Noticing that her face was flushed, he frowned, "Are you running a fever, too?"

    He bent down and touched Madeleine''s forehead. It was warm, but not as if from a high fever.

    Could it be that she had drugged Nathan and had identally consumed the drug herself?

    As these thoughts raced through Hayden''s mind, he quickly withdrew his hand.

    Just then, Madeleine stirred awake.

    She had been knocked out by Nathan earlier.

    Although she was awake, she was still groggy. Upon seeing Hayden, she instinctively reached out

    for him, pulling him down on top of her.

    Before he could react, she embraced him, kissing him fervently.

    She murmured, "Hot. so hot."

    Hayden felt a wave of heat as well.

    What was Nathan thinking, not even turning on the air conditioning in such heat?

    Madeleine was a beauty, her alluring figure enhanced by the subtle hint of feminine perfume. She

    was locked in a passionate embrace with Hayden, a man known for his weakness for beautiful

    women. It was no secret that he had a string of mistresses stashed away.

    Despite their close working rtionship, Hayden had never dared to entertain thoughts about

    Madeleine. This was partly due to her status and partly because she was practically attached at the

    hip to his elder brother. As much as Hayden was a womanizer, even he knew better than to covet

    his brother''s woman. It was just like when he firstid eyes on his sister-inw, the shock of her

    beauty still fresh in his mind.

    Now, with Madeleine''s fervent advances and an inexplicable spark kindling within him, they were

    quickly entangled in a heated tryst.

    Meanwhile, Nathan, who had managed to slip away unnoticed, watched the scene unfold through

    his phone, a surveince feed giving him a live view of the room. A cold smirk yed at the corners

    of his lips as he watched the two of them. This quickly turned into quite the show, and he knew it

    was only a matter of time before things blew up.

    He knew Madeleine better than anyone else. If Hayden crossed the line with her, she wouldn''t be

    thinking about forging closer ties with him. Instead, she would despise him, which would mean she

    could never be the head of the household. And Hayden''s wife, Ashley, was not an easy

    woman to deal with either.

 Chapter 353

    Chapter 353

    Suddenly, Nathan coughed up a mouthful of blood.

    It was all because of that intoxicating aroma he''d caught wind of. His blood was boiling with

    excitement, and he couldn''t satisfy his cravings immediately. Even with his extraordinary willpower,

    he couldn''t control his body''s reaction, and he ended up coughing blood.

    Keith, who was driving, was scared out of his wits.

    He mmed on the brakes and hurriedly pulled over. Leaning across the seat, he supported his

    father and asked anxiously, "Dad, what''s wrong?"

    Nathan gripped his son''s hand tightly and managed to say with difficulty, "I''ve been poisoned. Hurry,

    take me to the hospital!"

    The force of the poison was too strong this time.

    He couldn''t hold on any longer.

    How he wished Janice were here!

    Janice was currently in Pinehurst. Even if Keith agreed to fly him there immediately, Nathan doubted

    he could hold on. Besides, Keith might not agree to use Janice as the antidote.

    His trusted physicians have always managed to neutralize the poison in his body every year.

    With their experience, he was sure they could save him at the hospital.

    Keith''s face darkened.

    Damn that, Madeleine!

    "Dad, hold on. I''ll turn the air conditioning to the coldest setting."

    Keith straightened up in his seat and started the car again, cranking up the air conditioning to the

    lowest temperature.

    Nathan leaned back in his seat, his hands clenched into fists. Feeling that this wouldn''t be enough,

    he pinched his thigh hard. The pain helped him to stay somewhat conscious.

    "Don''t drag racing!"

    After pinching himself, Nathan had managed to clear his head a little. He hurriedly reminded Keith

    not to rush and risk an ident.

    "Dad, I understand."

    Keith slowed down the car slightly, but he was still driving pretty fast.

    Their personal bodyguards, trailing behind in another car, were almost left behind.

    The surge of blood made Nathan pinch his thigh again. He kept stimting his senses with pain to

    prevent himself from stripping in his son''s car due to the heat.

    Keith drove straight to the Blue family''s private hospital.

    Halfway there, he''d already called the hospital director.

    When they arrived at the hospital, the director was waiting for them with a team of trusted doctors.

    Once they reached the hospital, Nathan let go of his thigh. As soon as he rxed, he became

    delirious again.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Keith hopped out of the car and, together with the director, hurriedly helped his father out. He told

    the director, "My dad''s been poisoned again."

    The director frowned.

    Their boss had been poisoned several times over the years. He was worried that if this kept

    happening, Nathan would eventually be tormented to death.

    Keith knew exactly how to cure this type of poison. If it couldn''t be resolved in the hospital, there

    was only one alternative.

    The director, named Kent, looked worried. "If the poison wasn''tpletely removed, your father''s

    health will be threatened. Over time, it certainly won''t be good."

    Keith frowned. His mother was no longer under the influence of the poison and wanted nothing

    more than to divorce his father and break away from the Blue family. Even if he took his father to

    her, would she be willing to help?

    "Kent, let me think," Keith said. "Can my father control it for now?"

    "We can control it to some extent, but we can''tpletely detoxify him like we used to."

    Keith breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that his father''s life was not immediately in danger was a

    good thing.

    "I need to make a call," Keith said.

    "Make your call in my office. I''ll step out," Kent suggested, leaving Keith alone for privacy.

    Keith pulled out his phone and dialed his mother''s private number, known only to him and his

    siblings.

    After a while, his mother answered.

    "Mom," Keith said in a low voice.

    Janice was heavy with sleep when the jarring ring of her phone pulled her from her dreams. She

    picked it up and answered without even checking the caller ID. When she heard her son''s voice on

    the other end, her sleepiness evaporated like morning mist, and she sat bolt upright in her bed, her

    voice trembling as she asked anxiously, "Keith, what''s wrong?"

    Her son had never called her in the dead of night before.

    Janice feared something had happened to him at Skywatch.

    "Mom, I''m okay. It''s about Dad.¡±

    "I don''t want to know anything about your dad."

    When she heard it was about Nathan, Janice''s tone changed dramatically. The worry that had been

    hanging over her like a dark cloud dissipated just as quickly as it hade.

 Chapter 354

    Chapter 354

    "Mom, Dad''s been poisoned. Kent said he couldn''t do anything. Now only you can save him."

    Keith knew his mother''s aloof demeanor all too well, so he blurted out his words in one breath, not

    giving her a chance to interrupt him.

    Janice''s voice remained cold. She retorted, "I''m not a doctor, Keith. There''s nothing I can do. I can''t

    save your father."

    Before Keith could reply, she continued, "The Blue family has its own hospital, with top-notch

    doctors from all over the country. What sort of poison could your father possibly have that they can''t

    cure? Is it cyanide?"

    "Mom, Dad''s been poisoned with an aphrodisiac."

    Janice was speechless.

    Well, he might be fifty in her eyes and quite the old geezer, but to others, he was the patriarch of the

    Blue family, well preserved, not old at all but rather mature and stable.

    She wondered how many women were vying for a spot in his bed.

    And there was Madeleine, eagerly wanting to usurp her position.

    She was willing to let them be, but the old man was reluctant to divorce, binding her to him for some

    reason.

    Perhaps he didn''t want to divorce her back when she was mentally unstable, considering her only

    nephew Hayes was the only family she had left. But now that she had regained her sanity and

    found her daughter, she was capable of taking care of herself.

    With her children by her side, she wouldn''t starve even if she left him.

    He despised her for her past mental instability and for her aging appearance and had found

    Madeleine, who was only two years older than their own children. Why was he still holding onto her

    after two years of mutual resentment?

    It would be so much better if they simply parted ways and left each other be.

    "Who poisoned your father?" Janice''s words wereced with sarcasm, "Your father is the patriarch

    of the Blue family. His bodyguards are with him every minute of the day, except when he''s eating or

    sleeping. Only someone he deeply trusts could possibly get the better of him. Was it Madeleine who

    poisoned your father? Perhaps this is a game they''re ying. Keith, you should stay out of your

    father''s affairs."

    Perhaps Nathan was getting old, unable to satisfy Madeleine, so she gave him something to boost

    his stamina.

    Keith, although an adult and aware of the birds and the bees, found it awkward to discuss these

    things with his mother. His cheeks were burning red over the phone.

    But remembering how his father had coughed up blood and realizing some things he had only

    recentlye to know, he couldn''t just stand by and watch as Madeleinepromised his father''s

    health.

    Swallowing his embarrassment, he pleaded with his mother over the phone, "Mom, Dad hasn''t

    touched Madeleine all these years. It''s because he hasn''t touched her that she''s be impatient

    and plotted against him. It isn''t the first time, either. Kent said it had happened several times before.

    Besides her, there are other women who regard Dad as a piece of meat."

    Janice paused.

    She had assumed that after her mental breakdown, there would be a constant stream of women in

    Nathan''s life.

    After all, Nathan had been a womanizer even after their wedding. Despite their happy marriage and

    his well-known devotion to her, women were still attracted to him like flies to honey.

    She had expected that Nathan''s life would be inundated with women after her mental breakdown.

    Madeleine was only twenty-six and had only recently entered Nathan''s life.

    Ignoring the young and beautiful Madeleine, Nathan was indeed quite the ascetic.

    "Mom, I only found out recently that Dad really hasn''t touched Madeleine."

    Keith thought that revealing his father''s self-restraint towards Madeleine would soften his mother''s

    heart. However, Janice responded, "So what if he hasn''t touched her? They''re clearly very close,

    and everyone says Madeleine will rece me. Who would dare to spread rumors about his private

    life without his consent? Keith, I''m going back to Pinehurst tomorrow morning. I need a good night''s

    sleep, so I''ll end the conversation here. Don''t worry about your father. Even if he''s been poisoned,

    he won''t die. Kent is more than capable. Who knows, he might even be in on it with your father."

    He deliberately made her son beg her to save Nathan.

    Even if she wasn''t nning on divorcing Nathan, she didn''t want to be with him again. For twenty

    years, she had been unable to believe that he had remained faithful to her.

    She was mentally unstable when he was not even thirty, at the prime of his life. Could he have

    abstained for over twenty years?

    Suddenly, shes of memory crossed her mind. Janice paused, unsure whether these fragmented

    memories were real or just fragments of dreams.

    Had Nathan been intimate with her while she was mentally unstable?

    Janice had no memory of it, but sometimes vague and ambiguous fragments would surface in her

    mind.

    "Mom!"

    Keith''s voice was low.

    "I''m going to bed now. If Kent doesn''t want his boss to die, he better stop lying to me."

    With that, Janice hung up the phone.

    "Mom, Mom.."

    Keith called out twice, but he couldn''t prevent his mother from hanging up the phone.

    Could it be that Kent was really helping his father deceive him, making him beg his mother to act as

    an antidote for his father? In that way, the couple would be tied together again, and his mother

    wouldn''t be able to divorce.

    And had his father really remained celibate all these years, not touching Madeleine?

    If that was the case, why did he do it?

    Keith felt that he should have a frank and open conversation with his father.

    In the past, he was young.

    But now, he was a grown man.

    He had found his sister again, and his brother-inw and the entire Anderson family had stated their

    support. He was no longer alone, with them as his backup.

    If his father had difficulties, he, as a son, should be informed.

    After hanging up the phone with her son, Janicey back in bed, but sleep was far from her mind.

    During her days of mental instability, some events she remembered, and some she didn''t.

    But she knew she was terrified of seeing Nathan and Madeleine together. Madeleine bullied her, so

    she was afraid.

    She feared Nathan because his gaze always seemed like he wanted to devour her, which scared

    her.

    Once she had the opportunity to return to the Blue family, she had to ask Shirley.

    Should Keith tell his sister about this?

    His sister was the one who stepped in to coax their mother.

    "Knock, knock."

    The sound of knocking echoed as Kent stood at the office door, asking, "May Ie in?"

    "Sure,e on in."

    Keith, clutching his cell phone, rubbed his temples. After a long day at the office, he returned home

    late at night only to be met with more drama. He was physically and mentally drained.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    "Sir, the boss just coughed up blood again. The cold showers can hardly suppress the love poison

    in his body. Have you contacted the Madam? What did she say? You need to arrange a flight to

    take the boss to the Madam immediately."

    Kent looked worried.

    Keith stared at Kent, the man who had been his father''s confidant and who had watched him grow

    up.

    He remembered that during times when he was at odds with his father, Kent would always urge him

    to be more understanding. He''d say that his father was under immense pressure as the head of the

    family. As his father''s only son, who would if he couldn''t show understanding?

 Chapter 355

    Chapter 355

    "Kent, was there really no hope for the poison? Theponents of love potion are mostly the

    same, and my father said you could help him."

    Kent replied, "Keith, I¡¯ve said that your father has built up a resistance. Normally, a love potion isn¡¯t

    fatal. Drinking plenty of water, taking cold showers, and counteracting with antidotes are enough.

    We are in this predicament only because this particr potion was strong and your father has

    developed resistance."

    "What does your mother say?¡±

    Keith answered softly: ¡°My mother said my father''s life or death has nothing to do with her.¡±

    Kent was speechless.

    She was indeed ruthless!

    Their only hope seemed to be dashed.

    Inwardly, Kent sighed. On the outside, however, he was filled with urgency. ¡°Then what should we

    do? Just watch as your father deteriorates. We¡¯ve given him plenty of water, cold baths, and

    antidotes, but these are just stopgap measures. Over time, his body will only get worse. Keith, call

    your mother again, talk to her. Even if she resents your father, she should save him for the sake of

    you and your sister. After all, they were once husband and wife. If not, let your sister persuade her."

    Kent lied with a straight face, giving off an aura that Nathan''s life depended on his wife.

    After a pause, Keith said, ¡°I¡¯ll contact Lucy. Let Lucy talk to my mother.¡±

    He added: ¡°Kent, you¡¯re not helping my father deceive us, are you?¡±

    "Keith, do you not know me? I¡¯m the most honest person. I wouldn''t joke about your father''s health.

    He once saved my and my family''s lives. I value his life more than my own."

    Kent¡¯s loyalty to Nathan was not only because Nathan trusted him and allowed him to utilize his

    medical skills fully, but also because Nathan had saved his family.

    After a moment of silent, Keith said, "I know you are honest, but you are also my father''s confidant."

    He emphasized "my father''s confidant."

    "Keith, if you don''t trust me, you can take your father to another hospital."

    Keith: ¡°I''ll call Lucy.¡±

    He called Lucinda in front of Kent, but the one who answered was Stefan.

    "Bro, what¡¯s up?"

    Stefan lowered his voice on the phone, fearing to wake Lucinda. He had a hearty meal and didn''t

    want to disturb her sleep.

    "Was Lucy asleep?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°If you need to talk to Lucy, you can tell me now, and I¡¯ll tell her in the morning.¡±

    Stefan asked with concern; "Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Something did happen, not to me, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just that Dad was poisoned, and Mom was

    unwilling to help. I was thinking maybe Lucy could persuade Mom.¡±

    Keith didn''t make things very clear, but Stefan, who had just spent a passionate night with his wife,

    understood instantly.

    ¡°Bro, send Dad to the hospital immediately. This kind of potion is easy to counteract. If not, he

    should drink more water, take cold showers, and wait for the potion to wear off. If the potion is too

    strong, he should definitely go to the hospital, or it could be fatal.¡±

    Keith: ¡°You seem to have a lot of experience.¡±

    Stefan choked.

    "But the doctor said that the potion my dad took is very strong, and the methods you mentioned are

    not effective. That''s why he suggested Mom.¡±

    Sitting up, Stefan quietly left the bedroom and said in a low voice, ¡°Unless the dosage were very

    high, causing your father to faint or even die, then it would be ineffective. How is your dad now?¡±

    ¡°He vomited blood twice.¡±

    Stefan frowned, "That''s a severe reaction. Tell the doctor to do everything to save him, and I''ll

    arrange for some good doctors toe over immediately.¡±

    Kent, who had been listening to Keith and Stefan''s phone call, heard what Stefan said on the

    phone. He quickly said, "I''ve managed to temporarily stabilize him. There''s no immediate danger,

    but it would be best if Janice could help."

    Hearing Kent''s words, Stefan fell silent on the other end of the phone.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Kent was helping his father-inw, he dared to say that his father-inw was not as serious as Kent

    said.

    A doctor trusted by his father-inw, helpless against a love potion? He wouldn''t believe it even if he

    was killed.

    Indeed, they had intentionally only countered half of the potion, leaving the other half to coax his

    mother-inw into sacrificing a bit.

    Stefan felt that he didn''t know enough about his father-inw. He didn''t expect his father-inw to

    be so cunning.

    Well, as expected of the head of the family.

    "Did you contact mom?¡±

    Stefan, who had seen through his father-inw''s tactics, was much calmer. Whether it was his

    father-inw or his mother-inw, he couldn''t offend either. But this kind of thing was based on

    willingness. If his mother-inw was unwilling, he couldn''t persuade her.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    "What did mom say?¡±

    ¡°Mom said that dad''s life or death has nothing to do with her and that there are plenty of women out

    there. She told me to find another woman to help Dad.¡±

    Stefan paused once more, then said to his brother-inw, ¡°Tell that doctor to find a way to save

    Dad. If they can''t, arrange a ne to bring Dad over immediately. Our doctors in Pinehurst can

    definitely save him.¡±

    Kent was speechless.

    He had a feeling that his master''s son-inw seemed to have seen through their n.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Keith was no fool.

    At first, he was indeed very anxious and worried. The saying was true, ''When the mind is worried,

    and it bes confused''. He hadn''t considered many things.

    After talking to his mother on the phone, he suspected that this was his father''s plot and Kent was

    an aplice.

    But Kent''s words were seamless.

    It wasn''t until he heard his brother-inw''s words that Keith understood this was a trap set by his

    father.

    His mother knew his father best.

    After ending the call, Keith said to Kent, "Kent, you heard what Stefan said. Why don''t you guys try

    again? I''m sure there''s a way to counteract the potion.¡±

    Knowing that their n had failed, Kent had no choice but to say, "I''ll discuss with the others about

    adjusting your father''s medication.¡±

    ¡°Kent, I''m counting on you.¡±

    "This is something I should take care of." Kent said, "I need to meet with some specialists to discuss

    it."

    "Alright."

    With that, Kent hurriedly left the office.

    Before long, he pushed open the door to a plush private hospital room. Standing by the window,

    Nathan was staring out into the night. Hearing the door open, he turned and saw Kent. He didn''t

    wait for him to speak. Instead, he gave a wry smile and asked, "My n didn''t work, did it?"

 Chapter 356

    Chapter 356

    "Boss, the son-inw is too sharp. Janice saw through the game." Kent sighed in resignation, "Even

    when I told the young master that you coughed up blood again, they didn''t fall for it."

    The fact that Nathan had coughed up blood in the car was true.

    But the second time was a lie concocted by Kent.

    In Keith''s words, theponents of that drug were all pretty much the same.

    And to quote Stefan, the effects of the drug weren''t hard to counter.

    Nathan had seen through the ploy early on, and the effect of the poison was only slightly more

    potent than usual, hence the coughing of blood. But it was not incurable.

    He was merely trying to use this opportunity to persuade Janice through their children.

    Unfortunately, his n had failed.

    His son had fallen for it. But his wife was not fooled.

    And his son-inw was too astute.

    Nathan was somewhat gloomy.

    He had always been the wiliest of the bunch, but now there was a sharp son-inw in the picture.

    Even though he was a part of the family, Nathan was somewhat resentful. The reason was simple:

    the son-inw saw through his n and did not assist him in coaxing Janice.

    Nathan sighed, "Janice despises me to the core. Naturally, she wouldn''t lift a finger to help me in

    such a situation. As for Stefan, he listens to his wife. I can''t say anything about that. His wife is my

    precious daughter that I''ve just found."

    Kent was at a loss for words.

    After a while, Kent suggested, "Boss, the young master has matured a lot. He''s started to

    understand certain things. Why don''t you tell him about your predicament? It could at least unite you

    two."

    Nathan smiled bitterly, "Some actions, once done, can''t be undone. No matter my reasons, they

    won''t forgive me."

    He had not initially intended to act as he had. But he soon realized that the more he cared for his

    wife and children, the more anxious those around him were to harm them.

    They thought that if they could get rid of the people they cared about the most, he would break

    down, and they would achieve their goal.

    He had to change his protective strategy, moving his protectors from the open to the shadows.

    He began to neglect his wife, to be harsh with his son, to shout and scold him often as if he wouldn''t

    care for Keith if he had another son.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    His adversaries thought they could get what they wanted without resorting to violence, hoping he

    would abandon Janice and that Keith would be useless.

    His neglect of his wife and his indifference to his son lowered their profiles, and the instances of

    them being in danger steadily decreased.

    He used his heartless demeanor to hide his protection, saying that the only reason he hadn''t

    divorced was because Janice''s family was almost gone. He had to wait until Hayes grew up and

    could care for his aunt before they could talk about divorce.

    Back then, he was young, and his power was at its zenith.

    The hidden enemy didn''t dare to confront him directly. He could only test and wait, hoping that Keith

    would grow up, that Lucinda would be found, and that Janice would wake up.

    Unfortunately, because it had taken so long, Nathan''s original good intentions were now met with

    resentment from his wife and children.

    "She might not forgive you so easily, but Keith and Lucy are your own flesh and blood. Blood is

    thicker than water. If they understand your situation, they''ll understand."

    After a long silence, Nathan told Kent, "Go and tell Keith that I''ve found a good solution. Let him

    pretend to give me an antidote and some intravenous fluid. I''ll find an opportunity to have a chat

    with Keith."

    He was leaving everything to his children.

    Mainly his son.

    There were indeed things that his son should know. Only with a united father and son could they

    face the world better.

    "Alright."

    At four in the morning, Keith received the good news that his father''s poison had been cured.

    He was already in the ward, and he could go home after dawn after some intravenous fluid.

    When he walked into his father''s ward, he saw his father lying on the bed, looking very weak, with

    an IV needle in his hand.

    Keith walked over, sat by the bed, and quietly looked at his father.

    In his memory, his father was like a hill, a towering tree. Although asionally, a few rocks would

    roll down the hill and hit him, his father was very tall in his heart.

    He had never seen his father looking so ill.

    "Dad."

    Keith softly called out.

    Nathan, who was resting with his eyes closed, opened them and saw his son. He smiled weakly

    and said, "I''m fine, son. Don''t worry. Go home and rest. You don''t need to go to the office in the

    morning. I''ll handle the Pete situation."

    "Pete cost thepany a business deal worth a hundred million. Are you still going to keep him at

    headquarters?"

    Keith had finally found an opportunity to oust Pete from the Blue Corporation rightfully. He didn''t

    want his father to spare Pete out of familial sentiment. Pete was more ambitious and ruthless than

    Hayden.

    "Even if we can''t keep him, I''ll handle it. Then Hayden will have nothing to say, and he won''t be able

    toin about you to your grandparents."

    Keith didn''t say anything.

    After a while, he asked his father, "Dad, all these years, you''ve been neglecting Mom, and you''ve

    been extremely harsh on me. Sometimes, you''re so cold that you don''t seem like my dad. Do you

    have any hidden troubles?"

    Nathan looked at his son.

    Father and son quietly looked at each other.

    Suddenly, Nathan smiled. This was the first time in Keith''s memory that his father smiled at him, not

    because of someone else, but because of him.

    "Keith, I do have my troubles. But no matter what, I''ve wronged your mother. I''m d you asked me

    this. Remember, no matter what I do, it''s for your future, for your and Lucy''s wellbeing. I''ve failed

    your mother, we probably won''t be able to return to how we were."

    Janice would instead let him sumb to the poison than save him.

    It showed how much she despised him.

    "When Lucyes back, if you two can work together to remove the ck tumor in the Blue family,

    and if I can retire while I''m still alive, I''ll spend the rest of my days making up for my wrongs to your

    mother. If I die before I retire, remember to carve your mother''s name on my tombstone. That way, I

    can rest in peace."

    "Dad, what are you talking about? You''re the patriarch of the Blue family. You''ve held that role for

    over two decades now. Can''t you control it?"

    "Son, how does it feel to have been fighting alone all these years? I know the feeling. Sure, I''m the

    patriarch, but the entire family, even your uncles, they don''t share my vision. They''re all standing on

    the opposite side. Tell me, how can I rx?"

    He gave a bitter smile. "In the Blue family, it''s been a tradition for the children of the patriarch to face

    unfortunate circumstances. The one who ascends to the patriarch''s position bes the envy of

    the entire n. Some people just envy and do nothing, but some go mad with jealousy. Once

    there''s a mutual benefit, they can unite against amon cause."

 Chapter 357

    Chapter 357

    "Why can''t we break away? We can''t keep carrying them on our shoulders."

    "The Blue family''s foundation of a hundred years is there, and this has been our way of life for a

    hundred years. It''s not that I don''t want to break away, but it''s a difficult path to walk. I hope that in

    my lifetime, I can help you break away. If we seed, we''ll be independent, no longer burdened by

    them. If we fail, we might both pay a heavy price.¡±

    Nathan''s face softened as he spoke, "I didn''t want Lucy to have to face all this, but she''s already

    involved. She has to face it. Lucy, raised carefree by the Moores, was good-natured, not cutthroat.

    Without Stefan by her side, she wouldn''t live happily and freely in our family."

    "Keith, you should go home and rest. Your father needs some sleep, too."

    Nathan stopped talking and closed his eyes.

    Keith knew that all those times his father had been cold to his mother and him, it was all to protect

    them.

    At least Keith wasn¡¯t stupid. He could understand.

    Lucinda had no idea what her father and brother had gone through that night.

    When she woke up, the day was already bright.

    Turning her head, she noticed Stefan had already left the room.

    She mumbled a few words, but what she was saying was unclear.

    She picked up her phone from the bedside table, checked the time, and decided it was time to get

    up.

    Rubbing her sore back, she muttered: "My brother was worried about Stefan being impotent. My

    poor back!"

    She suspected that Stefan had exacted his revenge on her for the night at Neon Nectar Nightclub.

    After sitting on the bed for a while, remembering that her mothers wereing back from the

    Anderson family ind today, Lucinda called her biological mother.

    When Janice answered the phone, she said, "Lucy, don''t try to persuade me. Even if your father is

    really poisoned, that''s his problem. I''m not going to be his antidote."

    She thought her daughter was calling to persuade her.

    Lucinda was taken aback.

    Her father was poisoned?

    Was her father poisoned?

    Lucinda''s face changed, and she hurriedly asked, "Mom, what''s wrong with dad? Is he poisoned?

    What kind of poison?"

    Janice, "You don''t know. Aren''t you calling to persuade me to save your father?"

    "Mom, if you can save my dad, for the sake of me and Keith, can you save my dad?"

    Lucinda didn''t know what kind of poison her father had been exposed to. But hearing her mother

    say she could save him, she immediately pleaded with her mother to save him.

    Janice knew her daughter would also persuade her like her son. She said, "Your father was

    schemed by Madeleine. Your brother called to ask me. Your father and Madeleine are more than

    just friends. Perhaps this is their bedroom pleasure. Your brother was a third wheel."

    Lucinda, "Mom, you mean my father is like that. Just send him to the hospital. Mom I''m sorry. I

    didn''t understand the situation just now." She was puzzled; her mother was not a miracle doctor,

    and her father was poisoned, so why would her mother need to save him?

    It turned out to be that kind of poison.

    No wonder her mother was so angry.

    "I don''t me you. After all, he is your and your brother''s biological father. As a child, you can''t just

    watch your father die."

    "Don''t worry. As long as he''s taken to the hospital, he''ll be fine."

    Janice said indifferently, "I''m not worried. His life or death has nothing to do with me. The only

    connection between him and me is you and Keith."

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Lucinda was relieved but still puzzled, "Madeleine wants to poison my dad? They''re so close, I

    thought they were already."

    Lucinda didn''t want to talk too much about her father''s romantic affairs.

    She felt that her father being with Madeleine was a betrayal to her mother.

    "Your father is getting old, and he thinks he''s still in his twenties. He''s busy with work and under a

    lot of stress, and it''s normal that he can''t keep up. What Madeleine wants most now is probably to

    get pregnant as soon as possible."

    Janice was clear-headed.

    She could see things clearly.

    However, she didn''t want to get involved in the Blue family''s affairs anymore, except for her two

    children.

    "Lucy, let''s not talk about him anymore. We''reing back today. After breakfast, we''ll catch a

    flight."

    Janice changed the subject.

    "Was that why you called, Mom? Do you need me to pick you up?"

    "No need. We''re not alone. Your inws and the Moores are with us. We havepany. You and

    Stefan don''t need toe and pick us up. You don''t need to wait at home on purpose. Do what you

    have to do."

    Lucinda responded with an understanding "Oh."

    The mother and daughter chatted on the phone for a while. After ending the call, Lucinda quickly

    called her brother.

    Once Keith answered the phone, she hurriedly asked, "Brother, how''s dad?"

    "Did Stefan tell you?"

    "No, I just called Mom, and she told me. Is dad okay?"

    After speaking, she said, "Brother, have you been in contact with Stefan?"

    "Dad''s fine. I tried to call youst night, but Stefan answered. Lucy, I have to go. Dad sent someone

    to look for me. I''m going to see him now."

    "Okay."

    Knowing that her father was okay, Lucinda was relieved.

    Everyone said that as long as he was taken to hospital, he would be fine.

    There was no need to force her mother to be her father''s antidote against her will.

    Initially, she didn''t know that her father was poisoned with love. She thought it was some other

    poison, and that''s why she pleaded with her beautiful mother.

    But she still sent a message to her mother.

    Janice didn''t reply.

    The elders who were on vacation were alling back today.

    Her father was also okay.

    Lucinda''s mood improved.

    She quickly got dressed and, after freshening up, went downstairs.

    Still, on the stairs, she heard her cousin Hayes'' voice praising Stefan.

    Hearing him say: "Stefan, you''re quite the cook. Look at this nutritious breakfast you made. It''s as

    good as a five-star hotel chef''s. Lucy is lucky to have you."

    His brother-inw was really capable.

    Hayes felt a bit ashamed.

    As the head of the family, his abilities were far inferior to Stefan''s.

    Stefan was too exceptional and he could cook to boot.

    The thing was, he didn''t put on airs. He tied on an apron early in the morning and dived into the

    kitchen, personally preparing nutritious breakfast for his cousin. From this alone, it''s clear as day:

    he''s head over heels for Lucinda.

    Hayes felt genuinely happy for Lucinda.

    Stefan replied, "All the Anderson boys can cook in our family."

    Some were just average cooks, but it''s all good as long as they can boil water and not poison

    anyone with their food.

    "Your family traditions are impressive," Hayes remarked. "You Anderson brothers have certainly

    shattered my preconceptions about silver-spoon kids. Though, I''m not sure how many generations

    of wealth are you."

    Hayes considered the Andersons to be an unconventional elite family.

    No wonder the Andersons remain unshaken in Pinehurst. Their offspring were well-bred, each

    capable in their own right. While others worried about finding apetent sessor, the

    Andersons had no such concerns. Any of their young gentlemen could hold up the family business.

 Chapter 358

    Chapter 358

    Stefan modestly remarked, "Our family lives by the motto ''happy home, prosperous life''."

    Everyone could utter the words ''happy home, prosperous life'', but they couldn''t fulfill this.

    Hayes nodded silently, and then voiced his agreement, "Indeed, you''ve managed to build a real

    ''happy home, prosperous life''. There are folks who could hang that motto in their living room, stare

    at it every day, but they could never truly achieve it."

    People would often kick up a fuss over minor disagreements or petty gains.

    The irony was palpable. The embroidered motto hanging in the living room, a daily sight of endless

    squabbles and disputes.

    Hayes was determined to marry a good woman and start a family. After all, a good woman was said

    to bring fortune for three generations. He would nurture his children, taking a leaf out of the

    Anderson family''s book, to uphold the good family traditions of the Dewey family.

    Only such a family could prosper.

    The Dewey lineage was dwindling, with Hayes the only one left of his generation. The burden he

    bore was not just the revival of the Dewey family, but also to expand its family tree. However, he

    had yet to find his significant other.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Hearing her cousinvishing praises on Stefan, Lucinda felt a sense of pride.

    She truly had struck gold.

    She was incredibly lucky to be treated so sincerely by Stefan.

    Hearing familiar footsteps, Stefan turned his head and saw Lucinda at the kitchen entrance. His

    eyes were gentle, a smile graced his lips, and his voice was warm, "Darling, good morning.

    Breakfast will be ready soon."

    Hayes turned to his cousin andplimented, "Lucy, Stefan is a great guy. You''re a lucky woman."

    Lucindaughed, "Thank you for thepliment, Hayes. I do believe I''m fortunate."

    Kidnapped by a viin when she was only six months old, separated from her parents, she was

    incredibly lucky to have been found by the Moore family. She took the ce of their daughter,

    growing up healthy and happy in the Moore family. After marrying Stefan, she felt her luck improved

    even more when she found her biological parents.

    She truly was a fortunate person.

    "Praise you once, and you''re over the moon," Hayes teased, lightly tapping his sister''s cute nose.

    Stefan ced the prepared breakfast on the table, enough for several people to eat.

    Stefan''s grandpa and grandma were still tending to the flowers in the yard. They didn''t rush for

    breakfast, so he served his wife, himself, and Hayes first.

    He took off his apron and responded to Hayes, "I spoil Lucy, even if her nose reaches the sky, that''s

    my doing."

    Hayes chuckled, "Keep spoiling her. If she bes too spoiled, you''ll have to deal with it."

    "I''ll spoil my wife however I please. If she bes spoiled and only I can handle her, no one will try

    to steal her away from me."

    Lucindaughed out loud, "Who in Pinehurst doesn''t know I''m your wife? Who would dare to try and

    steal me away?"

    She sat down at the table and saw the nutritious breakfast Stefan prepared for her. He knew what

    she liked to eat,bining her favorites in a nutritious and appetizing meal. He truly was a

    considerate man.

    Hayes couldn''t wait to taste Stefan''s culinary skills. Hearing Lucinda''s words, heughed, "I know

    someone who would dare to steal Stefan''s wife, but that person hasn''t been born yet."

    Once they had children, their child would be the one topete with Stefan for his wife.

    Stefan smiled, "That won''t happen anytime soon."

    Hayes was about to ask why, but recalling Lucy''s identity and the messy situation with the Blue

    family, he understood the young couple''s n.

    "Stefan, Lucinda, Hayes."

    Eric and Campbell walked in together.

    Lucinda quickly asked, "Have you two eaten?"

    After receiving a stern look from their elder brother, the two brothers simultaneously replied, "We

    have."

    Lucinda figured that each house had several chefs and the Anderson family had fixed meal times,

    except for the two elders who ate whenever they wanted. It was almost time for work, so it was

    normal that the two brothers had eaten.

    So she didn''t say anything more.

    "Stefan, there are so many flowers outside, where did theye from? I noticed the pots aren''t

    from our flower field."

    Campbell asked curiously.

    Stefan casually replied, "I bought them."

    Everyone looked at him.

    Lucinda asked in confusion, "You bought a lot of flowers? Don''t we grow plenty of flowers here?"

    Ascend Estate was a ce where flowers could be seen everywhere. The flower field at the foot of

    the mountain was filled with various blooms. Apart from enjoying them, they also sold a few. Many

    flower shops were eager to get supplies from Ascend Estate.

    Ascend Estate''s flowers were not only well-cultivated but also had a good reputation. Those flower

    shops who imed to have stocks from Ascend Estate were always sold out.

    Of course, they wouldn''t dare to deceive their customers. Only those who truly got their supplies

    from Ascend Estate would dare to im so. The authority and status of the Anderson family were

    there, no one would dare to use Ascend Estate''s reputation for profit.

    Stefan just smiled without saying a word.

    Lucinda was very curious.

    After filling herself up, she left the dining room, her curiosity getting the better of her.

    Each house in the Anderson family had its own independent yard. As soon as Lucinda stepped out,

    she saw a sea of potted flowers in their yard, all blooming in this season. The sight was so dazzling

    with vibrant colors.

    Even Patrick and his wife were wandering in this sea of flowers, appreciating the beauty of various

    flowers, asionallymenting on their features.

    "How beautiful!" Lucinda eximed. She quickly took out her phone and started taking photos non-

    stop. She wanted to post them on Facebook to amaze her online friends.

    While snapping photos, she asked the man next to her, "Stefan, why did you suddenly bring home

    all of these flowers?"

    Stefan nced at her, his eyes filled with affection. He said fondly, "Owen created a floral spectacle,

    wowing passersby. You even sighed at Owen''s romantic gesture and envied Cecilia. But my wife,

    you are always the object of others'' envy. How can I let you envy Cecilia?"

    "Lucy, your husband is also capable of romance. Owen''s flowers are rootless. With the current

    weather, the scorching sun during the day will wilt them. By the end of the day, his gift to Cecilia

    could be used as firewood."

    "But the flowers that your husband has bought for you, as long as they are well cared for, will bloom

    year after year. This is what''s evesting. Look at the flowers all over the yard, aren''t they

    beautiful?"

    Lucinda stopped taking photos.

    The few grown men who had followed them out to see the flowers felt that they shouldn''t havee

    out. They felt as if they had been force-fed an overdose of sweetness, they were bursting!

    "Stefan, did you buy all these flowers for me to enjoy?"

    Lucinda asked with surprise.

    Stefan smiled affectionately, "Do you like them?"

    Lucinda nodded vigorously, "I love them, I absolutely adore them!"

 Chapter 359

    Chapter 359

    Lucinda''s smile was as radiant as a bouquet of fresh flowers.

    She never thought that Stefan''s gesture of gifting flowers would surpass Owen''s.

    In fact, there was truth in what he said.

    The sea of flowers that Owen had arranged, after a whole day under the scorching sun, could

    literally be used as firewood.

    The flowers that Stefan had gifted her, however, were potted nts. All they needed was regr

    watering, fertilization, and the loosening of their soil. They would bloom year after year, making

    them asting gift.

    When Tiffany, who hade to do Lucinda''s makeup, saw the sea of flowers, she was in awe.

    When she found out that they were a gift from Stefan, she shot a sideways nce at Liam, who had

    apanied her.

    "Why is it that Stefan, out of all your siblings, is the only one who''s exceptional? You, on the other

    hand, are like a log. Even if I kicked you twice, you''d only flip over once, incapable of even rolling."

    Liam was at a loss. "What did I do wrong?"

    Was he really that inferior to his older brother?

    All ten siblings in their family were bright and aplished.

    Seeing that Liam was clueless about the obvious, Tiffany left him in a huff and went over to Lucinda.

    Liam, sensing that Tiffany''s mood had changed, was bewildered. He had never noticed before how

    quickly Tiffany''s moods could change.

    "Lucy, let me finish my job first, and then you can continue enjoying your flowers."

    Tiffany''s temper quickly cooled down. By the time she approached Lucinda and her husband, she

    was back to her usual self.

    "Alright."

    Worried about beingte, Lucinda quickly followed Tiffany into the house.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    After the twodies had left, Liam walked over to his brothers.

    "What was up with Tiffany just now? What did I do wrong again? She''s always praising Stefan while

    putting me down. I wouldn''t stand for it if it were anyone else. I''d have to fight them."

    Campbell wanted to say something, but Eric pulled him back. Campbell looked at his brother and

    saw him making gestures, so he swallowed his words.

    Stefan, tired of exining things to his clueless little brother, said dismissively, "Think about it

    yourself."

    Then he turned around and went back inside.

    Liam was left speechless.

    Hayes, who was a guest and unaware of the backstory, tried to help Liam understand. "Liam, I think

    Ms. Tiffany might be envious. Aren''t you and Ms. Tiffany a couple? Could it be that you''ve never

    given her flowers?"

    Without thinking, Liam replied, "With so many flowers at home, why should I give her more? She

    can pick any flower she likes."

    Hayes was silent for a moment, and then he said, "Even a man like you can have a woman who

    likes you. That''s something us single guys would be envious of."

    Feeling a little proud, Liam said, "Tiffany and I have known each other since we were children."

    "No wonder," Hayes answered. Without that childhood friendship, Liam would probably have been a

    bachelor forever.

    Everyone else left, not wanting to deal with Liam, the lucky man.

    Liam touched his nose and saw his grandparents approaching. He quickly greeted them.

    He walked over and gently assisted his grandmother. The olddy gave him a sharp look and said,

    "Stop trying to win favor with me. Your rtionship with Tiffany is none of my business. If anyone

    should intervene, it should be your parents. If a proposal is to be made, it should be your parents

    who make it."

    With a dejected look, Liam said, "I''ve already asked my parents. They said that Tiffany told them

    she hasn''t epted my proposal yet. Even if my parents were to bring a generous dowry to

    propose, she and her family would not agree."

    "Grandma, Tiffany respects you a lot. Can you help me propose to the Paisley family? I''ve proposed

    to Tiffany countless times, but she refuses to ept."

    Before Liam''s grandmother could answer, Patrick pped Liam''s shoulder. Despite his age, he was

    still quite strong.

    Liam rubbed his shoulder where he had been hit, looking at his grandfather with an innocent

    expression.

    "There must be a reason for him to hit me, right?"

    "Using Hayes'' words from earlier, the fact that a woman like Tiffany likes you is your good fortune. If

    you and Tiffany weren''t childhood friends who grew up together, you''d be a bachelor. You don''t

    pursue other women, and you don''t care when other women pursue you."

    "Tiffany is the only woman I love. Why should I care about other women?"

    "You like Tiffany, but have you ever confessed your feelings to her? Have you ever pursued her?

    Have you ever given her a gift? Look at your brother Stefan''s grand gesture. Can''t you learn from

    him? How could I have a grandson with such low EQ? It''s an insult to my genes. Your father was

    very proactive when he was courting your mother. You haven''t inherited any of that!"

    Liam was berated by his grandfather.

    He muttered under his breath, "Who doesn''t know I love Tiffany? She knows it too. Why do I need

    to say it out loud? We''re practically married. It would be much simpler to just get married. She

    doesn''t need any gifts. She has everything she needs. I really can''t think of any gift to give her."

    Looking at the flowers in the yard, he had a moment of realization. "Did Tiffany want me to give her

    a yard full of flowers? She could have just said so. I can have someone bring flowers from our

    garden right now. I''ll make sure our small courtyard is filled to the brim."

    "If your brother has already done that, what''s the point of you doing it too? There''s no surprise in it.

    Can''t you think of something else? Everyone knows you love Tiffany, but would it kill you to tell her ''I

    love you''?"

    Patrick was so frustrated with his grandson''s low emotional intelligence.

    Originally, the old couple didn''t want to intervene in his rtionship with Tiffany. After all, the two

    had grown up together and were childhood sweethearts. Both families knew this and were ready for

    their wedding at any time.

    But Tiffany, being a girl, couldn''t help but envy Lucinda and Stefan''s loving rtionship.

    Unfortunately, Liam was so clueless he couldn''t see it.

    Patrick felt that if he didn''t directly enlighten his grandson, he might still be single even when his

    great-grandchild was born.

    "Tiffany''s notcking for anything, but what you give her, it carries a different meaning. Even if you

    gave her a de of grass, if it''s from you, she''d cherish it. You really don''t understand a woman''s

    heart, you''re as clueless as theye."

    Liam blinked several times, taking a moment before responding, "I see, I get it now."

    "Do you really get it?"

    Liam quickly nodded, "Grandpa, I get it, thanks for the wake-up call. No wonder Tiffany kept turning

    down my proposals, my brother always said it was my fault, and he was right. I didn''t truly

    understand what Tiffany wanted."

    He had always been focused on making hermit to him.

    Hepletely overlooked what she was thinking and what she wanted.

 Chapter 360

    Chapter 360

    Lucinda was in high spirits, but at her biological parents'' home, the Blue family, chaos reigned.

    It had all started the previous night. Hayden, out of curiosity, had ventured into his brother''s room.

    The moment he stepped in, he was hit by the potent scent of love potions. Even with the doors and

    windows thrown open, the scent refused to dissipate.

    Madeleine was to me for her own downfall. In her attempt to ensnare Nathan, she had lit up all

    the love potions her mother had procured for her. The result was an overpowering scent that

    refused to vanish.

    When Hayden smelled the scent, coupled with Madeleine''s seductive advances, he couldn''t resist.

    He was no saint. He had yed around with plenty of women behind his wife''s back. When

    Madeleine made her move, he was helpless against the allure. They indulged in a night of

    unabashed passion.

    The effects of the potion were so strong that they only stopped when they werepletely spent.

    They copsed on the floor and fell into a deep sleep.

    The next morning, the housemaid, who was responsible for cleaning, found the room half open. She

    knocked, intending to clean but received no answer.

    Without permission, she didn''t dare to enter. So, she continued with her chores elsewhere.

    It wasn''t until Mr. and Mrs. Blue, the elderly couple, woke up.

    They were early to bed andte to rise. By the time they woke up, it was already past nine in the

    morning.

    As they passed by their eldest son''s room and saw the door half open, Mrs. Bluemented to her

    husband, "What''s gotten into Nathan? He should know better than to leave his door open."

    As she spoke, she paused to close the door for him, calling out, "Nathan, are you still in there?"

    When she received no response, she peeked inside. The sight that greeted her caused her to

    hastily shut the door, her face turning beet red.

    "What''s wrong?" Mr. Blue asked, puzzled. "What did you see? Why is your face so red?"

    "Nathan and Madeleine were on the floor." Mrs. Blue''s voice trailed off.

    In her quick nce, she had seen two people on the floor, their clothes in disarray. But the man

    didn''t look like their eldest son. The clothes looked like their third son''s.

    Due to her busy life when she was younger, she had neglected their youngest son, Hayden. Mrs.

    Blue felt guilty about this and now doted on Ashley the most.

    Thinking of this, she quickly opened the door again and walked in.

    Mr. Blue followed her, and upon seeing the scene on the floor, he was filled with rage. He shouted,

    "Hayden!"

    Mrs. Blue was also shocked and angry. She didn''t stop her husband''s outburst in time. By the time

    she realized what had happened, the others had heard Mr. Blue''s shout and came to see what was

    going on.

    Those who arrived first saw the disarray in the room. Then, they were also shocked.

    What was going on?

    Hayden and Ms. Porter had been fooling around in the master bedroom and had even fallen asleep

    on the floor. Clearly, they had been so carried away that they didn''t even have the strength to make

    it to the bed. They had simply made do with the floor.

    "Close the door!" Mrs. Bluemanded with a stern expression.

    The maid came to her senses, quickly closed the door, and ran downstairs.

    There were also eyes and ears loyal to Ashley in the big house.

    Such a big event had several witnesses, and soon, Ashley found out.

    Ashley had been waiting for her husband toe homest night. When he didn''t returnte into

    the night, she went to sleep.

    Suddenly, she was told that her husband hadn''t returned because he was in the master''s room,

    sleeping with Madeleine. From the looks of it, they had spent the entire night together.

    Her face turned pale with rage, and she stormed towards the master''s room.

    Ashley''s butler tried to stop her but couldn''t. Sensing trouble, she quickly dialed Pete''s number.

    Once Pete answered the call, the butler hurriedly said, "Mr. Blue, pleasee home quickly.

    There''s been a big problem. Hayden and Ms. Porter. Oh my, Hayden has dishonored Ms. Porter in

    the master''s room."

    "What!" Upon hearing this, Pete felt like he had been struck on the head. His mind went nk.

    His father had dishonored Madeleine!

    Madeleine had always wanted to marry his uncle and be the mistress of the house. She had

    even taken on the role herself. Although she had deep connections with the Ashley family, Pete

    knew that Madeleine was using them and that they were using her in return.

    In fact, Madeleine didn''t think highly of the Ashley family.

    His father slept with Madeleine. Not to mention the Porter family''s outrage, it would definitely earn

    him Madeleine''s wrath.

    "Does my mother know?" Pete asked hurriedly.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Actually, they all knew about their father''s dalliances. They had kept it a secret from their mother to

    prevent arguments and even a potential divorce.

    Seeing that his mother was still deeply in love with his father, even in her forties, Pete knew that

    their love would not tolerate any mishaps.

    Hearing about this, Mrs. Ashley would definitely be pissed off.

    The butler replied, "Ashley knows and she''s on her way to the master''s room. Mr. Blue, you need to

    come home quickly and alert the master."

    Hayden sleeping with Madeleine was certainly done without the master''s knowledge, and he wasn''t

    home.

    That was why the butler said so.

    If the master was home, even if Hayden had the courage, he wouldn''t darey a finger on Ms.

    Porter.

    "Alright." After hanging up the phone, Pete rushed to find Nathan. Nathan was in his office,

    reprimanding Keith. Seeing Pete enter, Nathan managed to put on a gentle face and said, "Hey,

    Pete."

    Pete was used to seeing Nathan scold Keith in thepany. He also knew that his uncle was just

    putting on a show for them.

    No matter how harshly Nathan scolded Keith, Keith''s position as the young master was still secure.

    "Uncle Nathan."

    Pete didn''t dare to spill the beans, least of all to his rival, Keith. Even though he knew he couldn''t

    hide the truth forever, he thought it best to keep his cards close to his chest for as long as possible.

    He couldn''t stand the mocking glint in Keith''s eyes whenever he looked his way.

    He quickly stepped over to Nathan''s side, bending down to whisper something in his ear. Nathan''s

    face shifted dramatically as he stood up abruptly, his face darkened, and he curtly said, "Let''s head

    home!"

    "Dad, what''s going on?" Keith asked.

    "Keith, it''s nothing," Pete quickly interjected.

    "I wasn''t asking you," Keith retorted coldly, leaving Pete seething but unable to retort.

    "There''s a bit of an issue back home. I need to take care of it. You carry on with your stuff, no need

    toe home," Nathan exined, trying to keep his son from the messy situation.

    He wouldn''t want to tarnish his son''s eyes with such a chaotic scene. His son lived in a bubble, free

    from women within a three-meter radius. He was as innocent about rtionships as a nk canvas.

 Chapter 361

    Chapter 361

    That''s how it was. He didn''t know when he would cradle his grandchild in his arms. The anticipation

    of bing a grandfather was a sweet torture.

    Keith grunted in acknowledgment, watching as his father and Pete hurriedly left the office.

    His father didn¡¯t tell him, but Keith could make a fair guess. Last night, his father had been tricked

    by Madeleine, Keith had to rush him to the hospital. He had no idea what kind of scandal Madeleine

    had stirred up at their home.

    Keithughed abruptly, "Such a fascinating drama, and Dad won''t even let me go home to watch."

    But someone would bring him the juicy details, he was sure of it.

    However, when Ashley found out that her husband had spent the night with Madeleine, she stormed

    to the main house, shouting as soon as she entered, "Hayden, get out here now, Madeleine, you

    wretched woman, how dare you seduce my husband!"

    "Madam Ashley, Madam."

    The housekeepers tried to stop her, but Ashley was unstoppable. Even a team of strong men

    wouldn''t have been able to hold her back.

    She pushed past everyone, none of the housekeepers daring to restrain her too forcefully for fear of

    hurting her. She stomped upstairs where Hayden and Madeleine were.

    Madeleine woke up to see Ashley¡¯s furious face. She was first startled, then bashfully pleased.

    Despite feeling sore and achy, the thought that she had finally consummated her rtionship with

    Nathan and her imminent marriage into the Blue family made her heart light up as bright as the

    morning sun.

    However, her joy didn¡¯tst long. She screamed seeing Hayden in front of her.

    Hayden!

    How could it be Hayden!

    Madeleine understood everything seeing Hayden in disarray.

    She screamed, throwing herself at Hayden, hitting him while cursing, "Hayden, you beast! I''m your

    future sister-inw. How dare you do this to me! I''ll kill you, you bastard!"

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Thinking she had been intimate with Hayden, someone she despised from the bottom of her heart,

    Madeleine felt as if the sky was falling. She knew about Hayden¡¯s promiscuous affairs outside. She

    wouldn''t even let him touch her shoes, finding him repulsive.

    And he dared to defile her!

    She would not let this slide!

    "Madeleine, Madeleine."

    Savannah knew her youngest son had stirred a ho''s nest, but he was still her son, and she felt

    distressed. She tried to pull Madeleine off Hayden, but she was old and couldn''t manage it.

    Madeleine was kicking and punching Hayden, and even with Hayden''s parents'' attempts to

    intervene, they couldn''t separate her from him.

    Exhausted, Madeleine copsed on the floor, weeping bitterly. She had no idea how this could have

    happened.

    Just before she lost consciousness, Nathan had juste out of the bathroom. Did Nathan

    suddenly have to leave, and Hayden took advantage of her?

    "Bang!"

    The door was kicked open by Ashley. Ashley came in like a storm, grabbing Madeleine by her hair,

    and started hitting her.

    "p! p! p! p!"

    Ashley''s ps sounded like firecrackers going off. By the time the old couple came to their senses,

    Ashley had already swelled Madeleine''s face.

    Ashley was not satisfied with just bruising Madeleine''s face. She scratched, hit, and even bit

    Madeleine, dragging her out of the room by her leg, shouting, "Since you like to seduce men so

    much, everyone should see your shameless face."

    Madeleine tried her best to break free from Ashley, but she couldn''t.

    Ashley was crazier than her.

    She hadpletely lost her mind.

    "Madam Ashley!"

    Hayden and his parents rushed forward, one to hold Ashley back, and another to cover Madeleine

    with a nket, then helping her up.

    "Let me go, let me go, I want to drag this woman out, let everyone spit on her till she drowns, this

    shameless woman!"

    Ashley was held by her husband, but she kept kicking, trying to hit Madeleine.

    Savannah protected Madeleine, panting heavily.

    What was happening!

    "Where''s Nathan, call Nathan back!"

    Savannah ordered loudly.

    The housekeepers downstairs didn''t dare toe up. Hearing the olddy''s shout, one of them

    replied, "We''ve already informed the master, he''s on his way back."

    "Hayden, you''ve wronged me, haven''t you? I''ve been married to you for over twenty years, given

    birth to your children, managed this house, and you dare to fool around with that woman. She''s your

    brother''s wife, you bastard!"

    Unable to break free, Ashley turned around and started crying and cursing at her husband.

    Hayden didn''t dare to let go for a moment.

    "Honey, just calm down. It was just an ident. I swear, I didn''t mean for it to happen. It was

    Madeleine, she wouldn''t let go, she kissed me first and I couldn''t resist."

    "Hayden, you''re a damned liar!"

    Madeleine''s voice echoed with fury.

    "It was you who initiated things. Nathan was sickst night, Keith took him to the hospital. Nathan

    asked me to escort you home to the Porter estate. But you were the one wrapping your arms

    around me, kissing me first. That''s why all this happened."

    Madeleine''s face turned ashen.

    Through Hayden''s confession, she understood everything.

    Nathan had realized he was being tricked and feigned sickness as an excuse to have Keith take

    him to the hospital. He still cared about her enough to have Hayden escort her home.

    It was her who, intoxicated by the moment, lost control and made a move on Hayden. Hayden, not

    exactly a gentleman, couldn''t resist her advances and her wild actions.

    Why did this happen?

    Why?

    Her reputation was ruined.

    When Nathan found out, would he still marry her?

    What man would willingly ept being cuckolded?

    Especially when the man she cuckolded him with was his own flesh and blood, his brother.

    Madeleine''s face paled drastically, and a surge of anger and frustration overwhelmed her. Her vision

    cked out, and she fainted.

 Chapter 362

    Chapter 362

    Savannah quickly steadied her, only to see a row of housemaids standing downstairs. She was

    exasperated and livid. She wished she could faint from the chaos right there and then.

    How on earth was she going to clean up this mess?

    ¡°Shirley.¡±

    Savannah called out.

    Shirley quickly emerged from the crowd, answering respectfully, ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Come upstairs.¡±

    Savannahmanded.

    Shirley hurriedly ascended the stairs.

    Savannah gestured for Shirley to help steady Madeleine and instructed, ¡°Take Ms. Porter to her

    usual guestroom and help her into some fresh clothes.¡±

    Shirley quickly took charge of Madeleine and told the olddy, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I can¡¯t manage Ms. Porter

    by myself.¡±

    So, the olddy summoned her daughter-inw to help upstairs.

    Ka and Shirley worked together to help Madeleine back to her room to change.

    ¡°Mother.¡±

    Breaking free from Hayden''s embrace, Ashley flung herself at Savannah''s feet, sobbing and

    clinging to her legs. ¡°Mother, you must stand up for me!¡±

    Ashley was furious and scared.

    Not scared of having hit Madeleine, but scared that her husband, in order to exin things to

    Madeleine, would divorce her.

    She knew that Madeleine was set on marrying into the Blue family to be the matriarch, and the

    Porter family wanted to use Madeleine to infiltrate the Blue family, to disrupt their unity. Once

    Madeleine became the matriarch, the Porter family could, through Madeleine, slowly take over the

    Blue family, bing the leading family in Skywatch.

    Ashley had been married into the Blue family for two decades, and she wasn''t about to hand over

    everything she''d built to Madeleine.

    For the sake of her position, Ashley knew that her alliance with Madeleine could not continue. Not

    only could it not continue, but they would be enemies.

    She also had to be wary of Hayden and Madeleine together.

    Regardless of the oue, Ashley and Madeleine''s secret alliance was over.

    ¡°Get up, Ashley,¡± said Savannah, rubbing her temples. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t be wronged. We¡¯ll

    make sure Hayden gives you an exnation. He did say it was Madeleine who initiated.¡±

    Savannah didn¡¯t finish her sentence.

    Everyone present knew that Savannah had determined Madeleine to be the one at fault.

    ¡°Hayden, what are you standing there for? Go change your clothes. Ashley, don¡¯t make a fuss with

    Hayden right now. Wait till your elder brotheres back.¡±

    The matriarch barked.

    Soon, Nathan hurried back with his nephew Pete. They ran into Hogan Blue, who had also rushed

    back after hearing the news.

    ¡°Nathan is back.¡±

    Nathan strode in.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    The servants automatically cleared a path and, once Nathan had entered, they quietly left.

    Nathan''s personal bodyguard cleared the room.

    Soon, only the Blue family remained.

    ¡°Nathan, you have to help me out here. I was just following your orders to escort Madeleine home,

    who knew. Nathan, I¡¯m really suffering here. Why didn¡¯t you tell me that Madeleine had drugged

    herself too?¡±

    Hayden, fresh from changing his clothes, saw his elder brother as his savior.

    To his surprise, Nathan grabbed him by the cor and started to pummel him.

    No one dared to intervene.

    Hayden didn¡¯t dare to fight back either. He let Nathan beat him until his face was swollen and

    bruised.

    Once Nathan was tired, he stopped, kicked Hayden, and then sat down on the couch.

    The room fell silent.

    After a while, Ashley, with tears streaming down her face, asked Nathan, ¡°Nathan, is everything

    Hayden said true? Hayden is your own brother, and you¡¯ve always loved him the most. How could

    you set him up like this?¡±

    Pete stood by his mother,forting her softly, ¡°Mom, Uncle Nathan will handle this.¡±

    Grabbing her son¡¯s hand, Ashley sobbed, ¡°Pete, your father.¡±

    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be afraid. You still have us.¡±

    He was only a few months younger than Keith, his brother. Both were twenty-four, and his younger

    brother was twenty. His sister, a surprise pregnancy after a decade, was still underage. Their

    mother had two grown sons, and they would never let her be wronged.

    Pete wasn''t a fool. He knew that if he didn''t handle this situation carefully, his mother would end up

    on the losing end. And, if his mother lost, the status of him and his siblings would inevitably change.

    If Madeleine became their stepmother, everything that had happened to Keith over the years could

    very well happen to them too.

    Pete had no desire to be the target of the Porter family''s ire. He didn''t have theyers of

    protection Keith did ¨C a bulletproof car and agile bodyguards were luxuries he couldn''t afford.

    Nathan''s face darkened as he exined to his family, "Last night, Madeleine tried to manipte me.

    When I caught on, I feigned sickness and had Keith take me to the hospital. But before I left, I

    knocked Madeleine unconscious. I was afraid if something happened to her in our house, the

    Porters would hold us responsible, and that wouldn''t be easy to smooth over. That''s why I had

    Hayden take her home."

    "Dad, mom, darling, you all heard that, right? I''ve been framed," Hayden imed, maintaining his

    innocence.

    He wouldn''t admit that when Madeleine had kissed himst night, he''d felt a spark and hadn''t been

    able to resist her.

    "It was all Madeleine''s doing. I was going upstairs to take her home when she suddenly woke up

    and clung to me. I couldn''t shake her off. I was taken advantage of! You all know she''s a martial

    artist and her skills are far superior to mine. I am truly innocent and wrongly used."

    Nathan looked at him coldly and retorted, "Although Madeleine did try to manipte me, she fell

    into her own trap. Even if she woke up, she would''ve been disoriented. Even with her martial arts

    skills, she wouldn''t have been able to do much. You could''ve easily knocked her out again."

    Hayden was speechless.

 Chapter 363

    Chapter 363

    "Nathan, are you trying to dig my grave here?"

    Seeing his wife about to lunge at him, Hayden quickly said, "Nathan, she''s got me wrapped around

    her finger. I can''t even get a chance to knock her out."

    Nathan scoffed.

    No one in the room believed that Hayden couldn''t handle a delirious girl.

    It was clear that Hayden was captivated by Madeleine''s youth and beauty, and he willingly slept with

    her.

    At this point, Ashley was incredibly irritated with both her husband and Madeleine.

    "Nathan, it''s not the time to me your brother. What should we do now?"

    Nathan solemnly said, "Hayden and I will take Madeleine back to the Porters. Anyway, Hayden has

    to apologize to the Porter family and Madeleine."

    Everyone fell silent.

    Hayden was terrified.

    He was afraid that if he went to the Porter family, he would be killed by the head of the family.

    Ashley was pale, her voice trembling as she asked Nathan, "Nathan, what if the Porters demand

    Hayden takes responsibility for that hussy?"

    Nathan just looked at her, silent.

    Ashley burst into tears, leaning on her son and clutching his clothes, "Pete, I won''t divorce and I

    won''t leave you. I won''t let that hussy take over the home I''ve worked so hard to build."

    She suddenly stood up, gritting her teeth, "If you dare let Hayden marry that hussy, you''ll have to

    step over my dead body! Pete, remember this. If one day I''m dead, it''s because they drove me to it.

    You must avenge me!"

    "Mum, what are you saying? Uncle and grandparents will stand up for you. They won''t let Dad

    divorce you."

    Pete finally spoke up, looking straight at his father and uncle, "Uncle Nathan, this isn''t entirely Dad''s

    fault. The main issue is with Ms. Porter. If she hadn''t been scheming and tried to ensnare you, none

    of this would''ve happened. She should bear the consequences. The fact that Dad hasn''t used

    her of assault is already giving the Porters a lot of face."

    Hayden echoed his son''s words, "Exactly."

    In his heart, he was tempted to marry Madeleine, hoping the Porters would then support him as the

    head of the family.

    He was tired of his aging wife and couldn''tpare her to the young and attractive Madeleine.

    But knowing that his sons were grown and not easy to fool, Hayden put on an innocent act, not

    daring to show any intention of taking responsibility for Madeleine.

    "Let''s deal with whates nextter. Where''s Madeleine? Hayden, let''s take her home."

    Nathan sighed heavily, "Anyway, Madeleine had an incident at our house. We should apologize."

    Knowing Madeleine was upstairs, Nathan went to get her.

    Soon, Madeleine''s heart-wrenching cries could be heard from upstairs.

    What would happen when Nathan and Hayden took Madeleine back to the Porters, no one knew.

    Lucinda and her husband were at work as usual.

    Cecilia was also opening the store as usual.

    Serendipity Cafe usually opened at nine in the morning. Lucinda used to live in a rental close by

    and would open the shop around eight, tidy up a bit so that when Cecilia arrived, there wasn''t much

    to do.

    As usual, Cecilia rode her electric bike to work.

    Before she reached the shop, she saw Owen standing at the entrance.

    She thought to herself: What was he still doing here? Shouldn''t he be at the office?

    Being the boss, he was tantly skipping work. Would his grandfather demote him if he found out?

    Several luxury cars were parked by the cafe, obviously belonging to Owen and his bodyguards.

    Aside from the familiar cars, there was also a new one with a red ribbon at the front.

    "Mrs. Martinez."

    As soon as Cecilia''s bike stopped, a bodyguard came up to park it for her, respectfully calling her

    Mrs. Martinez.

    "Your name is Jay, right? I''ve divorced Mr. Martinez. Could you please change your address and

    stop calling me Mrs. Martinez?"

    Jay respectfully replied, "Yes, Mrs. Martinez."

    Cecilia was speechless.

    He just turned a deaf ear to her words!

    Jay was shameless and thick-skinned just like his boss.

    Owen, however, was thinking of giving Jay a raise for being observant.

    "Cecilia."

    Owen held a bouquet in one hand and three thermal lunch boxes in the other.

    He smiled and walked down the steps to Cecilia.

    Cecilia looked at the flowers he was holding, then at the three lunch boxes, and teased, "Mr.

    Martinez, are you turning into a delivery guy now?"

    Owenughed, "I only deliver for you."

    Cecilia snorted.

    He handed her the bouquet, another bunch of money flowers.

    Cecilia was silent for a moment before epting the flowers, "You always give me money flowers.

    It''s too ostentatious. You don''t need to give them to me anymore."

    This morning, she saw her friend''s Facebook post. Mr. Coleman had filled her friend''s yard with

    flowers. It was beautiful, and she was envious.

    She sighed that Stefan was better at pleasing women than Owen.

    Owen was also good at pleasing women when he was with Ruby, but with Stefan setting the bar

    high, he was second best.

    "Do you like it?"

    Cecilia didn''t say anything.

    She thought, "Who doesn''t love money?"

    "You do, don''t you? You love them, so I''ll send them every day. Don''t mind what others say. If

    they''re envious, let them send money nts to their loved ones every day."

    The husband-chasing men thought, "Mr. Martinez, our wallets aren''t as hefty as yours, can you

    spare us some mercy?"

    "Cecilia, what do you think of this car?"

    Owen pulled Cecilia towards the shiny new car, sessfully diverting her attention from the topic of

    money nts.

    "Is this a Maserati?"

    Cecilia inquired.

    She wasn''t originally familiar with car logos, but her car-obsessed brother often dragged her into

    discussions about various car performances. Over time, she remembered the logos of all the fancy

    cars.

    This was something she had inmon with Lucinda.

    Lucinda also knew about car logos thanks to her big brother, Ike.

    "Yes, it is. Do you like it? It''s for you."

    Owen couldn''t wait to pull out a brand-new set of keys, pushing them into Cecilia''s hands.

    "Do you want to take it for a spin?"

    He knew Cecilia was a good driver. Thest time he went cliff diving, no, wait, when he went to the

    seaside to cool down, it was Cecilia who drove him back.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    However, Cecilia returned the car keys to him and turned to leave.

    Owen froze. Didn''t she like the car?

 Chapter 364

    Chapter 364

    ¡°Cecilia, Cecilia!¡±

    Owen was hustling to keep up with Cecilia, his hands full with three insted lunchboxes.

    ¡°Cecilia, don¡¯t you like that car? Tell me what kind of car you do like, and I¡¯ll get you a new one.¡±

    Cecilia didn¡¯t respond.

    She arrived at the entrance of her shop, unlocked the roll-up door with her key, but before she could

    bend down to open it, Owen rushed forward and handed her the lunchboxes, saying, ¡°Let me help.

    This door of your shop is quite heavy.¡±

    Cecilia didn¡¯t stop him. She watched as he pushed up the heavy door and then swung open the

    ss entrance.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Cecilia thanked him and returned the lunchboxes, then walked into the shop.

    As soon as she entered, she opened all the windows, letting in the fresh air before turning on the air

    conditioning.

    Owen was left grinning like a fool by her simple thank you.

    Once she finished with the windows, she turned to look at him and found him still standing in the

    doorway, holding the lunchboxes and smiling stupidly.

    Cecilia failed to say anything.

    What had she done to make him so happy?

    Perhaps feeling her silent gaze, Owen hurried over, looking at Cecilia with gentle eyes. The more

    he looked, the more beautiful he found his future wife. They were a perfect match, handsome man

    and beautiful woman. Their future child would surely be a delight for all who saw them!

    ¡°Cecilia, this is the breakfast I prepared for you.¡±

    Owen remembered the reason for his early visit was to deliver the breakfast he had personally

    prepared for Cecilia.

    Although his culinary skills could notpete with his rival, he knew that the men of the Anderson

    family were generally good cooks.

    However, the rarity was that he had personally cooked.

    In his entire life, the only people who had enjoyed a breakfast made by him were Ruby and now

    Cecilia.

    Ruby preferred exquisite breakfasts, while Cecilia enjoyed snack-style foods, particrly exotic-

    style breakfasts.

    Exotic-style breakfasts were more diverse, requiring more effort to prepare.

    He had risen early that morning to prepare everything.

    He had surreptitiously discovered that Stefan had won Lucinda''s heart by paying attention to the

    details of her daily life.

    Owen felt he should learn from Stefan¡¯s courting techniques.

    Cecilia and Lucinda had simr personalities. Stefan had slowly melted Lucinda¡¯s heart with small

    gestures, making her feel loved and cared for. If he treated Cecilia with the same respect and

    affection, he was certain she too would fall for him.

    When Owen treated someone well, he did so with all his heart.

    In the past, Ruby had been oblivious to his efforts.

    ¡°All of this was made by me,¡± Owen added.

    Cecilia cast a nce over the three lunchboxes and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already had breakfast.¡±

    She paused before adding, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a pig? Why do you bring me so much food all at

    once?¡±

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Owen pulled her to a table and sat her down, opening the lunchboxes and setting out the breakfast

    items. He said, ¡°You¡¯ve eaten, but at least try a bit. I made all of this myself. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a

    pig, it¡¯s just that I prepared a lot of different things, so I needed a few lunchboxes.¡±

    Each lunchbox had fiveyers.

    Soon, the table was full.

    Cecilia looked at the spread before her, all exotic-style breakfast items. There were delicate shrimp,

    taro root with steamed ribs, chicken feet with peanuts, and cake.

    Her eyes sparkled.

    ¡°Did you really make all of this yourself?¡± she asked.

    Owen answered honestly, ¡°I made most of it myself. Some of it was store-bought, which I just

    reheated.¡±

    Two of the bottomyers of the lunchboxes held bowls of egg and lean meat porridge.

    Owen ced one bowl in front of Cecilia.

    ¡°Cecilia, considering I got up early to prepare this breakfast for you, you could at least taste it.¡±

    Cecilia had developed a taste for exotic-style breakfast after trying it once.

    But she rarely ate it, so she was surprised that Owen knew about her preference.

    Indeed, when someone cared for her, they would know every little thing about her.

    Cecilia was not one to y coy. She sat down, picked up a spoon, and tasted the century egg and

    lean meat porridge. It was quite good.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you? Sit down and eat with me. I ate at home and can¡¯t finish all of

    this.¡±

    Even though exotic-style breakfast was known for its variety and delicacy, he had brought so much

    that she couldn¡¯t possibly finish it all.

    Owen was overjoyed. He quickly sat down, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll eat with you.¡±

    ¡°Cecilia, how does it taste?¡±

    ¡°The chicken is good.¡±

    She hadn¡¯t tried anything else yet.

    With her affirmation, Owen¡¯s smile brightened. He took out his phone and, while Cecilia wasn¡¯t

    looking, stealthily took a few pictures of them having breakfast together.

    ¡°Cecilia, you really don¡¯t like that car outside?¡±

    After taking the pictures, he put his phone back in his pocket and asked about the car.

    She had epted the money and was eating the breakfast he made, but she had remained silent

    about the car and had returned the keys to him.

    Owen felt a bit deted.

    The gifts he gave out were usually epted gratefully. In the past, when he gave gifts to Ruby, she

    may not have loved him, but she always weed the gifts.

    Cecilia, on the other hand, didn¡¯t ept gifts easily, afraid of owing him.

    ¡°It¡¯s too expensive.¡±

    Cecilia answered simply.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that expensive. It cost less than half a million.¡±

    Cecilia choked at his reply, coughing violently.

    Owen quickly got up and went behind her, gently patting her back.

    ¡°Eat slowly, no one¡¯s rushing you.¡±

    Cecilia pushed his hand away. After a few more coughs, she was fine. She said, ¡°That¡¯s not

    expensive? Oh, right, it¡¯s not expensive to you, but it is to me. Owen, I don¡¯t need you to give me

    fancy cars or houses. I can afford a car now.¡±

    She just found riding a scooter more convenient.

    Ever since Lucinda married into the Anderson family, the Serendipity Cafe business had been

    booming. Without even considering the money she received from Owen, she made a good chunk of

    change from the cafe alone every month. Buying a car formute? That was a piece of cake for

    her.

    "Just have them take the car back. I don¡¯t need anyone to deliver it to me in the future."

    Owen was speechless.

    He thought that a car of this price point wouldn''t be a big deal, and assumed that she¡¯d be thrilled to

    receive it, eager to take it for a spin.

    But, she found it too extravagant and didn''t want to ept it.

    It seemed that her past disy of materialistic tendencies was all a facade.

    Deep down, she was an independent girl. She didn''t want to rely on any man to have it all.

 Chapter 365

    Chapter 365

    "Mr. Martinez, Mrs. Martinez, Ms. Scott is here."

    Jay suddenly came in from outside, informing the couple that Ruby had arrived.

    Ruby had just parked her car.

    Seeing Owen and his bodyguards at the Serendipity Cafe was no longer a surprise to Ruby. But,

    her heart still ached, filled with regret.

    She wasn''t there to see Cecilia or Lucinda, but Owen.

    Ever since Owen gave up on her, it had be increasingly difficult for her to see him in private.

    Visiting the Martinez family was out of the question. Olina didn''t want to see her, and Mr. Martinez,

    who never liked her, was even less likely to wee her.

    Thus, she couldn''t even cross the threshold of the Martinez family''s residence.

    If she went to the Ike Group, in the past, she was treated like a queen with everyone bowing and

    scraping, fearing to offend her and lose their jobs.

    But now, she had to register at the security office, and then be stopped by the receptionist, who

    would say that she needed to make an appointment to see Owen. The waiting list to see Owen was

    so long that she''d have to wait until the next year.

    So, the Serendipity Cafe was her only option.

    As long as Cecilia was there, Owen would definitelye.

    Ruby had initially nned to wait there all day, but as soon as she arrived, she saw Owen''s

    bodyguards and cars were already there.Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    And a brand-new luxury car.

    Did Owen give it to Cecilia?

    Right, whenever Owen liked someone, he loved to shower them with gifts.

    A woman like Cecilia would probably be easily smitten by his generosity.

    Ruby despised Cecilia in her heart, but she also knew that she couldn''t easily make a move against

    Cecilia and Lucinda now.

    "What is she doing here? Didn''t she say she was going to turn herself in after apologizing to

    Lucinda?"

    Owen, who had just been all smiles, had his smile fade away when he heard Ruby was here. But he

    was watching Cecilia''s reaction closely.

    "Should we stop her, Mr. Martinez?"

    "There''s no need."

    The one who answered was Cecilia.

    "Cecilia."

    Owen called her name seriously.

    "You don''t have to act cold in front of me. Just be yourself, that''s the real you."

    Cecilia didn''t believe that Owen could let go of Ruby so easily.

    Even if he said that he could easily cut his ties when he decided to, he had loved Ruby for more

    than a decade. How could he let go so quickly?

    "I won''t be jealous."

    Cecilia added.

    Owen silently watched her. He wished she would be jealous.

    She knew him really well.

    With that thought, Owen felt a little better.

    Seeing Mr. Martinez''s expression, Jay knew that Mrs. Martinez''s word was the final say and quietly

    withdrew.

    With Mrs. Martinez''s word, nobody stopped Ruby and let her walk into the cafe.

    Ruby looked thinner.

    Having fallen from heaven to hell, losing weight was the least of her concerns.

    Seeing the table full of breakfast, Ruby felt a heartache. She looked at Cecilia eating gracefully with

    jealousy.

    "Owen."

    Ruby stopped looking at Cecilia and turned to Owen. She called his name softly and asked when he

    looked at her, "Can we talk in private?"

    "Why don''t you just say what you have to say here? Weren''t you going to turn yourself in?"

    Ruby asked him with a heavy heart, "Are you hoping that I''ll go to jail so you can freely be with

    her?"

    "Whether you go to jail or not is your business. My rtionship with Cecilia has nothing to do with

    you."

    Owen tried his best to appear indifferent.

    "If you don''t turn yourself in, Stefan will make it worse for you."

    Ruby immediately asked, "Owen, do you still care about me?"

    Owen looked at her and said lightly, "You''ve always taken my care for granted. I won''t do that

    anymore."

    "I do care, Owen, I really do. Owen, I really regret what I''ve done. If you can forgive me, we can

    start over when I get out, okay?"

    "We never started anything, to begin with. What is there to start over? Ruby, remember the promise

    you and your mother made to Stefan. I advise you to keep your word, otherwise."

    He wouldn''t help her clean up the mess again.

    Ruby turned pale.

    She came to see Owen today to plead with him before she turned herself in.

    Like Cecilia, she didn''t believe that Owen could let go of his past so quickly.

    "Owen, are you really that heartless towards me? We grew up together, our rtionship was deep."

    "Ruby, I was blind and naive in the past. I gave you everything, and what did I get in return? I knew

    you never loved me, you were merely using me. I was delusional, thinking that if I treated you well

    enough, you''d give up Stefan and choose me."

    Owenughed self-deprecatingly, "The truth is, I was delusional. Love can''t be forced. You don''t

    love me, and even if I gave you my life, you wouldn''t care. I''ve given up on you, and I''ve let go.

    Please don''t disturb me anymore. I want a new life, and that life doesn''t include you."

    Owen''s eyes grew somber, staring straight at Ruby. He asked from the bottom of his heart, "Ruby,

    look into your heart and ask yourself, do you love me? Did you love me in the past, and do you

    now?"

    Ruby didn''t answer.

    "In fact, up until now, you have never loved me. You just can''t ept that you''ve ended up with

    nothing. Ruby, they say the heart is made of flesh, and with time and warmth, it can be warmed. But

    your heart is cold and cannot be warmed. I wasted more than a decade trying to warm a stone, but

    not only did it warm up, it even got hot."

    Suddenly, Ruby pointed at Cecilia and yelled, "Do you think you can warm her heart? She knows

    about our past. I don''t believe she won''t mind."

    Cecilia rose to her feet, hand outstretched, and with a swift motion, pped down the hand Ruby

    had pointed at her.

    "Miss Scott," she said calmly. "I don''t appreciate being pointed at."

    As if she had all the time in the world, Cecilia continued. "Whatever happens between Owen and

    me in the future, you''re wee to witness it once you''re out."

    She wasn''t rejecting Owen''s pursuit. She was just giving him some time - time to truly let go of

    Ruby.

    The day he could face Ruby with still waters in his heart, free of inner torment, would be the day

    she''d ept him.

    "Cecilia," Ruby sneered. "Owen loves me. He''s loved me for over a decade. Do you really think he

    can just forget about me in the blink of an eye? Stop dreaming. Don''t think you''re special to him.

    Apart from me, there''s no room for another woman in his heart."

    "If you end up with Owen, you''ll regret it. You two will never find happiness together."

    Ovee with emotion, Ruby yelled, "Don''t think that just because I''m going away, you can take

    my ce, Cecilia. I''m telling you, you can''t rece me. I''m irreceable in Owen''s heart!"

 Chapter 366

    Chapter 366

    Before Cecilia could even get a word in, Owen abruptly stood up. His long arm reached out to seize

    Ruby¡¯s cor, pulling her close. His voice was ice-cold as he spoke, ¡°Ruby, listen carefully. Once,

    you were truly the only one in my heart. But now, you¡¯re nothing. Don¡¯t bother me anymore, and

    stop targeting Cecilia. We¡¯vee to this point because of your own actions. Now, immediately, get

    out of here! Don¡¯t force me to be rude to you!¡±

    With that, he released his grip and gave Ruby a push, causing Ruby to stumble back several steps

    before regained her bnce.

    Ruby wore an expression of disbelief and looked pitifully at Owen with tears streaming down her

    face.

    Owen called over two security guards, instructing them, ¡°Escort Ms. Scott out. Take her to the police

    station. She said she wanted to turn herself in.¡±

    ¡°Owen!¡± Ruby yelled in anguish, but her plea fell on deaf ears.

    Seeing Owen¡¯s emotionless face, Ruby seethed with anger. Without being escorted by the guards,

    she turned and ran out of the Serendipity Cafe.

    No matter how many times she lowered her head and sobbed, she couldn¡¯t bring back the

    indulgence and tolerance Owen had once shown her.

    Was it really her own fault?

    No. It was evident that Lucinda and Cecilia who had stolen the two men who should have belonged

    to her!

    Even if she turned herself in, without Stefan''s involvement, her crimes wouldn''t lead to a harsh

    sentence. At most, it would be a prison term of less than three years. After her release from prison,

    she would follow her mother''s advice and start fresh.

    When the day came that she became a powerful figure in the business world with unmatched

    influence and status, she would be back to demand justice for herself.

    By then, she would make those two men kneel before her and beg for her forgiveness!

    After Ruby left, Owen¡¯s face remained dark. He sat back down and instructed Cecilia, ¡°If shees

    here again, don¡¯t let her in.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just send her to turn herself in? She won¡¯t being back in the short term.¡±

    Cecilia looked at him, her eyes full of curiosity.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Suddenly, her face stung.

    Owen had just pinched her cheek.

    ¡°Stop looking at me like that. I told you, I¡¯ve let go of my feelings for Ruby. I really have.¡± He

    dered. Even though he hadn''tpletely forgotten, he had genuinely given up on Ruby.

    Cecilia handed him a chicken wing and said casually, ¡°I didn¡¯t say much. I just suddenly realized

    that you¡¯re quite good-looking, not inferior to those waiters at the Neon Nectar Nightclub.¡±

    The moment she finished speaking, Owen lightly pinched her cheek once again.

    ¡°Cecilia, are youparing me to those gigolos? If you wanted topare, you shouldpare

    me with someone of high quality, like Stefan.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you been losing to him all along? Haven¡¯t you lost your confidence yet?¡±

    Owen paused. He couldn¡¯t resist reaching out to pinch Cecilia¡¯s face. He noticed that her skin was

    quite smooth and soft. He wondered what skincare products she used. He couldn¡¯t smell any on

    her. Was she naturally beautiful?

    ¡°Mr. Malicious! Don¡¯t push your luck!¡±

    After being pinched by him several times, Cecilia protested. She reached out to pinch his face while

    he did the same to hers.

    Owen continued to pinch her face.

    The two yfully wrestled, and unexpectedly, Cecilia lost her bnce and fell to the ground. Owen

    instinctively tried to catch her but failed, and in the process, both of them tumbled to the floor.

    He ended up sprawled on the top of Cecilia.

    Cecilia remained silent for a moment, feeling like a scene from a TV show was ying out in real

    life!

    Their bodies were tangled together, with Owen¡¯s face pressed close to hers.

    Cecilia felt relieved that at least it hadn¡¯t resulted in a kiss.

    When she snapped back to reality, she pushed Owen away.

    Suddenly, Owen caught both of her wrists and pinned them to her sides, his eyes burning with

    intensity as he looked at hers.

    ¡°Cecilia.¡±

    His voice grew husky.

    ¡°I want to kiss you.¡±

    The gentleman that he was, he sought her permission before making any moves.

    But how could Cecilia possibly agree?

    ¡°Let go!¡±

    Cecilia struggled.

    ¡°Cecilia, let me kiss you. Just one kiss. If you feel like you¡¯re at a disadvantage, you can kiss me

    back. You can kiss me as many times as you like, I won¡¯tin.¡±

    Cecilia¡¯s face turned blushed ever so slightly.

    That Mr. Malicious!

    ¡°Get off!¡±

    Owen pressed her closer and their heads drew near. Finally, he ced a gentle kiss on her cheek

    before sighing, ¡°This version of you, Cecilia, is the one I like the most. I really want to hold you to

    my heart and spoil you for the rest of my life.¡±

    She was unwilling, so he didn¡¯t dare to kiss her lips.

    Thest time she was half-asleep. He kissed her and she didn¡¯t resist, thinking it was a dream.

    Cecilia said with joke, ¡°Look at you, Mr. Malicious! You dared to steal a kiss from me, and your

    kissing skills are terrible. I didn¡¯t feel anything romantic!¡±

    ¡°That''s because I didn''t have enough practice. How about you give me more opportunities to

    practice? And I''ll be an good kisser just for you. I promise it''ll make you feel floaty.¡±

    Cecilia rolled her eyes, ¡°Get lost!¡±

    ¡°Well, with such rudeness, no one will marry you. I guess I¡¯ll reluctantly marry you then!¡±

    Cecilia didn¡¯t want to say anything.

    They just got divorced, and he¡¯s already thinking about remarrying. No manners!

    In the end, Owen had to let go of this golden opportunity. He let go of Cecilia and stood up, then

    helping her to her feet.

    As soon as she was free, Cecilia quickly rubbed the spot where Owen had kissed,ining,

    ¡°You¡¯ve kissed Ruby countless times before, and now you¡¯re trying to kiss me? Are you trying to

    repulse me?¡±

    ¡°Then you can help me clean it, wash it thoroughly, and from now on, only your taste will remain.¡±

    ¡°Owen, you¡¯re shameless, you have no shame. I knew you were a rogue. Calling you Mr. Malicious

    is not an insult to you at all.¡±

    Owen chuckled.

    Hisughter made Cecilia blush with a mix of irritation. Suddenly, she closed the distance between

    them, grabbing his face and preventing he from moving. Then, she bit him fiercely on his cheek,

    causing Owen to wince in pain, almost letting out a pig-like squeal.

    Was she part dog?

    That bite hurt so much.

    After her bite, Cecilia''s anger subsided. She pushed him away, seeing the bite mark on his

    handsome face which quickly turned red. She proudly remarked, "I''ll bite you again if you continue

    to behave like this! Now, get to your work and stop messing up my business here."

    Owen touched his bitten cheek. It was painful when she bit him, but now he felt like Cecilia had left

    a mark on him, iming him as hers!

    Taking out his phone, Owen took a selfie.

    He had evidence now.

    If Cecilia dared not to take responsibility in the future, he would go to her mother, saying that Cecilia

    had left a mark on him and refused to take responsibility!

    Cecilia wondered, When did this guy be so cunning?

    "I''lle over for lunch, don''t order takeout, I''ll have someone deliver the food."

    Owen, imed by Cecilia, was as radiant as the sun outside.

    After saying this, he walked out of the coffee shop, touching his bitten cheek. As he saw his

    bodyguards, he released his hand.

 Chapter 367

    Chapter 367

    The bodyguards, all with sincere concern, chimed in unison, "Mr. Martinez, what happened to your

    face?"

    "Cecilia bit me."

    Inside the caf¨¦, Cecilia suddenly felt a surge of unease. Would this guy be spreading the news that

    she had bitten him?

    Should she call him back?

    While Cecilia was pondering this, Owen had already left with his bodyguards.

    They even drove away the new car.

    On the way back to the office, Owen intentionally added Stefan to his WhatsApp contact.

    Though they knew each other''s phone numbers, they hadn''t connected on WhatsApp. After all, they

    were arch-enemies, how could they be WhatsApp friends?

    Stefan was taken by surprise when he received a friend request from his rival. Without hesitation,

    he epted it.

    Although they had be WhatsApp friends, Owen didn¡¯t send any messages. He remained

    passive, and Stefan refrained from making the first move. He was waiting for Owen''s next move.

    However, Owen didn''t send any messages, which deepened Stefan¡¯s curiosity.

    When Stefan was taking a break, he browsed Owen''s Facebook page. The first thing he saw as he

    entered Owen¡¯s profile was a recent post with two photos; one showed Owen and Cecilia having a

    cozy breakfast, and the other was a selfie.

    With a keen eye, Stefan noticed a red mark on Owen''s cheek in the selfie, which looked like a bite

    mark. He then read Owen''s caption: ¡°Being bitten is a kind of happiness.¡±

    Stefan chuckled, "Is this his way of showing off his love life?"

    No wonder he suddenly added him as a WhatsApp friend; he wanted to show off his love life.

    Perhaps he had been taunted a bit too much by Stefan and Lucy with their public disys of

    affection. So, when he and Cecilia were getting along peacefully, and Cecilia even bit him, he

    couldn''t wait to show off their romantic moment.

    Stefan thought for a moment and then sent a screenshot of Lucinda''s morning post on her

    Facebook along with the same captions to Owen.

    After receiving the screenshots, Owen stared at his phone for a while, then muttered, "Can''t you just

    leave me alone, Stefan?"

    Then, he immediately removed Stefan from his contacts!

    Never show off in front of Stefan; otherwise, it might lead to a quick demise and death by frustration.

    Even though he lost to his rival again, Owen was still in a good mood.

    When he returned to the office and was greeted by his colleagues, he would habitually touch the

    bitten part of his face and say with a goofy smile, "My Cecilia bit me."

    Everyone was taken aback.

    Who was Cecilia?

    Wasn''t Ms. Scott their boss''s favorite woman?

    It seemed like their boss had finally given up on Ms. Scott?

    They were eager to know who Cecilia was. Anyone who could outshine Ms. Scott was undoubtedly

    a master among masters!

    Owen couldn''t possibly exin.

    In any case, he had made sure that everyone in the Ike group knew that Cecilia had bitten him,

    and of course, this had aroused everyone''s curiosity.

    The only person who knew some details was Walter, the general assistant.

    But Walter was not one to gossip. He was just d that the boss had let go of Ruby.

    That night, Lucinda had a banquet to attend with her husband.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    She was looking forward to seeing Belinda''s grace at the banquet, so she was excited about the

    evening.

    As soon as she finished work in the afternoon, she hailed a taxi and headed straight to Stefan''s

    home in Diamond Ridge Estates. She also called her friend and asked her to look after the caf¨¦ for

    the night.

    Ceciliaughed, "You go ahead and do your thing, I''ll handle the caf¨¦. After all, I have nothing to do

    when I get home early every night. If I spend too much time on my phone, my mom will scold me.

    As for watching TV, my grandpa dominates it to watch his dramas, and my mom doesn''t allow me to

    compete for the TV with him. It''s better to stay in the caf¨¦."

    ¡°On this weekends, I will stay at the caf¨¦, so you can take a break.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I will work on the weekends too. We can chat together. If I take a break, who am I going to

    hang out with?¡±

    Cecilia had other friends, but none were aspatible with her as Lucinda. They got along

    particrly well.

    Lucinda giggled, "Aren''t you going on a date with your Mr. Malicious? I heard that he gave you a

    new car today and also delivered a love-filled breakfast to you, a veryvish breakfast."

    "How did you know?"

    Cecilia asked instinctively.

    She suddenly remembered Owen leaving and answering the bodyguards¡¯ questions. Cecilia''s face

    darkened slightly; that guy wouldn¡¯t actually spread the news that she bit him, would he?

    If he did, she¡¯d never live it down.

    Lucinda¡¯sughter grew even more cheerful when she said, "You have no idea how childish your

    man can be. Maybe he was feeling down after my man gave him quite a blow. This morning, he

    suddenly added Stefan as a friend on WhatsApp, but he didn¡¯t send anything. Stefan was curious

    and checked his Facebook, finding two photos he posted, one of him having breakfast with you, and

    the other was a selfie. He had a bite mark on his face, ording to his caption, it was you who bit

    him, right?"

    Cecilia knew her intuition was spot on.

    He really was spreading it anywhere, even in front of his rival.

    "Cecilia, you two are progressing so fast. Can I expect your wedding candies soon?"

    Cecilia replied, "Lucy, stop teasing me. There''s a long story behind what happened this morning, I''ll

    tell you when I have the time. The shop¡¯s phone is ringing, I''ll go answer it. Remember to do your

    makeup and put on a pretty evening gown tonight. It''s your first time attending a banquet as the

    daughter-inw of the Anderson family."

    Lucinda confidently said, "I look like a goddess even without makeup."

    Ceciliaughed, "Lucy, if you keep this up, does Stefan know?"

    "In his eyes, I''m even more beautiful than Venus."

    "Alright, alright, enough already," Cecilia quickly ended the call, feeling constantly bombarded by

    her friend''s lovey-dovey affection. It filled her with anticipation for love.

    Thinking about Owen''s current attitude towards her, Cecilia felt she didn''t have to envy her friend.

    She had be the object of envy for many.

    Lucinda also called home to let the elders know that she wouldn''t being home for dinner as she

    had to apany Stefan to a social engagement.

    Her inws and her two mothers had just returned today. During lunch, Stefan arranged for them to

    dine at the Ascend Hotel. Seeing the significant changes in her two mothers, especially her

    adoptive mother, Lucinda felt they should travel more often, to unwind and rx.

    Fiona Lewis Moore had spent some time on the Anderson family''s private ind and enjoyed it

    immensely. She had learned about skincare and got fashion tips from her inws and Janice. She

    even improved her fashion sense, making her look considerably younger.

    During lunch, Lucinda noticed how her father was more attentive to her mother.

    Vincent Moore said, "I''ve always been considerate of my wife!"

 Chapter 368

    Chapter 368

    After Cecilia ended her call with her friend, she rushed to answer the ringing phone at the shop,

    thinking it was a food delivery order. However, to her surprise, it was her mother.

    "Mom, why are you calling?"

    Cecilia was taken aback. Her mom rarely called her at work.

    "Your phone was busy, so I had no choice but to call your shop number."

    "I was just talking to Lucy. Mom, I won''t being home for dinner tonight. Lucy is apanying

    Stefan to a social engagement, and I have to handle the shop."

    Ba seemed as if she hadn¡¯t heard what her daughter had just said and suddenly asked, "What''s

    going on between you and Owen?"

    "We¡¯re divorced, aren¡¯t we? What else could there be?"

    "I''ve seen your divorce papers, but whether it¡¯s genuine or not, I don''t know. With Owen''s

    capabilities, getting a fake divorce paper is as easy as having dinner."

    "Mom, you don''t trust Owen, and you don''t trust your daughter either? I was the one who wanted to

    divorce and it was with your help that I convinced Owen to agree. How could I possibly get a fake

    divorce? The divorce certificate is absolutely real unless the authorities were fake."

    "So, what''s the meaning of him sending a car to our house? And parking it in our yard? Your brother

    saw it and said it''s a Maserati, worth several million."

    Cecilia choked.

    Mr. Martinez!

    She thought she had declined the new car and when he left, his bodyguards drove it away in the

    morning. She thought it was over.

    Who would have thought he would have sent the car to her home, especially at this time.

    At this time, both her mother and grandfather were home; her father and brother also returned at

    this time. The front gate was unlocked, providing Mr. Martinez with convenience.

    "Mom, he came to the shop this morning, wanting to give me that new car, but I rejected it. Is he still

    at our house?"

    "He didn''te; it was his bodyguards who sent the car and left the keys by our doorstep and

    disappeared.¡±

    Ba appeared quite angry.

    "Since you rejected it, I''ll have your brother return this car. We can''t ept something so valuable.

    Even if you want a real rtionship with him, don''t seek his wealth and valuable gifts. You don¡¯t

    want his parents looking down on you, thinking you''re only with him for his wealth."

    Although Ba didn''t like Owen, she knew her daughter had some feelings for him.

    As for the gap between them in reality, if they could ovee it, what could she, as her mother,

    say?

    "Mom, I understand."

    "Alright, take care of the shop, I''ll go cook."

    After notifying her daughter, Ba arranged for her son to return the new car to Owen.

    Hudson Yates directly drove the car to the Martinez family.

    When he arrived at the Martinez mansion, he was stopped by the security guards. After introducing

    himself, the guards went inside to announce his presence.

    Luckily, the elder wasn''t at home, and only Olina, dressed elegantly and preparing to go out, was

    inside.

    Upon hearing that Cecilia''s brother hade, Olina showed a look of disgust and told the servant,

    "He''s here to freeload. I told you Cecilia is only after our wealth. The elder Mr. Martinez must have

    been fooled by her, I don''t know what methods she used to get his approval."

    The divorce between Owen and Cecilia wasn''t made public, and only the elder Mr. Martinez and

    Derek knew about it.

    "Madam, how should we handle this? Should we let him in or ask him to leave?"

    Olina opened her delicate wallet and took out a stack of money, estimating it to be a few thousand

    dors. She handed it to the servant and instructed, "Give this to Cecilia''s brother, and tell him we''re

    not a charity, take the money and leave. There won''t be a second time, and don''t even think about

    bing rtives to the Martinez family; we don''t have rtives like the Yates family."

    The servant took the money and left.

    Hudson waited for quite some time, but the main gate didn¡¯t open, and his expression grew more

    and more serious.

    It was said that aristocratic families had countless rules and regtions.

    Look, he just wanted to return the car but couldn''t get inside.

    After going back, he needed to have a serious talk with his sister. She shouldn¡¯t fell in love with him

    just because of his good looks and promising future; they couldn''t aspire to the same heights as the

    Martinez family.

    If his sister married into the Martinez family, she wouldn¡¯t be happy for sure.

    Currently, Owen was pursuing his sister, wholeheartedly and could treat her like a princess.

    But once they got married, the passion of their courtship would fade and over time, would Owen still

    protect Cecilia?

    Hudson seriously doubted it.

    Finally, he saw someonee out.

    "Hudson."

    The servant came out, disying remarkable politeness. She handed the money that her mistress

    had given her to Hudson, saying, "Hudson, this is from our mistress. She said the Martinez family is

    not a charity."

    The servant didn¡¯t borate further, believing that Hudson would understand.

    Upon hearing this, Hudson was so angry he could spit fire. He got off the car, thrust the car keys

    into the servant¡¯s hand and said angrily, "Who wants the Martinez family''s dirty money? Do you

    think I''m here to beg? It''s your Mr. Martinez¡¯s shameless act to send a car to my sister. My sister

    declined it and asked me to return it to your Mr. Martinez. Tell Mr. Martinez that the Martinez family''s

    threshold is too high for us Yates. He should stop bothering my sister."

    With that, Hudson turned and left.

    He had to walk a considerable distance to hail a taxi.

    He was so angry!

    They actually treated him as if he were begging for money!

    The Martinez family had gone to far!

    What did the servant said? The money was given by Mrs. Martinez, who was Owen''s mother.

    He couldn''t let his sister marry Owen. How could his sister be happy with a mother-inw who

    looked down on their family?

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Maybe after the marriage, they wouldn¡¯t allow his sister to return to her family; they might be afraid

    she would support her own family with their money.

    Not to mention in a wealthy family, even in a ordinary one, living with inws, if a daughter-inw

    brought too many gifts back to her family, even if the inws didn¡¯t say anything, they might have

    objections in their hearts.

    The servant nced at the money Mrs. Martinez had given her and then at the new car parked at

    the front door along with the car keys. She suddenly felt that she had done something that offended

    Mr. Martinez!

    No, she had even offended the elder Mr. Martinez.

    Ms. Yates was chosen by the elder Mr. Martinez, regardless of what others thought of Ms. Yates,

    the elder Mr. Martinez had always been good to her.

    The servant could only hope that when the elder Mr. Martinez and Mr. Martinez found out about this,

    they wouldn''t take it out on her. After all, she was just following Mrs. Martinez''s orders.

    Just as Olina drove out, she saw a car parked at the front door. She honked the horn furiously.

    Who dared to park in front of the Martinez family''s entrance!

 Chapter 369

    Chapter 369

    The servant saw Olina approaching and hurried over.

    Rolling down her car window, Olina asked, "Whose car is parked there? Ask them to move it in a

    minute, or I''ll smash it! Don¡¯t they realize where this is? Can they just park here as they please?"

    The car was parked right in the middle of the entrance.

    "Madam, that car is a gift from Mr. Martinez to Ms. Yates. She declined it, and her brother drove it

    here to return it to Mr. Martinez," the servant hastily exined, handing both the car keys and the

    cash to Olina.

    "The car keys are here."

    Olina froze for a moment and asked, "Owen gave it to Cecilia?"

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Upon seeing the logo on the car key, her face darkened. "Does Owen have so much money to

    spare? Send such an expensive car to Cecilia as a gift! Is she deserving of it?"

    She took back the car keys and the cash.

    The Yates siblings did show some backbone by refusing to ept the luxury car and money.

    So what? Maybe they were just biding their time, waiting for a bigger opportunity.

    Olina called over the security guard and tossed the car keys to him, instructing, "Move the car to the

    garage."

    It was blocking her way.

    She had to go out now, and she didn''t have time to deal with Cecilia. She would make time to stop

    by the Serendipity Cafe tomorrow.

    Even if Owen had been broken by Ruby, she would never acknowledge Cecilia as her daughter-in-

    law.

    She wanted to ask Cecilia how much it would take to make her leave Owen.

    If Cecilia had returned a car worth over two million; it seemed like she wanted even more.

    Lucinda had apanied Stefan to social events before, but it was her first time attending one as

    one of the Anderson family.

    She didn''t ask Tiffany¡¯s help for her makeup. After removing her everyday makeup, she applied a

    simple makeup on her own and changed into the evening gown that Stefan had gifted her

    previously. She looked like apletely different person.

    When Stefan came to pick her up, he stared at her for a long time, as if he was reluctant to take her

    out. This caused Emma to cover her mouth in amusement.

    After a while, Stefan took her out.

    On the way, he kept saying, "Honey, you don''t need to put on too much makeup. You''re naturally

    beautiful, even without makeup."

    "I¡¯ve just applied a light makeup," she exined, "It''s a banquet, and I wanted to keep it simple."

    Stefan found himself at a loss for words.

    After a while, he said, "You''re so beautiful that I can hardly bear to let others see your beauty."

    Lucindaughed and said, "Well, I''m sorry. But because of you, I''ve be a local celebrity in

    Pinehurst. Many peoplee to my coffee shop just to see what I look like to have earned your

    heart."

    Stefanughed, "Don''t make me sound so controlling. I haven¡¯t stopped other men from pursuing

    you. They just believed they couldn''tpete with me, feeling inferior inparison and then

    giving up. That''s why I got thestugh."

    Lucinda would trust him as much as she trusted pigs to fly.

    Of course, he was very outstanding, and among the men who had shown interest in her, there was

    probably no one could as aplished as him.

    But if it weren''t for his secret challenge as the Masked Man, she might not have been so frustrated

    for so long.

    "Honey, will President Belinda also be attending the banquet?"

    Lucinda apanied Stefan to this event, which was both her duty as his wife and an opportunity

    towork and make connections with business tycoons. Of course, the main reason was to meet

    her future sister-inw.

    Stefan teased, "Seems like you''re apanying me to this event just for President Belinda? If

    even I''m attending, how could President Belinda not be there?"

    Tonight''s banquet would undoubtedly have a full house, especially with him, the head of Ascend

    Global, was attending.

    The host was delighted when he confirmed his attendance.

    Stefan had his wife''s best interests at heart.

    Lucinda was no fool and with more opportunities, she would quickly adapt.

    The Blue family would probably urge her to return soon.

    Stefan was already nning to open a branch in Skywatch. He would personally stay there for

    some time. This would not only help his wife but also serve as a deterrent, making sure no one in

    Skywatch dared to underestimate or mistreat his wife.

    Although the Blue family was powerful, Stefan only trusted his father-inw and his eldest brother-

    inw from that family.

    "Not really. My main purpose is to apany my husband, and I''m also curious about my future

    sister-inw. My eldest brother is as tight-lipped as a m, and I can¡¯t get any information out of

    him. I¡¯m really curious, you know." she exined.

    Her mother was also eager to see her brother get married.

    Back in the day, her mother had pressured her eldest brother to get married, and when that didn¡¯t

    work, she had pressured Lucinda instead. The pressure was so intense that she didn''t dare to

    return home and finally came up with the idea of renting Stefan as her boyfriend to appease her

    mother.

    Little did she know that Stefan was such a schemer? He had dug a deep pit and trapped her in it.

    As the couple chatted, they arrived at the mansion of the one who was hosting the banquet.

    The host was a business tycoon in Pinehurst whom Lucinda had met but had no any other

    interactions with.

    Knowing that Stefan and his wife would attend, many other executives had arrived early.

    Stefan''s car appeared at the mansion¡¯s entrance, and the host, Jason Barlow, had received the

    news and promptly came out with his family to wee them.

    Following closely behind Stefan''s car was Ike''s.

    Ike thought the car in front might belong to his brother-inw, and knowing that his brother-inw

    would be attending the banquet with his sister, he elerated to catch up and confirm.

    Stefan''s car came to a stop, and the host''s family, including Jason Barlow, was waiting at the front

    of the car, offering a weing attitude that left Lucinda in awe, as if they were weing an

    emperor.

    She considered herself incredibly lucky to have rented such an aplished man for just five

    hundred dors.

    In the past, every time she thought about it, she felt cheated.

    But after falling in love with Stefan, her perspective shifted. And now, every time she thought about

    it, she felt incredibly fortunate.

    Ike''s business had just gotten on its feet. Although he had received an invitation to the banquet, the

    treatment he received wasn¡¯t as exceptional as his brother-inw''s.

    Under the instructions of the security guard, he parked his car.

    He got out of the car, and only a butler came over to greet him, unlike Stefan who was weed by

    the entire host family.

    Ike didn¡¯t mind this at all.

    When he stepped out of the car, he smiled at his sister, who was being helped out by her husband.

    The courtyard¡¯s lights illuminated the night as if it were daytime, and he could clearly see his sister,

    dressed in her evening gown, looking absolutely radiant.

    He had cherished his sister for over twenty years, and now she had truly blossomed like a flower.

    "Mr. Coleman, Mrs. Coleman,"

    The host, Jason,manded respect form everyone due to his seniority.

    "Jason."

    Stefan responded to Jason''s greeting with a smile, and formally introduced his wife to Jason''s

    family.

    Jason appraised Lucinda.

    She felt his gaze was sharp, but he wore a gentle smile on his face. In the business world, there

    was hardly anyone genuinely mild.

 Chapter 370

    Chapter 370

    Lucinda carried herself with confidence and grace, allowing Jason to appraise her without

    hesitation.

    Jason silently nodded in admiration. Despite her upbringing in a modest household, Lucinda was

    naturally refined. She was wless in every aspect and was undeniably a perfect match for Mr.

    Coleman.

    She was a woman of great fortune.

    Despite experiencing a tragedy at the tender age of six months, she managed to turn her misfortune

    into good fortune. Before she returned to her biological parents, she, as a girl from a humble family,

    had already stolen Mr. Coleman¡¯s heart. It was said that Mr. Coleman patiently awaited her growth,

    eagerly anticipating the day when he could marry her. He waited an astonishing eleven years.

    Jason also held deep admiration for the Anderson family. People from the Anderson family had

    weed Lucinda as their family member, even when she was still a girl from a modest

    background. This degree of freedom given to their descendants in selecting a partner was not

    somethingmonly found in every affluent family, let alone prominent ones.

    Even in ordinary families, if one side had slightly better conditions while the other was less

    fortunate, the parents of the wealthier side would often disapprove of the marriage.

    No wonder the Anderson family has been able to stand strong and continue to prosper in Pinehurst,

    with their descendants growing in number and each one of them exceptionally talented. They all

    couldn¡¯t help but envy Patrick.

    ¡°I have heard about Mrs. Coleman¡¯s reputation for a long time. And tonight, meeting you in person,

    it¡¯s clear that the reputation is well-deserved.¡±

    Having finished examining Lucinda, Jason extended his right hand for a handshake.

    Lucinda shook his hand politely, then greeted the other members of the Barlow family.

    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Coleman, pleasee in.¡±

    Jason invited the couple inside.

    The one from The Barlow family, who was the next in line to be thedy of the house, apanied

    Lucinda. Though this was their first meeting, given Lucinda¡¯s status, she quickly warmed up to her,

    warmly took Lucinda¡¯s arm, and began walking inside, chatting along the way.

    ¡°Hey, big brother!¡±

    Upon seeing Ike, Lucinda stopped to greet him with a smile.

    Ike came over, first respectfully greeting Jason, and then the others before finally returning his

    sister''s smile.

    With that, Ike was also invited to join them inside.

    The executives and their partners who had arrived earlier, upon seeing the Coleman couple, either

    approached them to greet them or raised their sses in their honor.

    Regardless of their familiarity with the other guests, Stefan and Lucinda responded with polite nods

    and smiles.

    The Barlow family had organized this banquet as a business gathering. Everyone attended the

    banquet with purpose, whether it wasworking, discussing business, or making connections with

    influential executives.

    Stefan, as the youngest CEO in the city and the head of thergest conglomerate, was the center of

    attention. There were always many people surrounding him, eager to engage in conversation.

    Lucinda was there to learn, so she stuck by Stefan''s side.

    Upon entering, Ike separated from the young couple.

    He grabbed two sses of red wine and slipped out of the grand main house. His status was the

    lowest among the guests that night, but given his sister and brother-inw¡¯s presence, no one dared

    to disrespect him. However, wherever he went, he remained inconspicuous.

    Ike waited outside for Belinda to arrive.

    Although the Bishop Group was not as powerful as before, it was still significantrger than Ike''s

    company. Belinda, naturally, was busier than him. In the past two days, Ike hadn''t seen her at all.

    The heart yearned for the beloved when they were not in sight.

    Ike suddenly thought about his brother-inw, who had waited silently for eleven years, defeating

    numerous rivals in love. Such patience and deep affection were indeed not something everyone

    could possess.

    Stefan was deeply moved, felt that his brother-inw had finally understood him.

    ¡°Ike.¡±

    As Ike was staring at the entrance, he suddenly heard a familiar voice. He turned his head to see

    Lucinda also holding a ss of red wine.

    He chuckled, ¡°Why did youe out? Even if you''re not in the hall with Stefan, you can still learn a

    lot. You can''t go wrong studying the social aspects of these events.¡±

    Lucinda smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve spent quite some time with him already. Just wanted to get some fresh air.¡±

    She wasn''t enjoying such asions, but she had to endure for the sake of helping her dear brother

    at Skywatch. Besides, she was now the daughter-inw of the Anderson family. And as the future

    matriarch of the Anderson family, she couldn¡¯t avoid these asions.

    Knowing his sister¡¯s aversion to such events, Ike gently whispered, ¡°You''ll get used to it slowly.¡±

    Lucinda nodded and then yfully teased her brother, ¡°Why are you staring at the entrance? Are

    you waiting for someone, Ike?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just looking around.¡±

    Ike didn¡¯t admit that he was waiting for Belinda.

    The party had already begun, but Belinda hadn''t arrived yet.

    Ike didn¡¯t know if something had happened to her.

    Ike was a bit worried, thinking that if Belinda didn¡¯t show up soon, he would call her to check in.

    Belinda was known for her strong punctuality, so anyone making herte was likely her beloved

    younger sister.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Ike was deeply infatuated with Belinda. She seemed to have some affection for him as well, but he

    had never met Belinda''s younger sister, Darlene Bishop. Belinda shielded her very well.

    Lucinda swirled the wine in her ss, watching the liquid draw beautiful arcs. Sheughed,

    ¡°Brother, you¡¯re waiting for my future sister-inw, aren¡¯t you? You mentioned her once, and I

    figured out who she was.¡±

    Ike replied, ¡°Lucy, keep your voice down, please. Don¡¯t let anyone overhear. There is nothing

    between us yet, so let''s not tarnish her reputation.¡±

    He whispered softly, "Besides, she might not even be interested in someone like me."

    There was indeed a significant gap between him and Belinda in reality.

    In order to keep up with Belinda''s pace, Ike was putting in a tremendous effort, engaging in

    business deals everywhere to strengthen hispany as quickly as possible. This way, he would

    be able to stand on equal footing with Belinda.

    Lucinda, however, did not approve of her big brother''s self-deprecating remarks. She said, "My big

    brother is incredibly outstanding, the best big brother in the world. How could my future sister-inw

    not see that? Whoever marries my brother will surely be happy."

    Ike, brimming with affection, gently tapped his sister on the forehead andughed, "In your eyes, I''m

    the best big brother in the world, but in her eyes, I might not be the best man in the world."

    "No matter what, bro, have some confidence and keep going!"

    "Sure, I won''t give up. I''m almost thirty now, and it''s rare for me to feel this way. Of course, I''ll try my

    best. By the way, did Mom and Dad, or Grandma and Grandpa say when they''ll being back

    home?"

    By ''home'', he was referring to the Moore family¡¯s home.

    Lucinda, of course, hoped that her family could stay in the city a bit longer. But it seemed that they

    were nning to pack up and head home in the next couple of days.

    She said, "Mom mentioned that they¡¯ll be heading home in the next few days. They''ve been away

    for a long time. and it''s time to check on things at home. We can''t always rely on our uncles and

    aunts to take care of anything. We have so many crops to tend to, and a bunch of livestock at

    home."

    When their parents came to the city for a visit, they usually asked their uncles and aunts to look

    after their farm during their absence.

 Chapter 371

    Chapter 371

    "Mom and Dad are flying back soon, and I need to find some time tomorrow to buy them some

    things to take home. Uncles and aunts have been taking care of everything at home, we should

    send them something."

    Ike Moore gave a nod, asking, "With your nine-to-five job, do you have time to go shopping? Or

    should I do it for you?"

    "No need, if I can''t find the time, I''ll make a list and have Emma pick them up for me."

    Ike chuckled, "That works."

    His sister was now the young mistress of the Anderson family; she didn''t need to personally handle

    the task of buying gifts.

    "You didn''t tell Mom about my situation, did you?"

    Ike asked, wondering if his sister might have mentioned it to their mother.

    Becausetely, he hadn''t received any more phone calls from his mother, pressuring him to get

    married.

    "I told her. If I didn¡¯t, do you think you could live so peacefully? You¡¯ve seen how relentlessly Mom

    used to nag me about marriage before. If she can''t nag you, she''d nag me instead. I''ve been taking

    all the hits for you."

    Ike quickly clinked his beer can against his sister''s, "Oh, yes, thank you, little sister. I owe you one,

    sis. Cheers to you."

    Lucinda giggled, "Back when Mom was relentlessly pushing me to get married, I thought I''d go

    crazy. But now, looking back, I felt that if Mom didn¡¯t pushed me so hard, Stefan and I might not

    have known how to start. He''s a great guy, just not good with sweet words."

    Ike chuckled, "Lucy, you have high standards. Every time I see you two together, I make myself

    scarce to avoid being overwhelmed with your lovey-dovey moments."

    Lucindaughed, "Is it it really that exaggerated?"

    Thinking about how her man showed love through actions rather than words, she shrugged it off.

    After all, everyone had their own way of expressing love.

    She realized she hadn''t said too many sweet words to Stefan herself or given many gifts.

    Lucinda acknowledged her own shorings and made a mental note to make amends.

    Just as she was about to say something, her brother suddenly stood up with two sses of red

    wine in his hands and walked towards a car that just pulled up.

    The siblings were engrossed in their conversation and didn¡¯t notice the car¡¯s arrival. Ike had sharp

    eyes and he recognized Belinda''s car.

    Lucinda followed her brother.

    Belinda was thest one to arrive, and the people chatting in the yard all turned their attention to

    Belinda.

    Belinda hadn¡¯t brought a driver; she drove herself. After she exited the car, she immediately walked

    around to the passenger side, opened the door, and considerately held it open for the person inside.

    Everyone watched this scene curiously, wondering who the person in the car was to have the

    usually stern female CEO acting so gantly.

    Belinda was known for her cold demeanor, but she was very popr among women.

    This was mostly because she dressed in a gender-neutral fashion, simr to a man, and her cool

    personality added to her striking appearance, which easily captured women''s hearts.

    In Ike''s words, he had seen countless instances where women who admired Belinda would pester

    her.

    Unfortunately, his love rivals included both men and women.

    Lucinda, who was following her brother, saw a slender hand reaching out and taking Belinda''s hand.

    Shortly after, she saw a young woman dressed in a white evening gown stepping out of the car.

    The young woman was about the same age as Lucinda, tall and elegant, with a pretty face that

    made her a true beauty.

    Didn¡¯t need to ask, Lucinda could guess the young woman¡¯s identity, it must be Darlene Bishop.

    Lucinda had been contemting how to get to know Darlene, but hadn¡¯t figured out how to

    approach her. She hadn¡¯t expected Belinda to bring her sister to the banquet tonight.

    Stefan had told her that Darlene rarely made public appearances and many people in Pinehurst had

    never seen Darlene.

    Observing Darlene¡¯s extraordinary beauty, Lucinda couldn¡¯t help but think that if she had such a

    beautiful sister, she would also protect her very well too, not easily letting others see her true

    appearance to avoid unnecessary troubles.

    "Ike, are the Bishop family and the Barlow family very close?"

    Otherwise, why would Belinda bring Darlene?

    Ike nodded and said, "They have a longstanding rtionship. When Belinda took over the Bishop

    Group, Jason Barlow helped her a lot."

    "That makes sense. Stefan told me that Ms. Darlene rarely shows up in public. Her presence tonight

    must suggests a good rtionship with Jason."

    "President Belinda."

    Ike didn''t respond to his sister and went to greet Belinda.

    Lucinda also followed him.

    Upon seeing Ike and his sister, Belinda''s icy face appeared to soften a bit. She nodded to Ike and

    said, "Mr. Moore, is this your sister?"

    "President Belinda, hello, I''m Lucinda."

    Lucinda introduced herself at the right moment and extended her right hand for a handshake with

    Belinda.

    After shaking hands with Lucinda, Belinda introduced her beloved sister to the Moore siblings.

    Lucinda noticed that Darlene had been looking at her brother for a moment, it made her think that

    there might be some sort of connection between Belinda and her brother. Otherwise, Darlene

    wouldn''t be looking at her brother like that.

    Lucinda also shook hands with Darlene, who looked at her and smiled, "I''ve heard a lot about you,

    Mrs. Lucinda. And tonight, I finally get to meet you in person. You''re even more beautiful than your

    photos."

    "Thank you for yourpliment, Ms. Darlene. In your presence, I wouldn''t dare to call myself a

    beauty."

    Darlene continued to smile, her smile both gentle and beautiful.

    Lucinda thought that if she were a man, she would surely fall for Darlene and want to hold her in his

    arms.

    She suddenly thought of her own brother.

    Her brother was still single, and their mother had asked her to help her brother find a girlfriend.

    But then, she thought about theplex situation of the Bishop family and how protective Belinda

    was of her sister. Given the situation of the Bishop family, they would definitely not agree to marry

    her sister into the Moore family, let alone allow her sister to move far away.

    Lucinda began to have second thoughts.

    However, she had this idea in mind that when her brother arrived, she would find a way to introduce

    him to Darlene. If the two hit it off, she would wash her hands off the matter.

    If Belinda knew that Lucinda wanted to help Ike pursue her and also introduce her beloved sister to

    Keith Blue, she would probably put Lucinda on the list of people to avoid.

    "Mrs. Lucinda, you''re being modest. You really are beautiful."

    Darlene and Lucinda formed a friendship as soon as they met.

    Although she was well-protected by her sister, she knew all the happenings in Pinehurst. Didn¡¯t try

    to underestimate her; she was the hidden boss of a detective agency.

    When Lucinda and Stefan Coleman got married and the news was officially announced, she had

    dug up all she could about Lucinda.

    Oh, there was one thing she didn¡¯t quite grasp, which was that Lucinda was the daughter of the

    Blue family. She didn¡¯t know this until the Blue family came thundering in to defend Lucinda,

    revealing that Lucinda was actually the daughter of the prestigious Blue family of Skywatch.

    Darlene was particrly interested in Lucinda and Stefan''s story, and Lucinda''s background made

    her feel like she was watching a TV drama.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    In short, both of them had heard about each other from others before they met, and they were

    interested in each other, harboring a desire to be friends.

 Chapter 372

    Chapter 372

    Upon meeting tonight, they both felt an instant connection.

    "Mr. Moore, Mrs. Lucinda, Darlene and I seem to have arrivedte. We shall go in and apologize to

    Jason." Belinda said in a deep voice. Her statement ended the mutualplimentaryments

    made between Lucinda and Darlene.

    Ike knew that the Bishop family and the Barlow family were old acquaintances. It wouldn''t be

    appropriate to have Belinda chat with him first upon arrival. "President Bishop, why don''t you and

    Ms. Darlene go in first? Lucy and I will stay out here a bit longer. We''ll see you inside soon."

    "See you soon."

    Belinda nodded at Lucinda, then took her sister inside.

    Once they had gone, Lucinda nudged her brother and chuckled, "Ike, after all this time you still call

    her ''President Bishop''? Can''t you just call her ''Belinda''?"

    Ike replied, "Well. She doesn''t like people call her that."

    "She might not like others calling her ''Belinda'', but maybe she''d like it if you called her that. You

    could try it. If she doesn''t mind, it might bring you two closer."

    Considering his sister''s advice, Ike thought it made sense. "I''ll give it a try. If she reacts negatively,

    I''ll just go back to calling her ''President Bishop''."

    "She won''t react negatively."

    Lucinda confidently said, "From my observations, she has a liking for you. She mentioned you to

    her sister, and when she introduced Darlene to us, I noticed the way Darlene looked at you. She

    appraised you for quite a while. If Belinda hadn''t mentioned you at home, Darlene wouldn''t have

    taken an interest in you. She wouldn''t have observed you that closely."

    Lucinda tilted her head to look at her brother, uttering, "For Darlene, who''s seen plenty of handsome

    men, you''re not someone she''d fall for at first sight. So, it must be that Belinda often talks about

    you, which made Darlene take a longer look."

    Ikeughed, "Is that true? Lucy, are you sure you didn''t misread?"

    He hadn''t noticed the way Darlene looked at him. As soon as Belinda arrived, his attention was

    entirely on her.

    Belinda hadn''t changed her clothes for the evening. She wore a sharp suit and had her hair short as

    always. Although the terms ''handsome'' and ''dashing'' are usually used to describe men, Ike thought

    they suited Belinda perfectly.

    "Trust me, Ike. A woman''s intuition is usually right. You can slowly make your move. I''m sure

    President Bishop has feelings for you."

    Perhaps Belinda was secretly testing him.

    As long as Belinda didn''t look down on her brother for being temporarily less sessful than her,

    Lucinda believed that Ike could win her heart.

    Having experienced the harsh realities of life, Belinda was unlikely to judge people. Plus, her

    brother was an exceptional man.

    Ikeughed, "I''ll take your word for it, Lucy. You''ve had enough fresh air for now. Let''s go inside.

    You should go back to Stefan. Don''t think marriage means you''re safe. There are plenty of women

    eyeing Stefan, just waiting for a chance to make a move."

    "If he can be seduced easily, then he''s not worth it. But, I''m sure Stefan won''t change."

    Ike lightly flicked his sister on her forehead.

    The siblings then headed back inside the room.

    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.

    Lucinda was attending the party and met her brother there, while her friend Cecilia was also

    surprised by the arrival of her own brother at the party.

    Truth be told, Cecilia was quite taken aback to see her brother. She had never expected he¡¯de.

    Hudson flicked her forehead lightly, then said irritably, "Cecilia, what is with that expression?"

    "Hudson, why are you here? I didn¡¯t expect that. I''m truly shocked."

    Upon hearing this, Hudson gave her another flick on her forehead again.

    Rubbing the spot where she''d been attacked, Cecilia pouted andined, "Is this how you treat

    me after not seeing me for so long? You don''t care about your only sister at all. Unlike Ike, who is

    always warm and attentive to Lucy. He really is the ideal brother. And so is Ethan."

    After seeing how Lucinda''s brothers treated her, anyone would feel envious and desire a brother

    like them.

    "If you despise me so much, why don''t you swap Lucy over? Let her take me as her ''brother'' and

    you can be Ike¡¯s sister."

    "I wish."

    Before she could finish her sentence, Cecilia quickly hopped away, avoiding another flick from her

    brother.

    After scanning the caf¨¦ and seeing a fair number of customers, Hudson decided not to tease his

    sister anymore and took a seat in front of the cashier desk.

    A waitress deftly brought Hudson a ss of juice and a te of snacks.

    Cecilia circled back to the cashier desk and leaned on the counter, asking, "Why are you here

    tonight, Hudson? You''re definitely not here to support my business. You''ve barely visited since the

    first day I opened this ce. Spill it, what do you need? Did you get into trouble and need my

    company because you''re too scared to go home?"

    "Mom asked me to return the new car that Owen asked his men to send to our house."

    Cecilia replied, "Mom told me about that. What, did something happen to the car?"

    Hudson red at his sister, "Can''t you think more positively? Are you hoping something really

    happened to that car? Remember, I was the one who drove it. If something had happened, I

    wouldn''t be sitting here right now. You¡¯re hoping your brother might meet some problems with it?"

    "Of course not!"

    Cecilia uttered apologetically. "Sorry, Hudson, I misspoke. Stop beating around the bush. You know

    I''m not good at guessing."

    "I tried returning your car to the Martinez family, only to find myself treated like a beggar by your

    former mother-inw. She had her butler hand me a couple grand, dering that the Martinez

    family isn''t a charity and I should take the money and scram. She made it clear that I''m no longer

    weed at their residence, that they don''t consider us having any connection anymore."

    Hudson couldn''t help but fume every time he recalled the butler handing him with money.

    The way how the Martinez family treated him was a clear indicator of their disdain for Cecilia.

    "Cecilia, listen to me, no matter how much Owen tried to woo you, no matter how sweet his words

    or how many bouquets of flowers he sent, don''t fall for it. His family doesn''t like you. If you were to

    marry into their family, you wouldn''t be happy. Unless, of course, Owen is willing to bear the name

    of our family."

    Hudson made a special trip just to carp about Owen.

    Cecilia patted her brother''s shoulder, "Hudson, I''m sorry you had to go through that. You should''ve

    taken the money and then, when Olina showed up, just flung it right back at her, defiantly dering,

    ''Who needs your stinking money?!''"

 Chapter 373

    Chapter 373

    "Olina didn''t indeed fancy me even a bit. In her mind, the perfect daughter-inw was always Ruby

    Scott. When Lucy unearthed some of Ruby''s past, I bet my former mother-inw was cursing Lucy

    and her husband for meddling."

    After all, had Ruby''s past remained hidden, Olina would still view her as a good girl.

    The perfect daughter-inw in Olina''s eyes was ruined by the actions of the Coleman couple.

    "The Martinez family and the Anderson family have always been at odds. Lucy is the wife of the

    Anderson family¡¯s oldest son. From the fact of being her close friend, Mrs. Martinez would never like

    me."

    Hudson advised, "Since you''re aware of this, you should keep your distance from Owen."

    "I haven''t been throwing myself at him. He''s the one who''s been pursuing me. Although I don''t turn

    him down directly, I haven''t epted him either. Don''t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing." Cecilia was

    unfazed by Olina¡¯s disapproval.

    However, the idea of constantly engaging in family politics after marrying into the family was

    exhausting and unappealing. She didn''t want to live such a life.

    So, epting or rejecting Owen required serious thought.

    Seeing her still unswayed by Owen''s sweet words and charm, Hudson was somewhat relieved.

    Speak of the devil.

    Owen walked in, holding a bouquet of money roses, attracting the attention of everyone in the caf¨¦.

    His eyes only saw Cecilia, ignoring everyone else.

    With therge bouquet of money roses in hand, he strode towards Cecilia.

    Upon seeing Hudson, Owen was taken aback but quickly greeted him respectfully, "Hudson, you''re

    here too."

    "Mr. Martinez, you''ve got it wrong. My mother only had two kids; my sister and me. I don''t have a

    younger brother. Besides, you''re older than me. Isn''t it odd to take me as your older brother?"

    Unfazed, Owen responded, "As Cecilia''s biological brother, you''re also my brother."

    Hudson got speechless at Owen''s thick-skinned response.

    Has the CEO of the Ike group never seen a beautiful woman before? He just can''t let go of his

    sister.

    Seeing Owen with arge bouquet of money roses, irate, Hudson immediately stood up, grabbed

    the bouquet from Owen and said, "Thanks for the flowers, Mr. Martinez. They''re beautiful. I love

    them!"

    He then sat down and began dismantling the money roses, stacking the bills neatly by his side.

    Owen was benumbed by this move from Hudson. He knew the Yates family members weren''t fond

    of him, but Hudson had always been polite to him.

    What was happening tonight?

    Hudson seemed as if he was ready to burn him at the stake.

    Owen looked helplessly at Cecilia.

    The money roses were meant for her, but the person who snatched them was his potential brother-

    inw, someone he couldn''t offend.

    Seeing that Cecilia remained silent, Owen moved closer to her, pointed at Hudson dismantling the

    money roses and whispered, "Cecilia, is your brother in a bad mood tonight? Who upset him? Tell

    me, and I''ll help him vent."

    No one could bully his brother-inw; it would be like a p to his own face.

    He was determined to please his future brother-inw.

    "Hudson is furious," Cecilia whispered back. "But it''s no use knowing. You wouldn''t dare do anything

    to that person."

    "There''s no one in Pinehurst I wouldn''t dare to confront. Just name the person, and I''ll get my men

    to help Hudson get justice."

    Cecilia looked at him, "Aren''t you afraid of divine retribution?"

    Owen queried, "Is it someone from my family? My mother?"

    Only his mother would think of bullying the Yates family.

    Cecilia kindly enlightened Owen about the situation.

    Owen''s face turned dramatically. His own mother was ruining his chances!

    He had finally managed to set foot in the Yates family''s home. Although Devon Yates didn¡¯t like

    Owen, at least he allowed him to join them for meals. But now, his mother''s actions had pushed him

    back to square one.

    "Brother Hudson, I''m sorry. I apologize for my mother''s action. I''m really sorry."

    He wished he could rush home to confront his mother, but Owen decided to apologize to Hudson on

    her behalf first.

    Hudson didn''t even look up, ignoring himpletely.

    Owen knew Hudson was truly upset. Both the Yates and the Moore families weren''t interested in

    money. When they married off their daughters, they were truly caring their daughters¡¯ felicity instead

    of money.

    His mother''s actions had deeply offended Hudson, and rightfully so.

    Knowing his mother intended to ruin his chance with Cecilia, Owen lost interest in staying at the

    caf¨¦. He whispered to Cecilia, "I''ll bring you breakfast tomorrow morning. Come to the caf¨¦ early, or

    I''ll have someone pick you up. I need to go home now."

    Cecilia waved him off, indicating he could leave.

    Owen fell silent and eventually turned and left.

    He rushed home.

    Upon arrival, he found out his mother was still out enjoying herself.

    He decided to wait for her in the living room.

    He waited until past eleven in the evening, when his mother finally returned, in high spirits.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Seeing her son at home, Olina was surprised and asked, "Owen, why are you home tonight? Why

    didn''t you tell me? If you had told me, I wouldn''t have gone out."

    "Are you hungry? Do you want ate-night snack? I''ll have someone make it for you."

    Despite the distance between them, Olina truly loved her son. She always tried to please him. This

    stemmed from the fact that Owen was raised by his grandfather, not her, resulting in ack of

    closeness between mother and son.

    "Mom, I had enough. I''m so pissed off that I can''t eat a thing."

    "What''s gotten you so worked up? Is it Ruby again?"

    Owen abruptly stood up, "Mom, it''s not anyone else, it''s you! You''re driving me mad. Can''t you stop

    being a hindrance? Do you think it''s easy to find a suitable wife these days?"

    Olina was puzzled, "How did I upset you? You''re barely home and I hardly see you to upset you.

    You want to get married, it''s easy. Just let the word out, and there are plenty of women who''d love

    to marry you. Owen, did that guy from the Yates family say something to Cecilia? Did shee to

    you withints?"

    Olina might not be as sharp as Jeannie Coleman, but with agees wisdom. Plus, she was aware

    of her actions and understood the reason behind her son''s anger.

    "Owen, listen to me. The Yates family are dirt poor and we''re loaded. When theye for the first

    time, don''t give them a ton of money, lest they be parasites. They''ll stick to us and we won''t be

    able to shake them off."

 Chapter 374

    Chapter 374

    "I don¡¯t know what your grandpa was thinking. Even if he didn''t like Ruby, he should have found you

    a woman of status and wealth like Lucinda for marriage."

    Owen retorted bluntly, "Mother, you once said Lucinda was a pauper''s daughter, not fit for Stefan."

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Olina was speechless. She had no idea Lucinda was actually the oldest daughter of the Blue family.

    "Owen, why don''t you look into Cecilia again to see if she''s the biological daughter of the Yates

    family. If she turns out to be a lost billionaire like Lucinda, I could ept her as my daughter-inw."

    The Martinez family and the Anderson family were always at odds, especially the Martinez family,

    who loved topare themselves with the Andersons.

    When they learned that Stefan married Lucinda, a girl with no social status, Olina was overjoyed.

    She thought her son could finally outshine Stefan.

    However, before she could celebrate for two days, her father-inw forced her son to marry a girl

    from an ordinary family. Who knew how Olina was furious that time, but she couldn''t vent her anger

    on her father-inw.

    She turned her anger on Cecilia who didn''t fear Olina at all. Eventually, Olina had to leave in

    disgrace.

    After the revtion that Lucinda was the oldest daughter of the Blue family, Olina had to admit that

    Stefan was good at choosing people. He managed to marry the daughter who had been missing for

    over twenty years.

    Owen was so angry with his mother''s words that he was speechless for a long time. Finally, he said

    with a sulky face, "Mom, Cecilia is the biological daughter of the Yates family. I love her, regardless

    of her background."

    "You love her? She was forced upon you by your grandpa. You should hate her! Because of her,

    you were coerced by your grandpa. And what about Ruby, the woman you truly loved? Even though

    Ruby made mistakes, can you really let her go?"

    Owen turned livid, "Mom, are you suggesting I should start over with Ruby? Have you ever seen me

    and Ruby together in the past decade? Ruby only has eyes for Stefan."

    "Do you want your son to be a cuckold?"

    Olina was speechless. Even she herself couldn''t ept Ruby as her daughter-inw anymore.

    "But you can''t love Cecilia. Her family is less well-off than our butler''s family. If you marry Cecilia,

    what can she bring to you? She has no connections, can''t help with your business, has no talents,

    and can''t share your worries. What can she do other than brewing coffee?"

    "Owen, why don''t you secretly divorce her, and then I can arrange for you to meet other young

    ladies? Any girl in our circle is ten times, hundred times better than Cecilia. You can''t fall in love with

    her."

    At the mention of divorce, Owen''s handsome face fell, "Mom, Cecilia and I are already divorced."

    He even informed his grandpa, hoping he would intervene. But his grandpa didn''t say a word or

    help him, just giving him a look of disdain after long time of silence.

    Owen was helpless and didn''t want Cecilia to suffer. Plus, Cecilia''s heartfelt words finally led them

    to divorce.

    After the divorce, he tried to woo Cecilia again, but it was so hard!

    If they were still married, he would act brazen enough to get in bed with her since they had conjugal

    rtionship.

    "Really? That''s great. I will arrange a blind date for you tomorrow."

    "Mom, I only love Cecilia now and in the future. I won''t change. Please stop doing things that

    sabotage everything. You don''t know how the Yates family treat me, you even offended Hudson,

    making my pursuit even harder."

    Owen pleaded with his mother.

    "Mom, what I want is a wife. I want to see my beloved woman beside me when I wake up, and have

    her waiting for me when Ie home. I don''t need my wife to be capable, and I don''t need her to

    help with my business. I''m not looking for a career manager."

    Seeing his rivals unting their love, Owen envied their married life.

    "Owen."

    "Mom, please don''t interfere with Cecilia and me. Don''t treat the Yates family disrespectfully ever

    again."

    "Owen, Cecilia is not good enough for you. She is out of your league."

    Knowing her son and daughter-inw had divorced, Olina was happy. But when she saw Owen

    bing obsessed with Cecilia, she was angry.

    Although Owen didn''t grow up with her, she knew how persistent he was in love.

    "Mom, you are not me. How do you know she is out of mine league? I think Cecilia is perfect. How

    is she not a good match? We are both human, living under the same sky. Where does your

    conclusione from?"

    "But her family is poor!"

    "They have their own house with a yard. Except for my mother-inw who stays at home taking

    care of the elderly and cooking, everyone else is self-reliant. Although their conditions are not as

    good as ours, they are all hard-working people."

    "Poverty does notst forever, nor does wealth. Their family is so hardworking, who can say they

    will always be poor? Mom, don''t you know our Martinez family was also poor once? It was only from

    my grandpa''s generation that we started to umte wealth."

    The Martinez family has only been wealthy for three generations, far less established than the

    Anderson family.

    "They''re not gold diggers, Mom. Don''t treat them like leeches. Even if I was willing to let them grab

    my money away, they''d probably turn their noses up, finding mine condition not to their taste."

    Olina, her face tight, retorted, "Regardless, I cannot ept Cecilia as my daughter-inw. How am I

    supposed to present her to others?"

    "My wife doesn''t need to be presented by you, Mom. I can handle that."

    "Owen, are you hell-bent on having Cecilia?"

    Owen replied, "Mom, I love Cecilia, really. Being with her, I feel at ease, free from any stress. Even

    if she ruffles my feathers, I still love her."

    He felt a bit embarrassed admitting that the more she dissed him, the more his attention shifted to

    her, eventually developing into affection.

    "Owen!"

    "Mom, can''t you be like Stefan''s mom, respecting your son''s choice? Can''t you be like Mrs.

    Coleman, epting and loving whoever Stefan marries, just as long as he''s willing to wed?"

    "It''s your son getting hitched, and if I don¡¯t feel rejected, then why should you be?"

    Compared to Jeannie, Olina was hopping mad. She snapped, "I am a high-societydy, not like

    her."

    "In our circle, Mrs. Coleman is far more popr than you, Mom. Plus, in terms of status and

    position, it¡¯s far behind for you to catch up with."

 Chapter 375

    Chapter 375

    Owen dropped a truth bomb that almost provoked his mother to smack him.

    Jeannie was friendly and approachable, with no sense of ss distinction. As long as one¡¯s

    personality clicked with hers, she could befriend anyone, whether one was a societydy or a

    sanitation worker.

    In terms of family background, the Coleman family was miles ahead of the Martinez family. Though

    the Coleman family had no son, they now had Stefan as a sessor, which was more than enough.

    When Stefan had a son, the first would be a Coleman, inheriting the family''s business. Only the

    second child would be an Anderson.

    Considering their current social status, being thedy of the foremost wealthy family was much

    higher than being thedy of the Martinez family.

    Olina wanted to mock Jeannie but couldn''t continue after a sentence, she had self-knowledge.

    ¡°Mom, I''ve said my piece. I don''t want a repeat of today''s incident. It''ste, you should rest.

    Goodnight.¡± said Owen, turning to leave.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I''m going to wait at the gate of the Yates family. You''ve been holding me back, preventing me from

    entering their house. Now, all I can do is wait outside.¡±

    Olina was fuming, ¡°You are the son of the Martinez family, and you''re going to wait outside someone

    else''s gate? Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed?¡±

    ¡°What''s there to be embarrassed about when pursuing my woman? If I feared it, I''d stay single for

    the rest of my life.¡±

    No matter how angry Olina was, her beloved son still left that night.

    If her son indeed went to wait outside the Yates family''s gate for the whole night, Olina couldn''t help

    but worry.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    That vixen Cecilia, in just a few months, had managed to steal her son''s heart!

    She was livid!

    After the Barlow family''s banquet ended, Stefan wasn''t drunk. He didn''t even touch alcohol because

    he had to drive.

    Lucinda, free from the responsibility of driving, was tipsy.

    Ike, her older brother, was like her, finding it difficult to walk even steadily, certainly not in the state

    to drive.

    Stefan carried his tipsy wife to the car, then turned back to Ike, who was being helped by Belinda, at

    his request.

    Darlene followed her sister.

    Those who had seen Ms. Bishop tonight thought of her as a delicate flower. Men wanted to pluck

    her, and women were jealous of her stunning beauty.

    No one dared to mess with her at the banquet because she and Lucinda had hit it off.

    Although Belinda was formidable, the Bishop Group hadn''t made it back to the ranks of the top

    corporations yet, those families whose strength surpassed the Bishop Group did not fear Belinda.

    So, if Lucinda and Darlene hadn''t been chatting and drinking together all night, many people

    would''ve wanted to mess with Darlene.

    ¡°President Bishop, my wife is drunk. As for my brother, could you help me to get him home? He''s

    drunk and can''t drive.¡±

    Stefan asked Belinda gracefully.

    Mr. Coleman was asking her to help him, supporting a drunken Ike, and also asking her to take him

    home!

    ¡°Mr. Coleman, you take Lucy home first. I''ll make sure my sister gets Ike home safe.¡±

    Before Belinda could respond, Darlene cut in.

    ¡°Thank you, goodbye.¡±

    Stefan bid the Bishop sisters goodbye, then got into his car and drove off quickly under the gaze of

    the Barlow family.

    Belinda looked at Ike, who was leaning against her. Lately, he''d been getting drunk all the time, and

    she''d taken him home numerous times.

    His alcohol tolerance was truly horrible, even worse than hers.

    ¡°Sis, you take Ike home. I''ll drive myself back.¡±

    ¡°No, you''ve had a drink too. You can''t drive.¡±

    Belinda thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Let''s take Ike home first.¡±

    She turned to Jason and said, ¡°Mr. Barlow, let''s leave Ike''s car here. He cane and get it when

    he sobers up tomorrow.¡±

    Jason was a wise man, he saw the affection between Ike and Belinda and also noticed Belinda''s

    unusual behavior towards Ike.

    Although Ike''spany was still small, it was on the right track and had two powerful brothers-in-

    law. Ike''s prospects were unlimited. If Belinda could be with Ike, it might not be a bad thing. At least,

    no one would dare to bully the Bishop Group anymore.

    With the Anderson family and the Blue family around, they''d have to think twice before making any

    action.

    So, Jason smiled and said, ¡°No problem. Ike''s car isn''t the only one left here. Be careful on your

    way home, Belinda.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    After bidding the Barlow family goodbye, the Bishop sisters helped Ike into the car.

    They soon drove away too.

    On the other hand, Lucinda sat straight up as soon as they drove out of the Barlow family''s vi, not

    a hint of drunkenness about her.

    Stefan chided her, ¡°All that pretending just for your brother.¡±

    Such dedication!

    Turned out Lucinda was pretending to be drunk.

    ¡°It''s to create an opportunity for my brother.¡±

    Lucinda felt no guilt for fooling others.

    ¡°I really like my future sister-inw, and also Darlene. Stefan, what do you think about introducing

    Darlene to Keith? Do you think they''ll hit it off? Keith is always surrounded by a bunch of

    bodyguards, not allowing any woman to approach within three meters. If I don''t worry about him, I''m

    afraid he''ll stay a bachelor for life.¡±

    Stefan pondered for a moment before saying, "Matters rted to affection are unpredictable. you

    can try to y matchmaker, but it all depends on whether there''s chemistry between them. And

    even then, Belinda might not agree. Darlene is too innocent, too well protected. She spends her

    days painting, gardening and such. She might not be a good match for Keith."

    The Blue family wasn''t just any ordinary family. Can a harmlessmb like Darlene survive once she

    stepped through the Blue family''s front door?

    Lucinda recalled her entire evening with Darlene, the details of their conversation. She spected,

    "Honey, do you think Darlene is actually ying dumb? Even though she''s well protected by my

    future sister-inw, the Bishop family has been through a lot. Can she really be as innocent as she

    seems?"

    "When I talk to her, I realize she knows a lot. asionally, I see a gleam in her eyes, she''s

    definitely not as naive as she looks like. How about you do some digging on her?"

    "I''m not interested in her. If she''s really like what you said, it should be your brother who looks into

    her. Are you nning to introduce her to Keith? Lucy, you seem to really like the Bishop sisters, you

    want both your brothers to marry them?"

    "It¡¯s better to keep excellent women to ourselves before someone else does."

    Stefanughed softly. He agreed with his wife''sst statement.

    Like him, when he had set his sights on Lucinda, he made his move early, so no one else could

    snatch her away.

    "I really like Darlene. It was like we were old friends at first sight. If she could be my sister-in-

    law, I wouldn''t need to worry about our rtionship."

    Lucinda nned to be good friends with Darlene. Turning her friend into her sister-inw would

    make their rtionship effortless.

 Chapter 376

    Chapter 376

    Once, she had this idea of making Cecilia her sister-inw, but unfortunately, her brother saw

    Cecilia as nothing more than a sister.

    Cecilia, "Interestingly, I also wanted you to be my sister-inw. My brother even had a crush on you.

    But when he realized that you only saw him as a brother, he gave up."

    Lucindaughed, "We are indeed best friends!"

    Stefan joked, "You''re easy-going, as long as your brothers don''t bring home some unreasonable

    harpies, you won''t have to worry about managing sister-inw rtionships."

    Sister-inw rtionships required mutual effort, and it also depended on whether the effort was

    reciprocated. Some sisters-inw think that their husband¡¯s sister should treat them well, while they

    enjoy the benefits and stir up trouble. Such sisters-inw are best kept at a distance.

    And of course, if the sister-inw is only taking without giving, they should also keep their distance.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    It''s countless how many marriages have been destroyed by meddling sisters-inw, leading to

    divorce.

    Even if they didn''t divorce, they did create resentment.

    When a woman married and visited her parents, she was there to see her parents if they were alive,

    or to see her siblings if their parents were deceased. If she had a conflict with her sisters-inw,

    once her parents were gone, their meeting with the siblings would possibly result in some

    unpleasant moments.

    Lucinda couldn''t bear the thought of cutting off ties with her parents. She told herself that she must

    be a sensible sister-inw, never meddle in her brothers'' marriages, and not stir up trouble in front

    of her mother, so as not to offend her sisters-inw and weaken her rtionship with her brothers.

    She shared her thoughts, "Once my two brothers get married, I will not interfere in their marital life.

    If I meddle too much, it''s easy to create conflicts. I will just observe and not make anyments. I

    also believe that with the temperament of my two mothers, they will not ill-treat their daughters-in-

    law. If my mothers who are mothers-inw do not interfere, why should I, a married sister-inw,

    interfere?"

    ¡°Not only would I get loathed by them, but also the connection with my brothers may not be as close

    as before. It¡¯s more harm than good.¡±

    Stefan praised, "I knew I married a wise woman. Aunt Bettina is just like this, so her rtionship

    with my mother and the rtives is very good. Whenever Aunt Bettina visits her parents, no one

    would say they don''t wee her."

    ¡°Even though the members in the Anderson family are all well-disciplined, there¡¯ll be always

    disputes between married couples, between wives and their mother-inw. No matter who

    comins to Aunt Bettina, she never judges. She¡¯s very sagacious.¡±

    Lucinda also admired Bettina Anderson.

    Bettina was the only girl in her generation, and her parents and brothers all loved her. Although she

    might be spoiled, but she was very sensible in dealing with people.

    She treated her brothers and sisters-inw equally and never got involved in their affairs.

    Seeing how Bettina got along with her sisters-inw, as close as sisters, Lucinda was envious.

    She also hoped that she could maintain a close rapport with her two sisters-inw.

    Of course, her personal wish was for the Bishop sisters to marry her two brothers respectively,

    because they were good matches for her brothers. It was not because she liked the Bishop sisters

    that she forced them on her brothers.

    Ike was the one who liked Belinda first.

    Keith and Darlene seemed ipatible on the surface, but what if Darlene was someone

    sophisticated? In the Blue family, a couple working together would definitely be more powerful than

    she and her brother joining hands.

    The two had some small talks and soon returned to Ascend Estate.

    Their parents had returned from their vacation. Even though the journey back to Ascend Estate was

    longer, the couple chose to return there to spend more time with their parents.

    The main hall of the house was still lit.

    The couple entered.

    Janice was sitting on the sofa, lost in thought. Seeing her daughter and son-inw return, she

    smiled, stood up, and said, "Stefan, Lucy, you''re back."

    "Mom," they said in unison.

    Lucinda went to her mother first, and asked with concern, "Mom, it''s sote. Why haven''t you gone

    to bed yet? Is there something wrong?"

    Janice sat down on the sofa with her daughter andughed, "Nothing. Keith said he would call me

    when he was done with his work, so I am waiting for his call."

    As her daughter and son-inw were out, Janice was also worried.

    Even though she knew that with her son-inw around, nothing would go wrong, she couldn''t help

    but concern as a mother.

    "Mom, you can call him."

    "He¡¯s very busy. I don''t know when he would have time to answer the phone. I¡¯ll wait for him to call

    back. When he calls back, it means he is done with his work, and we can chat for a little longer."

    Lucinda thought of her brother who was indeed very busy.

    "Lucy, why don¡¯t you two go upstairs and rest? I''ll wait a little longer. If he doesn''t call, I''ll go to rest

    also."

    "Mom, let me be here with you."

    Janice smiled and looked at her daughter, dressed in an evening gown with light makeup. She

    couldn''t help but gently touch her daughter''s face, her eyes full of tenderness, and her love for her

    daughter was evident.

    "Lucy, you look really gorgeous tonight."

    Lucinda wanted to say that she was beautiful because her mother was beautiful, but remembering

    that she looked a lot like her grandmother, she hold back her tongue.

    Why did she inherit her grandmother''s looks?

    "Mom, are you saying I don''t usually look good?"

    Janiceughed, "My daughter always looks good."

    "Lucy, did you make any friends at the banquet?"

    Since her daughter said she wanted to keep herpany, Janice asked about the banquet.

    Before Lucinda was taken away, Janice would apany Nathan to every banquet.

    The couple were both charming and remained an intimate rtionship, which looked much like

    Lucinda and Stefan. They were always the focus of the crowd. However, their love story became a

    joke after twenty years of neglect.

    Every time Janice thought about it, her heart ached.

    "Yes, I made quite a few friends. My favorite was Ms. Bishop. Mom, you know what? Darlene is truly

    beautiful. We hit it off right away."

    Janice''s eyes shimmered, as if sighing, "If only Keith could appreciate girls like you do."

    Keith wasn''t incapable of love. He was just too scared to let it in.

    He feared that the woman he loved would be his weakness.

    He also feared that his troubles could bring harm to someone else''s innocent daughter.

    "Mom, Keith is still young. There''s no rush for him to get married."

    Lucinda had been thinking about introducing Darlene to her brother, but since nothing was set in

    stone yet, she decided to keep it to herself for now.

    All she could do was reassure her mother that there was no need to worry about Keith''s marriage.

    "You and your brother are twins. You''ve been married for a few months now, and yet Keith doesn''t

    even have a girlfriend, let alone someone he''s fond of. How can I not worry? I''m afraid that because

    of what happened between your father and me, he''s given up on the idea of getting married."

    The impact of failed marriages on children can be massive.

    Janice felt grateful that Lucy was raised in the Moore household, where Vincent and Fiona had a

    strong and loving rtionship. Their positive energy was all their children knew.

 Chapter 377

    Chapter 377

    "Mum, no way. Keith will definitely get married and have kids."

    Upon hearing her mother''s words, Lucinda, although worried that her brother would not want to get

    married because of their parents'' marriage, could only reassure her mother.

    Stefan also chimed in with someforting words.

    At that moment, Janice''s cellphone rang.

    Upon seeing the caller ID, she smiled at Lucinda and Stefan, "It''s your brother calling."

    Janice answered the call.

    "Mom."

    Keith began with an apology, "Sorry for keeping you waiting. I just got free now."

    Since their father had been called back home by Pete Blue and had not returned to the office, Keith

    had been left in charge of all important matters at the Blue Corporation.

    The corporation was so huge that even just dealing with important paperwork could keep him so

    busy he didn''t even have time to drink water.

    "It''s alright. I wasn''t waiting. I just woke up from a nap and received your call. Keith, don''t tire

    yourself out too much. Take care of your health. That''s the most important thing."

    Janice showed concern for her son.

    She didn''t want her son to know that she had been waiting for his call.

    "Mom, I will. Is Lucy back yet?"

    Keith casually asked about his younger sister.

    Technically, there weren¡¯t many topics for him to talk with Janice about. Having grown up under the

    strict supervision of his father and the entricity of his mother, he never really experienced normal

    familial affection. Now that his mother was back to normal and he was an adult, capable of handling

    his affairs, their phone calls were mostly about everyday life.

    "Lucy and Stefan just got back. They went to a banquet tonight. Do you want to speak to Lucy?"

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Without waiting for her son''s response, Janice handed the phone over to her daughter.

    "Keith."

    Hearing his sister''s voice, a smile spread across Keith''s tired face, "How was the banquet with

    Stefan?"

    "It was good. Made a lot of new friends."

    "The road ahead of you won''t be an easy one. It''s good to make more friends."

    Keith himself had attended many banquets, but at these events, he was as cold as an iceberg.

    Apart from a few CEOs who would greet him out of business courtesy, people generally kept their

    distance from him.

    As for the women, they didn''t dare to approach him, even if they found him attractive, due to the

    cold and intimidating bodyguards that surrounded him.

    "Yeah, how''s dad?"

    Lucinda remembered her father''s affairs, "What happened afterwards? About that woman who

    schemed against dad, isn''t dad going to do anything about it?"

    Keithughed upon hearing this.

    "It must be exciting. Tell me and mom quickly."

    Lucinda moved closer to her mother so that she too could hear what Keith would say.

    When Nathan was mentioned, Janice''s expression grew cold, "I''m not interested in your father''s

    affairs. Lucy, you two chat. I''m thirsty, I''m going to get some water."

    With that, she got up and left.

    She had no interest in knowing what happened to Nathan after he was deceived.

    Even if Nathan didn''t want anything to do with Madeleine, so what? He and Madeleine were seen

    as being in a heated rtionship. Even if he refrained himself from getting any physical contact, in

    the eyes of others, they probably had slept countless times.

    Even if realizing Madeleine was ying tricks, Nathan, who was a man setting store by overall

    interests, would not easily take revenge on Madeleine. At most, he would act as if nothing had

    happened, or maybe just ignore Madeleine for a while.

    As the head of the Blue family, Nathan had too many factors to consider, Janice understood this.

    If she hadn''t been Nathan''s wife, hadn''t experienced the pain of losing a daughter, hadn''t gone

    mad, hadn''t been neglected for over twenty years, she would definitely have been able to

    understand and tolerate everything about Nathan.

    Watching her mother walk away, Lucinda knew the impasse between her parents was hard to

    break.

    "What happened afterwards?"

    Lucinda, pulling Stefan to sit down with her, listened as her brother spilled the juicy gossip.

    "Dad didn''t let mee home, so I didn¡¯t see everything firsthand, but my guys filled me in. Lucy,

    you would never guess what happened to Madeleine in the end. It was so satisfying. That''s exactly

    what should happen to a bitch like her."

    "When Madeleine schemed against Dad, she fell into a trap herself. Dad found an excuse to have

    me take him to the hospital and had Uncle Hayden take Madeleine back to the Porter family. Who

    would have known that when the drug took effect, she clung on to Uncle Hayden. Anyway, I heard it

    was quite a scene, very thrilling."

    Being busy all day, but talking about this gossip, Keith brushed aside his fatigue and continued to

    share what he knew with his sister.

    "The people who discovered that Madeleine and Uncle Hayden had spent the night together were

    actually Grandpa and Grandma. It was so exciting. Grandpa and Grandma were both angry and

    upset, but they forgot to close the door, so the news spread throughout the entire vi of the Blue

    family. Aunt Ashley received the news and stormed over. She''s always been a domineering person.

    She had been cuckolded, and in her own home no less, she wasn''t going to let it slide."

    "When Aunt Ashley arrived at the scene, she was like a vengeful heroine. She grabbed Madeleine

    and started to beat her up, swelling up her face. Then she dragged Madeleine out of the room like a

    dead dog. If it weren''t for Grandma and the others who came to realize that if Madeleine was

    dragged out of the house and seen by the public, the whole family would be humiliated."

    At that time, Madeleine was still in a state of disarray.

    "Later on, Dad and Pete came home. Dad grabbed Uncle Hayden and gave him a beating. In short,

    Uncle Hayden and Madeleine both got beaten up, and both of them were very embarrassed. When

    Madeleine found out that the person she had spent the night with was Uncle Hayden, her

    expression was absolutely priceless."

    Keith thought this was really poetic justice.

    Unfortunately, his father didn''t let him go home to watch the spectacle, fearing that it would cast bad

    influence on him.

    Having grown up in the Blue family, he had seen plenty of dark things. Was there really a need to

    worry about that?

    Keith found it was a pity not being able to watch the tempest in person.

    If he had been there, he would have definitely given his sister a live broadcast, so they could all

    have a goodugh.

    "And then what happened?"

    Lucinda and Stefan were all ears, relishing the juicy tale.

    Lucinda felt a pang of regret that she missed such a dramatic scene unfold.

    "Then dad took Uncle Hayden with him to drive Madeleine back to the Porter family, as a sort of

    apology. When Madeleine got back to the house, Mr. Porter wasn''t in. Only Mrs. Porter was home.

    When she learned what had happened, she almost passed out."

    To have her beautiful, precious daughter involved in such a scandal was a heartbreaking blow to

    Mrs. Porter.

    Aside from concerning her daughter, she had to deal with the rage of her husband.

    Because the aphrodisiac was something she had acquired for her daughter.

    "When Mr. Porter learned the truth, he was livid. I heard he beat Uncle Hayden ck and blue on

    the spot. If it weren''t for our dad being there, Uncle Hayden could have been a goner. He kept

    protesting his innocence, saying that Madeleine had seduced him. The whole thing was a disgrace

    to the Porter family."

 Chapter 378

    Chapter 378

    "After the Porters had given Hayden a good thrashing, they finally asked for the reason behind it.

    Dad was anything but shy, heid out the whole story for the Porters. Then, Mr. Porter went on a

    rampage, almost battering his wife''s face into a pulp. It wasplete chaos."

    "What happened next hasn''t been resolved yet. Dad apparently stayed with the Porters the entire

    day beforeing back. No idea if the n is for Hayden to divorce and marry Madeleine or what."

    Keith narrated, a smug smile on his face.

    The Johnson couple listened, equally engrossed.

    Stefan pondered on his own investigation. Although he didn''t have much evidence, the news that

    Keith brought via Hayes Brooks didn''t match up with his findings. However, he had a hunch that the

    puppet master was likely one or both of Lucinda''s uncles.

    Of course, there was definitely more than one person pulling the strings.

    Back when Lucinda was taken away, the Porters probably didn''t intervene. After all, Madeleine was

    only two at the time and the Porter''s power and influence hadn''t reached the heights it has today.

    The Porter''s power has grown significantly in recent years, and so too has their ambition.

    "Bro, if Hayden marries Madeleine, it won''t bode well for us."

    Stefan warned his cousin, preparing him for the possibility of a legitimate alliance between the

    Porters and Hayden.

    Keith paused before saying, "I trust dad''s judgement."

    His dad wouldn''t do anything to hurt them.

    Stefan thought for a moment before saying, "Regardless, we need to be on our guard."

    He wasn''t in Skywatch, so he didn''t know much about the Porters. If his father-inw was bold

    enough to make this arrangement, he must have a n to control the situation.

    This matter was a double-edged sword.

    Dad marrying Madeleine could lead to a fallout between Hayden and his family, given Ashley''s

    sense of betrayal. She wouldn''t agree to her husband marrying Madeleine and would surely raise

    hell. Having spent decades in the Blue family and raised two sons and a daughter, she wouldn''t go

    down without a fight.

    On the flip side, if Hayden insisted on divorcing and marrying Madeleine, they''d have the backing of

    the Porters, which would make them a formidable force.

    "I''ll be careful," Keith assured.

    "Lucy, tell mom that dad is fine, I need to hang up now."

    Before Lucinda could say anything else, her brother ended the call.

    Keith had encountered an emergency. Fearing his sister would find out, he quickly ended the call.

    Someone had attempted to assassinate him.

    Shots were fired at his car.

    Luckily, his car was bulletproof, preventing the silent killers from taking him out.

    "Drive faster."

    Keith ordered his driver in a cold voice.

    As the car sped up, the assassin couldn''t aim at the tires, allowing Keith to escape danger.

    Despite being apanied by several loyal bodyguards and convoy cars, Keith had no intention of

    stopping to fight the assassins.

    Seeing their target''s car speeding away, the assassins revved their engines to keep up.

    Suddenly, arge cargo truck appeared around the bend. The driver swerved just in time to avoid a

    head-on collision.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    The truck driver was startled but managed to stop.

    And then!

    The truck had hit someone.

    Or rather, someone had run into the truck.

    The truck driver was bbergasted. Several people and motorcycles littered the ground. The

    motorcycles were in pieces, parts strewn all over the ce. The people on the ground were

    motionless, presumably severely injured.

    Keith and his bodyguards were unaware of the fate that had befallen their pursuers. It wasn''t until

    they saw the news the next day that they learned of the assassins'' grim fate.

    The survivors were under police surveince due to the illegal possession of firearms. Even if they

    survived, they would face the full force of thew once they recovered.

    Ba was the first one up. As per her routine, she went to unlock the doors. As she opened the

    garden gate, she noticed Owen crouched in a corner. She was startled, dropping the lock and key

    on her foot.

    "Ouch."

    Ba instinctively cried out in pain.

    Owen quickly stood up, bent down to pick up the lock and key, and greeted Ba with a forced

    smile, "Good morning, ma''am."

    Ba thought to herself: her morning was anything but good.

    Early in the morning, she was just opening the gate when she was hit by the lock on her foot.

    Their garden gate lock was quiterge, and it hurt when it fell on her foot.

    "Mr. Martinez, why are you crouching here?"

    Ba snapped, "Couldn''t you have given me a heads-up? You scared me half to death, I thought

    you were a hobo."

    Owen nervously replied, "Ma''am, I thought it was still early, didn¡¯t want to disturb you folks. So, I just

    hung around here with the n to ring the doorbell once the sun came up."

    He had indeed spent the whole night outside the Yates'' family mansion.

    Of course, he didn''t literally squat there the whole night. He had slept half of it in his car, and only

    sat by the doorstep as dawn broke.

    Little did he anticipate that he was going to startle his future mother-inw.

    After pursing her lips, Ba asked him, ¡°Why are you here this early?¡±

    ¡°I was waiting to give Cecilia a lift to work.¡±

    "Cecilia can walk, she doesn''t need you to drive her to work."

    Owen gave an awkward smile, "Well, the sun rises quite fast these days, by the time Cecilia has to

    go to work, it already feels hot. It''d be morefortable if I drove her, my car has air conditioning."

    Ba huffed, "She was getting to work just fine before you came along. Is the sun going to turn her

    ck?"

    His mother-inw hurdle was indeed a tough one to cross.

    He guessed Hudson must have told everyone about the things Olina did.

    That''s probably why his mother-inw was giving him the cold shoulder.

 Chapter 379

    Chapter 379

    "Get out of here, Owen; Cecilia doesn''t need you to walk her home."

    With that, Ba turned on her heel, stepped briskly away, and firmly locked the garden gate.

    Owen had nned to follow them shamelessly, but the lock on the gate made it impossible, even for

    someone with his thick skin. He could only watch helplessly as his mother-inw retreated into the

    house.

    Owen had been squatting at her front gate all morning, and Cecilia had been blissfully unaware.

    She had slept in, a luxury afforded by the fact that the store didn''t open until nine.

    She took her time washing and dressing before she sauntered downstairs for breakfast.

    After greeting her family members one by one, Cecilia sat next to her older brother, Hudson.

    Today''s breakfast was simple: a bowl of soup and pastas for each family member.

    "Mom, no toast today?" Cecilia asked casually as she picked up her spoon, ready to tuck into her

    bowl of soup.

    "I just didn''t feel like making it," Ba replied curtly.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Cecilia turned to her father. "Dad, who upset Mom this early in the morning?"

    Her father, Kevin, offered his wife a piece of the sunny-side-up egg from his bowl and said without

    looking at Cecilia, "Don''t look at me. I''m too old to get on your mother''s wrong side."

    In their youth, the couple had been hot-tempered and prone to arguments. But now, with age, they

    had mellowed, and their rtionship had be more peaceful.

    "Brother, it must be you."

    Cecilia nudged Hudson.

    Hudson nced at her and said, "Actually, it''s the guy squatting outside our gate who scared Mom.

    She was so upset that she didn''t feel like making a proper breakfast and just made us these bowls

    of soup and pastas."

    Ba shot Hudson a re, and he quickly backtracked. "Mom, your pastas are the best.."

    Ba huffed and let it go. Hudson breathed a sigh of relief. He didn''t cook, and he knew better than

    toin about his mother''s cooking.

    "Is Owen still out there?" Cecilia asked, her tone betraying her annoyance.

    Seeing her family members remain silent, Cecilia picked up her bowl and walked out. "I''m not going

    to starve just because of him."

    The Yates family watched her, bemused. This girl, who loved food more than anything else, might

    not be such a bad catch after all.

    Soon, Owen saw Cecilia.

    Instead of letting him in, however, she stood on the other side of the gate, eating her pastas and

    asking, "What are you doing squatting out here? Did you scare my mom because you drank too

    muchst night?"

    ¡°Cecilia, can you open the door and let me in?¡±

    He could see her through the tted gate. She was close, yet she seemed so far away. Owen didn''t

    like this feeling.

    "I don''t have the key." Cecilia replied, taking a bite of her egg. "Even if I did, I wouldn''t dare let you

    in with my parents home."

    "Cecilia, I talked to my momst night. She was wrong, but she doesn''t have the final say in who I

    marry."

    Cecilia continued to eat her pastas.

    "Cecilia, let me in to apologize to Hudson."

    Owen just stared at her, at a loss for words. She was so engrossed in her food that she was

    ignoring him. And she had no qualms about eating in front of him.

    He was suddenly very hungry. He hadn''t eaten breakfast yet, and he had asked his bodyguards to

    bring him food and flowers. But they hadn''t arrived yet.

    "Have you eaten yet?" Cecilia asked, finally noticing him staring at her.

    Owen was taken aback. "You''re asking me now? I''m starving. Can you open the door and let me in?

    I want some pastas too."

    "Let me finish eating first."

    "Why?"

    "If I let you in and my mom gets angry and starts swinging her broom, at least I can make a quick

    getaway. If I haven''t eaten, and my mom kicks me out, I''ll have to find breakfast somewhere else.

    But she won''t kick you out. As long as you sit at the table, she''ll serve you food."

    Owen watched her, speechless. But deep in his eyes, there was an undeniable fondness for her.

    True to her word, once Cecilia finished eating, she reached into her pocket and produced a key.

    She unlocked the gate and let Owen in.

    Just as he was about toment on her earlier im of not having a key, the Martinez family''s

    bodyguards arrived. They handed Owen the flowers and three insted boxes of food, which he

    gratefully took before following Cecilia into the house.

    Upon entering, he found himself alone. He assumed Cecilia had gone into the kitchen.

    "Good morning, everyone," Owen greeted the Yates family.

    As Owen walked in, the family didn''t seem surprised.

    Hudson looked Owen up and down and said dismissively, "Nothing new, huh?"

    Owen had to agree. He didn''t have any new tricks up his sleeve.

    After a moment''s silence, he ced the three boxes of food on the table and said, "I brought

    breakfast for everyone. Please, have some."

    Ba stood up and attempted to return the food to Owen. "Mr. Martinez, we''ve already eaten.

    Please take your food back."

    Kevin chimed in timidly, "Actually, I think I could eat a bit more."

    His wife shot him a warning nce, and Kevin immediately fell silent.

    Owen quickly said, "These are gifts for everyone. It wouldn''t be right for me to take them back.

    Please, try some." He hoped that his offerings would smooth over the tensions fromst night.

    He slid the money beside Devon, ensuring that Hudson wouldn''t dare to take it away.

    Then, he opened a thermos,ying out the scrumptious breakfast items one by one on the table.

    Cecilia, having finished washing the dishes, emerged from the kitchen. Seeing Owen trying to

    charm the family, she hesitated before deciding to metaphorically "slip on a banana peel" and make

    a swift exit.

    "Mom, I''m off to work," she said, hastily making her way to the door.

    "Cecilia," Owen quickly picked up the money and caught up with her, pushing the cash into her

    arms with a smile beaming like the summer sun, "This ''bouquet'' is for you. May your days be as

    beautiful as this ''bouquet'', filled with smiles and happiness."

    If every day brought several ''bouquets'' like these, anyone would be all smiles.

    That was Hudson''s inwardly grumbled thought.

 Chapter 380

    Chapter 380

    Cecilia looked at her family, all eyes on her.

    Then, she nced at Owen, his smile so dazzling that she couldn''t bear to refuse him.

    After a moment of thought, she said, "Actually, I already have the two types of flowers I like the

    most. You don''t need to send me any more."

    "Which two types of flowers do you love the most?" Owen hurriedly asked.

    Knowing the enemy was key to victory, and the same rule applied when wooing a woman. By

    knowing what she loved, he could quickly win her heart.

    Knowing her favorite flowers, he promised to send them to her every day.

    Cecilia cheekily picked up his stack of cash and said, "Guess for yourself. If you can guess

    correctly, then we might have some sort of psychic connection. If not, then forget it."

    Then, she loudly eximed, "Although the cash flowers look nice, please stop buying these useless

    things. I need to go now."

    Owen was puzzled. He was using real money, so why did it suddenly turn into useless things?

    After a moment of confusion, he quickly figured it out.

    The sentence Cecilia said aloud was for her family to hear, so they wouldn''t think that she was won

    over by his money.

    Hudson, hearing his sister''s promation, choked back a response. He wanted to say that the cash

    flowers Owen gave were all real. He had even disassembled a bouquetst night and counted quite

    a sum of money.

    However, he ultimately chose not to expose his sister''s lie.

    The three elders of the Yates family looked at each other, and finally, Devon spoke.

    "Owen,e here."

    Owen quickly returned and stood by Devon''s side, bending slightly, "Grandpa, what''s up?"

    "I''m Mr. Yates, please use my surname before calling me grandpa."

    "Alright."

    Owen agreed readily, but deep down, he knew he wouldn''t change.

    After his visit with his grandfather, Owen realized that the Yates family were all tough on the outside

    but soft on the inside. Although they didn''t yet approve of Cecilia being with him, they respected

    Cecilia''s choices.

    Divorce was something Cecilia wanted to do, but it was her mother-inw who used the identity of

    an elder to force him to fulfill Cecilia''s wish for a divorce.

    "In the future, don''t send Cecilia such shy bouquets. They''re too eye-catching."

    Owen was silent. This kind of money bouquet wouldn''t wilt, after all.

    Looking at Lucinda''s garden full of flowers posted on Facebook, Owen felt that his roses, no matter

    howrge a bouquet, were no match for Stefan''s. Stefan''s were potted nts that bloomed year

    after year. Every time they bloomed, Lucinda would remember Stefan''s romance and deep

    affection.

    He couldn''t deny that when it came to romance, Stefan thought much further than he did.

    Should he also follow Stefan''s example and send Cecilia a garden full of flowers?

    Well, if imitation could make Cecilia happy and show the Yates family his deep affection for her,

    then it was fine.

    Stefan made a show of his affection for others to see, so why couldn''t he learn from him?

    "You haven''t eaten yet, have you? Sit down and have breakfast with us. Let''s have a couple of

    drinks. It''s been a while since I''ve had someone to drink with."

    Devon said as he looked at his grandson. Hudson quickly got up to get the wine and sses.

    Owen had a bodyguard and a driver, so even if he drank, it wouldn''t affect him.

    But he wanted to catch up with Cecilia.

    Unfortunately, it was Devon who asked him to stay for breakfast and have a few drinks. If he

    refused, who knew what would greet him the next time he came? A pair of vicious dogs?

    After much thought, Owen decided to stay and have a few drinks with Devon.

    If he could keep the old man happy, it would definitely help his cause.

    Devon was particrly fond of his granddaughter, after all.

    Cecilia returned to her shop, opened the door, and quickly disassembled the cash bouquet before

    any customers arrived. It was too conspicuous.

    She stuffed the disassembled cash into her wallet and then started to clean up the shop.

    Soon, her assistant and Basil arrived. Basil didn''t help with the cleaning. As soon as he arrived, he

    washed his hands and started preparing his pastries.

    Customers began to trickle in. They were all high-ranking white-cor workers who workedte into

    the night. Their only way to wake up in the morning was to have a cup of coffee.

    After a group of customers left, Avery came in with the second group.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    He was the same as before, holding arge bouquet of roses.

    "Mr. Cooper is here again."

    Her assistant reminded Cecilia in the cash register, "Let me note the time, Mr. Martinez will probably

    appear within a few minutes."

    "Go about your business."

    Teased by her assistant, Cecilia yfully scolded her. Her assistant giggled and walked away.

    Even Cecilia herself nced outside, wondering when Owen would appear.

    Every time Avery came, Owen would surely arrive within a few minutes.

    "Cecilia."

    Avery, holding the flowers, walked over and handed the bouquet to Cecilia, smiling, "These flowers

    are for you."

    Cecilia was sitting down, looking up at Avery.

    When Avery handed her the flowers, he was smiling, but his gaze wasn''t as passionate or fiery as

    Owen''s.

    Avery''s smile was normal, devoid of any trace of love.

    "Avery."

    Since they were familiar, Cecilia called him by his first name, "Why do you want to give me

    flowers?"

    Lucinda had told her that Avery and Owen always seemed to appear one after the other. It''s too

    coincidental and she suspected that someone was arranging it behind the scenes.

    Cecilia didn''t think it was possible. Who would arrange such a thing?

    But looking at Avery''s calm gaze, there was clearly no hint of love.

    Was he sending her flowers because someone told him to?

    Avery''s smile stiffened for a moment, but he quickly recovered,ughing, "Because I like you,

    Cecilia. I really like you and I want topete fairly with Mr. Martinez. Can you give me that

    chance?"

    As he tried hard to be Mr. Martinez''s love rival, Cedric received help from a person, and his

    business was improving.

    Avery thus became even moremitted to being Mr. Martinez''s love rival.

    After all, with an employer backing him, even if Mr. Martinez was gnashing his teeth in hatred, he

    couldn''t do anything to him.

    Mr. Martinez still hadn¡¯t managed to get his hands on all of his paperwork.

    His boss was a big shotpared to Mr. Martinez.

    "You enjoy our conversations, but you don''t have romantic feelings for me. Why are you doing this?"

    Cecilia stood up and moved closer, whispering to Avery, "Did someone put you up to this? Are they

    pushing you to pursue me?"

    "Cecilia, I''m being honest here, I really like you, I genuinely want to woo you."

    Avery, of course, denied it vehemently.

    Cecilia watched him for a moment, about tough, when suddenly a furious shout echoed, "Cecilia!

    What on earth are you doing?"

    The voice didn''t belong to Owen.

    Because it was a woman''s voice.

    Cecilia recognized it, turning to face the woman who had pushed open the door. To her surprise, it

    was Olina, her former mother-inw.

    Having met a few times, heard her speak a few times, her voice was no stranger to Cecilia.

    Olina, seeing Cecilia and Avery so close together, was instantly inmed, perceiving Cecilia as a

    weed growing in her son''s garden.

 Chapter 381

    Chapter 381

    Everyone in the room was startled by Olina''s loud entrance. Instinctively, they watched her stride in,

    marching up to the counter and pushing Avery aside.

    Avery stood there, bouquet in hand, dumbfounded and unsure of what was happening.

    "Cecilia, how dare you cozy up to another man!"

    Olina used, pointing at Cecilia, "Have you forgotten your ce?"

    "Mrs. Martinez, I''ve already divorced your son," Cecilia replied calmly.

    Olina''s tirade came to an abrupt halt.

    Yes, Owen had indeed divorced Cecilia.

    She hade here today to tell Cecilia to keep her distance from Owen, not to catch her in an

    affair.

    But it irked Olina to see Cecilia already having a suitor, a man who was just as attractive as Owen,

    right after the divorce.

    She suspected Cecilia had been unfaithful during their marriage.

    No wonder Owen wanted a divorce.

    Olina conveniently ignored the fact that her son was currently clinging to Cecilia like a piece of

    chewing gum.

    Seeing that Olina had run out of words, Cecilia stepped out from behind the counter and said, "Mrs.

    Martinez, pleasee with me."

    Despite her silence, Olina followed Cecilia.

    Cecilia led her to a table in the corner and called a waitress over. She ordered a cup of coffee and a

    few pastries for Mrs. Martinez, and another coffee for herself.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Once seated, Cecilia casually asked Olina, "What brings you here, Mrs. Martinez?"

    Olina nced at Avery, who was still standing at the counter, holding the bouquet and looking rather

    lost.

    Focusing back on Cecilia, Olina''s tone was far from pleasant, "You found a new man just days after

    divorcing Owen. Were you cheating during the marriage? No wonder Owen wanted to divorce you.

    Good riddance. You''re not good enough for my son. My son is exceptional. Only a socialite is a

    match for him, not someone like you, Cecilia."

    Cecilia merely smiled, "Mrs. Martinez, you should be saying these things to your son. After all, he''s

    the one who''s clinging to me like a piece of gum. You should tell him that Cecilia isn''t good enough

    for him, that he should stay away from Cecilia!"

    Olina was speechless.

    She had tried telling her son, but he had refused to listen, even getting angry with her.

    "As for infidelity, your son was the first to cheat. After we got our marriage license, he openly took

    Ruby out."

    After a while, Olina asked directly, "Cecilia, name your price. I''ll give you anything, as long as you

    promise to leave Pinehurst and never see Owen again."

    Ceciliaughed, "Why are you offering now? Owen isn''t my husband anymore. Even if I wanted to

    get money from him, I couldn''t."

    Olina was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

    "Last time, Ms. Scott came to make an offer. I didn''t ask for too much, so I said 500, 000 and she

    agreed. But the deal fell through, and I had to return the money."

    Such a pity!

    Olina''s face darkened, "You just asked for 500, 000? He''s a man worth over 100 million."

    "How much can you offer, Mrs. Martinez?"

    "I''ll give you 1 million if you leave Pinehurst immediately and nevere back. Once you''re gone,

    Owen will forget you and start over. His wife can''t be a penniless nobody like you."

    With that, Olina extravagantly took out arge check and pped it down in front of Cecilia.

    Cecilia picked up the check and asked, "Can this be cashed?"

    "Of course."

    "Oh, 1 million just looks like a piece of paper."

    Olina''s face hardened.

    Cecilia took out her phone and snapped a picture of the check, uttering, "This is the second time

    I''ve been given money because of Owen. Each time the price goes up. If I hold onto him for a few

    more years, will the price go higher? Now it''s 1 million, but in a few years, it could be worth 10

    billion."

    She pushed the check back towards Olina, "Mrs. Martinez, as appealing as your offer is, I''m not

    someone greedy. I wouldn''t leave my hometown for just 1 million. Besides, I have no connections

    with Owen anymore. If I ept this money, I''d feel guilty."

    "Do you think it isn¡¯t enough? I tell you, even if you keep him for ten or eight years, the price will be

    the same."

    Ceciliaughed, "Do you really think your son is like fine wine, getting better with age? Your son will

    only get older. As an old man, his value will decrease, not increase. Besides, if you want to keep us

    apart, you should talk to your son. Remember, right now it''s your son who is shamelessly pursuing

    me, not me clinging to him. As long as you can stop your son from pursuing me, you won''t have to

    spend a dime to keep us apart. You canfortably choose a socialite to be his wife. I, a poor girl

    with no power or money, don''t want to reach for the stars. I should be thanking you, Mrs. Martinez,

    for helping me escape from your son''s clutches."

    Olina, "I tried, but Owen won''t listen to me. He was raised by his grandparents, so we''re not as

    close. He doesn''t listen to me."

    "You''reing to me because you can''t get through to him? How is that fair? The problem isn''t with

    me. What good will it do toe to me? Even if you gave me all your wealth and asked me to

    leave, it wouldn''t solve the problem. Given your son''s stubborn personality, he might stay single for

    my sake. Then I''d really be profiting, gaining all your wealth for nothing."

    Olina moved her mouth to say something, but found there were no words.

    The problem reallyy with her son.

    "Just don''t ept Owen''s advances. If hees to find you, you should..."

    "Could you send me two pit bulls, Mrs. Martinez?"

    Olina blinked in confusion, "What do you want with two pit bulls?"

    "To keep them, of course. Next time your sones sniffing around, I''ll let the pit bulls loose on

    him. A few rounds of that, and I''ll wager he''ll think twice before stepping foot near me again."

    Olina frowned, "Pit bulls can be vicious. If they end up hurting my son, what then?"

    "Well, what''s your suggestion? Your son has power and influence, I can''t just hide away from him."

    "Or perhaps, you could arrange a blind date for him, and let the woman charm him off his feet

    completely. If he''s forced to take responsibility, he won''t have time to pester me anymore."

    If Owen were present, listening to Cecilia proposing such a scheme to his mother, he''d be fuming.

    With a sagging expression, Olina retorted, "I''ve told you, Owen doesn''t listen to me. If I arrange a

    date for him, he won''t attend. If he were so easily wooed, I wouldn''t need to involve you at all."

    Cecilia raised her hands in surrender, indicating there was nothing more she could do.

 Chapter 382

    Chapter 382

    "Cecilia, why don''t you consider dating? If you get a new boyfriend, Owen will finally give up."

    Cecilia sipped her coffee, "Why should I sacrifice myself for Owen?"

    "Aren''t you trying to reject Owen? This way he''ll definitely move on."

    "I didn''t exactly reject Owen. I''m simply testing the waters. If it doesn''t feel right, I''m not going to

    dive in."

    Olina immediately uttered, "It''s not right. You two definitely aren''t good to each other."

    Cecilia stayed silent, sipping her coffee.

    She nced at the silent man who had just walked in and was heading directly towards them.

    Olina was unaware that her son had entered, still in the middle of her long-winded speech,ying

    out all the reasons why Cecilia and her son were not a good match for each other.

    "Mom!"

    Owen called out coldly.

    Was getting a wife really this hard?

    With Avery as his love rival, his mother holding him back, and the Yates family''s disapproval, Owen

    was truly experiencing the extreme difficulty in chasing someone he loved.

    It was so hard!

    Olina flinched at Owen''s call, hastily turning her attention to her son. Seeing his grim face, Olina felt

    a sudden pang of unease and stuttered, "Owen, what are you doing here?"

    "Mom, I told you. What happens between Cecilia and me is none of your business."

    Owen noticed a check on the table and picked it up.

    Olina was toote to stop him.

    After seeing the amount, Owen''s face turned even darker. However, he was ring at Cecilia,

    gritting his teeth, "Are you trying to make a deal again?"

    "I can''t make any deal rted to you since we don¡¯t have connections. I can only watch as millions

    slip through my fingers. It''s heartbreaking!"

    Cecilia even made a pained expression as if she had just cut off a piece of her own flesh.

    Owen was so mad he wanted to make her be his woman right then and there, so she could

    never escape him.

    Sadly, he didn''t have the guts to force her.

    And he didn''t want to.

    They had agreed on consensual love.

    He had to keep his word and not let a moment of anger ruin their first intimate moment.

    Owen tore the check in front of them.

    Cecilia felt pity for 1 million had gone just like that.

    Olina realized her son got angry. She felt guilty. She wanted to run, but could she?

    She secretly texted her husband, asking him to call her so she could make an excuse and get out of

    there.

    Failed again this time.

    Every time she came for Cecilia, she either embarrassed herself or got caught red-handed by her

    son.

    She was ipatible with Cecilia. If Cecilia became her daughter-inw, she would surely bring

    bad luck to her!

    "Mom, if you dare to use money to make Cecilia leave me again, I''ll be a monk!"

    "Owen, are you trying to kill me with worry?"

    Her phone rang.

    Olina answered her husband''s call in front of her son. After less than two minutes, she said, "Got it,

    I''lle back soon."

    After hanging up, she grabbed her purse and told her son and Cecilia, "I have something urgent to

    attend to. Owen, I don''t want Cecilia to be my daughter-inw. That won''t change."

    Then, she didn''t dare to look at her son''s angry face, and hurriedly left.

    Cecilia watched as her future mother-inw fled. She remained calm, finished her coffee, and even

    invited Owen to sit down, "Your mom didn''t get to eat any of the pastries. Do you want to help her

    finish them?"

    "Cecilia!"

    Owen called out in a low voice, "Can you stop trying to do this like today!"

    He had merely had a few drinks with Devon, and she had almost struck a deal again.

    "I''ve told you. You''re not my man now, so I can''t do that. It''s your mom who wants me to leave you

    for money. But I declined. The problem is on you, and if I take the money and leave, your mom''s

    wish will not be fulfilled. I''d get millions for doing nothing, and it would weigh on my conscience."

    Owen grumbled, "Do you even have a conscience? It''s probably been long gone, and you''re still

    talking about feeling guilty."

    He didn''t believe for a second that Cecilia would feel guilty.

    Cecilia chuckled, "I should''ve taken your mom''s money. After all, you said I don¡¯t have any

    conscience. If anyone offers me money to leave Pinehurst in the future, I''ll take it. Oh, I missed the

    chance to be a millionaire, how heartbreaking."

    She dramatically thumped her chest, which only made Owen''s face darker.

    "Cecilia."

    Avery chose this moment to approach.

    He really was brave.

    But he had no choice.

    His employer said he was doing great and encouraged him to keep going.

    Seeing Avery approach with a bouquet of flowers, Owen''s face turned even darker. He red at

    Avery and asked coldly, "What are you doing here, Mr. Cooper?"

    What was this guy''s deal?

    Owen had asked Walter to investigate Avery. Apart from finding out that Avery was a male model,

    he knew nothing else.

    This irritated Owen greatly. He was constantly worried that Avery would steal Cecilia away.

    Avery didn''t look at Owen. Otherwise, he would''ve been so scared his legs would give out.

    He focused on Cecilia, trying to make his gaze as affectionate as possible. To Owen, it looked like

    his love rival was presenting flowers to Cecilia with a lovesick expression.

    The jealousy was unbearable.

    Before Cecilia could even ept the flowers, Owen violently snatched the bouquet from Avery,

    threw it on the ground, and stomped on it repeatedly.

    Avery and Cecilia watched as Owen trampled the bouquet into a mess.

    After destroying the bouquet, Owen pulled Cecilia over, wrapped his arm around her waist, and told

    Avery authoritatively, "Mr. Cooper, Cecilia is mine! Scram, as far as you can!"

    Avery wanted to scram but he couldn''t.

    He subtly pinched his thigh. The pain reminded him to stand up to Owen.

    After all, his employer had assured him that he had nothing to fear from Owen.

    So, Avery straightened his back, determination on his handsome face, and said assertively, "Mr.

    Martinez, Cecilia is currently single. She is no longer your wife in name and hasn''t epted your

    pursuit to be your girlfriend. Since she''s still single, anyone has the right to pursue her. Who do you

    think you are, Mr. Martinez? You tell me to scram and I just listen to you? Why should I?"

    Owen stared icily at Avery, his voice equally frosty, "Mr. cooper, you want to start a fight with me?"

    Fight?

    Avery blinked, taken aback. Were they about to get physical?

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    He didn''t know the first thing about throwing punches.

    "Owen Martinez."

    Cecilia stepped in to defuse the situation. She gave Owen a sharp pinch at his waist, causing him to

    wince and loosen his grip, allowing her to escape from his hold.

    "Owen Martinez. Avery is right, there''s nothing between us. I''m single. I don''t have a boyfriend.

    Anyone who likes me is free to pursue me."

    "You call him what? Avery!"

    Owen''s jealous expression deepened.

 Chapter 383

    Chapter 383

    Cecilia would call him, either Mr. Malicious or Shameless Owen. At her politest, she''d refer to him

    as Mr. Martinez or she''d use his full name, but she never just called him by his first name.

    Yet, she would call that guy by his first name!

    Was she falling for Avery? Was she even willing to join forces with her own mother to force him into

    agreeing to a divorce?

    Once single, she could be with Avery.

    Once a person''s mind started to wander, they could read too much into anything. They could see

    signs in the most mundane happenings.

    He was the one who fell in love first.

    The first one to fall in love already lost the game.

    While he was courting Cecilia, she never avoided him. She gave him the opportunity to pursue her.

    But Cecilia hadn''t epted his advances yet, nor had she agreed to be his girlfriend or to marry

    him.

    So, Owen''s heart was always in a state of unease.

    Seeing his expression change, Cecilia blinked, saying, "His name is Avery. What else should I call

    him?"

    With a darkened face, Owen growled, "You could call him Mr. Cooper, or even Buffalo, but you

    cannot call him Avery!"

    "Mr. Martinez, my name isn¡¯t Buffalo!"

    Avery didn''t understand why Owen would give him a nickname like "Buffalo".

    "I''ll call him whatever I want. It''s none of your business. Avery, pay no mind to him."

    Cecilia was toozy to deal with him, and quickly grabbed Avery''s hand to leave.

    She was calling Avery by his first name, and Owen was already feeling jealous. Yet, she was taking

    Avery away right in front of him.

    Owen felt even more jealous, wishing he could chop off Avery''s hand.

    He was thinking it and was acting on it. He quickly stepped forward, forcefully separated Cecilia''s

    hand away from Avery''s, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her away.

    Cecilia didn''t want to go with him.

    "If you don''t want to affect the business in your cafe, you''lle with me."

    With that one statement, Cecilia gave up on resisting, obediently following him outside to see what

    tricks he had up his sleeve.

    Once they were outside the ce, Cecilia immediately shook off his hand.

    "Owen Martinez, have you had enough?"

    "Call me Owen! You can call Avery by his first name. Why can''t you call me by mine?"

    "His name is easier to say; your name sounds, um, unpleasant."

    Owen''s face darkened.

    He grabbed her hand again, lifted it, lowered his head, and randomly started kissing it.

    Cecilia was stunned and instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but he held onto it tightly,

    determined to cover her hand with kisses before saying, "You are not allowed to have physical

    contact with Avery!"

    "Mr. Martinez, have you not figured out the situation yet? I have no connections with you. You have

    no right to demand anything from me."

    Snapping her hand away from him once again, Cecilia was bing annoyed. She said, "You''ve

    seen it. Your mother doesn''t like me, and she''s willing to pay me to leave. She''d prefer Ruby as her

    daughter-inw. They both deal with me in the same way."

    Both of them like to use money to get rid of her.

    "Maybe, we''re really not good for each other."

    When Cecilia said this, her expression was slightly gloomy, but it was only for a moment. If one

    weren''t looking closely, they wouldn''t have noticed her mood change.

    A rtionship faced with opposition from both families was truly difficult to maintain, and many

    people couldn¡¯t make it to the end.

    Cecilia believed that she and Owen were equals, but in other people''s eyes, they were not a good

    match. That was a hard fact.

    "How do you know we''re not good for each other if you don''t try? Cecilia, give me some time, I''ll

    convince my mom. In our family, it''s just my mother who doesn''t ept you. Everyone else likes

    you, especially my grandfather."

    Owen held onto Cecilia''s shoulders, looking at her seriously, "Don''t say we''re not good for each

    other anymore, okay? I was just being jealous today, seeing you so close with Avery made me

    incredibly jealous. Didn''t you see it?"

    "Cecilia, because I care about you, I''m jealous, I truly love you! I''m courting you with the intention of

    marriage, and I''m willing to devote my affection to you for the rest of my life."

    Realizing that quite a few people were watching, Cecilia removed his hands, and said lightly, "You

    should go back to work, and I have to go back too. We can talk about thister."

    With that, she turned around and went into the cafe.

    Owen stood at the entrance for a moment before following her in.

    He didn''t bother Cecilia again, giving her some time to calm down. He came in to forcibly take Avery

    out. He couldn''t let Avery get the upper hand while he wasn''t there.

    After driving Avery away, Owen finally left, surrounded by his bodyguards.

    But he didn''t go back to thepany. He went to Ascend Global instead.

    The twopanies were arch-enemies, constantly battling each other in the business world.

    Stefan never set foot in the Ike group, and Owen rarely ventured into Ascend Global.

    So when he showed up at Ascend Global, asking to see Stefan, everyone was curious about Mr.

    Martinez''s intentions.

    Stefan was discussing some business with Edgar when he heard that Owen had arrived and

    insisted on seeing him.

    Stefan said to Edgar, "Edgar, do you want to bet?"

    Edgar asked cautiously, "Bet on what?"

    Had the boss already nned on winning back the wages he''d just paid them?

    "Owen''s here. Why do you think he''s here? Business or personal? I bet he''s here for personal

    reasons. He definitely needs something."

    "Boss, you''re too smart. If you say so, it must be true. I think I¡¯ll pass. I''m not lucky when ites to

    gambling. I always lose. I just got paid yesterday. Please show mercy, boss, let me enjoy this

    moment of having money around."

    Stefanughed wryly, "Have I ever fleeced you?"

    "We once made a bet, right after payday. I lost and my hard-earned dors ended up back in your

    pocket."

    Stefan pondered for a moment, then said, "Did we? I don''t recall."

    Feeling speechless, Edgar then asked, "So are you going to meet Owen?"

    "Of course, I wouldn''t miss it for the world. I''ll make time even if I''m swamped. It''s not everyday I

    see him make a fool of himself."

    "Mr. Martinez should be honored!"

    Edgar stood up, "I should head back to work."

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "Hold on."

    Stefan stopped Edgar and pulled out a pile of invitations from his drawer. He split them into two,

    handing one stack to Edgar, and said, "Take these and bring Ms. Howard along. You might score

    some freebies."

    "I can afford to buy my own. I don''t need to take any advantage."

    Stefanughed, "Well then, why don''t you buy some for Ms. Howard?"

 Chapter 384

    Chapter 384

    "Why should I give it to her? She and I have no connections."

    Stefan chuckled, "She did you a favor, and a little token of appreciation wouldn''t hurt. These items

    aren''t cheap, you know. After they hit the market, their price skyrockets. I get these invitations

    because they''re aimed at my wife. I''ll keep half for her."

    These were gifts from jewelers and fashion brands.

    They invited him to bring Lucinda to choose, whatever jewelry or clothing she fancied, and it would

    be gifted to her for free. They were essentially using Lucinda''s status for advertisement.

    In the past, whenever thesepaniesunched new products, they would send them to the

    Ascend Estate for thedies in the Anderson family to use.

    Since Stefan had announced his marriage, they continued to send new products to the Ascend

    Estate, and also sent invitations to Stefan. They hadn''t figured out Lucinda''s tastes yet, hence the

    idea of letting her choose on the spot.

    Stefan was a doting husband. If he showed up with his wife, it would certainly draw a crowd. They

    could please Mrs. Coleman and use Mr. Coleman''s status for publicity. It was a win-win, who

    wouldn''t want that?

    Edgar thought for a moment before epting the invitations.

    He did owe Ms. Howard a favor.

    All because he had to help his boss with some business and ended up indebting himself to her.

    That girl was so clingy!

    Just as Edgar left, Owen knocked and entered.

    Seeing him, Stefan said, "I thought you''d kick down my office door and strut in arrogantly."

    "I''m a man of manners, you know."

    Owen walked over, pulling out a chair and sat down across from Stefan.

    "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

    Stefan stood up and poured two sses of water, "It¡¯s indeed a miracle for you to be here."

    "Stefan, when did you learn to be so sarcastic?"

    Owen took one of the ss and sipped, "Why two sses of water?"

    "Consider it an honor."

    Owen¡¯s corner of his mouth twitched. He was here to ask for advice, not to pick a fight. He had to

    endure it.

    Back in his seat, Stefan appraised Owen, "You''re still angry, aren''t you? Someone really pissed off

    you."

    Despite being ridiculed by his rival, Owen finished both sses of water before looking at Stefan

    who was smirking across the table. Howe Stefan, who received the same education and was in

    a simr position in the family, was more sessful and fortunate?

    It was truly unfair!

    "Stefan, I heard your wife is a novelist."

    "Why? Want to support her? Take out your phone. I''ll teach you how to download an app, link it to

    your WhatsApp, top up your ount, and then tip my wife for her articles."

    The joke about Hayes who made a mistake when trying to tip her wasn''t forgotten.

    Lucinda still didn''t know about it.

    She was always busy updating and uploading her work, with no time to checkments or other

    data.

    She was unaware, and neither Stefan nor Hayes was going to tell her.

    Owen fell silent before speaking, "You''re always trying to make money off me. I don¡¯t have time to

    read novels. I can''t even concentrate on them. We''re past that age. I thought since your wife is a

    novelist and bestie with Cecilia, she must know how to win her over."

    "Can you share some tips?"

    Stefan knew Owen was here because of Cecilia.

    Owen was a sentimental man.

    He used to be in love with Ruby. For her, he often had Stefan¡¯s movements tracked and his path

    blocked. He would argue with him for Ruby¡¯s sake.

    Now, for Cecilia, he was lowering his head and asking him favors again.

    Stefan didn''t agree nor refuse outright. He simply drummed his fingers on the desk, staring at

    Owen.

    "Why are you staring at me like that? If someone saw us, they''d think you''re in love with me."

    Stefan stopped drumming his fingers, "You knew stories about me and Lucy, yet you''re here asking

    for advice. Wrong ce, don''t you think? If I had any good advice, I would have used it on Liam."

    "Liam and Tiffany grew up together. It was only natural for them to be together. They didn''t need

    your advice. I and Cecilia do."

    "The problem between you and Cecilia isn''t about you two; it''s about your families, the external

    reasons. If you want to solve this, you need to prove your sincerity to the Yates family and let them

    believe you mean it and agree you two being together. There''s no other way."

    "Of course, you could try some tricks, like ying the hero and saving her. If the Yates family knew

    you saved Cecilia, especially if you get hurt in the process, their attitude towards you would

    definitely change."

    "Cecilia''smute to work isn''t long, and it''s always crowded. I don''t have a chance to y the

    hero. Besides, she''s good at self-defense. Even if some punks tried to harass her, she''d beat them

    before I could step in."

    He couldn''t possibly stage the whole thing. If Cecilia found out, it would backfire.

    Stefan remained silent as gazing at him.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    That''s a terrible idea!

    "It''s up to you if you want to use it."

    Whether Owen would use Stefan''s idea remained to be seen.

    As days passed by, Owen still didn¡¯t make any move.

    In the blink of an eye, the weekend arrived.

    Early in the morning, the quiet of the Ascend Estate was broken by the arrival of several private jets.

    Theynded directly on the open-air parking lot of the Ascend Estate.

    The Blue family were the only people in the town who used jets as a mode of transportation.

    Emerging from the chopper, besides Keith, was his father, Nathan.

    Now, they made no secret of their visits to Pinehurst.

    Today, the Moore family nned to head home. Janice wanted to join them on their journey back to

    the countryside, to see the ce where Lucinda had grown up.

    Early risers Fiona and Janice were strolling in the courtyard of the main house in the manor when

    they saw the private jetsnding.

    Janice''s face fell at the sight. She turned to Fiona, "Let''s get back inside, sis."

    "That''s Keith, isn''t it?"

    Fiona spotted Keith and said to Janice, "You alwaysment about missing your kids. Now that Lucy

    is with you and Keith is here, why the sudden change of mood? Why do you want to go away?"

    Janice shot a nce at the jets, and then held Fiona''s arm, walking back towards the house

    together with Fiona.

    She uttered, "I miss my son. But I can''t stand to see the man who betrayed me, looking as if he''s

    troubled and still deeply in love with me. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I won''t be able to eat

    for days."

 Chapter 385

    Chapter 385

    Alright, that man did treat Janice unfairly.

    From a woman''s perspective, Fiona naturally sided with Janice.

    It was distressful to see her daughter sandwiched between her parents.

    As soon as Keith got off the ne, he spotted his mother from a distance. He nned to stride over

    to her, but to his surprise, she turned around and walked away with Fiona.

    Didn¡¯t she miss him after so long?

    When he turned to see his father, Keith seemed to understand why his mother had left upon seeing

    their private jet.

    After a moment of silence, Keith waited for his father, not leaving him alone to enter the house.

    The arrival of several private jets caused amotion, waking up many of the people in the house.

    When they heard that Mr. Blue and Mr. Blue Junior had arrived, they quickly came downstairs.

    Stefan and his wife were the quickest to react.

    By the time Janice and Fiona entered the house, the young couple had alreadye down from

    upstairs.

    "Mom, dad and Keith are here."

    Lucinda was still very happy. Her brother was here, and it happened to be the weekend. She could

    invite Darlene out and have her brother apany them. It wouldn''t be an intentional matchmaking

    asion and she believed neither of them would reject it.

    These days, Lucinda and Darlene talked a lot on WhatsApp.

    She even created a small group and added Cecilia and Tiffany to it. The women chatted

    enthusiastically.

    Although Tiffany and Cecilia hadn''t met Darlene in person, they didn''t mind meeting her sometime

    since they got along well on WhatsApp.

    Janice responded with a nd tone.

    "Mom, what''s wrong?"

    Lucinda noticed her mother''s low spirits, hurriedly walked up to her, affectionately linked arms with

    her, and asked with concern.

    "Nothing, Lucy. I¡¯ve got up too early and am feeling sleepy again. I''m going upstairs for a nap. After

    lunch, I''ll go with Fiona and her family to the countryside for a while."

    Lucinda understood and knew that her mother didn''t want to see her father.

    She sympathetically said, "Then go upstairs and have a nap, mom. Are you leaving after lunch?"

    She looked at Fiona and said, "Mom, stay for the weekend. I want to be with you for another two

    days."

    She and her brother had bought a lot of things to bring back for their uncles and aunts.

    Although their parents used to often visit them in the city and asionally stay in their rented

    house, now that she was married and her parents were visiting, she hoped they could stay a few

    more days.

    Fiona thought for a moment and said, "A day or two won''t make much difference. I''ll talk to your

    grandparents and we''ll go back on Monday."

    Lucinda beamed with joy.

    "Lucy, I''m going to take a nap upstairs as well."

    Fiona went upstairs with Janice.

    After watching them go upstairs, the young couple stepped out of the house.

    At the front door, they saw Mr. Blue and his son being greeted by the butler, Nelson.

    "Dad, Keith."

    Lucinda called out to her father and then happily walked up to her brother, gave him a hug, and

    laughed, "I missed you so much. Why did you onlye to see me now?"

    Nathan looked on jealously as his daughter gave his son a hug. He was standing right next to his

    son, yet his daughter didn''t think to give him a hug. It was so unfair!

    The usually aloof Keith was warmed by his sister''s hug, a smile lighting up his face. After slightly

    pushing her away, he affectionately flicked his sister''s cute nose, "You say you miss your brother,

    but you hardly call me. You''re just sweet-talking."

    "I do call."

    "Only once a day."

    Keithined, "We''ve been separated for over twenty years. We should be making ten or eight

    video calls a day to strengthen our sibling bond."

    Stefanughed, "When she''s free, Lucy doesn''t even make one call to me. It''s already great that

    she calls you once a day."

    He was her husband, and he didn''t even get that treatment.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "That''s more like it."

    Seeing the closeness between his children, Nathan couldn''t help but cough a few times to remind

    them that he, their father, was still standing there. Could they not ignore him?

    "Dad, what''s the matter? Is anything wrong with your throat?"

    Keith didn''t say a word.

    When his father coughed, Keith''s smile faded quickly, reced by a cold expression.

    He had never before shared a ne with his father.

    They always travelled separately for safety reasons. They never took the same ne or car.

    Keith knew his father was trying to mend their rtionship.

    After the incident with Madeleine, Keith seemed to understand his father''s actions. As Kent said, his

    father had to make many sacrifices as the head of the family.

    Despite his father''s harsh treatment in the past, never praising him no matter how well he did but

    scolding him harshly when he made a mistake which would make one be suspicious if they

    were blood rted, many people thought he would be abandoned by his father someday. But

    perhaps, this was his father''s way of protecting him.

    Regardless, he was grateful to his father for not spoiling him.

    Thinking this, Keith''s stern expression softened a bit.

    However, he still remained silent.

    "Lucy, don''t you see anyone but your brother? Your dad is standing here, and yet you don''t give any

    hug or talk."

    Who said daughters were the most considerate person towards their fathers?

    Lucinda, "Dad, I''m all grown up. I feel embarrassed to act like a child in front of you."

    She wasn''t used to it either.

    She was, however, used to acting coquettishly in front of Vincent.

    Nathan lightly tapped her forehead, "You''re all grown up but you still act like a child in front of your

    brother?"

    Lucinda yfully stuck out her tongue.

    Her dad was jealous.

    Stefan quickly said, "Dad, let''s go inside first."

    Nathan nced at his son-inw. He really spoiled his daughter, not even allowing them to "scold"

    Lucy.

    The young couple led Mr. Blue and his son into their home.

    Mr. And Mrs. Anderson were seated on the couch.One was engrossed in reading the newspaper

    through his bifocals, while the other was handed a cup of tea by their housemaid.

    Upon seeing Mr. Blue and his son, the elderly couple greeted them.

    "Mr. And Mrs. Anderson," Nathan greeted them respectfully.

    Keith, on the other hand, cheerfully greeted, "Good morning, Mr. And Mrs. Anderson."

    "You came," Mr. Anderson acknowledged cordially.

    Mrs. Anderson, putting down her tea, stood up and pulled Keith closer. Appraising, she smiled and

    said, "You''ve be more mature, moreposed, and even more handsome in such a short

    time, Keith."

    "I¡¯m ttered, Mrs. Anderson. I still have much to learn from Stefan."

    As the young master of the Blue family, Keith was well aware that in terms of capabilities and

    tactics, he still had much to learn from his brother-inw.

 Chapter 386

    Chapter 386

    Nathan chimed in, "Yes, you should learn from Stefan."

    Stefan chuckled, replying, "It would be my honor if I can be of use."

    Nathanplimented him, his praise extending to the elders from the Anderson family, as it was

    they who raised Stefan.

    After a round of mutual ttery, the others descended the stairs, greeting Nathan and his son.

    Hayes was thest to descend.

    Nathan spotted him and asked, "When did you get here?"

    Actually, he already knew Hayes was around.

    "I''ve been here a few days, enjoying the beautiful views and tranquility of Stefan''s home.

    Shamelessly, I''ve decided to take a vacation here."

    "Hayes, feel free to stay as long as you like. You''re always weed."

    Lucinda thought to herself; her cousin was still single. Perhaps she could y matchmaker and find

    him a good girl.

    Sheughed at the thought of her matchmaking dreams.

    "Lucy, where''s your mom?"

    After exchanging pleasantries with everyone, Nathan inquired about his wife.

    Having arrivedte, he hadn''t seen her.

    "She woke up early, took a walk in the garden, and then felt tired. She''s probably taking a nap and

    won''t be up until closer to noon."

    Lucinda knew her mother was avoiding her father. She had no other way to solve it. They were her

    parents. Even though she couldn¡¯t deny that she stood by her mother¡¯s side, she shouldn¡¯t distress

    her father.

    Nathan pursed his lips, guessing his wife knew he was here and was avoiding him.

    Not in a rush to meet his wife, he joined the Anderson family for breakfast.

    After breakfast, he took the meal saved for Janice from the kitchen and personally carried it

    upstairs.

    Lucinda wanted to say something, moving her lips, but she remained silent in the end, watching her

    father head upstairs.

    It was their business, not her ce to intervene.

    On the weekend, Lucinda didn''t work, so Tiffany didn''t have to apply her makeup.

    Tiffany spent her weekends at home, only leaving for close friends.

    At this moment, Lucinda and Tiffany were strolling around the estate, Tiffany having invited Lucinda

    out.

    "Lucy, let''s take a seat in the gazebo."

    "Okay."

    Lucinda nced at Tiffany as they walked, "What did you want to talk about? Now that they''re gone,

    you can tell me."

    Tiffany''s rtionship with Liam had seen little progress, and Lucinda learned of their developments

    through her husband.

    "Well, I secretly bought a pregnancy test stick."

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Lucinda stopped in her tracks, asking excitedly, "Are you pregnant?"

    Counting the days, it wouldn''t be a surprise if Tiffany was pregnant.

    Tiffany didn''t answer immediately. She walked shoulder to shoulder with Lucinda into the octagonal

    gazebo. One side, there were clusters of trees. Even though the searing sun rose high, with those

    trees casting shadows in, the gazebo was an oasis for people to rest.

    The other side were few parterres, nearby overlooking a small pond with lilies and fish, while the

    diagonal opposite faced a great area ofwns, which were surrounded by green belts. These green

    belts had been dexterously trimmed by gardeners into various animal shapes.

    Once inside, Tiffany sat down at the stone table.

    Lucinda followed, pressing her, "Tiffany, tell me, are you pregnant? This family is full of life, but it

    needs a kid to make itplete. If you''re pregnant, the family will be livelier."

    Sheughed, "Tiffany, it would be great if you had twins. Don''t worry about raising them. I can help."

    The youngest member of the family was seventeen, not like a two or three-year-old who would

    cause a boisterousness and add gaiety to the family.

    Tiffany wasn¡¯t as excited as Lucinda. She sighed softly, "What does it matter if I''m pregnant? He''s

    so unromantic that he could almost drive me crazy."

    Stefan had given Lucinda a garden full of potted flowers, and Patrick tried to enlighten Liam, who

    had seemed to understand.

    But what he did was solely to imitate the method.

    Liam had simply ordered all the flowers from the greenhouse, not caring about the flower kinds, and

    put them all over the yard. Pointing at the nts, he said to her, "Tiffany, whatever you like, pick it or

    take it home."

    The potted flowers Stefan sent his wife were all blossoming.

    While Liam grabbed all the flowers, no matter if the flowers were in bud or blooming, or if it was a

    proper time to appreciate them.

    And Liam just gazed closely at her, anticipating her surprised expression.

    Tiffany got a bit sulky.

    How did she fall in love with this man, whocked even a tinge of romantic sense in him?

    Besides using Stefan''s method for reference, Liam had also given her other gifts, all jewelry and

    designer handbags. He probably couldn''t think of anything else.

    When he presented her with the jewelry, he didn''t say anything sweet or romantic. She wanted to

    hear him say "I love you," but he seemed mute, incapable of uttering those three words.

    Lucindaughed at the thought of her brother-inw''s manner, "Liam just takes you as his family.

    He probably considers his home as yours, and you can do whatever you want there without

    judgement."

    "His feelings for you are deep. He might just be bad at sweet talk, or maybe you two know each

    other too well that he can''t bring himself to say those cheesy lines."

    Tiffany replied sullenly, "I just want to know what it''s like to be pursued by him, to know when he

    started to like me. Can''t he at least share his feelings?"

    Even the most carefree people can be anxious in love.

    Tiffany felt she had taken the lead in their rtionship.

    If she hadn''t, who knew when that blockhead would have confessed his feelings?

    "So, are you really pregnant?"

    ¡°It''s two pink lines, though the second one is still faint. I¡¯m thinking to test again after a while."

    Lucinda grinned with a twinkle in her eyes, "I''d say there''s a pretty good chance you''re pregnant."

    "Should we tell the others?"

    Tiffany paused for a moment, then said, "Let''s wait until I have a check-up at the hospital to confirm

    it. Then we can tell everyone. Lucy, what do you think Liam would do if he found out about my

    pregnancy? Will he get anxious? All he ever does is pester me about why I won''t marry him."

    "If Liam knows you''re pregnant, he''ll definitely be anxious."

    "Lucy," Tiffany gripped Lucinda''s hand earnestly, "Please, don''t go giving him any hints. I want him

    to figure it out on his own. If he can''t, I''ll raise this kid myself. The Paisley family are more than

    capable of supporting a kid."

    Lucinda thought Tiffany was kind of stubborn.

 Chapter 387

    Chapter 387

    However, Liam¡¯s stoic demeanor wasn''t going to let him have it too easy, he wasn''t even as good as

    Owen.

    People were like this, always thinking others have it better, but in the eyes of others, they were just

    as good.

    Lucinda and Tiffany were exchanging women''s secrets under the gazebo, while Nathan was

    squatting outside his wife''s bedroom door, as if he''d stay there until hell froze over if his wife didn''t

    open the door.

    Knowing the story of this old couple, no one interfered, letting the two of them carry on.

    Janice wasn''t just snoozing, she couldn''t sleep at all.

    After a stalemate between the couple, Janice felt it was a loss to lock herself in the room over a no-

    good man. The weather was so good that she should go out for a walk and enjoy the scenic beauty

    of Ascend Estate.

    With that thought in mind, Janice changed her clothes and opened the bedroom door.

    "Honey."

    The old man, who had been on guard, was overjoyed when he saw the door open. He quickly stood

    up and handed over the tray, "Honey, you haven''t had breakfast, I brought it up for you."

    Janice nced at the breakfast and stared at him, her tone t, "Mr. Blue, you''ve got the wrong

    person, I''m not your honey."

    "We''re not divorced, so naturally, you''re my wife."

    Nathan, knowing there was no one else upstairs, decided to stick to his guns, insisting on calling

    her his wife.

    Janice was exasperated.

    She wanted a divorce, but he wouldn''t agree. She was indeed still hiswfully wedded wife.

    Pushing away the tray, Janice said icily, "I''m not hungry."

    With that, she turned to leave.

    Nathan reached out to grab her but was forcefully shrugged off.

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    "Nathan, I warn you, don''ty a finger on me, or I''ll never forgive you!"

    "Honey, I just wanted you to stop and have breakfast."

    Nathan put on an innocent face.

    "I told you, I''m not hungry!"

    "How can you not be hungry? I asked, you didn''t eat muchst night, it''s been such a long time, you

    must be starving. Honey, have breakfast first, then we can talk."

    Janice was fuming, "Nathan, when did you be so shameless? I told you not to call me honey,

    I''m not your wife and I don''t want to be your wife. You have a bunch of mistresses, Ms. Porter is still

    waiting for me to step down. You like her so much, call her your wife!"

    Nathan was relieved to see her so upset.

    If she was truly indifferent to him and couldn''t even be bothered to lose her temper, then their

    rtionship would truly be over.

    "Honey, I never touched Madeleine. She''s Hayden''s woman now."

    Nathan tried to exin his rtionship with Madeleine, but remembering the past few years of their

    constantpanionship, he found it hard to exin. He could only insist that he had never touched

    Madeleine.

    Madeleine''s scheme to seduce Nathan failed, instead, she spent the night with Hayden and the

    entire Blue family found out. It was a devastating blow for her.

    These days, she had been locking herself in her room, refusing to eat or drink, causing great

    concern for the Porter family.

    Nathan knew that Madeleine''s room was stocked with snacks, so even if she locked herself in her

    room for half a month, she wouldn''t starve.

    The Porter family wanted to make a scene at the Blue family''s house, but realized it was their

    daughter''s fault. Even if they confronted the Blues, they wouldn''t have a leg to stand on.

    The day he beat up Hayden, Hayden imed he was innocent and that Madeleine had ruined his

    reputation, causing his marriage to fall apart. He argued that he should be the one to confront

    Madeleine.

    This made the Porter family so angry they almost had a stroke.

    Naturally, Mrs. Porter was given a tongueshing.

    Mr. Porter realized he was partially to me, as his daughter''s schemes to seduce Nathan had

    been going on for a long time and he had always known about it.

    But this time, she made a mistake.

    In short, the Porter family was in total chaos.

    Janice, through her daughter, found out about the aftermath of that night.

    Her children told her that Nathan had neverid a hand on Madeleine, so what?

    He was a phnderer, always attracting women wherever he went. When he was young, there were

    many women who admired and pursued him. Now, at his age, his charm hadn''t faded, and his luck

    with women hadn''t diminished. Even young girls like Madeleine were attracted to him.

    It was said that Madeleine fell in love with him before she even came of age.

    Janice looked at her husband. She was forty-eight years old, and her husband was two years older

    than her, making him fifty. A fifty-year-old man, well-preserved, looked nothing like Keith''s father,

    more like Keith''s brother.

    Plus his status and position, such a mature and stable man was indeed appealing to young girls.

    "Nathan, we have nothing to discuss unless it''s divorce."

    "Honey."

    "I was crazy for twenty-odd years, but I still remember some things, Nathan. Don''t think that just

    because Lucy is back and I''ve regained my sanity, everything from the past can be erased. You

    can''t erase what you''ve done, no matter what your reasons were. You wronged me, and that''s a

    fact.

    "I don''t want to mend our rtionship either. I don''t believe in mending broken mirrors. Our children

    are grown now, and for their sake, I don''t want to make a scene with you. Please maintain your

    dignity as the head of the Blue family and stop acting like a rascal in front of me."

    "Nathan, let''s part on good terms," Janice began, her voice steady and resolute. "I understand why

    you didn''t want to divorce when I was unstable, when Keith was just a boy, and my family was less

    than supportive. You were worried about me, and for that, I thank you. You''ve put up with my

    madness for over two decades."

    Without giving Nathan a chance to reply, she continued, "Nathan, let''s divorce. I can take care of

    myself now, you don''t need to keep looking out for me. I don''t want to go back to that house, or be

    known as your wife anymore. I regret not letting you go all those years ago. I regret the separation it

    caused between me and Lucy. My words end here. Please, stop pestering me."

    With these final words, Janice once again turned to leave.

    Nathan tried to stop her, but she deftly evaded his grasp.

    "Nathan, this is the Andersons'' ce. Unless you want her to be aughing stock, I suggest

    you behave yourself."

    Janice''s stern warning sessfully deterred Nathan from any further attempts to hold her back.

    Yes, this was the Andersons'' home, he couldn''t act recklessly. He had to consider his daughter after

    all.

    All Nathan could do was stand and watch as Janice walked away, leaving him behind. The weight

    on his shoulders hadn''t lessened, the road to mending their marriage was still long and winding.

    Nathan could only offer a weak smile in return.

 Chapter 388

    Chapter 388

    When Janice descended the staircase, she discovered the first floor was devoid of anyone. Maybe

    everyone had stepped out, or perhaps they were merely giving her and Nathan some space.

    She was aware that many people were more prone to encourage reconciliation than separation, "It

    is better to build a bridge than a wall."

    After a moment of silence, Janice resolved to venture outdoors for a breath of fresh air.

    "Mrs. Blue."

    A housemaid entered from outside, seeing her, she cheerfully inquired, "Janice, have you had

    breakfast yet? Thedy of the house was concerned about you and sent me to check on you.¡±

    Janice halted her steps, responding gently, "Could you not call me Mrs. Blue, please? Myst name

    is Bright. You can call me Mrs. Bright. I''m not hungry, where''s thedy of the house?"

    The housemaid replied, "Thedy of the house and Ms. Tiffany are enjoying the view in the garden

    gazebo, and the gentlemen are in the yard."

    After acknowledging with a nod, Janice proceeded to step outside.

    The maid aware that Janice had skipped breakfast, headed to the kitchen.

    Minutester, she emerged with a breakfast tray.

    Janice had already entered the gazebo.

    "Mom."

    Lucinda rose to wee her mother.

    Tiffany also stood up, greeting her with a warm smile.

    She had a fondness for Janice. Her elegant demeanor, gentle disposition, and soothing voice were

    like a breath of fresh air. Always lightly made-up, she exuded aforting aura.

    Janice''s wardrobe was exceptionally tasteful, befitting the matriarch of an affluent family.

    "Mom, did youe out on your own?"

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    Lucinda nced behind her mother, not seeing her father, she asked cautiously.

    "Can''t your mothere out on her own?"

    "Of course, of course."

    Lucinda quickly helped her mother sit down at the table, carefully studying her mother''s expression.

    Janice couldn''t help but gently tap her daughter''s head, chuckling, "You don''t need to worry about

    me so much, Lucy. I don''t appreciate seeing your father, but for your and your brother''s sake, I won''t

    argue or cause a scene. I''ll simply ignore him. In the future, don''t try to create opportunities for us to

    be alone unless we could turn back time to when your father and I first met."

    She would undoubtedly choose differently.

    Lucinda clung to her mother''s arm, cooing, "Mom, I''m not siding with dad. I''m on your side, and

    Keith is too."

    Janice chuckled softly, not pressing further on her children''s intentions.

    Though her children sided with her, they couldn''tpletely detach themselves from their biological

    father.

    The maid entered with the breakfast tray.

    Knowing her mother hadn''t eaten, Lucinda quickly coaxed, "Mom, you need to eat or you''ll starve.

    Just have a little bit, please."

    "I''m not hungry, Lucy."

    Lucinda continued to persuade her mother, seeing her reluctance to eat, she spotted her husband

    and brother approaching. She leaned in to whisper in her mother''s ear, "Mom, I''ve found a nice girl

    for Keith. I was thinking of calling her to go shopping with us, do you want to meet her?"

    Upon hearing this, Janice''s eyes lit up, she quickly asked, "What''s she like?"

    "Mom, answer me first, do you want to meet her? If you do, eat up and we can all go shopping

    together. We can have Keith tag along, and introduce him to Darlene."

    Ever since Janice regained her sanity, she was pleased with her daughter''s marriage, particrly

    with her son-inw, Stefan. Her daughter was married and happy, but her son was still single,

    without even a girlfriend. Moreover, he didn''t allow any woman other than his family within three

    meters.

    When she learned about this, Janice was so upset she felt a pain in her chest.

    Was her son nning to remain a bachelor for life?

    She started worrying about her son''s marital affairs.

    However, she couldn''t help him since she was not in Skywatch and had no suitable female

    acquaintances to introduce to her son. She had been out of touch with society for over two decades

    and had no idea who to introduce to her son. She could only rely on her daughter''s help.

    "Of course, I want to meet her. I''ll eat now, right away."

    Janice''s mood, initially soured by the sight of Nathan, immediately brightened.

    Nathan watched from a distance as his daughter persuaded his wife to eat. He felt both relieved

    and heartbroken.

    In his wife''s heart, he was no longer the most important person. He might have even been entirely

    disced from her affections.

    He didn''t approach them, fearing he would ruin her mood again.

    He watched as his son-inw and son also entered the gazebo. They seemed to be in high spirits,

    laughing and chatting.

    Nathan''s heart ached even more.

    They were a family, yet he was ostracized.

    Lucinda called Darlene, once she picked up, Lucinda asked, "Darlene, are you free today?"

    In the study room on the second floor of the Bishop family residence, Darlene held a document with

    one hand and her phone with the other. She chuckled, "I''m free, what''s up?"

    "I''m nning to go shopping. Would you like to join?"

    "Shopping, huh."

    Darlene pondered for a moment, before asking, "How many people are going?"

    "Just me and my mom, and maybe one or two more to help carry our purchases."

    Upon hearing his sister''s words, Keith felt a sense of impending doom.

    He wanted to escape.

    And he really tried to slip away.

    "Keith, where are you going?"

    Janice called out to her retreating son.

    "Mom, I just want to take a walk. Ascend Estate is so big and beautiful. I didn''t get to explore it all

    last time. I thought I''d take a good walk around this time."

    "We''re going shopping. Why don''t youe with us?"

    For Keith, the sense of doom became reality.

    He was going to be a free porter for his mother and sister.

    Growing up, Keith had never apanied a woman on a shopping spree. Not because he didn¡¯t

    enjoy retail therapy, but simply because it wasn¡¯t in his nature. Plus, he feared the potential danger

    that could arise from exposing himself too much, jeopardizing innocent bystanders.

    "Mom, let Stefan apany you guys," he suggested as ast-ditch effort.

    Stefan, aware of his wife''s matchmaking scheme, chuckled and said, "I''m swamped with work at the

    office and brought some home toplete. I need to get back to it, so I can''t apany mom and

    Lucy, bro. Sorry to put this on you, Keith."

    Keith was speechless.

    It appeared that there was no escaping this.

    Meanwhile, Darlene finally gave in to Lucinda''s request, mainly because she was curious to meet

    Janice, the matriarch of the prestigious Blue family.

 Chapter 389

    Chapter 389

    After Lucinda''s identity was exposed, Darlene had the Blue family investigated. However, the Blue

    family''s defense system was too advanced for her people to prate. They could only gather

    some public information that the Blue family was willing to disclose.

    With ns for shopping, Janice quickly filled herself with food.

    Then, she urged her children to get ready.

    Keith felt rather strange.

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    Thinking about going shopping with his mother and sister, they couldn''t possibly sell him, could

    they?

    With this thought, Keith didn''t dwell on it. He brought his bodyguard, drove a few cars out from his

    brother-inw''s garage, and with his father''s envious gaze, he took his mother and sister out.

    Tiffany didn''t join them. After Lucinda left, she went to find Liam.

    "Ms. Tiffany," the servants greeted her with a smile when they saw her.

    Tiffany nodded and stepped into the house, casually asking, "What''s Mr. Liam up to?"

    "Mr. Liam has locked himself in his study. We don''t know what he''s doing, and we don''t dare to

    enter without permission," one of the servants replied.

    So, they didn''t have an answer for Tiffany''s question.

    Tiffany hummed in response.

    After entering the house, she sat down in front of the couch. Seeing her favorite snacks on the

    coffee table, she picked a few to munch on.

    Perhaps it was the pregnancy, but she found herself craving food more, with a good appetite. The

    only downside was her increasing drowsiness.

    After snacking for a while, Tiffany decided to go upstairs. She wanted to know what Liam was doing

    in his study.

    For the servants, Liam''s study was a forbidden area, which they couldn''t enter without permission.

    But for Tiffany, it was as essible as a supermarket. She coulde and go as she pleased.

    Even when they used to argue and have conflicts, he never stopped her from entering his private

    space.

    Upon entering, she saw Liam sitting behind his desk, holding a pair of scissors and cutting

    something. He tried to hide it when he saw her, but it was toote.

    "Why didn''t you knock?" he asked.

    "I forgot. What are you doing?" Tiffany asked.

    She walked over and took the freshly woven rose from his hand, made of red ribbon. It was

    beautifully crafted.

    Even Tiffany, who prided herself on her crafty skills, couldn''t make such a flower.

    She had known Liam since they were kids, and she knew him inside out. Yet, she had no idea that

    Liam was capable of crafting such intricate roses using ribbons.

    "When did you learn to make these?" she asked.

    Seeing that she had discovered his craft, Liam continued weaving and replied, "I learned when I

    was a child. I didn''t tell you because I was afraid you''dugh at me for doing something so girly. My

    aunt had a friend who was good at making these things, and she taught me. But I haven''t made

    anything in years, so I''m a bit rusty."

    Tiffany watched as Liam crafted a rose out of ribbons, and she was convinced that he had made all

    the flowers.

    After finishing the rose in his hand, he added a stem, put it down, and opened several drawers.

    From inside, he took out dozens of roses, all made of red ribbon.

    Tiffany watched as he arranged the roses into a stunning bouquet.

    Suddenly, he held it out to her.

    "Tiffany," he said, his eyes filled with warmth and a goofy smile on his face. "I don''t have my

    brother''s romantic ir, and I can''t think of any unique ways to make you happy. But I can do this.

    These flowers aren''t worth much, but I''ve made every single one of them by hand."

    "Tiffany, I love you."

    Tiffany stared at him, stunned.

    Just a moment ago, she had beenining to Lucinda about how Liam was so stubborn, never

    uttering "I love you" or giving her gifts. Even a single flower seemed to require him to mimic his

    brother.

    But here he was, surprising her.

    Looking at the bouquet of ribbon roses in front of her, she asked him, "How long did it take you to

    make these?"

    "Ny-nine roses. It took me about a week. Whenever I had free time, I would sneak away and

    start folding them. I kept count of every rose, and the one I just made for you was the ny-ninth. I

    nned to put them all together and present them to you once I had ny-nine."

    Liam asked cautiously, "Tiffany, do you like them? If you don''t, I can go to our flower field right now

    and pick you a fresh bouquet."

    Tiffany quickly took the bouquet, smiling, "I love them. I love them a lot. I don''t want fresh flowers, I

    want these. They''llst longer, and even though they''re not worth much, they''re priceless because

    of the sentiment behind them. And I liked what you said just now. Can you say it again?"

    Liam blinked, trying to recall what he had just said.

    "Ny-nine roses. It took me about a week?"

    "No, not that. The sentence before."

    Tiffany was ted by the sudden happiness, and she wanted to hear him say "I love you" again. But

    Liam, the typical blockhead, was back.

    "You said you wanted to hear what I just said. That''s what I just said. Which sentence did I forget?"

    Seeing her speechless, Liamughed. Like a magician, he produced a jar filled with red lucky stars,

    and handed it to her.

    "Tiffany, I love you. I''ve loved you for a long time. But since we always seemed to be at odds with

    each other, I didn''t dare confess my feelings. I had no idea that you felt the same way."

    Once again, Tiffany heard his confession of love. Her smile was brighter than a bouquet of roses.

    She immediately ced the bouquet and the lucky star bottle on the table, then wrapped her arms

    around Liam''s neck, kissing him fervently on the face. "Liam." sheughed. "I thought I''d wait a

    lifetime for you to confess your love to me!"

    "Say ''I love you'' a few more times, let me hear it."

    "I love you, absolutely smitten with you!"

    Liam held her tight, whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

    Turned out, those three words aren''t too hard to say after all.

    Once he said it once, repeating it came naturally, without any awkwardness.

    And what she wanted was straightforward. In the past, he was too obtuse to realize it.

    What she wanted was his confession, to know that in this rtionship, she''s not the only one

    making an effort.

 Chapter 390

    Chapter 390

    "Liam."

    With a heart brimming with joy, Tiffany nestled up to him, tilting her head to speak, "I have

    something to tell you."

    His eyes, filled with love, met hers. He smiled warmly, "What''s up, is it good news or bad news?"

    "Of course it''s good news. I''ve dealt with the bad ones myself, didn''t want to dampen your spirits."

    Unable to resist, he gently poked her lips, moved by her words, "Tiffany, you''re too good to me."

    "You''re just realizing that now? I thought all you remembered were the times I''ve been tough on

    you. We''ve had our share of brawls growing up, and you always lost. Later on, you''d avoid me

    whenever you saw me. Thankfully, those fights stopped."

    Touching her nose lightly, he said, "I''ve been through a special family training, there''s no way I

    couldn''t beat you. I just let you win. As we grew older, I started avoiding you, it was my own issue.

    Every time I saw you, I''d feel butterflies and get all flushed. I was afraid you''d notice and make fun

    of me, so I hid from you."

    His feelings for her had evolved during his adolescence.

    But he''d kept them buried deep down, unable to voice them.

    Had it not been for that time when Tiffany visited Neon Nectar Nightclub and they had a fight, he

    wouldn''t have known that she reciprocated his feelings.

    They''d grown up together, alwayspeting, never reallymunicating, resulting in

    misunderstandings about each other''s feelings.

    Even though he spoiled her.

    But to the outside world, he was afraid of her.

    She loved him, but enjoyed teasing him, didn¡¯t this make them look like mortal enemies in the eyes

    of others?

    Tiffany blinked, "How about we have a duel now, and you don''t hold back. Let me see how good I

    am?"

    "You haven¡¯t told me what the good news is yet."

    Now, thest thing Liam wanted to do was to duel with her. If he hurt her, he''d be the one hurting.

    "I might be pregnant."

    "Oh, you''re pregnant? What? Can you repeat that? You''re pregnant? Is it mine?"

    At first, Liam took the news calmly. But once the meaning of her words sank in, he was ovee

    with shock. He slightly pushed Tiffany away, asking her in disbelief.

    Tiffany couldn''t help butugh at his reaction. She pinched him, yfully retorting, "Even though

    there are many men who fancy me, I only love you. You''re the only man I''ve been with, who else

    could the father be?"

    Grinning from ear to ear, Liam said, "I knew it! We''re going to be parents soon."

    He was thrilled!

    The next moment, he was spinning Tiffany around, so fast that she felt dizzy. She hit him, shouting,

    "Liam, stop spinning me, I''m getting dizzy."

    He immediately stopped, asking anxiously, "Tiffany, how are you? Still dizzy? I''m just so happy, I''m

    going to be a dad!"

    "You just asked me to duel with you, Tiffany, you''re so daring! Thank heavens, thank heavens I

    didn''t agree to it."

    Liam shuddered at the thought, yet he was helpless with this woman.

    Tiffany stuck her tongue out yfully.

    These lovers had finally found their peace. Mr. Liam didn''t have to rack his brains wondering where

    he went wrong.

    Tiffany''s pregnancy was a joyous asion, and Liam couldn''t wait to break the news to the family.

    But Tiffany stopped him, saying they still needed to go to the hospital for a check-up, her home

    pregnancy test might not be urate.

    So, Liam immediately took Tiffany and left Ascend Estate to visit the hospital.

    On the top of the hill behind the manor was an octagonal pavilion. It was a resting ce for those

    who''d climbed up the hill.

    The top of the hill was cool and breezy. Standing in the pavilion and looking down, one could take in

    the entire view of Ascend Estate.

    At this moment, two men were standing together, enjoying the beautiful scenery.

    "Stefan, your ancestors had great foresight to choose such an auspicious location to build your

    family home. Ascend Estate is truly beautiful."

    The one speaking was Nathan.

    Stefan turned to his father-inw, sincerely inviting, "Dad, if you like it here, you should stay longer."

    Nathan chuckled, "I''d love to, but I havemitments. Besides, if I stay, your mother won''t be

    pleased. She''s had a hard few decades, it''s time she lived a peaceful life."

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    His parents had hinted several times that now that Janice was awake and had found Lucinda Blue,

    she and her daughter should return to the Blue family.

    His parents were actually reminding him to choose between Madeleine and Janice.

    Oh, that was an old thought. Now that Madeleine and his younger brother had an affair, no one

    would me him for not marrying Madeleine. It was expected.

    "Dad, even though we haven''t known each other for long, I can tell that you genuinely care for Lucy

    and her brother. You also have feelings for mom. Now that we''re alone, could you share your

    thoughts with me?"

    Nathan looked at his son-inw for a moment before patting his shoulder, "I can handle it, and I will.

    All I want is to help Lucy and her brother get rid of their troubles while I''m still alive. Even if the Blue

    family falls apart because of it, as long as Keith is alive, he''ll rebuild the Blue family. He''ll create a

    harmonious family like the Andersons."

    "As for Janice, even though I acted coldly towards her to protect her and Keith, I can''t deny that I''ve

    wronged her. Trying to ask for her forgiveness is just wishful thinking on my part."

    "Once she feels disappointed, it¡¯s hard to get back to the old times. Stefan, as long as you treat

    Lucy well and help Keith, I can die in peace."

    "Dad, quit talking about death. That''s your Blue family''s business, not mine. As your son-inw, it''s

    not my ce to interfere. You need to stick around and sort out your family affairs. Make sure Lucy

    and Keith find their footing. I want you there when Lucy and I get married. When we have kids, I

    want you to be there to spoil them."

    Nathan¡¯s words gave him the chills. It was a nagging feeling that he was preparing to leave his

    children in Stefan''s care.

    The Blue family was aplex web of secrets, and as an outsider, Stefan felt he was only

    scratching the surface.

    His father-inw was the head of the Blue family, the man with all the insider knowledge. Stefan

    was worried that, in the end, Nathan might risk it all for his family, even if it meant going down with

    the enemy.

    Nathan, imagining the joys of being a grandfather, chuckled and said, "With all the rtives and

    countless staff you guys have, even when you and Lucy have kids, I don''t think you''ll need me to

    babysit them."

 Chapter 391

    Chapter 391

    "Stefan, I hope you and Lucy will start a family soon. I dread the thought of not being able to meet

    my grandchild should something happen to me," Nathan said.

    "Dad!"

    "My apparent neglect of Janice and strict treatment of Keith, it''s all for their protection. Their risk

    diminishes when they''re less in the spotlight. Even as the head of the Blue family, I can''t guard them

    around the clock. And this is my dilemma. The rest is all about gathering evidence of the Porter

    family''s crimes, as well as thosemitted by some people twenty-three years ago. When the time

    comes to close in, there will be a showdown. It''s either them or me."

    Nathan talked about life and death as if discussing the weather. He no longer wanted the Blue

    family to keep going like this. He was determined to rewrite their story and do away with the

    outdated traditions that prevented the family from living in harmony.

    After all, money can sway hearts. It''s the ultimate litmus test of human nature.

    "Dad, tell me how I can help. I''ll do whatever I can."

    "Distance waters won''t put out a nearby fire," Nathan sighed. Quickly regaining hisposure, he

    added, "Stefan, don''t worry. I''m eager to see you and Lucy get married and to meet my grandchild.

    In a while, take Lucy back to Skywatch. It''s high time she returned to her roots. On that day, I''ll also

    announce my estate ns."

    Everyone knew that his billions would be divided between his two children, but no action had been

    taken yet. Once Lucy returned, he would put his n into action.

    "Perhaps this will bring more danger to Lucy and her brother. I''m getting old, and I can''t shield them

    forever. They need to learn to face life''s storms. If they can''t hold onto the inheritance I leave them,

    then it''s on them."

    Nathan gazed at the clouds, his expression distant. "If therees a day when Janice can forgive

    me, I would build her a cottage where we can retire, away from the bustling world."

    But he wasn''t sure if his wish could be fulfilled.

    If he couldn''t live to see Janice on the day he closed in, all he could leave her was a divorce paper

    and her freedom.

    "Dad, talk to mom. I believe she''ll understand."

    "Janice doesn''t want to talk to me. Besides, my frequent appearances with Madeleine these past

    years have indeed been a betrayal. I owe her an apology."

    After a pause, Stefan said, "Dad, you''ve borne so much, and you let mom misunderstand and

    resent you. Even Lucy and her brother misunderstand you. Dad, you said Lucy and her brother are

    grown-up now and need to learn to face life''s storms. How can they know if you don''t tell them?

    Even if knowing more brings more danger, I believe they''re willing."

    Unfortunately, if something happened to their father, Lucy and her brother will be left with regret.

    The regret of not being able to care for their father properly, of knowing the truth only after losing

    him, was a torture, a heartache, a pain.

    Stefan didn''t want his beloved wife to experience that.

    Nathan fell silent.

    "Lucy has recognized you guys. No matter how much you hide, she''s already exposed and the

    danger won''t reduce. So why should you bear the pressure alone? Talk to Keith and Lucy. If not to

    make mom forgive you, at least to make Keith and Lucy understand."

    Stefan, being the head of the Anderson family, knew the burdens of a family head.

    He also understood that a family head often had to prioritize the greater family over his own. He

    could understand his father-inw''s actions.

    But he didn''t agree with his father-inw''s silence, considering that Keith was already 24 and

    capable of holding his own.

    "Kites fly high when the string is long, and eagles fly high because their parents let go. Dad, talk to

    Keith and Lucy."

    Stefan knew that Lucy had many misunderstandings about her father.

    Her preconceived notions made her less affectionate towards her father than her mother.

    After a long silence, Nathan said, "Keith already knows what''s going on. As for Lucy, I really wish

    she could remain carefree."

    "Dad, from the moment you found her and recognized her, she was destined to be carefree no

    longer. She''s also working hard to learn and choosing to let go of certain things she can no longer

    hold onto. Dad, Lucy is not as weak as you imagine."

    Lucinda was raised in the Moore family, which was a warm environment, so she had a pure nature.

    They spoiled her, so she was always carefree, but she wasn''t naive. She was forcing herself to

    grow up.

    Nathan didn''t say anything else.

    Unaware of the heart-to-heart conversation between her father and husband, Lucinda just met up

    with Darlene.

    They had agreed to meet at the opulent pedestrian street.

    Darlene, as usual, was wearing a simple long dress. Her beauty was ethereal. As she got out of the

    car and walked towards Lucinda, passersby kept turning their heads to look at her. Some even

    bumped intompposts just to get a better look at her.

    "Darlene," Lucinda greeted her friend first.

    Janice and her son followed.

    Janice watched Darlene approach with a broad smile on her face.

    She liked this girl very much!

    She was extremely fond of her.

    It wasn''t Darlene''s stunning beauty, but her temperament that appealed to Janice.

    Even Keith, who had seen many beauties, praised Darlene for being as beautiful as a fairy.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    But Keith was just admiring her, not infatuated.

    He didn''t even go over. He just stood by the car, watching his sister bring Darlene over to greet his

    mother.

    "Hello, ma''am."

    With a soft voice, Darlene greeted, her beautiful eyes subtly taking in Janice.

    The matriarch of the Blue family was surprisingly gentle and charming. Despite being over fifty, she

    still possessed a timeless grace.

    Their eyes met in silence, looking at each other for a moment before breaking into smiles.

    It felt as if her mother and Darlene weremunicating in some secretnguage.

    Janice took Darlene''s hand, the warmth between them like that of a mother and daughter. They

    exchanged pleasantries, yet there was an instant connection between them.

    Lucinda nced at her brother, who looked bored, casually scanning the surroundings.

    Darlene, a woman of such extraordinary beauty, can''t even attract her brother''s attention?

    "Keith, Keith."

    Janice had to call her son twice to bring him back from his thoughts.

    "Mom, what''s up?"

    Keith asked bluntly.

    Janice wanted to kick her son. Instead of greeting the beautiful woman in front of him, he was

    daydreaming.

    Those who were single were indeed single by choice!

 Chapter 392

    Chapter 392

    "What are you standing around for? Come and say hello to Darlene."

    Lucinda was troubled by the aloofness her brother exhibited towards Darlene.

    Darlene was a beautiful woman, and if Keith showed no interest in her, Lucinda was left wondering

    what kind of girl could possibly catch her brother''s attention.

    Upon their mother''s prompting, Keith took a few steps forward. He gave Darlene a polite nod, his

    face remaining as cool and expressionless as ever. He did not bother to exchange pleasantries, but

    in his own way had greeted her.

    He had only bothered to show this much courtesy for his sister''s sake.

    Otherwise, he would''ve kept a safe distance of at least ten feet.

    Darlene had been watching this man from the corner of her eye. At first, she thought he was a

    bodyguard for Lucinda and her mother, but when she saw the actual bodyguards standing at a

    distance, she realized he was not one of them. Now, knowing that he was the heir of the Blue family,

    she gave him a closer look.

    ording to her research on the Blue family, Keith seemed to be a bit of a recluse, especially when

    it came to women outside his family. At twenty-four, he hadn''t even had his first love, and in matters

    of the heart, he was as innocent as a nk te.

    He was handsome, if a bit frosty, and under normal circumstances, would''ve had a slew of girls

    chasing after him. But he remained untouched, probably due to his parents'' failed marriage, which

    had likely left him wary of rtionships.

    This was Darlene''s hypothesis and it gave her a pang of sympathy for him.

    Seeing her stare, Keith assumed she was like every other woman who hadid eyes on him. He

    figured she was infatuated with him.

    He frowned slightly, annoyed by her attention. He red back at Darlene. But instead of adoration,

    he saw sympathy in her eyes.

    Sympathy?

    She pitied him?

    Did he need her sympathy?

    Was she using this tactic to capture his attention?

    Keith doubted Darlene for a moment, but he quickly dismissed his suspicions.

    He trusted his sister¡¯s judgment.

    His sister would not befriend a woman like that.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Like Cecilia, who saw him as nothing more than a good-looking guy. There was no adoration in her

    eyes, just a calm eptance. She probably saw him more as a brother than anything else.

    Of course, Cecilia might not have noticed his charm because she had eyes only for Owen.

    It seemed that he wasn¡¯t as great as he thought.

    Keith was well aware of his reputation among women in Skywatch, and it wasn''t a favorable one.

    "Keith, this is Darlene, my new friend. You don¡¯t have to put on such a cold face, you''re scaring her,"

    Lucinda interrupted their silent stare-off, hoping to prevent a full-blown confrontation.

    Keith broke his gaze from Darlene and turned to his sister. His frosty demeanor melted away,

    reced by a gentle smile that made Darlene blink in surprise.

    "Alright, alright. I won¡¯t keep a straight face. Is this better?" Keith''s tone was indulgent.

    Darlene marveled at how affectionate he was towards his sister, much like how her own sister doted

    on her.

    Lucinda looped her arm through Darlene¡¯s, reassuring her, "Darlene, this is my elder brother, Keith.

    He always has this stern look on his face like someone owes him a fortune, but you don''t have to be

    afraid of him. We owe him nothing, so even if he looks as cold as marble, don''t be intimidated."

    Darleneughed, "I¡¯m not afraid of him."

    Janice was relieved to hear Darlene''s response. If she had been scared, there would be no chance

    of a future for the two.

    Keith would never be attracted to a woman who was frightened of him.

    After the introductions, Lucinda, Darlene, and Janice went shopping.

    To the outside world, Darlene seldom went out.

    But in reality, she knew every nook and cranny of Pinehurst, as her job as a detective often required

    her to explore the city.

    Before meeting Lucinda, she had justpleted a case for Owen.

    Owen wanted to investigate Avery.

    His ownwork had failed to dig up any information about Avery.

    Seeing Avery bing more and more arrogant and wanting to know his enemy better, Owen had

    no choice but to seek help from the best private detective agency in Pinehurst, paying a high price

    for their services.

    If even the best agency couldn''t find anything about Avery, Owen was ready to shut it down!

    What kind of detective agency couldn''t even investigate a person!

    Darlene, who had a deep cover, wasn''t going to reveal her true identity in front of Lucinda.

    She yed along, acting as if everything was new and exciting. As Lucinda shopped, Darlene

    started to enjoy it too, and joined her in the shopping spree.

    Darlene bought things for her sisters, while Lucinda and her mother bought a lot more.

    Keith and his bodyguards were soonden with shopping bags.

    Keith had never done this before, and his face was as dark as thunder when his mother and sister

    weren''t looking.

    Every now and then, Darlene would sneak a nce at him. She couldn''t help butugh at his sullen

    expression.

    Keith, being who he was, noticed it immediately.

    He red at her in return.

    But Darlene wasn''t scared. She shed him a yful smile that was so beautiful, it was

    breathtaking.

    Keith was almost captivated by her sweet smile.

    This woman was enchanting!

    Her smile was too beautiful, too enchanting!

    Keith grumbled inwardly.

    After spending most of the day shopping, Lucinda and her mother suggested that they all have

    lunch together before heading home.

    Darlene found herself feeling a bit peckish, too.

    Without hesitation, she agreed.

    After that, they all headed to Ascend Hotel.

    After their meal, they took a short break, and then the three women continued their shopping spree.

    Keith, along with his bodyguards, were absolutely drained.

    They had probably underestimated how much women can shop!

    Keith decided that he would never apany women on a shopping trip again. It was far too

    exhausting!

    The only constion for him was that these women were very decisive. They didn''t haggle over

    items.

    As the evening drew near, the three women finally felt satisfied.

    The car Keith was driving, along with two other vehicles filled with bodyguards, were filled to the

    brim with the women''s shopping bags.

    "Bro, why don''t you drop off Darlene?" Lucinda suggested.

    Darlene had also bought a lot of things and her own car was already filled to the brim.

    As Keith opened the car door for his mother, he responded, "I''ll have someone deliver Ms. Darlene''s

    things."

    It was clear that he wasn''t going to drive Darlene home himself.

 Chapter 393

    Chapter 393

    Darlene didn''t feel the need for Keith to escort her personally.

    After exchanging nces with her mother, Lucinda didn''t insist. She was afraid that any form of

    insistence might affect the impression Keith had of Darlene.

    They could only ask the bodyguards to help deliver the items Darlene bought back to the Bishops''

    residence.

    The Bishop''s mansion appeared old from the outside. It was a house built by their grandfather when

    he was young, and it had been home to three generations without any renovations, hence its aged

    appearance.

    Back in the day, the Bishop sisters, Belinda and Darlene were young, and the Bishop family was

    going through tough times. The sisters had neither the energy nor the resources to renovate the

    house.

    When Belinda finally took the reins of thepany and the Bishop family''s business started to pick

    up, they discussed and decided to keep the house as it was.

    After all, it held a multitude of memories.

    Even though Belinda was usually busy during the weekends, she would return home earlier than

    usual.

    By the time Darlene was brought home by the Blue family''s bodyguards, Belinda was already

    waiting for her at home.

    "Please convey my gratitude to Mrs. Janice, Keith, and Lucy," Darlene thanked the Blue family''s

    bodyguards.

    The bodyguards simply nodded without saying a word. After the Bishop family''s household staff

    helped move Darlene''s items into the house, they drove away.

    "Whose bodyguards were those? The Andersons?"

    Belinda asked her sister, then added, "What on earth did you buy? Your car couldn''t fit it all."

    "Those were Keith''s personal bodyguards from the Blue family. I had the rare chance to go

    shopping, so I bought whatever I liked. Sis, I guess I now understand the thrill of splurging," she

    laughed.

    The Bishop sisters had learned to be frugal due to their family''s financial situation. Even though

    their circumstance had improved, and Darlene was earning well, she still practiced frugality.

    However, after going shopping with Lucy and her mother, Darlene was heavily influenced by their

    carefree spending, not even blinking at the price tags of the items they bought.

    Belinda treated her sister with the same gentleness that Keith showed towards Lucinda.

    Sheughed and said, "If you like it, then buy it. We''re not short of money now."

    The sisters headed back into the house.

    "The bodyguard from the Blue family was following you?"

    "Lucy asked her brother to help carry the packages."

    Belinda nodded at this revtion.

    Everyone in Pinehurst knew that Lucy''s biological parents were Mr. and Mrs. Blue.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    "Did you enjoy yourself?"

    "I had a great time, Sis. Next time you should go with us, invite Mr. Ike to help carry your bags."

    Darlene''s remark carried a teasing undertone.

    Belinda instinctively replied, "I can carry my own things, I don''t need his help."

    Darlene suddenly remembered Keith''s figure,den with shopping bags, following them around.

    She couldn''t help but burst intoughter. As sheughed, she told Belinda, "Sis, you should''ve seen

    the deste expression on Keith''s face as he carried our shopping bags. It was hrious. I think

    he''s never done such a thing before in his life. Only Janice and Lucy could make him do it. I was

    also lucky enough to boss Keith around."

    Belinda nced at her sister and chuckled, "It seems you have a good impression of Keith."

    "He''s okay, both of Lucy''s brothers are decent." Darlene''s words were cryptic.

    Belinda thought of Ike and nodded reluctantly, "She''s indeed a fortunate girl."

    While the Bishop sisters chatted casually, Keith had finally managed to drop his mother and sister

    back at the Ascend Estate. The moment he reached home, he made himself scarce.

    From now on, he would make a quick exit whenever he heard his mother and sister nning a

    shopping trip. Let their husbands apany them! He would certainly not go with them!

    Janice and Lucy had bought gifts for everyone except for Nathan. Seeing her distribute the gifts one

    by one while he was left out made Nathan feel sour. The dense sourness filled the luxurious living

    room, making it seem like a fairy pce shrouded in mist.

    "Dad, I bought you some new clothes. Do you like them?"

    Luckily, his little girl still remembered him.

    Lucy held out a few sets of clothes to her father and whispered, "I didn''t know your size or style

    preference."

    Nathan finally understood.

    His daughter didn''t know his clothing preferences or size, but the clothes she handed to him were

    exactly his style and size. It was clear who had helped her pick them.

    The sour-faced Mr. Blue was suddenly overjoyed.

    epting the new clothes from his daughter and catching a glimpse of his wife from the corner of

    his eye, Nathan said, "I''m not short of clothes, but since this is a token of affection from my

    daughter, I''ll love it no matter what. I''ll wear these clothes tomorrow. But Lucy, could you get me a

    few more sets?"

    Lucy blinked, smiled and replied, "Sure, Mom and I will go shopping again tomorrow. I''ll get you

    more clothes."

    Ignoring Nathan, Janice distributed all the gifts and then imed she was tired. She went straight

    upstairs to rest.

    After the excitement had died down, Lucy noticed that everyone seemed exceptionally happy and it

    wasn''t because of the gifts she and her mother had bought. She quietly asked her husband, "Why

    does everyone seem as happy as if they''ve won the lottery?"

    "Winning the lottery didn''t make our family happy, it was the news of Tiffany''s pregnancy. The

    wedding ns of my brother and Tiffany were finally set in motion, and that brought joy to

    everyone."

    Stefan couldn''t help but feel a twinge of envy towards his younger brother.

    Bing a father before he did.

    Once everyone found out about Tiffany''s pregnancy, all eyes were on him.

    It almost drove Liam up the wall.

    To divert the attention, Stefan said, "It''s not the right time for Lucy to get pregnant, she''s due to

    return to Skywatch soon."

    That seemed to take the heat off him.

    In the back of his mind though, Stefan was thinking: in a couple of years, he can surely be a

    father too!

    "Has that blockhead finallye to his senses?"

    Lucinda asked in a low voice.

    Before she left, Tiffany hadined to her about Liam being thick-headed and told her not to

    give him any advice.

    Stefan nodded, chuckling as he exined, "Liam made ny-nine origami roses with ribbons for

    Tiffany, and also gave her numerous lucky stars. That''s how he won her over and she epted his

    proposal."

    They were childhood sweethearts, deeply in love with each other.

    Tiffany''s demands were never too much.

    Once Liam came to his senses, Tiffany was all his.

    It was a happy ending for all.

    "Lucy."

    Holding his wife''s hand, Stefan gently said, "Liam and Tiffany''s wedding is going to happen before

    ours. You''re not going to mind, are you?"

    Knowing it was because of the Blue family''s circumstances that their own wedding was postponed,

    Lucinda replied with a smile, "I don''t mind. We''re practically an old married couple now. Whenever

    the wedding happens, it''s all the same. Besides, we have already picked a date, haven''t we?

    There''s no rush. Tiffany is pregnant and they need to get their wedding done sooner."

 Chapter 394

    Chapter 394

    Stefan cast a sidelong nce at her. Truth be told, he wished they could get married sooner.

    But the Blue family wasn''t ready.

    Lucinda hadn''t officially rejoined the Blue family, and so, the wedding ns were put on hold.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    However, he had asked his grandmother to check the calendar. There were no auspicious dates

    suitable for him and Lucy to tie the knot this year.

    He didn''t believe in fortune-telling, but marriage was a lifetimemitment. He wanted to choose

    the best day for it.

    ¡°I really don''t mind.¡±

    Lucinda rested her head on his shoulder and whispered, ¡°Darling, let''s take a walk.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The young couple slipped away.

    They strolled down the mountain path while the workers at the foot of the mountain were still

    bustling around.

    "What was your brother''s reaction after meeting Ms. Darlene?"

    Stefan asked concernedly.

    Lucinda was ying matchmaker for her two brothers, and the girls she had picked were the

    Belinda sisters. She had a good eye for this.

    When Lucinda mentioned this, she sighed heavily, ¡°Darlene is incredibly beautiful and has a great

    personality. I¡¯m a woman, and even I can''t help but admire her. However, my brother just looks up at

    the sky or gazes around, showing no particr interest in Darlene. He even red at Darlene a few

    times. It''s only because Darlene is brave that she wasn''t scared off by his icy demeanor.¡±

    Stefan chuckled, ¡°Don''t worry. Your brother probably isn''t thinking about marriage right now. Give it

    time. They might hit it off. If they''re not a good match, we can arrange someone else for your

    brother.¡±

    ¡°My brother is so tired.¡±

    Lucinda felt sorry for her brother.

    ¡°Dad''s even more tired. Today, while you all were out shopping, I had a long talk with him.¡±

    Stefan shared the details of his conversation with his father-inw.

    Upon hearing this, Lucinda''s face fell. After a while, she said, ¡°My mom can''tpletely ignore my

    dad. They used to be deeply in love, and they have Keith and me. But my mom can''t let go of the

    past. Even though my dad had his reasons, two decades of neglect are hard to forget overnight.¡±

    ¡°Stefan, aren''t you nning to invest in Skywatch?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I want to go back there sooner.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Stefan said, ¡°Okay. Give me two months.¡±

    ¡°Darling, thank you.¡±

    ¡°We''re a couple, your matters are mine. You don''t need to thank me like this.¡±

    Lucinda wasn''t just being polite. She was truly grateful for his support. If she hadn''t met him, she

    would never have found her biological parents, let alone rejoin the Blue family.

    ¡°When I bought clothes for my dad, my mom picked them out. She still remembers his size. She

    mumbled that my dad''s body shape has remained the same over two decades.¡±

    ¡°We don''t need to force mom to forgive dad. When the time is right, we''ll let them spend time

    together. They need to solve their own problems. We can only offer guidance. After all, they are

    your parents. It''s a tough situation for both of them.¡±

    Lucinda nodded.

    She knew her father had been through a lot and she felt bad for him. She wished she could forgive

    him on her mother''s behalf.

    But she also knew that she couldn''t take her mother''s ce to forgive her father.

    The only thing she could do was to return to the Blue family as soon as possible, help her father

    take control of the situation, and hope that he could spend the rest of his life seeking forgiveness

    from her mother.

    In Skywatch, at the Porter family''s home.

    Mrs. Porter stood outside her daughter''s room with dinner in her hands. She knocked on the door

    and called out, ¡°Madeleine, please open the door. I''ve made your favorite dishes. Let me in, you

    haven''t eaten for days.¡±

    ¡°Madeleine, I know you''re hurting. I''m hurting too. It''s my fault. I shouldn''t have made the love

    potion.¡±

    Mrs. Porter''s eyes welled up.

    Her husband med her, and she med herself.

    Madeleine didn''t respond to her mother''s call.

    Shey on her bed, staring nkly at the ceiling. When she thought about what had happened, and

    how she had never been so humiliated, tears streamed down her face. She was filled with hatred.

    It was all Hayden''s fault!

    He knew she was in love with Nathan. He knew she had been manipted. Yet, Hayden took

    advantage of her.

    He could''ve knocked her unconscious and sent her home!

    She couldn¡¯t stand the thought of Hayden trying to rece Nathan as the head of the Blue family

    and inherit Nathan''s billion-dor fortune.

    As long as she, Madeleine, was around, she wouldn''t let Hayden seed.

    She hated Hayden for taking advantage of her and ruining her reputation, making it impossible for

    her to marry Nathan. She vowed to fight him to the end!

    These past few days, Madeleine had been filled with hatred for Hayden. She wanted to tell Nathan

    everything she knew. But considering the implications for the Porter family, and the shady things

    she had done herself, she held back.

    When she thought of Nathan, Madeleine''s tears fell even harder.

    She had been fasting for several days. Nathan woulde to see her every day, but he didn''t coax

    her into opening the door. He would stand outside her room for a while, then say he had work to do

    and leave.

    Madeleine knew that Nathan was repulsed by her. He was disgusted by the fact that she had slept

    with his brother.

    The man she had loved since her teens.

    Just when they were about to be together, this happened.

    How could she not loathe? How could she not hold a grudge?

    Madeleine didn''t hate Nathan, it was Hayden she despised.

    Not just Nathan, she hated everyone in the Blue family. That day, she had been humiliated in the

    Blue family''s home, especially with Ashley, the ally she used to have. She had dragged her out of

    the room in a disheveled state, letting all the servants see her disgrace.

    She loathed them to death!

    She would never let them off easily!

    "Madeleine, please open the door, will you? At least have some food, if you keep this up, it will kill

    you."

    Her mother''s sobbing lingered on.

    Madeleine sat up, wiped away her tears, and finally got down from her bed.

    These past few days, even though she didn''t leave her room, she wasn''t starving. Her room was

    stocked with all kinds of snacks, perhaps that''s why whenever Nathan came to see her, he never

    coaxed her to open the door and eat.

    Because, she had once lured him into her boudoir, he knew that there was plenty of food and drinks

    in her room, she wouldn''t starve.

 Chapter 395

    Chapter 395

    The door swung open.

    Mrs. Porter found her daughter Madeleine standing in front of her, her hair disheveled and her bare

    feet on the wooden floor. Her eyes were swollen red, and she looked gaunt. Mrs. Porter''s heart

    ached at the sight of her.

    But she quickly wiped away her tears, and hurried in with a tray of food.

    "Madeleine, darling, I''ve made your favorite dish. Come, have a taste, see if my cooking is still as

    good as you remember."

    She set the tray on the coffee table, and turned to look at her daughter, relieved to see her following

    close behind.

    As long as Madeleine was willing to open the door, it meant she''de to terms with her situation.

    Once Madeleine was close, Mrs. Porter pulled her down onto the couch, cing a fork in her hand.

    With a tender look, she touched her daughter''s face and said, "Madeleine, my dear, eat something."

    Madeleine looked at her mother, who had been worried for days. She knew her father had been

    giving her mother a hard time these past few days as well.

    "Mom, I''m sorry for making you worry."

    "Madeleine."

    Mrs. Porter couldn''t help it, her arms wrapped around Madeleine and she began to cry.

    Madeleine didn''t cry anymore.

    With things the way they were, crying wouldn''t turn back time.

    "Mom, I''m okay."

    Madeleineforted her mother, and with her care, managed to eat dinner.

    After dinner, Mrs. Porter asked her softly, "Do you want to go out for a walk?"

    "Mom, does everyone outside know about me and Hayden? What are they saying about me? That

    I''m a gold digger, a flirt, wanting to have both brothers?"

    Madeleine hadn''t left the house, but she knew what was happening outside, especially about her

    and Hayden. Even if her father had intervened, the news had spread all over Skywatch.

    "Madeleine."

    "It''s Hayden! He must have spread it, wanting to tie me down to him. Dream on!"

    Madeleine scoffed. She wouldn''t marry Hayden, even if she was willing, could Hayden handle his

    wife?

    Hayden had so many mistresses outside, none of them dared to let his wife know.

    That mistress in Echoville had been pregnant for months, and only a select few knew about it.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    "Mom, I won''t let him get away with this! His entire family won''t have a good day! He has a daughter

    too, right? He treated me like this, I''ll return it double to his daughter."

    Upon hearing this, Mrs. Porter quickly advised, "Madeleine, don''t do anything rash. Hayden''s

    daughter is still young, and innocent. You can take your anger out on Hayden and his wife, even his

    two sons, but don''t involve that little girl. She''s too young."

    Madeleine thought back to how much Hayden valued his eldest son, Pete, and realized that his

    daughter Molly was indeed too young. She nodded, "Fine, I''ll wait, until his daughter grows up.

    Revenge is a dish best served cold."

    "Mom, did Nathane today?"

    Madeleine asked about Nathan.

    Mrs. Porter sighed, "He didn''te today. I sent someone to inquire, and it seems he and his son

    went to Pinehurst."

    Seeing her daughter''s expression darken, she quickly added, "His biological daughter just came

    back, it''s only natural for him to go see her when he has the time. Madeleine, don''t think too much

    about it. He doesn''t me you. He even feels guilty about you."

    Madeleine looked distressed, "He might not me me, but I''m not pure anymore, I don''t deserve

    him. Is he really just going to see his daughter? Janice is in Pinehurst too, could it be that he finds

    me impure and wants to go back to Janice?"

    "Madeleine, don''t overthink it."

    Madeleine jealously said, "Mom, I''m not overthinking, but Nathan is acting like this. I knew all along

    that he never divorced because he still has a ce for Janice in his heart. Mom, Janice can''t stay.

    Mom!"

    "Madeleine."

    Mrs. Porter had to coax her daughter again. Finally, she managed to reassure her, "Think about

    these past few years Nathan has been with you. Even if Janice was not in her right mind back then,

    she wouldn''t forget all this once she''s sober. No self-respecting person could ept their husband

    neglecting them for over twenty years, parading around with other women. Janice won''t get back

    together with Nathan, don''t worry! Janice will definitely divorce him."

    "Mom, is that really the case? But after they divorce, will Nathan still marry me?"

    Mrs. Porter didn''t dare to answer.

    Now, many people have rich romantic histories. Everyone has a past, and as long as they were

    loyal to their marriage, the past didn''t matter.

    But her daughter was stripped of her innocence by Hayden, Nathan''s own beloved younger brother.

    Nathan couldn''t possibly not care.

    "Knock, knock, knock."

    The sound echoed through the house.

    They both turned their eyes towards the front door.

    "Ma''am."

    The voice of the maid was heard.

    "Ma''am, Hayden is here. He wishes to see the youngdy."

    Hayden, like his brother Nathan, woulde over every day to check on things, but they always

    made sure to visit at different times.

    Of course, every time Hayden showed up, he was kept outside the Porter family''s home, not

    allowed in.

    Mrs. Porter feared that she wouldn''t be able to control her temper if she saw Hayden, and might

    want toy her hands on him.

    Her precious, flower-like daughter was tainted by Hayden, a man old enough to be her uncle. The

    mere thought made Mrs. Porter''s teeth itch with rage.

    "Tell him to get lost!"

    The moment Madeleine heard Hayden''s name, she was furious.

    The maid acknowledged her order, and the area outside the door returned to its usual tranquillity.

    Hayden stood outside of the Porter family''s house, still showing the signs of a beating he had

    received a few days ago. His face was still bruised and battered.

    At the moment, he held fresh flowers in his hands, and he had also prepared several sets of

    jewellery, hoping to present them to Madeleine as an apology.

    He also wanted to discuss their situation with Madeleine.

    Things had happened, and they needed to be addressed face to face.

    If Madeleine was willing to marry him and let him take responsibility, he was more than happy to do

    so.

    As for the she-devil at home.

    Hayden had grown tired of her long ago. He was only tolerating her for the sake of their children.

 Chapter 396

    Chapter 396

    Upon seeing someone emerge, Hayden quickly adjusted his attire.

    "Mr. Blue."

    The maid came out, her face stern. "Miss Porter doesn''t want to see you. You''re to leave."

    Hayden hastily asked, "Is Madeleine feeling better?"

    The maid remained cold. "I haven''t seen Miss Porter. Mr. Blue, she doesn''t want to hear anything

    about you. Please, do note again."

    "I just want to apologize to Madeleine face-to-face, make amends."

    The maid remained silent.

    This wasn''t her call to make.

    She delivered the message, ignored Hayden and turned to walk away, closing the mansion door

    behind her.

    Hayden pulled out his phone to call Madeleine. She had been unreachable for days, but this time,

    her phone actually connected.

    He was over the moon.

    Sadly, Madeleine didn''t pick up his call.

    No matter how many times he dialed, the result was the same.

    With no other option, Hayden left the bouquet of flowers and several sets of jewelry he brought at

    the entrance of the Porter family mansion. He then texted Madeleine, saying he had left the gifts as

    an apology. He also mentioned that if she needed him to take responsibility, he would do so without

    hesitation.

    After sending the message, he waited for a while, but received no response from Madeleine. With a

    heavy heart, he returned to his car and drove away.

    Soon after, another servant came out, threw away the flowers, and took the jewelry inside.

    However, Madeleine didn''t want Hayden''s gifts and gave the jewelry to the housemaids.

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    At the coffee shop, Owen had been volunteering his help all day. Seeing Cecilia sit down at the

    cash register with no customers around, he took it as a chance to rest and walked over.

    "Cecilia, it''s quiet now in the shop. How about we go out for dinner?"

    Cecilia casually responded, "I''ve already ordered some takeout."

    After a pause, she added, "I ordered something fancy for you."

    As it was the weekend, Owen didn''t have to work. He had turned down all other invitations, opting

    not to join his friends for golfing or sailing as usual, and instead spending his time helping out at the

    Serendipity Cafe.

    No matter how much Cecilia tried to send him away, he refused to leave. So, she let him be.

    Owen sat down at the cash register, grinning. "So, my order is special?"

    "Yes, it''s the most special, and I ordered your favorite food."

    "You know what I like?"

    Perhaps she had feelings for him, too.

    Owen thought happily.

    Cecilia fell silent, counted out a thousand dors, and put it in front of Owen. "This is your pay for

    today. I can''t let you work for free. Though I can''t afford to pay you more, you chose to stay and

    help."

    Owen immediately tried to give the money back. "Cecilia, we don''t need to be formal."

    "What kind of rtionship do we have? Giving you money makes me feel better. We owe nothing to

    each other."

    Cecilia forcefully handed him the money. "Take it, or you won''t be allowed to help here anymore."

    Owen: "Alright, I''ll take it."

    He nned to give her control over all his assets once he had won her over and married her. The

    thousand dors would naturally return to her hands.

    He was ready to let Cecilia manage his finances. He thought that in marrying and leaving their

    families, women deserved something to rely on. He was ready to provide for Cecilia, with a house, a

    car, savings - everything he could offer.

    He just hoped Cecilia would ept.

    She sometimes seemed materialistic, but in reality, she wasn''t. She only epted what was

    rightfully hers. Anything else, even if she epted it temporarily, she would find a way to return.

    "Ruby turned herself in."

    Cecilia suddenly said.

    Owen was slightly taken aback but quickly regained hisposure. "That''s what she should do. If

    she didn''t, things would get worse when Stefan finds out. All the business she moved back home all

    gone down the drain."

    Ruby had no chance of aeback unless she managed to do it out of Stefan''s sight.

    "You seem to know a lot about her situation."

    Owen silently observed Cecilia, wondering if she was jealous. Seeing her expression remained

    unchanged, he said, "Stefan and I are rivals. I need to know his every move. And it''s not like I''m

    unaware of what''s happening outside my window."

    "Ding, Ding, Ding."

    As they were talking, Owen''s phone rang.

    He checked the caller ID and answered the call in front of Cecilia.

    Cecilia didn''t know who was calling him and didn''t care. She took out her own phone and saw a pile

    of WhatsApp messages.

    Aside from messages from her ssmates, there were also messages from the group chat with her

    three closest friends. Tiffany seemed very excited.

    Cecilia asked in the group chat, "Tiffany, what''s the good news that got you so excited?"

    Tiffany readily admitted, "I''m going to be a mom."

    Cecilia: "You got pregnant this quickly?"

    That night, the three of them had gone to Neon Nectar Nightclub together.

    "It''s been about a month, I guess."

    Lucinda was the one to respond.

    Then, the two friends congratted Tiffany on bing a mom in the group chat.

    Darlene didn''t respond.

    Cecilia heard Owen''s low voice on the phone, demanding, "Have your boss personally deliver it to

    me."

    Then, he hung up the call.

    Cecilia thought to herself, whoever had just called Owen must have ticked him off.

    This man, despite his short temper, was surprisingly patient with her. Even back when they first met,

    she had dumped a bucket of ice water over him. It got him hopping mad and even gave him a cold,

    but he never held it against her.

    "I''ve set a date for the wedding with Liam. It''s the eighth of next month, which is half a month away,"

    Tiffany dropped another piece of good news.

    Cecilia asked her, "Isn''t this a bit rushed?"

    Lucinda, who was now living with Tiffany at Ascend Estate and knew everything, responded to her

    friend: "Tiffany and Liam are childhood sweethearts, and both families have been prepared for this

    for a long time. You could say everything is ready except for the right moment. Half a month''s time

    is not rushed for them at all."

    The engagement gifts, the wedding ce, everything had been quietly prepared by both families.

    The lovebirds only had to y their parts as bride and groom.

 Chapter 397

    Chapter 397

    Mr. Liam was getting antsy.

    He couldn''t wait to make Tiffany his wife.

    Sure, they were living together already, but marriage was a whole different ball game.

    Cecilia, meanwhile, was happily congratting Tiffany, a hint of envy in her voice.

    It was only Darlene who remained silent in their group chat. Cecilia sent her a quick mention.

    After a while, Darlene replied, "Caught up with my sister. Congrats, Tiffany."

    Turned out, she''d just received a call from one of her contacts informing her that the esteemed

    gentleman, Owen, had requested that she personally deliver the results of an investigation.

    Darlene suspected that Owen was curious about the real identity of the woman behind her

    renowned detective agency.

    She had always been low-profile and rarely interacted directly with clients, but her agency had

    gained quite a reputation in Pinehurst, sparking interest in the boss¡¯ identity.

    But Darlene had no intention of revealing herself to Owen. Instead, she dispatched her most trusted

    assistant to meet with him. After all, no one knew she was the one running the show, not even her

    own sister.

    Owen, oblivious to all this, noticed Cecilia''s cheerful demeanor and asked, "What''s the good news?

    Share it with me."

    "Tiffany is getting married and she asked me to be her bridesmaid," Cecilia revealed.

    At that, Owen''s eyes lit up. If Cecilia was going to be Tiffany''s bridesmaid, it would only be fitting for

    him to be Liam''s best man. But that was easier said than done, considering he had no rtionship

    with Liam and was viewed as an enemy by the Anderson family, who were on Stefan''s side.

    It would be incredibly awkward for him to ask Liam, "Hey, can I be your best man?"

    Feeling a bit deted, Owen sighed, "Liam is one lucky guy."

    He made it seem so easy, winning the heart of a beautiful woman and having it all. Cecilia chose

    not to respond and they continued their meal in silence.

    When the food delivery arrived, they ate infortable silence. Seeing Cecilia enjoying her meal,

    Owen found his appetite whetted too.

    The coffee shop was usually quiet in the evening.

    Around nine, Basil clocked out. Seeing no customersing in, Cecilia decided to close up early.

    Owen was more than happy to help, seeing it as an opportunity to spend more time with Cecilia.

    Once the shop was closed, Owen, like a magician, produced two movie tickets, "How about a

    movie?"

    "At this hour?" Cecilia raised an eyebrow but took the tickets nheless. It was for a new release,

    a horror film with excellent reviews. Despite the genre, she was interested in watching it.

    "It''s notte, the night is just starting," Owen reasoned.

    After some thought, Cecilia agreed. Owen''s face lit up at her response, causing Cecilia tough,

    "You''re acting like you''ve never seen a movie before."

    "In a cinema? No, I haven''t."

    Having a home theater, Owen had never felt the need to go to a cinema. Moreover, Ruby, the girl he

    used to like, was never interested in going either.

    Cecilia was left speechless.

    Owen took her hand and Cecilia didn''t resist. He gripped her hand tightly, nervous that she might

    pull away. Despite having had physical contact before, he felt as jittery as a teenager, his heart

    racing at the simple act of holding her hand.

    Half an hourter, Owen was watching Cecilia, who was engrossed in the movie and munching on

    the snacks he''d prepared for her. Despite the terrifying plot, she didn''t seem scared at all.

    He had been ready tofort her in case she got scared, but she seemed perfectly fine.

    Meanwhile, the other couples in the cinema were huddled together, the women seekingfort in

    their partners'' arms.

    Owen could only sigh. Cecilia probably wouldn''t be scared of a prowler either.

    He wondered if the hero-saving-the-damsel scenario he had nned would be of any use.

    "Cecilia," he called out.

    "Hmm?" She nced at him before returning her attention to the movie.

    "Are you scared?" he asked after a moment''s pause.

    "It''s just a movie, there''s nothing to be scared of," she responded before turning to him, "Are you

    scared?"

    "It''s quite terrifying," he confessed.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Ceciliaughed, "You can just look away."

    After a moment''s thought, she added, "You can move closer if you want."

    With that, Owen unashamedly buried his face in Cecilia''s chest, startling her so much that she

    dropped her snacks.

    "Cecilia, I''m really scared. This movie is too terrifying," he whimpered, clinging to her and shivering

    dramatically.

    Cecilia could only roll her eyes. His antics had attracted the attention of the other moviegoers. Even

    if she wanted to p him, she couldn''t do it in front of everyone. Instead, she wrapped an arm

    around him and exined to the others, "He''s a scaredy-cat. He jumps at the slightest sound, even

    a p of thunder. He''s even scared by a movie."

    The others could only stare. They''d never seen someone make such a shameless move look so

    innocent.

    Don''t matter what others think, in the end, Owen had his way and was quite pleased with himself.

    Unfortunately, his satisfaction was short-lived. Within two minutes, Cecilia had shoved him off,

    giving his thigh a hard pinch, which nearly made him scream in pain.

    It waste at night when the movie finally ended.

    Emerging from the cinema, Owen had a bruise on his thigh, a souvenir from Cecilia''s pinch.

    Well, it served him right for pulling the same stunt one too many times.

    Initially, Cecilia might not have understood Owen''s intentions when he invited her to watch a movie.

    But when he suddenly drew her into his embrace, holding her tightly, she began to see the light.

    The first time he invited her to a movie, he chose a super scary one, probably hoping she''d be so

    frightened she would instinctively cling to him, thus closing the gap between them.

    Lucy had written about this trick in her novels.

    Could it be that this man had been reading Lucy''s novels? Taking cues from Lucy''s fictional leading

    man?

 Chapter 398

    Chapter 398

    "Cecilia, fancy somete night grub? It''s on me."

    Cecilia, not missing a step, continued to stride towards his car, responding, "After all the snacks I''ve

    had at the theater, I don''t think I can stomach another bite."

    Owen fell silent for a moment. He''d slipped up by providing too many treats.

    "Guess it''ste. Let''s head home."

    Cecilia stood by his car, looking back at him.

    "Alright."

    Owen approached, unlocking the car, courteously opening the door for her. Once she was in, he

    shut the door, circled around the car and got in himself.

    ncing at her for a moment, he asked, "Did you enjoy the movie tonight?"

    "It would''ve been better if you hadn''t been all over me."

    Owen looked genuinely apologetic. "I was really scared, didn''t expect the movie to be that

    terrifying."

    Cecilia scoffed inwardly: Yeah, right. You''re such a bad boy!

    "Next time, let''s watch something different."

    No more horror movies. Something romantic, something sweet.

    Cecilia didn''t respond.

    Owen started the car, driving her home.

    As they approached her home, a narrowne, Cecilia asked him to stop.

    "It''s too narrow for you to turn around easily. Just drop me off here, I can walk the rest of the way."

    Owen peered down the dimly lit alley, faintly lit by a few streetmps. His eyes flickered with worry,

    "It''ste, don''t you think it''s dangerous for you to walk alone? What if you run into a drunkard or a

    pervert?"

    Cecilia had already exited the car.

    "People who live here are all old friends. We''ve known each other for decades. There''s no danger."

    "You should head home, goodnight."

    Cecilia waved him goodnight and disappeared into the alley under his watchful gaze.

    Owen got out of the car and followed silently.

    Cecilia noticed but didn''tment. She even gave him a few points in her mind.

    Ever since he''d left Ruby, his positive attributes seemed to be increasing.

    In truth, he''d always had many positive traits but they had all been directed towards Ruby.

    Old neighborhoods like this one, even with streetlights, were dimly lit. Some of the lights were even

    broken, no one had bothered to rece them.

    The areas without light were particrly dark.

    As Cecilia walked into the darkest part of thene, she suddenly noticed a shadow darting towards

    her.

    The shadow wasing at her and instinctively, she dodged the glinting object in its hand.

    It was a knife!

    "A robbery."

    She heard a low voice.

    Immediately, the figure lunged at her again.

    Cecilia didn''t think twice, she shot her foot out to kick the robber, but he swung the knife at her leg.

    "Cecilia, watch out!"

    Owen, who had been following behind, rushed forward.

    His shout distracted the robber, causing him to miss Cecilia''s leg, giving her the chance to pull back.

    Suddenly, another shadow darted out, revealing a second robber.

    Two robbers, both with weapons.

    "Cecilia."

    Owen rushed forward, standing in front of Cecilia. As the robbers lunged at them with their knives,

    he sprung into action, effortlessly repelling them. In the scuffle, he was nicked by one of the robber''s

    des.

    He bit back the pain, disarming the robbers before they could react. Realizing they were

    outmatched, the robbers fled into the darkness, disappearing without a trace.

    Owen made to follow them but was stopped by Cecilia.

    "Don''t chase after them, it''s too dark. If they have other aplices, you might fall into a trap."

    Content is ? by N?velDrama.Org.

    Owing to the darkness, Cecilia hadn''t noticed Owen''s injury.

    All she saw was Owen''s exceptionalbat skills. He''d disarmed the robbers and chased them off

    in no time. Without Owen, she would''ve been able to fend them off but it would''ve been much more

    difficult.

    "I swear your mouth is cursed. I''ve been walking this path at night for years and nothing''s ever

    happened. But the moment you mention danger, I get mugged."

    Cecilia grumbled, retrieving her phone and using the shlight to locate the discarded des.

    She moved closer, picking up the two knives, only to realize that one was a toy.

    She sighed.

    Yet, in such a situation, who could''ve told the difference?

    There seemed to be blood on the real knife.

    Cecilia shone her shlight on it, even touching the de. It was indeed blood.

    She tossed the knife away, quickly spinning around and rushing back to Owen. "Are you hurt?

    Where?"

    She scanned him with her shlight, the beamnding on his right arm where a wound was

    bleeding.

    "It''s nothing, just a scratch from their knife. It''s a superficial wound."

    "Let''s go to my ce first. I have some first aid supplies. Once we''ve stopped the bleeding, we can

    head to the hospital."

    Cecilia tugged him along.

    Fortunately, her home was nearby.

    They quickly arrived at the Yates'' residence.

    The Yates were already asleep.

    Cecilia found the family''s first aid kit, using the disinfectant, hemostatic agent, and bandage to treat

    his wound.

    "Cecilia, what''s going on?"

    Devon, who''d been sleeping lightly, woke up at the noise. He came out of his room to find his

    granddaughter treating Owen''s wound. He walked over, concern evident in his voice.

    "Owen, who did you get into a fight with at this hour?"

    "Grandpa, I was attacked by robbers. Mr. Martinez helped me fend them off but he got a little hurt in

    the process. I''ve performed some basic first aid but we need to go to the hospital."

    As she exined, Cecilia got up to fetch her brother''s car keys.

    "Cecilia, use my car."

    Owen reminded her.

    His car was still parked outside.

    Hearing about the robbery, Devon asked anxiously, "Cecilia, are you alright? Were you robbed?

    How did this happen?"

    "I''m fine. Several of the streetlights are broken and no one''s reced them. It''s quite dark, so it''s

    not surprising that it would attract criminals."

    Cecilia hadn''t given it much thought.

    Owen was feeling a little guilty.

    He''d orchestrated the whole thing in an attempt to y the hero and change the Yates family''s

    perception of him.

    If Cecilia ever found out...

    No!

    He''d rather drop dead than spill the beans, unless his enemy blew his cover.

    Stefan, he wouldn''t, would he?

    Owen was a tad unsure. He figured he''d have to catch up with Stefan when he had a moment,

    make him swear to secrecy.

    Sigh, having an enemy who knew him inside out was a real pain in the neck.

    But then, a thought struck Owen and he eased up. The very person who dished out his dirty tricks

    was Stefan.

    If Stefan dared to spill the beans, he''d run to Lucinda and tattle. It would be a lose-lose situation.

    Humph!

 Chapter 399

    Chapter 399

    "I need to get someone to fix that broken streetlight tomorrow."

    As Devon watched his granddaughter tending to Owen''s wound, he asked, "Is Owen''s injury

    severe?"

    Owen quickly responded, "Grandfather, I''m fine, it''s just a minor cut."

    "It''s not deep, but we can''t take it lightly. I''ll take him to the hospital to get it properly disinfected and

    dressed."

    Cecilia picked up Owen''s car keys and helped him to his feet, telling her grandfather, "Grandpa, I''m

    going to take him to the hospital."

    "Have your brother apany you."

    Devon, recalling the recent mugging and the broken streetlight, thought it would be safer if his

    grandson apanied them.

    Cecilia and Owen wanted to refuse, but they could already hear movement upstairs.

    The rest of the Yates family had been awakened.

    They found out that Cecilia had been mugged on her way home and Owen, concerned for her

    safety, had followed her and intervened, getting cut by the mugger''s knife in the process.

    Once they understood the situation, their looks towards Owen softened.

    In the end, Hudson apanied them to the hospital.

    By the time they arrived at the hospital, Owen''s wound had stopped bleeding.

    However, the doctor still cleaned and dressed the wound again.

    As they left the hospital, they were stopped by a stranger.

    "Are you Mr. Owen?" the stranger politely inquired.

    Owen quickly sized him up, determined he didn''t know him, and asked coldly, "Who are you?"

    The stranger remained polite, "I am the owner of Cipher Detectives."

    He handed a file over to Owen, "You specifically asked me to deliver these results personally. This

    is the investigation that you had our agency conduct."

    Upon receiving his boss'' assignment, he had tracked Owen down.

    Owen epted the investigation results, asking indifferently, "How did you know I was here?"

    The man simply smiled, "Your recent movements have been easy to track, and since I''m in this line

    of work and you sought our help, it''s a testament to our capabilities."

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    Owen remained silent.

    Recently, in his pursuit of Cecilia, his movements had be transparent. In the man''s words,

    even he had acknowledged their capabilities.

    It was only natural that they knew his whereabouts.

    "Mr. Martinez, now that I''ve delivered the item, I''ll be leaving. Please contact us if you need our

    services again."

    The assistant left promptly, leaving Owen with the impression that the man had intentionally

    delivered the results in front of Cecilia and her brother.

    The siblings didn''t ask about the matter.

    Owen''s reputation in Pinehurst made them aware that he might conduct some shady business, like

    investigating others.

    Owen certainly couldn''t exin to them that he was investigating his romantic rival. He couldn''t let

    Cecilia know.

    With Owen''s arm injured, Hudson decided to drive his sister home before taking Owen.

    The night quietly came to an end.

    Owen had a pleasant dream where he sessfully wooed Cecilia. In the dream, they had a grand

    wedding where Cecilia wore a gown he had custom-made for her. She was so beautiful that he

    couldn''t take his eyes off her.

    When he woke up, he savored the dream for a while before reluctantly epting that it was just a

    dream.

    "Cecilia!" Owen murmured her name.

    His phone rang.

    Seeing that it was Cecilia calling, he was overjoyed. She only contacted him when she needed his

    help, otherwise, she was too frugal to spend on phone charges.

    "Cecilia," Owen answered, sounding weak.

    It was intentional. He wanted Cecilia to show him some concern.

    Since he had used his archenemy''s advice, he had to use it to strengthen their bond.

    "Did you just wake up? Or is your wound hurting? Do you have a fever?"

    "The wound hurts, but I don''t think I have a fever. Let me check."

    Owen touched his forehead and told Cecilia, "No fever. I''m not that weak that a small wound would

    cause a fever."

    Cecilia assumed he had just woken up.

    "You have a wound, rest at home today, don''t go anywhere."

    "Just a small wound, I''ll be fine. But it really hurts."

    Cecilia silently said, "Don''t rush over like you didst night. Criminals usually have weapons."

    "As long as you''re in danger, I''ll rush over, regardless of who it is."

    She asked, "Am I worth it?"

    "Absolutely! Cecilia, my feelings for you are genuine. I really like you and want to start over with

    you. I won''t force you though. I know what you''re worried about. Let''s let time prove everything."

    Owen saw their problem as simple. Cecilia had not fallen in love with him and didn''t want to marry

    him. Everything else could be resolved.

    "It''s still early. Get some more sleep. I''m going to go eat breakfast."

    Cecilia didn''t respond directly to Owen''s confession.

    Owen didn''t press for an answer.

    The worst-case scenario was the present situation.

    "I believe things will get better."

    After ending the call, sleep was thest thing on Owen''s mind. He got up and headed towards the

    bathroom.

    Just as he stepped into the bathroom, his phone rang again.

    Assuming it was Cecilia, he had barely taken off his shirt when he rushed out of the bathroom to

    answer the call.

    But it was his bodyguard, Jay, on the other line.

    "Sir, our n fromst night didn''t go ordingly; we never saw you and Ms. Yates show up."

    Owen: "So the muggersst night weren''t you guys?"

    Jay seemed taken aback, "Sir, you and Ms. Yates ran into muggers?"

    The pieces clicked together for Owen. The events fromst night weren''t a plot concocted by him,

    they had genuinely run into muggers.

    He immediately let loose a string of curses, verbally tearing the mugger''s ancestors apart.

    At the same time, he realized the route Cecilia took home was no longer safe.

 Chapter 400

    Chapter 400

    Jay sat in silence, listening as Owen cursing the bandit who had dared to cross him.

    Ever since Owen had fallen for Ms. Yates, he had be more human, more down-to-earth.

    The power of love, it seemed, could truly change a man.

    When Owen finally ran out of steam, Jay ventured to ask, "Sir, do you want to go after the bandit?"

    "Spread the word that I was attacked and injured by a bandit. The scoundrel will turn himself in."

    Given Owen''s reputation, the mere hint of his involvement in the bandit''s capture could send the

    rogue running to the sheriff''s office, saving them the trouble of a manhunt.

    "And rece the streetlights in that alley, they''re too dim."

    Cecilia''s route home was a dangerous one. It gave Owen an excuse to escort her every day, but he

    couldn''t ignore the problem forever.

    "Look into the bandit. If he doesn''t turn himself in, we''ll take him to the sheriff ourselves."

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Understood."

    With his orders given, Owen ended the call.

    Recalling the detective agency''s report from the previous evening, he retrieved it from his desk and

    settled down on the sofa.

    "Arno, let''s see what kind of saint you are, hiding your secrets even from me."

    Sarcasmced Owen''s words as he pulled out the report on Avery and began to read.

    After finishing, he rose abruptly, forgoing even a change of clothes, and headed out the door.

    The Harrison estate was quiet in the early morning.

    Its residents were not early risers.

    Only Trenton, troubled by insomnia in his advanced age, would rise early to do exercises.

    When Owen emerged from the house, he spotted his grandfather in the yard, practicing his morning

    routine with his cousin, Harry Harrison, who had always coveted Owen''s position.

    Harry was no less capable than Owen.

    It was simply a matter of lineage. As the eldest son, Owen held the advantage. Harry born to a

    different mother, and the patriarch clearly favored his first wife''s children. Despite his abilities, Harry

    was overlooked for the role of heir.

    Unless Owen screwed up, did something that would disgrace theirpany, his grandfather

    wouldn''t remove him from his position as CEO.

    In the past, Owen had been deeply in love with Ruby. His devotion to her often led him to make

    decisions that displeased his grandfather. Harry¡¯s family members saw this as an opportunity and

    silently cheered Owen on, hoping he would lose his position as heir. However, Owen ended up

    breaking up with Ruby.

    All thanks to Stefan, who had pulled some strings.

    Harry was resentful, but he remained powerless. His only recourse was to curry favor with his

    grandfather, hoping that when the time came to divide the family fortune, they wouldn''t be

    neglected.

    "Good morning, brother."

    Harry greeted Owen with a respectful nod.

    "Morning."

    In front of his grandfather, Owen made an effort to maintain a civil facade, returning his cousin''s

    greeting.

    "What happened to your arm?"

    Harry paused his practice to ask, concern coloring his tone.

    Spotting the bandage wrapped around Owen''s arm, Trenton also halted his movements.

    Seeing his grandson clutching a piece of paper, his expression grim, Trenton had a hunch about

    what was going on.

    "I got into a brawl with a bandit while escorting your sister-inw homest night. Got a bit hurt."

    Owen exined.

    "But didn''t you divorce your wife?"

    That piece of news had been leaked by Owen''s mom.

    Owen''s expression darkened. He knew his mother couldn''t keep her mouth shut and had likely

    spread the news of his divorce with Cecilia.

    Despite this, he had no intentions of marrying some high-societydies his mother chose. Marriage

    was a lifelongmitment. If he couldn''t marry the woman he loved, he''d rather stay a bachelor.

    He wouldn''t settle.

    "Who said divorced couples can''t get back together? Cecilia will be your sister-inw once again."

    Harryughed, "Then good luck, brother. Win your wife back soon."

    "Don''t worry, it''s only a matter of time. Grandfather, there''s something I need to discuss with you."

    Harry noticed the paper in Owen''s hand. He was curious about its contents but knew better than to

    ask. He excused himself, "Grandfather, I''ll go change and join you for breakfastter."

    "Alright."

    Once Harry had left, Trenton headed back into the house, with Owen in tow.

    "Grandfather, Avery was your doing!"

    Avery had no real background. It was easy to dig up his past. The only reason Owen hadn''t been

    able to was because his grandfather was pulling the strings.

    No wonder.

    He had thought his skills werecking, but his grandfather had been meddling.

    Thinking about how his grandfather had sent someone topete with him for his wife made

    Owen''s blood boil.

    Did his grandfather think he wasn''t having a hard enough time winning his wife back?

    "What''s the point of asking when you already know the answer?"

    Trenton showed no remorse.

    He sat down on the living room sofa, taking the report from Owen and scanning it. "Cipher

    Detectives do have some skills, uncovering this matter so clearly."

    "Grandfather, why would you do this? I thought you liked Cecilia. Why sabotage me?"

    "Didn''t you read the report? Avery is gay. He''s interested in men. He''s a man of Cedric''s, and he

    only agreed to my conditions for the sake of Cedric''s business."

    Owen had missed this detail.

    He had been so furious at discovering his grandfather''s involvement that he had overlooked it.

    If his grandfather weren''t an elder, Owen would have lost his temper.

    Choking back his anger, Owen finally managed to respond, "What if he changes his preference

    because of Cecilia?"

    "If you can''t evenpete with a gay man, who can you me? me yourself for being

    ipetent."

    "It''s not like I¡¯m holding you back, I¡¯m giving you a push. Without me meddling, would you have

    realized your feelings for Cecilia? Maybe you''d still be stuck, lost, unable to climb out of that pit

    Ruby pushed you into. By the time you''d managed to get out on your own, Cecilia might''ve moved

    on, and you wouldn''t have a shot at winning her back."

    Trenton spoke, his gaze filled with disapproval as he looked at Owen.

    "Look at you. You can''t even get The Ike Group to surpass Ascend Global. In love, you''re no

    better than Stefan. If it weren''t for me intervening, who knows where you''d be now."

    Owen: "If you''re that disappointed in me and so fond of Stefan, why don''t you make him your

    grandson?"

    Always judging him, thinking he had no pride?

 Chapter 401

    Chapter 401

    Old Mr. Martinez sighed with a tinge of envy, "I''ve thought about it, but Mr. Anderson wouldn''t dream

    of trading his grandson for mine."

    Owen was left speechless.

    "Mr. Anderson won''t swap Stefan for you. But it wouldn''t hurt to have someone else in the

    exchange, right?"

    Grandpa was just green with envy over the Andersons'' golden boy.

    "Maybe it''s just fate. No matter how hard we try, we can''t seem to outdo the Andersons. I''m no

    match for Mr. Anderson, and you, my boy, are no Stefan."

    Old Mr. Martinez heaved sighs for a while before turning to his grandson, "Owen, you need to hurry

    up and win back Cecilia. Once you two are remarried, get busy with having kids. If you have a son

    and Stefan has a daughter, we''ll unite the families through marriage. We may not be able to beat

    the Andersons, but if we marry into their family or they into ours, and get one of ours as the next

    Mrs. Anderson, ha! That''s not too shabby!"

    Owen just stared at his grandfather, speechless.

    Bing part of the Andersons seemed to be Grandpa''s lifelong wish if he couldn''t beat them.

    "Cecilia''s best friend is Lucinda Moore, right? It''s not out of the realm of possibility for you to

    be inws."

    Old Mr. Martinez grew more and more enamored with the idea.

    The thought of his great-granddaughter marrying into the Andersons and bing the next

    matriarch was just too delightful. And knowing the Anderson family''s reputation, their men doted on

    their wives. Wouldn''t his great-granddaughter call the shots then?

    "What if we both end up with sons?" Owen asked. "Or what if we both have daughters who fall for

    the same guy or gal? That''d make us rivals instead."

    He red at his grandson and snapped, "Can''t you think positively for once?"

    "One must always prepare for the worst."

    "What''s with your arm? Was it really a robber, or did you stage the whole thing?"

    Old Mr. Martinez changed the subject, fearing another round of this conversation might send him to

    an early grave.

    It was no small feat for him to have made it to this ripe old age.

    "It was really a robber."

    After a pause, Trenton asked, "Is it bad?"

    "Just a scratch."

    "Pity."

    Owen frowned, "Are you saying you wish my arm was broken?"

    "If it were more serious and you were hospitalized, Cecilia would naturally be by your side every

    day. That''s the best chance to rekindle a romance. As it stands, with just a scratch, the most you''ll

    get from her is a daily phone check-in."

    Owen didn''t know how to respond.

    "Alright, I''ve got the lowdown. Go get changed ande down for breakfast. Harry knows to keep

    mepany; you''re always off gallivanting somewhere."

    "I''ve been busy chasing after your future granddaughter-inw," Owen retorted before heading

    upstairs with Avery''s investigative report in hand.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Serendipity Cafe.

    When Cecilia arrived, the cafe was already open, it¡¯s Lucinda.

    Cecilia walked in to find Lucinda wiping down a decoration on the counter and asked, "Lucy, aren''t

    you supposed to be with your folks today?"

    "They headed back home after breakfast."

    Stefan had arranged for a car to take her parents back.

    Even her biological mother had left to revisit her roots.

    Lucinda had wanted to personally see her parents off, but they''d insisted she stay put, so she

    relented to Stefan''s transport arrangements.

    She felt a touch blue, thinking her parents didn''t want her home. But then she remembered she had

    work the next day, and figured they just didn''t want her worn out. With that, her gloom lifted.

    "Mrs. Bright went with them?"

    "Yep."

    Her biological father stayed behind, not wanting to taint her mother''s spirits.

    Now aware of the burdens her father bore, Lucinda yearned to speak well of him to her mother, but

    her attempts were always cut short.

    "Cecilia, why don''t you take a break from the cafe today and visit Owen?" Lucinda suggested, a

    mischievous glint in her eye.

    Cecilia was taken aback. "You heard about Owen''s injury?"

    Word travels fast.

    "Stefan mentioned it. He said you encountered a muggerst night while Owen was dropping you

    off, and Owen got a bit hurt. No matter how minor, he did it for you. You owe him a visit."

    There was a teasing undertone in Lucinda''s voice that Cecilia couldn''t ignore, yet she remained

    stubborn. "It''s just a scratch. I''ve already called to check on him this morning."

    "Still, he got that scratch because of you. A phone call isn''t enough."

    Lucinda stepped around the counter, grinning cheekily at her friend. "Surprise him with a visit. He''s

    given you plenty of surprises; don''t be stingy, give him one too."

    "Lucy, you''re forgetting he''s your guy''s arch-rival. You sound like you''re on his side."

    Cecilia teased back.

    Lucindaughed heartily, "He and Stefan only spar in business, no real bad blood. You know, they

    grew up together. In a nicer way of putting it, they''re childhood friends. The thing is, I want you to be

    happy!"

    Touched, Cecilia embraced her friend.

    Lucinda gently pushed her away, still smiling, "I want all the people I care about to be happy. Owen

    might have been a bit of a rake in the past, but he''spletely devoted to you now. Everyone has a

    past, but as long as he loves only you now and in the future, that''s all that matters."

    "Cecilia, I''m not just making excuses for Owen. He''s truly worthy of your lifelongmitment."

    Cecilia eyed her best friend suspiciously. "I''m beginning to think Owen slipped you some cash to

    sing his praises."

    Lucinda chuckled, but her smile quickly faded into a more serious expression. "I just think we need

    to appreciate what we have, you know? To treasure the here and now."

    "If we let misunderstandings pile up or just let chances slip by, we''re going to end up with a lifetime

    of regrets. Like my folks."

    Cecilia''s thoughts drifted to Nathan Blue and Janice Bright. She didn''t know the details of their past,

    but their current situation was enough to tug at anyone''s heartstrings.

    Then she pondered her own rtionship with Owen. Sure, they had their fair share of puzzles to

    solve, but their obstacles seemed trivialpared to the family drama Lucinda faced. With Owen,

    life was easygoing and joyful. As long as they both cherished what they had and gave each other a

    chance, they could find happiness.

    Cherish what you have.

    Because what you take for granted might be something someone else is desperately praying for.

    "So, Lucy, are you minding the store today? Is it a good time?"

    "Of course, it''s fine. It''s my turn to run the shop this weekend anyway. You covered for me all day

    yesterday."

    Cecilia picked up her purse again and said to her friend, "Then I''m off to buy some presents and

    pay a visit to the Martinez family. A little thank-you and a friendly check-in."

    "Go on, then. Pick up some iron-rich foods; Mr. Malicious must have lost quite a bit of blood during

    his ident, he needs to replenish."

    With a nod, Cecilia turned on her heel and left.

    Once she was gone, Lucinda chuckled to herself. "When two hearts are in harmony, why y it so

    tough?"

 Chapter 402

    Chapter 402

    After Cecilia left, Stefan and Keith walked in together.

    "Stefan, bro, what brings you guys here?"

    Lucinda greeted them with a warm smile.

    Neither man had brought their bodyguards; in Pinehurst, Keith always felt most at ease.

    He had great faith in his brother-inw''s ability to keep things safe, believing that on his turf, there

    was no need to worry about any threats.

    "Is it unwee for your brother toe for a coffee? Or do you think I''m just being a third wheel?"

    Keith spoke with a yful grin, not pausing as he picked a spot to sit down, making it clear that

    even as a third wheel, he was there to stay.

    Stefan''s gaze was tender as he looked at Lucinda. "Cecilia''s not around, right? I thought I''de

    over and lend a hand. I''m just loafing around at home anyway."

    Since tying the knot, his weekends were always spent with Lucinda.

    Their friends teased him for abandoning them for his woman.

    Stefan, however, stood his ground firmly, dering that it was Lucinda he''d be with for life, so of

    course, she took precedence.

    That left his friends without aeback.

    "Where''s Dad?"

    "He¡¯s with my dad." Stefan replied.

    Lucinda nodded in understanding.

    "Need any help with anything?"

    Lucindaughed, "Not at the moment, but I might need your helpter when it gets busy."

    "Bro, do you want some coffee?" she asked Keith.

    "Pour me a cup, will you? I had a rough night and I''m dragging today," Keith responded.

    Lucinda went to prepare coffee for him.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    "You seem pretty chipper to me, not like someone who had a rough night," she teased as she

    brewed the coffee.

    Keith approached, watching his little sister with an amused expression, "Just an expression."

    At that moment, someone else entered.

    Everyone assumed it was a customer, but when Lucinda and her husband saw who it was, her

    smile vanished, while Stefan remained unfazed.

    The neer was George Mitchell.

    Lucinda''s only boyfriend before Stefan.

    George had tried to rekindle things with Lucinda even after moving on to someone else. Lucinda

    had told his wife about his antics, leading to their divorce. Mrs. Mitchell had even thanked Lucinda

    for revealing George''s true nature.

    In Mrs. Mitchell''s eyes, George was a social climber who lost his status after the divorce and

    couldn''t make it in Pinehurst. He left town.

    Lucinda hadn''t seen him in months, and had almost forgotten himpletely until he walked in

    today.

    For Lucinda, George was a closed chapter.

    Back then, she and George had shared a real connection, and it was she who made the first move

    in their rtionship. They had kept things proper, but her psychological barriers had vanished when

    she met Stefan.

    Reflecting on it, Lucinda couldn''t help but marvel at how she and Stefan seemed destined to be

    together.

    Lucinda had contemted marriage with George, but he chose betrayal. Even knowing that Stefan

    had a hand in their breakup, she harbored resentment towards George.

    His betrayal had worried her mother, prompting her to set up blind dates in hopes of healing the

    wounds George left, unwittingly pushing her into the trap Stefan hadid.

    "What are you doing here?"

    Lucinda''s voice was calm as she looked at George like a stranger.

    Keith nced between his sister and brother-inw, leaning in to ask Stefan in a low voice, "Who''s

    he?"

    Stefan pursed his lips before replying softly, "Lucy''s ex, my former rival."

    George hadn''t expected Stefan to be there. After hesitating, he stepped forward with a pleading

    tone, "Lucinda, can we talk in private?"

    Lucinda looked to Stefan, who smiled back at her reassuringly. She felt a warmth inside; Stefan had

    trust in her and gave her the freedom to handle her personal matters, even if it pained him.

    "Just give me a moment," Lucinda said. "You can take a seat and I''ll be right there after I finish

    making the coffee."

    George nodded, turned to see Stefan, faltered as if to say something, but ultimately stayed silent

    and took a seat in the corner, a far cry from his former self-assured presence.

    Without Mrs. Mitchell, George was nothing.

    But it was all of his own doing.

    He thought he could have his cake and eat it too, but he was wrong.

    If he had known Lucinda was part of the prominent Blue family, he would never have left her.

    Too bad he realized toote.

    "Lucinda," George started with difficulty, "how have you beentely?"

    "Very well," she replied, her voice devoid of emotion as she ced a cup of coffee before him.

    There sat Lucinda, more beautiful and poised than ever, the greenness of her past reced with a

    mature allure. She was a flower in full bloom, but not for George. It was Stefan she blossomed for.

    If only he''d known what he had before it was lost.

    George choked on his words, his face a portrait of desperation. Lucinda, the beacon of grace and

    poise, was untouchable now. She had married into the prestigious Anderson n, bing the

    darling daughter-inw of the high society that once deemed her a mismatch. But time had revealed

    that she and her husband were the perfect match, a union of equal stature and merit.

    "What are you trying to say, George?" Lucinda inquired with a cool detachment.

    "Lucinda, I need to see my wife, but she refuses to meet me. Could you, perhaps, help me out? Or

    maybe could you lend me some money? It wouldn''t be much for you, just around fifty or sixty

    thousand."

    Her refusal was as swift as it was firm. "I won''t get involved in your affairs with your ex-wife, George.

    That''s none of my business. And as for lending money, you''ve definitelye to the wrong ce."

    Lucinda had closed the chapter on George; their past was just that¡ªpast. Clean and absolute.

    Lending money to George would mean maintaining a connection, however tenuous. How would

    Stefan feel about that? Even if he trusted her implicitly, she had no intention of doing anything that

    might upset him.

    "Lucinda, I really need the cash. Work''s been rough, and my marriage is in shambles. I want to start

    my own business. I''ll pay you back, I promise, with interest," George pleaded, his eyes avoiding

    hers.

    He couldn''t confess that he was drowning in gambling debts, hounded by collectors to the brink of

    desperation. Hisst hope was to reach out to his ex-wife, to plead for a loan on ount of the child

    they had once expected together. But she wouldn''t even see him, leaving him no choice but to

    shamelessly turn to Lucinda.

    "George," Lucinda''s voice was ice, "as I''ve said, you''re seeking help in the wrong ce. If this is the

    only reason for your visit, I must ask you to leave."

    Rising from her seat, Lucinda''s calm was unwavering. "I am a married woman, George. Please, do

    not appear before me again. I do not wish to cause my husband any distress."

    With those final words, she turned on her heel and walked towards Stefan, who was waiting for her

    with a tender gaze. She reached out to adjust his cor with a gentle touch that spoke volumes of

    their intimate bond.

    George''s departure went unnoticed by the couple. In their world, there was simply no room for

    outsiders to intrude.

 Chapter 403

    Chapter 403

    Cecilia hailed a cab and made her way to the grand Martinez estate, carrying a bag of carefully

    selected health supplements. She didn''t call Owen ahead of her arrival; instead, she simply rang the

    doorbell.

    The Martinez family''s security had been eyeing the taxi since it pulled up.

    When Cecilia stepped out, the on-duty guard was caught off guard, and it wasn''t until the doorbell

    chimed that he remembered the girl at the door was their young mistress.

    The marriage between the young master and the young mistress had been a forced affair by the

    patriarch, and it wasmon knowledge that the young master didn''t fancy his wife. Still, Trenton

    had decreed that Miss Cecilia was to be their young mistress.

    Despite knowing she was not particrly wee, the guard didn''t dare to bar Cecilia''s entry. He

    hurried out of the guardhouse, opened the door, and greeted her respectfully, "Mrs. Martinez."

    Cecilia ceased ringing the bell and responded with a polite smile, rifying, "I''m not your Mrs.

    Martinez anymore."

    She and Owen had divorced and hadn''t remarried yet, the title of Mrs. Martinez no longer applied to

    her.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    The guard simply smiled, gestured for her to enter, and said, "Please,e in, Mrs. Martinez."

    Cecilia pursed her lips but chose not to correct the guard again.

    It was a worker''s life; they simply followed the orders from above.

    Cecilia entered the mansion, holding her bag of health supplements.

    In addition to the store-bought items, she had brought a pot of nourishing soup her mother had

    prepared, kept warm in an insted container, as a peace offering.

    Ba Yates, seeing her daughter''s intention to care for Owen despite the injury he sustained

    because of her, offered silent support and didn''t utter a word of protest. She had passed the scene

    of the incident that morning and still saw blood on the ground.

    Once inside the Martinez estate, the on-duty guard promptly called Derek.

    Upon learning of Cecilia''s arrival, Derek made his way to the dining room.

    Only three people were having breakfast in the dining room; the rest were still in bed.

    Derek approached the patriarch and whispered, "Sir, Cecilia has arrived."

    Mr. Martinez''s eyes sparkled briefly as he nced at his grandson and instructed softly, "Go greet

    her."

    Owen''s right arm throbbed with pain despite being bandaged, and it was affecting his ability to eat.

    If it got any worse, he might not be able to hold anything steady with his right hand.

    Harry Martinez, seated next to him, asked with concern, "Bro, do you need a hand?"

    "No, thanks," Owen replied coolly.

    He wouldn''t ept help from Harry, knowing it would be a jest to hold over himter. The

    Martinez brothers knew all too well that brotherly love and respect were not their strong suit, unlike

    the tight-knit Anderson siblings.

    Catching another glimpse of his grandson''s arm, the patriarch inquired, "Owen, is your wound

    causing much pain?"

    "It''s getting worse," Owen admitted. "I''ve informed our family doctor. He should be here soon to

    change the dressing."

    A painkiller might be necessary, as the difort was starting to interfere with his mobility.

    The patriarch nodded, "Make sure the doctor gives you something for the pain."

    Footsteps echoed down the stairs, signaling Olina''s arrival, followed by Shane Martinez.

    The couple entered the dining room and greeted the patriarch. Trenton''s regard for his daughter-in-

    law had waned over time, regretting his momentary weakness in yielding to his son''s wishes to

    marry a woman who brought nothing but vanity to the family. A wise wife was invaluable, as evident

    in the Anderson n, where each son had married well, bringing harmony and prosperity to their

    family.

    The servants promptly served Shane and Olina''s breakfast.

    "Uncle Shane, Aunt Bertha," Harry greeted them politely.

    Shane returned the greeting with warmth, while Olina barely acknowledged her nephew with a nod.

    Descending the stairs to find her brother-inw''s son dining in her home soured Olina''s mood. Yet,

    it presented an opportunity to convey a message to Ashley.

    "Dad," Olina began with a sweet smile, "I''ve invited Mrs. Dempsey and her daughter Gina over

    today. Gina is about Owen''s age and still single due to her dedication to her career. I thought it

    might be good for Owen to meet her."

    The Dempseys were known in Pinehurst as discreet tycoons, their true standing recognized only by

    those within high society.

    Olina had considered the eligible women of Pinehurst''s wealthiest families before setting her sights

    on the Dempsey heiress. Gina Dempsey might have been assertive, but she was cultured and

    refined ¨C a far cry from Cecilia.

    The patriarch responded indifferently, "If Owen is interested in seeing Gina, I have no objections.

    After his divorce and heartbreak, I won''t meddle in his affairs. Let him decide his own path."

    Owen inwardly scoffed at his hypocrisy, knowing Trenton''s words were as hollow as his pretenses.

    Olina''s face lit up with a smile as her father-inw offered no objections. Ever since she married into

    the Martinez family, despite being adored by her husband, she struggled to find her footing in the

    presence of her father-inw.

    To this day, she had yet to take her ce as the matriarch of the Martinez family.

    Her father-inw had always doubted her intelligence, believing shecked the capacity to shoulder

    the responsibilities of being the family''s leadingdy.

    The rtives were always itching to snatch that title from her.

    Her gaze shifted to her son, and that''s when she noticed the white bandage wrapped around

    Owen''s right arm. Concern flickered in her eyes as she hurriedly asked, ¡°Owen, what happened to

    your arm? Are you hurt? How did you get injured?¡±

    Shane, too, turned his attention to his son, waiting for an answer.

    ¡°Uncle, my big bro here yed the knight in shining armor.¡±

    Harry spoke up for Owen, ¡°My sister-inw wasing home from workst night when she ran

    into a mugger. Owen stepped in to defend her and ended up getting cut. So there you go, he got

    hurt.¡±

    It turned out that Owen didn''t even bother to bring a bodyguard when he was courting hisdy.

    If only.

    A sinister thought flickered through Harry''s mind, but he quickly shook it off.

    If he were topete, it had to be fair and square, nothing illegal.

    Otherwise, even if he won, he¡¯d end up spending the rest of his life behind bars. What would be the

    point of that?

    Olina replied with a hint of annoyance, ¡°What sister-inw are you talking about? Your brother isn¡¯t

    married yet. Cecilia is no longer part of this family; she and your brother got a divorce.¡±

 Chapter 404

    Chapter 404

    "He says he''s patching things up with Cecilia. Since they''re making amends, might as well keep

    calling her sister-inw. Save me the trouble of switching backter."

    Olina was fuming.

    And her heart ached seeing her son hurt over Cecilia.

    She wanted to check on his wound, but Owen stopped her.

    "Mom, it''s just a scratch, no need for drama. Your boy''s not dying."

    "Just a scratch? You''re pale as a ghost, clearly bled too much. Cecilia''s nothing but bad news. You

    never got hurt as a kid, and now look at you, all because of her. Owen, please don''t go back to her.

    She''s bad luck!"

    "Mom!"

    Owen mmed down his coffee mug, his handsome face clouded with displeasure. "Don''tsh out

    at Cecilia, alright? It''s not her fault. Cecilia isn''t bad luck, and she''s certainly not a jinx!"

    Olina was livid. "You''re defending her? Look at yourself, hurt because of her. It''s her fault. If it

    weren''t for her, would you be injured? She attracts trouble like a ma, and now you''ve gotten

    caught in it too. Owen, you need to cut ties, clean break. She''s no good for you, only dragging you

    down. Today it''s a wound because of her; tomorrow, who knows? Might be something worse, or you

    could lose your life."

    "Darling, what are you saying? You cursing our son?"

    Shane felt his wife had crossed a line, noting even Trenton''s face had turned cold.

    "Honey, I''m not cursing Owen. I''m stating facts. Think about it, have they had any good fortune

    since he''s been with Cecilia? It''s been one disaster after another. First Ruby''s mess, now Owen''s

    injury. It could lead to something worse. Cecilia''s a jinx, and it''s good they divorced. Who knows

    what could happen next if they stayed together? If she were right for him, things would be smooth

    sailing."

    Owen''s face turned stormy.

    Fed up, he retorted, "After dad married you, things weren''t always smooth, were they? Does that

    mean you''re not right for him?"

    He bit back the term ''jinx,'' out of respect for his mother.

    Olina was speechless. "Darling, you see? Owen''s ming me for defending Cecilia. I''m his mother!"

    "Owen, thatment was out of line."

    Shane tried to lighten the mood.

    The patriarch chimed in coolly, "Owen''s got a point. Olina, Shane marrying you didn''t guarantee me

    a trouble-free life. I''ve had my share of bad luck and even idents. Was that because Shane

    married you?"

    Olina stammered, "Dad, those were just idents. No life is without its ups and downs."

    "Hmph!"

    Trenton scoffed sarcastically, "So you acknowledge that life isn''t all smooth sailing and everyone

    faces trials? Then why me Cecilia for Owen''s mishap?"

    Caught off-guard, Olina muttered, "Owen was hurt because of Cecilia. It''s her responsibility, her

    fault."

    "Mom, Cecilia didn''t ask to be robbed. Besides, it was my choice to protect her. The injury was my

    own carelessness, nothing to do with her."

    He had actually hoped to get hurt, to earn Cecilia''s concern, but such things he couldn''t admit, lest

    his mother further nder Cecilia.

    The argument was interrupted by a cough.

    Derek entered, surprised to find himself in the midst of tension. He nced at Cecilia, who seemed

    unfazed by the harsh words, and he couldn''t help but feel more anxious.

    The young master was clearly smitten, chasing after Ms. Yates, yet his mother was always pulling

    the rug out from under him.

    With the things said, any person with a shred of pride would be upset.

    Ms. Yates had a strong character; surely she couldn''t be indifferent?

    If Ms. Yates remarried the young master, there would be a mother-inw to deal with, a ssic

    recipe for headaches.

    "Cecilia, what brings you here?"

    Owen''s heart raced when he saw Cecilia. He scrambled to his feet, rushing to her side, wondering

    how much she had overheard.

    Remembering Derek''s whisper to the grandfather, it must have been about Cecilia''s arrival. Trenton

    hadn''t even given him a heads-up.

    Internally grumbling, Owen suspected his grandfather was toying with him, wanting him to sweat a

    little more.

    Olina snorted coldly upon seeing Cecilia, not even granting her a nce.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Cecilia greeted everyone politely, then handed Owen a thermos, "My mom made you some soup,

    it''s good for replenishing blood. Drink it while it''s warm."

    Owen was touched. He eagerly epted the thermos, grinning broadly, "She''s so thoughtful, and

    so are you, Cecilia."

    The soup was a silver lining.

    Cecilia then handed him some supplements she had bought. "These are for you. Have some every

    day to keep your strength up."

    Owen quipped, "We''ve got everything we need at home."

    Yet his hands quickly grabbed the gifts, cherishing the care from his ex-wife. He would savor them,

    extracting every ounce of their nurturing essence.

    "I won''t disturb your meal any longer. Goodbye."

    Cecilia turned to leave after a nod to the grandfather.

    "Cecilia."

    Owen,den with the thermos and supplements, followed her. "Cecilia, you''vee all this way,

    stay a bit. Have you eaten? Join us?"

    Without pausing, Cecilia declined, "No need, I''ve eaten. The shop''s busy, I need to get back."

    And with that, she strode away, leaving a trail of unresolved feelings and unspoken words in the air

    of the tense dining room.

    Owen dashed out of the living room and mmed his things onto the coffee table before catching

    up to Cecilia, reaching out to grab her.

    "Cecilia, don''t go."

    The fact that she hade to see him of her own ord was rare; he was determined to make her

    stay.

    Cecilia shook off his grasp, her voice cool and detached. "Mr. Martinez, I''m genuinely swamped.

    You''ve got a wounded arm; you should be resting at home. Don¡¯t forget to drink your chicken soup.

    Goodbye."

    She turned to leave again.

    Owen stepped forward, recklessly wrapping his arms around her from behind, holding her tight as if

    afraid that if he let go, Cecilia would soar away.

    "Cecilia, my wound is killing me, it hurts so much I can''t even hold silverware steady. I haven¡¯t

    managed to eat a thing; I''m starving. Would you feed me, please?"

    Could this man be any more shameless?

 Chapter 405

    Chapter 405

    "You''ve got a whole army of staff at your disposal, just say the word and there¡¯s a line of people

    eager to wait on you," Cecilia said, trying to pry the arms wrapped around her waist.

    He imed his injury was so painful he couldn''t even hold cutlery steady, yet when he held her, his

    grip was strong enough that she couldn''t break free.

    He was clearly lying, deceiving her!

    Her former mother-inw couldn¡¯t stand the sight of her, ming her for Owen¡¯s injury, branding her

    a ''jinx'' that brought bad luck to men. If she stayed, facing her day in and day out would only end in

    mutual loathing.

    For the sake of it being his mother, she swallowed her anger and didn¡¯t make a scene.

    But she really didn¡¯t want to stay.

    Marriage was the union of two families. Without her mother-inw¡¯s approval, conflicts were bound

    to surface post-marriage. Perhaps this was why her family disapproved of her rtionship with

    Owen.

    Cecilia was also hesitant tomit.

    If she severed the ties now, it would still be timely, preventing future hurt.

    Upon overhearing the words Olina had spat out when she arrived with Derek, Cecilia was

    determined to distance herself from Owen.

    "I don¡¯t want them to feed me; I want you to. Cecilia, would you really be so heartless as to let me

    starve?" Owen, shamelessly clinging to her, pleaded pitifully, causing the onlookers¡¯ expressions to

    vary.

    Harry could tell his brother had genuinely fallen for Cecilia.

    He mused to himself: After Owen had let go of his fixation on Ruby, he quickly became invested in

    his feelings for Cecilia.

    Perhaps Owen¡¯s heart had died to Ruby a long time ago, but his stubbornness persisted for years,

    preventing him from truly letting go.

    With Cecilia in his life, Owen gradually shifted his focus and affection onto her, finally moving past

    Ruby.

    It was quite the turnaround, and Harry had actually rooted for Owen and Ruby, because their

    grandfather disliked Ruby. If Owen insisted on being with Ruby, it would disappoint their

    grandfather, giving Harry a chance to rise in status.

    Unfortunately, Owen hade to his senses and was able to let go of his decade-long obsession

    with Ruby.

    When Olina tried to speak, her father-inw red at her, silencing her immediately.

    Seeing everyonee out to watch, Owen reluctantly let go of Cecilia.

    The moment he released her, she headed for the door.

    "Cecilia."

    Owen followed her like a lost puppy, refusing to let go.

    "Mr. Martinez, you don¡¯t need to see me out. I can manage on my own."

    "Cecilia."

    Owen¡¯s handsome face drooped in misery, looking as pitiful as could be.

    "My mom doesn''t always think before she speaks, don¡¯t take it to heart."

    Cecilia surely had heard the nonsense his mother had said.

    Owen felt like dying of embarrassment.

    Why did he have a mother who only knew how to hold him back?

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    He was nearly thirty years old; didn¡¯t he have the freedom to choose whom to love?

    "It¡¯s not on my heart; it¡¯s etched in my brain, unforgettable. Mr. Martinez, I¡¯m the ''jinx'' you¡¯re talking

    about, the one who brings bad luck to her husband. You¡¯re better off staying away from me, lest you

    meet an untimely end because of me."

    Being called a jinx was infuriating.

    If it weren''t for the fact that Olina was Owen¡¯s mother, Cecilia would have given her a piece of her

    mind.

    Although Owen and his grandfather had countered Olina¡¯s words, Cecilia was still very bothered.

    "Cecilia, I''m sorry."

    "You¡¯ve done nothing to apologize for."

    "My mom, she just..."

    "She just doesn¡¯t like me, I get it. She¡¯s been against me since she knew I existed."

    Before, Cecilia didn¡¯t care whether Olina liked her or not because she didn¡¯t love Owen and knew

    their marriage would eventually end in divorce.

    Now, Cecilia cared about Olina¡¯s opinion because she had started to develop feelings for Owen.

    Indeed, once emotions were involved, defeat was inevitable.

    "Cecilia, my mom may not like you, but we don''t have to live with her for the rest of our lives. In the

    future, we can move out and live on our own."

    Owen was well aware that getting his mother to ept Cecilia would be difficult. His own mother

    wasn¡¯t as reasonable as Stefan¡¯s. In their circle, open-minded parents like Stefan¡¯s were rare.

    Therefore, he envied Stefan for having such liberal elders. Unlike him, his father may not have

    taken a stance, but Owen knew his father also looked down on the Yates family as being from a

    lesser background, not worthy of the Martinez lineage. His mother, on the other hand, was openly

    disdainful.

    His pursuit of marriage was fraught with unnecessary trouble and difficulty.

    Cecilia looked at Owen steadily for a moment, ultimately choosing not to delve deeper into the

    conversation, and simply said, "Mr. Martinez, I really don¡¯t want to talk about this right now. You

    should go have your soup; I''m leaving."

    With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.

    Owen didn¡¯t chase after her this time. He turned back to his family and, with a thud, knelt before his

    grandfather, bowing his head in silence.

    Trenton was startled, quickly signaling Harry to help him.

    "Owen, what are you doing?"

    "Grandfather, I have failed as your grandson. I kneel before you now to bid farewell, as I can no

    longer serve you. Consider me no longer your grandson. Hand the business over to Harry to

    manage. I¡¯m going to be a hermit."

    The room fell into stunned silence.

    "Owen!" Olina cried out, "Are you ming me for this? If you be a hermit, do you want to drive

    me to my grave?"

    Harry helped his brother to his feet, whispering, "Big bro, hang in there!"

    His brother was a man who always threw caution to the wind for love.

    A man deeply driven by his emotions.

    It had its pros and cons.

    But his brother''s readiness to renounce everything and be a hermit for Cecilia, to bravely defy

    their family, earned Harry¡¯s respect.

    If he ever found a girl he loved who wasn¡¯t epted by the family, he could learn from his big

    brother.

    The elders would never actually let them be hermits, so it was all just a tactic.

    "You don¡¯t like Cecilia and can¡¯t ept her as your daughter-inw. You¡¯re my mother; what can I

    do? I might as well give up everything and be a hermit. If I can¡¯t marry the woman I love,

    what¡¯s the point of it all? Better to be a hermit."

    Olina''s face turned a thunderous shade of purple with rage. "Owen, you''ve really crossed the line,

    threatening your own mother over Cecilia. What''s so great about her? Why must it be her or

    nothing? I don''t like her, and that''s that. Do you think you can force me to change my feelings?"

    She then cast an usatory nce towards her father-inw, ming him for the whole mess.

    If he hadn''t pushed his son into marrying Cecilia, would they be in this mess?

    "Dad, aren''t you going to do something? Owen''s talking about running off to be a hermit, for

    crying out loud. You never should have let him marry Cecilia. Sure, Ruby got a bit wild living abroad,

    but that''s just how it is over there, it''s a free-for-all. As long as she straightens up now that she''s

    back, she''s miles better than Cecilia."

    Ruby had turned herself in.

    Megan had been groveling and sweet-talking Olinately, trying her utmost to win her over.

    Olina had been close with Megan for years, and after being cajoled, her anger had slowly

    dissipated. She still believed Ruby was the right choice for her son.

    If it hadn''t been for Cecilia showing up, her son would have surely forgiven Ruby.

 Chapter 406

    Chapter 406

    Owen scowled darkly, "Mom, Ruby doesn''t love me, no matter how good I am to her, it''s pointless.

    You think I care about her deceit? My heart''s been shattered,pletely chilled to the core. Don''t

    compare Ruby to Cecilia; they''re in different leagues. Cecilia''s irreceable in my heart, and Ruby

    doesn''t evene close."

    After the mother and son fell silent, Trenton nced at Olina and dropped a bombshell, "The

    biggest mistake I ever made was agreeing to Shane marrying you."

    Olina was stunned.

    "Owen, I''ve said it before, I intervened in your marriage once, and I won''t do it again. From now on,

    you call the shots in your love life. If anyone tries to stop you, stand up to them and fight for your

    happiness."

    Trenton made himself clear, mainly because Owen had fallen for Cecilia.

    Had Owen still been smitten with Ruby, Trenton''s tune would''ve been far from so enlightened.

    "Thanks, Grandpa."

    "And no more talk of bing a hermit, but if you truly see through the world''s illusions and decide

    to renounce everything, even then, I''d support you."

    Thatstment was directed at his daughter-inw.

    He knew her well ¨C her obsession with status and prestige.

    If Owen truly renounced the world to be a hermit, it would be a blow straight to her heart.

    By then, whether Owen married Cecilia or a beggar off the streets, Olina would be begging for it to

    happen.

    "Anyway, Owen, I''ve got more than one grandchild. The Martinez family won''t becking heirs.

    Harry,e with me for a bit."

    With that, Trenton and Harry left the room.

    Olina''s face was a kaleidoscope of emotions.

    Owen turned to his mother, his voice earnest, ¡°Mom, if you can''t find it in you to like Cecilia, I won''t

    force you. But please, show her some basic respect. Don''t pin every fault on her. I''m hurting

    because I chose to. As long as she''s fine, even if it costs me my life, I''ll have no regrets."

    "The woman I love now is Cecilia, and it will be her in the future too. Ruby and I are history¡ªin fact,

    we never even had a history because she never truly belonged to me. Her heart has always

    belonged to Stefan! Your favorite daughter-inw never loved your son, not even a little bit! If you

    think so highly of Ruby, maybe Dad should marry her. She''d make a fine sister."

    "Owen, what the hell are you spouting!" Shane cursed at his son for dragging him into this mess.

    He didn''t want to admit that he, too, wasn''t fond of Ruby and her mother. He''d kept silent for the

    sake of marital peace, as they were close to his wife.

    Olina was livid at her son''s words.

    After a moment of silence, Owen didn''t say another word. He turned and carried the nourishing

    soup and tonic Cecilia had brought upstairs.

    "Honey, look at what your son is saying, driving me mad!" Olina clutched at her husband''s sleeve,

    "Aren''t you going to do something?"

    Shane removed her hand irritably, "What can I do? He''s your son, and if you can''t handle him, what

    makes you think I can? He''s closer to Dad than either of us. You should just stay out of our son''s

    marriage matters. A grown child''s decisions aren''t for their mother to make, and we haven''t exactly

    been ster parents."

    "What''s so great about Cecilia?"

    "My parents asked the same about you back in the day."

    Olina was at a loss for words.

    "You and the boys are all ganging up on me now, huh? Is Ceciliaparable to me. At least, I

    come from a respectable family!"

    "What can we do if the boy''s in love? It doesn''t matter if they''re a good match or not, as long as our

    son''s happy. If you keep holding him back and he really bes a hermit, you''ll have nowhere to

    cry. Didn''t you see Dad taking Harry out? Dad''s not short of grandsons, and Harry''s just as good as

    our son."

    Olina found herself speechless again.

    Shane sighed, "Look, their marriage won''tst forever. They''ll probably divorce at some point. Just

    let them be."

    "But if they divorce, Owen will be twice-divorced."

    "Your son''s already a divorced man."

    Olina was struck dumb once more.

    "What happened at the Martinez estate?"

    During a lull, Lucinda slid into the cashier''s booth next to her friend and asked with concern.

    Cecilia hade straight back to the shop to help out after her visit to the Martinez family. Although

    she acted like nothing was amiss, Lucinda could tell her friend was weighed down with worries.

    Cecilia was usually too restless to sit at the cashier''s desk, preferring to stay on the move, and only

    asionally pausing to tap out an update for hertest story.

    "It''s nothing," Cecilia denied, not meeting Lucinda''s gaze.

    But Lucinda wasn''t having any of it. She gently tilted Cecilia''s chin up, forcing her to look into her

    eyes. "Cecilia, we''re not strangers. You can''t hide your troubles from me. Tell me what''s on your

    mind. Maybe I can help, or at least, it''s better to vent than to keep it all bottled up. Did they give you

    trouble at the Martinez ce? Did your former mother-inw give you grief?"

    Lucinda was acutely aware of Olina''s disapproval of Cecilia.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    At the Martinez estate, the only one bold enough to upset Cecilia was Olina. Given Olina''s close ties

    with Megan, even after Ruby''s fiasco, it was easy for Megan to coax Olina back to her side.

    Lucinda inwardly sighed. Such was the life of a protagonist. As authors, they loved to craft stories

    filled with trials and tribtions, so their characters could emerge through hardship to a satisfying

    conclusion.

    Cecilia and Owen''s journey was far from over.

    ¡°I had just walked in when I overheard those words that cut me deep, Lucy. I think I''ve really fallen

    for Owen; otherwise, why would it hurt so much? I managed to hold back from pping them right

    there and then.¡±

    Anyone else who spoke about her like that would''ve gotten a taste of her backhand.

    But it was Owen''s own mother.

    So, she bit her tongue, kept her cool, and didn''t let her hand fly across Olina''s face.

    The fact that she could hold back must mean she¡¯s in love with Owen.

    Lucy stayed silent for a moment before speaking up, "Falling for someone is easy, and Owen has

    always been different with you. After he got over Ruby, the way he treated you was genuinely

    heartfelt. It''s no wonder you''d fall for him. After all, a man like him, when he pours his entire being

    into winning a woman''s heart, I bet there aren''t many who could resist."

    A good man, who gave his all to a woman, was truly intoxicating.

    Except for Ruby. She was blind to Owen''s virtues because she had Stefan topare him with.

    She could only see Stefan''s charm, missing out on Owen''s excellence.

 Chapter 407

    Chapter 407

    When I walked into his house, I overheard his mombel me a "jinx," saying I was bad luck for men

    and that her son, Owen, would only face misfortune because of me, especially since he had

    recently gotten hurt.

    Cecilia confided in her friend, "Lucy, do you think I''m really bad news for Owen? I never wanted him

    to get hurt."

    Lucinda gently tapped Cecilia''s forehead and reassured her, "Don''t let that woman get to you. She

    just doesn''t like you and will say anything to hurt you. Everyone has their share of bad luck."

    "Cecilia, I haven''t seen Owen be unlucky since meeting you. On the contrary, he''s changed for

    the better. He was so broody when I first met him, but now he''s like sunshine, happy in a way that

    can''t be hidden. You''ve brought joy into his life, like sunlight clearing away the clouds. You''ve given

    him warmth and happiness that money can''t buy."

    Cecilia chuckled, "Am I really that great? All I remember is how often we bicker, making him so

    frustrated he could throttle me."

    "If you don''t believe me, just ask Owen when he gets here. He''ll tell you that despite getting riled up,

    being with you makes him happy. You two are like a match made in heaven, always at each other''s

    throats in the most endearing way."

    Cecilia burst intoughter at her friend''s words.

    "You make him sound so pathetic, like he''s begging for a scolding."

    "It''s a ssic case of ''he loves the chase, and you love the challenge.''"

    Cecilia shook off her discontent.

    "It''s okay, I''m not upset anymore. Worst case, we part ways, and I''m not exactly doomed to be

    single."

    "It''s easy to fall in love but hard to forget someone. You talk a big game, but I know it''s tough,"

    Lucinda sighed, having been through her own struggle to move on from George.

    "What can I do? His mom just doesn''t like me, and I can''t change who I am just to please her. She

    judges me for my background, which I can''t change. If I can''t change what she doesn''t like, then I

    might as well give up on him."

    "Though it''s hard to forget someone, the feelings between me and him are still fresh. A little

    heartache now will save me painter on. At worst, I''ll just call you up for a drink when I''m feeling

    down."

    Cecilia remained spirited.

    Though she had feelings, they weren''t too deep.

    She could still easily cut ties.

    "Do you really think Owen will let you go that easily? With his persistence, you''ll end up married to

    him. As for your mother-inw, you can always live apart. Distance makes the heart grow fonder,

    after all. You''re going to be living with him, not her."

    Cecilia blushed, "Who''s married to him? Lucy, I''m envious of you. Your inws really treat you well."

    She nced at Stefan, who was mingling with the guests. He was the heir to the city''s most

    prominent family and was running the family business. But for Lucinda, he''d shed all pretenses,

    serving coffee to guests who''d never dreamed of being waited on by Mr. Coleman himself.

    As for Keith, after receiving too many stares from female patrons, he made himself scarce, iming

    he didn''t want to be the third wheel.

    Lucinda patted her friend''s shoulder, "Trust yourself. You''ll find happiness too."

    Cecilia smiled, "With a best friend like you, I already feel blessed."

    Lucinda saw Owene in, holding a bouquet. "Look, your happiness is walking through the door.

    I''ll leave you two to talk. Don''t let his mome between you."

    Owen entered with an apologetic, eager look, handing Cecilia the flowers carefully, as if afraid she

    might smack him with them.

    Cecilia didn''t immediately take the bouquet; instead, she locked eyes with him, finding nervousness

    and remorse. Her heart softened at his vulnerability, so different from the prideful man she first met.

    epting the flowers, she said, "Why give me flowers out of the blue? But they are beautiful, and I

    like them."

    She looked around, "There''s no vase to put these in."

    Relieved she wasn''t mad, Owen quickly offered, "I''ll go buy one, right now. Just wait for me."

    And off he went.

    Cecilia tried to call after him, but her voice was too faint, and he was too quick.

    "Man, he''s fast!" she muttered, admiring the flowers.

    Her phone rang. It was her grandfather.

    Worried, she answered, "Grandpa, what''s up? Are you okay? Is mom not home?"

    She thought he might be unwell, given his age and themon ailments thate with it.

    "No, I''m fine. Someone''s recing the streetlights on our block with new ones. They said Owen

    paid for them."

    Owen had done this for Cecilia. Devon''s respect for the young man grew; he was sincere,

    adaptable, and thick-skinned enough to not let his affluent background stand in the way of blending

    into their ordinary lives.

    In love, don''t try to change others, because it''s often you who ends up changing for them.

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Owen was like that, never trying to change Cecilia, but for her sake, he continually adapted himself,

    striving for harmony with Cecilia and the Yates n.

    Cecilia paused, then asked, ¡°Did they say it was Mr. Malicious who arranged for the streetlight

    recement? All of them?¡±

    Recing the lights along an entire alley wasn''t a minor task; it certainly made things easier for the

    neighborhood.

    This guy really knew how to win hearts, a single decision earning him the neighborhood''s affection.

    ¡°It was the Martinez crew who came to rece the lights, yeah, all of them. Cecilia, when did you

    start nicknaming people? The kid''s actually alright, it''s just that there''s a huge gap between our

    families. We''re against you two dating mainly because we''re afraid you''ll be under too much

    pressure if you marry into his family.¡±

    Just like that, a row of streetlights had won over Grandpa, who was now speaking on the guy''s

    behalf.

 Chapter 408

    Chapter 408

    ¡°If hees to find you again, you might just have to invite him over for lunch or something.¡±

    Devon¡¯s mood did a one-eighty in the blink of an eye.

    Cecilia tried to tease him a bit, ¡°Grandpa, the guy fixed one street light, and suddenly you''re ready

    to adopt him.¡±

    ¡°It''s not the shy stuff that gets to me,¡± Grandpa Devon replied, his voice getting softer. ¡°It''s how he

    treats you. Fixing that light, thinking about the safety of the whole street just to walk you home safe.

    That tells me he cares. And if he didn''t care about you, well, he wouldn''t have bothered at all. You

    did give him the green light to woo you. It''s not like I¡¯m pushing something you don''t want, Cecilia.¡±

    Devon¡¯s words left Cecilia without aeback.

    Her family''s opinion of Owen was pretty much mirrored in her own feelings.

    ¡°I usually order takeout for lunch. I''ll just add an extra portion for him,¡± she muttered.

    ¡°You''ll do no such thing. Have him over. Ordering in is impersonal. Plus, the boy''s injured; he needs

    a proper meal to help him heal.¡±

    Cecilia couldn¡¯t win against Grandpa Devon, so she agreed.

    After hanging up, Cecilia first pouted, then couldn¡¯t help but giggle to herself.

    Grandpa did have a point.

    Owen was thoughtful.

    He fixed problems when he saw them.

    ¡°What¡¯s got you secretly smiling over here?¡±

    Lucinda strolled over, a yful twinkle in her eye. ¡°I was just about to hit the grocery store. What are

    you in the mood for lunch?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Grandpa just called. Wants me back home for lunch.¡±

    Cecilia, still smiling, nodded at the flowers in front of her. ¡°Afterst night¡¯s fiasco, Mr. Malicious

    went ahead and reced all the street lights on the block. So, Grandpa''s invited him over for a

    home-cooked meal.¡±

    ¡°As he should,¡± Lucinda chuckled, nudging her friend. ¡°Look at you, can¡¯t even hide that sweet

    smile. You¡¯re head over heels, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°It''s easy to be happy around him, until I remember his family drama.¡±

    ¡°Give it time. They¡¯lle around once they see how amazing you are. Anyone who catches my

    Lucinda''s eye has to be a catch.¡±

    ¡°Lucy, aren¡¯t we humble?¡± Ceciliaughed.

    ¡°It¡¯s true, isn¡¯t it? My BFF is the best, right?¡±

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Ceciliaughed heartily. She was Lucy¡¯s BFF, after all. She couldn¡¯t talk herself down.

    ¡°But have you considered that maybe Owen staged the robbery?¡±

    Lucinda¡¯s suggestion wiped the smile off Cecilia''s face.

    She stared at her friend, stunned.

    Lucinda stuck out her tongue mischievously, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to cast Owen as the viin; it¡¯s an

    upational hazard, you know, thinking up plots. I¡¯ve written simr twists in my stories.¡±

    Cecilia sighed, ¡°I can''t even begin to understand how you authors think, always so over the top.¡±

    ¡°Want me to have my guy look into it?¡±

    ¡°No need. I''ll ask Owen directly. Even if he lies without batting an eyelid, his eyes will give him away.

    He can¡¯t fool my sharp instincts.¡±

    Cecilia was quite confident about that.

    If Owen lied, she was sure she would catch it.

    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯m off to shop.¡±

    Lucinda called her husband, and the two left together.

    No sooner had they left than Owen arrived with a truckload of vases, the delivery crew filling the

    shop with one beautiful piece after another. Cecilia, baffled, said to Owen, ¡°One would have been

    enough. What are we going to do with so many? You can¡¯t eat them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not much, just thirty-one. One for each day of the month. I''ll bring you fresh flowers daily, and

    once we''ve filled all the vases, we start over.¡±

    Cecilia was speechless.

    Under Owen¡¯s direction, thirty-one vases found their ce in every nook of the coffee shop.

    The counter got two.

    He grinned at Cecilia, signaling her to ce the bouquet he had brought into a vase.

    She did as instructed.

    He looked around, felt something was missing, and went out again. This time to buy thirty more

    bouquets to fill every vase.

    Cecilia watched, dumbfounded.

    Thankfully, there was a florist at the end of the street, which made Owen''s mission much easier.

    Soon, every vase was brimming with fresh flowers, adding a touch of elegance to the coffee shop.

    Cecilia snapped photos with her phone, and Owen looked on, delighted, anticipating her next

    Facebook boast.

    But Cecilia didn''t post the pictures.

    Instead, she beckoned Owen over, and he approached with an eager grin.

    ¡°Cecilia.¡±

    His smile was as radiant as the sun hanging high in the sky.

    ¡°Stop grinning like a fool.¡±

    ¡°I can be a fool for you. You already think I''m shameless.¡±

    Their true selves were on full disy when they were together ¡ª that was real honesty.

    He wasn''t like Stefan, all dark under a polished surface. Lucinda was no match for him, utterly

    charmed.

    Owen swiftly changed the topic, not wanting to incur Lucinda''s wrath or worse, have her badmouth

    him to Cecilia.

    Ceciliaughed at hisment, but then she turned serious. ¡°Owen, I need to ask you something,

    and you better be honest. If I find out you liedter, it¡¯s over between us.¡±

    Cecilia¡¯s sudden gravity scared Owen. He dropped the yful act and got serious. ¡°Ask away,

    Cecilia. I¡¯ll be an open book, no lies.¡±

    ¡°Wasst night¡¯s robbery for real, or did you stage it?¡±

    Owen paused, surprised she had connected the dots to him so quickly. Then he felt relief, d his

    ns hadn¡¯t been necessary. Last night''s robbery was real, not a charade.

    Seeing his hesitation, Cecilia¡¯s heart sank.

    Lucinda was right.

    Owen had orchestrated the event.

    "Cecilia, you wanted the truth, so here it is, the raw deal. I had set up this whole charade, you

    know? I wanted to y the knight in shining armor, to bridge the gap between us, to have your folks

    singing my praises, weing me with open arms. But this morning, I got a call from Jay. He told

    me he and his crew waited all night, but you and I never showed. In other words, the fake robbery I

    staged never went down. We actually ran into real-life muggersst night. It dawned on me right

    then and there, and that''s why I had someone go out and fix those streetlights. The darkness on

    that street was a threat to your safety, and knowing your way home waspromised, I couldn''t

    even catch a wink of sleep. From now on, no matter howte it is, I''ll be the one to take you home."

    Cecilia gazed at him quietly, searching for a crack in his armor, a flicker of guilt.

    But she caught none.

    Was he telling the truth?

    "Cecilia, I swear on everything, I''m shooting straight with you. Not a single fib. If you''ve got doubts,

    go ahead and dig into it. Hire a private eye, or get Stefan to nose around. I bet they''lle back

    with the truth, clear as day."

 Chapter 409

    Chapter 409

    Cecilia bit her lip and then spoke, her voice steady, "I believe you."

    In his own words, if she asked Mr. Coleman to dig some dirt, he could unearth the truth.

    He knew it, and he wouldn''t lie to her.

    She trusted him.

    Owen sighed with relief and felt a wave of emotion at Cecilia''s trust in him.

    "Cecilia," he said with a sheepish grin, "the mastermind behind my so-called heroic rescue was

    actually Stefan."

    Cecilia raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

    "Yeah, you wouldn''t guess it, right? Stefan''s a sly one. Don''t be fooled by his gentlemanly facade;

    the guy''s got schemes darker than a stout. I followed his lousy advice."

    Cecilia poked his chest with her finger, admonishing him, "Mr. Coleman wouldn''t just cook up a n

    for no reason. You obviously went to him first. What''s going on between you two, huh? You walked

    right into his trap and now you''reining about it? You had the choice to use his advice or not.

    And now you''re thinking of ratting out Mr. Coleman? Is that your idea of crossing the river and

    tearing down the bridge?"

    Owen stuttered, "Cecilia, no, that''s not it. I''m just being honest with you, that¡¯s all."

    Yet, inside, he was thankful he hadn''tined to Lucinda. If Lucinda had mentioned anything to

    Cecilia, she would have been furious.

    Being scolded by Cecilia somehow felt better than fearing her wrath.

    "Ever since our divorce, I''ve been a mess, can''t eat, can''t sleep. Worried sick you''d fall for Avery''s

    charms. In my desperation, I sought advice from someone experienced, hence Stefan. Little did I

    know he''d hand me a bum steer. You know the saying, ¡®desperate times call for desperate

    measures¡¯? Well, I was desperate."

    "And Cecilia, I have to tell you something, and you must not fall for Avery''s act. He will never like

    you; he''s deceiving you. The truth is, he''s gay, and he''s got a thing for Cedric Frost."

    Cecilia paused, puzzled, "And how would you know if he''s gay or not? Have you tried to, you know,

    with him?"

    "Ugh, no way! I''m straight as an arrow. The person I really want to, you know, is you."

    Owen''s voice softened, "I did some digging. The guy''s trying to steal my wife; I gotta know

    everything about him. His ancestors would turn in their graves if they knew he was batting for the

    same team and not into women."

    "People have the right to like whoever they want. It''s not our ce to judge."

    Knowing Avery was gay cleared up a lot for Cecilia. Someone had clearly sent him to pursue her

    under false pretenses.

    She had thought well of Avery ¨C he was a looker, after all. But his sexual orientation was his choice,

    and she wouldn''t discriminate against him just for being gay.

    Owen grimaced, "Pretending to be my rival and chasing after my wife, and you expect me to speak

    well of him? I didn''t wreck his career out of respect, but thank goodness he''s gay. Otherwise,

    hmph!"

    The real issue was the force behind Avery ¨C his powerful grandfather.

    As his own grandpa had said, without Avery''s interference, he wouldn''t have realized his true

    feelings for Cecilia so quickly.

    "Does it still hurt?"

    Cecilia changed the subject.

    Despite the ridiculousness of his rescue attempt, she appreciated his honesty and didn''t want to

    dwell on it. After all, he had done it for her.

    "It hurts. Hurts like hell."

    Owen put on a show of agony, "Cecilia, you know me. Born with a silver spoon in my mouth, never

    suffered a scratch, and now this wound, it''s just unbearable."

    Cecilia considered silently before suggesting, "Maybe you should be hospitalized."

    "Will you take care of me?"

    "With all the servants and bodyguards at your ce? Are you afraid that my touch might actually

    make it worse, considering I''m supposedly a jinx?"

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Cecilia."

    Owen clutched her hand, apologizing, "I''m sorry! My mom''s got it all wrong; you''re not a jinx. Even if

    being with you did bring me bad luck, I''d willingly take it."

    "So, you think I''m a jinx, too?"

    "No, no, that''s not what I meant. I was just trying to express how much you mean to me. You''re my

    lucky star, the light in my heart. Being with you is infuriating, yet it''s also liberating and makes me

    happy. Every frustrating moment with you just bes a fond memory that cheers me up for days.

    I love being with you."

    Cecilia withdrew her hand, "Your mother doesn''t like me. She looks down on my background, and

    that''s something I can''t change. Our worlds are just too different. Unless my family strikes it rich and

    yours goes broke, she''ll never ept me."

    It was an unrealistic scenario.

    "Cecilia."

    Owen held her hand again, earnestly saying, "Trust me, I''ll work on changing my mom''s opinion. If I

    can''t, we don''t have to live with them. I''ve got plenty of properties. Once we''re married, I''ll transfer

    all my assets to you. I¡¯ll tell my mom you''re the heiress of Pinehurst, and I have nothing but a sry

    from the Ike group, which I''ll hand over to you. If she upsets you and drives you away, her son will

    be left with nothing."

    Cecilia was stunned.

    He was actually willing to transfer all his assets into her name.

    She had teased him before about making her rich if he died, but now that he was serious, she felt

    no excitement, just shock.

    It was clear he was going all-in to win her back.

    "Lucy''s heading back to Skywatch soon to im her inheritance. Once she gets her hands on her

    dad''s fortune, she''ll be the richest woman in town."

    "I''ll work my tail off to make sure your wealth surpasses hers," he promised with a wink.

    Cecilia chuckled. "Are you really gonna hand over your riches to me? Aren''t you scared of ending

    up broke and alone? Remember how you used to tease me for mentioning your will every time we

    talked about, well, the inevitable?"

    "What else was there to talk about back then?" Owen replied, a smirk tugging at the corner of his

    mouth as he recalled those days.

    She had a knack for driving him up the wall, that was for certain.

    "As long as it brings you peace of mind and shuts my mom up from picking on you, I''d do anything,"

    he said earnestly.

    When Owen loved someone, he went all in, heart and soul.

    Lucinda always said that any woman loved by him was one luckydy, implying that Ruby didn''t

    really know how good she had it.

 Chapter 410

    Chapter 410

    Cecilia breezed up to him, her smile as bright as the summer sun. "Since you''d do anything for me,

    let''s go," she said with a yful twinkle in her eye.

    Owen, slightly befuddled by her rapid change of pace, followed nheless, asking as they walked,

    "Where are we headed?"

    "Just follow me, that''s all you need to know."

    With a nod, Owen obediently followed Cecilia out of the shop.

    Stepping outside, they saw Lucinda and her husband Stefan, hand in hand, returning from the

    market, Stefanden with grocery bags filled with the makings of a ssic Sunday roast.

    Owen couldn''t help but feel a pang of envy at the sight of the affectionate couple.

    He had held Cecilia''s hand, wrapped his arms around her, and yes, even stolen a secret kiss¡ªa

    detail Cecilia was blissfully unaware of.

    But ever since the divorce, as he pursued Cecilia with genuine intent, his touches had be rare,

    a testament of his respect for her boundaries.

    "Hey Lucy," Cecilia called out, pausing as their friends approached. "Could you mind the shop for a

    bit?"

    "Sure thing," Lucinda replied, not questioning Cecilia''s ns with Owen¡ªit was her usual weekend

    duty to run the shop.

    Cecilia wheeled over her electric scooter, a modest vehiclepared to the luxury car Owen had

    offered her, which she''d steadfastly refused to ept. To truly love someone, Owen had learned,

    meant considering their feelings in every action, respecting their choices, never pressuring them

    into anything they disliked.

    Mounting the scooter, Cecilia looked back at Owen. "Hop on."

    "I can drive," Owen offered.

    Cecilia shrugged, "You sure you can handle a scooter? Besides, with that arm injury, I don''t want

    you hurting yourself or, heaven forbid, flipping us over. Get on, or I''ll leave without you if you keep

    fussing."

    Hearing this, Owen quickly settled behind her, turning to wave cheekily at Stefan. "See you, buddy!

    We''re off to catch some wind."

    Stefan chuckled, giving a casual wave goodbye. Once they were out of sight, he turned to Lucinda.

    "Look at Owen, showing off in front of me. He''s got a long way to go before he can match me."

    The midday sun zed overhead.

    "At this hour, Cecilia wouldn''t normally fancy a ride," Stefan mused. "Only Owen could be thrilled

    about a midday spin."

    "Honey, let''s get inside before we roast out here," he said, leading Lucinda back into the shop.

    "Lucy, could you call your brother Keith and check if he''s joining us for lunch? Should I prepare a

    te for him?"

    Lucinda nodded and reached for her phone. Keith didn''t pick up.

    "He''s probably driving," she guessed.

    Stefan nodded. "You keep an eye on the shop. I''ll head back to your ce and start cooking."

    Originally, Lucinda had nned to give up her rental, but thendlord, recognizing the cachet of

    having a member of the Anderson family as a tenant, insisted she stay rent-free to boost the

    property''s profile. The idea was simple: if Lucinda Anderson chose to live there, the ce must be

    top-notch, and others would mor to rent nearby, even at a premium, just to be in the same

    building as Mrs. Anderson.

    Despite thendlord''s reluctance to see her go, Lucinda continued to pay her rent on time each

    month, though thendlord never epted the transactions.

    "Okay," Lucinda agreed, making another attempt to reach Keith, who remained unreachable.

    Concern began to creep into her thoughts. "Even if he''s driving, he''d usually pick up. Could

    something have happened?" In Pinehurst, even the most daring wouldn''t risk a direct attack, but

    without his bodyguards, Keith could be vulnerable.

    Worry mounting, Lucinda dialed Keith several more times to no avail.

    Unbeknownst to Lucinda, Keith was indeed facing danger. He had been strolling aimlessly through

    Pinehurst, simply following his whims, when he stumbled upon an ambush.

    This time, the assassins had foregone firearms, perhaps learning from their previous costly failure,

    and instead, several masked assants dressed in ck, their eyes the only feature visible, had

    cornered Keith, forcing him out of his car and into a confrontation.

    As Lucinda made her calls, Keith was too preupied with his attackers to answer.

    Keith, as the young master of the Blue family, was no stranger tobat. His adversaries seemed

    to know this and had sent skilled killers to match him.

    Facing off against six, Keith was starting to feel the pressure when suddenly, the roar of a

    motorcycle echoed in the distance. The sound of someone tearing up the road was unmistakable, a

    thrill that Keith himself had been seeking in his isted jaunt away from the city.

    Within a minute, the motorcycle appeared, halting abruptly about fifteen meters away. The rider,

    d in ck leather and wearing a helmet, was unmistakably a woman based on her silhouette.

    She dismounted with grace and flung her helmet at one of the attackers, hitting him square in the

    head.

    As she made a swift call to the authorities, one assant charged. With an agile flip, she vaulted

    behind her bike, dodging his attack.

    "So, you''ve got some moves," the attacker sneered.

    The woman, her long hair cascading behind her, wore a silver butterfly mask that concealed her

    face. Despite this, herrge, expressive eyes suggested a beauty obscured by the mask.

    "Six against one? Talk about a fair fight," she mocked with a hint of sarcasm.

    She watched Keith, her gaze tinged with admiration, as he continued to fend off the remaining five

    attackers.

    She handled the hitman with ease, like a kid ying a game of tag, but she wasn''t in a hurry to take

    him down. Instead, she toyed with him, watching him dart around in desperation, all the while

    appreciating Keith''s cool demeanor in battle.

    With one less goon to worry about, Keith was having a much easier time.

    The woman''s arrival had distracted the hitmen just enough for him to take out two more of them.

    Two down, things got even easier for Keith.

    In less than half an hour, all five of the thugs that had surrounded him were sprawled out on the

    ground, too beaten to even crawl.

    Seeing Keith had won his fight, the woman finally dealt with her own ''cat,'' knocking the hitman down

    for good.

    The ''cat'' was seething with rage, feeling utterly toyed with by the woman.

    Keith moved to pull off the hitmen''s masks, but the woman quickly cautioned him, "Watch out for

    any dirty tricks. Let the cops handle it. I''ve called them; they should be here in two minutes."

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    No sooner had she finished her sentence than the wail of police sirens began to grow louder,

    closing in on their location.

 Chapter 411

    Chapter 411

    "My helmet."

    The woman retrieved her helmet, secured it back onto her head, and swung her leg over her

    motorcycle. With a wave and a grin at Keith, she called out, "Catch youter."

    "Hey!"

    Keith wanted to ask for her name. She was skilled and mysterious, and curiosity aside, she had

    helped him out. It was only polite to ask for a name.

    But he had barely let out a ''hey'' when she had already sped away on her motorcycle.

    She loved the thrill of the ride, her bike roaring away in an instant.

    "What''s your name?" Keith shouted after her.

    Herughter was the only response, drifting back to him on the wind.

    He never did get her name.

    The six thugs sprawled on the ground.

    Pinehurst really wasn''t the ce for an ambush.

    They into a woman, and she turned out to be a master.

    The police arrived, and the six thugs had the misfortune of following in their seniors'' footsteps,

    getting hauled off by the cops.

    Lately, they all seemed to have the worst luck. No matter where they tried to strike at Keith, they

    ended up in police custody.

    Keith must have been the darling of the godstely, such good fortune!

    He followed the police to give his statement.

    By the time he was done, it was well past three in the afternoon.

    His stomach was protesting fiercely, reminding him that he hadn''t eaten, and his sister had called

    him a dozen times.

    During his statement, he had picked up Lucinda''s call, but hadn''t dared to tell her about the trouble.

    He just said he was out for a ride and wouldn''t be back for lunch.

    Now, Keith headed straight for his sister''s coffee shop, the Serendipity Cafe.

    His brother-inw was there.

    He wanted to ask him to help find the mysterious woman who had done him a huge favor,

    practically saving his life.

    It took Keith just about fifteen minutes to reach Serendipity Cafe.

    Pinehurst''s two young tycoons were both helping out at the shop.

    Owen was even humming a tune.

    He was in a fantastic mood because, at noon, Cecilia had driven him to the Yates'' for lunch, which

    had nearly made him jump out of the car and dance right there on the street.

    The Yates family had treated him so well.

    During lunch, Ba had kept piling his te with food, building a veritable mountain.

    Though it was just regr home cooking, to him it tasted like the most exotic delicacies.

    He had eaten nearly to the point of bursting.

    It was only because Cecilia stopped him that he didn¡¯t overindulge.

    Cecilia got him.

    She cared about him, worried he''d hurt his stomach if he ate too much.

    In short, Owen was over the moon!

    Returning to the shop in the afternoon, his smile was brighter than the sun. The customers who

    came in for a coffee ended up ordering much more under the influence of his radiant charm,

    inadvertently boosting the shop''s revenue.

    "Lucy."

    Keith walked in, calling his sister, "Get me a couple of pastries, will you? I''m starving."

    At his words, Lucinda hurried to grab some treats.

    Cecilia brought him a warm ss of water.

    Keith took a seat at the table nearest to the cash register.

    Stefan and Owen came over to join him.

    "Haven''t had lunch yet?" Owen asked Keith. Without waiting for a reply, he teased, "That''s the

    single life for you. No one to remind you to eat, no one to worry if you''re starving."

    Keith shot him a look. "You talk like you''re not single yourself."

    Stefan sensed something was off with Keith. He didn''t rush to ask, waiting until Keith had devoured

    the pastries and downed two sses of water before asking with concern, "Did something

    happen?"

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Lucinda also chimed in, "Bro, you want more pastries? Or should I get you a burger or something?"

    Keith nced around the caf¨¦.

    His rapid consumption had coincided with the patrons finishing their meals and leaving. Now, there

    were only a couple of customers left, sitting far from him.

    "Lucy, I''m good with the pastries, not hungry anymore."

    After replying to his sister, Keith said in a low voice, "I ran into some hitmen outside."

    "Are you okay, bro?" Lucinda had a feeling her premonition was right.

    Her brother wouldn''t ignore her calls without a reason. Then, he answered but didn''t exin,

    probably not wanting to worry her over the phone.

    "If he was hurt, would he be sitting here chowing down on pastries and sipping water?" Owen

    quickly retorted.

    Keith gave him another look and turned to Cecilia, "Cecilia, this guy''s got a long tongue for a man,

    all chatter and no substance. You''d better think it over, or he''ll nag you to death. If you ditch him, I

    can introduce you to a decent guy."

    Like their cousin Hayes Brooks, for instance.

    Cecilia smiled, "If you have a good man to introduce, I''d be delighted to meet him."

    "Cecilia."

    Owen grabbed her hand in panic, "Don''t listen to his nonsense. What kind of good man could he

    possibly introduce you to from his world? Even if there were any, you wouldn''t be able to handle

    them. I''m simple, no schemes, an open book ¨C you can handle me."

    "Mr. Martinez, you''ve got some nerve. If you''re without schemes, then no one has schemes."

    "Keith, I''m quite a bit older than you, so cut the ''little boy'' act. Besides, you''re ragging on me for no

    reason. Are you sure you''re not barking up the wrong tree?"

    "No, I find it particrly enjoyable to trip you up, to knock you down a peg."

    Right, he''d forgotten Keith was his enemy''s dear brother-inw, firmly on Stefan''s side. It made

    sense for Keith to target him.

    He''d just gotten a bit irked seeing Cecilia bringing Keith water, and that had made him jump into the

    conversation too quickly.

    And now Keith had taken note.

    Keith sure could hold a grudge.

    "Alright, let Keith finish his story," Cecilia interjected, and Owen quieted down to listen.

    "Lucy, I''m fine. The bad guys are all down at the station. I''m telling you this because I need Stefan''s

    help. I ran into this mysteriousdy¡ªshe was d in a sleek, ck outfit, topped with a stunning

    silver butterfly mask. Couldn''t see her face, but she had long hair, and was somewhere between

    5''7" and 5''9", with a slim, statuesque figure. She helped me out, actually saved my bacon. Stefan,

    can you dig up some info on her? I''ve got to thank her in person."

    As he shared his story, everyone''s interest was piqued.

    Relieved to know her big bro was unharmed, Lucinda''s heart settled, and she too became intrigued

    by the enigmatic woman.

    She wondered, who could this savior be?

    Could she possibly get her brother to fall head over heels?

    Keith just shook his head.

    Was his sister channeling Cupid or what?

    Always trying to sort out his romantic lives as if she was more invested than their own parents.

    Dad never really poked his nose into Keith''s love life, but mom, once she sobered up, definitely

    showed some interest.

 Chapter 412

    Chapter 412

    "Masked figures. Tough to track," Stefan remarked casually, his voice a mix of frustration and

    determination. Edgar had been burning the midnight oil, trying to piece together the puzzle of

    Lucinda''s disappearance years ago.

    Heaping more work on Edgar''s te would surely earn him an earful.

    With a kind-hearted gesture, Owen chimed in, "Keith, let me hook you up with a detective agency I

    know. They''re top-notch, real cream of the crop in their line of work."

    Grateful for Stefan''s offer, Keith warmly epted, "I''d appreciate that, Mr. Martinez. Your help

    means a lot."

    Turning to Stefan, he added, "You''ve done enough, man. I''ll get the agency on it."

    "Lucy, grab me some paper," Keith said with a sudden spark of inspiration. "I''ll sketch her figure.

    While I can''t recall her face under that mask, I can sure as heck draw her silhouette. It''ll make the

    search a bit easier."

    Lucinda quickly fetched paper and a pen for her brother.

    Following Owen''s rmendation, Keith was introduced to Darlene Bishop''s detective agency.

    The whole afternoon, Keith holed up in the corner, his pencil dancing across the paper, bringing the

    mysteriousdy to life. Though her face was unknown, everything else was vivid in his memory.

    As evening approached and the diner''s hustle waned, they all settled down for a family dinner.

    With some free time afterward, Lucinda sidled up to Keith to admire his work. "Wow, bro," she

    eximed, "I had no idea you had such an artist''s hand. She looks as real as anyone I''ve ever

    seen!"

    Keith nced at his drawing with pride. "Dad made us take all those arts sses as kids,

    remember? Once high school hit, I dropped it for academics, but the basics stuck with me."

    The mysterious woman had left such an impression that even after years without practice, Keith''s

    talent hadn''t faded.

    Cecilia also peered over and praised Keith''s handiwork.

    Owen couldn''t help but scoff yfully, "I can draw too, you know. Cecilia, how about I sketch your

    portrait tonight?"

    Ceciliaughed it off, "With your arm all banged up? Let''s save your artisticeback for when

    you''ve healed up."

    Owen''s im was no surprise to her. Most families did their best to cultivate their kids'' talents with

    all sorts of extracurricrs, and the wealthy ones even more so.

    Cecilia''sment made Owen beam; it was clear she cared for him.

    Lucinda, still holding the drawing, mused, "Thisdy looks familiar. I''m sure I''ve seen her shape

    before."

    "Lucy, you''ve met her?" Keith asked, the excitement clear in his voice.

    "I can''t quite ce where," she replied, her brow furrowed in concentration. "But there''s something

    about her poise, herughter ¨C it''s memorable."

    "Even with the mask, there''s something about her eyes, her posture, it rings a bell," Cecilia added,

    though she couldn''t pinpoint it either.

    Lucinda passed the sketch to Stefan, "Do you recognize her? Maybe from one of the gs we''ve

    attended?"

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Before marrying into Stefan''s world, Lucinda''s circle had been small, with Cecilia being her only

    close female friend. And since Cecilia had been preupied with Owen all day, the mysterious

    woman had to be someone from a recent social event.

    Stefan examined the drawing but shook his head. "I''m not great with faces, and our circle has many

    daughters trained in self-defense. But someone taking down a pro? That''s a rare breed."

    "Why guess here when the agency can do the legwork for us?" Owen interjected.

    Keith, a man of action, headed straight for Darlene Bishop''s agency after realizing he wouldn''t get

    more from his sister.

    Back at home, Lucinda''s mind was still on the mysterious woman, so much so that she barely

    noticed Stefan until he swept her up in a passionate embrace, his lips capturing hers in a fiery kiss.

    "Back to earth?" Stefan teased, his breath warm against her skin.

    "What did you say?" Lucinda blinked back into the moment.

    Stefan''s voice dropped to a tempting growl. "I said tonight you''re in charge. You decide how this

    goes," and her response was a breathless, "Okay."

    Her cheeks med with embarrassment. "I wouldn''t agree to that! You''re tricking me."

    Still shy despite their years of marriage, Lucinda struggled to match Stefan''s brazenness.

    "I just want to help my brother, that''s all," she said in her defense. "Thatdy saved his life, and he''s

    clearly interested. I''ve got to seize the chance."

    Stefan''s lips found hers again, this time with a gentle bite. "You might as well start a matchmaking

    business with all the pairing off you''re trying to do. How about focusing on me for a bit? I need your

    help too." His voice trailed off suggestively, and Lucinda, her face now a portrait of desire,

    understood perfectly.

    After a fiery embrace with his wife that left them both breathless, Stefan wasn''t quite satisfied.

    Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her to the bathroom for a shower. It was only after they

    shared a steamy, intimate bath that they felt truly satiated.

    Copsing back into reality from their cloud nine, Lucinda snuggled into her husband''s embrace, but

    her thoughts were still lingering on her brother.

    "I really wanted to set Darlene up with my brother, but it seems like they didn''t hit it off when they

    met. And now, with this mysterious new woman on the scene, Darlene''s charms just don''t stack up.

    I mean, have you seen the sketches my brother''s been doing of her? He''d have to be pretty smitten

    to capture her likeness so vividly, don''t you think?"

    Having had his fill, Stefan was more than ready to indulge Lucinda in a chat about her matchmaking

    schemes.

    "Lucy, you''re more worked up about your brother''s love life than mom and dad ever were. It seems

    like every singledy that crosses his path, you''re trying to y cupid. Aren''t you the least bit

    worried that your ''mysterious woman'' might turn out to be more of a matron than a maiden?"

    Lucinda was momentarily speechless, torn between irritation and the hrity of Stefan''s blunt

    observation.

 Chapter 413

    Chapter 413

    "Every time I see her silhouette and those eyes, I swear they ring a bell. It''s quite possible we''ve

    crossed paths at one of those gs we''ve attended. You know, the ones where the room is filled

    with society wives. Could be she''s some matron in disguise."

    "You can''t be serious about setting your brother up with a matron, right? Let''s wait until we uncover

    her true identity before we start ying matchmaker."

    Lucinda tossed and turned all night but couldn''t ce the enigmatic woman. Hearing her husband''s

    words, she deted, "Forget it, it''s my brother''s business, not mine. It''s a shame, though. I really

    liked Darlene for him. I thought she''d make the perfect sister-inw, but that seems unlikely now."

    Her brother''s disinterest in Darlene, a delicate greenhouse flower, might stem from his upbringing.

    Even if she suspected Darlene yed coy to hide her true strength.

    "If this mystery woman turns out to be a youngdy and your brother learns who she really is, and

    there''s a spark, that could be a blessing in disguise. She might be a better fit for him than Ms.

    Darlene."

    Stefan always thought of Darlene as gentle and refined.

    But Belinda Bishop left a much stronger impression.

    One sister was as cold as ice, the other as tender as a dew-covered rose.

    Considering the Blue family''s dynamics, Lucinda couldn''t help but agree.

    "Let''s not dwell on it. It''ste; we should sleep. You''ve got work tomorrow."

    Stefan nted a kiss on his wife''s forehead.

    "Honey, after Liam and Tiffany''s wedding, I''m heading back to Skywatch."

    She had hoped to learn the ropes at Ascend Global, but as a greenhorn in the corporate world,

    rapid growth seemed elusive.

    Might as well return to her roots, learn as she goes, and handle adversaries on her turf.

    Stefan considered her words, then agreed, "Alright, after the wedding, I''ll go back with you to

    Skywatch. We can also check on the new branch we''re setting up."

    Skywatch was home to several influential families, not just the Blues and the Porters. The other

    families maintained a low profile, unlike the high-profile Blues or the brash Porters. For any outsider

    looking to carve out a slice of Skywatch''s pie, it was a tough nut to crack.

    Ascend Global''s n to establish a branch in Skywatch needed more than a few executives; Stefan

    had resolved to take the helm personally.

    With his status as a Blue family son-inw and Ascend Global''s reputation, Skywatch''s other great

    houses would think twice before crossing him.

    "Thank you, darling."

    Lucinda sat up, quickly straddled Stefan, and kissed him gratefully.

    Stefan wrapped his arms around her, speaking tenderly, "We''re partners, love. Your concerns are

    mine. No need for formalities."

    They embraced, Lucinda grateful, "I''m so lucky to have you."

    Stefan chuckled softly, "And I''m blessed to have you. You''ve filled my life with sunshine and color."

    She was the wife he''d waited eleven years to marry, the one he''d cherish and protect with a lifetime

    of tenderness.

    In the Bishop family''s vi, the second-floor study was Belinda''s sanctuary, where no one, except

    Darlene, could enter without permission.

    Darlene took care of the study''s upkeep, never leaving it to the staff.

    In the still of the night, the study''s light remained on, not with Belinda working, but with Darlene.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Sitting at the desk, she examined a portrait Keith had spent the afternoon perfecting.

    She mused to herself, "The likeness is uncanny. I could''ve sworn it was a photograph."

    The mysterious woman was none other than Darlene.

    As a private detective, she excelled in surveince and undercover work, frequently donning

    disguises and roaming the city on her motorcycle for both leisure and information gathering.

    Meeting Keith had been pure chance.

    Even if Keith hadn''t been Lucinda''s brother, she would''ve stepped in to help in that situation.

    It was a simple act of assistance, but now Keith was determined to discover her identity, sketching

    her from memory.

    Luckily, her silver mask had concealed her face, keeping Ms. Darlene''s identity safe.

    Darlene viewed the incident as a fleeting mishap, not giving it much thought.

    If anything left asting impression, it was Keith''s formidable skills. He could have been a standout

    in her line of work.

    Keith had even offered a hefty sum for her agency to find her.

    Anyone who knew about her silver-masked alter ego hadn''t been born yet.

    Not even her sister knew of her detective work, a secret she kept to protect Belinda from worry.

    Darlene loved the thrill of her job, but to keep her sister at ease, she yed the part of the fragile

    flower, shielded from the world and seldom seen.

    The retainer from Keith was already in her agency''s ount.

    Darlene contemted whether to reveal her alter ego to Keith or to simply refund the money and

    decline the job.

    In Skywatch, at the Porter family estate.

    "m!"

    A hand came down hard on the desk, the sound echoing through the room.

    The force was fierce, and only after the act did Mr. Porter feel the sting in his palm.

    His anger had driven him to m the desk.

    "Another failure! The men you sent are worthless. It was a rare chance to catch him alone, and six

    of you couldn''t take him down! Not one!"

    The missed opportunity to catch Keith vulnerable gnawed at Mr. Porter, making his chest ache with

    rage.

    The voice on the other end of the line was clearly ticked off when he said, "Last time we sent guys

    with guns and look how that turned out. An ident happened, they were found with the firearms,

    and the cops are still sniffing around the case. You said it yourself, carrying guns makes you a

    target for thew, and it''s tough to shake them off. Plus, the charges are serious. That''s why I didn''t

    want them armed this time."

    "The six guys we sent are no slouches in a scrap, and they were packing knives, but that kid, Keith,

    he must be living a charmed life! Every single time, he dodges the bullet, and I''ve already lost more

    than a dozen men because of him!"

    Mr. Porter couldn''t help but curse when he thought about Keith''s unbelievable luck: "That kid must

    have a guardian angel or something, ''cause he sure as hell dodges every bullet and de aimed

    his way."

    Pinehurst was never supposed to be a ce for dirty work, and he''d warned his daughter time and

    again not to stir up trouble there. It wasn''t their turf - the Porter family had no sway in that neck of

    the woods.

    But when Keith ended up alone, a lone wolf out in the wild, Mr. Porter couldn''t resist the golden

    opportunity. In a rushed move, he reached out to his contacts, instructing them to set up a hit on

    Keith using local muscle.

    The reply came that they''d sent sixpetent hitmen to corner and take out Keith.

    He was sure that Keith would be a goner, or at the very least, maimed. Instead, the kid came out

    without a scratch, while their six hitmen ended up in the clutches of the police.

    It was undeniable; Keith was one tough cookie.

    Ever since the Porter family got involved, taking Keith out had been on their agenda, but time and

    again, Keith had slipped through their fingers, narrowly escaping the worst.

    It was enough to drive a man mad!

 Chapter 414

    Chapter 414

    "Such a golden opportunity, slipped right through our fingers."

    Mr. Porter trailed off, his voice thick with frustration and resentment.

    The person on the other end of the phone fell into a brief silence, clearly understanding the weight

    of the disappointment.

    Keith had always been a hard target, surrounded by the best in the business when it came to

    personal security. With such protection, Keith had managed to dodge the grim reaper more times

    than anyone could count. They had epted their past failures as part of the game. But this time,

    Keith had been alone, unprotected, ripe for the taking. Their n should have been foolproof, or at

    least, Keith should have been left licking serious wounds. Yet, nothing.

    Was it because the attempt took ce in Pinehurst?

    "It''ste," the voice on the other end finally said, cutting the conversation short, uninterested in Mr.

    Porter''sints.

    Who would want to lose anyway? Since they had gotten involved, they had yearned for Keith''s

    downfall. As long as Keith remained alive and took over the entirety of the Blue family, targeting him

    would be an increasingly daunting task. And now, even touching Keith seemed like an

    impossible feat. Thest two assassination attempts had been abysmal failures.

    How had that kid stumbled upon such damn good luck, turning misfortune into a stroke of

    serendipity time and time again?

    After the call ended, Mr. Porter lingered in his study for a moment longer before finally rising to

    return to his bedroom.

    Mrs. Porter was still deep in slumber, and in his sour mood, Mr. Porter felt a pang of envy at his

    wife''s blissful ignorance. Without a second thought, he nudged her awake.

    "Honey, what''s the matter? Why aren''t you asleep at this hour?" Mrs. Porter sat up, rubbing her

    eyes and yawning, clearly disoriented from being woken up from her peaceful sleep.

    "Can''t sleep, I''m too worked up. And look at you, sleeping like a log, without a care in the world. I''ve

    provided you with such afortable life, and you can''t even manage to raise our daughter right.

    Look at the state Madeleine''s in now. Doesn''t it break your heart?"

    "It''s all your fault, you know. If you hadn''t bought that damn love potion, Madeleine wouldn''t have

    fallen prey to that scoundrel, Hayden Blue."

    Mr. Porter''s greatest fury was reserved for the fact that his precious daughter had been defiled by

    Hayden.

    She was supposed to be his ace in the hole, his ticket inside the Blue family''s inner circle. And

    despite his willingness to use her as a pawn, it didn''t stop him from loving her fiercely.

    "Madeleine''s started eating again, and she''sing out of her room. Darling, I''m at fault, I know. I

    love her more than anything; she''s my own flesh and blood. But what''s done is done. And it''s not

    like it''s only Madeleine''s fault, who could have predicted this?"

    Mrs. Porter sighed deeply. The situation pained her as much as it did her husband.

    The most vexing part for Mr. Porter was that it was Madeleine''s own scheme that backfired, not

    trapping Nathan as intended, but instead ying right into Hayden''s hands. Even with his rage

    boiling over, he couldn''ty all the me on Hayden.

    The Porters had no choice but to swallow their misfortune.

    The couple fell into silence.

    After a moment, Mrs. Porter ventured, "Hayden has beening by every day to see Madeleine,

    but she refuses to meet him. He mentioned that if we would allow it, he''s willing to take

    responsibility, to make things right. What do you think?"

    "What does Madeleine say?"

    Mr. Porter asked back sharply.

    "Of course, she doesn''t agree. You know our daughter''s heart; it''s set on Nathan. She''s determined

    to marry him. She doesn''t care that Nathan''s fifty years old; in her eyes, he''s the best man in the

    world, and she won''t settle for anyone else," Mrs. Portermented, her toneced with

    exasperation.

    Nathan was her peer, and yet her daughter was eager to marry a man of such an age. Even if

    Nathan looked far younger than his years, the fact that he was fifty couldn''t be erased.

    Initially, she had opposed Madeleine''s liaison with Nathan, but with her husband''s support, she had

    little say in the matter. Aside from advising her daughter, there wasn''t much she could do.

    Madeleine was spellbound by Nathan, beyond any persuasion.

    "Hayden might be a viper, but hecks the necessary backbone and ambition. He''s already at an

    age where he''s tightly under Nathan''s thumb, and his son Pete can''t escape Keith''s clutches either.

    Pete made some mistakes and Keith has been relentlessly punishing him, driving him out of Blue

    Corporation''s headquarters."

    As a business associate, Mr. Porter knew Hayden all too well.

    "If Hayden were the patriarch of the Blue family, then the Blue Group would be within our grasp. But

    he doesn''t have the chops to sit on the throne. We only work with him out of convenience, to use

    him. Does he really think he''s my equal? Madeleine doesn''t want him, and frankly, neither do I."

    Mr. Porter''s tone then shifted as he said to his wife, "Tomorrow, if Haydenes by again and talks

    about taking responsibility, tell him that a daughter of the Porter family won''t settle for being

    anyone''s mistress."

    Mrs. Porter widened her eyes, asking, "Are you suggesting that Hayden should divorce?"

    "Even if he wanted to, his wife wouldn''t agree. And with three children, the two grown sons certainly

    wouldn''t approve of their father divorcing to wee Madeleine into the family."

    "Pushing for a divorce doesn''t mean we''re agreeing to let Madeleine marry him."

    Mr. Porter snorted with a chilling disdain, "He thinks he can mess with my daughter and get away

    with just a beating? In his dreams! I''ll make sure his life is turned upside down¡ªhis marriage on the

    rocks, his family ties in shambles."

    Mrs. Porter''s eyes widened as the realization dawned on her.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She stared at her husband for a long time, unable to hold back her words, "You and Madeleine are

    really two peas in a pod. She said the same thing¡ªshe wants to make Hayden pay a steep price for

    what he did."

    "Like father, like daughter," Mr. Porter sighed. "It''s just a shame she isn''t a boy. Life would be so

    much simpler."

    "What about Nathan?" she queried.

    "Madeleine''s started eating again, she''s stepping out of her shell. She''ll handle it. We just need to

    make sure she isn''t pushed around. With Janice and her daughter still out of the picture, maybe

    Madeleine can charm Nathan into marrying her, regardless of everything."

    Mrs. Porter was silent.

    She thought her husband was living in a fantasy.

    What man would calmly marry a woman after discovering she''d been with his own brother?

    Besides, Nathan and Janice weren''t even divorced yet.

    What did a couple of decades of estrangement matter?

    They had reunited with their daughter, a picture-perfect family of four, with the potential of rekindling

    the old me. Even if they didn''t fall back in love, the shared bond of their children might prevent a

    divorce.

    Nathan hadn''t left Janice even when she was out of her mind.

    Now that she hade back to her senses, would he leave her?

    If their daughter was still the untouched beauty she once was, perhaps there might have been a

    chance. But after Hayden''s disgrace, the odds were nonexistent.

    "It''ste, let''s get some sleep. When Hayden shows up tomorrow, remember to stick to the script,"

    Mr. Porter said casually, fully aware that his words had the power to wreak havoc in Hayden''s

    family, to turn their world upside down.

 Chapter 415

    Chapter 415

    The following day, before the crack of dawn, the Porter family patriarch''s phone began to ring

    insistently. He had barely hit the sack a few hours prior, feeling like he had just drifted off when the

    persistent ringtone roused him. Irritation bubbled within him.

    Whoever had the nerve to call at this ungodly hour had better have a damn good reason, or they''d

    have hell to pay.

    ¡°Boss, the young miss has taken off. She boarded the private jet and headed to Pinehurst,¡± reported

    one of the patriarch''s men.

    The news instantly swept away any vestige of sleepiness. The patriarch bolted upright. ¡°And none

    of you thought to stop her?¡±

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    His daughter Madeleine was surely seeking out Nathan. Or possibly, she was on a mission to

    confront his wife, Janice.

    Under normal circumstances, in their own territory, he wouldn''t fret or interfere, letting his daughter

    do as she pleased. But Pinehurst was a different ballgame, a ce where even his extended reach

    faltered, and his daughter was heading there as the other woman¡ªan oue that was bound to

    end disastrously.

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t stop her, sir.¡±

    ¡°Damn it all!¡±

    After cursing, he instructed, ¡°Arrange a flight immediately. I''m heading to Pinehurst.¡±

    Unbeknownst to those in Pinehurst, Madeleine was flying their way on her private jet.

    Lucinda awoke at her usual time.

    The bed beside her was empty; Stefan had risen early. She reached for her phone to check the

    time, then scrolled through WhatsApp, Facebook, and the flurry of messages in her social groups.

    Once satisfied, she got out of bed.

    A few minutester, as Lucinda was about to head downstairs, she opened her bedroom door to

    find a maid about to knock. The maid greeted her and quickly ryed, ¡°Miss, there¡¯s a woman

    named Porter at the gate. She¡¯s asking to see your mother.¡±

    "A Porter woman? Wants to meet my mom?" Lucinda frowned.

    It must be Madeleine. Lucinda had never met her, only hearing of her existence through her brother

    and mother. Madeleine was her father''s mistress, prominently at his side for years, attending

    functions as if she were the Blue family matriarch herself. To outsiders, she was a marriage

    certificate shy of official status.

    What audacity for Madeleine to arrive at dawn demanding to see her mother¡ªthe brazen mistress!

    "Is Dad up yet?"

    "The family head flew out at first light. Your brother saw him off," the maid informed.

    Lucinda sighed, feeling a bit like an afterthought to her father, a mere excuse for his visit.

    "Is my brother and cousin still here?"

    "Your brother left with the head of the family. Keith is still asleep," answered the maid.

    After muttering to herself, Lucinda asked, "Where¡¯s Ms. Porter?"

    "Still at the front gate. The young master didn''t let her in."

    Lucinda made her way downstairs.

    "Honey, you¡¯re up," Stefan said warmly as he entered the house and caught sight of Lucinda

    descending the stairs.

    "Your dad and cousin headed back early. They''re swamped withpany matters but asked me to

    say goodbye for them. They''ll visit when they can."

    Lucinda replied, "They could¡¯ve at least told me so I could have seen them off."

    Stefan chuckled, "You were sleeping so soundly, I didn¡¯t have the heart to wake you. I took the

    liberty of escorting them to the ne."

    Remembering how Stefan had kept her upte the night before, Lucinda yfully chided him. ¡°It¡¯s

    all your fault.¡±

    "And Madeleine?"

    "She''s outside, said she wanted to see Mom. I sensed trouble, so I had her stopped. Do you want to

    meet her?"

    "The mistress dares to confront the wife? I''d like to meet her on Mom¡¯s behalf, see for myself just

    how entrancing she must be to shamelessly cling to marrying my old man Dad."

    Stefan inwardly chuckled at his wife''s colorful description.

    "Since you want to meet her, I''ll have her brought in."

    He promptly made an internal call.

    Madeleine, having been kept waiting impatiently at the gate of Ascend Estate, was losing her cool.

    But she had to endure it; this was Anderson family turf.

    Janice''s son-inw was likely giving her a hard time, which was to be expected. Making a scene or

    throwing a tantrum based on her status as a Porter heiress would almost certainly mean not getting

    an audience with Janice.

    After what felt like an eternity, the gate cracked open.

    A security guard emerged and said cordially, "Ms. Porter, our young madam has agreed to meet

    with you. Please, follow me."

    The estate was vast, and neers could easily get lost. Madeleine acknowledged him with a

    haughty nod.

    Upon digesting his words, she frowned and said, ¡°The young madam? I¡¯m here to see Mrs. Janice

    Blue, the head of the Blue family, not Lucinda Blue.¡±

    The guard maintained his polite demeanor. ¡°It¡¯s quite a privilege that the young madam is willing to

    see you, Ms. Porter. She doesn¡¯t have time for just anyone.¡±

    As Madeleine followed the guard through the opulent estate, she couldn''t help but wonder what

    awaited her inside.

    Madeline bit her lip, poised to argue further but then reconsidered. Maybe a chat with Lucinda

    wouldn''t be so bad. If Janice refused to see her, she could always pass the message through

    Lucinda.

    Janice had been in Nathan''s cold shadow for over two decades, and now that she wasing to

    her senses, she surely had memories of the past. Madeline refused to believe that Janice could act

    as if nothing had happened.

    If she showed up again, pleading for Janice to step aside and relinquish her role as the matriarch of

    the family to her, it was bound to drive Janice up the wall and, hopefully, drive a wedge between her

    and Nathan.

    Madeline had gotten entangled with Hayden, but her obsession with Nathan wasn''t something she

    could easily let go of.

    She felt a surge of determination. If only she could get Nathan and Janice to divorce, with the years

    of affection between her and Nathan, maybe he coulde to terms with her tarnished reputation

    and carry on with her.

    Even if she couldn''t marry Nathan, getting a rise out of Janice would be satisfying enough.

    At the end of the day, if she couldn''t have Nathan, she was damn sure not going to let him rekindle

    things with Janice.

    "Thank you," Madeline finally said, acknowledging the security guard''s assistance.

    The guard nodded towards a woman approaching, saying, "Ms. Porter, Edith will take you to see the

    lady of the house."

    Madeline''s gaze followed to where the guard pointed and saw a middle-aged woman pedaling

    towards them on an electric tricycle.

    Madeline''s eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

    They couldn''t possibly expect her to ride in an electric tricycle, could they?

    The Ascend Estate was vast, which she was aware of, but she hadn''t anticipated needing

    transportation from the gate to the main hall, let alone an electric tricycle!

 Chapter 416

    Chapter 416

    The person who rolled up on an electric tricycle was none other than Edith.

    Edith pulled up right in front of Madeleine and parked her quirky ride.

    She didn''t bother to dismount, but instead called out to the security guard from her seat, "Is this Ms.

    Porter?"

    The guard nodded affirmatively and gestured for Madeleine to approach.

    "Do you always pick up your VIPs in these contraptions?" Madeleine asked, her voiceced with

    disdain.

    She truly loathed the idea of riding in an electric tricycle. It waspletely foreign to her; in all her

    years, she had never set foot in such a vehicle.

    The staff of the Porter family, from which she hailed, wouldn''t be caught dead on a three-wheeler¡ª

    they all drove cars, proper four-wheeled ones at that.

    How could she, the distinguished daughter of the Porter family, possibly be seen in an electric

    tricycle?

    Edith chuckled, "Oh no, this is just something I bought for convenience. The estate is massive, and

    having an electric vehicle makes getting around much easier, plus it can carry a couple of extra

    people. Ms. Porter, rest assured, when we host esteemed guests, we usually roll out the red carpet

    and send Nelson to escort them in a luxury car."

    Madeleine''s face fell. "Are you trying to humiliate me?"

    Not only was she being made to enter through a side door, but there was also no luxury car to

    receive her.

    "What is your role here?"

    "I¡¯m the estate''s gardener," Edith replied, still smiling as if she had no clue her actions were

    inappropriate in the slightest. "Nelson saw me on his way out and just tasked me with fetching Ms.

    Porter. I didn''t feel like walking all the way to the parking lot to get a car, so I rode this electric trike

    over. Does it bother you?"

    Madeleine was fuming on the inside.

    She hadn''t even met Lucinda yet, and already she was being treated with such contempt. When

    Lucinda returned to the Blue family, this woman was undoubtedly going to side with her own mother

    against Madeleine.

    For a split second, Madeleine felt a murderous rage.

    Thankfully, she had the sense to remember she was at Pinehurst, on the sprawling grounds of the

    Anderson family¡ªthe unrivaled titans of the area. Should she cause a scene here, she''d gain

    nothing.

    Hadn''t she seen how even a glimpse of Lucinda was denied to her?

    Back in Skywatch, she, Madeleine, would strut in and out of ces like the Blue family''s without a

    hitch.

    But here in Pinehurst, within the boundaries of the Anderson estate, she kept hitting walls.

    The Andersons didn''t treat her like a VIP at all, which infuriated her to no end.

    Lucinda thought, "A mistress, that''s all she is. What makes her a VIP? She should count her

    blessings I didn''t set the dogs on her. Does she really expect me to wee her with open gates?

    Dream on!"

    "Ms. Porter, get on the trike. I''ll take you to see ourdy of the house. If we''rete, she might be

    having breakfast, and you''ll have to wait. You won''t see her until she''s finished," Edith pressed.

    Madeleine replied icily, "Tell Lucinda toe for me. Does she not know who I am? My rtionship

    with her father..."

    She trailed off, unable to boast about being Lucinda''s stepmother since she wasn''t married yet.

    "Ms. Porter, ourdy of the house is very aware of who you are," Edith said. "She mentioned that if

    Ms. Porter is willing to ride my trike, then ride; if not, the gate is right there for you to leave the way

    you came."

    Madeleine''s face darkened, "So you''re telling me Lucinda knows you came to pick me up on this...

    junky electric trike?"

    "Nelson sent me out, so of course, Lucinda knows."

    Madeleine seethed, feeling utterly dismissed by Lucinda.

    "Ms. Porter, are you getting on, or not? If you''re not interested, I''ll be on my way. I''ve got a lot to do."

    Madeleine clenched her teeth.

    A gardener, someone who dealt with dirt and nts all day, dared to speak to her with such

    insolence.

    If anyone dared call her, Madeleine, arrogant again, she''d send them to the Ascend Estate to see

    what real arrogance looked like!

    She wanted to storm off in a huff, but remembering her purpose foring, she swallowed her

    pride, huffed angrily, and climbed onto the electric tricycle.

    Just wait!

    When Lucinda returned to Skywatch, revenge would be sweet.

    Today, her main goal was to see Janice, and she couldn''t let Lucinda''s deliberate slights deter her.

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    Seated on the electric tricycle, Madeleine was in no mood to admire the scenery. All she could feel

    was the zing sun on her skin.

    The summers and early autumns in Pinehurst were scorching hot, and although it was just the

    beginning of fall, the early sun was already sending waves of heat her way. She could only imagine

    how hot it would get by noon.

    In Skywatch, people were already using light nkets at night because of the chilly breeze.

    "How much longer until we arrive?" Madeleine inquired, feeling the estate was just too vast.

    It felt like she had been on the tricycle for an eternity and they still hadn''t reached their destination.

    "This old trike isn''t fast. Others might take ten minutes, but I need twenty," Edith exined

    nonchntly.

    Madeleine groaned inwardly.

    "Can you speed it up? I''m roasting here."

    "This is the morning sun, Ms. Porter, it won''t kill you. It''s not like it''s the midday sun."

    Madeleine fell silent, her patience wearing thin.

    True to her word, Edith took a full twenty minutes to reach the main house.

    By the time Madeleine arrived at the main entrance, Lucinda and her family had already finished

    breakfast, spared from the difort of her presence.

    Even at the doorstep of the main house, Madeleine couldn''t just walk in. Edith dropped her off and

    went about her business, leaving her with a casual, "Ms. Porter, hang tight. Someone will notify the

    household of your arrival. Once they give the okay, they''lle to bring you inside."

    "I''m just a gardener. I don''t dare step into the main house unless necessary¡ªI wouldn''t want to dirty

    the floors."

    With that, Edith left.

    Madeleine was beyond exasperated.

    She strongly suspected this was Lucinda''s way of showing her who was boss.

    After several more minutes, someone finally came out to usher Madeleine inside.

    Strolling through the garden-like courtyard, Madeleine approached the understated yet luxurious

    main house of Ascend Estate. Despite her disinterest in the opulence that surrounded her, she

    couldn''t help but inwardly admit that the ce was as breathtaking as the rumors suggested.

    Upon entering the house, she found only Lucinda sitting on the sofa, waiting to meet her.

    The rest of the Anderson n was nowhere to be seen.

    They were probably avoiding the meeting.

    Seeing Madeleine enter, Lucinda didn¡¯t rise from her seat, which irked Madeleine considerably. After

    all, Madeleine was Nathan¡¯s girlfriend, and should she marry him, she¡¯d be Lucinda¡¯s

    stepmother. Was this the way Lucinda treated her elders?

    Not even standing up to greet a visitor ¨C theck of manners!

    Clearly, a girl from a less distinguished background, ignorant of proper etiquette. Madeleine couldn''t

    fathom what the esteemed young Mr. Anderson saw in Lucinda, bestowing upon her the coveted

    title of thedy of the house.

    Lucinda¡¯s voice cut through Madeleine¡¯s thoughts with a dry humor: ¡°The mistress of drama arrives.

    Ms. Porter has graced us with her presence.¡±

    Acknowledging the servant with a nonchnt hum, Lucinda dismissed them with a wave of her

    hand.

    Hiding her distaste, Lucinda politely said, ¡°Ms. Porter, please take a seat.¡±

    Madeleine plopped down unceremoniously, her wordsced with sarcasm: ¡°Lady Anderson truly

    knows how to make an impression. Such grandeur. It''s a challenge for poor little me, Madeleine, to

    even get an audience with you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m giving you quite the honor by even agreeing to see you, Madeleine. Many would kill for the

    chance to step foot inside Ascend Estate,¡± Lucinda retorted with an air of superiority that seemed to

    say, ''Yes, I¡¯m putting on airs, what are you going to do about it?''

    Madeleine was taken aback.

    ¡°Ms. Porter, let¡¯s not pretend we¡¯re anything but strangers. We both know why that is. So let¡¯s cut to

    the chase, shall we? I have to be at work in twenty minutes,¡± Lucinda said, eager to get to the point

    and dispense with any false pleasantries.

 Chapter 417

    Chapter 417

    Taking a closer look, Madeleine was young and stunning¡ªa fact that didn''t escape anyone,

    especially since her brother had mentioned she was only two years her senior.

    At twenty-six, Madeleine was set to marry a fifty-year-old man, which made everyone wonder what

    on Earth she saw in her aging beau.

    Despite her meticulous makeup, a certain weariness couldn''t be concealed. It was clear that she

    was under a lot of stress, probably thanks to Uncle Hayden''s shenanigans.

    Lucy couldn''t help but smirk internally: Serves her right!

    She had never seen a society heiress so eager to tie the knot with an old chap. And the fact that he

    hadn''tid a finger on her didn''t deter her; she even resorted to using some underhanded tactics.

    "Lucy, I''m here to see your mom, Janice."

    Her tone was blunt, matching Lucy''s ownck of cordiality.

    As far as Lucy was concerned, there was no need for pleasantries between them¡ªthey were hardly

    old pals, and their families were practically at war. Straight to the point was best.

    "Mom''s not here. Whatever you need to say, you can tell me, and I''ll pass the message."

    Lucy could pretty much guess why Madeleine was there.

    "Janice isn''t here? Is it that she doesn''t want to see me or is she afraid to?"

    "And what if she doesn''t want to see you? Who do you think you are that my mom has to meet with

    you onmand?"

    Madeleine was at a loss for words¡ªshe was used to getting her way and being defiant, but Lucy''s

    rebuffs revealed her true colors.

    "I have something to discuss with your mother, and it''s about her and your father, Nathan."

    "My parents can sort out their own issues. Even I, their daughter, don''t interfere. What gives you the

    right?"

    Lucy stood her ground.

    "Ms. Porter, I told you to speak directly to me."

    "Lucy, I''m your father''s girlfriend! Watch your tone with me!"

    Madeleine''s usual domineering personality red, but Lucy justughed.

    "My dad''s girlfriend? My parents aren''t even divorced yet. In my eyes, you''re nothing but a mistress

    ¡ªa shameless one at that. You think you can lose all self-respect and still demand respect and

    kindness from others?"

    "Ever seen children cozy up to their father''s mistress? I haven''t sed the dog on you¡ªthat''s me

    being civilized. I don''t want to stoop to your level."

    "Your dad stopped loving your mom ages ago. The only reason they haven''t divorced is out of some

    misced sense of loyalty. He worries about what would be of your unhinged mother without

    him. You think he still loves her? He loves me, and you better advise your mother to get the divorce

    over with. If I''m happy, maybe I''ll convince your dad to cut her in on some of the assets, so she

    doesn''t walk away empty-handed."

    Lucy was seething inside.

    Just as expected, mistresses always had the thickest of skins.

    But she kept her cool; showing anger would only y into Madeleine''s hands.

    After Madeleine had finished her piece, Lucy responded coolly, "Yeah, my dad loves you so much

    that despite all your scheming, you still haven''t made it to his bed. Instead, you spent a night with

    Uncle Hayden. Shouldn''t you be pressuring him to take responsibility instead of bothering me at the

    crack of dawn?"

    Madeleine''s face turned a furious shade of purple.

    After a long pause, she managed to find her voice again, "Your father is just being respectful to me.

    He wants to preserve my honor until after we''re married."

    "Keep fooling yourself if that''s what you want. Have you ever considered that maybe my dad''s just

    not capable anymore?"

    Madeleine was speechless.

    Nathan, overhearing the conversation, felt an indignant flush of embarrassment.

    He might be fifty, but he was in good shape, possibly even better than many younger men!

    The grand foyer fell into an awkward silence.

    Stefan, eavesdropping from the staircase, nearly burst intoughter.

    Keith whispered from behind, "Maybe dad really isn''t up to it."

    Stefan whirled around, whispering back, "Bro, you''re up? I was justing down when I saw you

    hiding here. I got curious."

    Stefan grinned, "Lucy told me to let her handle Madeleine, so I stayed out of the way. But dad''s

    okay, right? You called me the other night to talk to Lucy about persuading mom."

    Keith hesitated before agreeing, "Yeah, he''s fine."

    Their father had abstained from other women all these years. It was impressive he hadn''t

    sumbed to temptation.

    Back downstairs, Madeleine finally spoke up, "Lucinda, he''s your father. Are you really going to

    nder him like this? Does he know?"

    "And why should I remind you that if he''spletely fine, why hasn''t he touched you all these

    years? Howe all your plots against my dad have failed?"

    Madeleine tried to speak but found herself without a retort.

    Maybe Nathan really wasn''t able.

    And that''s why all her attempts had been unsessful?

    This time, she had even lost herself to Hayden.

    "Ms. Porter, is there anything else you want me to tell my mom?"

    "I want her to go back to Nathan and get a divorce! I don''t care whether he''s capable or not, I love

    him for who he is. I want to marry him and spend my life with him."

    "Wrong. You can''t spend a lifetime with him. He''s already fifty; even if he lives to a hundred, that''s

    only half a lifetime," Lucy corrected her coldly.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Madeleine''s face was a sickly green, "Lucy, you don''t need to keep reminding me your dad''s an old

    man."

    "Oh, so Ms. Porter realizes my dad''s an old man, huh? Look at you, barely older than me, trying to

    step in as my stepmom. You''ve got quite the taste."

    "The matter of my parents'' marriage is not my concern, nor yours. Whether they divorce or not is

    their choice. What right does Ms. Porter have to demand their separation? You''ve got the wrong

    target. You should be talking to my Aunt, asking her to step aside because, after all, it was my Uncle

    Hayden who spent the night with you."

    "Don''t go putting a green hat on my dad''s head. He''s got me and my brother to think about; he

    doesn''t need to raise Uncle Hayden''s kids."

    Madeleine was fuming with anger, but Lucy had made her point clear.

    Suddenly, it dawned on her that she had forgotten something critical.

    She hadn''t taken the morning-after pill, and the thought that she might be carrying Hayden''s child

    sent a wave of panic through her.

    "I could offer your mother somepensation. Just name your price," she said, trying to negotiate

    her way out of the potential scandal.

    "Sell my father to you? Do you think you can afford him? Let''s do the math. My dad''s a billionaire,

    and I''m not even talking about the Blue family fortune. Just his personal assets are worth a fortune,

    and he''s only fifty years old. These days people work until they''re almost eighty, which means my

    dad has about thirty more years to increase his wealth, maybe even to a trillion."

    "Do you think, Ms. Porter, you can cough up a trillion? If you can, you''d better start getting that

    money ready. I''ll have my mom hand you over to him, cash on delivery, no backing out!"

    Madeleine was left speechless.

 Chapter 418

    Chapter 418

    The Porters were so close to iming a fortune worth hundreds of billions, but that was the total

    family wealth. Lucinda''s father alone had only a few billion to his name.

    As for Lucinda herself, she couldn''t even dream of a billion, let alone a hundred billion.

    "Lucinda, you''re really shooting for the moon!" someone used her.

    Lucinda replied with a smile, "I''m just stating the facts. My dad is worth that much; I''m not inting

    the price."

    "Your father is a person, not a product. You can''t measure his worth in dors."

    Lucinda chuckled, "You suggested giving my mother somepensation and asked her to name

    her price. Isn''t that like putting a price tag on my dad? In business, no one wants to take a loss. I''m

    just trying to get a fair deal for mom, not a penny more than what''s fair."

    "Of course, if Ms. Porter can''t afford it, you better skedaddle before you embarrass yourself. Biting

    off more than you can chew can be deadly!"

    Madeleine was seething with rage.

    And she truly stormed off.

    She couldn''t bear to stay another moment.

    She was livid!

    When she first met Lucinda, Madeleine thought she was an easy target, someone she could

    manipte. But after their confrontation, she realized that Lucinda was infuriatingly unyielding.

    "Safe travels, Ms. Porter. I won''t see you out."

    Madeleine felt there was something off about Lucinda''s farewell, but in her anger, she couldn''t quite

    catch it.

    It wasn''t until she stepped out of Ascend Estate and felt the breeze that her fury subsided and she

    caught the undertone of Lucinda''s words¡ªit was as if she was bidding farewell to the dead!

    Lucinda, just you wait!

    Madeleine boarded her private jet, instructing, "Take me to the Ike Group."

    Dealing with Lucinda from her remote location in Skywatch was a challenge.

    But she could seek out allies.

    Her father had arranged for Ruby to be her ally, but Ruby turned out to be useless and ended up

    behind bars.

    She was d she hadn''t teamed up with Ruby, or she would have been in the hole financially.

    Apart from Ruby, she thought of Owen.

    Owen and Stefan were arch-enemies.

    Owen was deeply in love with Ruby, who had been locked up because of Stefan and Lucinda.

    Owen must despise the couple.

    The enemy of her enemy could be her friend.

    Madeleine considered joining forces with Owen to bring down the Stefans.

    In Pinehurst, the only one bold enough to confront Stefan was Owen, since they were sworn

    enemies.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Madeleine had acted on impulse and left just as impulsively.

    She hadn''t done her homework and was unaware that Owen had moved on from his obsession with

    Ruby, and she knew nothing of Owen''s history with Cecilia.

    Owen, while stillpeting with Stefan in the business arena, had no desire to provoke the Stefans

    in his personal life.

    After sending Madeleine on her way, Lucinda nced at the clock and called upstairs, "Honey,

    hurry up! We need to get to work, I''m going to bete."

    Normally, she would leave on her own, but Madeleine''s visit had dyed her, and now she needed

    to ride with her husband.

    And she hadn''t even put on her makeup yet.

    Lucinda was in a rush, cursing Madeleine in her mind a million times over.

    That woman, Madeleine, couldn''t hold a candle to her angelic mother.

    Madeleine was just riding on her family''s coattails.

    "I''ll go see Tiffany to help me with my makeup."

    Lucinda didn''t wait for Stefan toe downstairs; she bolted out the door.

    Keith had enjoyed watching her put Madeleine in her ce.

    Usually, it was he who ended up frustrated by Madeleine.

    He wasn''t good at arguing with women, nor did he care to.

    His sister had given him such satisfaction, it was a joy to watch!

    Meanwhile, Lucinda hurried out to work, and on the other side, Madeleine arrived at the Ike

    Group.

    It was lucky that the Ike Group had a spacious entrance to amodate her private jet, which

    drew a lot of attention.

    Madeleine didn''t want to sneak around; she was there openly to propose a partnership with Owen!

    To put some pressure on Lucinda, to make her scared.

    However, Madeleine had arrived too early. Owen hadn''t returned to the office yet.

    He had spent the morning at the Yates family''s, had breakfast there, insisted on taking Cecilia to

    work, helped her open the shop, lingered for a cup of coffee, and only after Cecilia''s repeated

    urging did he reluctantly leave the caf¨¦.

    When he returned to the office at ten in the morning, he noticed a private jet parked at the entrance

    and frowned. Who was showing off their wealth on his turf?

    As if he didn''t have his own private jet.

    It''s just that he preferred to keep a low profile.

    Owen''s limousine drove straight in without hesitation.

    Madeleine disembarked from the jet.

    Her phone rang.

    It was her father.

    "Madeleine, where are you?"

    The head of the Porter family was worried his daughter would be at a disadvantage in Pinehurst

    and had rushed over. After being told at Ascend Estate that she had already left, he had no choice

    but to call.

    Thankfully, she answered.

    "Dad, I''m at the Ike Group."

    "What are you doing at the Ike Group?"

    "Dad, I''ll talk to you when I get back."

    Madeleine was eager to meet Owen and didn''t want to get into details with her father, mainly

    because it was too hot.

    She had waited for Owen for two hours!

    Today was definitely not a good day to be out, waiting on people.

    "Madeleine,e back! Owen won''t help you."

    "Dad, I''lle home, I promise. Let''s talk when I get there, okay?" Madeleine said, swiftly ending

    the call before her father could add another word.

    The patriarch of the Porter family sighed.

    Owen and Stefan might be fierce rivals, but as pirs of Pinehurst Inc., their local business feud was

    to be expected. If an outsider tried to muscle in on their turf, they''d band together to protect their

    interests. So the idea of his daughter trying to use Owen was a non-starter.

    He didn''t call back to douse her hopes in cold water. Maybe it was best for Madeleine to learn the

    hard way. It might bring some sense into her.

    But what if, just what if, Owen agreed to coborate with his daughter?

    Being constantly overshadowed by Stefan must be a thorn in Owen''s side. Perhaps he was

    desperate enough to join forces with an external ally to take Stefan down.

    Just like he himself had been.

    Always striving to surpass Nathan, he had never quite managed it on his own. Instead, he had to

    form alliances with others, pooling their strength to challenge Nathan''s dominance.

    Owen had barely settled back into his office, not even a sip of water gracing his lips, when he heard

    that the heiress of Skywatch, the Porters'' own, was requesting an audience with him.

    He paused, puzzled. The heiress of Skywatch looking for him?

    Did they even know each other?

    Not at all.

    But if someone from the Skywatch n was reaching out, it had to involve Lucinda somehow.

    Curiosity piqued, Owen decided to grant Madeleine an audience, despite herck of appointment.

    With permission granted, Madeleine found no obstacle in her path.

    Soon enough, she was standing at the door of the CEO''s office.

    Owen''s male assistant knocked softly, waited for the affirmative from within, and then ushered

    Madeleine inside.

 Chapter 419

    Chapter 419

    As the arch-nemesis of Stefan, and with his ex-wife''s best friend Lucinda in the middle of it all,

    Owen was privy to more inside information than the average Joe.

    Madeleine was Nathan''s girl, and back when Janice was off on her wild tangents, it was Madeleine

    who stepped in, acting the part of thedy of the house in all the public events, fulfilling the duties

    expected of a partner to a high-profile man like Nathan.

    Everyone in the town of Skywatch knew about Madeleine and Nathan''s situation. They all thought

    she was set for life, that Janice would be left in the dust.

    Owen was no stranger to these rumors.

    When Madeleine suddenly showed up at his door, Owen had a hunch about what she wanted. It

    was likely a partnership she was after.

    Owen sat behind his desk, waiting for her arrival.

    "Boss, Ms. Porter''s here," announced his secretary, escorting Madeleine in.

    With a nonchnt "hmm," Owen stood up, reached out his hand as Madeleine approached, his

    voice polite but his expression frosty.

    He wasn''t exactly known for being chatty with outsiders.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Ms. Porter, a pleasure."

    Madeleine shook his hand while sizing him up.

    In her eyes, Owen was a catch ¨C young, handsome, loaded, and fiercely loyal. His unwavering

    dedication to Ruby was well known, even to someone like her who didn''t pay much attention to the

    Martinez family.

    She couldn''t help but wonder what was wrong with Ruby, passing up on a gem like Owen and

    instead chasing after Stefan like a dog with a bone.

    But then again, she understood ¨C when you''re as ambitious as Ruby, you aim for the perfect one.

    Like herself ¨C if she were to marry, it would be to the cream of the crop in Skywatch, regardless of

    age.

    Owen''s first impression of Madeleine was that she fell short of Mrs. Bright''s standard.

    The secretary poured them each a ss of warm water and set one in front of Madeleine, saying

    politely, "Ms. Porter, please, have some water."

    Annoyed that Owen hadn''t even bothered to ask what she wanted, just assuming she''d want

    lukewarm water ¨C something she would only drink at Nathan''s behest ¨C she masked her irritation.

    Owen motioned for the secretary to leave.

    Once alone, he asked, "So, Ms. Porter, to what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?"

    He took a sip of his water, holding Madeleine''s gaze with sharp eyes.

    Madeleine, too, pretended to sip her water, her lips barely touching the liquid.

    "Let''s cut to the chase," she said with a smile. "I''m here to discuss a potential partnership with Mr.

    Martinez. The Ike group doesn''t have a presence in Skywatch, and as you know, the Porters don''t

    have stakes in Pinehurst. What kind of partnership could we possibly have?"

    She continued, undeterred by Owen''s skeptical look, "This isn''t about business, though a sessful

    partnership could extend there. Your enemy is Stefan, correct? There''s an old saying, ''The enemy

    of my enemy is my friend.'' With amon foe, why not join forces against Stefan?"

    Owen inwardly sneered; he knew she was here to use him as a pawn against Stefan.

    Madeleine, miles away in Skywatch, needed a local ally to take on Pinehurst''s top dog, and Owen

    was her chosen aplice.

    "Truthfully, Mr. Coleman hasn''t wronged me personally, but his wife, Lucinda. She''s a thorn in my

    side. I intend to strip her of her power and see how high and mighty she acts then."

    Madeleineid her cards on the table, revealing her true intentions.

    "I understand that you have a bone to pick with the Colemans too. If not for them, your sweetheart

    wouldn''t have been in trouble, and you''d have won her over by now. They''ve been a thorn in your

    business side, and they''ve stolen your love''s heart."

    "Any man with pride couldn''t swallow that indignity. You must despise them as much as I do. The

    Porter family may not wield power in Pinehurst, but our business is vast. Cooperate with the Porter

    Group, and you''ll triumph in both the boardroom and the bedroom."

    Owen feigned contemtion before asking, "Ms. Porter, what kind of partnership are you

    proposing?"

    "You''re considering a partnership with the Porter Group?"

    "I''ll need some time to think it over."

    Madeleine nodded, her smile not waning, "Of course, that''s only fair."

    "How long will you need, Mr. Martinez?"

    "Look, I need to know if the Porter n is keen on teaming up with me or if this is just Ms. Porter''s

    solo act. If it''s thetter, I''ll need to give it some serious thought."

    Madeleine choked back her frustration.

    "Alright, here''s my business card," she said, extending it towards Owen. "Once Mr. Martinez has

    made up your mind, feel free to give me a call."

    As she spoke, she took out her card and handed it to Owen.

    Owen nced at the card briefly and said, "Sure, I''ll get in touch with Ms. Porter once I''ve weighed

    my options."

    Madeleine rose to her feet. "I apologize for the intrusion, Mr. Martinez. I won''t take up any more of

    your time. I''ll await your decision."

    Owen stood up as well, but didn''t see her out, merely signaling his secretary to escort Madeleine

    away.

    Minutes after ensuring Madeleine had left, Owen skirted around his desk and headed out.

    His limousine fleet soon departed from the Ike Group''s headquarters.

    Initially, Owen had intended to have his driver take him to the Serendipity Cafe, but on second

    thought, he instructed, "Head to Ascend Global."

    The driver responded with a respectful "Yes, sir."

    Stefan couldn''t help feeling a bit resigned about Owen dropping by his office during working hours

    again.

    Nevertheless, he agreed to meet with him.

    "Stefan, I''vee bearing news," Owen announced as he sat down across from him, waving off

    Iris''s offer to pour him water. "I''ll take it only if your boss does the pouring."

    Iris nced at Stefan.

    "Go ahead with your tasks," he told her, and she left the office dutifully.

    Stefan sat unmoved, eyeing his nemesis across the desk. "Spit it out then. Tell me what''s so

    important that you''vee to ''inform'' me. Let''s see if it''s worth me pouring you a ss of water."

    "Come on, Stefan. Hospitality for a visitor, remember?"

    "I don''t recall you rolling out the red carpet when I visit you."

    Owen fell silent.

    He certainly wouldn''t treat Stefan like a guest. They were rivals, after all!

 Chapter 420

    Chapter 420

    "Spit it out, what''s so important that you, Mr. Martinez, made the trek yourself," the voice rang out

    with a touch of casual bravado.

    Owen rose, sauntering into the kitchte to brew himself a pot of coffee, bringing along two mugs.

    He poured half a mug for Stefan. "I''m the guest here, and yet I''m serving you."

    "Before I came to see you, do you know who I met with?"

    "Madeleine, right?"

    Owen paused, "You knew?"

    Stefan chuckled, "Madeleine showed up bright and early at my ce, looking for my mother-inw.

    It was Lucy who greeted her. Lucy managed to tick her off so bad, she stormed out of there."

    "I reckon she won''t let it go that easily. She''s bound to look for an ally. And who else in Pinehurst

    would dare to cross me openly but you? It''s only logical she''de to you," Stefan prodded with a

    hint of sarcasm.

    Owen bristled, "I''m no one''s pawn!"

    He hadn''t agreed to anything with Madeleine.

    "Oh, so you didn''t strike a deal? That''s not the impression you''re giving off," Stefan teased.

    "Stefan."

    Owen extended the mug of coffee towards Stefan, "Look, we''re at odds, to put it mildly. Truth be

    told, I''m jealous of you. You ought to be envied; just look at you, handsome, sessful, the whole

    package. Every manly virtue seems to have beenvished upon you. Who wouldn''t be green with

    envy?"

    "I''m only human, and it''s natural for me to feel jealous. But let''s be clear, we''ve got no deep-seated

    feud. You can''t let this harm me, man."

    Stefan took the mug, "Aren''t you the one plotting with Madeleine against me? And now you''re

    worried I might retaliate?"

    "I never agreed to work with Madeleine. She''s trying to use me as her weapon, and I''m not about to

    y that part. Even if Porter Group could offer a deal with my Ike Group, what''s the real gain?

    And could their influence even reach into Pinehurst? This is our turf. We can have our squabbles,

    but we can''t let outsiders slice up our pie."

    "Bottom line, I won''t invite the wolf into the den. I know what kind of shady business Porter Group

    was built on. Who knows if partnering with them would drag me into something illegal? I''m no saint,

    Owen, but I''m not so far gone to dabble in crime."

    Stefan eyed him with a half-smirk.

    "Stefan, please, don''t badmouth me to Cecilia, alright? I''m serious; I didn''t team up with Madeleine.

    I''m here to warn you. She won''t rest easy. Even if I''m not her ally, she''ll find someone else. It''s easy

    to guard against a frontal attack, but a stab in the back? Be careful."

    Stefan nodded solemnly, "I appreciate the heads-up."

    "Lucy and I owe you one."

    Owen sipped his coffee, "Then you gotta have Lucy put in a good word for me with Cecilia."

    "Lucy''s already spoken up for you plenty. If it weren''t for her, you and Cecilia wouldn''t have made

    any progress. Cecilia wouldn''t even be bringing you those homemade soups and remedies."

    Owen was taken aback, skeptical, "Lucy would do that for me?"

    He had always thought Stefan and his wife enjoyed watching him flounder, even kicking him while

    he was down. The idea of Lucy advocating for him was surprising.

    Stefan said, "Lucy wants her friend to be happy."

    Owen grinned, "Your wife sure knows what she''s doing. She saw right away that the only one who

    could bring Cecilia happiness was me. She didn''t let our rivalry stop her from convincing Cecilia to

    give me a chance. Stefan, you''ve got a sharp one there, no wonder she snagged a CEO like you."

    Stefan basked in the praise for his wife, epting thepliments on her behalf with pride, "I''ve

    always said Lucy has an eye for quality."

    Owen thought to himself, ''Shameless!''

    Give them an inch, and they''ll take a mile.

    "But Cecilia still hasn''t epted me," Owenmented, his handsome face falling.

    "My mom''s dragging me down, ming Cecilia for my injury, calling her a jinx, and Cecilia

    overheard."

    Owen was frustrated and helpless, "If she wasn''t my own mother, I swear I''d silence her nonsense."

    He looked enviously at Stefan, "Stefan, you''ve got it good with your parents. They''re open-minded

    and don''t hold you back."

    Stefan reflected for a moment before calmly saying, "We''ve got a lot of brothers; we''re not that

    precious. As long as we bring home a wife, the folks are thrilled. They don''t nitpick. Besides, they

    trust our judgment. The women who can get us to settle down must be exceptional."

    Owen was silent.

    His grandfather had more than one grandchild, but he couldn''t hold a candle to the Anderson

    family''s brood.

    Stefan continued, "You''ve still got work to do, especially with convincing your parents. If they don''t

    come around to Cecilia, with her pride, she won''t settle. You''ll just keep dragging this out with no

    hope for reconciliation."

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Owen''s expression was grave; he knew the issues between him and Cecilia were rooted in reality

    and parental disapproval.

    "I''m aware."

    "Grandpa had Harry apany him to visit my grandpa yesterday. The two of them had quite the

    verbal spar."

    The two old men had been at it their whole lives; a peaceful encounter would have been the real

    surprise.

    Owen hummed in acknowledgment, "I know. Grandpa says when he''s in a bad mood, he picks a

    fight with Patrick, gets all riled up and argues. It''s his way of blowing off steam."

    Stefan was bemused, "Shouldn''t that make his mood worse?"

    The elderly gentlemen had their unique ways of coping.

    Despite a lifetime of rivalry, seeming like they couldn''t stand each other, both would be genuinely

    concerned if something happened to the other.

    Grandpa Anderson always told his grandson that life without a rival was utterly dull.

    His own adversary was Mr. Martinez.

    They were at each other''s throats, yet there was an unspoken respect between them.

    "Owen, you clearly missed the subtext in my words. Your grandpa wanted Harry to apany him.

    Harry''s stock is rising in your grandfather''s eyes, and that could threaten your position," warned

    Stefan, his concern for Owen apparent.

    After a pause, Owen responded with a wry smile, "So, you''ve got a soft spot for me, huh? Afraid

    that Grandpa will kick me to the curb and elevate Harry?"

    Stefan replied earnestly, "I''d hate to see you pushed out. Harry''s more level-headed, sharper, more

    cunning. I still think you''re the better fit to run Ike Enterprises."

    Owen was speechless.

    That stung!

    So, this was how his arch nemesis saw him!

    Owen brooded over a cup of coffee.

    Indeed, Harry was a force to be reckoned with. He was a double threat at Ike Enterprises ¨C the

    internal worry of Harry usurping him and the external menace of Stefan, his relentless adversary,

    always ready to strike.

    Over the years, Owen had lost count of the number of times they''d exchanged blows, but of course,

    he''dnded just as many hits on Stefan.

 Chapter 421

    Chapter 421

    "Do you need anything else from me?"

    "No, that''s all."

    With that, Stefan wasted no time in showing his guest the door. "Well then, you can go now."

    Owen bristled with indignation. "Come on, Stefan. I came all the way here to give you the heads-up

    about the Porter Group, and this is how you repay me?"

    "What do you want, a medal? Are you afraid your girl Cecilia will get jealous; think you''re ying

    both sides?"

    Owen spat dismissively, "I only have eyes for thedies."

    He gazed at Stefan''s handsome face and, with relief, proimed, "Looking at you for nearly thirty

    years and not falling for you ¨C my resolve is rock-solid."

    Stefan ignored it without a word.

    After Owen finished his coffee, he stood up, bade his goodbyes, and left.

    Time continued its march.

    Exiting Ascend Global, Owen decided to skip returning to the office and headed straight to the

    Serendipity Cafe to im his kudos from Cecilia.

    Approaching noon, the cafe was at its quietest, the rush of customers having ebbed away.

    Cecilia was scrolling through her phone, checking out thetest lunch specials from nearby

    restaurants, pondering what to eat.

    "Cecilia, Mr. Cooper''se again," the waitress suddenly spoke up.

    Cecilia looked toward the cafe door and sure enough, there was Avery, pushing it open and

    stepping inside.

    Thankfully, this time he was without a bouquet of flowers.

    By now, she knew Avery was someone Mr. Martinez had hired to pretend to court her¡ªwhich

    exined why Avery, despite being terrified of Owen, still dared to dere a fairpetition.

    It turned out there was Mr. Martinez backing him up.

    Moreover, Avery would brave any storm for the sake of his beloved.

    Though Avery and Cedric''s love was disapproved of by society, Avery''s feelings were as genuine as

    theye.

    Instead of making a beeline for Cecilia as usual, Avery chose a secluded table in the farthest corner

    and sat down.

    He pulled out several bottles of liquor from his bag and, forgoing the need for a ss, began to

    drink straight from the bottle.

    Cecilia and the waitress exchanged puzzled nces.

    Feeling that they had some level of acquaintance, Cecilia walked over and sat across from Avery,

    asking with concern, "Avery, what''s wrong? Is something bothering you? Did you hit a rough patch?"

    Could it be that Mr. Martinez was withholding payment?

    (If Mr. Martinez were here, he would reply, ¡°Cecilia, do I look like that kind of guy?¡±)

    Avery kept drinking, and after emptying a bottle, he finally shared his anguish. "Cecilia, why can''t

    Cedric and I, who love each other so dearly, be together?"

    So it was a matter of love issue.

    She had thought it was a problem with Mr. Martinez''s payment.

    "I did everything I could to help theirpany survive, epting all this. Cecilia, I have toe

    clean to you. The truth is, I do like you, but it''s not the kind of love. My heart belongs to someone

    else. The pursuit was all an act, a charade. It''s a long story, but to sum it up briefly, it was all for my

    true love.

    "But now that the Frost Group has weathered the storm, they''ve turned their backs on me, urging

    Cedric to go on dates, even to get married. It''s tearing me apart, Cecilia. What should I do?"

    Upon his confession, Cecilia finally realized what had happened.

    She had heard from Owen about Avery''s true love for Cedric, the CEO of the Frost Group. She also

    knew Lucinda mentioned Cedric had even been set up with Tiffany Paisley, although that didn''t pan

    out.

    The Frost family probably knew about Cedric''s orientation but hoped to ¡°cure¡± him by pushing him

    into conventional rtionships.

    Most families would have a hard time epting their sons¡¯ being gay, let alone a prominent family

    like the Frosts.

    They hadn''t harmed Avery, probably thanks to either Cedric''s protection or warnings from Mr.

    Martinez, given their coboration. That''s why Avery remained safe.

    But, the Frost family was undoubtedly hell-bent on separating Cedric and Avery up.

    "Avery, your rtionship with Cedric will be determined by how strong your connection is, and to

    what extent Cedric is willing to go for you. If he chooses his family and their expectations over you,

    then it''s time to let go. Love thwarted is amon tragedy."

    It¡¯s not just about homosexual love; many heterosexual couples are also driven apart by their

    families and end up having to break up.

    Some, too enraptured to say goodbye, may even resort to extreme acts like suicide, hoping to

    remain united in death, which leads to nothing but tragedy.

    ¡°If he¡¯s willing to fight for it, you should also persevere and have faith in him. As long as you both

    persevere, I believe that sweetness may eventually follow.¡±

    As Cecilia talked with Avery about his rtionship with Cedric, she also thought of herself and

    Owen.

    Advising others is easy; facing one''s own challenges is much harder.

    Avery was willing to do anything for Cedric.

    He really tried hard.

    But what about Cecilia herself? She had fallen for Owen, yet she hadn''t buffed up the courage as

    Avery had. She wasn¡¯t in together with Owen to confront their obstacles side by side.

    She had left Owen to fight their battles alone.

    How could one person fighting alone match the strength of two people united?

    Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Now, Cecilia suddenly felt that she needed to try harder¡ªto change Olina''s opinion of her and earn

    herself eptance.

    Her background was unchangeable, but she could make herself strong, strong enough that even

    Olina couldn''t look down upon her.

    If she kept pausing, not keeping pace with Owen, they would probably waste their lives without

    getting anywhere.

    Love requires mutual effort.

    Owen and Ruby''s breakup was a harsh lesson from the past.

    "Cecilia, Cecilia."

    Avery waved his hand in front of Cecilia''s face.

    Cecilia, finallying back to her senses, was slightly embarrassed. "I was so lost in thought. What

    were you saying, Avery?"

    Avery gave no answer. He then offered¡ª

    "Come have a drink with me."

    He uncorked another bottle of wine and offered it to Cecilia, then opened one for himself.

    Cecilia took the bottle, clinked it against his, and watched as he tilted his head back, takingrge

    gulps. But she didn''t drink.

    "Cecilia, Cecilia."

    The waitress suddenly over, bustling, "Mr. Martinez is here again."

    Whenever Mr. Cooper showed up, Mr. Martinez was sure to follow soon after.

    It was an unwritten rule, predictable as clockwork.

    Reactively, Cecilia considered getting up and leaving, to distance herself from Avery and avoid

    another jealousy scene with Mr. Martinez.

    But as she stood up, she changed her mind and sat back down.

    Owen knew that Avery''s feelings for her weren''t genuine love, and furthermore, Avery was gay. So,

    he should no longer be jealous anymore.

    After downing his bottle, Avery noticed Cecilia hadn¡¯t touched her drink. He took the bottle from her,

    "Let me drink for you. Do you have any booze in this ce? Bring me a few more bottles; I''m not

    going home sober tonight."

    Cecilia hesitated before replying, "This is a coffee shop, Avery. We don''t carry alcohol here."

    By then, Owen had pushed open the door and walked in.

 Chapter 422

    Chapter 422

    As soon as Owen walked in, he scanned the room for Cecilia.

    His heart sank a bit when he spotted her sitting with Avery.

    ¡ªAvery dared to show up and pursue Cecilia after everything that had happened!

    Did Avery not realize it was Owen who had been at his back?

    Or had he really fallen for Cecilia?

    Considering this possibility, Owen felt his hackles rise.

    It is known some homosexuals don''t stick to one path forever; they could switch up or swing both

    ways.

    With purposeful strides, Owen approached them.

    "There you are."

    Before Owen could speak, Cecilia took the initiative and stood up. As Owen neared, she reached

    out to straighten his cor and tie.

    Owen felt his anger dissipate at her touch, and a smile spread across his face.

    "Cecilia, I didn''t do a good job with my tie. My arm hurts, so I just tied it haphazardly. Can you redo it

    for me?"

    She knew he was merely ying up the injury, but she indulged him, undoing his tie and retying it

    neatly. Then she asked, "Haven''t you finished work for the day? Howe you''re here so early?"

    His visit was so soon after returning to the office from the coffee shop, that Cecilia worried he might

    neglect hispany''s affairs because of her.

    She rarely visited the Martinez family and had little contact with the rest of them, but she was aware

    of how Harry from the third branch was eyeing Owen''s CEO spot.

    If Owen neglected hispany because of her, and Harry were to snatch the top spot, her former

    mother-inw would only despise her more,beling her as the family''s bad luck charm.

    "How could I note?"

    Owen shot a re at Avery, who was nursing his drink, seemingly oblivious to Owen''s arrival.

    "When I¡¯m not around, this bulles charging after you, Cecilia."

    Suddenly, Owen grabbed her hands, his eyes earnest. "Cecilia, let''s get remarried, okay? Only then

    can I have some peace of mind."

    Cecilia looked at Avery, then turned back with resignation to Owen, who was jealous over nothing.

    "You know what he''s like, and yet you''re acting jealous. Isn''t that a bit silly? If you''re so fond of

    being sour, I''ll pop over to the supermarket across the street and buy you ten bottles of vinegar to

    let you have your fill."

    "Avery''s just down in the dumps. I was convincing him to take it easy on the booze. There''s nothing

    going on between us."

    Owen was pleasantly surprised to hear Cecilia exining her interaction with Avery.

    "When he''s feeling low, you''re there tofort him. What about me? And you''re calling him by his

    first name, so warmly. You''ve never called me anything but ¡®Mr. Malicious¡¯ or ¡®Shameless Owen.¡¯

    The nicest I¡¯ve been called is ¡®Mr. Martinez.¡¯"

    He was dying to hear Cecilia call his name sweetly; it would melt him to the core.

    Seeing Avery continue to drown his sorrows, Cecilia sighed and pulled Owen back to the checkout

    counter, urging him to take a seat while she stood beside him, speaking softly.

    "Harry. Mr. Cooper has been hurt in love. You know about his situation. Now that the Frost¡¯s

    enterprise has stabilized, Cedric''s family is pressuring him to get married. All of Mr. Cooper''s

    sacrifices seem to have been in vain."

    Owenughed quietly. "I once had a thing for a woman, Ruby. My grandfather didn¡¯t like her and

    didn¡¯t want me with her. Instead, he nearly strong-armed me into courting someone else, you. Not to

    mention Cedric¡¯s situation¡ªhe¡¯s attracted to a man. How many parents can readily ept that their

    son is interested in a guy?

    "Cecilia, I¡­ I''ve moved on from Ruby; don¡¯t get me wrong. I''m just saying not every couple gets a

    fairy tale ending, let alone a same-sex one. I¡¯m not prejudiced; I¡¯m just stating the facts."

    "The Frost family''s reaction isn''t surprising. That bull is too in love with Cedric. Cedric might feel the

    same, but he''s got too many responsibilities on his shoulders. He cannot just think about love only.

    Being in his position means making many sacrifices."

    Cecilia fell silent.

    She wanted to help Avery and felt he was getting a raw deal, but she knew Owen''s words held

    truth.

    One can never tell how many couples in normal rtionships are forced to go their separate ways,

    let alone those in same-sex rtionships.

    Owen could tell she sympathized with Avery and asked, "Do you want to help the bull?"

    "He''s already heartbroken. Stop calling him ¡®bull¡¯. He''s not a stud; he''s a model."

    "Can you help him? Go talk to your grandfather and tell him, if the Frost family''s really that

    heartless, we shouldn''t support them."

    "I don''t need to talk to my grandfather. I can handle this myself." Owen said.

    He didn''t want to be heartbroken, either. What if Avery, nursing a broken heart, ran to the

    Serendipity Caf¨¦ every day to drink and allowed Ceciliafort him every day? What if that led

    Avery to fall for Cecilia?

    So, the best way to solve this problem was to allow Cedric and Avery to truly be together. That way,

    Avery wouldn¡¯t be his rival in love.

    "Then, Owen, darling, please help Mr. Cooper out. Their love might not be conventional, but if

    they''re sincere, they should have the right to love. We shouldn''t judge their rtions."

    Owen tapped his fingers on the counter, showing a hint of contrivance. "Cecilia, that¡¯s not sweet

    enough for me to help Avery. Call me ''hubby'', and I''m on it. Come on, call me ¡®hubby¡¯."

    He paused, then said, ¡°If you can¡¯t bring yourself to say it, you can temporarily call me by my given

    name, Owen. I need it called in a soft, sweet voice, to better melt my heart.¡±

    Cecilia raised her hand, half-tempted to p him.

    Halfway through her summoning gesture, Cecilia held back and withdrew her hand, "We''re not even

    remarried yet, and you expect me to call you ''hubby''? Calling you by your name would be simpler,

    but with a soft, heart-melting voice? Do I look like the type to make puppy-dog eyes?

    "Forget it. Help if you want, or don''t¡ªit''s your neck on the line, not mine."

    Did he think she couldn''t see through his motives?

    Owen was only offering to help Avery for his own sake.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "If Avery needspany every day, I''ll be there to chat, to console him, to drink with him, even to

    take a walk if he needs some fresh air. I''m not above a little sacrifice for a friend."

    "Cecilia, if you anger me to death, you''ll be a widow," Owen said, gritting his teeth.

    "Wrong. If you die, I''m free to remarry. Remember, I''m not your wife. I''m under no obligation to y

    the grieving widow for you."

    "Aren¡¯t you always eyeing my assets? Without being my wife, how else would you legally inherit

    everything that¡¯s mine?"

    Cecilia was left speechless.

 Chapter 423

    Chapter 423

    "Cecilia."

    Owen tugged at Cecilia''s arm, urging her to sit down, but she shrugged off his grip with a huff. "I can

    sit down by myself. Don''t pull me."

    Once seated, she red at him, clearly annoyed.

    Owen just grinned and said, "Just calling my name will do for now. There¡¯s no need to demand too

    much. We''ve got a whole lifetime ahead to get entangled in, and I bet you''ll end up calling me

    ''hubby'' sooner orter."

    Cecilia said simply, "¡­ rascal."

    She knew this side of him all too well¡ªthe Shameless Owen.

    "You''ve already nicknamed me ''Shameless Owen.'' If I didn''t live up to that, I''d be letting down the

    moniker you so kindly bestowed upon me."

    "Whether you help Avery or not is your call. After all, it''s not me who''s anxious. And why have you

    come here anyway?"

    Owen knew he couldn''t intimidate Cecilia; she was the one who could rattle him, because he wore

    his heart on his sleeve first, and therefore, he had already lost.

    "Don¡¯t jump the gun. We should see where Cedric stands. If he isn''t ready to face things together

    with Avery, then my help would only add to his heartache, making it pointless."

    A rtionship takes two to tango; it shouldn¡¯t be one person fighting tooth and nail while the other

    gives up without a fight. Help from outsiders can¡¯t do much.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.

    Cecilia had to admit Owen had a point and praised him. "You''re getting sharper."

    No wonder Trenton Martinez had pushed him to marry her, diverting his attention from his

    obsession with Ruby. Slowly but surely, Owen wasing to his senses.

    Owen gave a bitter smile. "My dear Cecilia, can we please not bring her up?"

    "I didn''t mention her. You''re the one who thought of Ruby, which is why you think I''m referring to her.

    Owen, you''ve got a long way to go before you can calmly face Ruby."

    "They say the best way to get over an old me is to move on to someone new. Cecilia, would you

    be my girlfriend? The kind with marriage in mind. With you by my side, our daily dates, all lovey-

    dovey, I guarantee I''ll get over Ruby in no time."

    It was hard to believe he could get over a love thatsted over a decade that easily.

    "Didn''t I ept the flowers you sent? And I did go to the movies with you, right? If that''s not dating,

    then what is?"

    Cecilia retorted, getting up to leave. In fact, she was embarrassed.

    Her words were as good as agreeing to a rtionship with Owen.

    "Cecilia."

    Owen''s face lit up with joy as he grabbed her wrist, his smile widening. "Then, let''s have lunch

    together, at my family''s hotel. And tonight, we¡¯ll go on another date."

    "Oh, by the way, I came here to tell you something."

    Owen didn¡¯t wait for Cecilia to respond. He quickly changed the subject, taking her silence for a

    ¡°yes¡± to having lunch at the Pinehurst Hotel.

    "What is it?" Cecilia asked, ncing at Avery who was still hitting the bottle. She called over the

    waitress to persuade Avery to stop drinking.

    "You know Madeleine, right?" Owen asked.

    "Of course, Nathan''stest crush. Because of her, Mrs. Bright doesn''t even want toe back to

    Skywatch, let alone forgive Nathan. But if I were in her shoes, I wouldn''t forgive him either. Better to

    divorce, if he''s got a new love, why not set him free?"

    Owen hurriedly added, "Cecilia, I promise that after our marriage, you''ll be the only one for me. No

    mistresses or affairs on the side."

    Cecilia gave him a sideways nce.

    He sure knew how to make a pitch for himself.

    "Madeleine came to my office today."

    Cecilia was surprised, then asked, "Did you meet her?"

    "I did. She came knocking, and I thought I might fish for some intel for Lucinda, so I met with her.

    She knows I''m at odds with Stefan, so she came to me, asking to team up against Stefan and his

    wife. Hah, as if I¡¯d fall for that. I¡¯m not going to be her pawn."

    "Even if Lucinda weren''t my wife''s best friend, I wouldn''t team up with Madeleine. Stefan and I have

    our own battles in Pinehurst; letting Madeleine get involved is just an open door for the Porters to try

    and take over. Who would want to give up their warm seat of power?"

    Cecilia twisted his uninjured arm. "Who are you calling your ¡®wife¡¯? We''re divorced!"

    "I didn''t name names. If you take it to mean yourself, then you''re admitting you¡¯re my wife."

    Cecilia didn¡¯t answer him.

    His words were apparent¡ªhe was clearly referring to her!

    "I didn''t outright refuse Madeleine¡¯s proposal, nor did I agree. I¡¯m keeping her on the hook, letting

    her think there''s a chance. It''s good to see what moves she''ll make, and I can tip off Stefan."

    Cecilia stood again.

    "Where are you off to now?"

    Owen quickly grabbed her arm, confused why she would leave when he''d brought good news.

    "I''m getting you a ss of water. After all that talking, aren''t you thirsty?"

    There he let her go.

    Cecilia returned with a ss of warm water for him. After he took a few sips, she said, " Since the

    shop isn¡¯t busy right now, let''s go eat. I need to return afterward to manage the shop and discuss

    the transfer price with the store owner next door."

    "Your shop is transferring ownership?"

    Owen misunderstood, and was somewhat startled. "Do you have any financial troubles? Tell me

    how much you need, and I''ll send the money right away."

    Cecilia red at him. "Can''t you say something pleasant for once? You wish my shop was

    transferring, huh? Our shop is expanding. My neighbor¡¯s business isn''t doing well, and Lucy''s been

    hinting at taking over. The owner''s decided to sell her store to us; we just haven''t settled on a price

    yet."

    The owner next-door had hoped to ride on Lucinda''s coattails to boost his sales. Unfortunately, his

    n didn''t pan out. Instead, the local eateries were the ones raking in the dough.

    Although the Serendipity Cafe offered its fair share of pastries and sweet treats, it was mainly

    known for its artisanal coffee blends. Peoplee here for Lucinda''s fame. And when hunger

    struck, they''d flock to the nearby diners and bistros, inadvertently giving a leg up to the food

    business scene.

    As for the matter of negotiating prices, Jack insisted, "Let me handle it. Once she gets wind of

    Lucinda''s fame, she might just try to milk us for all we''re worth."

    With a chuckle, Cecilia said, "Why wield a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Besides, I can take care

    of my own affairs. You better focus on your empire¡ªseal those big deals. Don''t you dare neglect

    the family business. If profits dip, I don''t want your mom ming me again, calling me a jinx or

    worse, a husband-wrecker.

    "And keep an eye on your younger brother; he''s eyeing your chair like a hawk. You wouldn''t want to

    end up kicking yourself and resenting me for not warning you."

 Chapter 424

    Chapter 424

    Owen set his ss down with a clink, reaching urgently for Cecilia''s hand, and said apologetically.

    "Cecilia, I apologize again for my mom''s inappropriatements. I have told her if she tries to

    break us up again with her nonsense, I¡¯ll throw in the towel and be a monk."

    "You, a monk? No monasteries would ept someone with desires that have not been purified!"

    Despite everything, Cecilia''s heart swelled at his words. He was fighting for them.

    "I know exactly how to handle my mom. If she ever gives you trouble again, I''ll threaten to quit my

    job as the CEO of the Ike Group. That''ll keep her in line."

    Owen felt he had no tricks up his sleeve to woo Cecilia. But when it came to dealing with his own

    family or outsiders, Owen was quite skilled.

    He knew how to hit them where it hurts. For his mother, the threat of him giving up the CEO position

    was enough to cause her panic.

    Cecilia watched him quietly. He was trying hard for their future. And so would she.

    She''d work hard to fatten her wallet, not necessarily to rival Owen''s, but enough to earn the respect

    of Olina and to prove that her being with Owen was not for his wealth.

    After all, if she was after his money, she wouldn''t be divorcing him.

    A gentleman loves wealth but earns it in an honorable way. She''d im what was rightfully hers,

    and not a penny more.

    "Let''s go grab some dinner."

    This belongs ? N?velDra/ma.Org.

    "Alright."

    Owen stood up, his face beaming with joy, naturally taking Cecilia''s hand, ready to leave with her.

    But Cecilia looked towards Avery, who was failing to heed the waitress¡¯s advice to cut back on the

    drinking.

    "I''ll call Cedric."

    It takes the one who tied the bell to untie it.

    Only Cedric could handle Avery now; their pleas were useless.

    Owen, to keep Cecilia''s attention away from Avery, whipped out his phone and dialed Cedric''s

    number. They were both young hotshots about town, often rubbing shoulders in the same circles, so

    they had each other¡¯s numbers.

    After a long ring, Cedric''s harsh voice answered, "Mr. Martinez?"

    Cedric¡¯s voice was hoarse, as if his throat was ufortable.

    "What''s up?"

    Cedric wasn''t in the best of moods, having argued with his family and Avery¡ªhe¡¯s been suffered

    from a splitting headache.

    He was tempted to throw caution to the wind, chasing Avery back to start fresh.

    But the sense of duty instilled in him from a young age, of being the sessor for the family

    business, held him back from abandoning everything.

    And yet, his family couldn''t ept his homosexuality, let alone his rtionship with Avery. Now, the

    elders were setting him up with women, hoping a few encounters might turn him straight.

    "Cedric, Avery''s drowning his sorrows at Serendipity Cafe. My girl Cecilia runs a coffee shop, not a

    speakeasy. He¡¯s filling the ce with the smell of booze, stinking up the joint. If my girl¡¯s business

    has been hurt, are you gonnapensate for that? Will you take care of him? If you¡¯re done with

    him, then fine, I¡¯ll have someone throw him out onto the street."

    Shameless!

    "I''ll be there to pick him up immediately."

    Cedric replied without hesitation, fearing that any dy might lead Owen to toss Avery out on the

    street.

    Avery had acted as a decoy, pretending to pursue Cecilia to irritate Owen ¨C a fact Owen had only

    recently discovered, while Cedric had been in on it from the start.

    Cedric had his own pangs of jealousy, but Avery had found a way to soothe him.

    With Avery having sacrificed so much, especially standing by his side during the Frost Group crisis,

    Cedric¡¯s family still demanded him to sever ties with Avery, pushing him into an impossible moral

    dilemma.

    "From now on, keep Avery away from the Serendipity. Cedric, don''t let me lose respect for you.

    Don¡¯t be that guy who sweet-talks when he needs help, but turns cold when he doesn''t. Sure,

    business is business, but don''t be heartless."

    After a while, Cedric responded, "I''ll take care of it."

    "Just make sure I don''t see your man hogging mydy''s attention."

    Cecilia''s attention was already scarce, and if Avery took his share, Owen would be left with just the

    crumbs.

    Without giving Cedric another chance to speak, Owen hung up.

    He''d keep an eye on Cedric and Avery''s situation to see if Cedric would stand up for Avery. If so,

    he''d lend Avery a hand. If not, it was time for Avery to cut ties and move on. There were plenty of

    good fish in the sea.

    Well, Avery was after men. There weren¡¯t many willing to take the bait.

    Good men were plentiful, but not all were as unique as Cedric.

    "Let''s go. His man wille here to pick him up."

    After informing Cedric about Avery, Owen once again took Cecilia''s hand. Their fingers intertwined,

    as Owen shed a sun-like smile on their way out of the Serendipity Cafe.

    As for Owen referring to her as his in the phone, Cecilia couldn''t be bothered to correct it anymore.

    She''d rx her guard, and he''d take his chance.

    Her philosophy was that it''s okay to date for several years before getting married.

    Owen, however, was considering how many couples, once sure of their feelings, followed their

    emotions into more intimate territories. It was time to seize the moment and perhaps get ahead of

    the game.

    Even Liam Anderson, the stoic, was getting married and bing a dad before the wedding. There

    was no reason Owen couldn''t outdo him.

    "I''ll drive," Cecilia offered, mindful of the Owen''s injured arm.

    Owen promptly handed over the car keys and, once they were both settled in the vehicle, he said,

    "Cecilia, please ept this car as a gift from me. The weather''s so unpredictable. Having your own

    ride will makemuting a lot more convenient."

    The Martinez family''s bodyguards knew better than to follow.

    The young master rarely managed to coax Ms. Yates into dining with him, and if they tagged along,

    they''d stick out like sore thumbs and risk a pay cut from the young master himself.

    "No, thank you. I want to buy my own car with my own money."

    Cecilia could afford her own car now.

    She always thought living nearby made riding an electric bike convenient for her. Driving a car

    meant getting stuck in traffic, while her bike could zip through the narrow alleys and side streets,

    arriving at any shop with ease.

    But now she feltpelled to get a car, to stop Owen from worrying¡ªand his luxury car gift, how

    could she possibly ept a grand gesture like that?

    "What''s mine is yours, Cecilia. Why make such distinctions? I mean every word I say. The moment

    we''re married, I''ll transfer all my assets to you, making you a wealthy woman. What do you say?

    Shall we head to the city hall and make it official?"

 Chapter 425

    Chapter 425

    "Don''t even think about it."

    Cecilia revved up the engine.

    "The first time I got hitched, there was no proposal, no wedding, just a piece of paper we signed,

    and that was under duress¡ªno fond memories whatsoever. If I''m getting remarried, it''s for keeps,

    and I''m taking it seriously. If you slip up on anything, I won''t be walking down the aisle with you."

    Cecilia¡¯s firm words made Owen at a loss for words.

    If he truly loved her, he couldn''t let her down.

    But they had already confirmed their rtionship. They''d date for now, let the feelings deepen, and

    then tie the knot. There were still months before Christmas. Bringing her home before the holidays

    didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea.

    "Cecilia."

    "Just spit it out."

    Cecilia''s eyes stayed glued to the road ahead, not even ncing in his direction.

    Owen admired her profile, struck by her beauty¡ªa ssic case of profile perfection.

    He was so preupied with looking at her that he found himself swallowing hard. He ached to kiss

    her, and maybe even more¡ªto sweep her up in his arms and make her his in every way possible.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "What is it you want to say?"

    Cecilia turned to give him a brief look before focusing back on the road.

    Owen snapped back to reality, blurting out, "Cecilia, you''re stunning! You match my dashing good

    looks. We''re like a match made in heaven, a picture-perfect couple. With our genes, our kids are

    gonna be cute as buttons.

    "Cecilia, I''m a bit greedy, I admit that. How about we go for a whole ser team''s worth of kids?"

    Little did he know on a future day in the delivery room, he¡¯d be so traumatized that he¡¯d swear off

    having a second child.

    "Owen, I get it, you''re thick-skinned and love to toot your own horn. But let''s not get ahead of

    ourselves. We''ve just started dating, and you''re already thinking about having kids? What if, in the

    end, you end up marrying someone else?"

    Ruby had turned herself in, and her sentence wouldn¡¯t likely be long. Once she was released, she

    would certainly stir up trouble again.

    And Megan had coaxed Olina back into her good graces. Although Olina couldn''t dictate Owen''s

    marital choices, she was his mother. With her meddling, who could guarantee there wouldn¡¯t be a

    rekindling between Owen and Ruby?

    Of course, Cecilia could also remarry into the Martinez family before Ruby''s release.

    "Unless you marry someone else, my wife will definitely be you. Cecilia, I''ve got a business dinner

    tonight, would you apany me?"

    "I¡¯m no expert in your business dealings, so I won''t be much help there."

    Owenughed, "I don''t need your help. Just being there is enough for me."

    "Since Lucinda''sing over to mind the store, and you''re free, why don¡¯t youe with me to the

    dinner? Lucinda always apanies Stefan. You¡¯ve never apanied me before."

    Cecilia couldn''t help but smile, "Don''t alwayspare yourself to Mr. Coleman."

    It seemed like Owenpared everything to Stefan.

    Owen pursed his lips, saying, "I can''t help it. Ever since I met him, I''ve always beenparing

    myself to him subconsiously. It''s been over two decades, and I can''t break the habit. Otherwise,

    how would do you think we have be such arch enemies?"

    Cecilia wanted to point out that they were not ¡°arch enemies¡± now.

    But she swallowed her words.

    The two men might not be best friends because of her and Lucy, but the tension between

    them was easing for sure.

    If Ruby knew the enmity between Owen and Stefan was fading, she''d probably go green with envy.

    She had tried so hard to ease their rivalry, to no avail.

    Cecilia and Lucinda, however, seemed to do it effortlessly.

    "We''ll see. If I''m free tonight, I''ll join you. But just so you know, I can''t drink much. I¡¯m a lightweight;

    I¡¯ll get embarrassingly silly when I''m drunk."

    When drunk, Cecilia tended to find Owen irresistibly attractive. She''d get handsy, and maybe even

    do something she''d regret when sober.

    Owen, hear she might do something embarrassing when drunk, quickly assured her, "Don''t worry, I

    won''t let anyone ply you with drinks. no one will get you drunk once they know you''re with me."

    If only he knew what Cecilia was like when she was drunk, he''d regret offering such assurances

    now.

    "Cecilia, your shop''s booming, and you''re expanding. You, the waitress, and Basil can''t handle it all.

    Hire more staff and promote the waitress to manager. She''s been with you and Lucinda the longest

    and has a knack for management. She won''t let you down.

    "That way, both you and Lucinda can rx a bit, just wait for the money to roll in. You''ll also have

    more time to spend with me. You''re going to be thedy of the Martinez family and will need to

    attend many high society gatherings. It''s a good chance to get your bearings."

    Since Owen had fallen for Cecilia, he didn''t care about her background; he was paving the way for

    her.

    But climbing the socialdder required learning the ropes. To prevent Cecilia from feeling out of

    ce or facing ridicule, he wanted to use these business engagements as a learning opportunity for

    her to eventually fit in.

    Lucinda had an easier time. Though raised in the Moore family, being the heiress to the Blue family

    of Skywatch and the futuredy of the Anderson family, people wouldn''t dare belittle her.

    For Cecilia, it was going to be an uphill battle.

    After mulling it over, Cecilia replied, "I''ll talk it over with Lucyter."

    The pressure felt immense, and she was close to bailing.

    But she had resolved to be strong, to be a match for Owen. She couldn''t back down now.

    There¡¯s nothing to fear about socializing. She''d learn.

    As they chatted, they arrived at the Pinehurst Hotel.

    Seeing the grand hotel, Cecilia couldn''t help but recall their blind date there, chuckling, "Mr.

    Malicious, remember our blind date here?"

    Owen had long since run out of energy to protest the nickname "Mr. Malicious" that she seemed so

    fond of using.

    It was her special name for him, after all.

    With that thought, for the first time, Owen peacefully embraced the moniker "Mr. Malicious."

    "I remember," he said, "you looked a fright that night, with makeup caked on so thick it was a horror

    show. And you''d eaten so much garlic, your breath could''ve knocked a person out cold. It''s a good

    thing I''ve got the patience of a saint; anyone else would''ve been sick right on the spot."

    "Oh, please," she shot back, "as if you were any prize yourself. You were rough around the edges,

    had smeared shoe polish all over your skin, and those roses you brought were drooping so sadly.

    Heaven knows how many times you manhandled them."

    They exchanged a knowing smile.

    Stepping out of the car, Owen took Cecilia''s hand in his.

    Standing at the entrance of his family''s grand hotel, he turned to Cecilia and said, "It must be fate

    that we''ve ended up here. With such a disastrous blind date, yet here we are, unable to forget it."

    Cecilia wanted to hurl back, but she held her tongue, allowing him to lead her hand-in-hand into the

    hotel.

 Chapter 426

    Chapter 426

    At Skywatch.

    Hayden had been pacing in front of the Porter residence since morning when finally, a door opened,

    and a servant motioned for him toe inside.

    "Does this mean Miss Porter has agreed to see me?"

    Hayden asked as he followed the servant through the halls, a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

    The servant remained silent.

    Hayden took the silence as a sign that he might have a chance, perhaps Madeleine had agreed to

    meet him after all. The servant''s silence was of little concern to him now.

    However, only Mrs. Porter was present in the opulent main house.

    The servant led Hayden in and, with a respectful nod, announced, "Madam, Mr. Hayden has

    arrived."

    Mrs. Porter hummed in acknowledgment, gesturing for the servant to brew some tea, and motioned

    for Hayden to take a seat.

    Hayden sat down, his face brightening into a smile. "Mrs. Porter," he greeted eagerly.

    Mrs. Porter''s face remained cold, merely giving a nod.

    Just the sight of this man reminded her how her daughter had been dishonored by him.

    She could hardly hold back from going for his jugr.

    Once seated, Hayden nced around before asking with a ttering tone, "Where''s Madeleine?

    Why isn¡¯t she here?"

    He gently ced the bouquet on the coffee table, turning to Mrs. Porter. "I''ve brought these roses

    for Madeleine. She adores roses, as you know."

    "Let''s cut to the chase, Hayden," Mrs. Porter began, her voice steady and firm. "Do you truly intend

    to take responsibility for my daughter?"

    She chose not to answer his question. Her daughter and husband had gone to Pinehurst, and she

    didn¡¯t want to reveal their whereabouts.

    Nathan was always cautious when he was out, and so was her husband. .

    Hayden''s expression grew serious, but he promptly answered, "Mrs. Porter, I know Madeleine

    doesn''t care for me; her heart belongs to my elder brother. But since Madeleine and I have crossed

    a line, I will take full responsibility if she wishes."

    "And how will you take responsibility?" Mrs. Porter pressed. "You''re a married man with three

    children, not to mention the mistresses you keep. Your wife may be in the dark, but we are not. My

    daughter Madeleine is young and beautiful. She¡¯s not going to share a man with a harem."

    " We absolutely will not allow our Madeleine to be your mistress."

    Without hesitation, Hayden dered, "I would never demean Madeleine to such a status."

    Mrs. Porter said nothing and waited for him to continue.

    "If Madeleine agrees, I will divorce and marry her, making her Mrs. Blue of the prominent Blue

    family. She may not bask in the limelight as the matriarch, but in Skywatch, bearing the title Mrs.

    Blue is prestigious."

    Hayden believed his status as the formidable son of the Blue family would not dishonor Madeleine.

    Mrs. Porter scoffed, still not responding.

    Hayden knew words alone were futile; he had to prove his intent.

    "I promise you, Mrs. Porter. Tell Madeleine to expect good news; I will not let her down nor allow her

    to suffer any indignities."

    With that, he rose, bidding Mrs. Porter farewell before hastily leaving the Porter family. He did not

    head home to confront Ashley. Instead, he sought out his elder brother, Nathan.

    After his meal, Nathan reclined in his office''s resting area, thumbing through a stack of photographs

    he had someone covertly take.

    They captured Janice''s every moment with the Moore family¡ªfrom working the fields to picking fruit

    and enjoying the ruralndscape. Despite her simple attire, trying earnestly to fit in, she was still

    sticking out during those agricultural tasks.

    Janice was earnest and seemed happy.

    Other photos showed her picking fruit and admiring the ruralndscape.

    Though the Moore''s vige had been modernized, the untouched beauty of the Hill remained.

    And Janice was loath to leave, enchanted by the ce her daughter Lucinda had grown up.

    Every step Lucinda took, Janice wanted to retrace; every task Lucinda performed, Janice wanted to

    experience.

    Through the vigers'' stories, she learned of Lucinda''s cherished childhood, how the Moore¡¯s,

    despite their poverty, never let Lucinda suffer, always putting her first.

    Nathan''s face softened as he admired his wife''s genuine smile in the photos, an expression he

    longed to see, now only able to caress the images under his fingertips.

    The ringtone of his phone broke the silence.

    His once amiable expression disappearing into one of authority. He checked the caller, his brow

    furrowing slightly before answering.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "Big brother, I need to see you. Is that okay?" Hayden''s voice came through, pleading.

    "Business or personal?"

    "Personal."

    "Personal matters can wait until I''m home. Now, I''m on my break."

    Nathan stated, about to hang up.

    Interrupting him from seeing Janice''s photos, Jack tried to keep his temper in check as his brother''s

    voice crackled through the line.

    "Big bro, I want a divorce!"

    Hayden blurted out before Nathan could end the call.

    Nathan''s brow furrowed at the news. "You want a divorce? To marry Madeleine? She''d agree to

    that?"

    From what Nathan knew about Madeleine and the patriarch of the Porter family, he was certain

    they''d never consent to Hayden marrying her.

    "Listen, I''ve been to the Porters'' home for days on end, making amends. Today, Mrs. Porter gave

    me a hint. She said Madeleine wouldn''t be anyone''s mistress. Isn''t that her way of telling me to

    divorce and marry Madeleine?" Hayden argued with naive hopefulness.

    A flicker of amusement crossed Nathan''s eyes. What kind of hint was that when Madeleine hadn''t

    even seen Hayden?

    But Nathan had yed his hand to turn the tables exactly like this, to spark discord within the family.

    He suspected the Porters were retaliating against his brother, but he chose not to enlighten him.

    "That''s your marriage, your divorce. Why are you telling me? You should talk to your wife about it,

    not to me," Nathan replied coolly.

    "But you''re the head of our family! You know my wife''s a shrew. If I bring up divorce, she''ll w my

    eyes out. In our family, she only fears you. Can''t you step in and help negotiate my divorce, bro?"

    Nathan couldn''t help but snicker at his brother''s audacity. "You clean up your own mess. I''m not

    getting involved in no matter you and your wife split or not. Besides, our parents are still around. Go

    talk to them; they''re the ones to handle this, not me."

    Before hanging up, he added pointedly, "And Hayden, don''t forget, I''m one of the victims too."

    After all, Madeleine was supposedly his girlfriend. His own girlfriend had been bedded by his

    brother, and now that brother expected his help in getting a divorce with his sister-inw?

    His brother''s shamelessness knew no bounds!

 Chapter 427

    Chapter 427

    On the other end of the phone, Hayden paused before speaking, "Big Bro, Janice is back to her

    senses. You two can mend fences. Lucy''s been found, and your family of four can have a reunion.

    As for Madeleine, well, she and I have been involved. I¡¯d think you wouldn''t want to marry her now."

    "Since you''re not keen on marrying her again, I''ll take responsibility for Madeleine. Besides, it was

    your doing that got us together in the first ce¡ªif you hadn''t asked me to take her home, none of

    this would''ve happened¡­ Big Bro, I''m just trying to keep the Porter family from bing our

    enemies."

    Nathan let out a mockingugh, "You¡¯ve got a silver tongue, Hayden. Should I give you a medal for

    that? I asked you to escort Madeleine home, not to bed her. You had bad intentions from the start,

    and that''s why you are up to no good."

    "Madeleine''s not entirely innocent, either. If the Porters want to start a feud with us, the Blues, then I

    say bring it on. As for your divorce, that''s your business. I won''t interfere; I need my midday rest."

    With that said, Nathan hung up on his younger brother.

    He ced the phone back on the nightstand and continued to flip through photos of his wife.

    Despite appearing to be quite upset with Hayden on the call, as soon as the phone was down,

    Nathan was back to his usual self.

    In the art of pretense, Nathan could be crowned king, with no contenders for the throne.

    Hayden, having been denied help from his brother, muttered to himself after the call ended, "Fine,

    don''t help. I don''t need you to ditch Ashley."

    His thoughts turned to his eldest son, Pete.

    Hayden hesitated at the thought of him, who had made a mistake at work and gotten caught by

    Keith. Keith took the opportunity to push Pete out of the Blue Corporation''s top spot. Though it was

    technically his brother who had reassigned Pete from headquarters, Hayden knew as long as Keith

    was around, his son had no chance of returning to the center of power.

    Without proximity to power, what good were abilities?

    This made Hayden even more determined to divorce and marry Madeleine. With the backing of the

    Porter family, he was confident he could seize control for himself.

    There woulde a day when his brother would regret it!

    He would bide his time and eventually push Nathan and his son out of the Blue Corporation,

    iming the empire they had built for himself.

    As for Pete, once Hayden had power and influence, he wouldn''t even need to make the first move.

    His son woulde crawling back to him.

    Money, status, power¡ªthey could easily corrupt a man''s nature.

    Hayden drove home immediately.

    Parking in the open-air lot, he got out of the car and grabbed a passing servant, asking, "Where''s

    Ashley?"

    "Ashley''s in the main house, talking with the olddy."

    Hayden frowned, "The olddy hasn''t taken her nap yet?"

    "No, she just woke up from her nap. She summoned Ka and Ashley to discuss some matters. It

    seems the young miss will soon return to reim her family ties."

    At the mention of this, Hayden''s heart tightened.

    Was Lucindaing back soon?

    The thought of dealing with Lucinda''s formidable husband, Stefan, made Hayden eager to marry

    Madeleine before Lucinda''s return. He had been scheming behind the scenes for over two decades

    and had yet to defeat his brother. If Lucinda returned, especially with a tough cookie like Stefan by

    her side, Nathan would be even more powerful. Hayden''s ambition to take power would be even

    harder to achieve.

    He hurried toward the main house.

    The olddy had indeed called her two daughters-inw to discuss the matter.

    With the return of her favorite granddaughter, she felt that, aside from a press conference to

    introduce Lucy to society, there should be a grand banquet¡ªto quickly integrate her into Skywatch

    high society. Whether Lucy could handle it was not her concern.

    The olddy feared that her granddaughter would hold a grudge against her, as she had maltreated

    Janice. Despite the years apart, she couldn''t bear to dislike Lucinda, who bore a striking

    resemnce to her in her youth. If Lucy wasing back, they could spend their days together,

    potentially rekindling their bond.

    The olddy hoped to recapture the grandmother-granddaughter bond.

    "Mom, is my sister-inwing back with her this time?" Ka asked.

    Since Janice hade to her senses, Ka had changed how she referred to her, knowing better

    than to call her a madwoman.

    When Lucinda disappeared, Ka had only been a fresh face in the Blue family. But as a born-and-

    bred elite from Skywatch, she was well aware of the affection between Nathan and his wife in their

    younger years.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She wasn''t ashamed to admit that before she married into the Blues, she had harbored a crush on

    Nathan herself.

    Nathan in his youth was not the mature andposed man he was now, but he was even more

    handsome.

    There were few young women in Skywatch who could resist his charm after seeing him.

    Madeleine herself had fallen for Nathan at first sight in her teens, and as soon as she was of age,

    she made her move¡ªa testament to Nathan''s allure.

    Before the olddy could respond, Ashley chimed in with a fake smile, "With Lucying back,

    how could Janice noting back?"

    She nced at Ka, "Are you scared, sister-inw?"

    Ka replied irritably, "Not in the least. I¡¯m not the one who''s done the worst."

    Ashley fell silent.

    "Enough, both of you. That madwoman¡ªoh, I mean Janice¡ªhasn''t said if she''sing back, but

    since Lucy is returning in about ten days, I''d imagine Janice will apany her. Her things with

    Nathan have to be resolved, one way or another."

    The words of the olddy promptly quelled the brewing argument between her daughters-inws.

    The two sisters-inw exchanged nces. They had picked on Janice, the so-called "madwoman,"

    mainly to stay in the good graces of this olddy. She had wanted to push Nathan to banish Janice

    to a distant farm, but when he refused, she covertly encouraged the them to torment and try to "fix"

    Janice.

    Of course, they also harbored a secret jealousy and were quite eager to see Janice sent away.

    Unfortunately, Nathan never agreed to it.

    "Mom, speaking of resolutions, perhaps it''s time for Hayden and Madeleine''s matter to be resolved

    as well," Ka dropped thisment with the precision of a surgeon''s scalpel, aiming straight for

    Ashley''s heart.

    The sisters-inw had a ssic case of a facade of harmony masking underlying discord. The old

    lady had always favored her younger son, and by extension, showed a soft spot for his wife Ashley,

    leaving Ka to simmer in her own resentment.

    Now that Hayden hadnded himself in hot water, Ka couldn''t resist the opportunity to twist the

    knife a bit more¡ªit would be an injustice to herself.

    No sooner had Ka''s wordsnded than the sound of footsteps approached.

    Followed by Hayden''s voice calling out, "Mom."

    Ashley shot Ka a venomous re, while Ka put on an innocent face as if she was just

    showing genuine concern.

    "Mom."

    Hayden strode in with purpose.

    "Hayden, why have youe back at this time?" Ashley stood up to greet her husband.

    Hayden gave her a nce, walked past her, and sat down opposite the olddy. He called out

    "Mom" once more, settling in for the conversation.

 Chapter 428

    Chapter 428

    Ashley felt her heart drop when her husband nced at her with that cold, distant look.

    She walked back into the room. But instead of sitting next to Hayden, she reimed her seat next to

    the elderly Mrs. Blue.

    "Honey, isn''t it working hours? What brings you home?" Mrs. Blue asked with a soft tone, "Is there

    something urgent?"

    "Mom, I''m getting a divorce!" Hayden didn''t beat around the bush. He got straight to the point.

    Ka''s eyes lit up at the news, but her expression quickly dimmed. As much as she took jabs at

    Ashley whenever she could, deep down she didn''t really want her sister-inw to be booted out of

    the Blue family. After over two decades of cohabitation, they had got used to each other''s rhythms,

    which made things easier.

    If Madeleine joined the family, Ka felt she''d be no match for her. And certainly, her branch of the

    family wouldn''t benefit from such a change. She secretly preferred things to stay as they were.

    "Hayden, how can you say such a thing? Ashley has been your wife for years, bearing and raising

    your children. Even if there''s no merit in that, there''s certainly hard work. You''ve wronged her.

    Instead of apologizing to her, you''re talking about divorce?"

    "And what about your children? Your sons are grown, but Emily is still so young. The damage a

    divorce does to a child is immense."

    Ashley''s face had turned ashen the moment Hayden mentioned divorce. What she didn''t expect

    was that Ka, who had just been prodding her, would be the first to speak up in her defense. After

    a moment''s thought, she understood Ka''s intentions: her own family didn''t hold a candle to the

    Porters in terms of influence or wealth. If Madeleine came into the picture, Ka''s side wouldn''t

    stand to gain.

    Regardless of her motivations, Ka had done her a kindness by speaking up, and Ashley felt a

    debt of gratitude.

    "Mom, I have a responsibility to Madeleine," Hayden said as he turned to his wife. "I''m sorry, Ashley.

    It''s my fault. I''ve wronged you. Rest assured, if you agree to the divorce, I won''t leave you wanting."

    Ashley had been pampered by her family since childhood, and so had Hayden. For a long time after

    their marriage, they had shared a strong bond. And it was why Ashley had been willing to give birth

    to three children.

    "I will not grant you a divorce to indulge your affair with that hussy Madeleine!" Ashley was fuming

    with hatred for Madeleine. How could she let her waltz into the Blue family so easily? Even if it

    meant dragging it out until death, she would not agree to a divorce. Even if Madeleine killed her,

    Ashley would remain Hayden''swful wife. Madeleine would be nothing more than a sessor.

    "Ashley, why torment yourself? I''m doing this for the good of everyone. Or would you rather see our

    children suffer?" Hayden tried to persuade her to agree to the divorce. "You know what Madeleine is

    capable of. For the sake of our children, let''s part on good terms. Just say whatever you want and

    I''ll see it done."

    Ashley scoffed as she stood up. "The only way I''ll divorce you is if you sever ties with your parents,

    cut off your rtionship with your brothers and leave with nothing but the clothes on your back.

    Otherwise, no way!" She didn''t wait for a response. Head held high, she stormed out of the room.

    "Ashley, don''t be so unreasonable! Mom, look at her¡ªacting like a shrew. I''ve had enough. If it

    weren''t for the kids, I would have gotten rid of her long ago."

    p!

    A heavy pnded on Hayden''s cheek. Mrs. Blue had put all her strength into it. After striking him,

    she copsed back onto the couch, gasping for air.

    Ka rushed to soothe her, "Don''t be upset. It''s not worth harming your health over this."

    Who would have thought Hayden could be so shameless and despicable?

    "Mom!"

    "Get out!" Mrs. Blue roared.

    Hayden, clutching his pped face, slunk away.

    The drama unfolding in the Blue family was unknown to Lucinda, who was far away in Pinehurst.

    But Keith, Hayden''s brother, learned of it within minutes. He strode into the Ascend Global CEO''s

    office in high spirits.

    Stefan was in the midst of a business discussion with Ike Moore when Keith entered. Stefan paused

    and rose to greet his brother, a smile brightening his handsome face. "Hey bro, what brings you

    here?"

    "Just bored, wandering around and finding myself ended up at your office. Hope I''m not interrupting

    anything important with you and Ike."

    Keith had been at loose ends in Pinehurst, not eager to return before uncovering the identity of the

    mysteriousdy. He had even engaged the city''s top detective agency, which had taken a hefty

    retainer but had yet to deliver results. Keith was growing impatient with their pace.

    Ike chuckled, "Now that you''re here, even if you were interrupting, do you think Stefan and I would

    have the nerve to throw you out?"

    This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    He stood to pour Keith a ss of water while Stefan ushered Keith to sit on the sofa. Keith''s usually

    stern face softened somewhat in thepany of his brother-inw and Ike.

    "Stefan, can I see Lucy now? I''ve got some good news to share with her."

    "Lucy''s in makeup, working a low-level position. It wouldn''t be good to call her up abruptly," Stefan

    exined gently, then asked with a smile, "But what''s the good news? Mind sharing with me and Ike

    first?"

    Keith didn''t hesitate to spill the beans about Hayden''s intentions to divorce.

    "They''re finally turning on each other inside their little nest."

    In Stefan''s office, Keith felt free to speak his mind.

    Stefan could sense his father-inw''s scheming, seeing how events were unfolding just as the old

    man had nned. He chuckled and said, "Dad''s a sly fox. He wouldn''t pick a fight he couldn''t win."

    Ike, on the other hand, wasn''t as sharp as Stefan. He listened and was baffled by the conversation.

    Hayden was Lucy''s uncle, right? He recalled a time when Nathan brought the Blue n over to

    back Lucy up, she referred to Hayden as ''Uncle Hayden''.

    Was his divorce that important?

    What kind of battle was Mr. Blue fighting?

    Ike couldn''t quite grasp it, but he didn''t press for rification.

    He could tell that Keith didn''t intend to borate.

    Realizing that hecked the wit to decipher the underlying meanings in Keith and Stefan¡¯s dialogue,

    and since they weren''t offering any exnations, Ike didn¡¯t want to pry too much. After all,

    sometimes knowing too much wasn''t for the best.

    So, he kept his questions to himself.

 Chapter 429

    Chapter 429

    "Hey Ike, you headed back to the old homestead anytime soon?" Keith suddenly threw the question

    during their lunch break at the construction site.

    Ike shook his head, taking a swig of his soda. "Nope. It''s been crazy busytely, and my parents

    just got back from the city themselves. What''s up? nning to drop by and see Mrs. Bright?"

    Keith grunted in response. "I gotta head back to Skywatch soon. Can''t leave my old man to fend off

    the wolves alone. I figured I''d swing by my mom''s ce on the way back and check in on her.

    Haven''t heard much since she moved in with the Moores."

    After his mom had remarried, Keith had received only a brief call to say she''d arrived safely. Beyond

    that, no other news from her. He couldn''t shake the worry about whether she was settling in okay.

    Ike chuckled, his voice echoing slightly in the empty room. "Ah, Mrs. Bright''s fitting in just fine.

    Lucy''s been calling her every day."

    The reassurance caused a shadow to pass over Keith''s face. Despite being full siblings, he and

    Lucy had been separated for over two decades. Their rtionship, though recently rekindled,

    lacked the depth of her bond with Ike.

    The thought of Lucy being raised by the Moore family eased Keith''s mind somewhat. What was the

    use in getting jealous over Ike''s closeness to her?

    She was their sister, after all. And Ike''s affection for her matched his own.

    With that thought, Keith''s mood lifted, and he returned to his usual self. Both Ike and Stefan noticed

    the fleeting sadness, but they exchanged a look and kept silent. Some things just had to grow over

    time.

    "You¡¯re about to head back so soon? Not gonna stick around for Liam''s wedding?" Stefan asked,

    trying to keep him around a little longer.

    Keith grinned, his white teeth shing. "Wouldn''t miss it for the world. I''m the best man, remember?

    There''s still time before the big day. I''ll roll in the night before, no sweat. I can''t let Liam down."

    He got on well with the Anderson brothers¡ªLucy''s inws. Bonding with them was a no-brainer. It

    was good for Lucy and beneficial for him as well. The Andersons were big shots at Ascend Global.

    Leaders in their fields. Their support meant a lot to him.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Plus, the Blues had plenty of private jets, making travel a breeze for Keith and his dad whenever

    they came over. Knowing this, Stefan just nodded. "You better give Lucy a heads-up before you

    leave."

    "Of course, I will. Actually, I''ve got something to ask her," Keith replied.

    Stefan caught on quick. "About that mystery woman?"

    "Yeah, those sleuths at Cipher Detectives haven''t turned up anything yet. No clue if they''ll ever find

    her."

    Ike, who was also in the loop about Keith''s enigmatic savior, added, "Tough to track someone when

    all you''ve got is a masked face. It''s like looking for a needle in Pinehurst."

    Keith pondered a moment before speaking. "True. Guess I''ll just have to be patient. They had taken

    my deposit, they better deliver."

    After finishing his drink, Keith stood up. "Well guys, you''ve got things to handle, I won''t keep you."

    The friends didn''t try to stop him. They had their own work to do, and Keith was on vacation, after

    all.

    Back at the bakery, Cecilia was getting ready for a night out. Owen had asked her to join him for a

    swanky gathering, and she had agreed. She was in a stunning evening gown that Owen had sent

    over, her makeup light and elegant.

    Lucy, who had just rushed in from her day job to take over, let out a whistle at the sight of her.

    "Didn''t know you could whistle, Lucy," Ceciliaughed.

    Lucy circled Cecilia, admiring the transformation. "Clothes make the man, or in this case, the

    woman. You look absolutely divine. I used to hang out with my brother and his buddies when I was

    a kid. That¡¯s how I picked up whistling and even how to whistle a tune."

    Her brother''s whistling had nothing on hers.

    "Owen not here yet?" Lucy teased. "You''d think he''d be here early, chomping at the bit to show off

    his stunning date."

    Just then, the sound of a car pulling up had them peering out the window, expecting Owen. But the

    sight of Cecilia''s former mother-inw with Megan in tow furrowed Lucy''s brow.

    "What are they up to now, joining forces to stir up trouble again?"

    Owen''s mom, Ruby, was a piece of work. Even after Olina had given her a piece of her mind, Lucy

    thought their friendship would have ended. But it seemed there was more to the story.

    "Hah, look at them, cozying up like they''re BFFs."

    No wonder Mr. Martinez is running Owen''s love life like it''s his business, keeping Owen''s parents

    out of it. With a mom like Olina, she''d only hold Owen back.

    "We''ll cross that bridge when wee to it, okay? It''s not like we haven''t dealt with their kind

    before."

    Cecilia never was one to get spooked by them.

    Back when she was Olina''s daughter-inw, she faced down every one of Olina''s little ''lessons''

    without batting an eye. And now? She''s even less concerned.

    "Ruby''s slipped in there, and Megan''s ying the meek littlemb, buttering up Mrs. Martinez. Bet

    they''re plotting to rekindle that old me between Ruby and Owen."

    The sarcasm dripped from Cecilia''s words like honey.

    Lucy chuckled, her voice yful as she said, "Well then, you better make sure Owen only has eyes

    for you. Serve up a done deal, and Ruby won''t stand a chance. Stick with him at the schmooze-fest

    tonight, drink up a little. With liquid courage, nothing should you be scared about."

    For heaven''s sake, what kind of friends did she keep!

    They''re nothing but trouble!

 Chapter 430

    Chapter 430

    Olina and Megan strode into the cafe one after the other.

    They had been all smiles andughter stepping out of their car. But as they pushed through the

    door, their expressions tightened as if someone owed them a fortune and refused to pay up.

    Upon seeing Cecilia, Megan''s face soured with a gaze poisoned with envy. Dressed to the nines in

    her evening gown, Cecilia was shining like a star.

    As for Lucy, Megan no longer dared to treat her with the same disregard. Even Olina wouldn''t dare

    cross the towering figure backing Lucy¡ªnot to mention Megan herself.

    Gone were the days when the Scott family ruled the roost in Pinehurst. Even at their peak, they

    wouldn''t have the nerve to provoke the mighty Blues of Skywatch.

    Megan''s thoughts turned to her own daughter, who was nearing thirty. No amount of makeup could

    eclipse Cecilia''s youthful beauty.

    And considering how Owen''s affections seemed to be drifting towards Cecilia, Megan''s hatred for

    the younger woman simmered dangerously.

    In her eyes, Owen''s decade-long love for her daughter couldn''t have just evaporated overnight. It

    had to be Cecilia''s doing to poison Owen''s mind against her daughter.

    Did Cecilia think she couldfortably settle into the role of the Martinez family matriarch just

    because her daughter was out of the picture?

    They were divorced!

    Dreaming of remarriage?

    As long as Megan drew breath, she vowed to muddy the waters and thwart Cecilia''s ns.

    With jealousy fueling her, Megan''s words came out sharp and ugly.

    "Look at that dress, Olina. She looks like a streetwalker. Is this how she drums up business? No

    wonder her little cafe is so popr¡ªthose customers aren''t here for the coffee, are they?"

    In a swift motion, Cecilia grabbed a half-finished ss of water from a nearby table and sshed it

    right in Megan''s face.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    Lucy believed a single ss wouldn''t cleanse Megan''s foul mouth. She went inside and emerged

    with a bucket of water which she dumped over Megan''s head as she shrieked insults at Cecilia.

    The force of the bucket''s contents was such that even Olina, standing by, wasn''t spared a

    drenching.

    The two matrons screamed in outrage.

    Dripping wet, Megan wiped her face and yelled at Lucy and Cecilia, "Is this how you treat elders?"

    "Elders? What connection do we have that makes you my elder? Pretending to be respectable in

    front of me? You have the gall to talk about shame when it was your shameless behavior that raised

    a daughter like Ruby!"

    Megan had dared to call her a streetwalker, and Cecilia wasn''t holding back.

    "Cecilia!" Olina''s face darkened as she called out, "We are guests in your cafe. Megan and I came

    to support your business. What do you mean by dousing her with water? Apologize to Megan at

    once!"

    "Guests? You two are no guests of mine. Support my business? That''s augh. I don''t need your

    kind to support. My ce is too humble to entertain ''goddesses'' like you. Just go back to wherever

    you came from."

    "You want an apology after hurling insults? And what''s this about my outfit? Can''t you see what I''m

    wearing? If I''m a streetwalker for wearing an evening gown, then you''ve been masquerading as one

    for decades."

    Olina was speechless.

    "Apologize!" Cecilia''s voice was icy. "Megan, you owe me an apology for your words."

    Megan was livid. "You drench me and demand an apology? What are you? Nothing but a fox

    preying on Ms. Lucy''s status. Without her, you''re nothing!"

    "Olina, watch out for your son. Don''t let him be ensnared by this vixen. She''s jealous of Lucy

    marrying into the Andersons and wants to w her way up too. But with her background, she

    doesn''te close to deserving Owen."

    "Lucy, see your ''best friend'' for the ambitious fox she is, using you to climb the socialdder."

    Before Megan could finish her rant, Lucy stepped forward and mmed the bucket over her head,

    then walked away without a backward nce.

    Not to be outdone, Cecilia reached for a broom. But Lucy called back without turning around,

    "Cecilia, don''t bother."

    Olina was Owen''s mother, after all.

    Cecilia and Owen were officially an item, and it was likely Cecilia would marry him. Lucy didn''t want

    Cecilia to overstep in front of Olina, to leave room for future peace between mother and daughter-

    inw.

    If things couldn''t be smoothed over, then let it be.

    They could always do as Owen had suggested: after the wedding, he and Cecilia moved out of the

    Martinez mansion and kept a healthy distance between mother and daughter-inw.

    Lucy¡¯s marriage with Stefan was different. With her inws and her husband backing her, she didn''t

    have a care in the world.

    If her mother-inw had been there, she might''ve joined in on giving Megan a piece of her mind.

    Megan''s mouth was just too foul for her own good, always stirring up trouble and trying to wedge

    between Lucy and Cecilia.

    The scene at the caf¨¦ was something straight out of a si. Lucy had chased Megan out with a

    broom held high like some sort of domestic warrior. Megan had scrambled back to her car, not even

    waiting for Olina, and sped off in a cloud of exhaust.

    Lucy, not one to back down, had hurled the broom with all her might and smacked it against the

    windshield of Megan''s car before it ttered to the ground.

    Megan''s car disappeared down the road in no time, leaving behind a trail of gossips and wonders.

    The local shopkeepers had all poked their heads out to catch a glimpse of themotion.

    Lucy went to retrieve her broom, as if reiming her dignity along with it.

    "Lucy, what in the world just happened?" a familiar face asked with genuine concern.

    Lucy spoke up, her voice carrying down the street, "That was the mother of a homewrecker trying to

    sully my caf¨¦. I just swept the trash out the door, didn''t want her dirtying up my ce."

    Everyone nodded in understanding.

    No wonder Lucy hade out swinging like that.

    What was the worlding to? Homewreckers growing bold as brass, and their mothers even had

    the gall to follow suit.

 Chapter 431

    Chapter 431

    "Alright folks, show''s over. Let''s clear out," Lucy called out with a dismissive wave, dragging her

    broom back into the diner.

    Watching Lucy''s badass move, the waitress felt a surge of admiration worthy of apuse.

    It had been a while since anyone saw Lucy in such a fierce mode - not since that time George

    showed up with the audacity to suggest he could keep her, only to be chased off by her broomstick.

    Olina was new to witnessing Lucy''s formidable side and stood there gobsmacked.

    It wasn''t until Lucy dragged her broom back inside that Olina snapped out of it, her face paling as

    she carefully watched Lucy, wondering if she could bolt out the door at lightning speed should Lucy

    turn that broom in her direction.

    Why on earth did she listen to Megan¡¯s suggestion toe here and seek trouble?

    She knew full well that neither Lucy nor Cecilia cared about her status as the bigwig of the Martinez

    family, yet she still came.

    Olina was turning green with regret, cursing herself for not dismissing Megan''s maniptive words.

    Wouldn''t it have been nicer to join other friends for a round of bingo or a bridge game?

    ¡°Lucy. I swear, I never badmouthed you or Cecilia,¡± Olina stuttered, the fear of being broomed out

    the door making her speech falter.

    Lucy stopped sweeping and nted herself squarely in front of Olina.

    After a moment of silence, Lucy said, ¡°I have no idea how you''ve managed to survive this long.¡±

    She wondered what on earth Mr. Martinez Senior was thinking when he married such a nitwit.

    No wonder he couldn¡¯t trust her to take the reins of the family.

    Olina was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Megan might be your buddy, but does that trump your rtionship with Owen? Instead of making

    his life easier, you¡¯re just adding to his stress by listening to others,¡± Lucy continued, her words

    sharp as knives.

    The harshness of Lucy''s words sent shivers down Olina''s spine.

    She knew full well the Scott family couldn''t hold a candle to the might of the Martinez empire. If they

    ever faced the wrath of the Andersons and the Blues, they would likely lose everything.

    Just then, Owen''s chauffeured car pulled up.

    He was blissfully unaware of the drama unfolding inside the shop.

    He was too excited about Cecilia agreeing to apany him to a g event, feeling like he had

    won the lottery.

    He had taken his time to dress up for the evening, ditching his usual ck suit for a pristine white

    one. Now he looked exactly like the fairytale prince straight out of a storybook.

    Even his bodyguardsplimented him on his striking appearance.

    Dressed in her evening gown and makeup, Cecilia was waiting inside the diner.

    With his bodyguards in tow, Owen arrived to pick up Cecilia, intending to let her share in the

    grandeur of his grand entrance.

    The car came to a stop, Owen stepped out holding arge red, velvet-covered box - a treasured

    jewelry set that belonged to histe grandmother. His grandfather had kept it under lock and key,

    refusing to divide it among his descendants.

    It was only after Owen mentioned it was for Cecilia that his grandfather reluctantly parted with it,

    emphasizing it was only lent to him.

    His mother and aunts hadn''t even gotten a piece of his grandmother''s legacy, yet his grandfather

    was willing to let Cecilia have it. It was clear his granddad was quite taken with the idea of Cecilia

    joining the family.

    So, Owen was determined to step up his game.

    To propose to Cecilia as soon as possible!

    ¡°Cecilia, I''m here to pick you up,¡± Owen announced as he entered. Hisposure was usually

    unshakable, but it vanished entirely in Cecilia''s presence. With her, he had no pretenses left.

    Smiling ear to ear, Owen pushed the door open, not immediately noticing his mother was present ¨C

    he was too focused on Cecilia. Otherwise, he would have seen his mother''s car parked outside.

    He was mesmerized by Cecilia in her gown and makeup, not wanting to blink and miss a moment.

    "Stunning! You look absolutely amazing in that dress," Owenplimented Cecilia. Then he

    presented the red velvet box like a prized relic, "Cecilia, I got this jewelry set from my grandfather

    for you to try. Take a look and tell me if you like it."

    "I''ll help you put it on, and then we can head out."

    Eager to please, Owen didn''t wait for Cecilia to respond and opened the jewelry box himself,

    exining, "These were my grandmother¡¯s, and they are very precious. You know, my great-

    grandmother was of noble lineage and these were part of her dowry. So, they are truly exceptional."

    Olina, upon seeing her son enter, instinctively wanted to hide.

    She had done something else to frustrate her son and hampered his efforts. She was afraid of him

    bringing up his old threat of joining a monastery.

    However, Olina stood there, a prominent figure in the living room of the sprawling Martinez

    mansion, feeling as invisible as a ghost at this moment. Her son had just breezed in with his gaze

    immediately locked onto Cecilia as if she were the only person in the room.

    The sight was enough to turn Olina''s expression a shade of green. She was his mother, for

    heaven''s sake. But her son didn¡¯t seem to notice her all the way.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    And then there were the sweet nothings he whispered to Cecilia, a symphony ofpliments that

    grated on Olina''s nerves like nails on a chalkboard.

    Since marrying into the Martinez family, Olina and her sister-inws were well aware of the

    legendary trove of heirloom jewelry that theirte mother-inw had left behind. Each piece was a

    fortune unto itself, lovingly guarded by their father-inw, who treated the collection as if it were the

    crown jewels.

    Once, they were privileged enough to glimpse the fabled vault. Despite their own affluent

    backgrounds, they couldn''t help but be dazzled by the jewelry. But their father-inw''s lips were

    sealed tighter than a drum, not a whisper of gifting them even a single piece crossed his lips, and

    they dared not ask outright.

    They had all expressed to their husbands a desire to adorn themselves with just one set of those

    precious gems, even if only for a night. But each tentative request was met with a stern rebuke from

    the old man.

    And now, to Olina''s chagrin, her son had the audacity to ask his grandfather to gift a set to Cecilia.

    The old man, who wouldn''t part with a single gem for his daughters-inw, seemed all too willing to

    lavish Cecilia with this token of esteem. It was enough to sour Olina''s mood even further, as she

    realized just how much esteem the old man had for the young woman.

    What made Cecilia so special in the old man''s eyes? Olina just couldn''t fathom it.

 Chapter 432

    Chapter 432

    When Olina got mad, she never cared where she was and why she was there. Her face was

    clouded over as she barked, "Owen!"

    Owen thought he was hallucinating when he heard his mother''s voice. How could she possibly be

    here?

    "Owen, you actually had the gall to ask your grandfather for your grandmother''s jewelry to give to

    Cecilia? I haven''t even worn any piece of the jewelry, and who is she to deserve it?" Olina was

    seething with jealousy.

    Jealous of the attention her son bestowed upon Cecilia.

    Her husband had always treated her well, mainly because he had fought with his father to marry

    her. But ever since then, he rarely did anything against his father''s wishes. After unsessfully

    trying to secure the family heirlooms for her, he never brought it up again.

    If Owen could get them, surely her husband could have too, if only he had persisted.

    "Mom? What are you doing here?"

    Finally, Owen caught sight of his Olina.

    He let out an astonished cry, then immediately asked, "Mom, are you here to bring trouble to Cecilia

    again?"

    Olina stepped forward, her voice dripping with annoyance, "I haven''t done anything. I was just

    passing by and thought I¡¯d take a look. Don¡¯t assume I¡¯m here to hassle her every time you see me.

    With her temperament, how could I possibly bother her?"

    "She has no respect for the elders," Olinained.

    Before Cecilia could retort, Lucy jumped in to confront Olina, "Elders? I fail to see how Megan

    qualifies as an respectable elder to Cecilia. She waltzed in here and called Cecilia a harlot. We

    were merciful just dousing her with a bucket of water. Lucky for her she¡¯s swift on her feet, or I

    would''ve snipped her tongue out to feed to the dogs."

    "A tongue that can''t speak kindness might as well be cut out."

    "Mr. Martinez, your mother may not have done anything yet, but she came with ill-intentions. She

    brought Megan here to verbally abuse Cecilia. Instead of standing up for Cecilia, she found it more

    fitting to scold Cecilia for not respecting Megan. Who is Megan to your family? Even if Cecilia hasn''t

    married you yet, she could not wrong Cecilia like this!"

    "And demanding Cecilia apologize to that vile woman, Mr. Martinez, your mother excels at nothing

    but inverting right and wrong."

    A person like Olina could only behave so recklessly because of the powerful family behind her.

    "Lucy!"

    Olina was hopping mad at Lucy''s tattling.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Catching a glimpse of her son''s darkening handsome face, Olina hurriedly exined, "Owen, don¡¯t

    believe Lucy¡¯s words. She¡¯s in cahoots with Cecilia, and she¡¯s Stefan¡¯s wife. Stefan is your arch-

    enemy. She¡¯d love nothing more than to see us at odds."

    Lucy sneered, "Mrs. Martinez, would you like to review the security footage? I can arrange for you

    to see exactly what transpired."

    Olina was speechless.

    It was then Cecilia spoke up, "Owen, the jewelry is too precious, you should give it to your mother

    instead. I won''t wear it. I was intended to apany you tonight, but after this scene, I don¡¯t feel

    like going anymore. I can''t pretend nothing¡¯s happened and go with you as we nned."

    "Wait a second, I''m going to change out of this evening gown and give it back to you. Being cursed

    for wearing this dress you gave me, I never knew you could be scorned as a harlot for wearing such

    a gown."

    With that, Cecilia turned and left.

    Olina was dumbfounded.

    Lucy and Cecilia were her nemeses. Every time she came looking for trouble, she ended up being

    the one who lost.

    "Cecilia!" Owen hurried after her.

    He took a few steps, then turned to his mother, "Mom, Megan''s just ttering you, cozying up to you

    because she has ulterior motives. When will you realize that she¡¯s taking advantage of you."

    "You always think our family is too noble to have Cecilia joined, right? Well, if I can''t make Cecilia

    come with me tonight, I¡¯ll resign as president of the Ike Group tomorrow. And I¡¯ll renounce my ties

    to the Martinez family shortly. When I have nothing left, I''ll be a son-inw to the Yates family."

    "That way, Cecilia will be superior to me in every way¡ªmore noble, wealthier and better. It¡¯s me

    who won¡¯t be worthy of her, not the other way around."

    Olina''s face went pale.

    Her son could even speak of joining a monastery. Her father-inw had said he would respect his

    choice if he truly decided to forsake the world.

    "Owen, you''re threatening me!"

    "I don''t want to threaten you, Mom. But you leave me no choice."

    Owen pulled out his phone and dialed his father. Once his father answered, he pleaded, "Dad, can

    you please take care of your wife? Stop letting her and Megan get together to do things that hold

    me back."

    "She''s at Serendipity Cafe now. Come and take her home."

    After the call, Owen left his mother behind and hurried after Cecilia.

    Lucy initially thought that with a mother like Olina, she should advise her friend to reconsider the

    rtionship with Owen. But after hearing Owen''s words, she changed her mind.

    Given Owen''s passion, sincerity and recklessness, she decided not to step over the line.

    Good things oftene through trials.

    Owen and Cecilia had been through thick and thin to make it to where they were. These hardships

    only made Owen cherish Cecilia all the more.

    Lucy returned the broom to its rightful spot.

    The shop was currently empty. She nced at Olina, whoseplexion was an awful shade of

    green, unsure if she was seething with anger or shaken by Owen''s threat. Lucy instructed the young

    waitress, "Could you please bring Mrs. Martinez a cup of coffee?"

    The waitress acknowledged with a nod.

    She quickly fetched a cup of cappino for Olina.

    Olina sat down numbly at a table. After the waitress handed her the ss, she drank a few sips

    without a word. She looked dazed and her face was pale.

    She was itching to leave right then.

    But she also wanted to know if her son could sweet-talk Cecilia into staying by his side for the social

    obligations.

    Her son had said that if he couldn''t win Cecilia back, he''d resign from his position as CEO of the

    Ike Group tomorrow.

    Olina had two sons. But the younger son Harry didn''t carry the burden of taking over the family

    business. He was happily pursuing his own interests. If Owen step down from the helm of the Ike

    Group, it was clear that Harry would be the one to take over.

 Chapter 433

    Chapter 433

    Olina''s face grew even more sour at the thought of having to appease Cecilia in the future.

    She knew her son was a man of deep affections and loyalty.

    The way he had loved Ruby for over a decade despite her indifferent treatment was testament to his

    steadfast nature when it came to the matter of love.

    In the past, his love was for Ruby, and Olina had liked Ruby too. Owen''s devotion to Ruby was

    something she had encouraged, considering his loyalty to love a virtue.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    But now, it had be his w.

    What was so special about Cecilia?

    Even now, Olina found it impossible to warm up to Cecilia.

    Yet Cecilia had be the apple of Owen''s eye, and Olina had no choice but to ept.

    Cecilia had hidden herself in the restroom, taking her clothes with her to change but hadn''t done so.

    Owen''s words to his mother had reached Cecilia''s ears as she hesitated inside.

    She feared that Owen might give up everything for her.

    That would only fuel the fires of discord between her and her future mother-inw.

    Standing before the mirror, Cecilia examined her reflection.

    The evening gown was a gift from Owen. He would never let her dress too revealingly. That man

    was too possessive to ever let her show too much skin. So the gown was modest, revealing very

    little of her back.

    Megan''s insults werepletely uncalled for.

    Knock.

    Owen was outside knocking on the door, calling out her name and apologizing.

    Cecilia felt a sudden pang of sympathy for the man outside.

    Wealthy as he was, he was pitiful in his own way.

    He had loved Ruby with all his heart, but Ruby had eyes only for Stefan, using Owen as a fallback

    n, enjoying his attentiveness and taking advantage of him.

    When Owen was finally ready to move on, Ruby couldn''t bear the thought of losing him and pleaded

    for a second chance.

    Considering how his rtionship with herself had started, with his mother''s disapproval and

    interference, Cecilia sighed. Love had not been an easy path for him.

    "Cecilia, I''m sorry I wasn''t there when you needed me. If I had known my mother would bring that

    woman to insult you, I would have picked you up before going home to change," Owen apologized

    continuously from the other side of the door.

    "Cecilia, please forgive me. If you''re upset, it hurts me too. Can you open the door and let me in?"

    After a moment of silence, Cecilia responded, "You know this is thedies'' room, right?"

    Relieved that Cecilia was finally speaking to him, Owen dreaded the thought of her silent treatment

    more than anything.

    Cecilia opened the door, and they stood face to face.

    Seeing her still in the gown, Owen''s eyes lit up with joy. But he didn''t dare to reach out to her.

    "Cecilia, I promise I''ll make Megan apologize to you. I never let anyone talk to you that way."

    Megan had no right to insult his Cecilia!

    If she thought she could get away with it because of her seniority. Well, as Lucy said, "What right

    does Megan have to act superior?"

    When he was in love with Ruby, he respected Megan for Ruby''s sake.

    Now that he had let go of Ruby, Megan''s persistence was unweed, and he wouldn''t tolerate her

    anymore.

    When you truly love someone, you love everything about them. And when you don''t, nothing

    matters.

    When you¡¯re in love, ws can be strengths. And when the love is gone, strengths can seem

    like ws.

    So, when someone doesn''t love you, it''s best to let go. It''s better for everyone.

    "My mother''s actually quite naive, easily swayed by Megan''s influence."

    Cecilia thought to herself that her future mother-inw wasn''t naive but foolish.

    Still, she didn''t voice it out loud. After all, Olina was Owen''s mother.

    Like Stefan, Owen was raised by his grandparents. But without his parents, there would be no him.

    It wasn''t right to speak ill of his mother in front of him.

    "Cecilia," Owen called out gently, "please, don''t be angry."

    "If it helps, you can yell at me. It''s my fault you were insulted. Go ahead and let it out, however you

    want."

    Cecilia looked at him, and a smallugh escaped her.

    "Used to being scolded by me, are you?"

    Seeing her smile, Owen breathed another sigh of relief. The crisis seemed mostly averted.

    "It''s not your fault. Megan couldn''t stand it, so sheshed out at me. She probably wanted to insult

    Lucy as well, but due to Lucy''s status, she didn''t dare and took it all out on me."

    "Your mother, she''s close with Megan and has always liked Ruby. Our acquaintance is but of a few

    months ¨C how can itpare to Ruby''s decade-long bond with you? It''s natural for her to side with

    Megan."

    Cecilia reached out to straighten Owen''s cor, "I''m not so easily bullied. You don''t need to argue

    with your mother on my behalf. It will only worsen the tension between us."

    "But I can''t let anyone bully you, not even my own mother! Cecilia, if I n to marry you, I''m

    committed to protecting you for life. How can I tolerate anyone to harm the person I''ve vowed to

    protect?"

    Owen spoke with heartfelt sincerity.

    When he loved, he gave his all. When he didn''t, he could cut ties cleanly, without lingering

    attachments.

    What Cecilia admired was his ability to both fullymit and let go when it came to love.

    "If our conflict esctes, would you really give up everything to be the man of my house?"

    "Would your family even ept me as their son-inw? I can work hard and earn my keep. If your

    family takes me in, I''ll do whatever it takes to ensure your happiness!"

    Cecilia watched him in silence.

    Then, after a brief moment, she said, "You look really handsome tonight. You actually look better in

    a white suit than a ck one."

    "But I only have one white suit, Cecilia. How about you buy me a few more? Then I can be decked

    out in your favorite color every day to make you happy."

    Cecilia finished straightening his cor and pinched his face.

    "Yeah," she scoffed.

    As if she''d fall for that old trick and start gifting him clothes.

    "I''ll pass on wearing your grandma''s jewels. Let''s just go as we are. Unless you think I''m so hideous

    that I need some bling to spruce me up. C''mon, you might be the big boss, but that doesn''t give you

    the right to bete or keep your clients waiting."

    At her words, Owen shed a grin.

    "Don''t go grinning like a loon," Cecilia chuckled, giving his cheek another yful twist. But this time,

    he caught her hand. With a gentle tug, he pulled her into his embrace. She tilted her head back, and

    he seized the chance to nt a kiss on her lips.

 Chapter 434

    Chapter 434

    Cecilia was stunned.

    Her eyes widened as she gazed at the handsome face inches from hers.

    Owen quickly withdrew his lips and whispered tenderly in her ear, "Cecilia, close your eyes."

    After a moment of staring into his eyes, she obediently followed his suggestion.

    ted and emboldened by herpliance, Owen covered her lips with his once more.

    Though he had stolen kisses from her before, when she was hardly conscious, not fully aware that

    he kissed her, perhaps believing it was all a dream.

    This time, she was fully awake, and she willingly let him kiss her.

    Owen began with fervor, almost aggressively in his kisses. But soon he tempered his passion with

    gentleness, fearing he mighte off too strong and leaving an impression akin to a starving ghost.

    Heaven knows, pushing thirty and still a virgin, Owen was knowledgeable about the matters of men

    and women, but sorelycking in hands-on experience.

    When the deep kiss ended, Cecilia immediately pushed him away.

    Though Owen yearned for another, she had already rebuffed him.

    "Cecilia."

    His voice was husky, tinged with unsated desire.

    "Still got that schmoozing to do? If so, better get going."

    After shooting him a yful re, Cecilia looked away nonchntly, "Let''s head out." She didn''t

    wait for his response and began to pull him towards the exit.

    Despite his disappointment at not getting a second round, Owen''s spirits lifted. They had made

    progress, after all. He could now kiss the girl he fancied like any normal couple.

    Lucy''s eyes darted over Cecilia as the two emerged hand in hand.

    Feeling guilty, Cecilia couldn''t help but speak to her friend, "Lucy, why are staring at me? It''s not like

    we did anything."

    Lucy, worldly as she was, let her gaze settle on her friend''s lips and replied with a sly smile, "I didn''t

    say you did anything. Unless you did? All this rushing to exin gives off a ''protesting too much''

    vibe."

    "Of course not, you¡¯re overthinking it."

    Cecilia''s cheeks flushed.

    It was just a kiss, after all. Why should she blush?

    But her uncontroble blush was obvious to everyone aside. Even the unmarried waitress couldn''t

    help but smile with a hint of innuendo in her eyes.

    Cecilia was at a loss of words

    She was only digging herself deeper.

    "Lucy, I''m going to take Cecilia out. I''ll drop her back after I''m done with my obligations. Bye."

    Owen spoke in calm as if truly nothing had happened between he and Cecilia.

    But Lucy could tell from the slight upturn of his lips that he was on cloud nine, practically ready to

    dance with joy.

    "Mr. Martinez, just make sure Cecilia doesn¡¯t drink too much. You know she can''t hold her liquor."

    Lucy couldn''t resist adding that.

    Owen''s eyes sparkled.

    Cecilia had mentioned her low tolerance for alcohol, and Lucy''s emphasis made him curious about

    how she might act drunk.

    Despite his curiosity, he reassured, "Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of her."

    After nodding to Lucy, he led Cecilia out, pausing before his mother to say, "Mom, tonight''s an

    exception. I''ve got an important client meeting. Dad will be here to pick you up soon."

    Once he finished, Cecilia also addressed Olina, "Olina, whether you like me or not, I need to make it

    clear¡ªOwen and Ruby are history. I don¡¯t care about his past, as long as he likes me now and in

    the future."

    "You don¡¯t have to like me, but please respect Owen''s choice. He''s an adult with his own mind, and

    he knows what he wants."

    "Don''t impose what you think is best on him without asking if he even wants it. Of course, I still hope

    that one day you''ll ept me. I¡¯ll prove through my actions that Owen''s choice to be with me is

    right."

    Olina remained silent, her face taut with emotions.

    Owen watched his mother for a moment. Then, without any more words, he pulled Cecilia away.

    Olina opened her mouth as if to call out to them, but no sound came. She could only watch

    helplessly as they left together.

    They did, admittedly, make a handsome couple.

    Objectively, Cecilia wasn''t so bad. Though the Yates family wasn''t as wealthy as the Martinez

    family, they were an honest bunch, all striving to live honorably, not the sort to social climb. And if

    social climbing was the goal, Lucy was there¡ªa high enough branch for anyone. Why would she

    need totch onto the Martinez family?

    Their marriage, after all, was coerced by the old man in the first ce.

    Cecilia had married Owen to repay a debt of gratitude. Afterward, she had kept their secret as

    promised and never revealed her status as thedy of the Martinez family.

    Olina wasn''t privy to the details of her son''s rtionship with Cecilia, but she knew it was Owen who

    couldn''t resist revealing their marital status.

    It wasn''t until Owen''s car disappeared from sight that Olina finally retracted her gaze. After a

    moment''s silence, she moved back to a table in the caf¨¦ and sat down.

    The waitress looked to Lucy for guidance.

    Lucy turned and brought out an assortment of pastries, arranging them on a delicate te and

    presented them to Olina.

    "Mrs. Martinez, waiting for your husband? Why not try some of our pastries? You''ve been here twice

    and haven''t really had a chance to enjoy our treats and coffee."

    Olina eyed Lucy for a moment before saying, "Thank you."

    "No need for thanks. I do charge for these," Lucy quipped.

    Olina was speechless.

    She looked at the te of pastries and finally reached out to try one, putting it to her lips.

    After tasting one, she couldn''t resist another.

    The pastries were excellent, rivaling even the Martinez family¡¯s own pastry chef.

    "How much of a stake does Cecilia hold in this shop?" Olina suddenly inquired.

    Lucy pondered for a moment before replying, "These days, I barely have the time to manage the

    shop. It''s mostly Cecilia who''s in charge. I wanted to hand over my shares to her and make it all

    hers. But she''s one hell of a loyal friend, not the greedy type. She insists that we built this ce

    together and she would not take my shares."

    "Even though I was more than willing to step back, she wouldn''t have it. After much persuasion, she

    agreed to take a sixty percent stake, leaving me with forty. Our little diner is thriving, and we''re

    gearing up to expand. There''s even talk of opening more branches down the line."

    "After Liam''s wedding, I''ll be back to Skywatch. I won''t be returning to Pinehurst anytime soon, so

    Serendipity Cafe will remain in Cecilia''s capable hands. I trust her to take it from strength to

    strength, to soaring new heights."

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Olina might not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, but she grasped what Lucy was getting at.

    Once Lucy returned to Skywatch, Serendity Cafe would essentially be of Cecilia''s ownership.

 Chapter 435

    Chapter 435

    Business was booming for Cecilia''s caf¨¦, and with talks of expansion or even opening a branch, it

    seemed like her ability to rake in the dough was only going to get better.

    The future looked as bright as a summer''s day.

    Olina thought about Ruby''s career.

    Ruby had had a thriving business abroad, or so she heard from Ruby; Olina had never seen it with

    her own eyes. But once Ruby brought the business back home, she crossed paths with Stefan, who

    launched a full-scale campaign against her. Ruby''spany struggled to function, and her career

    came to a screeching halt, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

    On the other hand, Cecilia had the support of Ascend Global, thanks to her close friendship with

    Lucinda, and with the affection of Lucinda''s son, the backing of the Ike Group as well. Her future

    was as dazzling as the stars.

    Olina''s expression softened a bit.

    The old saying goes, "It''s foolish to despise the young when they''re down."

    Cecilia was only twenty-four, just getting started in her career. Olina couldn''t expect her to live in

    poverty forever. Who knows, in ten or twenty years, Cecilia might be a formidable CEO.

    "Even if the caf¨¦ is a hit, the profit margins are slim. With some working capital, you can invest in

    more upscale ventures, like opening a beauty salon or a luxury brand boutique. The profits are

    much higher," Olina remarked coolly, offering advice to both Cecilia and Lucinda, though it was

    really meant for Cecilia. Lucinda was set to inherit a fortune worth billions.

    It''s true what they say, ¡°Comparison is the thief of joy.¡±

    Most people struggle all their lives and don''te close to making millions, let alone billions. And

    then there are those like Lucinda, born into such fortune they hardly have to lift a finger.

    There was even talk of Lucinda dabbling in writing online novels. For her, a flop in writing just meant

    heading home to a billion-dor inheritance.

    Lucinda''s eyes twinkled with thought.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Yes, with the right investments in a beauty salon or a luxury boutique, Cecilia could take the high-

    end route. If she could integrate into that elite circle, she''d see far greater profits and mingle with

    society''s most esteemeddies and heiresses.

    Now that Cecilia agreed to be Owen''s girlfriend, and likely his future wife, she was bound to

    assimte into high society as thedy of the Martinez family.

    By offering this advice, Olina was paving a way for Cecilia, implying that once she married into the

    Martinez family, Cecilia wouldn''t be expected to just sit at home as a trophy wife.

    Even if that was the expectation, it wouldn''t stick.

    Cecilia wasn''t one to be content with domesticity, and with Owen doting on her, he''d never confine

    her to such a role.

    "Thanks for the suggestion, Mrs. Martinez. I''ll discuss it with Cecilia," Lucinda said with a gracious

    smile.

    Olina didn''t respond, instead picking up a pastry to nibble on.

    Soon after, Shane arrived.

    He apologized to Lucinda and quickly escorted his wife out of the caf¨¦.

    "Honey, be gentle, you''re hurting my wrist," Olina''s coquettishint floated back into the caf¨¦.

    The waitress shook her head and said to Lucinda, "Even though she''s in her forties, she still talks all

    cutesy."

    Lucindaughed. "Maybe that''s exactly what her husband likes."

    Olina had no remarkable talents, nor was she particrly clever, but she was beautiful. Even now,

    as she was getting on in years, she still had an allure, a testament to how stunning she must have

    been in her youth. It''s likely what ensnared Shane all those years ago.

    After decades of marriage, without a single affair, it was clear Olina had a knack for keeping her

    husband''s attention.

    Lucinda mused that she didn''t need such tricks; her own man adored her to the moon and back.

    Once Shane had Olina safely in the car, he instructed his driver to take her car home.

    "Honey, I''ve told you time and again, stop bothering Cecilia. The old man likes her a lot, and not just

    Owen. You can''t afford to upset him. If he finds out you''ve been harassing Cecilia, he''ll have your

    head," Shane lectured as he drove.

    "And don''t push our son too hard. If he decides to give it all up for Cecilia, you''ll be the one crying."

    Olina was silent.

    Had she really made a mistake?

    Owen was meeting a client at the Pinehurst Hotel, one of the Ike Group''s premier hotels, on par

    with the Ascend Hotel, and one of the finest in Pinehurst.

    His executive assistant, Walter, and two male secretaries were already waiting anxiously at the

    hotel entrance.

    "Walter, maybe you should call Mr. Martinez to hurry up?" one secretary suggested.

    Walter replied, "He will be here. He''s gone to pick Mrs. Martinez up. Women take time to get ready,

    and if he can wait, so can we."

    "Mr. Spencer will be here soon, and he''s very punctual. He doesn''t like dys. If Mr. Martinez is

    late, even if ourpany is strong, he won''t do business with us."

    The deal with Mr. Spencer had been in the works for some time, and it was close to being finalized.

    They couldn''t let Owen''s tardiness ruin everything, especially with Ascend Global waiting to swoop

    in.

    "Walter, who''s Mrs. Martinez?" the other secretary suddenly asked.

    His colleague reacted with hindsight. Right, who was Mrs. Martinez?

    Had Owen gotten married?

    Owen had been madly in love with Ms. Scott, but recently, he''d been distant and cold towards her,

    and the reason was somewhat known among them.

    They all thought Owen was head over heels for Ms. Scott. They figured after he cooled off, he''d go

    back to spoiling her like he always did.

    But Walter dropped a bombshell.

    "Just wait until she shows up, you''ll see."

    Walter kept a tight lid on the secret, not spilling the beans until the very moment Cecilia made her

    appearance.

    The two male secretaries, thinking about the CEOing over with his wife, were excited about the

    prospect of meeting the firstdy of thepany. They didn''t pester Walter for details.

    "There they are. I see Mr. Martinez''s motorcade!"

    One of the sharp-eyed secretaries spotted Owen''s cars. Owen loved a grand entrance; any time he

    hit the road, it was with a full entourage and several security cars in tow.

    It was nothing short of a spectacle, but that''s just how they showcased his stature.

    Walter recognized Owen''s ride as well.

    Checking his watch, there were still five minutes to spare before their scheduled meeting with Mr.

    Spencer.

    He breathed a sigh of relief.

    At least they hadn''t kept Mr. Spencer waiting.

    Owen''s car pulled up to the grand entrance of the hotel and came to a stop.

    The two secretaries, upon sighting their boss''s car, were no longer anxious. They approached with

    composure, and as the car came to a halt, they gantly opened the door for Owen.

    Then, they watched as their young, handsome CEO stepped out of the car and turned to help an

    unfamiliar young woman alight.

    Could this be Mrs. Martinez?

    She was so young!

    So beautiful!

    A perfect match for their boss!

 Chapter 436

    Chapter 436

    "Mr. Martinez, Mrs. Martinez," the two secretaries greeted Owen and Cecilia with respect.

    Cecilia, carefully assisted out of the car by Owen, simply smiled in response.

    "Mr. Martinez, Ms. Yates," Walter approached with a respectful greeting.

    Cecilia remembered him and returned the greeting with a smile.

    The secretaries exchanged confused nces. Why was he now addressing Mrs. Martinez as Ms.

    Yates?

    Their eyes darted towards Cecilia, who seemed initially bemused by being called Mrs. Martinez, but

    then noticed Owen, whose lips curled into a pleased smile, clearly enjoying the title bestowed upon

    Cecilia.

    "This is my ex-wife and current girlfriend, Cecilia. Someday, she''ll be Mrs. Martinez again. Calling

    her Mrs. Martinez now isn''t wrong¡ªit''ll get you used to it sooner, and Cecilia can get ustomed to

    it as well," Owen cheerfully introduced Cecilia to the two secretaries.

    In the past, Owen and Cecilia had kept their marriage a secret, with very few in the know.

    Even if the secretaries had their suspicions, they wouldn''t dare pry until he made an official

    announcement.

    "Cecilia, these are my secretaries, Quincy and Ron."

    Owen''s secretaries were all male, a fact Cecilia was well aware of, partly because of Ruby.

    Although Ruby treated Owen as a backup n, she was extremely possessive and couldn''t stand to

    see attractive women around him. To appease her, Owen had reced his secretaries with men.

    Cecilia couldn''t help but feel a twinge of jealousy, but she quickly put it behind her.

    Ruby had upied a ce in Owen''s heart for a mere decade or so, while Cecilia was destined to

    be part of his life for the decades toe. Whatever Owen had done for Ruby in the past, he would

    surely do more for Cecilia in the future. Why botherparing herself to Ruby?

    Besides, it was Ruby''s turn to be jealous, not hers.

    With this thought, Cecilia''s mood brightened.

    "Quincy, Ron, Nice to meet you," she greeted the secretaries politely.

    They responded eagerly, both noticing Owen''s special care for Cecilia.

    As for Ms. Scott, who once strutted around theirpany like she owned the ce, she was

    history. They were ready to erase her from their minds.

    "Walter, is Mr. Spencer here yet?" Owen asked, turning his attention to Walter.

    Walter led them into the Pinehurst Hotel, reporting as they walked, "Mr. Spencer will be here in two

    minutes. Mr. Martinez, Ms. Yates, please go ahead. I''ll wait here for Mr. Spencer."

    Owen nodded.

    He tightened his grip on Cecilia''s hand and, nked by bodyguards, entered the hotel. The

    secretaries wisely stayed behind with Walter, choosing not to y the third wheel.

    The hotel staff, witnessing Owen holding onto Cecilia as if he''d lose her the moment he let go, were

    filled with curiosity but dared not ask. One thing they were sure of¡ªtheir boss had finally changed

    his girlfriend!

    Owen''s business meetings in the hotel always took ce in the presidential suite on the top floor.

    The hotel manager was waiting at the elevator, greeting Owen with due reverence before using a

    VIP card to ess the lift. The doors slid open, and he gestured for Owen and Cecilia to enter.

    "Cecilia, let''s head up," Owen said, leading her into the elevator.

    The bodyguards didn''t follow immediately, leaving the two alone.

    As the elevator doors closed, the hotel manager turned to Jay, the head of security, and asked,

    "Who is the youngdy with Mr. Martinez?"

    Jay replied, "That''s Mr. Martinez''s girlfriend, Ms. Yates. If Ms. Yates ever visits, make sure you treat

    her with the highest regard."

    The manager, taken aback, quickly thanked Jay for the heads-up. Now he knew not to make any

    missteps.

    Jay and the others waited briefly before the manager swiped his card again, and they all stepped

    into the elevator.

    "Cecilia, feeling nervous?" Owen asked tenderly.

    Ceciliaughed, "It''s just meeting a stranger, nothing nerve-wracking. Don''t forget what I do for a

    living¡ªI meet strangers every day."

    In her eyes, the wealthy and the penniless were all the same; money didn''t make any difference.

    This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Seizing the private moment before others joined them, Owen pulled Cecilia close and kissed her on

    her lips. "Cecilia, you were born to be thedy of the Martinez family. Most people would be

    nervous, but not you. That means you''re a natural fit for this world."

    Cecilia rolled her eyes yfully. "Owen, it''s only today I''ve discovered you''re quite the talker."

    Owen chuckled. "There''s a lot about me you don''t know yet. I invite you to keep turning the pages,

    all the way to thest one."

    "And what''s so exciting about thest page? Everyone''sst page is the same."

    "Sweetheart," Owen coaxed, "say something sweet."

    "Do men really like sweet nothings?"

    "Men and women alike."

    Ceciliaughed, cleared her throat for effect, and began, "Well then, listen up. Owen, you are the

    epitome of dashing, a vision of handsome, a cut above the rest¡ªeven more so than the male

    waiters at Neon Nectar Nightclub. My admiration for you flows like an endless river."

    Owen was speechless.

    "Feeling good all over now?"

    Silence.

    Cecilia gently pinched Owen¡¯s cheek, amused. "I''m not used to this side of you. I kind of miss the

    old, rascal, troublemaker Mr. Malicious. This new you is too perfect, too considerate¡ªI can hardly

    find any fault in you."

    Owen grinned, "Then don''t bother. How about you kiss me twice for my performance instead?"

    Before Cecilia could respond, he pulled her into his embrace once more, tilting his head to capture

    her rosy lips, stealing their sweet essence.

    Cecilia''s lipstick had beenpletely kissed away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t always carry makeup with me,¡± Ceciliained to him.

    His eyes twinkled with mischief as he said, ¡°I''ve got a way to make your lips as red as if they were

    painted with lipstick.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°I''ll kiss you until your lips are flushed with red, just as if you''ve applied lipstick.¡±

    Cecilia didn¡¯t know what to say.

    By the time Mr. Spencer was escorted upstairs by Walter, Cecilia had lost count of how many times

    this wolf in gentleman''s clothing had kissed her.

    As soon as Mr. Spencer entered, Owen returned to his guise of seriousness.

    Cecilia lost any chance she might have had for sweet revenge.

    She didn''t understand the intricacies of business, but that didn''t prevent her from listening intently,

    behaving with both grace and propriety.

    It made Owen once again admire her in his heart, convinced she was born to be his wife, naturally

    adept at socializing and wless in her conduct.

    He was determined to marry her sooner rather thanter.

    Tonight, he had kissed her so many times. He hadn''t thought much the first few times.

 Chapter 437

    Chapter 437

    When they got to the more intimate moments, Owen found himself craving more than just kisses.

    But he''d promised her that he wouldn''t force anything upon her.

    If he wanted to truly indulge, he knew he had to put a ring on her finger first. That way, enjoying the

    pleasures would be justified, a matter of marital right.

    Owen had just sealed a lucrative deal with Mr. Spencer, and both parties were over the moon.

    Celebration was in order, and it led to a few too many drinks.

    Owen had intended to be Cecilia''s knight in shining armor, ready to intercept any unwanted alcohol.

    But with spirits high, he''d let his guard down. By the time he remembered his chivalrous n,

    Cecilia had already had her fair share of drinks.

    He could kick himself.

    Both Lucinda and Cecilia had warned him not to let her get drunk.

    Seeing her blush like a boiled shrimp and her eyes getting all blurry, it''d be strange if she wasn''t

    drunk.

    Mr. Spencer, meanwhile, was being propped up by his secretary, clearly having overindulged

    himself. Walter, ever the considerate host, suggested that Mr. Spencer stay at the hotel overnight.

    As a valued client of the Ike group, it was only right that he be treated with the utmost hospitality

    at the Pinehurst Hotel.

    The secretary, seeing his boss in such a state, agreed to Walter''s suggestion, deciding a night''s

    stay was better than trekking back home in that condition.

    Soon, the presidential suite was cleared out, leaving only Owen and Cecilia.

    "Cecilia," Owen said gently, gauging her mood with care. "You alright there?"

    Cecilia''s response was a wide grin followed by a hearty, boisterousugh.

    Owen blinked in surprise. Did sheugh heartily when she was drunk?

    The next thing he knew, her hands were all over his face, pinching, twisting, and generally having a

    field day with his features.

    "So it''s real," she mumbled, apparently convinced she was dreaming.

    "Hey, handsome," she slurred, puckering her lips. "What''s your name? How old are you? Got a wife

    yet? Come on, give me a smooch."

    Owen was bbergasted.

    Here was Cecilia, not recognizing him and shamelessly flirting with him.

    Not only did she envelop him in kisses, but her hands were also all over him, with the unmistakable

    intent of undressing him.

    "Cecilia, you''re drunk," Owen struggled to maintain hisposure, not wanting to take advantage

    of her when she was drunk.

    He pried her hands off him, chuckling wryly, "No wonder you said you were a terrible drunk, hitting

    on men like this. Lucky it''s just me. If it were anyone else, you''d be crying with regret tomorrow

    morning."

    "Handsome,e on. I''ll pay you¡ªa hundred bucks for a kiss."

    Owen, barely holding backughter, scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom.

    One thing was certain.

    Even when drunk and offering money, she was stingy!

    A hundred bucks for a kiss, he thought. She''d have to kiss his entire body to make it worthwhile,

    and even then, it wouldn''t be much.

    Such a lowball offer!

    "Too little for you? How about a hundred and one? That''s top dor,e on, just one kiss."

    Owenid Cecilia on the bed, and the moment her hands were free, they were back around his

    neck, pulling him down to her, lips puckered for a kiss.

    "Cecilia, you''re drunk."

    Owen tried to fend her off, blocking her lips with his hand.

    "I''m not drunk. Wow, you''ve got a great body. Let''s see those abs."

    Cecilia tried to undress him, her drunken strength and blurred vision making it a clumsy effort.

    Eventually, she managed to undo a single button on his shirt.

    Cecilia, in a fit of frustration, grabbed both sides of his shirt and tore it open, buttons scattering

    everywhere.

    "Wow! Look at those muscles! Hot stuff!"

    Owen gritted his teeth and growled, "Cecilia, stop pushing me!"

    His patience had its limits!

    But Cecilia wasn''t listening. She loved to flirt with men when she was drunk.

    She had warned Owen about this¡ªnever to let her drink too much.

    Now, all she saw was the muscr figure before her. She found it very appealing, and as she was

    about to dive in for a taste, her stomach rebelled, and the next thing Owen knew, he was covered in

    the contents of her stomach.

    Cecilia!

    In a sh, Owen flipped her over and dashed to the bathroom.

    After cleaning up, he returned to find the instigator of his troubles fast asleep, with a part of the bed

    soiled by her mishap.

    What a night!

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Resigned, Owen undressed her out of her soiled evening gown, ced her on the couch, and then

    ripped off the dirty sheets.

    Then he put on new sheets andid her back in bed.

    At least she didn''t cause any more trouble once she was asleep.

    Oweny beside her, still clothed, looking at her alluring form under the covers¡ªher gown had been

    removed, and he didn''t have any spare clothes for her.

    Gazing at the sleeping beauty, he affectionately pinched her lips and whispered, "You''re such a little

    troublemaker. I won''t let you get drunk again, unless..."

    After the wedding.

    Maybe then, for a little excitement, he could let her get a little drunk.

    For Owen, it was a long, sleepless night.

    He tossed and turned, resisting the urge to reach out to Cecilia time and again.

    He had promised not to pressure her, and although taking advantage now wouldn''t exactly be

    forcing her, it still felt like taking advantage.

    So he endured, showering in cold water twice before finally falling asleep just before dawn.

    Cecilia slept until the sun was high in the sky. When she woke up and saw the unfamiliar room, she

    was momentarily confused. Then the events of the previous evening came crashing back to her.

    She had been out with Owen, celebrating his business sess. They drank heavily, and she got

    drunk.

    Oh no!

    Cecilia sat up abruptly, the covers slipping down. She quickly snatched them back up and saw

    Owen lying beside her, thankfully fully clothed.

    Knowing that she would mess up when drunk, Cecilia couldn''t rx even seeing Owen''s clothes.

    She nudged him beside her with her foot.

    "Mr. Malicious, wake up!"

    Owen had barely clocked in a few hours of sleep when he felt a sharp nudge that yanked him from

    his dreams. Irritation bubbled up until his eyes snapped open and saw Cecilia¡¯s familiar face. His

    annoyance instantly dissolved into a helpless sigh. He reached out, intending to pull her back to

    bed, and mumbled, ¡°Cecilia, it¡¯s still early. Let¡¯s catch some more z¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Malicious, hold on. What exactly happenedst night? Did we... you know? Did I overstep?¡±

    As the sleep fog lifted from Owen¡¯s mind, he gave her a pitiful puppy-dog look and said, ¡°Cecilia,

    you turned into quite the firecracker after you were drunk. You were all over me, showering me with

    compliments, saying I was a hunk, nting kisses, and going on about my six-pack being on point.

    You tell me, under those circumstances, was there anything we couldn¡¯t have done?¡±

    Cecilia¡¯s cheeks zed with heat.

    She had actually taken advantage of Owen when she was drunk!

    And she couldn¡¯t remember a darn thing!

    Did she get the short end of the stick here?

 Chapter 438

    Chapter 438

    ¡°Cecilia, you''ve eaten me up, and now you''ve got to make an honest man out of me. When are we

    heading down the aisle? Or should I take the lead and sweep you off your feet?¡±

    Owen sat up, wrapping his arms around Cecilia''s waist, pulling her close under the covers with him.

    He knew very well that Cecilia was naked under the nket. If he didn''t hold on to it, he was sure

    he''d burn up from the heat.

    Cecilia didn¡¯t feel unwell, except for a splitting headache ¨C a clear souvenir fromst night''s boozy

    escapade.

    She had never been a heavy drinker, but she had seen enough movies to know the score.

    Plus, she had Lucinda, her novelist bestie, who churned out chapters so tame they barely brushed

    past a kiss. Though, Lucinda''s drafts did get a bit steamy ¨C drafts only a best friend would see.

    Herck of difort meant thatst night hadn''t gone beyond a certain point.

    As her wits returned, Cecilia quickly unwound Owen''s arm from her waist and clutched the sheets to

    her as she leapt out of bed.

    ¡°Mr. Malicious, you''re trying to trap me!¡±

    Owen chuckled mischievously, ¡°You''re quick on the uptake. I thought maybe we''d have to get a

    marriage license before you''d figure it out.¡±

    That was as good as an admission that he hadn¡¯t taken advantage of herst night.

    A gentleman, indeed.

    ¡°But, Cecilia, you did give me quite the runaroundst night. Surely, that calls for some sort of

    compensation, right?¡±

    Owen had that roguish twinkle in his eye.

    Cecilia¡¯s face flushed even more, and she stammered, ¡°How did I give you a runaround?¡±

    ¡°You were all over me, tearing at my shirt, buttons flying everywhere. You evenplimented my

    body.¡±

    This brought Owen no small amount of pleasure.

    At least she appreciated what she had seen.

    Cecilia was speechless.

    Could lightning strike her unconscious now?

    Or perhaps open up a hole in the floor for her to escape through?

    This was mortifying.

    Owen rolled out of bed, padding barefoot to the closet, and soon returned with a white shirt ¨C the

    very one he had worn the night before.

    ¡°Cecilia, exhibit A. I''m not falsely using you. Those buttons didn''t pop off by themselves,¡± he said

    as he presented the evidence of her handiwork.

    Cecilia saw that indeed all the buttons were gone. It was just a few buttons; she could sew them

    back on.

    Don¡¯t think modern girls can¡¯t handle a needle and thread; she was more than capable of fixing a

    few buttons.

    ¡°And, you managed to cover me in, well, let''s just say I''ve smelt better.¡±

    Cecilia felt awkward. She grabbed Owen''s shirt in one hand, the other still clutching the sheets

    around her, and looked at him, utterly at a loss.

    Owen sighed and walked away, only to return with a set of his clothes for her.

    ¡°Your own clothes got a bit messy, and I helped you out of that evening gown. To save myself from

    a fiery death, I didn¡¯t help you bathe. Now that you''re awake, go take a hot bath. I don¡¯t have your

    clothes here, my bad. I really should have a dozen sets at all my ces for you. I''ll make it right.

    Next time, you won¡¯t be left without a change of clothes.¡±

    Owen genuinely felt he had been inconsiderate.

    Stefan always made sure to have all the essentials ready for Lucinda at his ces ¨C the epitome of

    thoughtfulness.

    ¡°Wear my clothes for now. I''ll call someone to bring you a fresh set.¡±

    Saying that, Owen went to the bathroom and started running a hot bath for her. Looking back and

    seeing that Cecilia hadn¡¯t followed, he called out, ¡°Cecilia,e take your bath. I''ve got the water

    ready. If you need my help, I''ll dly assist ¨C free of charge, of course. Not like when you only gave

    me a hundred bucks for a kiss. Might as well be free.¡±

    A hundred bucks was nothing to someone like Owen.

    This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Cecilia¡¯s image was ruinedst night.

    Holding the clothes Owen gave her, she still wrapped herself in the sheets as she walked into the

    bathroom. Seeing Owen''s eager gaze, ready to serve her anytime, Cecilia hesitated for a moment.

    After a while, she said, "I told you not to let me get drunk. You promised, but you let me get so."

    Owen, looking somewhat innocent, replied, "I did think of helping you hold back, but you seemed so

    happy drinking. You even pushed my hand away once, and I thought you can drink, thinking maybe

    I should wait and see. I never expected you to change so much after you got drunk."

    Cecilia tried hard to recall what happenedst night. Did she push Owen''s hand away? She couldn''t

    remember. Everything he said now seemed to favor him.

    "Cecilia, trust me. Everything you did to mest night, I''ll keep it in my mind and heart. I won''t say a

    word about it to save you from embarrassment."

    Owen sounded earnest, but to Cecilia''s ears, he seemed like he wanted tough, appearing quite

    content. What he said about remembering her teasing himst night and keeping it to himself.

    Cecilia found something strange in his words. At this point, Cecilia couldn''t salvage her image

    anymore.

    Cecilia wished she could just feign unconsciousness or disappear into a hole, oblivious to

    everything.

    ¡°Out!¡± Cecilia shouted.

    Owen stepped out, thoughtfully closing the bathroom door behind him.

    Cecilia, not entirely reassured, double-checked the lock before finally releasing her grip on the

    sheets.

    Her head throbbed as if it were about to split in two.

    And there was a certain smell lingering on her skin¡­

    Owen imed she puked all over him, ruining not only his suit but her own evening gown as well.

    Just picturing the scene made Cecilia feel nauseous again.

    It really said something that Owen could still manage to lie next to her and sleep through the night

    after that debacle.

    As Cecilia took the bath, she tried her hardest to piece together the events of the previous evening,

    when she''d had one too many. But her memory was totally nk.

    Lucy had always told her that she turned into a bit of a flirt when she was drunk, capable of doing

    just about anything.

    Owen might stretch the truth, but Lucy? She never would.

    It seemed she really did give Owen a run for his moneyst night.

    The guy was actually a wolf in sheep''s clothing, a patient and hungry predator.

 Chapter 439

    Chapter 439

    But Owen''s refusal to take advantage of others'' vulnerability was something that Cecilia found quite

    admirable about him.

    Once she stopped viewing Owen through a tinted lens, she began to notice his many merits.

    While Cecilia was taking a long, rxing bath, Owen made a call to his bodyguard Jay, instructing

    him, ¡°Jay, hustle over to the Yates'' residence, and whether you see my mother-inw or Devon, you

    tell them the same thing¡ªask them to send over a set of Cecilia''s clothes. If they ask you any

    questions, just y dumb. Let them think what they will.¡±

    Cecilia had spent the previous night keeping himpany at a social event, and Owen was pretty

    sure the Yates family was aware of it. They hadn''t stopped her, or if they had tried, they hadn''t

    seeded. Regardless, now that Cecilia had flirted with him and spent the night with him, it was

    time for the Yates family to be clued in.

    They were a straightced and traditional bunch, and once they got wind of what had happened, it

    would undoubtedly work in his favor in his pursuit of Cecilia. He might be able to marry her sooner

    rather thanter.

    Worst case scenario, if the Yates didn''t push Cecilia towards marriage, he could shamelessly knock

    on their door and have a serious talk with her parents about taking responsibility.

    For Owen, it would be a win-win situation.

    He admitted to himself that he was being a bit cunning, but he wasn''t exactly a saint to begin with,

    so he felt no guilt.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on my way,¡± Jay replied, and once Owen hung up, the bodyguard quickly made his way

    to the Yates'' residence.

    Devon was out. Only Ba was in the yard, hanging upundry.

    When Jay rang the doorbell, Ba came over and recognized him. As she opened the door, she

    asked, ¡°You''re Mr. Martinez''s bodyguard, aren''t you? What''s up? Where''s Mr. Martinez?¡±

    ¡°Good day, ma''am. I''m Jay, Mr. Martinez''s bodyguard. Mr. Martinez is still at Pinehurst Hotel. He

    overindulgedst night at a business gathering.¡±

    Jay didn''t step into the yard, preferring to converse from the doorway. He respectfully continued,

    ¡°He sent me to get a set of clothes for Ms. Yates.¡±

    Ba''s smile froze immediately.

    She was aware that her daughter had apanied Owen the previous night.

    They had tried to dissuade her, but Cecilia was headstrong and their words fell on deaf ears.

    The fact that Cecilia hadn''te home all night had left Ba restless, her mind racing with

    worries.

    She had thought her daughter to be a girl of virtue, assuming that even if she hadn''t returned home,

    nothing untoward would have happened with Owen.

    Now, with Jay standing at her door asking for Cecilia''s clothes, Ba''s calm shattered.

    ¡°Did Cecilia get sick?¡± she asked, holding on to a sliver of hope.

    Jay replied apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know the details. Mr. Martinez just instructed me to get

    Ms. Yates'' clothes. But I do know that he and Ms. Yates are still together.¡±

    Ba''s face went through another round of color changes.

    Knowing she wouldn''t get any more information, she quickly went upstairs to get her daughter''s

    clothes.

    Soon, she returned with a bag and handed it to Jay.

    ¡°Then I must rush to the hotel,¡± Jay said, taking the bag.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Ba replied, watching Jay hurry off with the bag of Cecilia''s clothes. After a deep

    sigh, she sprang into action, pulling her phone out to call Devon. As soon as he answered, she said,

    ¡°Devon, I''m going to check on Cecilia''s shop. Fix yourself something to eat or you can eat out if you

    prefer.¡±

    ¡°Sure, you go ahead,¡± Devon responded, his attention still fixed on his chess game with an old

    friend, not asking any further questions.

    Ba hung up, quickly finished hanging theundry, and then hopped on her electric scooter,

    donned her helmet, and rode off.

    She was determined to wait at the coffee shop for her daughter and get a clear exnation.

    Meanwhile, Cecilia was blissfully unaware of Owen''s devious side.

    She had assumed Owen simply had someone buy her a new set of clothes.

    After soaking in the bathtub until the water turned cold, she finally got out, dressed in Owen''s

    clothes, and stepped out of the bathroom just in time to hear Owen closing the front door.

    ¡°Who was that?¡± she asked as Owen entered with a bag in hand.

    ¡°It was Jay,¡± he replied, eyeing her rather than immediately handing over the bag. ¡°You know, if you

    were a bit taller and bulkier, you''d fit right into my clothes.¡±

    It wasn''t her first time wearing his clothes. The time she was caught at the Neon Nectar Nightclub,

    he was furious, and she ended up in his clothes then too.

    ¡°Are you calling me short? I¡¯m a woman. If you use the word ¡®bulky¡¯ and I actually was, I¡¯d scare you

    to death.¡±

    Owen chuckled, ¡°My bad, I misspoke. You¡¯re not short, you¡¯re just right for me. Standing by your

    side, you nestling into my embrace, we¡¯re quite the pair. I like it. I¡¯m very satisfied.¡±

    Cecilia aimed a yful kick at him.

    He always had a way of saying the most irritating things.

    ¡°Cecilia, here''s your clothes,¡± Owen said, unfazed by her kick and smiling even brighter.

    He thought to himself, ¡°It¡¯s a sign of love.¡±

    Cecilia took the bag and her expression darkened as she pulled out the clothes, ¡°These really are

    my clothes.¡±

    ¡°Yep, they''re yours. I¡¯ve seen you wear them countless times. They''re definitely not mine.¡±

    Cecilia red at him, teeth clenched, ¡°Mr. Malicious, just you wait!¡±

    She turned and stormed back into the bathroom.

    Owen followed with an innocent look, asking, ¡°Cecilia, what¡¯s wrong? What did I do? Why the

    sudden change of heart? The clothes are really yours!¡±

    Of course, they were hers!

    She didn''t need to ask; she knew he must have sent someone to her house to get them.

    It looked like her mother had handed her clothes over.

    Every time Cecilia thought about going home to face her nagging mother or the inevitable ear-

    tugging lecture, she felt a throbbing headacheing on.

    Owen hadn''t bothered to send over a new outfit for her, probably because he considered that new

    clothes would need a wash before wearing them. Instead, he''d had someone get an outfit from her

    ce, a move that would undoubtedly set her family''s minds racing with wild spection.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    It was like being put on the grill.

    She refused to believe he hadn¡¯t thought of that.

    He was doing it on purpose.

    That man was a walking shadow, a sly fox. Calling him Mr. Malicious wasn¡¯t the least bit unjustified!

    When Cecilia came out of the bathroom, freshly changed and fuming, a so-called peace offering

    awaited her.

    "Cecilia, here''s some coffee. Drink up. It¡¯ll make you feel better," offered a voice, as a steaming cup

    offort was extended towards her.

    And there was Owen, his handsome face all smiles.

    The saying goes, ''you can''t spit a smiling face'' ¡ª and there he was, all caring and considerate with

    a cup of coffee, making it virtually impossible for her to unleash her fury on him.

    His voice, gentle as a caress, floated to her ears, "Cecilia, I know you''re angry, but have some

    coffee before you let it all out. We don¡¯t want that headache getting any worse."

 Chapter 440

    Chapter 440

    Cecilia red at Owen for a moment before reluctantly epting the cup of coffee he offered. With

    a hint of sarcasm, she remarked, "No wonder you''re the head honcho of the Ike Group. Always

    ying chess with people''s lives."

    Owen took the jab as apliment and chuckled, "Thanks for the praise, Cecilia. As long as you

    don''t call me a fool, I''m good."

    Cecilia just rolled her eyes in response.

    Right then, her phone rang.

    "Where''s my phone?"

    "Right here."

    Owen turned to get her phone and handed it to her, sneaking a nce at the caller ID¡ªit was her

    future mother-inw.

    The moment Cecilia saw that it was her mom calling, her headache seemed to intensify.

    She steeled herself to answer the call.

    "Mom."

    "Cecilia, do you even care about your shop anymore? What time is it? You haven''t been in all

    morning, and it¡¯s snowed under with customers."

    Ba didn''t outright ask what Cecilia was up to.

    But her scolding tone made it crystal clear she was furious.

    "Mom, I¡ªI''m on my way. Is it really that busy this close to noon?"

    "What, you''ve got a problem with being too sessful?"

    "No, Mom, not at all. I''ming right now."

    Ba huffed, "You''d better."

    Cecilia knew her mother had a whole storm waiting for her, just itching to let loose. She didn''t dare

    hang up first.

    Fortunately, Ba ended the call quickly.

    "My mom''s rushing me to get back to the shop. She''s probably pacing the floor there right now. I

    slept so long that I forgot I had a business to run."

    Cecilia hastily gulped down the coffee and thrust the cup back into Owen''s hands before turning to

    leave.

    "I''ve already sent some help over. They''ll manage no matter how busy it gets."

    Owen set the cup down and followed her, saying, "Don''t rush. I''ll drive you."

    He was ying his cards right; with his future mother-inw angry, it was his duty to escort Cecilia

    and face the music with her.

    Cecilia didn''t reply.

    Her headache was still fierce, and if it weren''t for her mother''s call, she might have preferred to

    keep sleeping.

    Owen had indeed sent some bodyguards to assist, and while the shop was packed, they were

    handling it.

    They hurried out of the hotel.

    Only Jay, one of the bodyguards, waited outside for Owen.

    "Mr. Martinez, Mrs. Martinez, good day."

    Jay greeted them.

    Cecilia ignored the formality in Jay''s address. It wasn''t worth the effort to correct him anymore.

    "Drive Mrs. Martinez back to the coffee shop." Owen instructed.

    He and Cecilia got into the car, with Jay at the wheel.

    As they set off, Owen made a series of calls to Walter and a couple of secretaries, delegating

    various tasks.

    Walter reported, "Mr. Martinez, Ms. Porter came looking for you again today, and she seemed pretty

    angry."

    Owen frowned and asked, "Didn''t she leave Pinehurst?"

    Madeleine wasn''t the type to linger in Pinehurst. After visiting thepany yesterday, she''d

    promptly flown back to Skywatch on her private jet.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "She flew in again this morning?¡± To persuade him to be her pawn, she was quite diligent, flying

    over in a private jet to meet him every day. As for Madeleine''s apparent anger, Owen didn''t bother

    to specte on her mood.

    "She''s tough to shake off, insisted on seeing you. The secretaries couldn''t handle her, and I had to

    step in. She left a threat before she went, saying you yed her and that you''ll regret it."

    Hearing Walter''s ount, Owen snorted, "Throwing threats on my turf? Ms. Porter really is brazen,

    thinking this is Skywatch?"

    Madeleine had been spoiled by her parents and grew up arrogant. She had clung onto Nathan, and

    with the status of Nathan''s girlfriend, she felt even more entitled in Skywatch, acting like she owned

    the ce.

    People who are used to being arrogant can''t easily change their stripes.

    "Walter, keep tabs on her. I want updates on her movements the moment she sets foot in

    Pinehurst."

    Concerned Madeleine might target Cecilia, Owen felt the need to be cautious. He was well-

    protected with his entourage of bodyguards, but Cecilia could be vulnerable.

    "Got it," Walter replied.

    After ending the call, Owen turned his attention to the woman beside him.

    Cecilia had leaned back and closed her eyes the moment she got into the car, hoping to ease her

    headache.

    She caught snippets of Owen''s conversation and guessed he was dealing with trouble, but her

    pounding head prevented her from asking about it.

    "Cecilia."

    "Shoot."

    "What do you say to having a couple of bodyguards for personal protection?"

    She opened her eyes to meet his dark gaze.

    "Did the Barlow family put a hit on you? Will that put me in the crossfire?"

    Owen quickly assured her, "No, it''s about Ms. Porter. She''s furious, probably realizing I have no

    intention of teaming up with her against Stefan. She left a threat, promising I''ll regret it. I''m not

    worried about myself, but I fear she might take it out on you."

    "I know how to defend myself," Cecilia said matter-of-factly.

    "I know you do, and no offense, but your self-defense moves will fend off the average creep.

    Against someone as vicious as Madeleine, you''d be in over your head. She doesn''t even need to

    get her hands dirty; just one of the Porter family''s goons would be more than you can handle."

    "Even my bodyguards would be too much for you. I''ll have Jay and Rex stay close. It''s the only way

    I''ll be at ease. I have to meet with Stefan, and as much as I don''t want to join forces with him,

    Madeleine''s anger is directed at me because of him and his wife, Lucinda. I can''t be squaring off

    with her while Stefan watches from the side. I need to draw him into this¡ªafter all, this whole mess

    started with Lucinda."

    Owen would never admit he was outmatched by the Porters.

    The Porters, with their roots deep in Skywatch, couldn''t threaten him directly. But they hade up

    from the gritty underworld, and even after two or three decades of purportedly going legit, that

    ruthless streak remained. Plus, the Porters still had their tentacles in the shadows, and that''s what

    Owen feared¡ªtheir penchant for striking from the dark.

    Cecilia didn''t have the formidable backing of a powerful family like Lucinda did. Lucinda''s familial

    ties meant Madeleine wouldn''t dare confront her openly or make a move against her in Pinehurst.

    But Cecilia? Madeleine would definitely take her chances there.

    Cecilia just listened, a silent frown on her face.

    "Cecilia, don''t worry. Jay and Rex are with you purely for protection, not surveince. Once your

    bestie nails the Porters, gathering enough evidence to take them down for good, I''ll pull Jay and

    Rex off detail."

    What he didn''t add was that once Cecilia became his wife, he''d double down on her security detail.

    But he kept that to himself, not wanting to alienate her.

    "Owen, Lucy''s heading back to Skywatch in a few days. Isn''t that risky?" Cecilia was more

    concerned for her friend''s safety than her own.

    "What else do you know? Can you tell me, please?" Cecilia urged, even though Lucy always

    brushed off such inquiries with augh, iming she was simply going home to inherit a multi-

    billion-dor estate and be a wealthy heiress.

 Chapter 441

    Chapter 441

    Cecilia''s heart raced as she pieced together Owen''s cautious words, realizing that being involved

    with the Blues was like dancing on the edge of a knife.

    Owen leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking under his weight. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know much,

    Cecilia. Just that the Blues are deep water, and the Porters are like wolves at the door, always

    itching to be the top dogs of Skywatch. It¡¯s like the rivalry between me and Stefan, you know?¡±

    Cecilia snorted, ¡°Cut the crap, Owen. You and Mr. Coleman¡¯s rivalry is child¡¯s y where nobody

    gets hurt. You two im to be rivals, but sometimes you look like old chums from grade school, both

    of you knowing each other inside out. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you called each other besties.¡±

    It was clear that only one alpha could reign supreme, and with Ruby stirring the pot, the two were

    bound to butt heads.

    Owen could be underhanded at times, a real schemer when he wanted to be, but Cecilia had to

    admit that his moralpass didn''t waiver when it came to the big stuff.

    She didn¡¯t buy hisparison of his squabbles with Stefan to the dangerous dance between the

    Blues and the Porters.

    ¡°Cecilia, I swear I¡¯m in the dark as much as you are. Consider the social status of the Blue family

    and the Porter family. Moreover, given the distance, my influence can only reach so far. What could

    I possibly find out? Even Stefan can''t uncover too much. He¡¯s got his PA digging deep into

    Lucinda¡¯s disappearance, and even he¡¯sing up short. He¡¯s been at it forever, and what¡¯s he got

    to show for it? And Keith, that prince of the Blue family, how many years did he search for Lucinda?

    He only made it to Pinehurst because of my grandfather¡¯s connections. He should be thanking him,

    really.¡±

    Owen mused that next time Keith put on airs or gave him the cold shoulder, he¡¯d spill everything,

    knock him down a peg or two.

    Keith, wasn¡¯t pleasing to Owen¡¯s eye. Although Keith was cold and indifferent, he was too

    handsome, and being Lucinda''s twin brother, he had too many opportunities to interact with Cecilia.

    Who knew if Keith had a thing for her?

    Hadn¡¯t Owen once seen Keith as a rival for Cecilia¡¯s affection?

    Keith would scoff, ¡°If I had my eye on Cecilia, what¡¯s it to you, Owen?¡±

    His interesty with the enigmaticdy only.

    Cecilia fell silent. She was an outsider; even with her tight bond with Lucinda, she was kept in the

    dark whenever danger loomed, Lucinda treating her like a stranger to keep her safe.

    ¡°Cecilia, that settles it. From today, Jay and Rex are on your tail.¡±

    Cecilia¡¯s silence was consent.

    She couldn''t help Lucinda, but she wouldn¡¯t be the one to drag her down.

    Besides Cecilia¡¯s safety, Owen felt he had to arrange for the Yates family''s protection in secret.

    Who knew what kind of unhinged retaliation Madeleine could unleash in her fury?

    As for the Moore family, Stefan would surely have that covered.

    That was his business, not Owen¡¯s.

    Exiting the Ike Group, Madeleine¡¯splexion was stormier than a winter sky.

    She¡¯d approached Owen recklessly, thinking that since he and Stefan were at loggerheads, he¡¯d

    jump at the chance to side with her against Stefan.

    Only after a meeting with her concerned father, who¡¯d rushed after her, did she realize that it was

    impossible for Owen to join hands with her.

    Even without Cecilia in the picture, Owen wouldn¡¯t join forces with her.

    The thought of Owen stringing her along with false hope, only to warn Stefan and his wife about her,

    made Madeleine¡¯s blood boil.

    Nobody yed Madeleine for a fool!

    Actually, Nathan had been ying her for years.

    ¡°Miss Porter.¡±

    Two men in ck approached Madeleine.

    Her private chopper was parked right outside the Ike Group, and though not thergest, its

    presence was undeniable.

    ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡±

    One of the men asked in a deep voice.

    Madeleine replied icily, ¡°Dad was right, as usual.¡±

    Once aboard, shemanded grimly, ¡°Get me Luna. Tell her I want Cecilia¡¯s life to be a living hell.¡±

    If Owen was after Cecilia, then Madeleine would strike there, making him regret crossing her.

    Attacking someone¡¯s dearest was the deepest cut; trouble for Cecilia would torment Owen more

    than his own.

    But in Pinehurst, Madeleine wouldn¡¯t act directly.

    Her father had arranged for Luna¡¯s assistance.

    This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    She¡¯d let Luna handle it.

    If she couldn¡¯t touch Lucinda, Cecilia was fair game.

    Now, her prospects with Nathan dwindling, a confrontation with Lucinda seemed inevitable. Even if

    marriage was in the cards, a showdown was certain.

    So, Madeleine had no second thoughts about using Cecilia as a pawn.

    At Ascend Global.

    Ending a call, Stefan immediately rang Owen.

    Their phone chat was brief, and soon Stefan was back on the line, this time with Nelson. ¡°Nelson, I

    need two bodyguards skilled in stealth and tracking for a special mission. And send eight men to the

    Moore residence,e up with any excuse necessary to stay and ensure their safety.¡±

    With his own mother-inw staying at The Moore residence, Stefan knew that his father-inw, a

    man of considerable influence, would also arrange for people to secretly protect her.

    Still, he decided to send a few more of his guys over to keep an eye on things. Having a visible

    presence there would certainly rattle any would-be troublemakers.

    Stefan had a hunch that the showdown between the Blues and the Porters wasing sooner than

    anyone anticipated.

    He figured the storm would hit right after he and Lucinda returned from their weekend getaway at

    Skywatch. The Porters weren''t the type to give them any time to adjust. They''d strike fast and hard,

    catching them off guard.

    "Got it."

    Nelson, ever the loyal aide, never questioned orders. Whatever Stefan wanted, Nelson made it

    happen.

    "I''ll tell Lucinda myself," said Stefan

    "Okay." Nelson wasn''t one to steal his boss''s thunder.

    With everything set, Stefan nced at the clock. Another morning had slipped by.

    He texted Lucinda, inviting her to join him for lunch.

    Lucinda had wanted to decline, but after a moment''s thought, she epted. But she''d have to slip

    away discreetly to meet her husband''s car.

    "Lucinda, let''s go grab a bite."

    As soon as the office clock signaled the end of the workday, a male colleague approached

    Lucinda''s desk with a warm smile, inviting her to join him for lunch in thepany cafeteria.

    Lucinda stood up, tidied her desk, and declined with a courteous smile, "I''m sorry, a friend just

    texted me for lunch. We''ve both been so swamped with worktely, and I''ve had to bail on her a few

    times already. If I skip out today, she''ll be really upset."

    The colleague''s smile stiffened for a moment, but he gracefully conceded, "I see. Well, don''t let me

    keep you. Your friend wouldn''t want to be kept waiting. Is your friend a guy or a girl, by the way?"

    "Of course, she¡¯s a girl. She¡¯s my college roommate and bestie."

    Lucinda lied with the same ease her husband sometimes did¡ªwith a straight face and steady

    breath.

 Chapter 442

    Chapter 442

    The man''s smile was much more genuine when he heard it was a girl.

    Lucinda gracefully declined the invitation for lunch from her colleague. But that didn''t stop him from

    lingering by the elevator, hopeful for a chance to walk her out.

    He''d been watching Lucinda for a while now. She was ambitious, diligent, and while she wasn''t a

    knockout beauty, her sunny disposition was winning him over. He was considering making a y for

    her heart, thinking maybe she''d be the one to bring home for Christmas dinner.

    Lucinda prayed silently that her overbearing husband wouldn''t catch sight of her and him waiting for

    the elevator together. If he got a whiff of jealousy, it would be a whole scene she wasn''t eager to

    have.

    Normally quick to clear her desk, Lucinda deliberately slowed her pace, ensuring by the time she

    headed for the stairs, Mark would''ve left the building.

    Ever since Lucinda joined the ranks at Ascend Global, the presence of thepany''s CEO, Stefan,

    had be a moremon urrence at the beginning and end of the workday.

    The woman who had once set Lucinda up for failure couldn''t help but snort with disdain as she

    passed her desk. Lucinda couldn''t quite make out the words, but she didn''t care to. She had long

    since realized that the office waters ran deep.

    If it weren''t for the fact that she needed to inherit the family fortune, Lucinda would''ve been content

    running her own cozy bookstore-caf¨¦, penning novels in her spare time, far away from the cutthroat

    corporate life.

    Thinking about her own background, Lucinda couldn''t help but sigh in her heart. Her life was

    destined to be full of intrigue.

    The male colleague was very patient, waiting until Lucinda finally came out.

    The Ascend Global headquarters had many employees, and even though Lucinda deliberately

    dyed, the elevator was still crowded. She decided to take the stairs.

    "Mr. Coleman."

    Just as she descended to the first floor, she heard many people greeting Stefan. Lucinda hesitated.

    "What''s wrong?"

    The male colleague asked with concern.

    "I forgot something."

    Lucinda turned around and walked back.

    The male colleague stood there watching Lucinda go back. After a while, he eventually walked

    away alone.

    Lucinda didn''t actually return to her office; instead, she hid at the turn of the stairs. When she saw

    the male colleague leave, she went back down.

    To the bustling crowd of Ascend Global''s head office, Lucinda was just another face in the crowd,

    unnoticed as she left the steel and ss tower behind her. At the bus stop, she boarded the line

    that would take her to the Ascend Hotel.

    Once she found a seat, she texted Stefan. "Honey, wait for me at the hotel."

    Stefan called her immediately.

    "Sweetheart, I''m on the bus. Shouldn''t be long. Just wait for me."

    "Alright, be careful. I''ll wait for you here."

    Lucinda smiled at the thought of seeing him soon.

    The Ascend Hotel wasn''t far, and Lucinda arrived soon. Instead of seeking out her man, she ducked

    into thedies'' room to wipe away her makeup, a skill she had mastered without the help of Tiffany,

    who was now preupied with wedding ns and morning sickness.

    Emerging fresh-faced, Lucinda was surprised to see her older brother, Ike, clutching a bouquet of

    flowers.

    "Ike!"

    She called out to him and made her way over.

    Ike hesitated, almost hiding the flowers, but there was no point; Lucinda already knew about his

    crush, Belinda.

    "Lucy, you here by yourself?"

    He waited for her to catch up, his curiosity piqued about the absence of her ever-present husband.

    "Stefan''s waiting for me. You meeting Belinda, huh?" Lucinda''s voice was teasing.

    "I''ve nned dinner with Belinda, yes. What, you think I shouldn''t make a move?"

    "No way! I''ve been rooting for you, big bro. You going to profess your love?"

    They walked towards the hotel lobby together.

    "I think she''s into me too, Lucy. It''s time I step up and just say it," Ike confessed.

    Belinda wasn¡¯t the type to appreciate beating around the bush. If Ike confessed his feelings to her

    and she genuinely liked him, she would likely ept his affection. On the other hand, if she didn''t

    share the same feelings, she would straightforwardly reject him, putting an end to any romantic

    pursuit. People like Belinda tend to prefer clearmunication and don''t appreciate persistent

    advances.

    Ike, feeling nervous inside, was afraid that Belinda might reject him. If she did, he would have to

    settle for being one of her many business partners and wouldn''t be able to take things further.

    "You both are single. If you like each other, boldly express your feelings. Some people are not good

    at guessing or interpreting hints. If you don''t make it clear, she might never know that you like her,"

    said Lucinda.

    Ike exined, "I know that, and that''s why I''m being bold and straightforward now."

    Their conversation was interrupted by a familiar, hearty voice.

    "Lucy, Ike."

    It was Stefan, with Belinda by his side, holding a bouquet simr to Ike''s and a bag that seemed to

    contain a dress.

    The four of them exchanged pleasantries, and Lucinda couldn''t help but feel a spark in the air, a

    prelude to confessions and new beginnings.

    Belinda always seemed to soften up whenever she was around Lucinda. Lucinda wasn''t just Ike''s

    sister; she was also a dear friend to Darlene. Ever since Darlene had struck up a friendship with

    Lucinda, she began going out more often and her smiles grew more frequent.

    Belinda attributed all this happiness to Lucinda''s influence on her sister, which made her especially

    warm and friendly towards her.

    "Lucinda," Belinda greeted, with a rare smile on her face.

    After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lucinda tactfully said, "Hey bro, Belinda, Stefan and I are

    going to grab some dinner."

    Ike just grunted in acknowledgment.

    Lucinda, hand in hand with her husband, slipped away, but not to leave; they just hid nearby

    instead.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Stefan chuckled and teased her, "Lucinda, we could just watch them openly, you know. No need to

    sneak around like we''re having an affair or something."

    "Being around would make Ike and Belinda self-conscious. And even if we wanted to have an affair,

    we couldn''t. We''re legally married, so it''s not an affair when it''s with your spouse."

    Stefanughed, about to add more, but then he saw his wife intently watching the lovebirds. Not

    wanting to interrupt her focus, he simply watched her with an indulgent gaze, full of adoration.

 Chapter 443

    Chapter 443

    Belinda was a force to be reckoned with¡ªa true "tomboy" who did things her own way. When she

    had decided to confess her feelings, she couldn''t care less about the setting.

    That''s right, Belinda wanted toy her heart bare to Ike.

    Their time together had deepened their bond, and Belinda felt herself falling for him¡ªhard. She was

    a straight shooter, always forthright with her feelings. Having seen her own heart clearly, she was

    determined to confess to Ike. No more guessing games or beating around the bush¡ªthat was just a

    waste of time.

    So, as Lucinda dragged Stefan away, Belinda stepped forward and handed Ike a bouquet of

    flowers, her sharp eyes twinkling with warmth. "Ike, I know it''s usually the guys who give flowers,"

    she said. "But I think a nice bouquet sets the scene for a confession."

    "Lucy told me you''re quite the green thumb. Thought you might like these."

    Belinda had learned from her sister that Ike had a soft spot for nts, so she boldly bought flowers

    for her confession.

    "Ike, we''ve known each other for a while, and we get along great. I really enjoy our time together

    and I want you to be my boyfriend. I''m looking at this with marriage in mind. Are you in?"

    Ike''s grin split his face.

    This must be what being surrounded by happiness felt like.

    He eagerly took the bouquet from Belinda, and in turn, handed her his own flowers, saying, "Well,

    Belinda, it''s funny you should say that. I''ve been wanting to tell you I''ve fallen for you a long time

    ago. I''d be honored to be your boyfriend, with an eye toward marriage, of course."

    Truth be told, if Belinda asked him to head to city hall right then and there for a marriage certificate,

    he''d leap at the chance.

    "Ike, I''ve got a demanding job, and I won''t have much time to spend with you. Our dating life might

    have to rely on phone calls, and dates will have to fit into my hectic schedule. You mind?"

    When two hearts resonate, it''s a joyful thing.

    But Belinda wanted toy it all out clearly.

    The Bishop Group was arger operation than Ike''spany, and Belinda, the boss, was busier

    and more worn out than he was. She wasn''t one to y the dainty damsel.

    Dating her might indeed mean relying on a smartphone to keep in touch, and squeezing in the

    asional dinner date around her packed calendar.

    "I know, and it won''t bother me," Ike assured her, understanding the demands of her career.

    Only then did Belinda hand over a bag containing a new outfit and a tie. "For you, my boyfriend."

    Ike took the bag with the new clothes, his smile broader than ever.

    Meanwhile, Lucinda, who had been spying on them, turned to herpanion and remarked,

    "Doesn''t it feel like my brother and Belinda are sealing a business deal rather than confessing love?

    If it weren''t for my brother''s radiant smile, I wouldn''t believe they were actually being romantic."

    Stefan pulled her away, saying, "Everyone has their own way of expressing love. Belinda is just

    being herself, and since your brother has fallen for her, he''s prepared for what that entails. Their

    marriage will likely be the same, but that doesn''t mean they''re without emotion. Some people don''t

    express love with words; it shows in their actions and the little things in life."

    "You''re right," Lucinda conceded. "Now that they''re official, I can finally tell my parents that my

    brother is off the market."

    Their mother had always been pushing for marriage.

    Now with her married, and her brother taken, their mother would surely be overjoyed.

    "It''s a pity though, my other brother and Darlene have no spark. I guess my hope of having the

    Bishop sisters as sisters-inw is dashed," Lucinda mused, her matchmaking inclinations ring up

    again just as she celebrated one brother''s escape from singledom.

    The couple made their way up to the penthouse suite, where Eric Anderson had thoughtfully

    prepared a meal that was still piping hot, clearly timed perfectly.

    "Keith has a soft spot for that mysteriousdy who helped him. If we could find out who she is, your

    sister-inw situation would be settled," Stefanmented as he served his wife.

    "But she wore a mask, so she might be hard to track down."

    Lucinda remembered the portrait Keith had drawn of the mysteriousdy. She felt a sense of

    familiarity, certain she had seen her before but couldn''t ce who it was.

    ? 2024 N?v/el/Dram/a.Org.

    "I still prefer Darlene as my sister-inw. She seems more than just the gentle soul she appears to

    be. I''ve seen a sharpness in her eyes I''m not imagining. She''s probably ying possum."

    Lucinda had a knack for reading people.

    Stefan chuckled. "If that mysteriousdy turned out to be Darlene, your wish would be granted."

    Lucinda paused, "Right. Why didn''t I connect Darlene with the mysteriousdy?"

    Now it was Stefan''s turn to be speechless,ughing, "Lucy, I was just making a casual remark. Ms.

    Darlene, an ethereal creature with a gentle and delicate demeanor, hardly seems like the type to

    ovep with a skilled and mysterious vignte."

    "But I told you, Darlene might be ying a role. Despite Belinda''s protection, after all they''ve been

    through, I can''t believe Darlene would remain na?ve and innocent."

    Lucinda, with her rich imagination and love for storytelling, now firmly believed Darlene was the

    mysteriousdy who had aided her brother.

    "The Bishop family only has two daughters, Belinda and Darlene. If Darlene had training in self-

    defense, Belinda would surely know."

    Lucinda rolled her eyes, "Come on, everyone has their secrets. Belinda''s swamped with work, it''s

    not out of the question that Darlene''s keeping something from her."

    "Alright, alright, you''ve got a point," he conceded.

    Stefan loaded another helping onto Lucinda''s te, his voice dripping with affection, "Let''s eat up,

    honey. After you''re done, you can rest here for a bit before I drive you back to the office. Besides,

    you''re about to head back to Skywatch, right? Revealing your identity now wouldn''t be the end of

    the world. My dear wife, you''re so close yet feel so far away. If some blind fool takes a shine to you

    and starts courting you, I''ll be green with jealousy."

    Lucinda gave a self-deprecating chuckle, "With this hideous makeup on? I doubt anyone would be

    blind enough to chase after me."

    But as she thought of that colleague who had been all too eagertely, a flicker of guilt passed over

    her.

    Stefan, sharp as a tack, caught the fleeting look of unease on Lucinda''s face. Even as she quickly

    composed herself, it was toote; her husband had spotted it.

    "Lucy," he said, his tone sharpening slightly, "is someone at the office hitting on you?"

 Chapter 444

    Chapter 444

    "No, there''s no one," Lucinda stammered.

    "Really? Are you sure?" Stefan pressed with a sly grin.

    "Well, there''s this guy at work who always seems to wait for me to clock out. He likes to sit with me

    at lunch too," Lucinda admitted, feeling the weight of her words in Stefan''s territory.

    She knew better than to lie to Stefan. He had a way of finding out the truth, and the consequences

    weren''t always pleasant. So, she told him about the colleague who hadn''t made an official move yet

    but was clearly interested.

    "Well, he hasn''t made a move yet, so no need to worry. I''ll be heading back to Skywatch in a few

    days anyway," she said, hoping to reassure him and spare her colleague any trouble. Getting a

    decent job with good pay and benefits was tough enough without her husband''s interference.

    "It''s my fault for hiding my true identity from him. If he knew who I was married to, he wouldn''t dare

    to even think about it," she added.

    Stefan''s face was calm as he replied, "I never said I was going to do anything to the guy. Why are

    you so quick to defend him?"

    "I just don''t want someone to lose their job because of me," Lucinda said, setting down her cutlery

    and scooting over to wrap her arms around Stefan''s neck. She nted a yful kiss on his lips and

    beamed at him. "You''ve got great taste, you know. Even with this hideous makeup on, someone''s

    still interested in me. You''ve got a catch."

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "Only you could boast in such a refreshingly modest way. I''ve always had good taste." Stefan

    chuckled, expertly serving Lucinda a helping of his favoritesagna. "You have to promise you won''t

    let anyone else get close. Remember, you are a taken woman!"

    ¡°With you as my husband, who could I possibly be interested in?¡±

    "And I''m quite the catch, aren''t I? Besides, you can barely keep up with my appetite, how could you

    even think about stepping out?" Stefan teased, his voice dipped in humor.

    Lucinda blushed, the innuendo clear. "Let''s just eat, darling. Here, have some more," she said,

    quickly serving him another portion to change the subject. "I''ll make sure you''re well taken care of."

    Stefan gave her a meaningful look. "That''s the kind of satisfaction I''m talking about."

    Lucinda bit her lip, speechless. Their lunch break had turned into quite the feast, with her ying

    into the wolf''s hands.

    Luckily, Stefan was considerate enough not to overindulge, sparing her back any undue strain.

    The day continued without much fanfare for Lucinda, but her friend Cecilia was another story. After

    returning to the Serendipity Cafe with Owen, Ba, Cecilia''s mother, grilled the young man with a

    mother''s precision.

    Only when she was convinced that her daughter hadn''t been taken advantage of did she rx and

    warm up to Owen. Initially, Owen felt uncertain under the stern gaze of his potential mother-inw.

    Thankfully, his honorable intentions paid off, earning him brownie points.

    Now, Ba was offering Owen a te of freshly baked chocte chip cookies, a sign that she was

    starting to see him as part of the family.

    "Thank you, Mrs. Yates," Owen said, grinning at Ba as he epted the cookies.

    Ba smiled back, her approval of the young man growing. He had shown genuine care for her

    daughter, not just a passing fancy.

    Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind¡ªcould Owen be impotent? But as she observed his healthy

    and well-maintained appearance, she dismissed the notion with a flush of embarrassment. She had

    misjudged a decent man, and such thoughts were inappropriate.

    "Mrs. Yates, may I have a word with you?" Owen asked earnestly.

    Ba maintained her smile. "Mr. Martinez, please, go ahead."

    "Just call me Owen, Mrs. Yates. I wanted to mention that Cecilia tore my shirtst night. Do you

    think she shouldpensate me for it?"

    Ba replied without missing a beat, "She should indeed make it right."

    "Then, may I ask Cecilia to join me for a shopping trip? I''d like her to pick out a new shirt for me."

    Ba thought to herself, What a cunning man! It was clearly an excuse to spend time with Cecilia,

    and she couldn''t find a reason to object.

    Turning to her daughter, she called out, "Cecilia,e here, dear."

    Cecilia had been avoiding getting too close to Owen, out of guilt and fear of her mother''s wrath.

    Hearing her name, she hurried over with a sweet smile. "What can I do for you, Mom?"

    Ba tapped her daughter''s forehead gently and instructed, "You tore Owen''s shirt, so you owe

    him a new one. We can manage the cafe without you. Take him shopping and buy whatever he

    chooses. Do you have enough money? If not, I''ll transfer some to you," Ba added.

    Cecilia, stunned, eventually recovered and looked at the smirking Owen. "Mom, I have enough. But

    I didn''t really tear his shirt¡ªit was just a few buttons. I can sew them back on. No need for a new

    one."

    When Owen woke up with the shirt that had lost its buttons, Cecilia knew that he would make a y

    for his clothes, and never thought that he would offer to make her pay for him in front of her mom.

    This guy was, literally, getting more and more indulgent.

    But Ba was having none of it. "With your sewing skills, Owen might end up with buttons pointing

    to the Pacific. He''s a CEO; he needs to look the part. Go on, take him shopping."

    As Cecilia reluctantly agreed, Ba whispered a reminder, "That''s what you get for flirting with men

    when you''re drunk."

    With that, Cecilia was ushered out of the cafe, embarking on an impromptu shopping date with the

    sly fox, Owen.

    It was the first time Ba learned that her daughter, when drunk, turned into quite the flirt with men.

    Ever since Ba confronted the sobering truth aboutst night''s events, she found herself short of

    breath around Owen.

    Because it was her daughter who had made advances on Owen, not the other way around.

    Cecilia muttered under her breath, "I''ve sewn on buttons before; I¡¯m quite skilled."

    Ba''s attitude toward Owen had shifted so quickly, now calling him "Owen" with such warmth and

    familiarity.

    Could it really be that ssic case of a mother-inw growing fonder of her prospective son-inw

    with each passing nce?

 Chapter 445

    Chapter 445

    "What are you mumbling about?"

    "Nothing, just saying how my mom seems to be getting younger and more gorgeous by the day."

    Ba chuckled and yfully flicked her forehead, "You silver-tongued devil."

    Under the gentle prodding of her dear mother, Cecilia had no choice but to drag Owen, the big-shot

    CEO, out to go shopping and buy clothes.

    Even though it was the afternoon, the sun was still zing outside, scorching enough to fry an egg

    on the sidewalk.

    Watching a delighted Owen stride towards the car, an impish thought struck Cecilia and she called

    out to him, "Since we''re going shopping, let''s not drive. Walking is what real shopping is all about."

    After all, they were in the heart of the city, brimming with pedestrian zones perfect for a leisurely

    stroll.

    Owen nced up at the sun then back at her and said, "Cecilia, with the sun this fierce, let''s take

    the car. Wouldn''t want your skin to get a tan."

    He circled back, adding, "And you''re in heels. Trudging under the sun will not only tan you but will

    have you exhausted in no time. You''d be the one suffering, while I don''t mind either way."

    Cecilia said, "Fine, I''ll ride the e-scooter."

    Seeing her determination, Owen didn''t argue further.

    He wanted to give her a lift, but she refused, so he obediently sat behind her. As soon as the

    scooter started, he naturally wrapped his arms around her waist.

    "Stop hugging me."

    "If I don''t hold on, I''m afraid I''ll fall off. You drive this e-scooter as if it''s a jet. I''m scared."

    Cecilia was beyond words.

    "Besides, we''re a couple now, right? Couples cuddle. It''s normal."

    Cecilia surrendered. Happy now?

    She noticed that ever since she developed feelings for him, their yful arguments always seemed

    to tilt in his favor.

    Could it be that he had always been letting her win before?

    "Mr. Martinez."

    "Cecilia, you can call me Owen now. Look how quickly my mom-inw changed her tune."

    "Owen! We aren''t even married yet. Stop getting ahead of yourself. You''re like a fox, sly to the core.

    I used to think you were the naive one, but now I realize I''m the fool."

    Owen rested his head against her back, tightening his embrace, causing Cecilia to nearly crash into

    a streemp.

    "Cecilia, I''ve told you, there''s so much about me you don''t know. You''ll need a lifetime to discover it

    all. But trust me, I''m a treasure. The more you explore, the more delightful surprises you''ll find."

    Ceciliaughed but didn''t contradict him.

    "Where do you want to shop for clothes?"

    "With your boyfriend''s dashing looks, we definitely need to hit up some designer boutiques."

    Today was destined to be a day of budget shrinkage.

    Thanks to her savvy friend Lucinda, Cecilia was well-versed in the city''s upscale fashion haunts.

    She thought Owen, being a man, wouldn''t be picky about clothes and would settle quickly. How

    wrong she was.

    Owen had the stamina for shopping and was incredibly selective.

    Cecilia trailed after him until her feet ached.

    Finally, after choosing a few outfits and some ties, Cecilia was relieved when he signaled her to pay.

    Even though it meant parting with a hefty sum, she didn''t feel the pinch, eager for the prince to head

    home so she could rest her weary legs.

    She vowed never to apany him on a shopping spree again.

    Coming out from the boutiqueden with bags, Owen looked like a walking department store while

    Cecilia''s hands were empty.

    "Mr. Martinez, Mrs. Martinez."

    Jay and Rex, the bodyguard, appeared out of thin air, it seemed.

    They promptly relieved Owen of his packages and handed him a set of car keys, "The car is parked

    right over there, sir."

    Owen acknowledged with a grunt.

    "And bring back the scooter too."

    Taking Cecilia''s hand, Owen instructed Jay and then led her towards his car.

    The once fiery Cecilia was now meekly following his lead.

    Once in the car, Owen leaned over to fasten her seatbelt with a caring touch, suggesting, "Cecilia,

    the sun''s going down. No point heading back to the store. Let''s go home for dinner. Grandpa will be

    thrilled to have you over."

    "I had some new clothes, jewelry, skincare products, and bags delivered for you. We can have

    dinner, and you can check them out. If you don''t like anything, we can exchange them on the spot."

    After scoring a few outfits from Cecilia, Owen was generouslypensating with even more.

    After all, he''d be wearing the clothes she ''bought'' for him to work tomorrow.

    Cecilia paused, asking him, "When did you arrange all this?"

    Owen pinched her cheek with a smile. "While you were shopping your heart out, I took care of

    everything. You got me so many clothes; it''s only right I reciprocate."

    "That wasn''t a gift; it waspensation!"

    "But you paid for them, right?"

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Cecilia had noeback; it was her money after all.

    "If you paid for them, then it''s like you gave them to me."

    Cecilia, speechless, couldn''t refute.

    His scheming was relentless, one step ahead, leaving her utterly outyed.

    Once again, Cecilia confirmed the old Owen had been holding back.

    How she missed that Mr. Malicious whom she''d talked out of his suicidal bluff by the cliffs.

    "I''ll join you for dinner, but what if your mom turns sour again, ruining the mood for everyone?"

    "That won''t happen. My mom wouldn''t dare pull a face at you again."

    Owen had already briefed Grandpa, ensuring Cecilia wouldn''t even see his mother''s face when they

    returned home.

    With Grandpa around, his mother wouldn''t dare say a thing.

    Yet he couldn''t resist teasing Cecilia, "Even the in bride meets the inws eventually. You''ll have

    to face my mom sooner orter."

    "Who are you calling a in bride?"

    Owen pinched her cheek again, "Okay, okay, my Cecilia isn''t the least bit in. To me, you''re as

    beautiful as a goddess."

    Love is blind, as they say.

    But indeed, Cecilia''s beauty was beyond reproach.

    He was handsome; she was lovely.

    With such exceptional genes, any child of theirs was bound to be smart, beautiful, and utterly

    charming.

    "Who said after we get married we''ve got to live with your mom?"

    Owen''s eyes crinkled with mirth as he said, "Well, you''ve gotta marry me first, and then I''ll whisk

    you away to our own ce, away from my mom''s nest."

    Cecilia was speechless.

    Great, she''d walked right into his trap again.

    ncing sideways at his smug look, Cecilia''s eyes twinkled mischievously as she crooked her

    finger at him, coaxing him closer. "Owen,e here a sec."

    "Uh-oh, what''s up your sleeve, Cecilia? You plotting something?"

    "I just wanna give you a kiss, that''s all."

    "If that''s all it is, why didn''t you say so? Here Ie, ready for a smooch fest."

    The confident young man leaned in, anticipating a kiss from the beauty, but the next moment, he

    yelped in pain.

 Chapter 446

    Chapter 446

    "Cecilia, ease up, would ya?" Owen winced, his ears trapped in Cecilia''s firm grip. Despite his

    protests, his hands made no move to free himself.

    He could have easily saved his ears from her wrath, but he knew Cecilia was steamed and needed

    to blow off some steam, so he took it on the chin.

    She wouldn''t actually tear his ears off, no matter how hard she tugged.

    Relenting, Cecilia let go.

    "If you pinch my cheek again, if you trick me one more time, I''ll grab those ears of yours," she

    warned.

    Rubbing his tender ears, Owen offered her a rueful grin. "Cecilia, when I pinch your cheek, I''m

    gentle as amb. Did I ever hurt you? I got addicted after touching it. I can''t help but give it a light

    pinch."

    "As for tricking you, it''s just second nature to me," he said, refusing to admit any foul y.

    It was true, though. In the cutthroat world of business, his mind was constantly scheming to turn

    competitors into conquests.

    "Second nature to trick people, huh?"

    Owen paused and then said, "Even if I did trick you, it''s only because I want to steal you away to be

    my wife, to love you for a lifetime."

    Cecilia was speechless, struck by the raw emotion he had suddenly revealed.

    "Kept saying we were heading home for dinner, yet here you are, not even starting the car," she

    prodded, desperate to change the subject.

    She took out her phone, first calling her friend Lucinda to let her know she wouldn''t be at the store

    tonight, reassuring her that the Martinez family''s bodyguards were on hand to help so Lucinda could

    focus on other matters.

    Then she called her mother to say she''d be dining with the Martinez family.

    Ba, after a small pause, reminded her, "You''re not a Martinez daughter-inw anymore. When

    visiting, don''t go empty-handed."

    "I know, Mom."

    "Ande home early. Don''t keep staying overnight with Owen. You''re not husband and wife

    anymore. Save the sleepovers for when you''re married again."

    Self-respect was crucial for a woman to earn respect from others. The gap between the Yates and

    the Martinez families was already significant; without self-respect, Cecilia would only invite more

    disdain from Mrs. Martinez.

    These reminders were Ba''s way of looking out for her daughter''s future and ensuring Owen truly

    cherished Cecilia. People often take for granted whates easy and treasure what is hard to

    obtain.

    "I''ll be home early, Mom."

    With a grunt of acknowledgment, Ba hung up, exhaling deeply. Letting go of grown children was

    never easy.

    Parents were strange creatures¡ªeager for marriages when their children were of age, yet when the

    moment to part arrived, it was they who struggled the most to let go.

    Trenton was overjoyed to hear his grandson Owen was bringing Cecilia over for dinner. He

    instructed the kitchen to prepare all of Cecilia''s favorite dishes¡ªa feast of roast chicken, creamy

    mashed potatoes, and her beloved green bean casserole.

    The entire house soon buzzed with the news, and even though Trenton had no intentions of

    keeping it secret, it wouldn''t have mattered. With so many servants around, word would have

    spread anyway¡ªespecially since Ashley had her own informant in the main house.

    Trenton understood but chose to turn a blind eye. Having his daughter-inw on her toes was a

    good way to prevent his eldest son''s family from bingcent.

    When Ashley learned of Cecilia''s uing visit, she initially shrugged it off. She''d been all

    sweetness and light to Cecilia before, just to rile up the main house. Knowing that Owen was

    pursuing Cecilia again after their divorce, Ashley had even silently rooted for him. If Owen remarried

    Cecilia, Cecilia¡¯s lower social standing would always be a thorn in her side, and Ashley''s son could

    surpass them by marrying into wealth.

    But as soon as she heard about the special meal being prepared, Ashley sat bolt upright on her

    couch, murmuring, "She can''t be allowed to marry into the family."

    Her husband, ncing up from his newspaper, looked at her briefly and returned to his reading,

    commenting, "Didn''t you say it would be good if Cecilia married Owen? Why the sudden change of

    heart?"

    He was the youngest son, free from the pressures of inheritance, content with whatever share came

    his way, leaving his wife and son to their ambitions.

    "Trenton''s too fond of Cecilia," Ashley mused. "Even though I''ve met her only a handful of times, I

    can tell she''s no pushover. I''ve heard about Olina and Megan picking fights with her anding out

    worse for wear."

    "Our family''s reins still lie in Father''s hands, but domestic affairs? He rarely intervenes.

    Nheless, living under one roof, even separately, requires someone to take charge."

    "Father has never favored Olina. He''s never let her rule the roost. Now, with all the attention he''s

    giving Cecilia, he might be grooming her to be the reigningdy of the Martinez family. She''s like a

    delicate and lovely girl riding on the heads of those of us born into wealthy families; I simply can''t

    ept it. Moreover, Cecilia''s too young for such responsibility. If my Olina can''t carry the weight,

    why not me? I¡¯m superior in both birth and capability."

    "Trenton should''ve handed me the throne of the Martinez family matriarch, not Cecilia. Can''t let the

    main house hold all the cards, can we?"

    At the office, her son might be the Vice President, but he was still getting outshone by Owen.

    And Trenton favored Owen, as if Ashley¡¯s son wasn''t the better man. Was it just because Owen was

    the legitimate first-born grandson from the main wife?

    Owen was too sentimental, a man led by his heartstrings. Sure, he could maintain the status quo,

    but to think he could catapult the Martinez family to new heights? Ashley wasn''t buying it.

    This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Hadn''t Owen and Stefan been at each other''s throats since they were kids, with Owen always on

    the losing end?

    If her son took on Stefan, she wouldn''t bet on him being invincible, but he''d surelye out on top

    more often than not.

    Ashley had always seen Owen''s seat at the helm of the Ike Group as Trenton''s favoritism, a bias

    for the offspring of his official wife.

    When she finally grasped Trenton''s intention behind putting Cecilia in the spotlight, Ashley couldn''t

    just sit back and rx.

    She couldn''t let Cecilia be the reigningdy of the Martinez family. Not on her watch.

 Chapter 447

    Chapter 447

    "Why bother with all that, hon? Being the reigningdy of the house is no easy gig. We''ve got it

    good now, don''t we? No worries in the world, and everything we need is taken care of."

    Ashley was upset.

    How did she end up marrying a man with no ambition?

    "I can''t even with you right now. I''m going to go chat with Olina."

    Ashley stood up and left the room.

    After a few steps, she paused, then turned on her heel and headed into the kitchen.

    Soon after, she went out with a maid, who was carrying a tray with three dishes of freshly cooked

    food.

    She couldn''t outright stop Owen and Cecilia from being together, but she could definitely nt the

    seeds of doubt in Olina''s mind.

    Olina always thought very highly of herself, especially since she considered her son Owen the

    rightful heir, putting her on a pedestal. She never liked Cecilia much, so a few choice words in

    Olina''s ear, and she would surely act as she always did, putting obstacles in the path of Owen and

    Cecilia''s rtionship.

    From what Ashley had observed about the Yates family, they weren''t the type to social climb or sell

    their daughter off to the highest bidder.

    If Olina showed enough displeasure towards Cecilia, and the Yates were unwilling to see their

    daughter mistreated, and with Cecilia''s spirit, she might just decide never to step foot in the

    Martinez household for the rest of her life.

    Little did Cecilia know that the seemingly kind Ashley she met for the first time was scheming such

    ns.

    As Lucinda put it, the Martinez and Anderson families were not cut from the same cloth. Being with

    Owen meant facing a lot.

    Even ordinary families squabble over small benefits, turning against each other.

    Not to mention the vast interests involved in prominent families like the Andersons, which were one

    in a million.

    In the courtyard of the main house, Ashley spotted Olina.

    Olina was alone, seemingly stewing in her own frustrations.

    "Olina," Ashley called out with a smile as she approached Olina.

    Caught in her sulk, Olina turned at the call, her brows furrowing at the sight of Ashley, but she

    stopped and asked indifferently, "Ashley, what brings you here?"

    "I heard Cecilia wasing over for dinner, andst time, I noticed she really enjoyed these dishes.

    Luckily, my cook had prepared them this evening, so I thought I''d bring them over for you to treat

    Cecilia."

    Ashley, deliberately mentioning Cecilia in a familiar way, grated on Olina''s nerves.

    Seeing the tray of dishes in the maid''s hands, Olina''s expression turned even sourer. "Ashley, watch

    yournguage. Cecilia is not my daughter-inw. She''s here for dinner, not ing back'' for dinner.

    And we have plenty to offer her without your charitable delivery. What''s your angle here?"

    Ashley, ignoring Olina''s icy demeanor, exined cheerfully, "Olina, I mean no harm. I just like

    Cecilia. She may not be your daughter-inw now, but with Owen courting her again, she''s bound to

    be my niece-inw eventually. A niece-inwing over for dinner, and me bringing a few extra

    dishes is just an aunt showing care. I''m not insinuating anything about your household."

    With a gesture, Ashley had the maid carry the dishes inside.

    Approaching Olina, Ashley''s tone was one of sincere advice, "Olina, Owen''s been heartbroken over

    Ruby. Now he''s found sce in Cecilia, who seems quite lovely. It was Trenton who chose her for

    Owen, how bad could she be? You should stop giving the young couple such a hard time."

    "Look, Owen''s not getting any younger. The new year is months away, and he''ll be thirty. People his

    age are fathers already. Surely, you want grandchildren too, right? Let Owen and Cecilia get back

    together, so you can enjoy your days as a doting grandma sooner. It doesn''t matter that Cecilia

    comes from a humble background. We can support her family. Trenton sees something special in

    her. You were so sure about Ruby, and how did that turn out?"

    While Ashley seemed to be encouraging Olina to ept Cecilia, she was slyly reminding her that

    Cecilia was chosen by Trenton, implying that marrying Cecilia would mean supporting the Yates.

    Owen was raised under the stern eye of Trenton, and Olina harbored resentment towards him,

    though she dared not speak out.

    Owen''s matters usually didn''t require Olina''s intervention, and now, even his choice of a wife was

    out of her hands. If Trenton had chosen a well-matched heiress for Owen, Olina might have coped.

    But Cecilia? The reality was too bitter for Olina to swallow.

    After being threatened by her son and looking into Cecilia''s business shares, Olina had considered

    turning a blind eye to the marriage.

    But Ashley''s words ignited a firestorm inside her. She couldn''t let Owen marry Cecilia. It would be a

    laughingstock.

    Laughingstock? Ashley and the other inws would have a field day!

    In this household, Olina saw herself as more noble than her sisters-inw, her son the favorite of

    Trenton.

    She had shed with Ashley time and again and couldn''t afford to lose on the matter of her son''s

    marriage.

    So what if Trenton liked Cecilia?

    He was old. How much longer could hest?

    Once he was gone, as Owen''s mother, she could easily manipte or dismiss Cecilia.

    Of course, it would be best if she could prevent Cecilia from marrying in at all.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    "Mom, Ashley."

    Owen arrived just then, hand in hand with Cecilia.

    Owen''s brow furrowed as he spotted his mother and Ashley idly chatting in the backyard.

    Nevertheless, he approached to greet them.

    The rtionship between his mother and Ashley had always been strained, and their being together

    surely meant Ashley was there to stir up trouble.

    Despite past conflicts with Olina, Cecilia greeted her and Ashley with polite formality.

    Olina held her head high, not even bothering to look at Cecilia or respond to her greeting.

    Conversely, Ashley warmly stepped forward, taking Cecilia''s hand with a smile. "Cecilia, it''s been

    ages! You''re such a stranger¡ªI have been wanting to catch up. Drop the formality and just call me

    Ashley, like you used to."

    Cecilia returned the smile. "Owen and I are just friends now, not married, so it doesn''t feel right

    calling you Ashley. I''ve been busy and seldom have time toe around. If you really want to talk,

    you''re always wee at my shop."

    Ashley was momentarily speechless.

    Her words were indeed charming, but Cecilia had subtly undermined her.

    If Ashley really wanted to talk, why not simply visit the Serendipity Cafe?

    She surely knew where Cecilia''s coffee shop was located.

    Recovering quickly, Ashley chuckled, "I didn''t want to intrude on your business, dear. I''ve been too

    shy to drop by."

 Chapter 448

    Chapter 448

    Cecilia chuckled, "No worries, I''ve got staff at the shop. I''m mostly just handling the cash, and these

    days, with everyone using NexTrust Pay, I hardly even do that. Leaves me plenty of time to chat

    with you, Ashley."

    "I''ll have to swing by your ce sometime."

    Ashley wasn''t just avoiding the Serendipity Cafe because she thought it was beneath her status as

    ady of leisure.

    She couldn''t bear to be seen in a ce that wasn''t up to her high standards.

    But now, she had a change of heart.

    As long as it got under Olina''s skin, she''d make it a point to chat with Cecilia, infuriate Olina, and

    make Olina despise Cecilia even more.

    "Owen, did Cecilia buy all these things?" Ashley asked, her voice dripping with faux concern. "You

    really shouldn''t let her spend her money like that."

    After a round of insincere pleasantries with Cecilia, Ashley pivoted the conversation to the bags of

    gifts Owen was holding.

    Olina nced at the bags in Owen''s hands, not with disdain but with irritation toward Cecilia.

    "Cecilia, what are you thinking, making my son carry all this heavy stuff, it''s inconsiderate."

    "Mom, I insisted on carrying them. How heavy can they be? Even if they were, I wouldn''t want

    Cecilia to strain herself. I''d feel terrible¡ªit''s better that I do it."

    Olina was speechless at Owen¡¯s words.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Cecilia put on an innocent face, which only made Olina''s blood boil.

    "Owen, Cecilia, the old Mr. Martinez knows you''re back and wants to see you inside," Derek

    interjected timely, sparing Cecilia from further embarrassment in front of Ashley.

    Trenton was increasingly regretting his soft-hearted decision years ago to let his eldest son marry

    Olina, the brainless beauty from the Earwood family.

    Sure, Olina came from money, but beyond her looks and figure, she brought nothing to the table.

    Families who valued wisdom in their daughters-inw had no interest in her.

    Before Shane had set his sights on Olina, the Earwoods had tried to marry her off to the Andersons,

    but the Andersons had politely declined every overture.

    Not just the Andersons, but several other respected families had been approached by the Earwoods

    and had simrly declined.

    Shane, a man easily swayed by beauty, fell hard for the stunning Olina at a social gathering and

    pursued her relentlessly.

    Trenton was against Shane marrying a woman of such little substance and tried to stop him.

    However, Shane was headstrong, and after Olina became pregnant, Trenton couldn''t bring himself

    to demand an abortion and reluctantly agreed to the marriage.

    Olina''s behavior as a wife was less than ster, and so after Owen was born, Trenton, fearing his

    daughter-inw would spoil his grandson, took it upon himself to raise the boy, much like Mr.

    Anderson did with Stefan.

    He was mainly concerned about Owen falling into the same pattern as his mother.

    Choosing the right wife is crucial.

    Derek knew Trenton initially had reservations about Cecilia, pushing Owen to marry her, mainly to

    cut off Ruby''s prospects.

    However, as time passed, Trenton grew fonder of Cecilia. She wasn''t born into wealth, but she was

    smarter than Olina. She was also a bold woman who had struck up a friendship with Lucinda of the

    prestigious Blue family in Skywatch.

    Trenton was considering the future of the Martinez family.

    Regardless of his personal feelings about Cecilia and Owen''s genuine love for her, had Owen

    married anyone else, there was a risk that the Martinez family business might one day fall prey to

    the increasingly powerful Andersons.

    But marrying Cecilia was different. At least for the next two generations, it guaranteed that the

    Martinez and Anderson families would not continue their feud, securing the Martinez family

    business.

    Mrs. Lucinda, like Cecilia, was loyal and would not let the rivalry between their men affect their

    friendship.

    "Ashley, the old Mr. Martinez says you''ve done well," Derek ryed, before turning to Ashley with a

    subtle message.

    Ashley smiled, "Cecilia, Trenton wants to see you inside. I won''t keep you any longer."

    With that, she turned and walked away, her motives transparent to Trenton.

    What did it matter if he saw through her? he had his favorites!

    "Mom, Cecilia, let''s go inside," Owen said, holding back his frustration and notshing out at his

    mother.

    Olina watched her son tightly gripping Cecilia''s hand and eventually grunted in acknowledgment.

    Trenton was sitting in the living room, and upon seeing Cecilia, his face lit up with a warm smile.

    "Cecilia, there you are,e have a seat," he beckoned.

    Cecilia approached.

    "Mr. Martinez."

    "Call me Trenton, I love hearing you say it," he insisted with a grin.

    Cecilia just smiled, staying silent. Her journey to this point with Owen was, in no small part, thanks

    to this smiling old man.

    Trenton had long epted that Cecilia wasn''t going to start calling him by his first name anytime

    soon, so he let the formalities slide. His eyes twinkled as he saw his grandson, Owen,y out the

    gifts Cecilia had brought on the coffee table. "Cecilia, you''ve already made my day bying over

    to keep mepany for dinner. Why on earth did you bring all these things? It''s too extravagant!"

    "Just a few treats. I hope you could ept them."

    "Of course! I cherish whatever you give me. Derek, could you take Cecilia''s gifts to my room?"

    It was a clear nod of approval from Trenton toward Cecilia.

    It was also a subtle nudge to Olina.

    "Grandpa, it''s not all for you. There are gifts for mom and dad, and my uncles and aunts, too,"

    Owen chimed in, his voiceced with mock jealousy. "Look at you, Cecilia prepared gifts for

    everyone except me."

    "Oh, cut it out, Owen. Cecilia spent the whole afternoon shopping with you and got you a whole new

    wardrobe. How can you say you got nothing?" Trenton knew all about his grandson''s shameless

    antics, especially since Jay and Rex had returned home earlier.

    "Cecilia, Owen bought you a lot of stuff too. I had it all sent over to the Tranquil Terrace Vi.

    Owen''s got a big fancy house there, and it wouldn''t make sense for his gifts to clutter up my space.

    I don''t want to be green with envy over here. I mean, I''m his grandpa, and he''s never spoiled me

    like that!"

    Like grandfather, like grandson.

    Always yfullypetitive.

    Olina''s expression soured even further.

    Her son had sent over an array of luxury items¡ªclothes, handbags, jewelry, you name it. All high-

    end and in abundance.

    "Thanks, but I really don''t need all those things. I''m notcking anything," Cecilia said with a polite

    smile, declining the gifts.

    But Trenton and Owen carried on as if Cecilia hadn''t spoken a word.

    "The two of you must be famished after an afternoon of shopping. Let''s have dinner first. After that,

    you can both head over to the vi at Tranquil Terrace to rx," Trenton went on, seemingly setting

    the stage for Cecilia and Owen to live together.

 Chapter 449

    Chapter 449

    "Grandpa, let me give you a hand," Owen said, rushing to lift Trenton from his wheelchair.

    He then nced expectantly at Cecilia, silently willing her to join him in escorting Trenton into the

    dining room.

    After a brief pause, and with Trenton''s warm gaze upon her, Cecilia finally stood and together with

    Owen, guided him toward the smell of roast and freshly baked bread that wafted from the dining

    room.

    Seizing a moment when Trenton was distracted, Cecilia yfully pinched Owen, who chuckled

    softly, not the least bit offended.

    Trenton had done him a solid favor; after dinner, Owen had the perfect excuse to whisk Cecilia

    away to Tranquil Terrace Vi to see the house he had purchased with dreams of married life.

    He had always envisioned living outside with his beloved, only returning on the weekends to spend

    quality time with his grandfather.

    The vi he had initially bought wasn''t at Tranquil Terrace Vi ¡ª that was intended for Ruby. But

    after he''d given up on her, he''d bought another, more grandiose ce at Tranquil Terrace Vi,

    specifically for Cecilia. It was conveniently located far from the Martinez family estate to give Cecilia

    some healthy distance from Olina and closer to Serendipity Cafe and her own family, the Yates,

    making it easier for her to visit ormute to work.

    Watching Owen and Cecilia support Trenton into the dining room, Shane also stood up and quietly

    reminded Olina, "Honey, try to lighten up a bit, will you? Haven''t you noticed how Dad''s taken to

    Cecilia?"

    "What don''t you get it?" Olina hissed in a low voice, her frustration barely contained. "All I know is

    that Cecilia was handpicked for Owen by Dad, and who knows what tricks she used to enchant

    him."

    "Did you run into Ashley? What did she say to you?" Shane guessed, knowing Ashley had probably

    filled his wife''s head with nonsense.

    Olina, a bit guiltily, replied, "Nothing much. And dear, did you see how cozy Cecilia and Ashley

    were? Doesn''t Cecilia know that we and your brothers have a long-standing rivalry? Harry''s got his

    eye on Owen''s position. Cecilia is not exactly what you''d call a beacon of good fortune," she

    muttered under her breath.

    "Are you being naive or just in dense? Ashley''s cozying up to Cecilia right in front of you to get

    under your skin, to make you dislike Cecilia even more. Can''t you see through such simple

    schemes?" Shane said, exasperated, trying to enlighten his wife. "Dad seems to really like Cecilia,

    and Owen is genuinely smitten. Ashley is probably worried that if Cecilia gets back in Dad''s good

    graces, she might take over as the matriarch of our family and that''s something she can''t stand.

    She''s trying to sabotage Owen through you."

    Olina''s eyes widened in shock as she looked at her husband.

    "Isn''t the matriarch supposed to be me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. As the

    eldest daughter-inw, and well into her fifties, it was her right by age and status.

    In families like the Martinez''s, being the matriarch was akin to being the queen bee, a position of

    high regard and influence since time immemorial.

    After a moment of silence, Shane asked cruelly, "Do you really think you''re up to the task?"

    Without waiting for her response, he walked off toward the dining room, leaving Olina speechless.

    Dinner went smoothly.

    Cecilia knew that since she had agreed to dine with Owen''s family, regardless of Olina''s demeanor

    or Trenton''s past maniptions, she couldn''t let negative vibes spoil the meal. After all, that was in

    the past. She needed to focus on the future.

    So, she yed her part well, engaging with Owen and charming Trenton so much that he ate more

    than usual. Shane and Olina kept up smiling faces, with Olina looking particrly shell-shocked.

    Cecilia couldn''t help but sneak peeks at Olina. her former mother-inw, wondering if Shane had

    said something to her, given Olina''s stunned appearance.

    As dusk settled in, Trenton urged Owen to show Cecilia the "gift."

    "Trenton, I''lle to visit you another day when I have some free time," Cecilia said politely, making

    a show of formality.

    Trenton beamed, "Of course, my dear. The doors to this house are always open for you."

    "Grandpa, I''ll take Cecilia now," Owen said, receiving a nod from Trenton.

    After a quick round of goodbyes to his parents, Owen eagerly wrapped an arm around Cecilia''s

    shoulders and steered her out the door. Cecilia tried to slip away from his grasp a few times, but he

    held on resolutely.

    Even with Olina''s wits, it was clear that the young couple''s affections were imbnced, with Owen

    investing more and Cecilia remaining somewhat passive.

    Once Owen and Cecilia left, Trenton''s affectionate demeanor vanished as he turned his stern gaze

    on Olina.

    Feeling the weight of Trenton''s severe look, Olina''s heart tightened, and she barely dared to

    breathe.

    "Olina," Trenton began.

    "Yes," she quickly responded, eager to address his concerns.

    "Cut ties with Megan!"

    It was an order, not a suggestion.

    "Owen was held back by Ruby for years, and you, his mother, were blind to it, uncaring. As his

    grandfather, I have watched all these painfully. Now that Owen is moving on with Cecilia, if you

    cause them to break apart again."

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    He paused, then continued with chilling coldness, "Don''t me me if I push for Shane to divorce

    you. If he doesn''t, I''ll cast both of you out and sever all ties. Owen doesn''t need a mother who holds

    him back."

    Olina''s face turned ashen as she processed Trenton''s words.

    "I''ll deal with Megan as well," Trenton added, his heart clear as a mirror.

    Trentonid down thew, his voice echoing through the room like the final word of a seasoned

    judge. "Let me be clear: anyone who dares to mess with my grandson''s happiness will be cut off.

    Not a single dime of the Martinez family fortune, which runs into the billions, will they see."

    Trenton was a man of his word, mainly because he still sat as the chairman of the Ike Group,

    firmly holding the reins of the sprawling Martinez estate.

    Cross him, and he''d have no qualms about tossing that person out of the family, leaving her high

    and dry without a penny to her name.

    Anyway, the fortune was still in his iron grip, to dole out to whomever he deemed worthy.

    If everybody just minded their manners, even though he had a soft spot for Owen, doling out a

    slightlyrger slice of the pie, the others wouldn''t be left out in the cold.

    After all, Owen was his flesh and blood, his grandson, raised under his watchful eye. Trenton''s

    dearest wish was for Owen to find true happiness.

    Of course, that happiness hinged on the girl being up to his standards.

    Someone like Ruby? She wouldn''t pass muster with Trenton.

    Shane, meanwhile, nearly jumped out of his skin at his father''s sudden outburst.

    Recalling the urgent tone in Owen''s voice on the phone call, pressing him to take care of Olina, he

    nudged Olina and quickly spoke up for her, "Dad, don''t worry. I''ll keep an eye on Olina. I''ll make

    sure she stays away from the likes of Megan."

 Chapter 450

    Chapter 450

    Trenton¡¯s gaze was icy as he spoke with a chilling detachment, ¡°The Scotts left this country long

    ago, and now they dare toe back and disrupt the harmony of my family? Do they really think I

    can''t do anything about them?¡±

    Shane knew right then that the Scotts'' peaceful days abroad were numbered.

    If his old man decided to take action, he''d be far more ruthless than Stefan, who had only targeted

    Ruby¡¯s career without taking his anger out on the entire Scott family.

    Olina looked at Trenton with trepidation, and at her husband¡¯s cue, she didn¡¯t dare say another

    word. She quickly promised, ¡°Trenton, I won¡¯t associate with her anymore. As for Owen and Cecilia.

    I won¡¯t interfere. After all, it¡¯s Owen who¡¯s getting married. If he likes Cecilia, then so be it.¡±

    A son¡¯s marriage isn¡¯t his mother¡¯s business after all.

    And Cecilia was particrly favored by Trenton.

    Olina feared that if she continued her stubborn ways, she might end up divorced and sent back to

    her parents¡¯ home in her old age. How would she cope with that?

    Sure, Megan was a dear friend, but when it came down to it, her own twilight years took

    precedence.

    ¡°Shane, Olina, pay a visit to the Yates with a generous gift tomorrow. We are to be inws, after all.

    You have to meet them officially. Remember to be courteous, and don¡¯t give them the impression

    that you¡¯re doing them a favor,¡± Trenton instructed.

    Trenton was done with dilly-dallying and decided to y the heavy, scoring points for his grandson.

    He hoped to hold a great-grandchild before his time came.

    With the holidays just a few months away, he felt the years more keenly. He wanted to see Owen

    settled and happy, to ease his own passage.

    Suddenly, Trenton found himself yearning for his first wife.

    She was the one to whom he had given his truest affection, and she had left him all too soon.

    He also secretly wished to outdo Mr. Anderson, who wouldn¡¯t be seeing great-grandchildren from

    Stefan and Lucinda anytime soon. With the Andersons and Paisleys now rted by marriage, Liam

    and his pregnant bride, Tiffany, were set to wed in a matter of days.

    This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Drat, he still couldn¡¯t outpace Mr. Anderson!

    His moment of pride quickly deted.

    With Liam and Tiffany¡¯s wedding drawing near, the Andersons had invited the entire Pinehurst elite.

    Even the Martinez family had received an invitation.

    Truth be told, Trenton was not keen on attending his arch-rival¡¯s grandson¡¯s wedding, suspecting it

    was a deliberate provocation.

    To see all ten handsome and distinguished sons of Anderson gathered at his wedding would be the

    envy of many.

    Just the thought was enough to make Trenton¡¯s whiskers bristle with irritation.

    After receiving his father¡¯s orders, Shane cautiously asked, ¡°Dad, when Olina and I visit the Yates,

    is it just a courtesy call, or should we formally ask for Cecilia¡¯s hand for Owen?¡±

    ¡°Owen and Cecilia spent the night together. Shouldn¡¯t he take responsibility for her? Regardless of

    what happened, we¡¯re the man¡¯s family, so we need to show some initiative and propose formally,¡±

    Trenton asserted.

    Shane understood and replied promptly, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. First thing in the morning, Olina and I will

    bring the gifts and pay our respects to the inws.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± Trenton acknowledged, clearly pleased with his son¡¯s understanding.

    ¡°Derek, help me out for a walk. I overate and need to walk it off. If Cecilia keepsing over, I

    swear I¡¯ll end up looking like a bloated ball.¡±

    Suppressing a chuckle, Derek assisted Trenton on his walk.

    Cecilia, for her part, was utterly unaware that Trenton, her former father-inw had already given

    Owen the nod and arranged for a formal proposal.

    After leaving the grand Martinez estate with Owen, she said to him, ¡°Owen, it¡¯s gettingte, and my

    mom wants me home early. You should take me back, and we can check out those gifts some other

    time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only eight in the evening; we¡¯ve got time,¡± Owen assured her. ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ll have you back

    home by half-past ten at thetest.¡±

    Owen had no intention of keeping Cecilia against her will; he simply wanted to spend more time

    with her and genuinely wished for her to see the gifts he had chosen.

    ¡°Cecilia, trust me. Even after you teased me so mercilesslyst night, I didn¡¯t take advantage. If

    you¡¯re not willing, I would never force you,¡± he said.

    Cecilia chuckled. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s have a look, so you can stop fixating on who took advantage of

    whom.¡±

    If anyone had the upper hand, it was surely her, considering what Lucinda had told her about her

    antics the previous night. Unfortunately, Cecilia had no memory of kissing Owen countless times.

    As she watched Owen drive with such focus, her eyes sparkled with mischief, thinking that even if

    she couldn¡¯t rememberst night¡¯s events, they could always do it again, so she¡¯d have fresh

    memories.

    After all, they were a couple now, and couples could certainly indulge in a little kissing.

    Owen continued driving, and Cecilia kept a sense of decorum, not tempting him while he was at the

    wheel.

    When they arrived at Tranquil Terrace Vi, Owen¡¯s sprawling mansion, he turned to her with a

    smile and said, ¡°Cecilia, we¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°Owen, are you considerate?¡± Cecilia asked with a yful grin.

    He eyed her warily, wondering what she might be up to, but quickly replied, ¡°Considerate? I¡¯m very

    considerate. Especially towards you.¡±

    ¡°Then let me give you a chance to show it. Help me with my seat belt, will you?¡±

    Owen looked at her with suspicion as he leaned in to assist her, half-expecting her to grab his ear

    again.

    Her pinches were painfully memorable.

    Muttering under his breath about how the ear-tugging hurt like hell, Owen leaned in earnestly,

    considerately unbuckling Cecilia''s seatbelt.

    "There we go."

    Cecilia''s smile was sweeter, sending a tremor through Owen''s heart. What was she up to?

    Her smile, so enchantingly sweet, always set his heart racing.

    Her soft hand, gentle as a summer breeze, caressed his face, her slender fingers tracing every inch

    of his skin.

    With Cecilia touching him like this, Owen was torn between savoring the moment and a sense of

    panic. What was she plotting? What was her game?

    Peonies and romance danced in Owen''s mind ¨C to heck with caution. It wasn''t every day that

    Cecilia flirted with him; might as well enjoy it while itsted.

    Cecilia was leaning closer now.

    He could catch the faint scent of her perfume, stirring a restless yearning within him.

    Owen thought, if she teased him like this every day, he''d surely lose control, and sparks would fly.

    "Mr. Malicious," she purred, with an exaggerated sweetness that sent a shiver down Owen''s spine.

    "Your kissing could use some work. Mind if I give you a few lessons?"

    Her yful tone told Owen she was up to no good.

    But then, Cecilia''s lips were upon his, silencing any doubts.

    She started it!

    As realization dawned on him, Owen was ecstatic.

    With a swift embrace, he pulled her closer, turning the tables from passive to passionate.

    Truth be told, her kissing skills were the ones in need of improvement.

    But no matter, he was more than willing to practice with her. He''d make sure that the next time she

    kissed him, he''d melt like butter on hot toast.

 Chapter 451

    Chapter 451

    After breaking their passionate kiss, Cecilia quickly pushed Owen away and got out of the car.

    Leaning against the car, she took a moment to catch her breath.

    That was one memorable kiss.

    Owen had skills that almost made her want to pounce on him.

    His tall figure loomed over her.

    Cecilia looked up into Owen''s soulful eyes and instinctively covered her mouth.

    Her gesture seemed to please Owen, and he chuckled, "Giving up? Scared?"

    "Not at all. We''re at your ce, and it would be embarrassing if someone saw us," Cecilia retorted.

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She wasn''t about to admit defeat.

    Before Owen could make another move, she took his arm and said, "Come on, show me all the

    presents you''ve got for me."

    Owen loved her forwardness, feeling as if he were walking on air.

    The grand house was aze with lights, making the inside as bright as day.

    The butler, along with a handful of servants and the chauffeur, came out to greet them, lining up at

    the entrance.

    "Sir, Ma''am."

    Cecilia had long given up on correcting the Martinez family''s servants for calling her "Ma''am."

    It was as if they were oblivious to the fact that she and Owen were divorced.

    She didn¡¯t believe they were unaware.

    "This is my butler, Edith," Owen introduced, "If you need anything done, just let Edith know, and

    she''ll arrange it."

    Cecilia nodded and smiled at Edith, acknowledging her.

    As for Owen¡¯s suggestion tomand Edith, Cecilia thought, she wasn¡¯t moving in, so what would

    she possibly have to order?

    Maybe if she actually married him, but that was a conversation for another time.

    "Sir, all the items have been moved to the second floor," Edith mentioned, understanding the

    purpose of their visit.

    Owen hummed in acknowledgment and dismissed the staff, "Edith, that''ll be all. I''ll show Cecilia

    around."

    With the staff dispersed, Owen led Cecilia inside, "Cecilia, I bought this vi especially for you. I''m

    not sure if you''ll like the decor. If you don¡¯t, just let me know, and I''ll have it redone."

    Upon entering and seeing the room full of splendor, Cecilia was speechless.

    "Cecilia, I''m going to transfer the vi into your name. Let me know when you''re free to handle the

    paperwork. We''ll only need your name on the deed."

    She declined naturally.

    Owen stopped and faced her seriously, "Cecilia, I meant every word I said before. Once we''re

    married, I''ll transfer all my assets to you. My money, myself ¨C all yours."

    Cecilia watched him for a long moment before breaking into a smile, "Aren¡¯t you afraid I''ll take the

    money and run, leaving you with nothing?"

    "You won''t, and you can''t bear to leave me. Where else would you find a man who can make money

    like I do?"

    Ceciliaughed, "Such arrogance, such ego. If you do this, your mother will use me of being

    after your money again."

    "I''ll handle my mother. You just rx. After we marry, I swear you won''t face another moment of

    difort."

    Owen couldn''t just threaten his mother. He had tomunicate with her properly.

    Cecilia saw his earnestness and let her smile fade, "Owen, you''re so serious, working hard for our

    future. I should make an effort too. The issues between your mother and me can''t always be

    resolved by you alone. I''ll try to reach out as well."

    Owen hugged her tightly, "Cecilia, thank you."

    She stayed in his embrace for a moment before pushing him away, "Let''s finish the tour. I need to

    get home."

    Owenined about her mood-breaking, but he continued to show her around their future

    home.

    This vi was smaller than the Martinez family mansion but still sizablepared to neighboring

    properties.

    With both front and back yards, Cecilia decided not to explore outside since it was night. Since she

    wasmitting to a future with Owen, there was no rush.

    The second floor was filled with clothes, handbags, and luxury items Owen bought for her, leaving

    Cecilia wide-eyed in astonishment.

    Two words came to mind: Rich and ostentatious!

    She remembered Lucy telling her about Stefan buying rooms full of clothes, shoes, jewelry, and

    designer bags, but she''d never seen it herself. Now, she understood Lucy''s shock and awe.

    In many ways, Owen and Stefan were cut from the same cloth, no wonder they never got along.

    "From now on, no matter where we stay overnight, you won''t have to worry about not having clothes

    to change into."

    Cecilia was stunned, "You¡¯ve prepared all this in other ces too?"

    "Of course, we have many homes. We can spontaneously decide where we want to stay without

    any preparation. How cool is that?"

    "You''re quite the dreamer. We haven''t even gotten married again yet."

    "We''re practically there. Don''t forget, you were once mywful wife."

    Cecilia was left speechless.

    "Bro, I suspect Darlene Bishop is the mystery woman who helped you," Lucinda sprawled on her

    bed while on the phone with her brother, sharing her suspicions.

    On the other end, Keith couldn''t help but picture Darlene''s face when he heard his sister''s theory.

    Keith had a knack for faces; he rarely forgot someone he''d met. And he had gone shopping with

    Darlene¡ªno way. He was merely tagging along with his mom and little sister, and happened to

    carry a few bags for Darlene. That''s all. He definitely wasn''t there to keep herpany.

    If it had been just the two of them, he would have kept a solid ten-foot distance from Darlene, that''s

    for sure.

    "That girl? The one who''s all delicate and soft, who speaks so faintly you''d think she''s a mosquito

    buzzing? How could she possibly be the dame I''m looking for? It''s likeparing heaven and

    earth!"

    Keith couldn''t conceal his disdain for Darlene.

    Sure, she was a knockout, no question about it. But her gentle demeanor was just not his cup of

    tea.

    So, despite acknowledging Darlene''s beauty, Keith''s opinion of her was pretty low. Still, because

    Darlene was his sister''s BFF and Belinda was the apple of his buddy Ike''s eye, he''d always been

    careful not to let Lucinda catch on to just how much Darlene''s frailty irked him.

    But when Lucinda suggested that Darlene might be the mysteriousdy he was searching for, Keith

    couldn''t help himself and blurted out all the disdain he felt for her.

 Chapter 452

    Chapter 452

    "Bro, that portrait you painted, the mysteriousdy, doesn''t she remind you a bit of Darlene?

    Darlene might look like a delicate flower, prone to wilt at the slightest breeze, but no, she''s graceful

    and enchanting, not some fragile beauty. Bro, why do you sound so dismissive when you bring up

    Darlene? She''s gorgeous, you should be smitten after one nce!"

    Keith shrugged, "Women are all the same to me. I''m not interested in them, doesn''t matter how they

    look."

    "But Darlene is a knockout, a real head-turner, and you''re still not into her. Are you nning on

    being a bachelor forever? If you paid more attention, you''d see there''s a sharp wit behind those

    eyes of hers. I bet she''s the type to y her cards close to her vest."

    Keith chuckled, "Lucy, who doesn''t have a change of expression now and then? A static face, that''s

    a sign of dullness. Wait, are you trying to y matchmaker between me and Darlene? I don''t think

    she''s got any interest in me either."

    Keith had never been so openly nudged towards marriage before.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    His dad acted like he couldn''t care less, even though he was strict behind closed doors. But he

    never meddled in Keith''s love life, probably because he was still young, just twenty-four, not thirty-

    four.

    His mother had been a bit loopy in the past, sometimes mistaking Keith for her husband, so she

    was hardly in a position to push him towards marriage. And when she dide to her senses, Keith

    always managed to slip away from the conversation.

    Turned out, it was his sister Lucinda who kept tabs on him.

    Darlene''s gaze was calm when she looked at him, not at all like other women who went googly-

    eyed. Keith was sure there was no spark between them.

    Lucinda, grinning, confessed, "Mom told me to keep an eye out for you, to introduce you to a nice

    girl. My big brother already has a girlfriend, so it''s my turn to fuss over your affairs. Darlene''s great, I

    really like her, and she''s Ms. Bishop''s sister. Imagine, both of my brothers marrying the Bishop

    sisters. That''d be something, huh? Trust my instinct, bro, Darlene is definitely more than she seems.

    If you don''t believe me, do a little sleuthing, observe her, and you''ll see."

    By suggesting Darlene might be the mysteriousdy, Lucinda hoped to spark Keith''s curiosity, to get

    him to seek out Darlene himself.

    Given enough time, sparks might fly.

    Keith snorted, "Lucy, you can''t outsmart me. You think by saying that, I''ll cozy up to Darlene? That

    kind of damsel in distress? I''m not interested in ying the protector. Don''t worry, when I do decide

    to get married, I''ll make sure she gets along with you first. I wouldn''t dream of causing any sister-in-

    law drama for you."

    Lucinda was speechless.

    She had forgotten; her brother was the scion of the Blue family. Growing up in that environment, he

    was no stranger to ying mind games.

    There''s no way she could easily fool her own brother.

    "If you don''t trust my intuition, fine. Stefan''s got a whole line of younger brothers. The second eldest

    is getting married soon, and then it''s the third one¡¯s turn. I could pair up Eric Anderson with Darlene.

    If it turns out she is the mysteriousdy, bro, you''ll regret missing out."

    Lucinda knew her brother had a thing for the enigmatic woman, not just because she had helped

    him, but also because of her agile moves. Keith probably had a soft spot for the kick-ass heroine

    type.

    Keith sighed, "Lucy, is this all you called to talk about? Don''t you miss your dear brother?"

    "Not really, I barely have time to miss Stefan, let alone you. Maybe if you found me a sister-inw, I

    might spare you a thought."

    Keith wasn''t offended, but instead replied affectionately, "Yeah right, once I find you a sister-inw,

    she''ll be all you think about, and I''ll be forgotten."

    "Is mom back yet?"

    "Not yet, she''s due back next Thursday. Liam and Tiffany''s wedding is that Saturday."

    They''d chosen a Saturday for the wedding, considerate for the guests who might overindulge and

    struggle with a Monday morning hangover. This way, they could recover on Sunday without

    worrying about work.

    "That Porter, always jet-setting around. Keep an eye on her."

    Lucinda hummed in agreement. "She''s after mom, wants her to divorce dad and step aside for her.

    Never seen someone so shameless. She should be bothering our dear Ashley instead. Hey, any

    juicy drama at hometely?"

    "Always, the drama never stops."

    "But don''t get too caught up in it. Listening to their nonsense could pollute your ears. Stefan''s back,

    I hear the door. Let''s cut this short before he gets jealous. You know how possessive he can be."

    Keith knew all too well Stefan''s domineering ways.

    Possessive and protective to a fault.

    Keith ended the call without waiting for a reply.

    After hanging up, he couldn''t help but smile to himself, "Trying to pique my interest in Darlene?

    Lucy, you''re still a little green to outy your big brother."

    Despite his words, he dialed a number, instructing the person on the other end, "Keep an eye on

    Darlene Bishop from Pinehurst."

    A man of contradictions!

    Keith was intrigued by the mysteriousdy and eager to discover her true identity.

    This was the first time he felt such interest in a woman, and he wasn''t trying to predict or control

    where it might lead.

    If Darlene was indeed the mysterious woman, and his sister managed to pair her off with Eric, he

    knew he''d have regrets.

    To avoid any potential remorse, he decided it was best to have someone keep tabs on Darlene.

    If she really was ying a deeper game, she''d slip up eventually.

    It was just a matter of watching and waiting.

    Lucinda put down her phone, shifted in her seat, and watched her man step out of the bathroom.

    "Talking to your brother?"

    "Yeah."

    "What about?"

    Lucinda admired Stefan''s chiseled physique with a twinkle in her eye ¨C he was a total hunk. With a

    yful smile, she said, "Didn''t say much, just shared our suspicions with my brother and asked him

    to check up on Darlene."

    Stefan sauntered over. "You think he''ll believe it?"

    Lucinda''s eyes glimmered with mischievous light as she pulled Stefan down to sit beside her, then

    leaned back into his arms, gazing up at him with a sly grin. "Oh, he''ll definitely look into Darlene."

    Her brother might act skeptical on the surface.

    But she wagered as soon as they hung up the phone, he was arranging for someone to tail Darlene.

    Stefan''srge hand tenderly caressed her face, his voice filled with indulgence, "You should really

    open a matchmaking agency to help those high-society singles find their match."

    "I do believe I have a knack for ying Cupid. Once all this settles, I might just open the most

    renowned matchmaking agency in the country, ha!"

    With affection sparkling in his eyes, Stefan leaned in to silence Lucinda with a kiss that swallowed

    her bubbly chuckles.

 Chapter 453

    Chapter 453

    Nathan and Zachary strolled out of the Skywatch Hotel shoulder to shoulder, the crisp night air

    greeting them as they emerged from the opulent entrance. The Skywatch Hotel, a crown jewel

    among the Blue family''s assets, stood as a testament to luxury in the heart of the city.

    The atmosphere between the two men was congenial, their conversation easy and light, despite the

    weight of the matters they discussed. A respectful distance behind, their personal bodyguards

    followed, close enough to protect, yet far enough to afford privacy.

    At the hotel''s grand entrance, they paused, their exchange drawing to a close.

    "I should be heading out," Zachary said amicably, before adding with a brief hesitation, "You know,

    about the whole situation with Madeleine, you two should really sit down and talk it through. The

    girl''s been head over heels for you since forever, and everything she''s done, it''s out of love, Nathan.

    You know that."

    Nathan fell silent for a moment before replying, "Zach, you and I go way back, and I''m not one for

    self-deception. If Madeleine had been yed, I wouldn''t hold it against her. But she made her

    choices and that man happens to be my own flesh and blood brother. Come on, Zach, you''re a man

    of the world. How would you handle this? Would you just pretend nothing ever happened? I can''t. I

    can''t pretend it''s all fine and dandy. This whole mess is tearing me up inside."

    Nathan''s voice carried the weight of sincerity, leaving Zachary momentarily at a loss for words.

    "Hayden, he''s willing to step up, take responsibility," Nathan added, his expression a mix of

    difort and anguish, as though the thought of Madeleine and his brother''s indiscretion genuinely

    pained him.

    Zachary exhaled heavily. "I get it, this is rough on you. Let''s just let Madeleine make her own

    choices, alright? And Nathan, we''re still good friends. I''m counting on you not to let this mess with

    Madeleine get in the way when I need your help."

    "That won''t happen," Nathan assured him, a determined edge to his voice. "I''ve always been one to

    keep business and personal separate. Won''t let personal affairs mess with our ventures."

    Zachary studied Nathan for a moment, not detecting an ounce of deceit. He trusted that Nathan

    wouldn''t let the situation with his daughter Madeleine interfere with their business dealings. After all,

    Zachary needed Nathan to be on board his venture. With Nathan''s involvement, profits would be

    shared, but so would any misfortunes¡ªNathan bearing the brunt of them.

    Zachary hadid out a trap, waiting for Nathan to fall in. He recalled Nathan''s promise¡ªbefore the

    scandal with Hayden¡ªthat he would never stand idly by if the Porter family needed aid. Not wanting

    to wait any longer, Zachary decided it was time to pull Nathan in deeper.

    "Well, I''ll be off then," Zachary said, turning to his waiting luxury car.

    Minutester, surrounded by a convoy of security cars, he left the Skywatch Hotel.

    Nathan didn''t linger after Zachary''s departure. He stepped into his car and instructed the driver,

    "Head to the Annex."

    In a lower tone, hemanded his trusted bodyguard in the passenger seat, "Call Keith. Have him

    meet me at the Annex. Be discreet, we can''t afford any tails."

    The Blue family''s Annex was a secret haven, unknown to many, appearing almost derelict to

    outsiders. It had stood quietly for over two decades, its tranquil solitude perfect for a candid father-

    son discussion away from prying eyes.

    It was well into the night when Keith''s car rolled into the Annex grounds.

    "Mr. Porter is waiting for you inside," the butler informed Keith respectfully as he stepped out of his

    car.

    Having been here before, Keith knew this ce was staffed with his father''s most loyal. The

    seclusion and anonymity the Annex offered meant they could talk freely.

    Nathan had built the Annex for his wife, though she never spent a single night there. Each visit

    stirred aplex mix of emotions in Keith.

    He acknowledged the butler with a nod and made his way inside, his own entourage remaining

    behind.

    The Annex was serene. Keith crossed the courtyard and entered the understated opulence of the

    main hall, where he found Nathan alone, lost in thoughts over a cup of strong tea.

    Snatching the cup from Nathan''s hands, Keith remarked coldly, "What time do you think it is?

    Drinking tea this strong, nning on staying up all night?"

    Despite the frost in his tone, Nathan heard the underlying concern. "I can''t sleep anyway," Nathan

    responded, retrieving his cup. "Same leaves, same brewing, but itcks something. It''s nothing like

    the tea your mother used to make. Watching her was like witnessing poetry in motion. Just seeing

    her brew made the tea taste sweeter. Your mother was a woman of grace and talent. She had her

    strong, astute side, though I doubt she''d show that to me anymore."

    A wave of nostalgia washed over Nathan''s face.

    Keith sat down, his expression still stoic as he asked bluntly, "Why do you want to see me here in

    the dead of night?"

    "The Porter family is trying to drag me into their mess."

    "And you''re considering boarding their pirate ship?"

    "I have to," Nathan said thoughtfully.

    Keith fell silent, pondering. After a moment, he spoke, "Dad, if you''re not absolutely sure, don''t step

    into this. Don''t get yourself hurt."

    "If we don''t get inside, with Porter''s cautiousness, it''s tough to gather any evidence of his crimes.

    Without proof, even if we suspect he''s behind a lot of things, we can''t touch him."

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Nathan picked up the teapot, but his thoughts were on his wife''s delicate hands pouring tea with

    such grace. She had an ethereal charm, her movements so elegant that just watching her lifted his

    spirits. With a good mood, anything he drank felt like ambrosia.

    "Keith, you''re the future heir of our family and my sessor. I didn''t want to burden you with these

    matters, but I need your cooperation, so you have to be in the loop. Porter is likely involved in

    smuggling arms, drug trafficking, and moneyundering. The cops might have an undercover in his

    circle, but Porter''s been untouchable for years, which means their man hasn''t gotten close enough

    to collect any evidence. Here in Skywatch, our family, the Blues, we''re like kings in our own right.

    Dragging us into the mud would give Porter a massive boost, of course, it''d also make us the fall

    guys. But only if I step into the fray do we stand a chance to take them all down in one fell swoop."

 Chapter 454

    Chapter 454

    "But it''s dangerous."

    Keith was well aware of the old saying "no guts, no glory," but the risk seemed too high this time

    around.

    "Dangerous, sure, but I will be careful. It''s an opportunity. If I pull this off, not only will we bust the

    entire Porter gang, but we''ll also weed out the snakes in our own family tree. Consider it me

    clearing the path for you, son, and a real chance for you to break away."

    Nathan had longed to shake off the other members of the Blue family, tired of being held back by

    family ties.

    In the old days, sticking together as a family was beneficial, but in this day and age, unity had been

    lost. Clinging to each other now only led to endless trouble, especially since some rtives had

    grown too ambitious over the years.

    So ambitious, in fact, they''d thought about harming his own children just to carve up his wealth.

    "Lucy''sing home in a few days," Keith suddenly changed the subject.

    At the mention of his daughter, Nathan''s face lit up with a smile. "Whenever she decides to return,

    our door is wide open for her. Speaking of which, is your mothering back with her?"

    Keith looked at his father and said, "If Momes back, it''ll be to officially serve you with divorce

    papers. You sure you want her toe back?"

    Nathan''s smile stiffened before he replied, "What''s inevitable wille, and what must be faced will

    be faced. Even if your mother doesn''te back, she still wants a divorce. It''s not solely her

    decision. I''m not willing to let go, and without my consent, she''s stuck."

    Even in Skywatch, Janice Bright wouldn''t win a divorce case against him.

    "Son, I know I treated you and your mother harshly in the past to protect you both, but her mind is

    set. I might as well let go. A clean break might even improve her attitude towards me."

    "How so? You and Lucy are still my children ¨C that''s a fact that''ll never change. With you both in the

    picture, your mother and I could still see each other even if we parted ways."

    "Right now, she looks at me like I''m her enemy, barely willing to speak to me. Why suffer like this?"

    Nathan sighed. "Keith, you''re still young, unwed. You haven''t tasted what it''s like to truly love

    someone. You can''t understand how I feel. I want to let go, but I''m afraid. If I don''t let go, your

    mother remains my wife, but once I do, it''s over."

    "But..."

    "I''m content just seeing your mother every day, without expecting her forgiveness. Anyway, I won''t

    divorce her unless I''m dead."

    If he were dead, he wouldn''t be holding Janice back anymore; he could set her free.

    Keith felt helpless.

    Once Nathan had made up his mind, it was impossible to change it.

    Even if Keith''s mother filed for divorce, it would be futile. Nathan''s influence in Skywatch was too

    strong for her to ovee. And with him and his sister involved, once Lucy returned, their mother

    would likely follow, if only for Lucy''s sake.

    "For Lucy, mom wouldn''t make a scene with dad."

    "Dad, when Lucy gets back, you need to spend time with her, think about her, make up for the years

    you missed. She grew up without you and Mom. You owe her that."

    Keith''s words carried an unspoken concern.

    Nathan had just revealed a willingness to risk everything, even his own life, in his battle with

    Zachary.

    Without confronting him directly, Keith could only appeal to his father''s love for his sister.

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Nathan chuckled, "True, your mother and I weren''t there for her, but the Moore family has treated

    Lucy as one of their own, loving her to the bone. Of course, I''ll make it up to her once she''s back."

    "Has Stefan mentioneding along? With Ascend Global setting up a branch in Skywatch, I

    reckon he''ll be staying here for a while."

    Nathan had great respect for his son-inw.

    With his help, Ascend Global''s new branch in Skywatch would undoubtedly establish itself smoothly.

    Stefan would have the chance to support his daughter and help hispany expand its reach, all

    while making a hefty profit.

    "Dad, that''s a given. Stefan and Lucy are deeply in love, especially as newlyweds. He''ll definitely be

    apanying Lucy back."

    Stefan and Lucinda had been officially married for several months, but couples in love, even after a

    decade, still bask in the honeymoon phase.

    "Lucy''s got Stefan. I don''t need to worry about her. But you, Keith, you should start thinking about

    settling down. I haven''t pressed you before, but now your sister''s married, and you don''t even have

    a girlfriend. I can''t help but push you a bit."

    "That rule of yours, not letting women within three feet of you? Drop it. Otherwise, you might end up

    a bachelor for life."

    Keith stood up and walked away.

    "Ungrateful kid, I''m just trying to give a nearly twenty-five-year-old a gentle nudge, and you can''t

    even bear to listen."

    "I''m going to rest, maybe dream up a daughter-inw for you."

    Nathan muttered to himself, "Ungrateful kid! Such a waste of your good looks."

    Keith was handsome, but his aloofness and his rule against women getting close meant he had no

    girlfriend and no overt suitors.

    There were those who harbored secret crushes, but Nathan dismissed any girl without the courage

    to express her feelings. The Blue family''splicated situation required a mistress with the fortitude

    to shoulder such a role.

    After Keith left, Jerry, the butler walked in.

    "Mr. Nathan, Mr. Keith has left."

    "Mhm, I pushed him about marriage, and he walked out on me."

    Nathan admitted frankly.

    Jerry was surprised but chuckled, "Mr. Nathan, perhaps you were a bit too eager. Mr. Keith is still

    young. There''s no harm in waiting a few more years until he''s more mature."

    "He may be young, but he''s never been in love. I worry about his normalcy, and I fear he might

    distrust love and marriage because of Janice and me. He''s my only son, and his happiness

    concerns me."

    Nathan sighed again, "Children, they''re debts we owe."

    "At least Ms. Lucy is married, and her husband is an excellent match. Mr. Nathan, you might find it

    easier to nudge them for a child than to push Mr. Keith to tie the knot."

    Nathanughed, "Don''t let Lucy catch you saying that."

    Jerry smiled, "I haven''t seen Ms. Lucy in over twenty years; she won''t hear any of this from me."

    Jerry had only seen Lucy when she was just a few months old.

    Though he heard she grew up to be the spitting image of the grand dame in her youth, Jerry still

    longed toy eyes on the grown-up Lucy and to serve her.

    "Lucy will being home soon, right after Liam''s wedding," Nathan announced. "Her mother will

    be apanying her. Jerry, take a look around the other garden and see if anything needs fixing

    up. I want everything to be perfect when thedies arrive. I''ll bring them here for a visit."

    This was the estate crafted for Janice, and even though her rtionship with her husband Nathan

    was going through a rough patch, he wanted to show her the beauty of this ce.

    "Rest assured, sir," Jerry replied promptly, "no matter when thedy arrives, the garden will greet

    her in its finest glory."

    The estate had been meticulously cared for over two decades. Every flower, de of grass, tree,

    hill, and stream had matured into a vision far surpassing its initial splendor.

 Chapter 455

    Chapter 455

    The silence hung heavy in the air that night.

    Lucinda groggily sat up to the annoying beep of her rm clock, fumbled for her phone to shut it off,

    and flopped back onto the bed, hoping for a few more precious moments of sleep.

    But barely a minute had passed before she was sitting up again, this time fully awake.

    Stefan, her husband, was nowhere to be seen.

    Usually, it was he who killed the rm, letting her sleep in those few extra minutes.

    The sky outside was a dreary gray; it looked like rain was on its way.

    "Stefan''s always up with the birds," Lucinda grumbled. But she didn''t fall back into the arms of

    slumber. Instead, she slid out of bed, her feet hitting the cold floor.

    Her clothes for the day were alreadyid out by her meticulous husband, even down to the simple

    bracelet he¡¯d chosen for her to wear. Since she was now just another face in the corporate crowd,

    her daily jewelry was limited to a single, unassuming piece. Truth be told, Lucinda would rather go

    without, but Stefan disapproved of her bare wrists. To keep a low profile, she had even removed her

    wedding ring, much to his chagrin. If she didn¡¯t wear at least the bracelet he gifted her, he¡¯d be as

    long-faced as a horse.

    Dressed and freshened up, Lucinda stepped out of the room.

    As she made her way downstairs, she could hear the muffled voices of Stefan and Liam, speaking

    in hushed tones, probably not to wake anyone upstairs.

    She caught snippets of Liam¡¯s distressed voice: ¡°Stefan, I don¡¯t know what to do anymore. Tiffany''s

    lost so much weight. Most expectant mothers gain pounds, but she¡¯s shedding them like crazy.¡±

    ¡°The doc says morning sickness is normal, but seeing her throw up like that breaks my heart. I wish

    I could take her ce.¡±

    This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°If she¡¯s afraid of vomiting, she won¡¯t eat at all, and she¡¯s just getting thinner.¡±

    Stefan, sounding helpless, replied, ¡°Liam, what do you expect me to do? The doctor said it¡¯s normal.

    It¡¯ll pass with time.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not a doc, Stefan, and you don¡¯t have kids yet. We alwayse to you when we¡¯re stuck,

    but this is one thing even you can¡¯t fix.¡±

    The Anderson brothers had a habit of turning to Stefan for help in times of crisis, but this was one

    area where Stefan was at a loss. He and Lucinda hadn¡¯t nned on kids yet; they were basking in

    their sweet, two-person world.

    ¡°Stefan, you¡¯ve got the best chef around. What if we borrow him for a while, see if Tiff likes his

    cooking?¡±

    Liam hade with an ulterior motive, seeking culinary salvation.

    Stefan chuckled, ¡°We¡¯ve got a top-tier chef in the family, you know. Go ask Eric. Every chef we¡¯ve

    hired has been trained by him.¡±

    Liam sighed, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen that kid around in a while. With my weddinging up, he¡¯s avoiding

    the family gatherings¡ªprobably doesn¡¯t want to be nagged about settling down. I went to his

    restaurant, but all he did was scribble down a pregnancy-friendly menu for me.¡±

    Downstairs, Lucinda emerged.

    The brothers ceased their conversation at the sound of her footsteps.

    Stefan rose to greet her.

    Liam watched the couple with a touch of envy. Even after years of marriage, they still acted like

    lovebirds. He was about to tie the knot with Tiffany, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling a twinge of jealousy

    at their closeness.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you sleep in?¡± Stefan asked with a warm smile, reaching out to assist Lucinda down the

    last two steps.

    ¡°The rm went off, so I got up.¡±

    ¡°My bad for not turning it off for you earlier.¡±

    The couple continued their disy of affection, seemingly alone in their own world.

    Liam stood and greeted his sister-inw, ¡°Morning, Lucinda.¡±

    ¡°Good morning,¡± she replied without sitting, her attention on Liam. ¡°Is Tiffany still struggling with her

    appetite?¡±

    ¡°It''s not theck of appetite; it¡¯s that she throws up anything she eats. She¡¯d rather starve or just

    munch on some fruit, which she can keep down.¡±

    ¡°She only throws up if she eats?¡±

    Liam thought about how Tiffany would even vomit first thing in the morning and shook his head.

    ¡°She vomits whether she eats or not. It might as well be after she¡¯s had something. Is Tiffany awake

    yet? I¡¯ll go check on her.¡±

    Liam could hardly contain his relief, ¡°She should be up by now, probably hungry. Please, go see her.

    Maybe you can convince her to eat something. I¡¯m at my wit¡¯s end.¡±

    Lucinda headed out alone, unsurprised to find the Anderson grandparents already up and enjoying

    the garden.

    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, good morning,¡± she greeted them cheerily.

    ¡°Lucy,¡± they both responded with smiles. The grandmother asked, ¡°Going for a walk, dear? Why not

    have Stefan join you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m off to see Tiffany. Stefan¡¯s still inside talking with Liam.¡±

    At the mention of Liam, Mr. Anderson grumbled, ¡°That boy is losing sleep and his appetite over a

    little morning sickness. He¡¯s going to faint at the delivery room at this rate.¡±

    Mr. Anderson had raised his grandsons to be unppable, and it irked him to see Liam so frazzled.

    ¡°I remember having a rough time with morning sickness when I was pregnant with the youngest,¡±

    Mrs. Anderson chimed in, teasing her husband. ¡°You were so worried; you wanted to call off the

    pregnancy. Now you¡¯reining about your grandson.¡±

    Mr. Anderson was left speechless as Lucinda quietly giggled. The Anderson men were known for

    spoiling their wives, and it seemed the trait was indeed hereditary.

    Even though Mr. Anderson had retired from the helm of Ascend Global, he was still the family¡¯s

    patriarch. Stefan rarely challenged him, and only the matriarch dared to counter Mr. Anderson

    openly.

    Mrs. Anderson had a patience that was nothing short of legendary, and Mr. Anderson never got riled

    up by anything she said. Their love was like a well-aged wine, robust and serene, the kind of

    partnership that weathered all storms with a smile.

    Lucinda, often called Lucy by her friends, couldn''t help but envy the old couple''s enduring romance.

    She found herself wondering if she and Stefan would still be as enamored with each other when

    they reached their eighties, their hair a silvery testament to a lifetime spent together.

    "Lucy, why don''t you go and keep Tiffanypany?" Mrs. Anderson suggested one afternoon.

    "She''s been so listlesstely, cooped up in the house all day doing nothing."

    It was clear that the olddy held a soft spot for her granddaughter-inw, Tiffany, but the years

    hadn''t been kind to her energy levels, making it difficult for her to be thepanion Tiffany needed

    these days.

    Of all the young men in the family, only Liam was considered safepany for Tiffany to pass the

    time with. The rest of the family was preupied with nning the couple''s uing wedding, and

    besides, they treated Tiffany as if she were a national treasure. Perhaps it was this very treasured

    status that had Tiffany feeling a bit trapped, like a rare jewel in a disy case, admired but left

    untouched.

 Chapter 456

    Chapter 456

    Lucinda was always the perfect sister-inw to hang out with Tiffany. They were friends before they

    became family, having danced the night away more than once at the Neon Nectar Nightclub. Their

    bond was as solid as the steel beams that propped up the city''s skyscrapers.

    "Neon Nectar Nightclub." Lucinda mused to herself. Tiffany only knew which way the front doors

    swung open but as for theyout inside, she hadn''t quite figured it out yet.

    "Grandpa, Grandma, I¡¯m gonna go chat with Tiff."

    "Off you go, dear."

    Mrs. Anderson said with a tender voice.

    As Lucinda stepped out of the house, she spotted Tiffany almost immediately.

    "Tiff!"

    "Lucy, morning. My little rascal''s over at your ce, isn''t he?"

    Even with marriage on the horizon, Tiffany still had a habit of calling Liam, her fianc¨¦, ''the rascal''.

    Liam didn¡¯t mind, so naturally, no one else had any reason to object.

    "Yeah, he''s around. You looking for him?"

    "I bet he¡¯s run off to bother your hubby again. I just came to drag him back home. It''s some trivial

    thing he''s worried about, and big bro can''t help with that anyway. Where are you off to? Looks like

    it''s gonna rain soon; the sky¡¯s all gloomy."

    Lucinda looked at Tiffany, who seemed in good spirits, maybe a tad thinner, but not nearly as bad as

    Liam made it out to be.

    Understanding Liam''s exaggeration and anxiety was easy for Lucy. If anything happened to her,

    Stefan would be beside himself with worry.

    "Just wanted to catch up with you."

    Lucinda said with a smile, "I only have time before work in the mornings to chat. By the time I get

    back at night, you guys are already resting, and I don¡¯t wanna disturb you."

    After Tiffany''s wedding, Lucinda would be heading back to Skywatch and would have even less time

    for casual chats with her friends.

    This weekend, she and Stefan had ns to visit the Moores, her adoptive family, to spend some

    time with her parents and loved ones.

    Even though she had connected with her biological parents, the Moores, who had raised her and

    loved her as their own, held a special ce in her heart. Going back to the Blue family meant she

    had to let the Moores know.

    "Why don¡¯t you just walk with me for a bit? I¡¯ve been going stir-crazy. Ever since I found out I was

    pregnant, Liam''s been treating me like I¡¯m made of ss. I can¡¯t even hang out with friends without

    him wanting to drop everything to be with me."

    "With him around, we can¡¯t have any fun. I get not working my shifts is one thing, but to not even

    have a bit of freedom? I¡¯m just cooped up at home, eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating. I¡¯m

    turning into a couch potato."

    Tiffany ranted about her V.I.P. treatment. It wasn''t just Liam who was overprotective; her inws

    were the same.

    She was carrying a baby, not a golden egg.

    Scratch that - her baby was more precious than any golden egg!

    "And I don¡¯t even have to lift a finger for the wedding prep. I¡¯m going nuts with boredom."

    As they walked and talked, Tiffany continued, "The others, like Cecilia, are caught up with their love

    lives and the shop. You¡¯re busy working, and Darlene¡¯s been MIA from our chat group. I wonder

    what she''s up to. Lucy, you¡¯re the smart one, not rushing into having kids."

    Lucindaughed, "Stopining. Think about the moms-to-be who still have to work with their

    baby bumps."

    "Stefan loves kids and so do I, but we''re not in a rush because of my past. You know my story. With

    my situation, getting pregnant could be dangerous. Once everything settles down, we''ll think about

    it. Stefan adores children, and I''m thinking maybe two would make things livelier."

    Tiffany nodded, "Yeah, you¡¯re still young, no rush. I just didn¡¯t think it through. Who knew pregnancy

    could be this tough? They say motherhood is great, but I never understood it until now. Carrying a

    baby really makes you appreciate what mothers go through."

    "It''s tough bing a parent, but only when you''re in those shoes do you truly understand the

    sacrifices."

    "Are you having a lot of morning sickness?"

    "A bit. I throw up after meals, but soups and fruits are fine. It usually happens a little while after

    eating. Don''t listen to Liam; he exaggerates. It''s like he thinks I¡¯m on the brink of starvation."

    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Tiffany knew her ''rascal'' was just worried sick. Each time she got sick, he felt it too.

    How could she fault him? Their first time was her initiative, with no precautions taken. Now with a

    little one on the way, she couldn¡¯t me Liam.

    Being cherished by Liam was both a blessing and incredibly sweet.

    "He''s been pestering Stefan for a chef, saying we should send one over to cook for you. Stefan told

    him to talk to Eric, but Eric''s been scarce at hometely. The only time I see him is at Ascend Hotel

    for dinner."

    Tiffany rolled her eyes, "That rascal! The doctor said the morning sickness should ease off after the

    first trimester, but he acts like the sky is falling. Thankfully it¡¯s twins this time, or with his level of

    panic, I¡¯d be lucky to have just this one child."

    "Twins?"

    Lucinda was first shocked, then joyously eximed, "Twins, really?"

    "Yeah, after the morning sickness started, Liam took me to the hospital ''cause he didn¡¯t trust the

    family doctor. Said they weren¡¯t an OB-GYN. We found out at the hospital; I was already six weeks

    along."

    "The doctor confirmed it''s twins."

    Lucinda, brimming with envy, said, "Tiff, that¡¯s amazing. One pregnancy and you get two bundles of

    joy. Does the family know yet?"

    "I just had the ultrasound yesterday. I still have the results with me. Right after I left the exam room,

    I got sick again, and Liam was so fixated on me that he forgot all about the results."

    "So I''m the first to know? Ha, your rascal is going to be so envious."

    Knowing about the twins before Liam made Lucinda giddy with delight.

    Liam had nothing to say.

    Tiffany and Lucinda were close, and she preferred to share things with Lucinda first.

    "We¡¯ll tell himter."

    The sisters-inw made their way to the gazebo and settled down at the stone table.

    The overcast sky began to release its rain, starting with a sprinkle that soon turned into a downpour

    apanied by gusts of wind. Sitting in the gazebo, they could feel the refreshing chill of the

    raindrops that blew in.

    "Mrs. Lucinda, Ms. Tiffany."

    Two maids hurried over, each wielding arge, sturdy umbre that looked like it could withstand a

    hurricane.

    One of them approached Tiffany, her voice carrying over the drumming of raindrops. "Miss Tiffany,

    Mr. Liam has been asking for you."

    The other maid turned to Lucinda, extending the handle of her umbre towards her with a look of

    concern. "Mrs. Lucinda, the rain''s getting heavier. You really should head back inside."

    Lucinda peered at the sky, now a tapestry of dark, brooding clouds, and shook her head. "With rain

    like this, walking back with an umbre is about as useful as a chocte teapot. I''d rather stay put

    in the pavilion until it lets up a bit."

    The maids nodded in agreement, realizing that braving the downpour would leave them drenched

    despite their umbres. They were better off waiting out the storm under the shelter of the pavilion.

    A car pulled up nearby, its headlights cutting through the rain like a beacon of civilization. Liam

    swung the door open and stepped out, unfurling an umbre as he made his way towards them.

    Lucinda couldn''t resist teasing Tiffany as Liam approached. "Looks like your knight in shining armor

    is more practical than chivalrous,ing to your rescue in a car. That way, you won''t get a drop on

    you."

    The Ascend Estate sprawled over acres ofnd, making a car ride more of a necessity than a luxury

    for quickly covering the grounds. So Liam driving to pick up Tiffany from the pavilion was nothing

    out of the ordinary, justmon sense in the face of inclement weather.

 Chapter 457

    Chapter 457

    Tiffany blushed slightly at Lucinda''s teasing, but quickly turned to her and spoke of Liam with

    affection, "Stefan is even better to you. My Liam, bless him, he''s a bit clueless, but he''s all attentive

    and caring now because there''s a little one of his on the way."

    Lucinda chuckled, "You''re being too harsh on poor Liam. In his heart, you''re the one that matters

    most. He''s just a typical guy, not great at showing his feelings, that''s all."

    "Hey, Tiffany, Lucinda."

    Liam approached them, an umbre in hand, and after greeting Lucinda, he turned to his wife with a

    tender look. They had recently gotten their marriage license and were set to have their wedding

    ceremony the following Saturday.

    "Tiffany, this rain''sing down too hard. I''m here to take you home."

    After saying this, he stepped forward to help her up, but Tiffany stood on her own, not needing his

    assistance.

    "Lucinda, I''m going to take Tiffany back now."

    "Alright, take care. And when you get a chance, take Tiffany out for a little walk. It''ll do her good,

    boost her spirits and her appetite."

    Lucinda remembered how Tiffany used to eat so well when she first got pregnant. Now, she wasn''t

    eating as much due to morning sickness, which to Liam meant her appetite was poor.

    "Lucinda, I''ll take care of it."

    Liam had even taken time off from the office, delegating his work to focus on the wedding ns and

    to be with Tiffany.

    "Lucy, I''m off to get some breakfast."

    Tiffany didn''t ask Liam to drop Lucinda off at the main house because she saw Stefan, making his

    way towards them holding arge umbre.

    Stefan hadn''t driven over, probably wanting to enjoy a romantic walk in the rain with Lucinda.

    Tiffany thought her older brother was so much more romantic than Liam.

    As Liam led Tiffany away, Lucinda watched them leave and soon saw her own man approaching

    with the umbre.

    Standing at the entrance of the gazebo, she smiled as Stefan drew closer.

    Even in the pouring rain, he was the picture of calm, his suit impable.

    The servants discreetly left the gazebo as Stefan entered.

    "You didn''t have toe all this way. Someone already brought me an umbre," Lucinda said with

    a smile.

    "Well, if Liam can pick up Tiffany, I can''t be outdone," Stefan replied, holding the umbre over both

    their heads. "I wanted to share this walk with you, under one umbre, with me holding it for you.

    From now on, I''ll be the one to shield you from the storms."

    His words were as sweet as honey, love dripping from every syble.

    Lucindaughed, "I was thinking this rain was a bit much, but now I kind of hope itsts a little

    longer. Makes for a nice romantic scene."

    Stefan nced at the diminishing rain, "Sadly, it seems Mother Nature is jealous of our love. Just

    like that time we hiked in the rain, this downpour is letting up."

    True to his word, the rain was easing off.

    "It''s a rainy season, sure, but these showerse and go in the blink of an eye."

    "Let''s head back for breakfast, love. You''ve got work soon, and once the weekend hits, you''ll need

    to y hostess, weing our guests. You are thedy of the Anderson household, after all."

    With a tender kiss on her cheek, the two shared a moment before exiting the gazebo.

    Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Under the bigger, less threatening sky, the couple walked home, unhurried, therge umbre

    keeping them dry.

    Whenever they encountered puddles, Stefan would simply lift Lucinda up, ensuring not a drop of

    muddy water reached her.

    His love was in the details.

    The Martinez household.

    Olina, still cozy in bed, listened to the raindrops against the window and turned to her husband,

    "Honey, I''m worried about Owen and Cecilia''spatibility. Just look, your dad wants us to bring a

    generous gift to the Yates family today, to formally ask for Cecilia''s hand, and it''s pouring rain at

    dawn."

    "We''re not leaving right this second, the rain might stop by the time we do."

    Shane wasn''t concerned, "Even if it doesn''t, it won''t affect us. We''ll drive there, not walk. The gifts

    will be safe in the car. The rain can''t touch us."

    "Besides, showing up in this storm shows our sincerity. The Yates family might appreciate our effort

    and agree to the marriage. It''ll be a good thing for Owen."

    Shane didn''t entirely approve of Cecilia, but since his father did, and his son truly loved her aside

    from Ruby, he figured let the boy marry who he wants. If Owen regretted itter, that would be his

    problem.

    After a moment of silence, Olina conceded, "Of course, I want Owen to be happy. If he loves Cecilia

    that much, and Dad approves, what more can I say? Worst case, I''ll just keep my distance from my

    daughter-inw."

    "Honey, that''s the spirit. Our kids are grown, their life partners will be the ones by their side, not us.

    As long as they''re happy, we should step back and let them be. We don''t want to ruin our

    rtionship with them."

    ¡°You see, the Anderson elders, they mind their own business, right? Why don¡¯t we take a leaf out of

    their book?¡±

    Olina hummed in agreement, then prodded her husband, ¡°Well then, get a move on! Let¡¯s prepare a

    generous gift and pay a visit to the Yates. It¡¯s high time we discussed Owen¡¯s engagement. I¡¯ve got

    this hunch that the Yates are going to y hard to get. We might have to go the extra mile to seal

    the deal.¡±

    Despite her initial disdain for Cecilia¡¯s background, and her suspicions that Cecilia was after the

    Martinez fortune, Olina¡¯s perspective shifted after Hudson returned an extravagant car and Cecilia

    initiated the split with their son. It became clear to Olina that the Yates weren¡¯t after their money or

    trying to climb the socialdder.

    She was simply caught up in Megan¡¯s maniptions, fixating on giving Cecilia a hard time.

    Shane chuckled, ¡°Olina, after decades of marriage, this is the first time I¡¯ve heard you speak with

    such insight.¡±

    No sooner had the words left his mouth than Olina grabbed a pillow and lobbed it at him.

 Chapter 458

    Chapter 458

    Cecilia had no clue that Owen''s parents were nning to pop by with a marriage proposal that day.

    As she stepped out in the morning, she found Owen waiting at her front door, umbre in hand.

    "Why didn''t youe in?"

    Cecilia, also holding an umbre, casually asked him, "Have you had breakfast yet?"

    "Just got here, haven''t eaten yet. I''ll have my assistant grab me something on the way back to the

    office."

    Owen gestured for Cecilia to close her umbre as he tilted his towards her, "Come on, I''ll give you

    a ride to work. The rain''s let up a bit, but it''s not stopped, and the buses are a nightmare in this

    weather."

    They had been together the previous night, so naturally, she hadn''t ridden her electric scooter

    home.

    That''s why he hade early to drive her to work.

    "You''ll be starved by the time you get back to the office."

    As she spoke, she walked alongside him. "I''ll pick up some breakfast for you. But you know, the

    breakfast joints around here are all about muffins and breakfast burritos."

    N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    With one hand holding the umbre and the other wrapped around her, Owen drew her closer to his

    side, shielding her from the rain. The umbre was angled over her.

    "As long as it''s from you, I''ll eat whatever. Go for the muffins, and maybe some soytte? I

    remember you once got me muffins and soytte."

    Back then, he had been starving, and Ruby could not care less if he had eaten or not, only

    comining that he wasn''t there to see her.

    But Cecilia, even while nagging him, knew he''d skipped breakfast and would still pick up some

    muffins and a hot soytte for him.

    Perhaps it was those little gestures that made him feel her warmth, and gradually, he found himself

    falling for her.

    Cecilia nced at him andughed, "People would say I''m torturing you. You''re the big CEO of the

    Ike Group, worth billions. And here I am, offering you breakfast in the form of dor muffins."

    "I think the muffins you buy taste great. Haven''t you heard the saying ''love makes a simple meal

    taste like a feast''?"

    Cecilia was silent.

    Truth is, Owen wanted to be part of her ordinary daily life.

    And he was bringing her into his world.

    In the future, whether it''s high society or regr folks, they''d adapt to each other, ensuring asting

    rtionship.

    Cecilia said, "We''re not even remarried yet. Can''t call us husband and wife!"

    Owen said, "It''s a matter of time! Anyway, you can''t escape me in this lifetime. Just marry me and

    be my wife, will you?"

    After picking up some muffins and two soyttes from a nearby bakery, Cecilia handed Owen a few

    muffins and a soytte, sipping on her owntte. "Mom made some dry noodles for breakfast

    today."

    "Are your mom''s noodles any good?"

    Owen asked as he took the muffins and soytte.

    "My mom''s noodles are delicious. I''ve learned how to make them. I''ll cook some for you when I

    have the time."

    Owen''s face lit up with a smile, "Great, I''ll look forward to it."

    They walked arm in arm towards Owen''s car.

    Once inside, Owen wasn''t in a rush to drive off, choosing to eat his muffins first.

    He finished them off swiftly.

    "Don''te pick me up on an empty stomach in the future. You''ll ruin your stomach and then I''ll

    have to take care of you."

    Owen smiled mischievously, "Cecilia, I love it when you show concern for me."

    "Who''s showing concern? I just don''t want you to harm your health and die young. I wouldn''t be

    able to inherit your wealth and be a wealthy heiress."

    "Don''t worry, however long you live, I''ll try to live just as long. I won''t go before you, nor do I want to

    follow after. We''ll be together, in life and death."

    "Ugh, who wants to be with you forever? I n to outlive you."

    Owen chuckled heartily.

    Seeing that Cecilia had finished hertte, Owen took the cup from her hand, "I''ll throw this away

    before we head out."

    Cecilia was happy to let him y errand boy.

    Watching him step out to dispose of the trash, her gaze softened. He had changed so much!

    When she first met him, he had an air of arrogance and always cared about appearances.

    Now, he was just like anyone else, all his pride and pretense put aside for her.

    A few minutester, Owen returned to the car and drove off.

    Neither of them knew that after Owen''s car had left, two nondescript but burly men in sunsses

    emerged from another alley.

    They had been keeping tabs on Cecilia, waiting for a chance to grab her when she was alone.

    These two were hired thugs, paid by Luna.

    Their job was to watch Cecilia and find an opportunity to kidnap her.

    But now, it seemed they had little chance to make their move.

    With luxury cars picking her up and dropping her off daily, even if the thugs didn''t recognize Owen,

    they knew better than to cross someone who could afford such an expensive ride.

    "We''ve been watching for two days and haven''t found a chance."

    One thugmented, "Who''s the guy picking up that chick? Any idea?"

    "No clue. Must be some sugar daddy situation, right? No wonder someone''s paying us to keep an

    eye on her, probably the wife wanting to get rid of her rival."

    "We''ve got half the cash already. Even if it takes a few days, we need to find a chance to let the

    others know when to move. We can''t handle it alone; and if we did, it''d be kidnapping, a serious

    crime."

    They weren''t eager tomit a crime as grave as kidnapping, even though the promised reward

    was hefty, a cool half a million split between them.

    "You''re right. I''ll call Kris and let him know the situation. The woman''s routine is pretty simple, just

    between Serendipity Cafe and her home. We can''t do it, but maybe Kris can lure her out."

    As long as Cecilia was alone, they would find their opportunity.

    "Then call Kris. And ask for an advance. Staking out like this is exhausting."

    "It was agreed we''d get the rest after the job. Kris might not go for it."

    "Best if we get it, but we''ll see. I have a bad feeling about this. Let''s secure the money first."

    Agreeing with his partner''s logic, the thug made the call to Kris and casually mentioned needing

    more cash. Kris swore at them, but after the call ended, within minutes, he transferred a few

    hundred dors to each of them.

    "A few hundred dors is better than zip," grumbled one of the thugs, shrugging off the sting of

    settling for less.

    The pair gged down a motorbike, hopped on, and ordered the rider to take them to Serendipity

    Cafe. They were resuming their tailing job, determined to keep a close eye on their mark.

    But as they arrived at Serendipity Cafe, the two goons were in for a surprise. Standing at the

    entrance of the cafe were two hulking figures in sharp suits, looking like they''d stepped straight out

    of a mobster movie.

    These were Jay and Rex, the muscle Owen had sent to safeguard Cecilia.

 Chapter 459

    Chapter 459

    Owen had been lingering in the Serendipity Cafe for the better part of half an hour, nursing a cup of

    joe when Cecilia, the charming waitress with a glint of mischief in her eyes, nudged him to get a

    move on his workday.

    He dragged his feet, secretly wishing for a torrential downpour to give him the excuse to y hooky.

    Unfortunately, as he escorted Cecilia back inside, the rain came to an abrupt halt.

    "Cecilia,e on, see me off, will ya?" he pleaded with a grin.

    She chuckled in response. "You don''t know your way? It''s just a few steps from the door. You really

    need me to walk you?"

    Though she teased him, Cecilia turned around, heading back inside. Momentster, she emerged

    with a box of pastries, freshly baked by Basil, the cafe''s renowned pastry chef. Tucking the box into

    a bag, she handed it to Owen. "You barely touched your breakfast rolls. I don''t want you to starve,

    so here''s a little something to tie you over."

    "No charge, consider it a gift," she added with a wink.

    Owen felt a warm buzz in his heart but couldn''t resist a yful jab: "These are just for me, right?

    Not like those two boxes you gave to Ike Moore on the house."

    He hadn''t forgotten how Cecilia had once favored Ike with her generosity.

    Cecilia''sughter filled the air. "Still clinging to that old story? You''ve got a heart smaller than a

    needle''s eye. Now scoot, off to work with you!"

    Yet, she couldn''t resist walking him to his car.

    As Owen reluctantly rolled down his window, he made onest request: "Cecilia, it''s gonna be hours

    before I see you again. How about a couple of pecks to keep the longing at bay and spare me the

    pangs of lovesickness?"

    "Owen!" Cecilia''s face flushed with a mix of amusement and embarrassment. They were in the

    middle of the street, for goodness'' sake, and he had the audacity to ask for a kiss!

    She had her dignity, even if he seemed to have left his at home.

    Knowing well that Cecilia wouldn''t indulge him in public, Owen was merely stirring the pot. He

    nced at Jay and Rex, ensuring Cecilia would have their assistance whenever needed, before

    reluctantly rolling up his window and driving off. Soon after, several cars filled with his bodyguards

    trailed behind him.

    Cecilia was taken aback, realizing only then that Owen''s entourage had been nearby all along. He

    was still the same Owen, never without his grandeur.

    She watched his car disappear into the distance, then turned back to the cafe, asking Jay and Rex

    to stay inside. She didn''t want their imposing presence to scare off potential customers.

    The phone rang; it was Lucinda, inquiring about the cafe. After a brief chat, Lucinda had to head

    back to work, and a customer entered¡ªa woman dressed to the nines, her belly slightly protruding

    beneath a tight dress, her long hair flowing, and sunsses perched on her nose.

    She bypassed the waitress and made a beeline for Cecilia.

    "You''re Cecilia, right?" the woman asked, her tone suggesting familiarity.

    Cecilia eyed her guardedly. "May I ask who you are?"

    Without waiting for a proper introduction, the woman pulled out a document from her stylish tote and

    pped it on the counter in front of Cecilia.

    "What''s this?" Cecilia asked, perplexed.

    The paper was a medical report, confirming the woman''s pregnancy.

    "Miss, I''m not sure I follow. Why are you showing me your pregnancy test? Am I supposed to be

    responsible for it?"

    The waitress bit back a chuckle; the absurdity of the situation was almostical.

    The woman dropped the bombshell: "Cecilia, I''m pregnant, and your man is the father."

    The cafe went silent, and the yful atmosphere from moments ago vanished.

    "Jay, should we call Mr. Owen? He must have just gotten back to the office," Rex suggested,

    sensing the gravity of the usation.

    Jay was already dialing Owen, who answered promptly. "Is Cecilia in trouble?" Owen''s voice was

    tense.

    "Mr. Owen, it''s you who''s in trouble," Jay murmured, trying to keep the situation under wraps. "It''s a

    big mess, Mr. Owen."

    "Nonsense, I''m perfectly fine!" Owen retorted.

    "Mr. Owen, there''s ady here iming she''s pregnant with your child. Have you been indulging on

    the sly?" they probed, their loyalty making them incredulous.

    Owen''s shock gave way to outrage. "When did I ever cheat? Who''s trying to pin their bastard on

    me?"

    The boardroom at Owen''s office went silent. He had stormed into the meeting only to be interrupted

    by the startling call.

    Realizing he was still in the conference room, Owen excused himself with a hasty apology to Walter,

    his second-inmand, and stepped outside to handle the call.

    The executives were left in a state of bewilderment, their ears pricked up for any juicy details.

    Whispers of the scandal began to circte, questioning how Owen, so devoted to Ms. Scott, could

    have ended up in such a predicament.

    Soon, they heard the CEO''s furious tirade just outside the door, followed by the sound of his

    footsteps storming away, presumably off to confront the woman who was rumored to be carrying his

    child.

    The other executives exchanged nces, their eyes darting between Walter and Harry, trying to

    pick up on any hint or clue from their expressions.

    In reality, both men werepletely in the dark.

    They were well aware of Owen''s steadfast attitude toward rtionships. He''d been hung up on

    Ruby for over a decade, and even though she''d been using him all this while, he never got involved

    with anyone else. You could say he was a one-woman man, loyal to a fault.

    This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    And then there was Cecilia.

    Their marriage had been brief, more of a formality than anything else, with no real conjugal bond to

    speak of.

    They were convinced that woman must have forced herself on Owen!

    Neither Walter nor Harry could imagine Owen letting any other woman get pregnant. They both

    believed in his integrity and his devotion to Ruby.

 Chapter 460

    Chapter 460

    Owen was fuming when he received a call from Jay. Without a second thought, he bolted from the

    boardroom and rushed to find Cecilia to clear the air. On the other end, Cecilia stood dumbfounded

    for a moment before snapping back to reality. She nced at the pregnancy test in her hand and

    then at the user.

    "My man''s baby? Honey, do you even know who my man is?"

    "I was following you earlier. I saw you hop into his car. Before that, you bought him a sandwich and

    a coffee. He dropped you off. I saw everything. But I don''t know his name. It was a one-night stand,

    an ident, but this baby inside me is definitely his. I might not know his name, but I remember his

    face vividly."

    Cecilia was speechless.

    Owen was a social butterfly; it wasn''t entirely out of the question that he could have had a drunken

    fling.

    "You''re pregnant with Mr. Malicious''s baby? Then you should be looking for him, sweetheart. What

    do you want with me?"

    This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Cecilia''s tone was sharp.

    She knew Owen wasmitted when it came to rtionships, but with all his mingling, who could

    guarantee he wouldn''t slip up after a few too many drinks?

    "Madam."

    Jay hurried over to defend his boss. "Madam, don''t listen to her nonsense. My boss has always

    been a gentleman. Even when he''s drunk, we make sure he gets home safe. He''s never been alone

    with a woman after a night out."

    "Who put you up to this?"

    Jay grabbed the woman, attempting to roughhouse her out the door.

    The barista chimed in, addressing Cecilia. "Cecilia, you can''t take her word for it. She doesn''t even

    know Mr. Martinez''s name. Mr. Martinez is a man of stature, frequents upscale ces. If she really

    had a fling with Mr. Martinez, she''d know exactly who he is."

    "It could very well be a setup, a deliberate y to drive a wedge between you and Owen. Wouldn''t

    be surprised if Megan''s behind this."

    Ruby was out of the picture, and Megan didn''t want Cecilia cozying up to Owen. Creating

    misunderstandings was right up her alley.

    "Don''t push me, Cecilia, the child inside me really is your man''s."

    The woman broke free from Jay and stepped closer to Cecilia, pleading, "If you don''t believe me,

    wait until your man gets here. I''ll confront him face to face."

    Initially, Cecilia''s heart was in turmoil, almost swayed by the woman''s im.

    But after considering Jay''s words, she regained herposure.

    From what she knew of Owen, he wasn''t the type to do such a thing.

    She had once drunkenly flirted with him, and he had the self-control not to touch her.

    A man with such restraint, constantly apanied by bodyguards, as Jay said, wouldn''t end up in

    such a predicament. The thought of some random woman taking advantage of him and getting

    pregnant was absurd.

    Once she had calmed down, Cecilia was ready to call the woman''s bluff. "Jay, let her speak. Go on,

    what''s your n?"

    The woman nced at Jay and Rex, then at the barista, and said to Cecilia, "We can''t talk here.

    Let''s go somewhere quiet, sit down, and talk this through."

    With that, she retrieved the test and headed for the door.

    After a moment of silence, Cecilia followed her out from behind the counter.

    "Madam."

    Jay and Rex quickly followed suit.

    Suddenly, the woman stopped and turned to Cecilia. "Cecilia, this is a negotiation between us. Don''t

    let them tag along."

    Cecilia nced at the two bodyguards and replied, "They''re not my men. I can''t tell them what to

    do. Their boss has them keep tabs on me, and there''s nothing I can do about that."

    "Fine. My car''s just parked on the curb. Come with me, and we''ll talk in the car. Let them wait

    outside."

    The woman pointed to a sedan parked nearby.

    Cecilia considered it briefly, with no objections. However, as she followed the woman, she suddenly

    remembered Lucinda''s abduction after being lured into a car.

    Owen had arranged personal protection for her safety.

    It would be difficult for the bad guys to take a shot at her unless they lured her away and shook off

    her two bodyguards.

    With her guard up, Cecilia stopped short of the sedan.

    "What''s the holdup?"

    The woman also stopped and turned to Cecilia, puzzled.

    Cecilia noticed the woman''s tight grip on her purse, a sign of nervousness, perhaps even guilt.

    There must be someone else in that car. If Cecilia got in, she might end up like Lucy, kidnapped.

    "My caf¨¦''s pretty empty right now. I''ve sent the staff across the street to do some shopping, and

    those two guys are keeping watch at the door. It''s just you and me in the shop. We can negotiate

    however you please."

    With a forced smile, Cecilia took the woman by the arm. "Let''s go back to my caf¨¦ and have a

    proper chat. Tell me everything about how you bedded my man. Without the juicy details, I''m not

    buying that the baby is his."

    As she spoke, she pulled the woman back toward the caf¨¦.

    Cecilia wouldn''t let anyone y her for a fool. If someone dared to con her, she''d expose them, no

    question about it.

    "Let''s call my man now, have hime over, and you two can sort it out face to face."

    The woman was clearly panicking.

    She struggled to break free from Cecilia''s grip.

    But Cecilia was strong, her grip unyielding, and she dragged the woman back into the coffee shop.

    "Take a seat, dear."

    Cecilia pushed the woman into a chair and instructed the barista. "Sweetie, bring thisdy a ss of

    warm water. She''ll need to wet her whistle if she''s going to spin us a yarn."

    The woman''s face turned beet red, whether from anger or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

    She protested, "Cecilia, I''m not lying. Everything I said is true. The child inside me is indeed your

    man''s. I''m not afraid of a confrontation."

    "Come on, I never said you were scared. Take a sip of water and spill the beans about my man. If

    you expect to hold him ountable, you''ve gotta convince me that your story checks out."

    "Let''s step outside and find somewhere quiet to talk."

    "I''d say my cafe is quiet enough. No need to switch venues."

    "But."

    Cecilia gave a sly smile. "If you''re going to cause a scene, even the quietest corner can turn into a

    stage for gossip."

    The women was at a loss for words.

    She thought, "What to do now? This Cecilia was a tough cookie."

    Any normal woman, upon hearing their husband had been out sowing wild oats and got someone

    else pregnant, would be livid, out of their mind with rage. A few more taunts, and Cecilia would

    surely take the bait and follow her, mission aplished.

    But Cecilia wasn''t reacting like that at all.

    Could it be that Cecilia''s husband was impotent or sterile?

    Was that why Cecilia was so chill?

 Chapter 461

    Chapter 461

    After a brief silence, the woman''s demeanor softened considerably as she addressed Cecilia. "Ms.

    Yates, what happened between your man and me was an ident. He probably doesn''t even

    remember what I look like because he was stered that night."

    "I came to talk to you because I want to discuss the situation. I''m pretty sure you folks don''t want

    the baby I''m carrying. It''s tough to raise a kid on my own, so here''s what I propose. You give me a

    lump sum to cover the termination at the clinic, plus a little extra for my trouble, and then we go our

    separate ways. You won''t hear from me again."

    Her n hadn''t gone as smoothly as she''d hoped, and she wasn''t sure if she could get the rest of

    the money. It seemed smarter to try and get something from Cecilia while she could.

    After all, she wasn''t really pregnant. The test results she showed Cecilia were given to her by the

    man who had hired her to con Cecilia.

    She thought this would be an easy job, but Cecilia wasn''t ying into her hands, leaving her at a

    loss.

    Cecilia stared at her for a full minute, making her increasingly nervous while she tried to maintain an

    air of righteousness. It was quite the performance.

    "Miss, you haven''t told me yourst name yet."

    "Myst name is West."

    Of course, that wasn''t her realst name. It was just another lie to deceive Cecilia.

    Cecilia didn''t believe she would reveal her true identity. If she imed her name was West, then

    that''s what Cecilia would go with.

    "Ms. West, if it turns out the child you''re carrying is my man''s, and you don''t want to keep it but just

    want the money, you''ll get it. But not from me. It''lle from your child''s father, provided you can

    prove the baby is indeed his. You can''t just expect us to take your word for it. He''s not short on

    cash, but he''s not a charity either. You im that it was a drunken mistake, but just how drunk was

    he?"

    Ms. West replied, "So drunk he cked out, which is why he doesn''t remember my face."

    Cecilia chuckled, "Are you sure about that?"

    Her question made Ms. West hesitate.

    But she insisted, "Yes, he was stinking drunk, could barely stand."

    "If he was that wasted, how could anything have happened between you two? Was he even able to

    have an erection?"

    Ms. West was at a loss for words.

    If Owen was truly incapacitated by alcohol, he wouldn''t be able to perform.

    This is from N?velDrama.Org.

    Those kind of drunken escapades usually involved people who were not that far gone; it was the

    alcohol driving their impulsivity.

    But someonepletely knocked out? They wouldn''t be able to stir up any trouble.

    "I misspoke. He wasn''t that drunk. He could walk on his own."

    Cecilia smirked, "If he was sober enough to walk, he''d be even less likely to get involved with you.

    Do you even know who you''re trying to pin this on? Who put you up to this to sabotage my

    rtionship with my man?"

    Ms. West''splexion shifted as she tried to remain calm. "Ms. Yates, like I said, I don''t know his

    name, but I recognize him. Nobody sent me to destroy your marriage. I just thought the child was

    his and felt you both should know so you can decide what to do about it."

    "Youe here without doing your homework. I''m not married. He isn''t my husband, so there''s no

    spousal rtionship to speak of."

    Cecilia methodically punctured Ms. West''s falsehoods.

    "I might as well tell you that the man you''re trying to trap is the CEO of the Ike Group, Owen

    Martinez. You''ve heard of Owen, right? He''s quite famous around Pinehurst. He''s been madly in

    love with Miss Ruby Scott for over a decade, remaining faithful to her, not even entertaining the

    company of other women. Even his secretary is male. A man like that, how could he possibly have

    a fling with you when he''s sober? And when he''s not, how could he? How could you be carrying his

    child?"

    Ms. West''s face turned ashen.

    Owen!

    The man she was trying to trap was Owen!

    Just like Cecilia said, Owen was a big deal in Pinehurst, and she had heard about his unrequited

    love for the Scott family heiress, envying Ruby for not appreciating the devotion of such an

    outstanding man.

    "Ms. West, I suggest youe clean. Who sent you here?"

    Whoever put her up to this wasn''t very clever.

    They hadn''t done their homework before sending Ms. West on this errand, full of ws.

    Not even bothering to dig into the background of the Serendipity Cafe.

    Ms. West suddenly stood up, grabbing her purse, ready to leave.

    Cecilia swiftly grasped her wrist.

    Ms. West tried to shake off Cecilia''s grip, but couldn''t, so she started hitting Cecilia with her purse.

    Cecilia was trained in self-defense and, although she typically disliked physical confrontation,

    especially with other women, she wouldn''t hesitate to retaliate if provoked.

    As Ms. West swung her purse, Cecilia''s temper red.

    She grabbed the purse, yanked it forcefully, and with a flick of her wrist, sent it flying into a corner.

    Then she pulled Ms. West back, firmly seating her down, and sternlymanded, "Sit down!"

    Cecilia''s series of moves were fluid like a practiced dance, leaving Ms. West frightened and staring

    at her in shock, too scared to move again.

    Stammering, she said, "Ms. Yates. I don''t want the money anymore. I''ll take care of the baby

    myself. Please, just let me go."

    Cecilia scoffed. "The man you''ve used isn''t even here yet. What''s the rush? You said you

    weren''t afraid of a face-to-face confrontation. Let''s wait until he arrives; you can sort it out with him.

    Don''t worry, if the child is his, he''ll definitely pay you."

    Ms. West sat there in silence, realizing there was no escape with the two burly bouncers guarding

    the door.

    What should she do?

    If only she hadn''t been so greedy for a few thousand dors. Little did she know she''d be walking

    into a trap¡ªa trap that was now closing in on her.

    And to think, she had underestimated Cecilia.

    "Here, drink some water. Oh, it''s gone cold. I''ll have someone bring you a fresh warm cup," Cecilia

    said, her tone slightly softened but Ms. West was already petrified.

    Cecilia didn''t care whether she was frightened or not and had a waitress bring another cup of water.

    Ms. West gripped her mug of warm tap water, gulping down half of it in one fierce go, then held onto

    the cup, clearly at a loss.

    Across the table, Cecilia settled into her chair, her bright, wide eyes fixed on her.

    Feeling the weight of Cecilia''s gaze, Ms. West''s anxiety mounted, her mind racing with thoughts.

    She knew exactly why Cecilia was eyeing her like that.

    After a moment of careful consideration, Ms. West ventured cautiously, "Ms. Yates, if Iy it all out,

    the whole truth, will you let me go? Maybe put in a good word for me with Mr. Martinez? I really

    don''t want to be on his bad side¡ªhe could ruin me as easily as swatting a fly."

    Given Owen''s standing, seeking revenge on her would be as simple as that.

    "You''re free to tell the truth; I''m not holding you captive. And why should I vouch for you with Mr.

    Martinez? You should''ve thought of the consequences before you decided to go through with this,"

    Cecilia retorted, her voice cool and measured.

 Chapter 462

    Chapter 462

    Ms. West''s actions, a mere slip of paper, nearly led her to misunderstand Owen.

    Cecilia considered herself kind-hearted, but she was no saint - she couldn''t turn the other cheek

    indefinitely.

    She would certainly not advocate for Ms. West.

    Owen could do whatever he wanted; she would just watch and keep her mouth shut.

    "Ms. Yates, I¡ªI''ll just be honest. I''m not actually pregnant. Kris put me up to tricking you. I don''t

    know what beef you have with Kris, but he paid me a grand to lure you into that car, promising

    another two grand after the deed was done."

    "I''m strapped for cashtely, really need that three grand, so I went along with it. I¡ªI had no clue

    about any hidden truths."

    Ms. West did spill the beans.

    "Guess I was too greedy. Didn''t do my homework before agreeing to help Kris with this."

    Ms. Westughed at herself, a self-deprecating chuckle. If she''d known that Owen was the target,

    she wouldn''t have helped Kris for all the money in the world.

    Cecilia didn''t respond. She fiddled with her phone, seemingly engrossed in a game. In reality, she

    was recording the whole confession to hand over to Owen for investigation.

    "Ms. Yates, please let me go. Just tell those two guys outside not to stop me, and I''ll leave right

    away."

    The best n was to make a swift exit.

    Ms. West just wanted to bolt.

    Forget the money, she no longer dared to take it.

    All she wanted was to leave the caf¨¦ and head back to the countryside, swearing off city life for

    good.

    "Look who''s here," Cecilia suddenly said.

    Ms. West followed her gaze to the door and saw Owen stride in, a thunderstorm brewing on his

    face. His authority, long established, radiated out as he approached. Ms. West''s heart raced, and

    she desperately wanted to vanish.

    She was done for. Completely done for.

    "Cecilia."

    Owen walked over, seemingly oblivious to Ms. West. He urgently grabbed Cecilia, eager to rify,

    "Cecilia, please don''t listen to any gossip. I haven''t cheated¡ªnot before, not now, never in the

    future. My eyes, my heart, they''re only for you."

    "If anyonees knocking, iming they''re carrying my child, you send them packing. They''re

    definitely lying!"

    Cecilia teased him, "You sure you haven''t gotten tipsy during a night out and made a mistake?"

    "Never. Absolutely not. I''m always careful. The drunkest I''ve ever been was that night I slept on your

    doorstep, and you woke me up with a bucket of ice water."

    "Cecilia, believe me, I''ve never been with anyone else. I respect women too much to do that. If you

    don''t consent, I''d never force you. Even with Ruby, it was the same."

    Owen hated bringing up Ruby in front of Cecilia, but to clear his name, he had no choice.

    He and Cecilia hade so far.

    He wouldn''t let anyone ruin it now.

    And if he found out who was pulling the strings behind this, they''d regret crossing him, that was for

    sure.

    "Where''s that wretch? I want to ask her myself, who sent her to pin this on me?"

    Cecilia nodded toward Ms. West.

    "She''s right there, how could you miss her."

    Owen turned to Ms. West, who was pale as a ghost, scared out of her wits. Seeing Owen''s gaze,

    she suddenly copsed on her knees, tears streaming, begging for mercy, "Mr. Martinez, I''m sorry. I

    didn''t know it was you. I was blinded by greed. I''m not pregnant, and you''ve never slept with me.

    We haven''t even met before."

    "Please forgive me this once, I''ll never dare again. I swear I''ll leave Pinehurst immediately. I''m not

    carrying your child. It was Kris who sent me to trick Ms. Yates, told me to get her into that car

    outside."

    Owen nced outside.

    The car that had been parked curbside had vanished without a trace.

    The person waiting in the car must have realized the n was a flop as Cecilia didn''t fall for it and

    had quickly driven off, abandoning Ms. West.

    Owen wanted to kick her, but that would be too brutish and might affect how Cecilia saw him. So

    instead, he shouted for Jay and Rex toe in and ordered his bodyguards, "Take this wretch out

    and teach her a lesson. Just make sure she stays alive."

    Why dirty his own shoes?

    The guards stepped forward, ignoring Ms. West''s cries and pleas, and dragged her out.

    "In Pinehurst, everyone knows that Stefan and I are like roses with thorns; nice to look at but painful

    to touch," Owen said with a snort ofughter.

    "Comparing men to roses, that''s new. Mr. Coleman''s always been called the untouchable flower¡ªa

    symbol of purity."

    "Cecilia."

    Owen pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her tightly, "Thank goodness you didn''t believe

    her lies and didn''t get into that car. If you had, who knows what might''ve happened."

    "At first, I believed her. I was so mad, jealous out of my mind. But then it didn''t add up. When I

    probed, her story was full of holes, and she kept trying to get me to go with her. It reminded me of

    Lucy getting into a car after a frantic phone call and then, she was kidnapped."

    "Didn''t Madeleinee to you before? And you had bodyguards tailing me. I suspect this was all

    Madeleine''s doing."

    That Kris was certainly not the real mastermind.

    "Cecilia."

    Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Owen couldn''t resist and leaned down to kiss her lips.

    Cecilia pushed him away, blushing, whispering, "The barista is still here."

    Owen looked to the barista, who quickly started wiping tables, then realized it wasn''t enough. Time

    to make herself scarce.

    She grabbed a cloth and headed out, calling back, "Cecilia, I''m going to run to the store for some

    supplies."

    Owen appreciated the barista''s tact.

    "Cecilia."

    Owen pulled Cecilia back into his embrace, holding her tightly. "Cecilia, thank you for trusting me.

    I''m so relieved you kept your cool, otherwise."

    The mere thought sent shivers down his spine.

    Madeleine had vowed to make him regret.

    If Madeleine hadid a finger on Cecilia, it would have crushed him.

    Thankfully, Cecilia had learned from Lucinda''s mistake and hadn''t fallen for the trap.

    The more Owen thought about it, the more frightened he became, tightening his hold on Cecilia as if

    trying to merge her into his being, never to be separated again.

    "The Porters have no clout in Pinehurst," he murmured, "Madeleine must''ve bribed someone to be

    her inside man. Cecilia, just give me a little time, and I''ll unravel this whole mess. I''ll root out

    whoever''s working with Madeleine!"

    "Next time something like this happens, you''ve got to stay level-headed and trust me. I''m not the

    kind of guy to mess around. I''ve been, until now, I still am a."

    He whispered something into Cecilia''s ear.

    Cecilia was speechless.

 Chapter 463

    Chapter 463

    The incessant trilling of her phone cut through the silence, and Cecilia hastily pushed Owen away to fish the device out of her pocket. ncing at the

    caller ID, she informed him with a half-smile, "It''s my mom."

    Owen''s interest piqued at the mention of his potential mother-inw, signaling for Cecilia to answer while his ears practically perked up in anticipation,

    curious about the impending conversation.

    "Hey, Mom."

    "Cecilia, Owen¡¯s parents have just dropped by with an armful of gifts. They''re being super sweet, talking about wanting to officially ask for your hand

    on Owen''s behalf. Imagine that!"

    Cecilia''s eyes darted toward Owen, annoyance mixed with surprise. He had kept this monumental developmentpletely under wraps.

    Owen, with his heightened senses, overheard the booming voice on the other end of the line. This was news to him too. He hadn''t expected his

    parents to show up on the Yates'' doorstep bearing gifts or proposing marriage on his behalf. What had gotten into them?

    "I had no clue,¡± Owen whispered, leaning close to Cecilia.

    Cecilia''s eyes twinkled as she calmly asked her mother, "Did you agree?"

    ¡°How could I possibly say yes without talking to you first? Your dad and brother are on their way home, and even Grandpa is here. Do you want to

    come over?¡±

    With a yful pinch to Owen''s arm, Cecilia heard his hushed plea, "Honestly, Cecilia, I was in the dark about this."

    Owen was starting to piece things together. His grandparents must have said something after he and Cecilia leftst night, spurring his parents into

    action

    "Mom, are you actually considering Owen as your son-inw?"

    Owen leaned in even closer, eager to gauge his mother-inw''s current opinion of him.

    After a moment of silence, Ba confessed from the other end, ¡°Honestly, Cecilia, I think Owen''s a decent guy. He maye from a wealthy family,

    but he¡¯s shown he''d throw his pride out the window for you, and that means he''s serious. Sure, he had a thing for Ms. Scott, but that''s history.

    Everyone has a past. As long as he''smitted to you from here on out, I trust you with him.¡±

    "The real issue is the gap between our families. Marriage isn''t just about the couple; it''s about blending two families. If we can''t get along, you two will

    be stuck in an awkward spot."

    "We know where we stand financially. We''re not poor, but we''re nowhere near the Martinez league. If we be inws, mingling with their crowd,

    it''s not going to be easy for us. Even if you hit the jackpot tomorrow, we''d still be new money without their kind of heritage. And let''s not forget Owen''s

    mother, who looked down on us, trying to break you and Owen up. You''ve finally broken free, and now you might be diving back into the lion''s den. Be

    prepared."

    ¡°Mother-inw troubles are as old as time. If you decide to marry Owen, you''ll have to try and bridge that gap. Not suck up to Owen''s mother, but

    treat her with genuine kindness. People respond to heartfelt gestures. If she still doesn''te around, and you want a life with Owen, you''ll have to

    keep your distance.¡±

    Ba unloaded a torrent of advice before concluding. "The bottom line, Cecilia, is you have to be strong. Elevate yourself, and maybe Owen''s

    mother''ll truly ept you. A woman''s gotta be her own hero.¡±

    "Mom, I get it. So, you and Dad aren¡¯t keen on saying yes right now?"

    ¡°Your brother thinks there''s a catch. That this proposal is sugar-coated. We''re not inclined to agree.¡±

    Cecilia had expected as much: she wasn''t eager to agree either. Who knew what Owen''s mother was plotting?

    "Then I won''te over. I''ll remember what you said, Mom."

    Owen was dying to snatch the phone and speak to Ba himself. Unfortunately, Cecilia ended the call with a firm decision to stay put.

    "Cecilia," Owen called softly, a hint of vulnerability in his voice. "Don''t you want to marry me?"N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Stowing her phone away, Cecilia shot him a challenging look. ¡°Your parents show up unannounced, and you im ignorance. It reeks ofpulsion,

    not sincerity. Besides, I''m not in a rush.¡±

    She''d have been open to a heartfelt proposal, but this wasn''t it

    "And you still have a lot to prove.¡±

    "Like what?¡±

    With a pat on his shoulder and a teasing smile, she said, ¡°You figure it out. Now scoot, don''t you have work?"

    "By now, the meeting''s probably over,¡± Owen nced at the clock, "and it''s almost time to wrap up for the day anyway. I guess I''ll head off early. I

    need to catch up with Stefan.¡±

    "Mr. Coleman? What for?"

    "To join forces.¡±

    "It''s hard to tell if you two are archenemies or best buds."

    Ceciliaughed, "I''ve never seen rivals like you two."

    Owen''s gaze intensified as he replied meaningfully, "For someone special, I''m willing to turn an enemy into an ally.¡±

    He still harbored hopes of uniting

    their families either by marrying into

    the An dersohs or weing one of

    them inte-his own. Yet, the question

    remained¡ª could Stefan even Rave a

    daughter, given his family''s history

    of-tfiale dominance? Content

    b¨¦longs  ¡°>

    Stefan would retort that it was up to his wife, not him, to which Owen could only silently agree.

    Ceciliaughed and wrapped him in

    a warm hug Sefore nudging him

    towards the-door. ¡°Better hurry ands

    catch MkK-Coleman before he clocks

    out. If Lucy''s there and you barge in,

    youlthbe the third wheel. Watch out,

    ortir. Coleman might just give youa

    piece of his mind." Contest belongs

    "Cecilia, you don''t love me at all." Owenined as he allowed himself to be ushered out.

    "I rush over here, all hot and bothered, not thinking straight, and the minute things wrap up, you''re shooing me away."

    Cecilia couldn''t help but grin at his dramatics. "You''re the one who said you needed to see Mr. Coleman. Get it over with ande back for dinner. I''ll

    whip up some of your favoritefort food.¡±

    That seemed to lift Owen''s spirits a bit.

    "Cecilia, how about a kiss for luck?" he implored

    She yfully aimed a kick in his direction instead.

    Owen dodged with augh.

    Cecilia said, "Keep dawdling and I''ll

    cancel di You can dine out at a

    hotel instead, you shameless flirt. ->

    And as {¡é for kissing, not here in the

    middleof Main Street with everyone

    watebiing, I''m not about to give a

    free show of my kissing skills.¡±

    Kissing on the street was too embarrassing for her.

 Chapter 464

    Chapter 464

    Owen shed a cheeky grin. "Then let''s just hang out at the diner for some practice."

    "Get lost!¡±

    "So rude. You''ll never get hitched with that attitude. Looks like you''re stuck with me.¡±

    Owen chuckled, seizing the moment before Cecilia could react. and quickly made his way to his car.

    Whatever Owen needed to discuss with Stefan, Cecilia was clueless about. Once the girl returned, Cecilia asked her to mind the diner while she

    stepped out to get some groceries.

    But after she had cooked a fine meal, Owen called to say he wouldn''t make it for dinner.

    Cecilia sighed in frustration.

    She had gone to the trouble of cooking some of her best dishes, and he had the gall to bail on her. Considering he went to see Stefan, she figured he

    must''ve had something more pressing and generously decided not to hold it against him.

    Still, Owen hadn''t checked in for several days.

    ustomed to him being as sticky as bubblegum. Cecilia was actually starting to miss his constant presence.

    The afternoon sun waszily hanging in the sky, and Cecilia felt its lethargy seep into her bones.

    Shey sprawled across the cash register, doodling aimlessly on a piece of scrap paper with a pen in hand

    A bowl of freshly washed cherries appeared before her.

    "It''s a rare sight to catch you daydreaming. Let me guess, missing your Mr. Malicious? The little birdie told me he hasn''t dropped by in days. Let''s

    see, from Wednesday to now, Sunday. wow. it really has been a while."

    Lucinda leaned against the counter, having ced the bowl of cherries, and teased Cecilia with a yful smirk.Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Darlene sat by a window, observing the quiet afternoon streets through the ss pane. The heat had driven most people indoors, leaving the

    sidewalks deserted.

    In her hand was a steaming cup of coffee, from which she asionally sipped

    Hearing Lucinda''s yful jab, Darlene nced over with a smile but didn¡¯t join the banter, choosing instead to sip her coffee in silence

    Recently, she had her own set of headaches.

    She felt like she was being watched

    And the watcher was none other than one of Keith''s men.

    Luckily, her secret-keeping skills were top-notch, and she had arranged things so swiftly that her own sister couldn''t find out, not to mention Keith''s

    people.

    Keith''s persistence in finding the mysterious woman was troubling. What if he had other motives? Could her attempts to redirect his attention cause

    trouble for someone else?

    After much contemtion, Darlene decided to drop by and feel out the situation with Lucinda.

    "Lucy, after Owen went to see your guy that day, he hasn''t been around. Did Stefan mention what they talked about?"

    Cecilia straightened up. amused by Lucinda''s casual posture. "My dear Mrs. Lucinda, look at you, all sprawled out. If sameone snapped a pic and

    posted it online, you''d be trending in no time.¡±

    With Lucinda''s status, indeed, any little thing could be a hot topic.

    ¡°Owen did go to see Stefan, but I haven''t a clue what about. Stefan didn''t tell me, but he was lunching with me that day and didn''t meet Owen.

    Must''ve been something else holding him up."

    Lucinda corrected her posture, popping a cherry into her mouth before turning to Darlene. ¡°Darlene, want some cherries?¡±

    Darlene offered a gentle smile and a shake of her head, lifting her coffee cup slightly.

    Lucinda didn''t press her.

    Whenever Darlene joined them, she always sat quietly to one side, speaking softly and sparingly, which made the others almost afraid to raise their

    voices for fear of startling her.

    Lucinda and Cecilia, hailing from humble beginnings, and even Tiffany, despite her affluent background and bold nature, saw Darlene as some

    ethereal creature, treating her with a special kind of tenderness

    Darlene had shown them what true grace and poise looked like

    "Darlene sitting there. quietly watching the world outside, it''s such a beautiful scene. It reminds you of the good old days,¡± Cecilia whispered to

    Lucinda.

    Lucinda agreed wholeheartedly,

    stealthily snapping a photo of

    Darlene in fer tranquil state. "I''M ~

    going tofave this painted, arge*

    one, framed like a portrait of as

    beauty. But I''m no good witha

    brash. I''ll have my brother do it; he''s

    affazing at art." Content.belongs to

    Cecilia didn''t bother to call out Lucinda¡¯s bluff.

    Everyone knew Lucinda was quite the artist herself.

    "Cecilia, you must be missing Mr. Malicious, huh? It''s been days since he¡¯se by.¡±

    Cecilia admitted openly. "Yeah, I miss him. So what? Is it a crime?¡±

    Lucinda giggled, "If you miss him that much, why not reach out? Give him a call or shoot him a message to see what''s up?"

    After a brief silence, Cecilia confessed, "I did text him. His replies were brief, just mentioned he was busy. I didn''t want to intrude more than that."

    "He must genuinely be swamped, or

    maybe he''s gutof town on

    business," kucinda consoled her. .

    "You ngwviow it is with these bigc

    corporations. Even the CEOs have to

    travel \ Stefan has to as well, but''he

    always passes the opportunities to

    his brothers to spend timewith me,

    says it''s good for them t&get some

    experience.¡±

    With fewer and less cooperative brothers, Owen couldn''t afford the luxury of delegating like Stefan.

    "Lucy, about the other day, did your guy let anything slip about his meet with Owen?¡±

    When the topic of that day came up, Lucinda was visibly shaken by the memory.

    Cecilia had asked her about her biological family, and Lucinda always chose to share the cheerful stories, shielding her from the darker truths. She

    believed that knowing too much could end up hurting Cecilia.

    But now, Lucinda realized that her reticence didn¡¯t matter. Because of their close friendship, those nefarious characters would target Cecilia

    regardless.

    Thankfully, Cecilia was sharp-witted and hadn''t fallen for their tricks like Lucinda had once done. The thought of what could have happened otherwise

    was too dreadful to consider.

    After a brief silence, Lucinda whispered to Cecilia, "I only know that guy Kris was shot dead in a bar that very night. The killer used a silencer; amidst

    the crowd, no one noticed who took the shot up close."

    "Even though we all suspect

    Madeleine''s Sand in this, Stefan said

    the Porte farnily might have allies in

    Pinehurst. He and Mr. Malicious, ave

    trying to ¡®(OC weed out the Porter''s {ocal

    suppert. Kris was a key lead. with

    hisa-gone, the trail goes cold for

    ri6w."  te.

 Chapter 465

    Chapter 465

    Staring at the ruffian hanging around Cecilia and that woman with the surname West¡ªoh, it was certainly a pseudonym¡ªthey were just petty crooks

    on Kris''s payroll, clueless about who Kris''s actual contact was

    Cecilia''s expression shifted, her grip on Lucinda¡¯s hand suddenly firm.

    "Lucy, you don''t think Mr. Malicious is in trouble, do you?¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Lucinda quickly reassured her, "No way, Mr. Malicious loves to showboat. The only time he doesn''t want a crowd is when he¡¯s with you, to avoid a

    third wheel. Otherwise, he''s always surrounded by a squad of bodyguards."

    "His status and his clout mean the Porter family wouldn''t dare hurt him directly. If Madeleine''s peeved with him, she''d go after you to make him regret

    it, rather than confront him head-on.¡±

    "But why hasn''t hee around in days? He''s usually like clingfilm, practically stuck to me 24/7. If he''s not here, he''s definitely up to something risky

    behind my back."

    Lucinda was at a loss for words.

    She truly had no idea what Owen had been up to these past few days.

    "If you''re that worried, why not call him now and see what he''s doing?¡±

    Cecilia immediately dialed Owen''s number.

    It took him a while to pick up.

    "Mr. Malicious, what are you busy with?"

    Owen chuckled, "Cecilia, when did I be Mr. Malicious again? I was just getting some shut-eye when your call woke me. It''s been days since I''ve

    had a good night''s sleep, I''m beat."

    "What''s been keeping you so busy that you can''t even sleep right?¡±

    Cecilia''s voice softened unconsciously.

    Lucinda stood up and walked away.

    She took a seat across from Darlene.

    Upon seeing her approach, Darlene set down the coffee she¡¯d been nursing and gazed at Lucinda with tender eyes.

    "Darlene."

    "Mhm."

    Even her voice was soft, like a gentle spring breeze.

    Lucinda really loved hearing Darlene talk; it was so soothing, it almost lulled her to sleep.

    She never knew a woman could be this tender. even more so than her own mother.

    "You''re truly beautiful!¡±

    Darlene¡¯s smile was as warm as the first days of spring. She was naturally stunning, but in Lucinda''s eyes, she was breathtakingly beautiful

    Watching her smile, Lucinda was mesmerized, her hands reaching out to gently cup Darlene''s face, ¡°Darlene, stop smiling, or I''ll fall at your feet and

    end up fighting your future husband for you."

    She was dead set on ying matchmaker for Darlene and her brother, even if it meantpeting for Darlene¡¯s affections.

    "Lucy, you''re not half bad yourself, quite the looker.¡±

    Darlene gently removed Lucinda''s hands.

    Lucinda caught hold of her hand again, caressing it with gentle, greedy strokes as if admiring a precious gem.

    Such delicate and soft hands didn''t seem like they belonged to a trained fighter.

    Word had it that fighters had strong grips and rough, calloused hands, but Darlene¡¯s were smooth, slender, and well-maintained, betraying no signs of

    her skill

    Darlene¡¯s eyes twinkled with amusement, "Lucy. I''d be afraid Mr. Coleman might show up and see you like this¡ªhe''d probably chop off my hands."

    "Don''t worry, if he did, I''d keep your hands safe for you, admire them every day."

    Darlene was speechless

    "Uh, I mean, I wouldn''t let Stefany a finger on you."

    Lucinda retracted her hands sheepishly, realizing she''d been a bit too forward

    "Darlene, you seem preupied. You were staring out the window earlier: lost in thought. perhaps?"

    Darlene offered a smile, "Not really, I just enjoy quietly watching people. Sometimes. I like to paint what I see when I get home.¡±

    ¡®I heard from my brother that you

    love painting-Your work must be

    amazing. My-other brother is quite

    the artist Poo. He once painted a git

    who help¨¦d him out a lot, even ¡ª

    thoughhe didn''t know what she¡¯

    looked like. Based on a brief

    encounter, he managed te.capture

    her likeness as if it were''@

    photograph."

    In front of Darlene, Lucinda praised her brother without embellishing his talents.

    He was truly outstanding in many ways, just seemingly indifferent to women

    Thank goodness, he showed no interest in men either.

    Probably just hadn''t met the right person yet.

    Darlene¡¯s eyes sparkled with curiosity, "Really? I would never have guessed someone as stoic as your brother could paint so well. Maybe one day I

    could learn a thing or two from him.¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can ask Keith about anything. I''ll make the arrangements."

    Darleneughed, "Keith is extremely busy, and with him in Skywatch, it''s better not to bother him. I paint to pass the time, and Keith''s time is as

    precious as gold. I''d feel terrible for taking even a minute of it."

    "By the way, Lucy, after your brother painted that girl, did he try to find her? I''m just being nosy. A girl whe could get such a cold man to paint her must

    be someone special.¡±

    Darlene put on a gossipy face.

    "My brother togk Mr. Martinez''s

    advice and hired Cipher Detectives

    to find her, But there''s been no word.

    yet. Mr. Martinez said the agency

    was good, but from what I seec?

    theyre not that impressive¡ªit''s been

    socteng and they haven''t given my

    bf¨¦ther any leads."

    to

    Darlene was taken aback.

    Her skills were being questioned!

    ¡°You know, after I saw the portrait my brother painted, I thought the mysteriousdy looked a bit familiar. Maybe I''ve seen her before.¡±

    Darlene was silent.

    It hadn''t been long since she and Lucy had be acquainted, yet Lucy could recognize her from a painting?

    "Do you remember who she is?"

    Darlene continued her inquisitive probing.

    While Lucinda spoke, she kept an eye on Darlene''s expression. Seeing that Darlene remainedposed and gossipy, Lucinda couldn''t help but

    wonder: Was Darlene''s poker face that good, or had she suspected the wrong person?

    "I just can''t remember, darn it. If my

    memory serv¨¦d me right, Keith

    wouldn''t have had to shell out big

    bucks to hire Cipher Detectives to.

    help findMt. He spent a fortune, just

    the dgwn payment was tens of ''

    thousands, and for what? Cipher

    Det¨¦ctives seem to just take the

    cash without delivering results. I''m

    starting to think their reputation is all

    smoke and mirrors."

    Darlene remained silent, pondering.

    She had a strategy of pricing that could be best described as ¡®sizing up the customer.¡¯ The case with Keith, it was her associates who took it on. Had

    it been up to her, she definitely would''ve passed on Keith''s offer.

    Plus, the hefty down payment was something Keith insisted on.

    Her team mentioned that Keith came in, ced the order, and pped down the cash without giving them a chance to decline, let alone haggle over

    the price.

    In short, Keith had that high-handed CEO vibe down to an art.

    "Darlene, have you ever heard of Cipher Detectives? I''m seriously beginning to think their fame is just bought, or maybe it''s all a facade, a con to

    make people believe they''re the real deal."

 Chapter 466

    Chapter 466

    Darlene shed a gentle smile, "I haven''t heard about that."

    But inside, she was panicking.

    The achievements she had worked hard for over the years were being questioned by Lucinda as if they were mere tall tales!

    It seemed if she couldn''t impress Keith, all her efforts could turn to dust.

    Keith had the power to ruin everything for her.

    "You''re such a sweet and beautiful girl. and Ms. Bishop has always kept an eye out for you. It''s normal that you haven''t heard about it. I always

    thought that to run a detective agency. you need to have clout in the shades of gray. Plus, the detectives there have to know a thing or two about self-

    defense, or they''d be in trouble easily.¡±

    "I heard the real boss of Cipher Detectives is a young, stunning woman."

    Darlene hummed in curiosity, "Lucy, who told you that? A woman in that line of work? Sounds risky."

    "I just heard it through the grapevine.¡±

    Darlene hummed again, letting the conversation drop.

    She had a hunch that Lucinda was probing her, possibly suspecting her.

    Considering how Keith had portrayed her in his sketches - lifelike and vibrant - and now that she and Lucinda were friends who often met up, it

    wouldn''t be surprising if Lucinda found her familiar.

    "What are you two chatting about so intently?¡±

    Cecilia, having finished a call with Owen, seemed to be in much better spirits as she joined their conversation

    "Just small talk. Are you two done chatting? Mr. Malicious is on a business trip, right?¡±

    As Cecilia sat down, she replied, "Yes, he had to rush off to deal with some emergency at the branch office. He didn¡¯t get the chance to tell me before

    leaving.¡±

    "He''ll be back in a couple of days. He''s still Keen on being the best man for Liam. Told me to check in with Tiffany about it and to make sure she talks

    to your brother."

    Knowing Owen was away on business for thepany and not for personal reasons made Cecilia feel at ease.

    Owen''s sudden trip made her realize her feelings for him were deeper than she thought.

    Owen was a man of deep affections.

    And wasn''t she the same?

    That''s why she didn''t fall in love lightly.

    She feared heartbreak, the kind that¡¯s hard to bounce back from.

    "Have you talked to Tiffany yet?"

    Lucinda grinned, ¡°Owen''s really going all out to match up with you. He knew you were going to be Tiffany¡¯s maid of honor, so he already volunteered

    to be Liam''s best man. I heard it from Stefan."

    "I just texted Tiffany, and she agreed right away.¡±

    Ceciliaughed, "It''s his determination that won me over.¡±

    "Tasting the bitterness of pining away, are we?" Lucinda teased.

    Darlene couldn''t help but smile.

    "I miss him, and that''s that! When he gets back, I''m nning a date - a movie, candlelit dinner, the works."

    Lucinda burst intoughter, "Are you thinking of giving yourself to him?"

    At that, Cecilia gave her a yful pinch on the arm.

    Darlene joined in, "Cecilia, Lucy''s suggestion isn''t bad. After Tiffany''s wedding toast, I''m looking forward to your engagement party. Don''t forget to ask

    me to be your maid of honor.¡±

    I''m just worried you''ll steal the show. You''re so beautiful. like a goddess among mortals. You''ll outshine me."

    Cecilia was just teasing, of course.

    "When I get married, you''ll definitely be my maid of honor. After all, Mr. Malicious only has eyes for me. He''s not shallow. As for you dazzling other

    men? What''s that to me?"

    Darlene justughed.

    After chatting for a while longer, customers starteding in, and Lucinda and Cecilia got up to greet them. Darlene stayed seated. sipping her

    coffee and lost in thought.

    Time flew by during her leisurely afternoon.

    Soon, evening approached.

    The setting sun painted the sky fiery shades.

    Stefan arrived to pick up Lucinda, and Darlene said her goodbyes

    That night, after sex, Lucinda nestled in Stefan''s arms and brought up Darlene.

    "Honey, I''m sure Darlene is that mysteriousdy who''s been helping my brother. But she''s got an incredible poker face. I tantly questioned the

    reputation of her detective agency, and she didn''t even flinch.¡±

    "If she didn''t give anything away, how can you be so sure she¡¯s the mystery woman?¡±

    Stefan wasn''t particrly concerned about whether Darlene was the enigmaticdy or not.

    His mind was on the opening of the new branch in Skywatch, on helping his father-inw and brother-inw get through the transition of power safely.

    But since his wife was so interested, and keen on setting Darlene up with Keith, he decided to be the best audience he could.

    "I''ve got sharp eyes. Maybe it''s because I''ve been suspecting her. Her reactions seem normal but not quite, which makes me even more suspicious.

    Anyway, my brother''s got his eye on her. I''m sure he''ll catch her out eventually.¡±

    "Oh, and my big brother''s bringing Ms. Bishop home this Friday to meet our parents. I want to go too.¡±

    "When is it?¡± Stefan inquired.

    "Friday. After they meet the parents, my brother''s nning to bring them to Liam¡¯s wedding. But his car has only so many seats: he can''t ferry

    everyone. We should go together, so we can bring my parents over.¡±

    In truth, the people protecting Janice had cars and could bring her into the city anytime.

    Lucinda just missed home. She had grown up in Wye, and it would always be home to her.

    Stefan hummed in agreement, "Alright, we''ll go back on Friday. Let''s head out early and pick up your parents in the afternoon. Saturday''s Liam and

    Tiffany''s wedding, and we''ll all be busy.¡±

    Stefan wasn''tkeen on ying best

    man, but he gnd his friends would

    escort Liamto he Paisley estate for

    the wedding, ensuring Tiffany felts

    honore¨¦kand signaling to the

    Paisl¨¦ys that the Anderson family

    held her i in high regard. Entrasting

    Tiffany to Liam was a coramitment

    they took seriously.

    "Tiffany''s expecting, so a honeymoon''s off the table, but Liam''s nning to whisk her away to our family''s private ind for a little R&R. Once they''re

    off, I''ll be free to take you back to Skywatch."

    These next few days would be a whirlwind for him. He''d have to work overtime to get ahead on pressing matters, so he could leave for Skywatch with

    his wife on Friday.

    The stay at Skywatch would be

    lengthy, and Ke needed to ensure

    everything at the corporation wasN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    squared away. His brothers, aware

    of his ns to return to Skywatch

    with:fis beloved, were jittery. at the

    thought of being tasked with leading

    th¨¦ charge in his absence¨¦

    While others wed and schemed for power and fortune, his siblings were itching to break away and conquer the world on their own terms. And

    conquer they did, each with their own empire, even the youngest, who was making bank while still reaming college halls.

    "Though you''reing with me to Skywatch to expand our horizons, who''s going to handle things here? If you''re jetting back and forth, you''ll wear

    yourself out, and that would break my heart.¡±

    "How about this: you apany me

    there, then fly-back to your normal

    routine. Don''t fret over me, I''m not

    that def¨¦nseless littlemb x

    anymet¨¦. Besides, I''ve got Dad and

    my brsther there. If they can keep

    mesafe, they wouldn''t dream of

    l¨¦fting me return to Skywatch."

 Chapter 467

    Chapter 467

    ¡°Don''t worry about thepany, I have a bunch of capable brothers who can take over in a heartbeat. Even if I were to hang out with you at

    Skywatch for a year, the firm would run like clockwork."

    Stefan had faith in his siblings and trusted theirpetencies implicitly.

    "Although they''re all busy with their own ventures, they''re all clued in on thepany''s operations. Liam''s just tied the knot. so we''ll give him a pass;

    my youngest brother''s still in school, so he''s out too. But my other brothers are up for the task.¡±

    The brothers: Stefan, please don''t pick me.

    Stefan: How about this? Rock-paper-scissors, draw straws, loser takes over.

    Everyone was speechless.

    "This empire''s too big to leave to my youngers brother. They might be able to handle their own, but navigating the business world requires some

    seasoned veterans."

    Lucinda had been the sister-inw to the boys for a while now and had gotten to know each and every one of her brothers-inw quite well.

    Stefan chuckled, "Let them share the load, don''t want to be used of ying favorites."

    Lucinda yawned, closing her eyes, and mumbled, "Honey, I¡¯m beat. Off to count sheep.¡±

    Stefan nted a gentle kiss on her and whispered, ¡°Sleep tight. I''ll watch over you."

    Lucinda said no more.

    She always felt exhausted after their intimate moments, sinking into a deep sleep.

    It puzzled her why she was the one feeling spent even though she wasn''t the one exerting the effort.

    Skywatch.

    One o''clock in the morning

    The city was quiet as a whisper.

    A convoy bathed in moonlight made its way back to Sunnyde Abbey.

    The security guards at the gate were dozing off, yawning incessantly, yet they dared not sleep as the young master had not returned

    The re of headlights snapped the guards to attention. They quickly stood up, operating the gate switch and stepped out of their booth, standing at

    attention as Keith''s car, nked by bodyguards, made a stately entrance.

    The gates closed behind them.

    The guards returned to their booth, finally able to catch a wink of sleep until their next shift.

    Keith''s car stopped in front of the main house.

    "Everyone, go get some rest," Keith said in a deep voice, to which the bodyguards replied in unison, "Goodnight, Mr. Keith.¡±

    Keith entered the main house without looking back, and after a brief moment of silence, the bodyguards returned to their cars, drove to the parking

    lat, and retired to their quarters. Those on night duty remained vignt until relieved by the morning shift.

    As Keith climbed the stairs, he noticed that his parent''s room was still lit. He hesitated but decided to check in.

    Unsurprisingly, he found his dad sprawled across his mom''s bed, snoring away. The smell of alcohol lingered heavily in the air ¡ª his dad had

    obviously been out socializing and hade back a little more than tipsy.

    He thought, "So, in Dad¡¯s drunken state, he¡¯d crashed in Mom''s room."

    Keith pulled the nket over his father, removed his shoes and socks, adjusted the thermostat to afortable setting, then left the room, locking the

    door behind him for good measure.

    Keith''s room was a good distance from the master bedroom, a testament to the strained rtionship with his father. He also kept his distance from a

    certain guest room.

    He paused before the most secluded room on the second floor. No one knew why he''d chosen it ¡ª they assumed it was because he was out of favor

    and had been relegated to the most isted spot.

    The room had poor lighting. overshadowed by severalrge trees. In the summer, they provided shade and coolness, but they also darkened the

    room

    He''d never considered cutting them down. The night shift guards used those trees as cover. Without them, where would they hide?

    Keith stepped into his room but stopped after only a few paces. There was an intruder.

    Yet the guards on duty were none the wiser.

    Who could be so skilled as to evade his security?

    If it were an assassin.

    Keith considered he might need a new security team.

    He calmly pretended to be unaware

    of the sitdation, nonchntly tura¨¦d

    on the light, closed the door, and

    discreetly triggered an alert tovhis

    quarts indicating trouble i in bis

    roam. .

    <

    But when he saw who was lounging on his sofa, he immediately canceled the alert.

    Dressed in-sleek ck attire, the

    person ''s exquisite formwas =<

    highlighted to perfection. Her long

    hair was tied back in a high ponytail,

    anda silver butterfly mask obscured

    heeface.

    -

    Keith had no doubts about her identity.

    She was the mysterious woman who''d helped him before.

    He approached her.

    "Fancy somete-night grub?"

    "If it''s no trouble, sure. I rushed over here and I''m starving."

    "Got any preferences?"

    "I''ll have whatever you''re having."

    Keith paused, then said, ¡°I''ll pour you some warm water and then get started on the food."

    He returned shortly with a ss of water for her.

    "I''m not big on snacks, so I don''t have any. But if you drop by again, I''ll make sure to stock up on whatever youdies fancy.¡±

    His sister was always munching on snacks when she wasn''t working

    He knew what girls liked.

    "It''s a long trip. not something I can do often. Keith. But I appreciate the gesture.¡±

    Underneath Keith''s icy exterior was a considerate and tender heart

    Darlene envied Lucinda in her thoughts. Lucinda was lucky ¡ª both brothers were gems. and her husband was incredibly attentive.

    Lucinda generously offered, "I could set you up with one of my brothers.¡±

    Darlene was speechless

    Was Lucinda thinking of pairing her brothers with Darlene and Darlene¡¯s sister?N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    "Give me a moment, I''ll whip us up somete-night eats.¡±

    Keith''s voice was heavy with finality, and before Darlene could even muster a response, he had already turned on his heel and left.

    is room, though not the master

    suite, was spacious. With a ir for

    independence, he had carved out a

    corner to create a small kitchte.

    When hunge? struckte at night, he

    preferred¡é''to whip up something

    S implerimself rather than disturb

    the household staff in the main

    ki tchen. Besides, Keith harbored a

    nagging suspicion that arsong the

    cooks and maids, there might be

    those swayed by silver into less

    savory acts. The thought of

    someone taking the opportunity to

    slip poison into his midnight snack

    was more than enough reason to

    keep his culinary activities private.

 Chapter 468

    Chapter 468

    Growing up, Keith narrowly escaped being poisoned several times. He was too young to remember any of it, but Shirley filled in the gaps of his

    memory.

    Loyal nannies had taken the brunt for him, and though they were saved each time. the fear lingered, casting a shadow of vignce over Keith''s life.

    Darlene sipped some warm tap water before standing and following Keith to the kitchen doorway, hands shoved in her pockets. She watched him

    open the fridge and retrieve some ingredients

    "What are you nning to whip up?¡± she asked casually.

    ¡°You''vee all this way, and you must be starving. Making a feast would take too long for your empty stomach. How about I fix you some spaghetti

    for a midnight snack?"

    Darlene chuckled. "Good call. I can''t really wait around."

    She needed to get back to Pinehurst before dawn to avoid her sister''s prying eyes.

    This ndestine visit was not without its troubles

    "You''re a decent cook then?"

    ¡°Decent enough. I mean, no one¡¯s ever called my cooking ¡®a culinary disaster,¡¯ if that''s what you''re asking.¡±

    Keith filled a pot with water, set it to boil, and then added the spaghetti.

    Meanwhile, he prepared some sliced meat, veggies, and chopped scallions, nning to serve Darlene a hearty spaghetti with meat sauce.

    "I like my spaghetti with a fried egg on top," she said.

    "Sure thing."

    After prepping the meat, veggies. and scallions, hearing Darlene''s preference for a fried egg, Keith quickly retrieved two eggs from the fridge and

    began to fry them up.

    While Keith had the fridge open, Darlene noticed it was well-stocked andmented, "Do you make yourself ate-night snack every evening?¡±

    ¡°Only if I''m hungry, but I rarely have spaghetti.¡±

    Usually, it was his bodyguards who used his kitchen to make themselves a spaghetti snack.

    A few of them had a particr fondness for itProperty of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    "I can hardly believe that as the heir to the Blue family, you live like this, such a hard life.¡± Darlene mused with a hint of sympathy.

    Keith was the heir to the Blue family, seemingly living a life of luxury, but in reality, his existence was no better than that of an ordinary person.

    The Blue family wasrge, and with size cameplexity¡ªjealousy, ambition, and scheming were rife.

    For personal gain, some people would stop at nothing.

    Darlene thought of her own family, the Bishops. Her sister had endured so much to protect their estate and rebuild the Bishop Group that Darlene

    could empathize with Keith''s situation.

    The schemers trying to take over the Bishop Group weren''t as ruthless as those in the Blue family, where things could escte to life-threatening

    heights.

    Being barn into an elite family and witnessing countless inheritance battles among the elite. Darlene thought it was the Andersons who inspired envy

    and respect.

    The Andersons raisedpetent descendants, each striving to carve out their own sess without relying on the family business. Yet, they couldn''t

    avoid sharing the burden of the family enterprise.

    Stefan, who took his mother¡¯s surname, was meant to run the Coleman Group, but his younger brother refused to take over Ascend Global, and the

    line of cousins was equally reluctant to step up.

    Stefan, the eldest, bearing his mother¡¯s name, reluctantly shouldered the responsibility, knowing he was the preordained sessor since he was.

    raised by his grandparents.

    Keith remained silent.

    Before finding Lucinda, he thought all wealthy families were like the Blues.

    It was only after Lucinda came back

    into his life. Bringing a brother-inw

    into the fold, that Keith realized there

    were outliers like the Andersons.

    Meeting I Frederick and Jeannie-he

    wasgiven a new perspectiveon the

    wold of the elite. Content.belongs to

    4

    "Word is, you spent a small fortune to have me investigated,¡± Darlene broached the subject at hand.

    Keith hummed in acknowledgment. "Last time, thanks to your help. I escaped danger. You saved my life, but I didn''t even know your name to repay

    you. I don''t like owing favors, so I wanted to find you and express my gratitude."

    Darlene intended to ask why he had people watching her, but she swallowed her words. To ask would be to admit she was Darlene.

    Her visit tonight was a calcted move.

    Only by revealing herself and epting Keith''s thanks would he stop having her agency search for her. Then she could return his deposit and

    maintain her agency''s reputation.

    But she wasn''t ready to admit she was Darlene.

    "It was nothing, really. I''m honored that you''d remember such a small gesture."

    Keith nced at her, then turned back to finish preparing the meal. He added the prepared ingredients into the simmering sauce.

    "I insist on not owing favors,¡± he said. ¡°It may have been a small gesture to you, but to me. it was a life-saving grace. I won''t rest easy until I''ve

    properly thanked you, miss. May I know your name?"

    After a moment of silence, Darlene

    replied, "May-decline? My line of

    worke$ with its own dangers. : ~

    To protect myself, I''ve always warn

    a mask, and I''d rather not involve my

    family I''m hesitant to reveal even

    mydast name for fear of being

    tracked down."

    "I''m tight-lipped when ites to confidentiality. Besides, you are my lifesaver. I would never expose your identity or put you in harm¡¯s way."

    Keith served Darlene a bowl of

    Spaghetti withimeat sauce, topped it

    with the fried egg, and carried it to.

    the smaltdining room adjacent tos

    the kitchen. Darlene followed

    witha ceremony, taking a seat at

    thettable as he returned to the

    kitchen for another bowl of

    spaghetti for himself.

    Darlene eyed the heaping bowl of spaghetti before her,den with generous strips of steak, and couldn''t help but muse to herself. Don''t judge a book

    by its cover. Keith, for all his icy exterior, was a considerate soul.

    "If you''re not inclined to share your full name, perhaps you''d grace me by lifting that mask to reveal the face of my benefactor?¡±

    Darlene stayed silent.

    She started to dig into her meal.

    It was because she was genuinely famished.

    Keith watched her tuck in and decided not to press further. The two of them ate inpanionable silence. Perhaps it was thepany. but Keith

    found himself thinking the pasta he had whipped up was particrly delicious this evening.

    Once the growls of their stomachs had been quelled, Keith stood up to gather the dishes and headed to the sink to wash up.

    Darlene let him do his thing; after all, as a guest in his home. it was his prerogative not to have her wash up. It was part of his hospitality.

    "Keith, you''ve got a grateful heart, and I reckon you wouldn''t want to put anyone on the spot," she remarked.

    At her words, Keith paused mid-scrub and turned to nce at Darlene for a moment before resuming his task. "Well then, let''s pretend I never

    asked,¡± he replied.

    Darlene breathed a sigh of relief.

    Keith figured, if this masked woman had managed to find him and sneak into his quarters undetected, she must be quite skilled. He didn''t want to

    sour rtions with her.

    Maybe they would cross paths again in the future.

 Chapter 469

    Chapter 469

    Keith could feel the warm current of interest flowing from Darlene¡¯s gaze.

    "You''ve shelled out a pretty penny to have the folks at Cipher Detectives hunt me down. Now that I''vee to you tonight, why don¡¯t you im back

    that hefty deposit? It''s a serious chunk of change to just leave on the table.¡±

    "Should I get it back and give it to you?"

    Darlene was silent.

    She just wanted him to reim the deposit, cancel the job, and preserve the reputation of her detective agency.

    She had no desire for the money.

    "Keith, I helped you out, really, it was no big deal, I don''t need a reward. That amount of money is too much."

    Keith didn''t even look back this time, his voice deep, "Forget it. Cipher Detectives took my case and my money, and they did put in the work for quite

    some time. The deposit can stay with them as payment for their efforts."

    Darlene remained silent.

    Her agency did take deposits, but they also had a policy in ce¡ªthe deposit would be returned to the client if the job couldn''t bepleted.

    Keeping the depasit meant the agreement was still active, and they would continue to investigate for the client.

    "Since you are so insistent, I''ll gracefully ept, and the deposit is mine."

    After washing the dishes, Keith stepped out of the kitchen and stood before Darlene.

    Close contact brought them nearly nose to nose, and Keith picked up a faint scent from her, grateful for his keen sense of smell.

    This soft fragrance, it was vaguely familiar.

    Recalling his sister''s suspicions that Darlene might be the mysterious maskeddy he had encountered, he found it hard to reconcile the gentle

    Darlene with the spirited masked figure.

    Aside fram his mother and sister, the only other woman''s scent he knew was Darlene''s

    Cecilia never wore perfume; her natural scent was all there was, except maybe a whiff of shampoo after she washed her hair.

    Cecilia, though skilled in some self-defense, was no match for a true fighter in Keith''s eyes, so he had ruled her out from the start.

    That left only Darlene.

    Keith silently scoffed: Lucinda was spot on!

    Always thinking ahead, Lucinda was typical of a storyteller.

    "Give me an ount number. I''ll have someone call Cipher Detectives to cancel the job. get the deposit back, and transfer the money to your

    ount.¡±

    Darlene¡¯s smile cracked, "I have a thing for cash. It looks so grand!"

    Keith couldn''t help but chuckle, ¡°Alright, I''ll get you the cash. Do you want to pick it up, or should I deliver it?¡±

    "I''ll give you an address where you can drop the money off. I''ll be waiting there to collect it.¡±

    Skywatch was his territory: if she frequented the ce, it would be too easy for him to spot a w.

    Pinehurst was her home, but not exactly her turf. With the Andersons and the Martinez families casting theirs. both would side with Keith, making

    it unsafe for her, though still safer than Skywatch

    She''d just give him a random address, have him drop off the money. and then figure out how to shake off his men.

    Helping others was not new to Darlene, but this was the first time it had brought trouble her way.

    "Deal," Keith agreed swiftly.

    Darlene breathed a sigh of relief, her agency''s reputation intact.

    "Thanks for saving my life the other day!"

    Keith formally expressed his gratitude.

    "A small act of kindness is worth a great debt, let alone saving a life. If you ever face trouble, need my help, just tell me.¡±

    Keith made a promise.

    Darlene chuckled, "Like I said, it was nothing.¡±

    "But still. you saved me.¡±

    "Even if I hadn''t stepped in, it''s not certain you''d have lost. Calling me your lifesaver is an overstatement, though saying I gave you a hand, I can live

    with that.¡±

    She couldn''t bear the weight of being his lifesaver, dreading the possibility of him offering himself in return.

    "You''re the most capable woman I''ve ever met."

    "Thanks for thepliment. Keith. It''s gettingte, and I should head back. Thank you for the pasta, it was delicious."

    Darlene was ready to take her leave, worried that if they continued talking. Keith might offer her a bodyguard job.

    He had nothing but praise for her skills.

    "I''ll walk you out."

    As Keith said this, he moved towards the window, assuming Darlene had entered that way.

    But when he turned back after reaching the window, Darlene had already gone out the door.

    Keith was left baffled

    She had entered so boldly, right through the front door, tantly challenging the Blue family''s security system!

    This woman, he admired her very, very much!Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Exiting Keith''s room, Darlene easily slipped into a guest room and out the window, evading Keith''s night watchmen.

    Her mentor, a legendary thief, had taught her well. The kind who had stolen from the world¡¯s rich and famous without ever getting caught.

    Her ability to move like a shadow was unmatched

    She didn''t want to follow in her

    mentor''s-footsteps as amaster .

    thief, after all, theft is theft. So she

    chose-the detective path, enjoying

    howshe could use her resouirces to

    unearth secrets unknown to others.

    Keith acted fast. darting back from the window, but by the time he emerged from his room, Darlene was nowhere to be seen.

    He was filled with regret!

    Startled by her audacity, he lost her in a heartbeat.

    Back in his room, Keith approached the window and tapped on it.

    Stepping back, a ck-d bodyguard leaped in through the open window.

    "Mr. Keith.¡±

    Keith regarded his confidant in silence for a full minute before asking, "Someone snuck into my room, and you didn''t notice?"

    The bodyguard hung his head in shame.

    They had received Keith''s signal toote, only realizing an intrusion after the fact

    Though Keith had canceled the alert,

    indicatingthe visitor meant no harm,

    it was still apse in their duty If

    tonight''s intruder had been an-

    assassin, the young master hight

    notshave been so lucky. Content

    b¨¦longs  ~

    "She''s smart and slippery as an eel,

    with unmatched agility, practically¡±

    invisible~I couldn''t catch her.

    Tomerrow, I''ll tell my father we need

    Ke) upgrade our security systems,

    yatemay go." Content bngs to

    wal

    <

    Keith didn''t me his trusted bodyguard

    He knew his crew was top-notch, but there''s always a bigger fish, a sharper shooter in the wild west. Acknowledging someone out there might be

    quicker on the draw didn''t shame him none.

    Even he wasn''t confident he couldsso the elusive maskeddy, let alone expect his bodyguard to pin her down.

    All he could do now was beef up the security at his estate.

    He had to make sure that when Lucinda came back, she''d be as safe as a church in there.

    He''d have to chew the fat with his father about tonight''s shenanigans.

    The maskeddy''s brazen act was likely because his dad had knocked back a few too many bourbons, got a little sauced.

    Otherwise, with his dad''s savvy and experience, he''d have sniffed out something fishy.

    The bodyguard''s face was as red as a lobster, shamefaced as he hopped out the window.

    From now on, they had to be on their toes, guard the fort like hawks. If that dame. that high-flying burr, dared to return, they''d nab her red-handed

    Oh, but she wasn''t just some burr.

    If she were, Keith wouldn''t be breaking bread with her, let alone inviting her over for a spaghetti dinner.

 Chapter 470

    Chapter 470

    Keith punched in another number on his phone, the firmness in his voice unmistakable, "I''m heading to Pinehurst tomorrow. Make the arrangements.¡±

    He was determined to deliver the cash to Darlene in person!

    And he needed to catch up with Lucinda, see if she had any savvy tips up her sleeve for coaxing Darlene into revealing a bit more than she intended.

    Now more than ever, Keith trusted Lucinda''s judgment.

    Her intuition was spot on.

    Not to mention her predictions!

    It was almost a shame she wasn''t reading fortunes under some bridge in the city.

    Darlene¡¯s unexpected visit had robbed Keith of a full night''s sleep; four hours was all he managed before dawn crept in.

    Short as his slumber was, Keith woke up feeling refreshed and energized, his mood buoyant.

    First thing, he dialed Lucinda''s number.

    To let her know he''d be visiting today.

    Lucinda¡¯s delight was palpable through the phone, though tinged with confusion, ¡°Keith, weren''t you nning oning over for Tiffany''s wedding?

    Why the sudden drop-by on a Monday?¡±

    She was going to hand in her resignation at thepany today.

    After Tiffany''s wedding, she nned to move back to Skywatch

    Post-resignation, her time would be devoted to preparing for Liam and Tiffany''s wedding.

    "What, not happy to see me? Or perhaps you''re worried I''ll be a third wheel, cramping your style with Stefan?¡±

    Keith teased.

    Watching his sister and her husband all lovey-dovey always left him feeling like he was being force-fed a diet of romance.

    Sometimes it even made him consider looking for love.

    All thanks to the lovebirds, his sister and brother-inw.

    "Keith, what are you talking about? You''re my brother, my flesh and blood, just as important to me as Stefan. Of course, I''d want to spend time with

    you first. Out with it, why are you reallying over? I don¡¯t buy for a second it''s just because you missed me."

    ¡°Your words make me sound like a heartless brother,¡± he said with mock indignation. "Last night, well, more like one in the morning today, my

    lifesaver paid me a visit."Property of N?)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

    Lucinda was instantly intrigued, "So, did you finally see her face? Was it Darlene? How did you thank your lifesaver? Any chance you offered yourself

    in return? I have two brothers, and the elder one''s all settled. You''re the only bachelor left. Keith. If it turns out to be Darlene, you should shamelessly

    offer yourself to her."

    "The debt of saving a life can certainly be paid that way.¡±

    Keith was speechless, "Lucy, are you a matchmaker now?"

    Lucinda giggled, "I''m just looking out for you. Mom and Dad aren''t pestering you about marriage, so it falls to me to take up the mantle. Even though

    you''re ten minutes older, I''m married; I''ve been through it. I know the ropes."

    Keith was speechless.

    Most people got the marriage nudge from their elders, but Keith got it from his little sister.

    "I didn''t get to see her real face, so I can''t be sure it was Ms. Darlene," Keith confessed, "She wasn''t willing to reveal her identity, and I didn''t want to

    press her. But when I spoke to her up close, I caught a scent I recognized. Next time I see Ms. Darlene. I''ll know for sure."

    "It seems you''re quite taken with her, breaking your own ¡®three-meter rule¡¯ just for her," Lucinda teased.

    She knew it. Her brother was an amazing catch, and she was certain that once the right moment came, the no-women-within-three-meters rule would

    shatter.

    Keith said, ¡°I''d actually forgotten about that.¡±

    Lucindaughed heartily over the phone.

    Keith was a tad frustrated.

    When he saw the masked woman in his room, his only thought was relief. He had people scouring everywhere for her, and here she was, showing up

    on her own ord. In his excitement, he''dpletely forgotten his rule about women not getting too close.

    And not only had he forgotten, but he had also intentionally closed in on the masked woman.

    "Though I didn''t see her face, I''m about eighty percent sure she''s Ms. Darlene."

    He was testing the waters.

    She hade to him with a clear purpose: to have him cancel his contract with Cipher Detectives and get his deposit back.

    That way, she wouldn''t be put in an awkward position.

    Cipher Detectives was her operation.

    If it weren''t for his sister ying matchmaker and sowing seeds of doubt, Keith would never have linked Darlene to the shadowy owner of Cipher

    Detectives.

    When Keith thought of Darlene''s agility and sharp wit, his lips curled into a smile. She was shrouded in mystery.

    And he, he was eager to unravel her secrets, oneyer at a time.

    ¡®I knew it was Darlene. And you were

    so sure it wast. Now you''re having

    doubts, huh?¡¯So, what''s your n?

    You sureryou'' re not going to x

    stubboraly offer yourself to her?

    Speaking of which, you could. learna

    thing? or two from Owen. He-had the

    nerve to chase after Cecil, no holds

    barred.¡±

    Learn from Owen?

    Well, he could do that.

    No, that¡¯s not right. He wasn''t aiming to woo anyone, so why adopt Owen''s tactics?

    He simply admired the masked woman, nothing more.

    "Lucy, are you that eager to get rid of me? Pushing me out the door like I''m some bachelor on clearance!¡±

    Lucindaughed, "Keith, I just feel for you. It''s lonely being on your own, no one to care for you. If you found someone, I''d worry less."

    ¡°Alright, enough teasing. Tell me, what else happened between you and Darlene?"

    Keith sighed, "What could have happened? Lucy. the way you put it, I sound like some kind of predator.¡±

    "Keith, that''s your mind twisting things, not my words."

    Keith was speechless.

    He couldn''t cuttalk his sister.

    After all, she was a writer, a wordsmith. And wordsmiths were formidable; they could y without a de.

    "She asked me to cancel the contract with Cipher Detectives and take back the deposit. to use it as a reward for saving me.¡±

    "That''s it?"

    "What else were you expecting?¡±

    Lucinda sounded almost disappointed, "Bro, couldn''t you have chatted her up a bit more? Besides, she saved your life. Doesn''t it seem a bit cheap to

    repay her with just a few hundred thousand?¡±

    "Did you transfer the money to her?¡±

    Keith grumbled, "No. she wouldn''t give me her ount details, probably afraid I''d trace her real identity. She insisted on cash, the nerve!¡±

    "A few grand in cash? Come on,

    Keith, that''s chump change. If you''re

    seriously gonna make it rain for her,

    you needton go big. I''m talking =

    mi lions. 4magine rolling up with a

    coupleof hefty leather suitcases,

    bu sting at the seams, just dragging

    them over to her doorstep. ¡®Bet she''d

    come zooming over on Ker

    motorcycle just like she did when

    she saved your hide that one time.¡±

    "Thing is, she won''t be able to lug all

    that dough ayherself, and it''s not

    exactly safe, right? That''s your

    golden ti titket, Keith. You offer her

    lift, andno matter where she asks

    yous. drop her off, it''s a cluena way

    toarrow down our search*   ?

    ?N

    Both Keith and Lucinda were pretty convinced that the maskeddy was none other than Darlene, although without seeing her true face, they still had

    their werk cut out for them

    They needed hard evidence, a glimpse behind the mask that confirmed it was Darlene, before they could start piecing the puzzle together.

    Keith was dumbfounded, taking a moment before he sighed, "Lucy, you''re something else. Good thing you''re not a guy. If you were, I bet you''d have

    a trail of broken hearts behind you.¡±

    "Just trying to market you, you know? I''m pulling out all the stops, brainstorming day and night on how tond you a sister-inw.¡±

    Keith was on the verge of hanging up again.

 Chapter 471

    Chapter 471

    As the heir to the illustrious Blue family fortune, he was considered a leftover bachelor by his sister!

    "Is Stefan around?" Keith inquired.

    "Yes, he is. You looking for him? Hold on, I''ll get him for the phone.¡±

    Lucinda promptly handed the phone to her husbandN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

    Stefan grabbed the phone and greeted Keith on the other end.

    Keith immediately started to gripe, "Where''s that bossy attitude of yours, Stefan? And that petty jealousy? I''ve been chatting with Lucy for ages, and

    you''re not the least bit sour? You don''t snatch the phone away or hang up, leaving me to be teased by Lucy. There goes my brotherly authority."

    Stefan was speechless.

    If he was domineering and jealous, Keith would call him petty, saying he was even jealous of his own cousin.

    If he was generous, Keith would still find fault with him.

    He was in a no-win situation, caught in the middle like a sandwich cookie.

    Keith still had a few moreints lined up, but Stefan hung up the phone.

    Just as he wished!

    "Stefan, Stefan, I wasn''t even finished talking, and you hang up on me. Seriously, when I want you to hang up, you don''t, and when I don''t want you

    to, you hang up so quickly.¡±

    Keith grumbled a bit but didn¡¯t call back.

    Continuing the conversation would probably drive him mad with frustration from his sister''s teasing

    Stuffing his phone back into his pocket, Keith checked himself out in the mirror and found his reflection to be tall, cool, and handsome, just the way he

    liked. Satisfied, he stepped out of his room.

    Keith greeted his grandparents with a casual ¡®good morning.¡¯ and his interaction with them was brief.

    "Keith, you''re heading out so early?" his grandmother asked with affection

    "Just trying to shake off thezy vice-president tag Ashley keeps throwing at me. Don''t want to give her more reason topare me unfavorably to

    Pete," Keith replied nonchntly.

    His grandmother choked on her words.

    Pete had been shuffled off to a branch office and his chances of returning to head office were slim.

    It was all Keith''s doing.

    Though it was Nathan who officially made the transfer, everyone in the Blue family knew that Keith had caught Pete in a mistake and insisted on

    having him removed from Blue Corporation''s head office.

    Keith was always so unapproachable, without a trace of sibling affection.

    "I''m going to check on Dad. He had a bit to drinkst night and was a bit tipsy," Keith mentioned before departing.

    Even as his grandparents showed him affection, he knew it was all an act.

    For years, they''d subtly favored Hayden and Pete, hoping Pete would rece him as the heir. Keith was acutely aware of this.

    His strained rtionship with his father was partly fueled by his grandmother''s meddling.

    His grandfather had stayed out of it, but by not intervening, he wasplicit... so Keith kept his distance.

    Before his sister was found, he was like a lone wolf at Sunnyde Abbey, surrounded by rtives who might as well have been strangers.

    As Keith walked past them and swiftly disappeared, his grandmother sighed to her husband, "Look at your grandson''s attitude towards us.¡±

    The old man merely murmured, ¡°You reap what you sow.¡±

    His wife was left speechless, realizing the truth in his words. Arguing was futile.

    Now that they recognized their mistake and wanted to make amends, it all depended on whether their grandson was willing to give them a chance.

    Keith proceeded to his mother''s room, only to remember he had locked it the night before. Fortunately, he had a key.

    Unlocking the door, he saw his father still in deep slumber, clinging tightly to the pillow his mother used to rest her head on

    Keith approached the bed, attempted to remove the pillow, but his father¡¯s grip was unyielding even in sleep, and it didn''t budge.

    "Why not go hug Mom if you''re so capable, hugging her pillow doesn''t count.¡± Keith muttered under his breath.

    He left a note for his father instead of waking him, stating he was flying to Pinehurst for a week to attend Liam''s wedding and would return with his.

    sister.

    The responsibilities of the Blue Corporation would wait on his father''s shoulders.

    However, at the bottom of the note, he added. [Take care of yourself] It was his way of showing concern as a son.

    After locking the door and leaving the house, Keith boarded the private jet arranged for him, ready to fly to Pinehurst and deliver a financial gift to the

    lifesaver who had once helped him.

    Meanwhile, in Pinehurst, Lucinda had just resigned from her job and was paying a visit to the Bishop family for the first time.

    Belinda had moved out, leaving only a few servants and the still-sleeping Darlene at home.

    Darlene, having sneaked out to meet Keith the previous night, had rushed back to avoid her sister''s suspicion.

    Once home, she had changed clothes, hidden her silver mask, and fallen into bed. skipping breakfast with her sister this moming.

    Darlene was suddenly woken up by a knock on the door. Darlene really wanted to curse, but she always showed her good temper and gentleness

    and could not curse

    She could only get up and open the door.

    "Ms. Darlene, Ms. Lucinda is here.¡±

    The servant whe came to knock on the door was puzzled.

    In the past, Darlene got up earlier than her sister, because Darlene always liked to cook breakfast for her sister, so she got up earlier.

    Today, Darlene didn''t even get up until the end of the day.

    Darlene¡¯s sister called back twice to ask, worried that Darlene was ufortable.

    Just as Lucinda came to visit, the servant had an excuse to knack on the doer.

    The persistent knocking on her door was more than enough to wake her up, and though she felt like cursing, Darlene was known for her gentle

    demeanor and couldn''t give in to anger.

    Darlene assured the knocking servant, "Please invite Mrs. Lucinda in, I''ll be down shortly."

    Wondering why Lucinda would visit when she should be at work, Darlene also worried if Keith had found something out and sent Lucy to probe her.

    Sighing inwardly, Darlene realized dealing with someone as sharp as Keith meant constantly being under suspicion

    She couldn''t figure out where she slipped up that made Keith suspect she was Darlene.

    "Alright, Miss Darlene, are you feeling alright?¡± the maid asked with genuine concern.

    "No, I''m fine: I j ust got too caught up

    in that mavie marathonst night¡±

    and wepit to bed reallyte. Couldn''t

    wake-up this morning. No =

    disgamfort at all," Darlene quickly

    fabricated an excuse. Content

    b¨¦longs  ~

    The maid seemed to buy it but still

    said witha motherly tone, "Miss 2

    Darlene; staying upte can takea

    toll onyour health. Try not to. do that

    agaity, or your sister will have)

    anather reason to lecture you."

    "Mhm, I got it. Won''t happen next time,¡± Darlene assured her.

    Only after the maid turned and descended the stairs did Darlene close the door, leaning against it. She massaged her temples:ck of sleep

    asionally brought on these mild headaches.

    Right, she needed to check for dark circles.

    Darlene hurried to the mirror.

    Sure enough, there they were.

    These past few days, her nocturnal escapades had seriously disrupted her sleep.

    She''d needto apply her makeup

    skillfully to: camouge the fatigue

    under her eyes, lest Lucy notice

    Lucy had a hawk-like gaze, sharp as

    a razor de, and Darlene couldn''t

    afford to be careless. Content

    b¨¦longs  ~

 Chapter 472

    Chapter 472

    Lucinda had just polished off a stack of pancakes and was sipping her second cup of coffee when Darlene finally sauntered downstairs

    ¡°Lucy.¡±

    With a habitual tender smile tinged with a hint of apology, Darlene said, ¡°I''m so sorry¡ªI was upte watching a movie marathon. Slept in and kept

    you waiting.¡±

    She had put on makeup, but was worried that even with it. she couldn''t hide the signs of fatigue. so she just came clean

    ¡°What flick was so gripping you had to stay up for it?¡±

    Lucinda asked out of curiosity.

    ¡°Nothing spectacr, just some roms. I started and just had to see how they ended. Don''t you have work today? Isn¡¯t it Monday?"

    Darlene sat down beside Lucinda, her concern evident. "Did something happen? Why aren¡¯t you at work?¡±

    ¡°I quit my job today. I¡¯m heading to Skywatch in a few days. Plus. there¡¯s a bunch of stuff to help with for Tiffany¡¯s wedding. As her sister-inw, I¡¯ve

    got to lend a hand, so I called it quits.

    Her days of juggling jobs were over.

    Although it wasn¡¯t for long, she had learned a lot, a vast improvement from before.

    Before, she hadn''t worked a day in anypany, without a shred of experience

    ¡°That makes sense.¡±

    ¡°You''re all good on your end, right?¡±

    Lucinda asked with genuine concern. ¡°Anythinges up, you tell us early, and we''ll help sort it out.¡±

    She was referring to Darlene being the bridesmaid for Tiffany.

    ¡°No worries, I''ll be moving into the Paisley estate on Friday night, ready for the Saturday wedding. Lucy, I just got up and I¡¯m starving. Gonna grab a

    bite. Join me?

    Lucinda declined with augh, "I''m nearly bursting at the seams. Stefan always feeds me like I''m a pig. Ever since we got together, I must¡¯ve gained

    a few pounds.

    ¡°Back in the day, I could eat anything and never gain an ounce.¡±

    Darlene chuckled, ¡°That''s a humble brag about your bliss if I ever heard one. I don¡¯t see any change¡ªyou''re still gorgeous.¡±

    ¡°Gorgeous is thest thing I''d im sitting next to you. You''re like a goddess in my eyes. Go eat, don''t starve yourself. I''ll wait for you. Let''s take a

    walk afterward and drop by my shop.¡±

    Despite her busy schedule, she needed to check in on the shop, not letting Cecilia run it all by herself.

    Owen, too, was worried about Cecilia getting worn out and had arranged two bodyguards for her¡ªnot only for protection but also to help out for free.

    ¡°Alright, give me a few.

    The two women were close friends; Darlene wasn''t formal, and Lucy wasn¡¯t either. They did as they pleased.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯ve gat to pick someone up from the airport today. My brother''s flying in early, not sure why.

    Lucinda added suddenly.

    Darlene, who had already moved to the dining area to eat, paused upon hearing this, then nonchntly continued with her meal.

    Sleeping in had left her genuinely hungry.

    ¡°Your brother¡¯s probablying to check on you. You and your mom are still in Pinehurst; it''s only natural for him toe see you.¡±

    Darlene remarked, ¡°Lucy, sometimes I really envy you. You''ve got two brothers who adore you. You''re married, and your husband dotes on you

    endlessly. You''re living the dream.¡±

    ¡°Your sister adores you too, and my eldest brother treats you like his own sister.¡±

    Ike was practically part of the Bishop family now.

    With no elders left in the Bishop family, distant rtives couldn''t influence Belinda¡¯s marriage choices

    As long as Darlene had no objections to Ike, Belinda and Ike could set a wedding date whenever they wanted.

    Belinda had a busy career, and Ike was no cker. Their romance was different from most, but since Belinda had agreed to meet Ike''s parents, it

    suggested their rtionship was on solid ground.

    Maybe after meeting the parents, they''d start discussing marriage

    ¡°Ike is great. Whenever Belinda mentions him, she can''t help but soften up. Love is powerful.¡±

    Darlene mused.

    Belinda had faced so much adversity that her heart had grown cold¡ªexcept towards Darlene. Ike was the second person to receive Belinda¡¯s

    warmth.

    That showed the strength of love.

    Lucindaughed, ¡°Why don¡¯t you give love a try?

    Darlene smiled back, ¡°Haven''t met the right person yet; I''m not thinking about it for now."

    Her thoughts suddenly drifted to Keith.

    She was quite intrigued by him.

    But the Blue family was tooplicated.

    Then again, considering she could infiltrate the Blue family undetected, Darlene wasn''t worried about being mistreated if she married into it.

    Wait.

    Where were her thoughts going?

    She and Keith had only met a few times, and he hadn¡¯t treated her any differently than anyone else. These were all just fantasies.

    Darlene ate with grace, yet quickly.

    Soon, she was content and rejoined Lucinda.

    Looking at the time, Lucinda said, ¡°You¡¯ve pretty much merged breakfast and lunch. Don''t stay upte again¡ªit''s bad for your skin.

    She yfully touched Darlene¡¯s face, ¡°Don¡¯t ruin it; it would break my heart.¡±

    Darlene grinned, ¡°Got it.¡±

    She was very conscious about her health and skincare.

    Belinda said she resembled their mother greatly.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She couldn''t ruin that resemnce; it would pain her sister, who looked to her to see their mother.

    After a little more banter, they headed out together.

    Seeing the bodyguards waiting outside didn¡¯t surprise either of them

    Belinda always protected her sister like a delicate flower in a greenhouse. Whenever Darlene stepped out, bodyguards were with her.

    It went without saying for Lucy.

    Serendipity Caf¨¦.

    Cecilia had no idea her two friends wereing. As she watched patrons pay and leave, she pulled out her phone to order some delivery through an

    app.

    But within minutes, she heard the familiar, steady footsteps approaching

    Then came the polite greeting from the waitress. ¡°Hello, Mr. Martinez.¡±

    Cecilia snapped her head up toward the entrance to see Owen striding in, looking travel-worn.

    He seemed exhausted, probably hadn''t shaved for days, his stubble evident.

    In the blink of an eye, he had circled

    around to the¡¯sashier''s counter,

    Standing byter side. His hands

    reached out, gripping her arms and>

    pulling her up to stand. Instinct

    she titted her head back to look at

    him;only to be drawn into hi is

    embrace. His arms tightened around

    her, holding her close as¡éf he was

    afraid she would slip away the

    moment he loosened his grip.

    ¡ê

    Cecilia feltthe embrace was almost.

    too tightand tried to squirm a bits

    but that just made him hold her even

    closer, as if he couldn''t bear. the

    thought of letting her go. Content

    ~

    With no option but to stay still, Cecilia nestled silently in his arms, taking in the familiar scent of him, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

    It took a while before Owen finally eased his hold.

    "Cecilia, I''ve missed you like crazy," he murmured

    He had been on a business trip, working overtime to wrap things up so he could return to her sooner. A single day without Cecilia made him anxious.

    let alone several

    She haunted even his dreams.

    Stirred by emotion, Cecilia hugged him back just as tightly and said, "I''ve missed you too."

    Seeing him every day, she had

    thought her-feclings for Owen were

    just a passing fancy. But his =

    absence¡®ever the past few days f had

    provemher wrong; she realizecthat

    her affection for him ran much

    deeper than she had ever imagined.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!